Integrity

June 14, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Honesty…sincerity…trustworthy…truthfulness…decency…morality…respectable. These are rare qualities in today’s world. We all have sinned and have done things against the will of God. Admitting we are wrong is so difficult when the world keeps sending out messages that ‘Me’ first is how we should want to live. It is true that God is love, however, this does not mean any and all behaviors are acceptable to Him…take a look at Proverbs 6:16-19 or Proverbs 8:13 for some examples of behaviors God despises. We live in a fallen and broken world and our ability to admit and confess when we are wrong is the starting point to turning away from behaviors that hurt ourselves and others. Amen.

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“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:8-9

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling through North Dakota)

Beyond Forgiveness

June 1, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We have been saved…the price has been paid…God has forgiven us for our sins. However, this is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of the rest of your story and your faith life. There is more for you to learn and do…there is a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ beyond forgiveness. Jesus is your Savior but is He the Lord of your life? Turn toward God in prayer and ask Him to help you see what’s next? Amen.

God’s Not Done With You by Tauren Wells

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“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:6

(This photo was taken in August of 2018 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Forgiveness

May 21, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Everybody makes mistakes, everyone makes poor choices. There are examples of this throughout history. The most prominent names in the bible committed sins, except for one. We are broken, we are weak, we give into temptation and the human race is responsible for bringing sin into the world. Even still we can be saved…Jesus Christ the one without sin who was crucified and died…He is Risen and He is our Redeemer. No matter what you have done or left undone, turn towards God and confess yours sins and you will be saved. Amen.

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“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:9

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Repentance

April 8, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To admit when we are wrong…to be accountable for our actions and behaviors…to walk in truth. The hardest part is typically the first step when it comes to repentance. It takes a level of humility that pride is fighting against. Since we live in a broken and fallen world we know that judgement will come from others even though it is not theirs to deal out. The foundation of our faith, a relationship with Jesus Christ is what we all need to be able to move through repentance and begin to turn away from sinful behaviors. Offer up your repentance to God and His Son Jesus and begin to heal the wounds of guilt and fear. Amen.

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1 John 1:8-9

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)

Acknowledge Your Mistakes

March 27, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Mistakes and errors will happen, we all will make them, it is guaranteed because we are broken. We need strength and courage that only comes from Christ to admit to our mistakes, to acknowledge them and then strive to do better. If we spend our time always trying to conceal or hide things all we are doing is delaying the inevitable truth. The best that we can do when we make mistakes is to be open and honest about them and learn from them…the truth is failure is not an end it is just one step closer to success for those who won’t give up. Trust in the Lord and you will be amazed at what you can learn. Amen.

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“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, his is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:8-9

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 while traveling through Colorado)

Forgive As You Are Forgiven

March 11, 2019 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

Many of us have something or someone in our life or in our past that stirs us up quickly. Just the mention of that situation or person begins to increase our blood pressure and we feel the tension increase. The bitterness and anger is only hurting us, we need to move through the pain and frustration to the other side, we need to seek to forgive. To be clear this does not mean someone else is getting a pass for something that was wrong and hurtful, rather it is declaring that you are not going to allow that issue or problem to define your attitude going forward. To forgive is to let go of the past and the pain and to embrace the new and the possible. This is a process and takes time and God is ready to guide us and hold us up through it all. Amen.

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“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:31-32

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Badlands National Park in South Dakota)

The Grace Of God

January 29, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We have been saved…the battle has been won. Jesus Christ gave of Himself to save us and to reconcile us back to God. We are not made to do life alone, God our Creator made us out of His love and His Son sacrificed His life because of His love for us and the Holy Spirit is guiding us through our days with God’s love. We haven’t earned it, we don’t deserve it. It has occured because of the mercy and grace of God our Father. He is not a distant figure in the sky looking for ways to punish us for every mistake, He is doing everything for our good, not according to our plans rather according to His. We would do well to turn towards God and thank Him and seek to grow our relationship with Jesus Christ. Amen.

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“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while traveling through northern Colorado)

Humility

January 2, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

I don’t know how it works…I don’t understand…I don’t have the answers…accepting things even when we don’t fully understand them. This can be a hard thing. Even just reading the first three statements above can feel uncomfortable. To know the basic understanding of something is the first step. C.S. Lewis in his writings has spoken about it in this way…when we are tired and hungry, eating a meal will do you good. This is the basic understanding. Understanding how food nourishes the body using vitamins and proteins within the food is not necessary knowledge to know that when you are hungry a meal will do you good. Similarly, he continues, knowing and accepting what Christ has done to save us is the basic knowledge of faith. Understanding how it fully works is not required to know that Jesus Christ loves you and died to save you. When we can accept that we will not fully understand everything all the time, we can still go and do the right things for the right reasons. I pray we are humble and faithful in our every day lives. Amen.

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“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

Proverbs 11:2

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Forgiveness

December 28, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To begin to seek a new nature, to desire to be different than we have been, to seek kindness and compassion and a servant attitude…first we must turn toward Jesus Christ on the Cross and confess our sins. Be humbled and speak the wrongs we have committed against others, in our thoughts, our actions and our words. We all have to go through this step on our faith journey and more than one time…we live in a fallen and broken world filled with sin and evil and none of us can stand up to it alone. God knows this and He sent His Son to take the judgement we all deserve so that we can be reconciled to Him when we are willing to admit our faults. Confess and be forgiven, this is part of God’s plan for you. Amen.

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“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:9

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Relationships

December 3, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Communication…kindness…compassion…courage…commitment…time spent together…love. There are so many things that can get in the way of this list of characteristics that support a strong relationship. The world feeds us self-focused ways of living and that is exactly the opposite behavior needed for a strong relationship, yet people wonder why relationships are so hard? The key to perseverance is building a relationship on a solid foundation. That foundation is love. More than a feeling, love is about behaviors and attitude…Jesus Christ has provided the example of love for us to follow and if we are willing to surrender self and live in this love we will begin to see our relationships get repaired, renewed and restored. I pray we all seek the guidance of the Lord for our relationships. Amen.

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