Light of Life

March 18, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Everyone goes through storms in life. Some storms are dark clouds with some hail, rain and thunder and lighting while others storms can be tornadoes or hurricanes. When we watch the news coverage of weather events like these if it is often the next day and people are out helping each other clean up and the left over debris and trash is put into a pile to be removed, it is usually a bright and sunny day as the storm has passed by and new day has dawned. This is exactly how we should try to process the storms of our lives…even the most horrific storms have a next day when the sun will shine and we can pick up the pieces and begin again. The best way to seek this light of life is with Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit and know you are not alone. Besides when major weather event moves through an area we are not the only ones whose house gets hit…we are all much more alike in the events of life then many of us are willing to believe. May God’s peace be with you.

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“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

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

Prayer

March 17, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

This is the beginning of a personal relationship with God. It is not a place to worry about saying the right words in the correct order rather it is about being honest with yourself and talking in truth to God about everything and anything. A strong personal relationship always begins with communication, honest, heart-felt and a willingness to be vulnerable shows true commitment and trust. Then when we are looking for the answers we must be open to a possibility of something we did not think was going to happen because with God anything is possible, even the unthinkable. Open up your heart and mind in conversation with God and then watch for the amazing things that will happen. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Philippians 4:6

(This photo was taken in June of 2015 while driving through South Dakota)

Strength

March 15, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Our strength to stand and face the difficult or troubling circumstances of life and the world we live in comes from God. Personal will power or raw emotion will only carry us for so long…the key element that can impact and affect human behavior is a relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. There will be times when you will feel blindsided by what someone has said to you or about you to others, unfortunately this is common human behavior. Bring these moments to the cross, renew your resolve and strength through faith…it is the only place to find the one who gave everything He had for you. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Friends

March 14, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Throughout our journey in life out of all the places and people we will encounter there are only a few who will last as our true friends through it all. These are the few who know us better than any others, they know more about us and we have built up a significant amount of trust in our relationship with them. They are the ones we want to call when we are struggling and they are one of the first people we want to celebrate with when things are going well. We are willing to do more to help them and they are more willing to help us. A true friend listens without giving you instructions on what you should do, a true friend sacrifices and makes time for us, a true friend accepts us unconditionally just as we are and a true friend is willing to stand by us no matter what happens. As you can see this is a very high standard of friendship and we strive to meet it with a few people but the only one who can attain this level of friendship without fail is Jesus. He set the bar on friendship and the human race should be eternally grateful. May God’s peace be with you.

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“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:11-12

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Faith Begins With Belief

March 13, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

In order to grow in faith and to experience spiritual growth in life it is important to renew our belief in Jesus. To believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who came down from heaven, to know that he came specifically to save human beings from their sins, to reconcile all of us with God…to believe He died on the cross and to have confidence that He has risen from the dead and He is going to come back again. Our faith in God starts with the belief that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and He is with you each and every day of your life. There is nothing in life that can compare to that fact. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16

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

Forgiving

March 12, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Everyone has been hurt by others in some way, at one time or another. This is not a unique situation to be in, the key to peace and joy is what you do with the hurt and the pain…do we live with bitterness and anger at the sound of their name or place where the pain occurred? Maybe for a period of time, eventually we must find a way to forgiveness. We will be much better off to learn about what it means to forgive someone and proceed with removing the dark cloud from over our heads. It won’t make the pain go away and we will live with the scar of past hurts no matter what we do…what it will do is open us up for other future possibilities, some that we could have never imagined if we were still angry and bitter. Give forgiveness a try and see what God has in store for you. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:32

(This photo was taken in February of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Be Different

March 11, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

So much of our time is spent in comparing ourselves with other people and the world with social media feeds the anxiety and stress of these comparisons. We are all made by God, with each having gifts and talents…we are made to work together for the good of ourselves and others. Don’t get caught up in the differences as a bad thing or a reason to try and be something other than just yourself. We are all God’s children. Trust in God and the difference you can make when you have a close relationship with Him. On this day of worship I share a song entitled Different – by Micah Tyler. Be different in having a strong connection with God our Father, Jesus Christ his one and only Son and the Holy Spirit. May God’s peace be with you.

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“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

Romans 8:16

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 on the north shore of the island of Maui, Hawaii)

Rest With God

March 10, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We all get tired, fatigued and exhausted. We were not made to go so fast all the time, as a dear friend of mine would say “Mach II with our hair on fire” all the time day and night, day after day after day. We will break down, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Even when God created the world it is written that on the seventh day he rested…

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

Genesis 2:2-3

The pace of life can easily spin out of control if we let it. We must be more self-aware of our limits and be Ok with saying no to an invitation that may just be an event or time that will not work for us. Take time to be with God in your life and learn ways to balance the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual parts of your routine to present the best version of you. May God’s love and peace be with you.

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

(This photo was taken in September of 2016 on a lake in central Minnesota)

Living Hope

March 9, 2018March 9, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

No matter what you are facing, no matter what struggle is pressing you down…when you devote your life to faith in Jesus Christ you will have access to a deep well of Hope. Imagine what it may have been like for one of the disciples, living during Jesus time on earth…the Savior, the one who was coming to save the people, had been born and living on earth…healing the sick and living a life according to God, which was very different from many others on earth. He had come and they were following Him…and then He allowed himself to be captured beaten and flogged and then crucified…because of who He was, imagine those three days after Jesus died…

Then the most amazing thing occurred and from the most tragic of circumstances, Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to many of them…He conquered death. This same Jesus is with you no matter what…put your Hope in Him. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

1 Peter 1:3

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

The Path To Peace

March 8, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The first steps to finding some peace for me have come from learning about faith and learning about Jesus. Through weekly worship, daily devotions, listening to christian music and serving to help others in need. The next steps to lasting peace are actually getting to know Jesus in personal relationship, through prayer and listening, taking time to sit outdoors in nature in the quiet and to be at peace. The farther down the path you go the harder it can be at times because of the world we live in…that is when it helps the most to remember that Christ is with me, even if I don’t sense His presence. Trust in God, trust also in Jesus as He is The Way to peace. May God’s love and peace be with you.

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