First Seek God

February 13, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we are preparing for something such as hosting a holiday with family and friends or going on a trip or taking on a new position or job, even planning a wedding. We often spend a great deal of time and effort planning and doing all the little details to get ready or some people choose to spend very little time planning and they just do…either way in both scenario’s we often don’t stop and pray about it to God. Sometimes we do but that is right before we eat or right before we walk in the door on our first day or as we step on the plane to leave. It feels kinda like, ‘Ok God I spent a great deal of effort getting ready and checking all the boxes to do this, now you make sure it all goes as I have planned, Oh and don’t forget the…’ we are human it appears to be in our nature. What if when the possibility of something to be planned is presented we go to God first and seek His plan to see if it is what He has set for us? It will be hard at first as changing behavior always is and we will still go our own way sometimes, (I recently did this and am making my way back to God’s plan) in the end it will all be worth it to follow Him. May God’s peace be with you.

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“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:33-34

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

Don’t Give Up

February 12, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Our lives are filled with moments and memories…some are good times and some are difficult. We all tend to embellish a bit in our memories, the memory of good times seem to be really good and the memory of bad times seem to be really bad. For many there seems to be more bad memories that start to take a person down a road where even the present moments are seen through their eyes with a negative perspective. This is a quick spiral downward and we can get stuck in the swirl of negativity. We have to have the courage to choose a new perspective, a more balanced view things and we are fed that perspective when we read the Word of God. When times are hard and it feels like you are making no progress on anything…don’t give up, keep pressing on, keep believing…that is your faith at work. Goodness will come to those who believe in the hope that God provides through Jesus Christ. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Colossians 3:12

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

The Presence Of God

February 11, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Our faith becomes most real when we go through something that is difficult to explain with words…when a need is met in an unexplained way, when courage came at an unexpected time, when peace overwhelms us during a difficult time, when we are able to do something that we normally would not consider attempting if we had time to think about it and analyze it…when we get out of the way mentally and God is guiding us, only later do we realize that God came near to us. These are not once in a lifetime experiences as God is with us in life every step of the way every day…we just need to be in communication with Him and trust in Him. May God’s peace be with you.

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“The Lore replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give your rest.”

Exodus 33:14

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

Come To Jesus

February 10, 2018February 10, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There can be great moments of peace in prayer and worship and one way of worshiping that makes a significant impact on me is listening to Christian music. All my senses come alive through music and song…I want to share one simple and yet very significant song with you today. The message is clear and the answers for many questions can be found in one place…with Jesus. Take a listen and May God’s peace be with you.

Give Me Jesus by Jeremy Camp

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“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

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

Self-less

February 9, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

One of the most tragic afflictions of our time is selfishness or being self-focused. The look at me, make sure I have more than others, constantly assessing my place compared to others and then determining my own value based on what others think or tell me they think about me mentality. This perspective pushes God to the side and puts me first as the top priority. This has always been an affliction on human society and it seems to have grown exponentially since the explosion of social media. One of the world’s greatest needs right now is more humility and less selfies. Imagine the impact on human relationships when people are looking to lift others up as often as they care for themselves. I am not suggesting we ignore ourselves rather we strive for a better balance in the way we live. I pray that we all take time to be humble and serve as much as we look to be served. As usual with faith it’s simple but not easy. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Do nothing out of selfish ambition of vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Living Faith

February 8, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

What does it mean to live out our faith? What does it look like? Questions like these make me and others stumble often…as if there is one way and only one way to be a person of faith and if we could just figure that out…man things would always be great and easy…uh no. The life of faith is not presented as easy in the bible and I am pretty sure Jesus never said, come follow me and everything will be easy and you will always be happy. Faith is a journey. It is communicating with God, showing the fruits of the spirit in your daily walk, being thankful and having gratitude, being patient and trusting in God’s plan even when we don’t see it from His perspective. It’s hard and Jesus knows this first hand, He was here, He lived it, temptations and all…He suffered too. Then the next question becomes…Why? and at the core of faith is the one important thing that can answer the question of why…Love. 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. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 at a lake in central Minnesota)

Prayer

February 7, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Growing up prayer was about being able to memorize the lines of the Lord’s prayer, however, there wasn’t much talk about or at least I don’t remember hearing about the meaning of what we were saying and I don’t believe I was told that you can say other things or that you should take time to listen to God as well. I was taught more about a one way street, me speaking to God, and most television shows or movies at that time would indicate that a relationship with God meant keeping Him in a box with a glass door that read “In Case of an Emergency Break Glass.” Only in my adult life have I learned about a deeper prayer relationship and sitting in nature or in the quiet and listening. The ability to communicate daily and to grow in your time with God is a blessing…in means slowing down and not taking your cues from the frenetic rush of society or social media. It is about being present and aware of your surroundings and living each day. Prayer is the place to start connecting or re-connecting with God. May God’s peace be with you.

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“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”

Psalm 103:8

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

Servant Leadership

February 6, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

I have been doing some reflection on this phrase and what it is all about. In my faith journey I have learned that Jesus while on earth was a servant leader. He set the example for others, he was willing to humbly do and be what was needed to spread His message of love and service to grow the spiritual life of the apostles first and then to spread the Word to the far reaches of the world through them. To be a servant leader is to be a listener, to have awareness of the needs of others, to have empathy, to build community and to enrich the lives of others so that they can achieve their best. It is not about the individual as a leader in power over others…rather it is about serving others as the leader to help everyone achieve good things as a community. The best way to learn about this is to study the best example we have…Jesus. May God’s peace be with you.

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“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

John 13:15

(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake in central Minnesota)

Each Has A Purpose

February 5, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The makeup of a car engine has many different parts and all the parts work together to create a properly running engine. The slightest malfunction of one part may stop an engine from running completely or will at the very least create a rough running situation that can damage the engine for the long term. The bible talks about the body of Christ in the same way. We are all members of the body of Christ and we all have different functions according to the gifts and blessings we have received. In order to grow the body of Christ which is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ across the world we all need to learn and understand our part and perform it to the best of our ability. What is your function in the body of Christ? Seek it and live it. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

Romans 12:4-5

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

Peace Of Christ

February 4, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Each day can be filled with ups and downs, depending on where you focus your thoughts and your energy, a day can feel like quite a roller-coaster ride. At the end of a day like this we are exhausted, tired and we just want some stability and peace of mind for a period of time in order to have a better balance to life. I have found one way to access peace on a day to day basis and I have learned that you have to go get it, this is my time with the Word of God…the world is not looking to provide you peace of mind or time to rest. The demands will keep coming from all areas of your life…be courageous and when necessary you can say no in order to defend your time. For me a start to every day is coffee and with that coffee is time with God. If something is planned for the morning I try to get up a little earlier or say no or reschedule if it will conflict with my time. To be clear this isn’t always smooth and easy but what is significant is that it has become a time of priority for me and a time I look forward to every day. Jesus sacrificed himself in order to reconcile us with God the Father, it is up to us to take advantage of this reconciliation and build our relationship with Him…every day. May God’s peace be with you.

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