Give Thanks

January 26, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Lord, I thank you for the people you have put in my life. My family, my friends including all of those who help me to see things differently, the encouragement they provide and the joy and laughter we experience together. They help guide me through the rocky moments and events in life. Because of them I know you are near and I give thanks for your faithfulness and your love. Thank you, Lord…I love you…Amen.

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“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalms 100:5

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

How We Treat Each Other

December 31, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The changing of the year signifies a milestone, a break point, a natural point in time to reflect and to begin again or renew or start over…we say things like ‘this year is going to be a good year’ or ‘I hope the next year is better than last year.’ We never truly know what the next year or even the next day will be like or if we even will be given the gift of life to live tomorrow, or next year. We so easily slip into taking the days and life in general for granted…until something happens and you lose someone. When 2018 started I had no idea we would lose 3 relatives this year…I did not know that the last time I said good-bye to my Dad on a Sunday in early August that he would not live to September. In fact on August 30th, 2018 none of us knew, including my Dad, that Sunday August 31st was the day he was going home to the Lord. Life is a gift…people and relationships are far more valuable than anything else this world offers you. We are created out of God’s love to bear good fruit to others in the world and to be loved. Life is a gift, let’s do our best not to take it for granted…every day we are allowed to wake up we should be thankful to God and treat others the way we would like to be treated. Amen.

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“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 7:12

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

Find Rest For Your Soul

December 12, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The pace of life in society tends to be frenetic and hurried. Rushing to get here and there taking little time to stop…and live in the present moment. There is time to rest, to be more balanced and to set down our technology devices and have an in person conversation with a friend or family member. To talk and to listen…all we have to do is make the decision to do it. The world and other people are not going to do it for you…there is one person I know who actually invites us to come to Him and find rest. He is even willing to take on our burdens and to give us peace and comfort. Take your worries, your fears and all those things weighing down on you and bring them to the Cross of Christ and you will find rest for your soul. Amen.

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Matthew 11:28-29

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

Thanksgiving

November 22, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

What are you thankful for? Think about the last week of your life, the last month, the last 12 months. Where were you or what was going on last Thanksgiving? Are you able to be with or spend the day with the same people you have for many years or have some gone home to the Lord? Thinking about the events and people in your life…who or what are you most thankful for? How you view this day and your life in general is driven by your attitude. If you want to be more thankful or have a more positive outlook on a daily basis, start each day with time for gratitude for what is good and what you are grateful and thankful for in your life. We can all start with prayer and thanking God for the sacrifice of His Son to save us. Happy Thanksgiving Day to you. May we all experience the peace, love and joy of being thankful. Amen.

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 by our daughter while on a family road trip near Dillon, Colorado)

We Are Not Alone

November 12, 2018 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

Not only is God with us each day and everywhere we go, He has also put other people in our lives. Think about the people in your life. I read this morning about three types of relationships…people we minister to and we receive very little from…people who minister to us and we give them very little back…and the people closest to us, the ones who nourish us and our spirit and we nourish them and their spirit equally. Who are the people in these groups for you? One is your ministry to others, the second is someone else’s ministry to you and the third group…these are the people that are with you during your highest highs and your lowest lows, the ones you want to notify first when something happens. We need to be sure we are investing the majority of our time and energy in the third group, after all it is God who put them there to assist us and for us to assist them no matter what may come our way. I pray we all reflect and recognize who “our people” are and we strive to give them our best. Amen.

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“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:12

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

Holy Living

November 9, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The people in our daily lives, the family and friends we interact with everyday, these are the people on earth who should know the most about us. How we treat each other, whether or not we trust each other, these are the cornerstones of our relationships. It is too easy to take others for granted or think they will always be there because for such a long time they have always been there. Yet things will happen in this broken and sinful world or time and age itself will catch up with every single person, and one day you may get a phone call that will change everything in an instant…they are gone. None us really knows what is in-store for us each day, only God knows. He doesn’t make the bad things happen, the sins of the human race has done that…however, He will bring comfort, He will bring courage and He will bring His presence to strengthen us. Let’s strive to not take people and relationships for granted, each day. I pray we attempt to live our best and present others with the light and love of Christ that we have so graciously received. Amen.

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14

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

Fellowship

October 11, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Friendship…companionship…togetherness…mutual support…shared interests. A coming together and spending time together, that is what I think of when I think about fellowship. It is encouraging to come together and be able to openly discuss issues and topics while setting aside judgement and comparisons. In order for fellowship to be effective there is an element of forgiveness that must be present, because we are human, we will make mistakes and we will need to ask for forgiveness. The other key element that is necessary for fellowship to work is time. We need to devote time to fellowship and friendship. This is also true for our relationship with God. He has forgiven us of our sins and He is wanting us to spend time with Him. Reflect on your life and the people in it…with whom do you need to devote more time and where is a lack of forgiveness present? I pray that we turn towards God and ask Him to help us to see where fellowship is needed in our lives. Amen.

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“For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them.”

Matthew 18:20

(This photo was taken in July of 2014 by one of my best friends at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Community

July 14, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

I am late in posting today because I went out for breakfast with two men who are my closest friends in the world. Our time together on life’s journey began 30 years ago this fall when we all lived together when we were starting college. We are all married, we all are Fathers and we all love the Lord. We have grown and developed a deep love and respect for each other and we meet together to share stories, ask questions or just laugh about the things that have happened when we have been together. The three of us are community for each other. We all believe firmly that God brought us together to share this thing called life and we are all very thankful for our brotherhood. It is so important to find your community whether it is big or small, to me it is a group of people where you give what you can and you receive what you need and it restores your soul to be apart of that group of people. Thank you God for all the people that are community in my life. May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Hebrews 10:24-25

(This photo was taken in March of 2013 at the Botanical Garden in the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Neveda)

Creator

July 5, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is good to take a walk and soak in God’s creation. To look around and see the intricate details that exist. The flowers, the trees, the water, from tiny bugs to mature wildlife our God is truly creative and imaginative. It is so easy to lose focus in life, to think that whatever is happening or not happening in our little piece of the world is the beginning or end of everything…we are neither. It was God who created the world and everything in it and humans cannot improve what God has created, we are here to assist to help maintain what God is sustaining. In order to do our part well, we need to have a relationship with the Creator and an appreciation for His creation. As the poem by Cecil Frances Alexander states; “All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all.”

May the awe and wonder of God’s creation be present in your life.

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“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.”

Psalm 24:1-2

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

Praise The Lord

July 4, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Today is recognized as Independence Day in the US. A holiday where people can gather and celebrate freedom. It is a day where we should give thanks to the Lord for all we have in our lives. Take a moment and reflect on your surroundings, people in your life…all of the good things are gifts from God. If it is difficult to see goodness, take some time to work on your relationship with God, talk to Him and listen in the quietness of time alone with God. You were created out of love by God, He is with you and you can have contentment, security, peace and hope for a future in a way that only God can provide by choosing to turn to Him and His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ. God is good…all the time…and all the time…God is good! Praise the Lord. May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you.

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