The Fruit Of The Spirit

July 19, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we come to Christ and seek Him, we are renewed. The Holy Spirit within us encourages us to live by the Fruit of the Spirit more and more and to leave the evil, anger, hatred and darkness behind. The more we use the Fruit of the Spirit when thinking about ourselves and while helping others the better our life will be. Most of us are too hard on ourselves and too hard on others…things can be different. Pick up God’s Word and read about it, pray and ask for forgiveness of your sins and to have the Fruit of the Spirit stirred up in you. May God’s love, joy and peace be with you. Amen.

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

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

Prepare The Way

June 10, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. He gave up everything to save us and to reconcile us with God. Seek Him and prepare your heart and mind to follow Him in all that you do. In Him we will find peace, courage, strength, wisdom, joy and love. There is nothing on earth that can compare to Him. Amen.

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“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.”

John 1:5-9

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while traveling through southern New Mexico)

Developing Who We Are

February 2, 2019February 2, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The faith journey takes us on a road of self-awareness and growth. As we read God’s Word and the teachings of Jesus, we hear messages about our attitudes, our behaviors, our words and our actions. These are all things that we can control in our everyday life. Instead of wasting our time worrying and wringing our hands about what other people are doing, thinking or saying we would do well to focus that effort on developing the Fruit of the Spirit in our own lives and relationships. After all, we have the most control over one thing more than any other…how we choose to respond. May we strive to grow the Fruit of the Spirit in who we are in the world. Amen.

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

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

Living By The Spirit

January 31, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Life by the Spirit is a life that is conscious of our impact on others. It is not always looking inward and seeking to satisfy the self. It is a balanced life, aware of the present more then the past or future. It is a life that strives to put Christ in the center of everything…it is not easy to achieve in a dark and broken world nor are we able to do this alone. I pray we seek a life that is led by the Spirit. Amen.

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“The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

Galatians 5:14-15

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 while hiking in Wisconsin near Lake Superior)

Be Generous

January 24, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To be generous is to be a giver, not just in terms of money. There are far more valuable things in life than money to give. A generous person has a certain mindset, an attitude and perspective about life and things. A generous person focuses very little time on what they receive or if they will receive, as that often takes care of itself because they are givers. Givers carry many of the characteristics related to the Fruits of the Spirit…they often exude kindness, goodness, gentleness, love, joy and patience. They are generous with their time and focus very little attention on what’s in it for me. To learn more about what it means to be generous, learn more about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ…you will find all you need to know in God’s Word. We are blessed to be a blessing. 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 July of 2016 in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Hope For The World

December 26, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The birth of Jesus is proof of God’s love for us. God chose to send His Son to save us. We will have struggles, suffering and difficulties in this world, yet our hope in goodness, kindness, compassion and love comes from our belief in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We can’t control what other people will do, say or think and focusing all our time on trying to change someone else will only lead to frustration. We can only control how we respond to others and the attitude we choose to present to the world. Let us choose love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. By faith, we can be the hope for the world by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and His saving grace for everyone. May the peace and love of Christ be in us all today and in the New Year. Amen.

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“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

Romans 5:3-5

(This photo was taken in December of 2018 at Atlantis on Paradise Island, Bahamas)

Joy And Love

December 14, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Here we are back to discuss some more Fruits of the Spirit. Our relationship with Jesus Christ can help us get a better understanding of how these fruits show up in our lives. Let’s look at joy for a moment. The world’s definition of joy includes words like ‘good fortune’ or ‘possessing what one desires’…that sounds more like the emotion of happiness and satisfying the self. For me joy is more than a feeling, it is about comfort knowing that God is in control. It is about knowing God works for the good of all in every situation. Joy is as much about learning and growing in faith and sharing what we have learned with others. And love…show love to others in the same way God shows love to you. It is simple and yet it is not always easy. God never said life would be easy. I pray we seek to bear good fruit in the world according to God’s will. Amen.

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“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that 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 February of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Patience

December 9, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

During this Advent time of year, the Fruits of the Spirit keep coming into my mind. We wait for the celebration of the birth of our Savior. Nothing about His coming was designed by us, the human race. This is a clear example of God at work for the good of all people. We must be patient on our faith journey and not give up hope…no matter how bad things may get, in any situation. Prayer…thoughtful, sincere, true and honest prayer, that is based in trust and belief in Jesus Christ is very powerful. The answers to our prayers are not based on our plans or our desires and that is a good thing. When you are discouraged or frustrated regarding a person or situation…take it to the Lord in prayer and remember when God was at work with His plan over 2,000 years ago, the results both then and now have been better than any human plan ever conceived. I pray we all trust in the Lord and seek patience with His plan for our lives. Amen.

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

Faithfulness

December 8, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Devoted…loyal…dependable…reliable…committed. Faithfulness is another one of the Fruits of the Spirit. To be faithful means there is a willingness to set aside ourselves as top priority, and put our focus on something greater. Faithfulness may not be filled with excitement and adventure rather it is about being consistent and supportive in our values and beliefs. Being faithful may not always fulfill all of our wants and desires, however, when faithfulness is given and received it does fulfill some of our greatest needs. May we all take time to reflect on our relationships and give thanks to those who have been faithful to us and seek where we can serve others faithfully. Amen.

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“…The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.”

Psalm 145:13

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

Wait For The Lord

November 16, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The ways of the Lord are exemplified by the Fruits of the Spirit…love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It is so easy to get derailed and off track with these ways because the world is pushing for self-centered behaviors of hate, anger, dissension, me first, greed, faster, get out of my way and other similar attitudes. God keeps His promises and He will encourage you, hold you up and strengthen you for every and any battle…it is up to you to be engaged in your relationship with Jesus Christ and for you to read the Word of God to gain the wisdom and understanding God provides. If we are unsure of where God is in our life then we should continue in prayer and wait for Him…He always shows up, always. I pray we seek to live the Fruits of the Spirit in our relationship with the Lord and with others. Amen.

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