The Goodness Of God

June 8, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

God is good all the time…and all the time God is good.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

2 Corinthians 9:8

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“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.”

Psalm 107:1

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 at Palisade Head on the north shore of Lake Superior)

Come Near To God

June 7, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We often ask ‘where is God in all of this?’ Yet so often we think nothing of Him in our day to day life. Think about your relationships in your life and who would you feel most comforted by in your time of need. Is it that person you pass by frequently in familiar places…you have seen each other often…you have exchanged Hi’s or Hello’s and maybe even some small talk and you may know each other’s name but not much else? Is that the person you would run to first and wonder why they are not doing more to help you in crisis? Ask yourself…how much better do you know God and have spent time seeking Him than that acquaintance? If you truly want to know God and what He says and what He is doing…seek Him…come near to Him and spend time with Him…He is waiting to hear from you. Amen.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

James 4:7-8

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“…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 at Beaver Bay Falls in northern Minnesota)

We Believe

June 6, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

Romans 10:10

We Believe by Newsboys

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“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Trust In The Lord

June 2, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
⁸They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

(This photo was taken in August of 2012 while hiking on the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Faith Over Fear

May 31, 2020 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

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

Romans 8:28

Give Me Jesus by Danny Gokey

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”

Romans 8:31-35

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“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[c] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:37-39

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 on the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Friendship

May 28, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John that we are His friends. Friends take care of each other, they are loyal, respectful, trustworthy and they support each other through difficult times. Friendship is a two-way street…sometimes you are giving in your friendship and sometimes you are receiving. Take time to reflect upon your friendships…especially your relationship with Jesus Christ. Amen.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

John 15:12-15

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

Romans 8:28

(This photo was taken yesterday in Temperance State Park on the north shore of Lake Superior)

Generosity And Contentment

May 27, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Give of yourself and be content when your needs are fulfilled. The brokenness of this world will tell you to want more and to get more. God has provided more than enough for everyone. Generosity and contentment are topics that are about much more than money in life. They are about all aspects of life…our time, our talents, our emotions, our faith. The more we are able to be content the more we can share when we have received an abundance. Take time to assess where you stand…where do you have more than enough on your hands and how can you share to help those who are in need? May the grace and peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

“For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. ⁵And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.”

2 Corinthians 8:3-5

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“But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. “

1 Timothy 6:6-9

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

Worship Every Day

May 26, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Anything worth doing takes commitment. The athlete does not become the best at their sport “overnight.” It takes dedication and focus…hours and hours of practice, discipline. The more time we spend on something the more we grow in it. It also means we must sacrifice time doing other things. This is true for all aspects of our lives. It is the same with our faith and our relationship with Jesus Christ. Where we choose to spend our time has a direct impact on who we are and who we can become. Choose your faith journey, choose God’s Word, choose prayer and worship every day. Amen.

You Are Holy (Prince Of Peace) by Michael W Smith

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“Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
¹¹For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
    from those whose walk is blameless.

¹²Lord Almighty,
blessed is the one who trusts in you.”

Psalm 84:10-12

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 in Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota)

Do Not Worry

May 23, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It can consume us if we allow it to…worry. What does it do for us? There is a famous quote that is attributed to many different individuals…I believe it is famous for what it says not because of who said it:

“Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere”

We have a choice; we can sit and worry and stew about things or we can make use of the time we have by meeting with God about these things and trust in Him to guide us and lead us. Do not worry, seek the Lord and you will find peace. Amen.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?”

Matthew 6:25-27

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“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore 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 April of 2020 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

The Gift Of God

May 22, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The Spirit with in us. It guides us and leads us…not with anger, bitterness and disrespectful behaviors, rather is provides the Fruit of the Spirit for all aspects of our lives. Amen.

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:6-7

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