God’s Peace

February 23, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

As hard as it may be to believe there is true peace available during life on earth. To find it, we must be willing to seek Him. We must be open to surrender. We need to be persistent in allowing God to transform our attitudes and perspectives to be more like Christ. Peace will not be found rushing from here to there, always in a hurry, scrolling through social media feeds for hours…there is no peace in those things. The comforts and conveniences the world offers do not bring peace they bring an unsatisfied longing for more. The world offers to help you “save time” but for what? The peace in our realtionship with God can teach us to appreciate the time we have and it can calm our spirit. True peace can be with you…if you believe in Jesus, the next step is to turn to God and ask Him for His help in finding it. Amen.

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“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27

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

Praise And Worship

February 17, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Tune your spirit to align with God. When you find yourself in that moment you will know it. There is nothing like it. I have very few words to share with you this morning as my faith is best expressed through song. May the love and joy of the Lord wash over you and bring you peace. Amen.

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

How Great Is Our God – Chris Tomlin

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“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spriritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

Colossians 3:16

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

Self-Assessment

February 15, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Here is a difficult thing to do on our faith journey. And like everything else this is not a one and done check box in life…it is ongoing, it is a process, it is not something we should do alone. God knows about you, He knows what is going on in your life right now, He knows your thoughts and fears and He knows you will need Him…He did two things to help you…He sent His one and only Son as a sacrifice to save you and He gave you free will. Choose faith, choose Jesus Christ, choose God’s Word…He knows you, He loves you and He is waiting to hear from you. Amen.

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“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

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

Father God

February 6, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We are encouraged by the grace and mercy God our Father gives to us. We stumble and fall and yet He loves us the same. He walks with us daily and still there are days we yell ‘God, where are you?’ His love for us is greater than any we will find in human relationships but yet we put our time with Him off to the side or as a low priority that easily can be removed for our busy lives. We seek His forgiveness and He delivers everytime…the Word of God never changes…He created us; He loves us; He calls us by name…at that point it is up to us to respond. The greatest Dad there is, is God our Father. We are His children. We are comforted and encouraged by His love. Amen.

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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 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

God’s Call

February 3, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

This is about His plan not ours…this is about learning to listen…this is about prayer…this is about spending time in the quiet alone with God. How do we know when something is what God is asking us to do? As they say, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. There is not one process or the same steps for everyone to know or understand what God is asking them to do…believe me I know this is frustrating to hear. The answer(s) are in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When we want to learn about something we usually try to gain knowledge by spending time reading or consulting with others who have had success or experience in that work or field of expertise. So if we want to learn more about God’s plan and where or what we are being called to…we should read God’s Word and consult with Jesus. The key is this…it is easy to ask the questions; the journey moves forward according to our ability and willingness to listen and take action…even if it means being uncomfortable or not knowing what is going to happen next and we can do that when we learn to trust in Him. May the joy and peace of God be with you. 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 March of 2018 in White Sands National Monument in New Mexico)

Do Good Things

January 27, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

This statement is all about being focused on persistence and patience. We often get stuck on narrow minded results of our actions or words. We lose sight of the fact the God is working for the good of all people and each of us plays a role in a much larger story that we will not always be able to see the results of first hand. His will and His plans are so much greater than ours and so it comes down to our willingness to trust in God’s plan more than our own desires. We know what it means to do good, we understand how to bear fruit in our daily lives and it is our responsibility to strive to do those things and leave the rest up to God. As they say, God is good all the time and all the time God is good. May we be blessed to share the goodness of the Lord today and everyday. Amen.

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“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 on the shore of Elliott Bay in downtown Seattle, Washington)

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)

Be Courageous

January 21, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

One of God’s great gifts is free will. He created us out of His love and His desire for relationship with us is one He wants us to seek, willingly. He did not create us to be robots or puppets, which means we have a responsiblity to make choices. We will find we are often presented with opportunities to make decisions and if we are paying attention to our faith journey over time it becomes more and more clear which choice is step towards God and which choice is a step toward our sinful nature. It will take courage to make decisions grounded in faith, it will be different than what the world thinks you should do. Don’t give in to fear, the journey will be very difficult at times and as it states in the Book of Ephesians chapter 6, put on the full armor of God and stand in faith. The choices will often be between courage and fear, be courageous in your faith. Amen.

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

(This photo was taken in July of 2015 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Morrison, Colorado)

How Deep Is Our Faith?

January 19, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

I have heard the faith journey described as a process of working from the inside, out. The first part of the journey is transforming and changing the inside of ourselves…our thoughts, our beliefs, our attitude and our behaviors…removing the focus on sinful desires and self-centeredness as we learn and grow in our personal relationship with Christ. As the inside changes we become better equipped to share what we have learned and to provide encouragement to others on the journey, just as we have been and will be given assistance on our own journey. The question today is regarding that inside part of the process…the learning and growing and the depth of our inside transformation is not to reach a destination. The more we learn and grow and spend time in our reltionship with the Lord the deeper and stronger that relationship becomes. As discussed yesterday the battles will come at us in this life and a deep, strong relationship with Christ is the most powerful weapon we have when it comes to fighting evil in this world. Continue to strengthen and grow your relationship with Jesus Christ. Amen.

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“But blessed in the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They 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

(This photo was taken in July of 2012 while walking on a trail in the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Battles Along The Way

January 18, 2019 / mcalcagno / 3 Comments

We read in the Bible about what this life will be like, it even has it in red letters for us to indicate that these are the words of Jesus…“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 Yet all of us attempt to get through things alone, at least the first time or several times for us slow learners. We are not alone on this journey…no matter who or what or how much trouble we are facing in this world nothing is to too big for God our Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Maybe in order for more humans to take note, life should come with a warning label…WARNING: Life will be difficult do not try this alone. Take time to seek Jesus, read about His life on earth, His teachings, His sacrifice, His victory. It is all available for you to read in God’s Word and God made sure you would have the opportunity to see it and to know Him. Peace to you on your journey. Amen.

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