Walking In The Light

May 13, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 27:1 NIV

Walking in the Light is walking with God, this means taking action…we have several examples in the bible of actions that indicate people are walking with God. The Good Samaritan story in Luke 10 is the great example that faith is more than reading and learning about God. While that is a critical step for building a foundation of faith, eventually our living it out in who we are and what we do is the next step in our faith journey. Read, learn and be transformed…then begin to walk in the Light with God in your daily life. Amen.

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“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all^[a] sin.”

1 John 1:5-7 NIV

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

Gratitude

May 9, 2023 / mcalcagno / 4 Comments

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²    Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

Psalm 100:1-3 NIV

There is no one who loves you more than God…He sacrificed His Son in order to give you a way to be with Him. He is near, He is working out His way in your life. Surrender your ways and give thanks to Lord for all that He has done and is doing in your life. He is faithful and His love endures forever. Amen.

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“Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:4-5 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Be Still…Trust In The Lord

May 8, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

Psalm 37:7 NIV

Don’t focus your time and attention on what others are doing, comparing yourself to worldly ways. Focus on God and His Word. Reflect and remember what He has done. He says you are valued; you are important, and you are loved…no matter what others think, say or do. Your worth is not defined by others…it is defined by your Creator and Savior…God says you are so important that He sent His Son Jesus to suffer and die in order to reconcile you with God. Trust in the Lord, not in the world. Amen.

Be Still And Know by Amy Grant

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.”^[a]

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

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

Commitment

May 5, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

Psalm 32:8 NIV

Commitment is hard when things are difficult, when it feels like at every turn we try and failure is right there to greet us. When we commit to something we naturally put some level of our own expectations of how things should go or what we believe should be the outcome. Here is the issue with this approach…we are setting “our expectations” on the result with little regard for God’s will and God’s plan. Following our faith and trust in the Lord means we can be free from the limited results our own minds can generate and be open to new possibilities. For me this is hard to grasp and at times very difficult to embrace…even Jesus struggled in the last moments of His commitment to save us right before He was arrested and He prayed to His Father…“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” – Luke 22:42 Bring your commitments to the Lord in prayer and seek His will. Listen for Him and for the Holy Spirit to guide you…find your quiet place and quiet time and rest in Him. May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”

Psalm 143:8 NIV

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

Anything Is Possible

May 4, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26 NIV

Why do we doubt so much? Why is it so hard for us to believe what may be possible with God? When we are willing to surrender to His plan and His way in His time, there’s no telling what can happen. Look at the stories in the bible…Abraham and Sarah had a child they had so longed for when Sarah was 90…the 5000 were fed when all that was available to eat was a few fish and some bread…Lazarus is raised from the dead after being gone for four days…and there are so many more examples. When God is involved in a situation anything is possible. We must turn to Him first with whatever we are facing and remember He is not a genie in a bottle who sometimes grants wishes…He is our creator, our savior and our guide who always has good things in store for us. Trust in the Lord and watch to see what He has in store for you. May the joy of the Lord be with you. Amen

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“For nothing is impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37 NIV

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

Walking With God

May 3, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:28-31

When we are in step with God and His plan we will not feel weary, we will not feel weak. Weariness is a warning sign that something we are doing or are spending time on is not part of God’s will for us. When we are walking with Him there is no weariness or exhausted feelings as He provides energy and strength that we never knew existed. Take time to assess where and how you are spending your time and pray to God to guide you to His will. Amen.

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“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.“

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

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

It Takes Courage

May 2, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. ⁸The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:7-8 NIV

God is with you, God is for you…He will never leave you or abandon you. Believe and be courageous.

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“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

Ephesians 6:10-13 NIV

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

Persistence

April 30, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

James 1:12 NIV

Perseverance…determination…patience…endurance…dedication…commitment. Stay the course…don’t give up. This is what it takes to find what you are looking for…no matter what it is. Reflect on what you have been “thinking about doing,” what have you been “wishing were different” in your life…is it related to your finances? Is it related to your weight? Is it related to a relationship? Your faith? Something else? Begin again and this time bring it to the Lord first, seek His wisdom and be persistent. Amen.

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“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Galatians 6:7-10 NIV

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

Transformation

April 29, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ²Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:1-2 NIV

Change…conversion…overhaul…renew…remake.

When someone is transformed, they appear new again. A transformation in the spiritual life means recognizing who and what we are and then humbly admitting that we need to be made new again. We must be willing to admit we are broken, helplessly chasing after the sinful nature…once we see and know the conviction of sin, we have the opportunity to be redeemed, renewed, and restored. A relationship with Jesus Christ is the Way to transformation. Seek Him. May God bless you with wisdom and peace. Amen.

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“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

Ezekiel 11:19 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Surrender

April 28, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ²⁴For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

Luke 9:23-24 NIV

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

Galatians 2:20 NIV

I Give You My Heart – Hillsong Worship & Delirious?

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