Nothing Can Separate Us

February 26, 2019April 16, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

No matter what we do or where we go, we are still loved by God. We tend to think, not me, God deosn’t really love me…look at the things I have done and left undone. Look at what I said, look at my life and the things that have happened because of me. To this I say look at the examples of people in the Bible. Peter, rejected being associated with Jesus three times after Jesus was arrested. Rahab in the Book of Joshua, she was a prostitute who acted with faith and courage to help God’s people capture the Promised Land. Saul who became Paul…he hunted down and killed many of the followers of Jesus and yet the Lord still loved him and made him one of the greatest teachers of the faith in the New Testament. There are many more like these. We are not perfect nor will we ever be, we will make mistakes and do the wrong things…inspite of it all God still loves us and wants to help us grow and mature in our faith. Trust in the Lord. Amen.

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“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither 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 8:38-39

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

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)

God’s Love

February 10, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is uncomprehendable for our finite minds…in the Book of Ephesians chapter 3 Paul writes a prayer for the Ephesians…“…And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…” (Ephesians 3:17-18) God stands by us, when we turn our backs on Him, He doesn’t give up on us. When we get consumed by the sinful nature, He forgives us. When He saw that all His efforts in the Old Testament to save His people were temporary fixes…He did the unthinkable, He became like us and He sacrificed His one and only Son to ensure we would be saved. God loves you…more than you will ever be able to understand during your life on earth. Seek Him and His everlasting love. Here is a song of praise about God’s love. Peace be with you.

How He Loves Us – David Crowder Band

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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 enternal life.”

John 3:16

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 while walking the dog near Plymouth, 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)

The Grace Of God

January 29, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We have been saved…the battle has been won. Jesus Christ gave of Himself to save us and to reconcile us back to God. We are not made to do life alone, God our Creator made us out of His love and His Son sacrificed His life because of His love for us and the Holy Spirit is guiding us through our days with God’s love. We haven’t earned it, we don’t deserve it. It has occured because of the mercy and grace of God our Father. He is not a distant figure in the sky looking for ways to punish us for every mistake, He is doing everything for our good, not according to our plans rather according to His. We would do well to turn towards God and thank Him and seek to grow our relationship with Jesus Christ. Amen.

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“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

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

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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