Prayer

February 24, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Romans 12:12 NIV

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Philippians 4:6 NIV

No matter what the situation or circumstances, don’t stop praying about it. Don’t give up when God doesn’t meet your timeline, He knows more about everything than we realize. Rather choose to trust in Him and His Way…He loves you, He cares for you and He is with you every step along the way. Amen.

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“Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray continually, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.“

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2020 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Worry And Anxiety

February 21, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Through all of our lives Jesus offers to walk with us…if we are willing to believe and trust in Him. It is right there in Scripture…

Regarding our past failures:

“But 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 1:7 NIV

For our current worries:

“The 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 31:8 NIV

For our anxiety about the future:

“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 NIV

These are just a few of the assurances and promises the Lord has made…the Bible is filled with the very words of Jesus Christ telling us how much He cares for us and how far He is willing to go to show us His love. Trust in the Lord, read God’s Word and pray to our heavenly Father. Amen.

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“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV

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

God’s Faithfulness

February 15, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
²³They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
²⁴I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24 NIV

God is bigger than any circumstances or situation you are facing. He is the only way to bring real change into your life. The more we keep doing the same things and reacting the same way to difficulties the more we will get frustrated and angry, wondering why this doesn’t change or get better? Trying to control things is not what we were made to do…we were created out of love and made for relationship with God and others. God is faithful, He will never leave you or abandon you…if God feels far away it is most likely because you have wandered off. Turn back towards Jesus Christ and trust God’s faithfulness.

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“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”

Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 in Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming)

His Love For You

February 14, 2023February 13, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹²My 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.”

John 15:9-13 NIV

God loves you. No matter where you are, no matter what you have done or left undone…He loves you. There is no love in this world as great as God’s love for you. We don’t earn His love and we don’t deserve it…we can’t get more of it because we are good and He doesn’t withhold it when we sin. He knows everything about you and your life and guess what…He loves you all the same. The proof is found at the Cross. Invite Jesus Christ into your heart and give Him thanks for His love for you.

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“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:6-8 NIV

(This photo was taken in March of 2013 at the Botanical Garden in the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada)

Our Source Of Hope

February 11, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

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

Romans 8:28 NIV

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13 NIV

Where does hope come from? It comes from the Creator of everything and everyone…only God who can take on all our sins and overcome this world. Only God can defeat death and evil that is so prevalent in this world. Put your hope in God for He is the only true source of Hope each day.

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“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Romans 5:1-5 NIV

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

Worship And Praise

February 9, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
²Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.

³For the Lord is the great God,
    the great King above all gods.
⁴In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
⁵The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶Come, let us bow down in worship,
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
⁷for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the flock under his care.”

Psalm 95:1-7 NIV

The only thing in all the earth that brings about true unity among all people from all over the world is Jesus Christ…His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection and His never-ending love. May God’s peace be with you. Amen.

Shout To The Lord by Darlene Zschech

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music;
⁵make music to the Lord with the harp,
    with the harp and the sound of singing,
⁶with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
    shout for joy before the Lord, the King.“

Psalm 98:4-6 NIV

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

Overcome Trouble And Sorrow

February 6, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Our days may come to seventy years,
or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.”

Psalm 90:10 NIV

The bible tells us in this life we will have trouble and sorrow…it states very clearly that life is hard. Yet we still have hope and can be encouraged because Jesus Christ came into this world and sacrificed Himself to assure that we can have a relationship with God. Do not be overcome by trouble and sorrow…overcome these things with faith. Amen.

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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 NIV

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

The Power Of Prayer

February 3, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:4-7 NIV

The power of prayer does not come from what words you say or what order you say them in…the true power of prayer comes from the One who answers prayers and whether you believe in Him. A prayer offered with doubt and hesitation or out of routine is not the same as one offered from the heart with honesty, sincerity and belief in God. Pray and believe you will receive. Amen.

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“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³“Truly^[a] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Mark 11:22-24 NIV

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

Come To The Lord

January 28, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 NIV

There is only one place to find the answers we seek and that is with the Lord. He is good, His love endures forever. He wants a relationship with us. Nothing is impossible for Him. He is greater than any issue or circumstances in our lives…no matter what it is you are facing come to the Lord.

Come, Now Is The Time To Worship by Phillips, Craig and Dean

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“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2021 in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

Contentment

January 27, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

1 Timothy 6:6-10 NIV

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