Trust In The Lord

August 13, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

What is an event or issue you sincerely brought to the Lord asked for Him to guide you and to take care of you and others? What was the outcome? It most likely wasn’t exactly the way you thought it was going to go or it wasn’t the way you wanted it to go…yet you may be thinking it all worked out in the end…it also could be that the issue worked out for the betterment of others, more than for you. God is the God of all people. Having a personal relationship with God doesn’t mean more things will go the way you want…it means you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior and that you trust God even when you are unsure how things are going to turn out because you know He is working for the good in all things. Put your trust and your hope in God. Amen.

Find Rest by Francesca Battistelli

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“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:3-4

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake place in northwestern Wisconsin)

Turbulence

August 12, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We are quick to conform to the world view of life and the world perspective. Many of us believe it is bad when something unexpected happens and the world tells us this a bad thing. This perspective has largely chosen to ignore God and His Word. The foundation of our faith is Jesus Christ and His life, death and resurrection. This is from God…the human race cannot conceive and complete what God’s plan is without God. When we encounter turbulence in life and things are getting bumpy…that is the time to focus on God and pray. Seek Him, seek wisdom and most importantly trust in Him to get you through all the moments of trouble you will encounter in your daily living. Amen.

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“Do 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 12:2

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

Decisions…

August 11, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Don’t go it alone…don’t assume you have all the information…seek wisdom and knowledge…seek to understand. So often we fail to speak with God about decisions. We believe that God doesn’t care about this insignificant decision or event in my life…yet we know we can’t comprehend God’s infinite knowledge and the ways He is working in our life so who are we to say? I continue to be amazed at where God shows up in life and I only realize it because I am trying to make a conscious effort to pay to attention and ask myself where did I see God today? God is with you and He is working in your life…seek Him and His plan and ask God to help you see when you are making your decisions. Amen.

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“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

Proverbs 16:3

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

Listen

August 10, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Seeking help…it is hard to do for many of us. First step, admit we need help. Second step, seek assistance…first from God and from others that God puts in our lives. If that isn’t hard enough many of us lose focus on the last step…we need to listen. We often spend our listening time preparing our response instead of truly listening. We can miss God’s will for us if we fail to listen. May we all be better listeners in our daily walk. Amen.

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“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Proverbs 19:20-21

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

A Light

August 8, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we become overwhelmed by sin due to anger, fear, frustrations, discouragement, loneliness, sadness or shame which are all tools of evil and darkness…the first place to look for a light is in God’s Word. It is our light to find our way through anything life and this world throws at us. It is knowledge, it is wisdom, it is comfort, it is strength…it encourages us and helps us to see better and most importantly it is the Truth. We will not get all the answers and understanding until we pass on to be with the Lord…yet we will get all that we need while we are here. May we all take time to read God’s Word and may the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore)

The Same Power

August 7, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

If confess your sins and believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord then the same power that rose Jesus from the grave lives in you. Before Jesus died, He spoke about a Counselor that will come once He ascends and that this Spirit will be our guide. Take a look at the Gospel of John 14:15-21…we are not left alone to fend for ourselves. The Lord is with us and we must learn to trust Him and turn to Him regarding every aspect of our lives. Believe in the power of God, surrender your plans to God and seek His plan and trust in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord and you will find peace. Amen.

Same Power by Jeremy Camp

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“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

Romans 8:11

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Be Courageous

August 6, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Faith takes courage, to believe in what we hope for and not what we see. It takes courage to trust, even when we are unsure how things will turn out. The world may call you foolish, in fact based on the bible, you should expect it. It will take courage to stay on your faith journey when things get hard or don’t go the way you want…what you need to focus on is Jesus Christ and God’s Word. God is with you…trust in Him, seek His will and be courageous. Amen.

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“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; 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 in central Minnesota)

Safe Pasture

July 29, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

What does it take to feel safe? To have shelter, food and water? These are the physical essentials for life. When traveling on mission trips, I have met some people who struggle for these things every day and yet they seem to have unique peace about them…for others they have all these things and much more and they are worried, scattered, scared. This isn’t true in all cases for either group of people, however, there was a noticeable difference sometimes. The one thing that stood out whenever I met a person who exuded a sense of peace, whether they had little or plenty of worldly things? It was their faith. Take inventory of people in your life…who constantly seems to have a sense of hope and who always seems eager to complain and worry? Now take time to reflect on yourself…how do you typically present yourself? To say we believe in God and know that He is with us is one thing…to live it out in our everyday life is the next step in spiritual growth. Trust in the Lord and you will find safe pasture. Amen.

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“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:3-4

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 near Arches National Park in Utah)

Here I Am To Worship

July 28, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Wherever you are, whatever is going on in your life, take time for worship. God is with you and He is waiting to hear from you. Nothing that the world offers can compare with the blessings we receive from God. It is never too late to turn back to God, no matter how far off you have wandered, God still loves you and will forgive you…turn towards Jesus and renew your relationship with Him. May the peace of God be with you. Amen.

Here I Am To Worship by Michael W. Smith

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“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

Revelation 3:20

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

Gratitude

July 26, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There was only one way for sin to be properly punished and for the human race to have the opportunity for salvation. When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples, He hit a very low point as a human…He knew what was about to happen worse yet He knew it was the only way to salvation for the world. Jesus knows what it is like to struggle and suffer in this world and He prayed that God would remove Him from the situation…yet then He prayed something very few of us have ever prayed…He said, …“My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” (Matthew 26:42) He offered Himself to God and God’s plan, for that we can have nothing but gratitude for Jesus Christ and His willingness to die for us. Amen.

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