God’s Presence

August 19, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is true…He is with you…He gives to you…He holds you…He comforts you…He blesses you…He guides you…God is always with you. There will often be times in this world when you will feel like you are alone, that God has somehow left you. It is not true, when that happens take a moment to reflect on what you have been focusing on. I have found in my own life that usually means I have turned away from God for some reason, not the other way around. We can’t always expect the miracle event to prove that God is with us, let’s face it even people who lived to witness the miracles in person struggled to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. It is a matter of faith to know and believe that God is with us. He did not bring sin into the world and the bad things that happen are from evil and darkness in the world and they want you to blame God for everything. God made sure you know that He created you, He loves you and He is with you…it is all written down for you to read for yourself. Trust in God and you will see the good things too. May the presence of God surround you and what you see today.

DSC_1549 publish

“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

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

God’s Word

July 2, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Instructions…directions…guidance…wisdom…understanding. It takes a certain attitude to be willing to follow instructions, to accept wisdom from another or to trust the guidance of someone else. We have to be humble, willing to admit we don’t know our way around a situation or place. This is easy when we are using one of our devices of “convenience,” a cell phone, Ipad, computer, etc. It is more difficult when we start involving other people in our need for assistance. We are challenged to learn how to have humility, to accept our level of knowledge for what it is and to seek out wisdom and to learn from others in history. God’s Word is the instruction manual for life we all can use. It provides the Way to make it through this world, it does not say do this and life will be easy and always happy. It is more honest than that and more about providing wisdom and guidance as help from those who already have lived on earth and know the troubles human beings will have in life. Pickup a bible and seek the understanding that God provides. The test for this book is happening all the time in our daily life, how are you answering the multiple choice questions of your life? May God’s mercy and grace be with you.

DSC_1554 publish

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

Psalm 119:105

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

Trust God

July 1, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

I am finding myself seeing examples of the brokenness of people in my daily life interactions and experiences. Or at least I am more aware of these things than I used to be. It is discouraging. We are so willing to pull and push others down for a variety of reasons. It is so important to seek out what is good and what we have gratitude for in our lives. If we look around with the eyes the world wants us to, we will be very negative and feeling unworthy. If we trust in God and His goodness for our perspective it changes things dramatically. We are never going to know all the answers or understand them while we are here, however, if we trust in the Lord we know that He is working for the good in all things. May God’s joy and love be with you.

DSC_0011 publish

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7-8

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

God’s Love And Faithfulness

June 19, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

No matter where we go or what we do God’s love and faithfulness are always more powerful than anything in this world. We spend our days searching for something…happiness, justice, peace of mind and we believe we will find it somewhere on earth. Yet the whole time God offers a path to find these pursuits. It begins with a belief in God and His goodness. Every promise He made He has kept and the last promise has yet to come, and Jesus Christ will come again. I pray we have the courage to stop putting our faith in things created by mankind and put our trust and faith right where it belongs…In God We Trust. May you see God’s love and faithfulness at work in your life.

DSC02384 publish

“Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”

Psalm 115:1

(This photo was taken in June of 2015 on the side of the road while driving through South Dakota)

The Foundation Of Faith

June 18, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We often hear that it states in the bible if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can move mountains and nothing will be impossible for you (see Matthew 17:20). Well that doesn’t sound too hard. A mustard seed, that’s really small…oh but wait. If it only takes such a small amount of faith to do such big things why isn’t everybody full of faith? Take a look at your personal belief in Jesus Christ…when we face any issues, problems, concerns or difficult people are we able to approach all those situations with a belief and faith that Jesus Christ can do anything with that situation? God is still working on me for this level of spiritual maturity. This is a faith that points 100% to Jesus Christ and the belief in the saving grace that He provided at Calvary for every part of your life. It is a belief that every person no matter how the world has judged them and cast them aside can be redeemed, if we are willing to believe Jesus can change that. I am focusing my faith journey on more of this and less of me. May God’s grace and peace be with you.

IMG_20141016_105740553 publish

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly that you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”

Romans 12:3

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 on the island of Maui, Hawaii)

The Path To Joy

May 15, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It seems so often, we are trying to figure things out…why did this happen? why didn’t it go the way we thought? what went wrong? how did I do that? that is not what I planned? These thoughts take us on a roller-coaster of a ride in our daily life and near the end of the day we are exhausted with few answers. I believe we all need to simplify things a bit, narrow our focus and stay obedient to the way Jesus has taught us. Start by committing our day to the Lord. Spend time reading Scripture and praying that gives you a solid foundation to start on…then be present in the moments that are occurring in your life today. Listen closely to what others are saying, offer encouragement and be of service to others. If your current circumstances make this difficult or impossible in your mind then pray about that and ask God to help you find your way to a better situation. The point is you don’t have to do this journey alone and frankly God did not intend you to be alone. Reach out to the Lord and he will guide you to the right path. May God’s peace be with you.

DSC_0031 publish

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Proverbs 19:21

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake place in northwestern Wisconsin)

God Is Love

May 14, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Where have you seen God show up in your life? When you reflect on yesterday, last week, last month or even last year where or when did you see God in your relationships with others? He is at work in every part of your life, can you see it? God is love, He is at work not from the perspective of what the world is telling you…rather He is working from the perspective of the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Wherever you have seen these things in yourself and others that is where God shows up. He is with you, He will never leave you or abandon you. God created you and He loves you. May God’s love and peace be with you.

DSC_0522 publish

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:7-8

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota)

Living In God’s Love

May 9, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Never give up hope. Don’t stop believing in goodness. Trust in God to provide all that you need. A life that is centered in Christ and honors God looks very different than what the world tells you about living. The world looks to serve the self, to put me first. The life that honors God surrenders self and is open to God’s plan first. This is a significant shift in perspective and it will not happen overnight for most of us. In fact it is a daily endeavor to stay the course by studying the Word, praying, and serving the needs of those we encounter each day. Remember God is love. When Jesus was asked which commandment is the most important in Matthew 22 He stated:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:37-40

That is where we should start. Loving God with all that we are and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Once again we are given the answers to the questions and now it is up to us to go out and live it in our daily life and interactions. May God’s hope, peace and love be with you.

DSC06486 publish

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

Romans 12:12

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

Spiritual Growth

May 4, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The growth that leads to spiritual maturity is the growth of your inner being. The inner self is the driver of our attitude and our behaviors. We all are equipped with a space in our inner being that only God can fill. As humans we will try to fill this gap with many other things…a professional career, wealth, adventure and adrenalin, alcohol, gambling and many others. This unique inner self only has one companion that fills us and makes us complete as God intended us to be and that is God Himself. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we do not grow tired and weary chasing after other things…we know that we are secure in God’s love, God’s mercy, God’s grace and God’s forgiveness. Invite the Lord into your life and into your daily routine and activities…after all He designed us in His own image and He knows us better than anyone else ever could. Seek spiritual growth and see how your life and the world changes from your perspective. May God’s peace and love and joy be with you.

DSC_0894 publish

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

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 3:16-18

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

Put Aside Your Fears

April 19, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The journey of faith becomes more difficult if we let our fears have the power to stop us. If we allow our fears to be sustained in our thoughts and in our actions we are feeding them. We can be strengthened against our fears by the Word of God and by connecting in a community of faith. Fear is a weapon of evil and darkness and it can be very powerful if we allow it rule in our lives. We must remember that God is good, He already knows much more about us than we realize, He loves us and He has forgiven us. Be renewed by developing your personal relationship with Jesus Christ…after all He gave all He could in order to save us. May God’s peace be with you.

DSC_0240 publish