Humility

Trust In The Lord

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Surrender the will of the self and you will find joy and peace.  This is not about happiness; joy goes deeper and has greater understanding than happy.  Happy is about you…joy is about your foundation of faith and your personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  God knows everything about you and He wants good things for you…trust in Him with all your heart like you never have before and see what God has in store for you.  Amen.

I Give You My Heart by Michael W Smith

DSC_0604 publish

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

5 Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

7 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 37:3-7

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass near the Montana and Wyoming border)

Wisdom

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We have so much to learn…it is easy to think that we have lived our lives long enough to know what is right for us.  We have experiences to draw on and we rely on feelings and emotions.  Yet God knew all of these things before we were even born.  He is our Creator and He loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son to save us…He knows what is best for us.  For example, how many people would believe that Saul could become Paul…the greatest enemy of Christians would become one of the greatest disciples?  You can read about it in Acts 9…this is the wisdom of God and it is far greater than any human wisdom.  Trust in the Lord and seek His will for you and your life.  Amen.

DSC_0150 publish

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”

1 Corinthians 1:25

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 in what is now officially White Sands National Park in New Mexico)

A Different Way Of Living

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Because God has given us free will, we can choose how we want to live.  It is not up to others, no matter how much we tend to blame them, we are responsible for how we respond to everything in our lives each and every day.  In the bible, John the Baptist is an excellent example of the characteristics of holy living.  You can read more about him in the Gospel of John.  John the Baptist makes a statement that truly shows his humility, in referring to Jesus he states…“He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30) We can’t control what others will think, say or do, yet we do control how we choose to respond.  Choose a different way of living, choose to follow Jesus Christ.  Amen.

DSC_0374 publish

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14

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

A Giving Mindset

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The holiday season is a time to remind us to be grateful and to share with others where and when we are able.  The challenge is to maintain a level of a giving mindset throughout the whole year.  It is easy to slip into a self-oriented mindset for numerous reasons…the ability to stand firm and to change your perspective is possible by building and growing your relationship with Jesus Christ, every day.  He knows what it means to sacrifice for others, He knows how to have compassion and to be humble even when, especially when we don’t deserve it.  Ask God to help you find and maintain a giving mindset throughout the holiday season and beyond.  May we all find moments of peace and joy and opportunities to help those in need.  Amen.

DSC_1355 publish

“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Romans 12:13

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 while driving through Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Humility

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

One popular quote of the well-known professor and author C.S. Lewis states, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”  It is not about changing your perception of you, rather it is the intentional act of thinking about and considering the interests and needs of others.  The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was completed in order to reconcile us to God…Jesus Christ had to humble Himself to become like one of us and lay down His life to save us.  You may be thinking, ‘that’s pretty extreme humility’ and it is, yet that is how much God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you.  Turn towards the Lord and seek humility in your daily life.  Amen.

DSC_0080 publish

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a park near Winterset, Iowa)

Be Humble

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Treat others with respect…be willing and able to ask for help…be grateful…be patient.  When you are using your gifts to help and benefit others, they may say kind things to you and about you…give glory to God not yourself.  He created you and blessed you…give Him thanks for your blessings and be thankful for the courage to use your gifts.  The more we learn to be humble the greater we can be used by God.  May God’s peace be with you.  Amen.

DSC_1549 publish

“ For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 14:11

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

Forgiven

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

As we grow on our faith journey it seems some behavior changes happen somewhat easily and for others, we keep going the wrong way.  We get stuck and feel powerless to change what we know needs to change.  It is at this point that the road to the Savior seems to narrow and we begin to see how truly amazing God’s grace can be…learning to have humility…to surrender…to admit we need Him even when we know we don’t deserve it…this can be a difficult step in our lives and it takes courage, yet it is the only way, Jesus is the only way to joy and everlasting life.  From the most tragic events can come the greatest joy…if you ever doubt it…remember what happened between Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday.  May God’s grace wash over you.  Amen.

DSC_0384 publish

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.”

Psalms 51:1-2

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 at a park near Bayfield, Wisconsin)

Humility And Strength

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It’s not about me…it’s not about how everything affects me or makes me feel…I am not the center of everything.  Each of us is one person, created by God and how we choose to live and interact with others on a daily basis is what we can control more than anything.  Our actions and how we choose to respond to the actions of others is up to us.  Put God first, read His word and pray.  Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and give thanks to Jesus Christ for His love, His mercy and His grace…if you are wondering how will I ever do this or get through this…know that strength can be found in weakness.  Amen.

DSC_0131 publish

“…For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2 Corinthians 12:10

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 in White Sands National Monument in New Mexico)

Humility

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Modesty…humbleness…meekness.  Let go of pride and trust the Lord to lead you.  It may be uncomfortable, it will be difficult…God never promised life would be easy but He has provided the Way, the Truth and the Life through His Son.  Invite the Lord Jesus into your heart and life circumstances, no matter what you have done or what you have not done, He wants to hear from you.  May the grace and peace of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

Who Am I by Casting Crowns

DSC01032 publish

“Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you…”

James 4:7-8

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

Be Humble

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we take time to reflect and think about how we interact with others and what our relationships with others look like, what do we see?  Are we good listeners?  Do we seek feedback?  How do we handle missteps or miscommunications?  The triat of humility is lost on many in the world.  If we want to learn about it we should read about the ultimate example of humility in the bible, turn to the Gospel of John, chapter 13…that is a standard of humility all of us can learn from…may we all seek to find ways to be humble in this world.  Amen.

DSC07416 publish

“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

John 13:13-15

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