Forgiven

July 9, 2019 / 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.

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“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

June 5, 2019 / 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.

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“…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

April 25, 2019 / 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

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“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

February 9, 2019 / 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.

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“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)

Humility

January 2, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

I don’t know how it works…I don’t understand…I don’t have the answers…accepting things even when we don’t fully understand them. This can be a hard thing. Even just reading the first three statements above can feel uncomfortable. To know the basic understanding of something is the first step. C.S. Lewis in his writings has spoken about it in this way…when we are tired and hungry, eating a meal will do you good. This is the basic understanding. Understanding how food nourishes the body using vitamins and proteins within the food is not necessary knowledge to know that when you are hungry a meal will do you good. Similarly, he continues, knowing and accepting what Christ has done to save us is the basic knowledge of faith. Understanding how it fully works is not required to know that Jesus Christ loves you and died to save you. When we can accept that we will not fully understand everything all the time, we can still go and do the right things for the right reasons. I pray we are humble and faithful in our every day lives. Amen.

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“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

Proverbs 11:2

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Humble And Gentle

November 19, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Be respectful…good listener…have compassion…acknowledge others needs. These are ways we can be one with the Spirit that is within us. These behaviors are neither common or natural to many people. Striving for these ways is learning to live differently than the world tells you how to live. When we put Christ in the center of our lives we are a new creation and our old ways are left behind, life should be different, our attitude should be different and the joy and peace of the Lord will be much more common in our every day. May the grace and mercy of God the Father wash over us and make us new. Amen.

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“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

Ephesians 4:1-2

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Judging Others

November 6, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We are all broken…we are all fighting a battle of some kind…we all need the saving grace of Jesus Christ. None of us is in position to be in judgement of another. Jesus spoke very clearly about this in the Gospels. A summary statement would be, you will get whatever you give. How we choose to act is what we will get back from others. I struggle with snap judgments and emotion filled responses at times as much as anyone and I am reminded of humility, goodness and kindness when I spend time reading God’s Word and in prayer. May we continually seek growth in our spiritual life and our relationship with Jesus Christ to guide us to living life with the Fruits of the Spirit. Amen.

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“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

Luke 6:37

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

Be Humble

October 29, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We have seen the example of what humility looks like when we look at Jesus Christ and His actions and behaviors while He was here. He suffered as a human and yet was obedient to the will of God. It was not easy, even for Him…He prayed so hard that it could go differently and then in the next breath gave everything to God. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” -Luke 22:42 The only way we have a chance to learn about God’s will, is to be willing to surrender our own will. One of my biggest obstacles in my faith journey is sustaining surrender…getting to the point of surrender is one thing, maintaining an attitude of surrender so God’s plan can unfold with His timing is yet another battle. One thing I know for sure, as it is true for all of us…God’s not finished with me yet! I pray that God will open the eyes of our hearts and wash over us with courage and patience. Amen.

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“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

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

Humility

October 8, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Where is the focus of our life? What is the center of our existence? When others say kind things about us or something we have done, while this is encouraging, do we remember the One who made it possible for us? We all are so easily distracted and this can be how we are led away from God and His plan for us. The Book of Proverbs is filled with great reminders and statements about holy living. These were spoken by Solomon who had been blessed with incredible wisdom from God…even He succumbed to distractions in his life on earth. Nobody is immune and that is why daily interaction and communication with Jesus Christ is essential to finding humility and staying humble. May God’s mercy and grace wash over us each day. Amen

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“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

Proverbs 11:2

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Humble Yourself

September 14, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Admit it when we are wrong…forgive others when they are wrong…be grateful…reflect and confess our sins to God…choose to serve the needs of others. These are just some of the ways to practice humility. The messages we receive all around us are ‘get more’, ‘climb higher even if it means running over others’, ‘me first’, ‘look out for number one’. To guide us at being better at humility we should read the teachings of Jesus. Work at simplifying our lives and living with the hope of eternal life. The past five days for me and my family has included two funerals, difficult times, and yet this morning I am struck by the fact that there are others all around us that are suffering everyday. It is so easy to get swallowed up by our own world of existence…however, God gives us community and fellowship with each other to help guide us. Don’t try and go it alone, be willing to accept that we need each other…all of us do. May goodness and kindness surround you in your daily life.

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