He Carries Us Through…

September 11, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Struggle…conflict…suffering…darkness…pain…difficulties…uncomfortable. We all encounter these moments in our life. There is no way to avoid them and if we spend our time trying to avoid them we are mostly likely hurting ourselves and others. The one true source of peace, courage, strength and perseverance is Jesus Christ. He is strength in the struggle, He is calm in the conflict, He is peace in the suffering, He is light in the darkness, He is healing for the pain, He is answers to the difficult times and He is our comfort when we are uncomfortable. Nothing is impossible for our God. Seek Him and His Word and you will find rest for your soul. May you see and sense the presence of the Lord in your life.

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“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 July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

The Word

September 9, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The one true guide for all of life, the gift that provides wisdom and brings us back to the Lord is the The Word of God. The bible is full of lessons and instructions. We always seem to want to find answers to our questions in the world and the only thing the prince of this world wants to do is to take us further away from God. The strongest foundation for us to build our life on is The Word of the Lord. Seek Him and seek His Word and trust in Him to guide your life. May we all find time to dwell in the Word of the Lord.

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“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 in Arches National Park in Utah)

A Channel Of Peace

September 8, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We are blessed to be a blessing…we receive and so we are to give…let the Word flow through you…shine the the Light of Christ…share the peace of the Lord with others. Jesus Christ gave His everything to save us. He suffered and died on the Cross, before He left He promised that if we believe we will receive the Holy Spirit of God within us. We are to be a channel of God’s peace…it will flow into us and we are to be shaped and molded by His peace and then share it with others whenever we can. May your life be filled with the Light of Christ and with opportunities to share that Light with others.

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“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 near the South Dakota and Minnesota border)

God Of All Comfort

September 5, 2018 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

Our strength…we are forgiven…He comes near to us…He holds us up…He wraps His loving arms around us. I am so thankful for the Lord our God. His presence is all around all of us. The world does not want you searching for Him or trusting in Him. He is our Rock and our Redeemer and we can have peace because of Him. Look around you and your life and give thanks for the blessings God has given to you. May the peace of the Lord be with you.

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“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 while traveling through the State of Montana)

Taste And See…

September 3, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

In our times of greatest need, the only thing that will uphold you or sustain you is the Lord. When things go sideways in your life according to your plans and it will happen I can promise you that much, any shred of hope, courage or peace will come from God. No matter what is going on in your life, in your mind or in your heart…take it to the Lord today. Share with God your fears, what you are worried about and trust in Him to uphold you…He promised He would and God never breaks His promises. The only way to find out if something is good is to taste and see for yourself. May God’s love and comfort surround you as it is surrounding all aspects of my family during this time of significant change.

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“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8

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

I Know You Are Near…

September 2, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Friends I don’t have many words for you today…my family and I are working through the process of my Dad passing away this past Friday. When were discussing music for the service this hymn was mentioned, and it keeps coming back to me in my mind all morning long. Please pray for us and know that God is near you too. Below is a link to the hymn and the lyrics below that. Peace be with you.

Yahweh, I Know You Are Near ~ Dan Schutte

Yahweh, I know you are near
Standing always at my side
You guard me from the foe
And you lead me in ways everlasting

[Verse 1]
Lord, you have searched my heart
And you know when I sit and when I stand
Your hand is upon me
Protecting me from death
Keeping me from harm

[Chorus]
Yahweh, I know you are near
Standing always at my side
You guard me from the foe
And you lead me in ways everlasting

[Verse 2]
Where can I run from your love?
If I climb to the heavens you are there
If I fly to the sunrise
Or sail beyond the sea
Still I’d find you there

[Chorus]

Yahweh, I know you are near
Standing always at my side
You guard me from the foe
And you lead me in ways everlasting

[Verse 3]
Marvelous to me are your works
How profound are your thoughts, my Lord
Even if I could count them
They number as the stars
You would still be there

[Chorus]
Yahweh, I know you are near
Standing always at my side
You guard me from the foe
And you lead me in ways everlasting

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“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

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

Family

September 1, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We don’t choose them, we are born into them. It is meant to be a place where we find unconditional love. Like many aspects of life there will be pain, frustration, embarrassment and we will fail each other…over all of that there is love. No matter what we must go through we need to remember love. It won’t be easy and we all need to turn to Jesus through the most difficult of times for peace, for wisdom. My own family is facing an unexpected death as of yesterday afternoon and all I can do is seek peace from the Lord. Please pray for us as we work our way through the coming days, and tell the members of your family how much you love them. May we all find comfort in Jesus Christ.

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“Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

Exodus 20:12

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

Strength

August 30, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

God will renew our strength…He will provide our energy…the Lord is a strong tower. Have you ever had it happen that when you turn towards God and sit with him, or truly spend time with Him you get this unknown source of energy? Have you ever spent a great deal of time or effort on something and not felt exhausted? And others say how did you spend so much time on that? Have you ever heard it said or said yourself about someone…where do they get the energy to do that? When we are aligned with God’s plan and doing things that He set out for us to do, He will supply the energy and strength we need. We will not grow tired or weary, if we do, that is a message that we are spending our time on something that takes us away from God…this includes what we spend time thinking about in our minds. Trust in the Lord, be faithful to His plan and you will not grow weary. May you be blessed with wisdom and strength from the Lord.

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“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

Isaiah 40:29

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

A Quiet Place

August 29, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Peaceful…Prayer…Meditation…Rest…Renew…Restore…Recharge. Where and when are you spending time in a quiet place? If you live a busy existence keeping schedules and deadlines for either the family calendar or a job you usually have to wait until late at night or early in the morning while others are sleeping. I have had co-workers who prefer to get the office really early before others because it is quiet. We need to have a balance of going and doing and being productive some of the time and being at peace and resting at other times. If we don’t have both we will either become completely worn out from running around all the time with no rest or become isolated from community because we are always off on our own. This isn’t a choice of which one should I be but more of a mindfulness of what does my mind and body need right now? Go and do and then rest and recharge…(rinse repeat) May you find peace and rest in the Lord.

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“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’.”

Mark 6:31

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