Redeemed

October 25, 2018 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

Saved…recovered…reclaimed…restored…changed…forgiven…set free. The price has been paid for our sins. Jesus came down from heaven and suffered to save us from the defeat of death in sin. We are loved by God and that love conquers all things in this world. We are reconciled with God and can pursue His will for our lives. Sharing a song by the group Big Daddy Weave entitled “Redeemed”

I pray for God’s love to wash over the burdens in our lives and strengthen us in kindness, goodness, compassion and forgiveness. Amen.

Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave

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“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at City Park in Winterset, Iowa)

Trust

October 12, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Something that is earned…easily eroded by poor behavior…to be a person of your word…to keep your promises. Trust is an essential element in good relationships, in relationships that have a chance to grow. It makes us vulnerable and when we get burned it takes that much longer for us to trust again. God is the only one who has never broken a promise, He is the only one who is by our side every single day, He is the one who sent His only Son to die in order to save us…yet so many of us want to keep Him in a box with a glass door that says “In case of an emergency break glass.” In order to trust God we need to be willing to be more open to Him, to be more vulnerable in our relationship with Him and to believe that He is working for good things in our life. I pray we all can take steps toward trusting God more in our life everyday. Amen.

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“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 91:2

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Be Transformed

October 7, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

If we want to see a change in our lives and the world we must begin by being changed in our minds, in our hearts and in our soul. A desire to see change is one thing and probably a good first step…but then what? To be renewed, to be transformed and to truly have it be a new way of living and seeing means working on ourselves with God as our guide. Repent, believe and pray. We need to begin with repentance, admit our wrongs and our brokenness to God and ask God to give us the courage and wisdom to do better. Next we must believe in the power of God, pick up the Bible and read Scripture…believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God and our Savior who came down from heaven to save us, was crucified, died and was buried and that He has risen. Then we need to pray…in the morning, during the day and at night. Pray for our new behaviors, pray for our family and friends, pray that more people will turn towards God rather than away from Him. These are the things that will truly change your life…not according to the world’s standards but according to God. May we all be blessed with the courage and wisdom to be transformed into what God created us to be. Amen.

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

1 Corinthians 1:25

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior in Ashland, Wisconsin)

Light Of The World

October 3, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we do not know where to turn…when darkness keeps us from moving forward…when it feels like the world is closing in on us…it is the Light of Christ that can lead us out of darkness. We will encounter difficulty, troubles and frustrations in this life, everyone does…every single person is working through something. In several places in the Bible we are told about The Light of Christ. He is the Light of the World and He can shine best through you and me. So when you need a little Light turn towards Jesus and pray or pick up a Bible and read God’s Word…the only way Light can be helpful is when it is shining bright…shine on! May the grace and mercy of God’s love be with you. Amen.

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“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake in central Minnesota)

Wait For The Lord

September 24, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Our lives are usual so busy moving from one thing to the next, that planning and preparing become dominant activities…the thing is if we are always planning and preparing for what’s next when are we living in the present moment? A difficult part of surrender for all of us is not always trying to control what’s next. A life of faith doesn’t mean we always go and do what we want…Jesus said in Luke 9:23 “…If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” We all have a cross to bear in life, it is different for everyone…and bearing a cross is doing what we should be doing, doing what needs to be done. It means being obedient to God and we do these things because of love. Be in prayer and talk with the Lord about what He needs you to do then wait and listen. May you be surrounded by the love of God each day.

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“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord,”

Lamentations 3:25-26

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Badlands National Park in South Dakota)

Perseverance

September 17, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Steadfastness…persistence…determination…purposefulness. The story of our lives is not about when or how often we will get knocked down. It will happen and sometimes it will happen with increased frequency. It is in how we choose to respond to these events that will shape and define our character and our relationships. We only need to look to the Cross and the Resurrection for the example of what sticking with God and His plan can be. From what was one of the greatest tragedies in history to an even greater story of new life, hope and joy. As it says in Romans 8:31 “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?” We are His creation, He loves us and no matter what may trip us up along the way He will be with us. May we all go out into the world today with the confidence that God is for us.

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“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

Romans 5:3-5

(This photo was taken in April of 2016 at sunrise on a lake in central Minnesota)

God Is Love

September 4, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There is pain…we will have trouble…things will not go as we plan…what are we to do? Everyone is facing something, something big or difficult. Trying to overcome obstacles and find their way. Some will fail and some will succeed…any failure and any success is better because of love. Love powerful it is not weak, it can overcome pain, suffering and the troubles we face in life. Love begins and ends with God. We are created out of love, we are intended to live in God’s love while we are here and when we die Jesus Christ gave up His life to save us because He loves us. I am convinced that love conquers all and if you need something, turn towards God and speak with Him, because He loves you and He is waiting to hear from you. May the Lord bless you and keep you safe with love.

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“If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”

1 John 4:15-16

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

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)

God’s Workmanship

August 27, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We are His creation…we are created out of love…we are created to do good things. When we are willing to come to The Cross and surrender, our plans, our ways, our timing for events in life and trust in Him to provide all we need, when we need it, then we will experience true joy. It sounds so simple and yet it is extremely difficult to execute in everyday life. We are made with free will, meaning we have a choice to pursue the sinful nature or to pursue a life following Jesus Christ. God’s plan is so much greater than our own because He is the original Creator of all things. Turn towards God and ask Him for wisdom about how He wants you to follow His plan for your life. May the grace and peace of the Lord be with you.

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“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10

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

Joyful, Patient, Faithful

August 24, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Happy Friday…you know when you are having one of those times when it feels like something is going wrong with everything? When you are able to take a step back and review you often find the one common thing is your perspective…I know, I know not what you wanted to read. When things seem to pile up like this I have learned to immediately turn to prayer…stop what ever you are doing and ask God to intervene, to guide you and to cleanse your perspective. Maybe it’s time for a new approach to something, to look at it differently or just to open your mind to new possibilities to old issues. Whatever it is we don’t have to do it alone. May God be with you and provide you comfort.

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