On Believing And Seeing

June 28, 2018June 28, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

You may have heard someone say or you may have said it yourself, a phrase such as ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’ This originated in biblical times after the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus appeared to the disciples at a time when Thomas was not with them. Even as one of the apostles who had been with Jesus he could not comprehend the resurrection and told his brothers…“unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” (John 20:25) Thomas was so sure this could not be true, that Jesus had risen, that he made this statement basically saying to the others…prove it! Oh boy, I have been there before. The problem with this approach to our faith is it is not faith at all…if we have to see it to believe it, what do we truly believe in? A simple example is the wind…the air can move at very high speeds at different elevations and we know this not because we can see it move, what we can see is what it can do. Don’t get caught being a doubting Thomas, rather learn from him and have faith in the One who knows us and can see what He has planned for our lives. May God’s love and joy be with you.

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“We live by faith, not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:7

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

Highs And Lows

June 27, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Our journey is filled with these…moments where things are good, we are strong, confident, faithful and filled with hope and joy – Highs. We also have moments of fear, concern, sadness that are filled with despair – Lows. Every life has both whether you see it in others or not, they both exist for everyone. The key to living with all of this is how are you reacting to your highs and your lows? Reading and learning from God’s Word with the Holy Spirit as your guide is a great place to start. After that, the way to give and receive celebration for highs and support for lows is with Friends. Personal relationships, that is the key to living, learning and growing through out your life journey. Reflect on your personal relationships, with God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as well as with your friends. Pray about them and find ways you can enrich those relationships. Faith is not a destination, it is a way of living through the Highs and Lows that come to all of us no matter who we are or what we are doing. May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Romans 12:12-13

(These photo’s were taken in July of 2016 at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Do Not Worry

June 26, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We will have what we need, we will not always get what we want (I am now hearing a Rolling Stones song in my mind), yet we struggle with worry and anxiety daily and that constant strain causes physical damage to our bodies over a period of time. God is our Creator and He knows exactly what we need. If we are saying it is not enough then we are too focused on our plans and not His. Before I started daily devotions just over 8 years ago I wasted a large amount of my time on worry and the worst part is, it was about things I can’t even control. As I have grown spiritually my perspective has changed for the better…I still pray a serenity prayer to help as old habits die hard. It is a test of faith to let go of the worries and to trust God with the answers and the outcome. May God’s grace and peace be with you.

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“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Matthew 6:31-33

(This photo was taken in June 2018, last weekend, while driving to South Dakota)

Jesus

June 24, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To Him be the glory.

The world divided, broken and lost…how can there be hope? Lives of struggle, hearts broken, sadness…who can make this better? People hurting each other, selfishness in control, fear and anger rule the days…what can change our perspectives?

The answers to all of this; to every thought of despair, to every life looking for a new direction and for every individual wanting to make a change…Jesus is the answer. Believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, invite Him into your life everyday, spend time reading God’s Word, build your personal relationship with Him and you will see transformation. May the presence of God be in you and may the saving grace of Jesus Christ bless you each day.

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“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

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

The Needs Of Others

June 21, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We all have been given gifts and talents to use in the world. While we are all unique the gifts we have are to be used to not only support ourselves, they are also the way we can help others in need. It is important to learn and accept the gifts and talents God has given us and to seek out ways to use them to honor God. Selfishness is running rampant all over the world and therefore the needs of people are many. Can we help everyone? No. Does that mean we should only worry about ourselves? No. We should strive to do whatever we can, for whomever we can, whenever we can, wherever we are…even if it only helps one person in that moment in time, it is helping someone in need. May God’s grace and peace be with you.

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“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:4

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at a rest area in South Dakota)

Honesty And Integrity

June 15, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

In the world of constant information updates it seems to be getting difficult to know what is really true. As we continue on our faith journey and study God’s Word we find the growth in ourselves when we are able to be honest with ourselves. When we are truthful and accept who we are, who God made us to be, we can act with integrity and be honest with others. I find it common in my faith journey the path to true joy is to get your relationship with God right first and take your worries, discouragements and concerns as well as your gratitude and joy to Him first and everything else will work itself out according to His plan. My personal issue with that process…I need more patience. So I am off to pray for patience in my day…May God’s grace and mercy be with you.

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“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:8-9

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

Attitude

June 14, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Here it is…the one thing you have the most control over in your entire life…your attitude. You choose what it is, about everything and everyday. As I have shared in the past Charles Swindoll who is a pastor, author, teacher, etc has written the best description for us to reflect on when thinking about our attitude. Here is what he wrote…

Attitude

by Charles Swindoll

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change that people will act a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

To learn more about Charles Swindoll you can go to his website http://www.insight.org/

In the words of Forrest Gump…”That’s all I have to say about that”

May God’s peace, love and joy be with you.

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“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:31

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

Be A Positive Example

June 13, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The news and social media focuses so much time and effort on the anger, sadness, deception and evil that exists in the world. There are just as many good and positive things happening in the world each day…we just don’t get to see it or talk about it as much. Don’t let what others like to focus on be your only perspective. Feed your mind and spirit by reading God’s Word and spend time in prayer. Look for the good and be the good that exists in the world. It does not have to be on the national news or go ‘viral’ to make a difference to at least one other person. Your life is a gift and you were made to be who you are by a loving God. Seek His plan for your life and look to be the good in your daily walk. May God’s grace and mercy be with you.

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“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

1 Peter 3:8-9

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

Angels All Around Us

June 12, 2018 / mcalcagno / 3 Comments

As we go about our journey of life God knows we will need His ever-present help along the way. Creation has so much to offer us but we still live in a fallen world. God is constantly sending in His angels to guide and protect us throughout our life. Angels come in and protect us, and the help they provide is typically essential in our daily lives. When you reflect on moments in your life where something incredible was avoided or times when a decision you made quickly ended up keeping you and others safe…do you believe angels played a part in the process? I do. God does not do His work alone…it is written about in the bible and I believe He has an army of angels working for the good of those who love Him. May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Psalms 91:11-12

(This photo was taken in September of 2014 on a walk in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Have Faith…Pass It On

June 10, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There is nothing greater in this world then a belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Your relationship with Him is the foundation of your Faith. It does not mean life will be easy and it does not mean you will get everything you have ever wanted in life. The world and evil continues to send us messages that if what we are pursuing doesn’t end with convenience or an easy life it is not worth pursuit. Not true! True joy, peace and contentment does not come from chasing after things to satisfy the self. It comes from knowing that you are loved and you are saved from your sins no matter how much you mess up. True faith is built by spending time on your relationship with God everyday and by sharing the Good News with others, especially those in the next generation. May the peace and understanding of God in faith be with you.

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