Listen…Learn

October 8, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“My dear brothers and sisters, pay attention to what I say. Everyone should be quick to listen. But they should be slow to speak. They should be slow to get angry. ²⁰Human anger doesn’t produce the holy life God wants. ²¹So get rid of everything that is sinful. Get rid of the evil that is all around us. Don’t be too proud to accept the word that is planted in you. It can save you.”

James 1:19-21 NIRV

“Lord, show me your ways.
    Teach me how to follow you.
⁵Guide me in your truth. Teach me.
    You are God my Savior.
    I put my hope in you all day long.”

Psalm 25:4-5 NIRV

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“Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way.
It is like a light that guides me.”

Psalm 119:105 NIRV

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 on a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Learning And Perspective

August 15, 2021 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Philippians 4:9

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

(This photo was taken yesterday at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Learning

August 24, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We learn from our experiences and by reading about the experiences of others. Many times, learning from our own experiences is a slow and difficult process as we are most stubborn with ourselves. Reading and learning from the experiences of others gives us new insight into how can we live going forward. God provides the greatest book filled with lessons and learnings, to help us as we live. Pick up a bible and learn from the experiences of those who came before us. Amen.

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“The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

²for gaining wisdom and instruction;
    for understanding words of insight;
³for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
    doing what is right and just and fair;
⁴for giving prudence to those who are simple,^[a]
    knowledge and discretion to the young—
⁵let the wise listen and add to their learning,
    and let the discerning get guidance—
⁶for understanding proverbs and parables,
    the sayings and riddles of the wise.^[b]

⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools^[c] despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 1:1-7

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

God’s Presence Is All Around Us

July 10, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Originally posted in December of 2018…

One of the most difficult things for us to accomplish is change. A change that will last, is sustainable and makes a difference in us and how we interact with others. One of the greatest changes in human history occurred when Jesus Christ changed Saul into Paul, His disciple. We read about this is the Book of Acts, chapter 9. What Jesus did to create and sustain this change was to illuminate His Presence to Saul. To show His Presence and then to give instructions to Saul as to what he must do. God is present in creation and in each of our lives everyday…we just need to do a better job of looking for Him. His Presence exists in nature, the change of the seasons and in the Fruits of the Spirit that we give and receive in our interactions with others. God is with you, He loves you and His Presence is what gives you strength. Thanks be to God. Amen.

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“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Patience

July 1, 2020 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

Originally posted in May of 2018…

When we believe and we trust in God we will be required to develop patience in this world. Circumstances will often look hopeless and many people will despair and be engulfed in sadness and fear, that is the way of evil. We must never give up hope, we must trust in God to continue working for the good for us and for everyone. God does not make bad things happen, He is not tempting you with things that are not good…that is sin in the world and we humans invited that sin into this world. God is at work in all the bad we have created to bring out goodness, kindness and love. Believe in Him who created us, believe in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ and see the good things that can happen in your life in this world. May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27:13-14

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

Reflect And Share

June 27, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

I am going to be reviewing and re-sharing some previous posts from the last several years for a period of time as I believe now is a time to listen, to reflect and to seek God’s wisdom. May God’s peace be with you. I hope you enjoy some posts from days gone by. Amen.

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“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. ²¹Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

James 1:19-21

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

Don’t Stop Praying

March 22, 2020 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

As I awake this morning there are 2 songs that I can’t stop hearing in my mind that are constant reminders to not give up…we must learn to be patient and persistent. No matter how long you have been praying about something and you haven’t seen a change…don’t quit…keep praying…believe…many people fall away from God because He does not work on our time line. Remember He is God and He knows what is best for us even if we can’t see it. Trust Him in everything. Amen.

Haven’t Seen It Yet by Danny Gokey

Blessing I Can’t See by Building 429

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“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a lake in Plymouth, Minnesota)

The Truth

March 2, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The word ‘truth’ appears over 200 times in the bible. Jesus often taught using the phrase ‘I tell you the truth’ or ‘Truly I say to you.’ On our faith journey we have to be willing to be honest with God, ourselves and with others regarding what we believe and what we say. When we are ready to be truthful about who we are and who God is we are ready to walk in the light to the best of our ability in a fallen world. It won’t be easy but we have been assured it will be worth it. Amen.

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32

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“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:8-9

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

Forgiveness

February 24, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

This is something we need to give as much as we need to receive it. Forgiveness is more than God’s grace given to us through Jesus Christ…we need to be able to give forgiveness to others as well. If we choose to hold on to the pain, the bitterness and the anger it will eat away at our very life and end up affecting our relationships with everyone. To forgive is not to say someone gets a free pass for hurting you…it is the act of letting go of the things that are continuing to hurt you in your daily life. Christ will help you through this…come to Cross and give thanks to Jesus for His forgiveness of your sins and ask Him to help you find your way to give forgiveness. Amen.

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“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³²Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:31-32

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

Hope

January 8, 2020 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There is always hope…if you can’t see it or don’t believe it…look again. Life is not about whether or not hope exists, rather it is about what you see and what you believe…there is always hope. If you don’t believe it maybe you are looking for it in the wrong place…have you ever lost something where you live, like keys or something similar and you are certain of the last place you saw them and you scour the area all around with no luck? Then eventually you find them in a completely different place that has nothing to do with your original thought? If you don’t see hope or don’t believe it exists you may be looking for it in the wrong place…pick up a bible and read, turn towards Jesus Christ and pray and you will find hope. Amen.

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