Come Near To God

November 25, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

He is with you…He knows everything about you and your life…He knows the struggles, the sorrows, the celebrations, the grief and mourning, the joyful gatherings, He knows the desires of your heart. To draw near to God is to seek Him daily, to turn away from sin and our sinful behaviors and to trust in Him…this is not a slick, quick, fast-food process…it is a journey, a journey filled with questions, doubts, sacrifice, repentance, surrender, peace, joy and love. And if you wonder why…the answer is found in His love. Amen.

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“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you…”

James 4:7-8

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota)

The Power Of Love

October 27, 2019 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

When you have fear, choose to overcome it with love. When you are struggling, choose to keep going with love. When you don’t know what to do, serve others with acts of love. You may ask, ‘how do I do that?’ Start by reading 1 Corinthians 13…it explains fully what love looks like. Jesus Christ is our greatest example of God’s love for us, if we believe that He is the Son of God and we confess our sins, we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and that will help us do our best to show the love of Christ to others. May the peace, love and joy of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

1 Peter 4:8-10

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at a park near Dillon, Colorado)

His Love Endures Forever

October 6, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Trouble will come…we will experience suffering and loss in this world…yet we do not need to have fear and we do not need to be afraid. We are loved by God with a love that is greater than anything we face. Pursue a personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior and our Lord, meet with Him every day…He sacrificed everything to save you because He loves you and His love will endure forever. Amen.

Forever by Michael W Smith

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“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.”

Psalms 136:1

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

Rich In Love

October 2, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

No matter how far we wander off…God will invite us to come back to Him. His grace…His mercy…His compassion is all encompassing. Whatever your circumstances are…turn towards Jesus Christ…He died to save you and He is ready to walk with you. Amen.

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“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalms 145:8-9

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 while traveling through Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Believe It!

October 1, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The Creator of all things knows you. He loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you. He is greater than anyone and anything you will encounter in this world. When we walk with Him, we can conquer anything in this life. You are loved…you are forgiven…you have been saved. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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

Romans 8:31

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

This Is Love…

September 17, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Jesus came down from heaven…He came in human form as a baby…He taught the people how to live…He showed people kindness and compassion…He showed everybody love…He was treated terribly by others…He was beaten…He was tortured…He was crucified and died…and He did all of it for you and for me. God loves us so much that He sent His Son to save us. Thank you, Jesus…Amen.

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“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

1 John 4:10

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

Choose Love

August 2, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We live with free will…a gift from God. We have the freedom to choose what we say, what we think and our behaviors. We can choose how we respond to others and what attitude we are going to present in our interactions. There are many influences trying to sway our choices both in this world and in the spiritual world. If we take time to reflect on what we have chosen and less time worrying about what others think, say and do…we give ourselves the opportunity to grow…in our relationships and in our spiritual lives. Our example to follow is Jesus Christ…how He lived and what He said while He was here, as well as what the Holy Spirit is saying to us each day. The message is clear…we should choose love in all things…in our thoughts, in our words and in our behaviors. May the love of God flow through each of us. Amen.

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14

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

God’s Word

July 13, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we open up and read the Word of God, we can sense the Spirit that God has planted within us. Our faith is living and breathing and needs to be fed. God’s Word renews us, encourages us and centers us on Him and His plan for us. His Word is truth, it is fact based on actual events in history and His Word gives us life. May God’s peace be with you and flow through you each day. Amen.

Word Of Life by Jeremy Camp

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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John 1:1

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while traveling in southern New Mexico)

He Loves Us

July 6, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There is nothing in the world like God’s love for us…He sacrificed His one and only Son to save us…sin and suffering are the result of human behavior, all that is good comes from God. Seek Him and His will for you. Amen.

How He Loves by David Crowder Band

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“so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Ephesians 3:17-19

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

Attitudes And Actions Of Love

April 9, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Compassion…mercy…grace…forgiveness…humility…kindness…faithfulness…selflessness. Who should we share these with? Everyone…family…friends…neighbors…co-workers…strangers…people we will only pass by once in life today only to never encounter them again…look around at your surroundings throughout the day. What is the source of this amazing love? God, He is the source of perfect love. Seek the Lord and you will find love, joy and peace. Amen.

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