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)

Love And Faithfulness

July 10, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we are able to surrender ourselves to God and His plan and we follow Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we will grow and mature spiritually. We may believe we know a great deal about love and faithfulness and yet there is so much more God wants to show us. It will not be easy and we should take nothing for granted. Living in this world where sin and selfishness run wild, where temptations are lurking…we will never be perfect, so that is not a realistic goal and we are not to be the judge of others. In the Gospel of John 13:34-35, Jesus gives us a new command of love, He is speaking about it at a time when one of His close disciples in going off to betray Him. Love and faithfulness these are characteristics of the new creation God is making us to be. Seek the Lord and the life He has planned for you. Amen.

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“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”

Proverbs 3:3-4

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 at sunrise on the island of Maui, Hawaii)

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)

Come As You Are…

July 5, 2019July 5, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Come to the Cross…All are welcome…No matter what has happened or where you have been, Come lay down all your burdens and be healed. As it says in today’s song, “earth has no sorrow that heaven can’t heal.” Amen.

Come As You Are by Crowder

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“For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:12-13

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in northern Colorado)

Love

June 29, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The greatest gift we ever receive is the love of God.

Nobody Loves Me Like You by Chris Tomlin

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“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13

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

Give Thanks

June 2, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Focus on what is good…focus on the blessings you have been given…what are the gifts and talents God has given you that you can share with others? There is nothing that can separate us from God’s love. He created us and this world, He has given us free will, He has kept His promises to us…it is up to us to seek Him and His will…it is up to us to pick up God’s word and read, it is up to us to pray and deepen our relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God for all He has given us. May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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“…Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 5:19-20

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

Friends

May 30, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Often times, not always, these are the people who are more like our brothers and sisters than the ones in our family. There is trust, honesty, a sharing of experiences, giving as often as receiving and love. Some friends are only for a period of time in our life and others last the whole way through, even when there are gaps of time. Like everything else that is good they are a gift from God. Who are your true friends? Give thanks to God for those people and say a prayer for them and their life this day. Amen.

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“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:12-13

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

Freedom Isn’t Free

May 27, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It takes humility, sacrifice and a willingness to put the needs of many before one. Freedom is earned by human beings working together for a common cause…not by shouting and trying to tear others down. Freedom is earned through courage and a belief in something greater than self. Jesus Christ is the one who provided the example of sacrifice and the willingness to forgive…we all would do well to read about Him and His example of love. Time to put down the flaming arrows of hate and to serve one another in love.

Thank you God, for all the people who serve and have served in the military services of this country…thank you for their willingness to put themselves in the line of fire so others can prosper. I give thanks for them and their families that sacrifice so much in the name of freedom for all of us. Amen.

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“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at Mount Rushmore National Memorial)

Daily Living

May 17, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

This is defined as the activities we perform on a daily basis for self-care related to our needs. Caring for ourselves related to food, hygiene, our living environment, etc. Many people take these items for granted and for many people just getting through the day regarding these things is a struggle, for a variety of reasons. The Fruits of the Spirit provided by God are not worldly possessions that require wealth or privilege, they are not only for certain people. God’s love is for all in creation and we all have a responsibility to learn, to grow, to care for and to share with others. Give thanks to God for each day and seek to live as God intended. 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 whatever grievances you may have against one another. 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 July of 2015 while on a mission trip in Denver, Colorado)

Commitment

May 14, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Devotion…dedication…faithfulness…self-sacrifice….love. A commitment can be hard at times. A commitment is not something to be taken lightly. If you commit to something think carefully about how you will respond when things don’t go as planned or how you expect them to go. God made a commitment to love us and to save us even though we are still sinners and it was tremedously difficult for Jesus to keep that commitment…yet He was able to fulfill the commitment by staying close to the Father in prayer and trusting the will of God. Jesus is our example of how to get through the hard times and to remain committed to God and trust Him with all aspects of our lives. Amen.

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