Mercy…Compassion…Forgiveness

December 13, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. ¹⁰Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’”

Zechariah 7:9-10 NIV

We are not made to be the judge of others…the world is losing sight of compassion for one another

Let us stop believing the lies of evil and stop looking for ways to tear each other down

Remember the example that has been set for us by Jesus Christ…His upside-down Kingdom compared to the worldly way of living

Read God’s Word and remember that God is our Creator

Look at others through the eyes of Jesus

May God’s peace be with you and flow through you

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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 NIV

(This photo was taken on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

A Better Way…Come Near To God

December 6, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.”

Psalm 145:18 NIV

Father God, we want to seek You with all of our hearts

You are our everything-so let our actions match our words

Each day, help us draw closer to You

Guide us through each decision, and inspire us with new dreams and wisdom

We want to honor You in all that we do

We want to live a better way

In Jesus name, Amen

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“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

James 4:8 NIV

(This photo was taken at Temperance State Park on Lake Superior)

The Compassion Of Christ

November 22, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.

⁴¹Moved with compassion,^[a] Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” ⁴²Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.”

Mark 1:40-42 NLT

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“Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. ³⁶When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Matthew 9:35-36 NLT

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

Compassion

October 10, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:5 NIV

To be helpful…thoughtful…aware of the suffering of others…a desire to provide help and support…understanding the needs of another

One of the strongest elements of humility is compassion

Being aware that others are suffering and need assistance and then going and doing something that provides help and support

We all have different roles in our relationships with others, which means there are many different ways for us to provide help and support depending on who needs us and what has happened to them

When you know or get a sense inside you that you should do something for someone else but you are unsure what it is you should do, do not ignore that feeling, turn to the Lord and ask Him to help guide you to what the other person needs…then listen and watch for His reply

Be careful not to do something you believe they need from your perspective, rather be sensitive and aware of what they say they need

Compassion does not have to be something difficult and complex in order to be helpful…often times it is the simple and thoughtful things that make the biggest difference for others

May God’s grace and mercy flow through us and into our relationships

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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.”

Psalm 145:8-9 NIV

(This photo was taken near the border between Minnesota and South Dakota)

Forgiveness

June 24, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14 NIV

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 and to ourselves 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

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Ephesians 4:31-32 NIV

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

All People

April 22, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Revelation 7:9-10 NIV

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:9-11 NIV

All people are created by God

All people

He has a plan and He values all people

If we choose to judge others by the standards of the world, we are forgetting what God teaches us

Often times we know very little about others we encounter in our daily life…yet we are quick to assume things about them

Pick up God’s word and strive to see people through the eyes of Jesus

Like many aspects of our faith journey it is simple, but it is not easy

We were never promised easy

Peace be with you

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“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, ¹³because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

James 2:12-13 NIV

(This photo was taken at a park in Winterset, Iowa)

God’s Grace

February 14, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

We can’t earn it

We don’t deserve it and yet God offers it to us anyway

God is Holy and God is love

Because He is Holy our sin separates us from Him

He demonstrated His love when He sent His one and only Son to take the punishment we deserve so that we can be reconciled with Him

Choose to believe…confess your sins

Give thanks to God for His amazing grace

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“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 NIV

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

What Should We Do?

January 17, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly^[a] with your God.”

Micah 6:8 NIV

The world tells us many things about how to fulfill our self-centered desires

Things to pursue, worldly things to worship

God’s Word is The best resource to instruct us and help understand what God has planned

When you wonder ‘what should I do now?’ or ‘now what?’ or ‘what’s next?’

Turn towards God first, seek Him and His will

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“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

(This photo was taken while on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

Wisdom From Heaven

January 10, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”

James 3:13-18 NIV

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

1 Corinthians 1:25 NIV

There is a large difference between what is considered wisdom in the world and what is truly wisdom that comes from God.

So much of a difference that God’s Kingdom is considered an “upside down Kingdom” compared to the wisdom of the world

What kind of wisdom are you seeking?

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