Be Different

March 11, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

So much of our time is spent in comparing ourselves with other people and the world with social media feeds the anxiety and stress of these comparisons. We are all made by God, with each having gifts and talents…we are made to work together for the good of ourselves and others. Don’t get caught up in the differences as a bad thing or a reason to try and be something other than just yourself. We are all God’s children. Trust in God and the difference you can make when you have a close relationship with Him. On this day of worship I share a song entitled Different – by Micah Tyler. Be different in having a strong connection with God our Father, Jesus Christ his one and only Son and the Holy Spirit. May God’s peace be with you.

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“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

Romans 8:16

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

Living Hope

March 9, 2018March 9, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

No matter what you are facing, no matter what struggle is pressing you down…when you devote your life to faith in Jesus Christ you will have access to a deep well of Hope. Imagine what it may have been like for one of the disciples, living during Jesus time on earth…the Savior, the one who was coming to save the people, had been born and living on earth…healing the sick and living a life according to God, which was very different from many others on earth. He had come and they were following Him…and then He allowed himself to be captured beaten and flogged and then crucified…because of who He was, imagine those three days after Jesus died…

Then the most amazing thing occurred and from the most tragic of circumstances, Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to many of them…He conquered death. This same Jesus is with you no matter what…put your Hope in Him. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

1 Peter 1:3

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

The Path To Peace

March 8, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The first steps to finding some peace for me have come from learning about faith and learning about Jesus. Through weekly worship, daily devotions, listening to christian music and serving to help others in need. The next steps to lasting peace are actually getting to know Jesus in personal relationship, through prayer and listening, taking time to sit outdoors in nature in the quiet and to be at peace. The farther down the path you go the harder it can be at times because of the world we live in…that is when it helps the most to remember that Christ is with me, even if I don’t sense His presence. Trust in God, trust also in Jesus as He is The Way to peace. May God’s love and peace be with you.

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“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

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

The Final Word

March 7, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Once again I find myself in worship through music. This time it is a song by The Newsboys. Our journey of life will have ups and downs, highs and lows, struggles and joy. We can find our way through anything if we stay close to God and His Son Jesus. He gave up everything for us and He did it because of love. No matter the situation of the events in your life…remember God has the final word. Give this a listen…The Cross Has The Final Word by The Newsboys. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Nothing is all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Hebrews 4:13

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 at Kaanapali Beach on the island of Maui)

Renew

March 6, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

I am working on trying to be better about not making snap judgments and flippant comments regarding situations when I know very few details. We don’t take time to learn the details of a situation and try to understand before we start down the path of judgment and criticism. Social media, of course, it right there to encourage the wrong behavior. If we strive to learn more before we speak out, society as a whole would be much better off. I am able to renew my mind and my behavior when I spend time reading the Word of God. I want to stop jumping in to be the critic and the doubter so quickly and remember that we all were created by God and that each and every person is fighting a battle. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2

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

Life By Faith

March 5, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Give it your best, know that your efforts are important to what is happening in your life. Trust that there is goodness even if it is hard to see. We must not give up hope…no matter what is present in your daily life, seek the Lord, consult with God in prayer and live with the hope of the resurrection in your heart. From even the most tragic of circumstances God created a new hope for us all. Live with the hope that God provides through His Son Jesus in every situation. May God’s peace be with you.

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“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

2 Timothy 1:7

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Start With Gratitude

March 4, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When you find yourself spending too much time in worry and fear it is time to change your perspective. Nothing else will change for you in your life if you don’t start by assessing yourself. Look around your life and assess where you are from a basic needs point of view…take note of things or people you may be or may have been taking for granted and be thankful for them. Instead of starting each day with negativity of “now what?” or “what is going to go wrong next?”…change your thought process. “I am so thankful for this person” or “I am grateful I have food” and eventually you will notice a change in attitude. Try it for 30 days…see what happens and take time to pray about it. God provides everything we need not everything we want or think we need. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100

(This photo was taken in December of 2013 in northwestern Wisconsin)

Redefine Needs

March 3, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We are fed a daily dose of what we should get or do to make our life easy, more convenient. The messages from the world and society are ‘get more,’ define yourself according to the world’s standards…this is all to keep us away from pursuing a life of faith and a relationship with God. The more we focus on our lifestyle comforts and what the world tells us we need to be considered successful, the less time and effort we focus on building up our faith and spending time with God. Just the way the prince of darkness wants it…to break the cycle we need to take courage and stand up to the barrage of ads and prodding to live by the standards of this world. People get frustrated when something doesn’t have instructions or information about ‘how to’…life and faith happen to have an instruction manual and it was delivered to us by the manufacturer…our Creator and loving Father. Pick up your bible, spend time with God and seek His instructions on what you Need. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Luke 12:15

(This photo was taken in February of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

A Walk With God

March 2, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

How can we feed our faith? Why does it feel like faith is separate from the rest of life? Where can I see God at work in my life? All these questions and many more can be answered…by doing one thing in our life. Take a daily walk with God. Choose a time and a place, make it a top priority…other things will come up against it but don’t give up. It takes a willingness to commit and you can pray for the strength to stick to it. There is nothing more valuable to me and my faith journey then my time with God each morning. There isn’t only one way or one time to do this, just be sure to have a version of the Bible that is right for you. God knows you, He knows about your life, He knows about your joy and He knows about your sorrow…He even knows the things that very few people on earth know about you. Take time to be with Him because He loves you like nobody else can. Spend some time and take a walk with God every day. May God’s peace and love be with you.

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Serve To Meet The Needs

March 1, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we look at what we do each day for work or what we are doing as a part of our daily routine…sometimes we find ourselves asking, ‘Why am I doing this?’ What is my purpose here?’ It is difficult to remember that our reason sometimes is just to provide for our families, friends or relatives who need us. A parent who stays at home to care for a child actually can easily see their purpose, it is to provide for the needs of the child, not to serve themselves but strictly to provide for the needs of another. The interesting part about this, is that purpose is true for all of us all the time…God wants us to love our neighbor as ourselves, care for the needs of others. For some reason we get caught up in the messages of the world that we become focused more of ourselves and less on others and then when we get older we start to wonder, ‘Why am I doing this?’ ‘What is my purpose?’ If we spend time in the Word of God and read about what He has planned for us, it is simple…focus on meeting the needs of others, not just financially but in all ways in relationship, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, etc. May God’s peace be with you and those you serve today.

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