Hold On To Jesus

February 18, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is said the tighter we try to grab on to the things of this world the more they slip through our fingers. If I just do this or if we can just get to this point then everything will work out as we plan…as if it is all up to us and we are in control. Then as we get older and begin to realize it is not up to us alone, there is the danger of going too far the opposite way…it doesn’t matter what I do, nobody cares anyways or I could just disappear and no one would notice. Both directions of belief are extreme, as humans we tend to go too far one way or the other and we tend to get too high or too low…imagine a horizontal line of your beliefs intersecting with a vertical line of your emotions and you get…The Cross. To find balance come to The Cross and hold on to Jesus. Amen.

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“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 2:20

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

Praise And Worship

February 17, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Tune your spirit to align with God. When you find yourself in that moment you will know it. There is nothing like it. I have very few words to share with you this morning as my faith is best expressed through song. May the love and joy of the Lord wash over you and bring you peace. Amen.

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

How Great Is Our God – Chris Tomlin

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“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spriritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

Colossians 3:16

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

My Rock, My Fortress And My Deliverer

February 14, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The Book of Psalms is filled with songs and prayers of David that express a wide range of emotions. As you may know I believe in the power of music and its ability to stir us up in the deepest places of our hearts. I am thankful to those who have been blessed to create and produce music and do so out the love and passion they have to share their gifts. Today the words to one of David’s songs strikes me as comforting. I encourage you to read the entire Psalm 18…I will share the verse that grabbed my attention this morning below. Peace be with you on your journey. Amen.

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“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:2

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

To Make Him Known

February 8, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The second part of our purpose in life. As we learn and grow, we will be given opportunities to share faith. How, when or where we share is different for everyone. This is about living in the present moments of your life. If we are constantly stewing about the past or what might happen in the future we will miss that which is right in front of us. This is a journey, we will get distracted and sidetracked, it happens to everyone. In our efforts to get to know Him and make Him known, we will read stories of conversion and sharing by others and it seems like, wow they changed who they are on Monday and by Friday they were sharing the Good News with others…ah no, at least not for me. Case and point, I didn’t start daily devotions in my life until around 2010…I started posting on this blog in 2013…I started posting something everyday late in 2015…and began actually writing thoughts inspired by the Holy Spirit on this blog everyday in the beginning of 2018…and here we are today. What you don’t know is all the other things that go on in a person’s life that impact this process. We all are part of God’s plan, on my journey God is helping me narrow the focus on this…He created me to Know Him and to make Him Known, everything else should lead into that and I am still learning how that works. Thank you for reading and stopping by. May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you on your journey. Amen.

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“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

Philippians 4:13

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

Savior

February 1, 2019February 5, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

His mercy…His grace…His forgiveness…His sacrifice…His death…His resurrection and His love. All of this and more means Jesus Christ has fought the battle and won. He has saved us and we can be reconciled with God. Seek Him and the message of Good News in God’s Word. He gave His all to save you because He loves you just the way you are. May the love of Christ comfort you and encourage you this day. Amen.

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“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 on a lake in central Minnesota)

Change

January 28, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Life is not about what the world and other people are doing to us, it is about what are we doing to be a light, to encourage others, to be helpful and supportive, what are we doing to be different? Micah Tyler released a song last fall…he introduces the story behind the song in the video I am sharing today about change and being different.

Different by Micah Tyler

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“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Psalms 51:10

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

Faith

January 25, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Belief…trust…comfort…patience…persistence…love…joy…strength…encouragment…Hope!

May our faith help us to see and to know the presence of God’s love in our daily lives and relationships. Amen.

What Faith Can Do – Kutless

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“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Hebrews 11:1

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

Rest In Him

January 22, 2019 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

When and where do you get quiet time in your life? We all have commitments and responsibilities and if we run ourselves into the ground just trying to keep up, we eventually become weary and ineffective at many things. The key is to find some balance, to prioritize, we can’t be all things to all people. This is why the story or analogy of the big rocks, the pebbles and the sand in a bucket hits home with so many people. We know that if we spend all our time on the sand and pebbles we will never get to the big rocks in life. For me this analogy is all about balance. Sometimes we can say yes and sometimes we need to say no or not right now…Jesus set the example for us, while He spent time teaching and speaking to the people He also would go off alone to pray and spend time with God our Father for hours…balance. Take time and rest in Him. Amen.

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

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

Be Courageous

January 21, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

One of God’s great gifts is free will. He created us out of His love and His desire for relationship with us is one He wants us to seek, willingly. He did not create us to be robots or puppets, which means we have a responsiblity to make choices. We will find we are often presented with opportunities to make decisions and if we are paying attention to our faith journey over time it becomes more and more clear which choice is step towards God and which choice is a step toward our sinful nature. It will take courage to make decisions grounded in faith, it will be different than what the world thinks you should do. Don’t give in to fear, the journey will be very difficult at times and as it states in the Book of Ephesians chapter 6, put on the full armor of God and stand in faith. The choices will often be between courage and fear, be courageous in your faith. Amen.

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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 July of 2015 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Morrison, Colorado)

Merry Christmas…Joy To The World

December 25, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Merry Christmas Everyone! Christ is born! Peace to you and yours. Amen.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:13-14

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:16-17

Joy To The World (Unspeakable Joy) – Chris Tomlin

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