Servant Leadership

February 6, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

I have been doing some reflection on this phrase and what it is all about. In my faith journey I have learned that Jesus while on earth was a servant leader. He set the example for others, he was willing to humbly do and be what was needed to spread His message of love and service to grow the spiritual life of the apostles first and then to spread the Word to the far reaches of the world through them. To be a servant leader is to be a listener, to have awareness of the needs of others, to have empathy, to build community and to enrich the lives of others so that they can achieve their best. It is not about the individual as a leader in power over others…rather it is about serving others as the leader to help everyone achieve good things as a community. The best way to learn about this is to study the best example we have…Jesus. May God’s peace be with you.

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“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

John 13:15

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

Each Has A Purpose

February 5, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The makeup of a car engine has many different parts and all the parts work together to create a properly running engine. The slightest malfunction of one part may stop an engine from running completely or will at the very least create a rough running situation that can damage the engine for the long term. The bible talks about the body of Christ in the same way. We are all members of the body of Christ and we all have different functions according to the gifts and blessings we have received. In order to grow the body of Christ which is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ across the world we all need to learn and understand our part and perform it to the best of our ability. What is your function in the body of Christ? Seek it and live it. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

Romans 12:4-5

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Peace Of Christ

February 4, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Each day can be filled with ups and downs, depending on where you focus your thoughts and your energy, a day can feel like quite a roller-coaster ride. At the end of a day like this we are exhausted, tired and we just want some stability and peace of mind for a period of time in order to have a better balance to life. I have found one way to access peace on a day to day basis and I have learned that you have to go get it, this is my time with the Word of God…the world is not looking to provide you peace of mind or time to rest. The demands will keep coming from all areas of your life…be courageous and when necessary you can say no in order to defend your time. For me a start to every day is coffee and with that coffee is time with God. If something is planned for the morning I try to get up a little earlier or say no or reschedule if it will conflict with my time. To be clear this isn’t always smooth and easy but what is significant is that it has become a time of priority for me and a time I look forward to every day. Jesus sacrificed himself in order to reconcile us with God the Father, it is up to us to take advantage of this reconciliation and build our relationship with Him…every day. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Colossians 3:15

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

Strength Of Character

February 3, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When one describes the character of a person they talk about a list of elements that are a combination of a person’s behaviors and attitude. I have often heard statements like ‘well this is just who I am’ or ‘that is just the way he is’ as if at some point in life our behaviors and attitudes have stopped forming, changing or growing and have now solidified and are permanent. I have been guilty of this way of thinking myself at times. However, in the study of faith and in God’s Word the message of hope and transformation are central to the spiritual life. If anything our attitude and how we behave are two things we do have the ability to choose every day and these are influenced and can grow if we are open to it. Don’t give up on hope and transformation for yourself or somebody else…things may not change in the way or at the time you would prefer but our life is not about everything being perfect according to our timing, rather it is about God’s plan and His time. Trust Him and believe in Hope and Transformation…when you read about what He has done in the past you know He is working for the good of all people. May God’s peace be with you.

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23

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

Grace

February 2, 2018February 2, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To the Christian this is the free and unearned favor of God shown to us by the sacrifice Jesus endured to save us and it continues in the many blessings we have in our daily lives. Too often I get lost in the minutia of life, focusing or worrying about something that at the end of the day really doesn’t deserve that much of my time and attention, either because it is not something I can control or more commonly it is in the past and it can’t be changed. When we begin to spend time with the Word of God it will seep in to us in places we usually don’t like to acknowledge, deep in our souls to places we don’t show to the outside world. God knows about these places and still He loves us. We don’t deserve it, we didn’t have to pay for it…yet Jesus offered himself up and showed us…Grace. Let Christ in to your heart and mind every day, He loves you and He goes with you everywhere you go. May God’s peace be with you.

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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 June of 2013 near Pike’s Peak in Colorado)

Free Will

February 1, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We have been given a gift, a gift we take for granted far too often…free will. We are not designed to be robots that only perform a certain way when given appropriate commands…think ‘voice remote’ or talking to your phone. God has designed us with free will, the ability to choose how we will respond, act and interact with the world. Of course, this means we are responsible for the choices we make and we are accountable to our actions and decisions. I am sure I have heard a quote about ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ true words. Free will should not be taken for granted or used to do harm to others. It is a gift that has come at a price that Jesus Christ paid for on our behalf. Seek Him and ask Him how to best use your gift. May God’s peace be with you.

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“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love.”

Galatians 5:13

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

January 31, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

One of the simplest ways to show love to others is to share. Share your time, share your ability to listen, share your ability to serve, share anything that you have been blessed with in abundance. The world is filled with people who have an abundance that they can share, something that is provided to them well beyond their own needs…this is not about only money, it is about gifts and talents and abilities. Reflect on your life and how your needs have been met. If you have been blessed with wealth, share that with those in need. What is an area of life where God has provided an abundance? Find out what it is and seek ways to share that abundance with others. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”

1 Timothy 6:17-18

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 while driving through Colorado)

Hope

January 29, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

One of the strongest feelings or drivers of action in our human lives is hope. Hope is about ambition, desire, goal setting and most importantly hope is about trust. Hope comes from belief and belief is driven by trust and trust operates very much like a bank account. There are events that occur between you and another that are trust deposits and there are events that are trust withdrawals. The tricky part is one withdrawal is typically much larger than just one deposit. So similar to when you are trying to build up savings in an account if there are too many withdrawals when you are first getting started your relationship gets stuck near zero. Trust continues to function like currency in what we give, if people make several withdrawals on us we have very little trust to give. We should reflect on our relationships and our trust accounts with others and know that no matter what the current balance is there is always hope to make it better because of Jesus. May God’s peace be with you.

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

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

Persistence

January 28, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

In a world that focuses on self-serving convenience, fast, time-saving rushing around and immediate gratification it takes persistence and patience to stay on your faith journey and to grow your spirit. You have to be willing to be different from the crowd at times and have the courage and confidence that God is with you always. We will all make mistakes and wonder off, I certainly have, and God is always able to guide me back when I take the time to be with Him. You won’t have all the answers and may not know all the reasons why…it won’t be easy, however, in the end when our time on earth is up it will all be worth it. If you don’t believe it…just ask God. May God’s peace be with you.

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“The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Galatians 6:8-10

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 near Salem, North Dakota)

Gratitude

January 27, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The messages that come to us through television, the internet, social media, and many other ways usually have a sense of negativity and complaining within them. The world is full of despair and suffering. We humans are inviting sin and darkness into our lives when we sit and consume hours of screen time and look only to serve ourselves…this is not a judgement it is a fact and it happens to me far too often as well. It is so easy to get sucked in to misery and despair…while it is important to recognize a time for sadness, and mourning, depending upon the battle you are fighting, it is not a state of mind or place to stay and live constantly. There should always be a time for hope and gratitude to coincide with sadness and despair…with everything in life there should be a healthy balance. The one place I can trust in hope is in the Word of God…the bible is not a fairy tale it is history and recorded observations. Jesus Christ came into the world to save us from our sins and He sacrificed himself to death to reconcile us with God…for that I am eternally grateful. May God’s peace be with you. (If you are wondering we got the computer working again)

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