Life Through Christ

May 19, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“God made him who had no sin to be sin^[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:^[a] The old has gone, the new is here!”

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

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“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Colossians 3:1-2 NIV

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

Holy Spirit

May 18, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[c] in you.”

John 14:15-17 NIV

Be more aware of the Holy Spirit to be your guide to truth and peace

He is with you…He is within you

Holy Spirit by Francesca Battistelli

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“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:26-27 NIV

(This photo was taken on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

Rest With Him

May 16, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”“

Psalm 46:10 NIV

As the summer is ramping up and the schedule of activities and places to be is increasing, it is important to be consistent in taking time to rest in between the coming and going

Making time and having a place to rest…truly rest…time to pray, read scripture and recharge your mind and spirit is so important

We cannot be all things, for all people, all the time…been there, failed at that

Even Jesus would make time to rest His mind and body

Why do we think we could do more than Him?

Seek Him and ask Him to help you find rest in your daily activities

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“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Mark 6:31 NIV

(This photo was taken while walking on the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Call To Serve

May 14, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:45 NIV

“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

John 12:26 NIV

What would it look like to follow Jesus today?

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“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

(This photo was taken along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

God’s Unfailing Love

May 12, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

1 John 4:7-12 NIV

God’s love is everything for us

There is nothing like it and there is nothing on earth that can separate us from it

Take time to worship and praise Him for His unfailing love

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“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.”

Psalm 143:8 NIV

(This photo was taken at the Nakalele Blow Hole on the island of Maui, Hawaii)

Keep God’s Word In Your Heart

May 11, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

Luke 2:19 NIV

What are the verses of Scripture that speak to you?

What verses comfort you?

What verses remind you that God has got you?

This is reason for this blog “Take Your Faith With You”

Store up God’s Word in your heart and mind so that no matter where you are or what is happening, you have the ability to call on God for strength, courage and comfort

Here are some verese that have guided me on my journey…

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 27:1 NIV

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
²My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Psalm 121:1-2 NIV

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.”^[a]

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

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

Only God Can…

May 10, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Save us…

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

John 14:6 NIV

Heal us…

“He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.”

Psalm 147:3 NIV

Comfort us…

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

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Do All Things…

“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Mark 10:27 NIV

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

What Path Are You On?

May 9, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Matthew 7:13-14 NIV

Life is full of choices and decisions.

We all have been given the gift of free will. The hardest part of this isn’t necessarily making a decision, rather it is holding yourself accountable for what happens after your decision and being open to changing things as you move forward in life.

Look around you…take inventory. How are things going in your life? If it is not good from your perspective…look in a mirror…that is the best place to start to make a change in your life, start with you. On the other hand, if things look ok or pretty good from your perspective, give thanks and praise and begin to think about how you can share and support others.

No matter what your results, good or bad, we all have made decisions in our past that have led to where we are today…right now. What are the decisions have you made that impacted the path you are traveling on?

If you are on a bad path, look for ways to improve on your current situation…I caution you here, do not believe you can go back to change a decision that occurred in the past to make things better now…instead, live in the present, learn from the poor decision and make new decisions to improve things going forward. If you can identify decisions in the past that have been good and led to great things learn what you can and share with others.

This reflection can be helpful because sometimes when we look back things have changed and what we thought was a good or bad decision at the time it was made might be different now and we can learn things for life going forward.

None of this is easy…we were never promised easy…we have always been promised Hope…and you can have Hope every day, if you choose to believe and follow Jesus. As always the God’s Word provides instructions regarding these matters…

“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105 NIV

I pray we all seek wisdom from God so we can make decisions that will lead to Life.

(This photo was taken while traveling through Colorado)

God’s Faithfulness

May 7, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”

Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV

Father God, thank You for Your faithfulness, even when we have been unfaithful to You

Thank You for Your presence in our lives and for never leaving us alone

Father, we know that You will continue to guide us and protect us as You work in us and through us

Help us remember to place our hope and trust in You

In Jesus name, Amen

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“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
²³They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV

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

Renew Our Hearts And Minds

May 6, 2025 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

Ezekiel 36:26-27 NIV

“Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.”

Matthew 5:8 NIV

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