Take Refuge In Him

June 8, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The world is an attacking place filled with darkness, deceitfulness and evil. The only place to seek refuge from the storms of life is in God. There are several examples in the Bible of people who were under attack by others or by circumstances surrounding them…Abraham, Elijah, Job, the disciples, Jesus etc. They all took refuge in God, through prayer and listening. We don’t have to have all the answers and we never will…we just need the courage to seek our relationship with God everyday and be able to listen and understand where He is leading us. May you experience the peace and joy of God today.

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“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.”

Psalm 18:30

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

God’s Presence

June 6, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

A relationship with God is like no other. He can provide the greatest comfort in times of trouble, the greatest joy out of the worst of tragedy and He never will leave you or abandon you. God wants you to engage in a covenant with Him. An agreement that you will honor only Him as God and you will pursue to keep His commandments in your everyday life. You will accept His Son, Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, believing that He died and has risen to save you from your sins. If you strive to honor this covenant you will get a better sense of God’s presence in your life. God does not play favorites like humans, His covenant is not a quid pro quo situation where you scratch His back and He will scratch yours. God loves everyone and His forgiveness, His mercy and grace is available the same to anyone. The only the difference is how we choose to engage in our relationship with Him. May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.”

Psalm 25:10

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

The Holy Spirit – Counselor

June 5, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There are many times when we are praying to God and we just want Him to tell us in an easy to understand way, what should I do?! One of the greatest freedoms God provides is free will. He provides us the ability to decide our attitude and our behavior. Better still He has given us the instruction manual for life, the Bible and the guide to walk along with us, the Holy Spirit. The key to unlocking these resources?…Time. In order to understand the instructions and to sense the direction of the Holy Spirit, we need to spend time studying the Word and time in prayer. Jesus our Savior came and has saved us all from the defeat of sin and before He ascended into heaven He told of the Holy Spirit coming. Tune in to the Counselor and seek direction and guidance from the Word of God. May God’s love and joy be with you.

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“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, 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.”

John 14:25-26

(This photo was taken yesterday while walking the dog in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Hope Everyday

June 4, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We are blessed with the love God has for us and because of His love we have hope that is never-ending. We will experience trials and suffering, it is expected because we live in a world filled with selfishness and brokenness. Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him is where our hope can be found. Even when things are at the darkest hour, hope is the glimmer of light Christ provides. He has overcome anything this world can throw at us and He is waiting to guide you through everything you have going on in your life. May God’s hope and love 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 14:8

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

The Love Of God

June 3, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It may be hard to believe sometimes…it seems unfathomable, an error in judgement or even misguided from our perspective. However, it is true…God loves you, unconditionally. There is nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God. It has all been tried over and over again throughout the Old Testament, so God took things up a notch and sent His one and only Son to triumph over all, forever. He had it written about before it occurred in the Old Testament and then again after it occurred in the New Testament. God loves you and He is right there with you, He knows the struggles and the victory you experience in your life every day. Talk with God, thank Him for His never-ending love and seek His will as you go forward in your faith and life journey. May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:37-39

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while driving through North Dakota)

Forgiveness

June 2, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

This is something we all want and need and yet it is so hard to give to others. The part to work on is remembering this is not saying what someone did or said is Ok…forgiveness is making a commitment to not hold on to bitterness and hardness in your heart over something that happened in the past and can’t be changed. We all make mistakes and we all will be making more mistakes in life, forgiveness is about the courage to move forward and to find joy, it is about letting go of the things in the past. The best place to start to forgive is to turn to God in prayer, as He has forgiven you already. Look up the serenity prayer and use it to speak to God about the forgiveness needed in your life. May God’s grace and mercy be with you.

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“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Psalm 51:10-12

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

Friendship

May 31, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We need good friends as a part of our journey. True friends, not the ‘how you doing’ people we pass and never take time to sit and listen to how they really are doing. Friendship is a commitment to the other person that you will be there for them and they will be there for you. It is a give and take and both parties have a responsibility to honor that commitment to the other. These are the people that will go through your greatest highs and your deepest lows with you. Think about who that is for you…give thanks to God for that person and take time to let them know you appreciate them. May God’s love and joy be with you.

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“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:12

(This photo was taken in July of 2014 by my friend Matt at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Grace And Mercy

May 29, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

God provides us both His grace and His mercy, even though we do not earn them. His love for us is so strong that even though we were still sinners He sent His one and only Son to save us. When we reflect on our daily lives there is so much we should be thankful for that gets taken for granted. We would be wise to take time to praise God and give thanks for all He has done for us. It is so easy to get distracted by a variety of things in the world and yet God is right here with us, waiting for us to turn to Him in faith. We are most encouraged when we spend time in relationship with the Lord. May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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

Ephesians 2:10

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

Memorial Day – Thank You

May 28, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

This day I offer gratitude to all military personnel and their families, to those that have died fighting for our freedom in the world and those that are serving now…Thank You! The sacrifice these individuals and their families have made deserve nothing less than our respect, honor and gratitude. May God’s peace, love and joy be with you.

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“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:13

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota)

Choose How You Will Respond

May 24, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

With every situation in life we are given free will by God which means we choose how to respond to what other people do or say. This freedom also means we are accountable and responsible for our response even if the response is to do nothing. If we are focused on self more than anything else we will often choose a poor response as self is only responding to the impact on me without regard for others. God created us out of His love and we were made to choose the fruits of the Spirit in how we live our daily lives. Be aware not only of ‘what’ you do and say, but also ‘how’ you do and say things when you respond to others. Free will is a gift from God, how we respond with this gift makes all the difference in how we feel in our life. May God’s joy and peace be with you.

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