God Is Love

April 10, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Everything comes back to this…God is love. Why did God create the world, the animals and us…God is love. How did people in the Bible who had committed hurtful sins, like David, Rahab, Saul and others get used by God for the good of others…God is love. Why did Jesus come down from heaven to be born a man, to suffer, be tempted, get crucified for who He is and rise from the dead…God is love. In all that we are and all that we encounter everyday, it is most important to remember that we humans brought sin into this world and we are broken, but we are forgiven and we are saved because…God is love. May God’s love and peace be with you.

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“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”

1 John 4:16

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while driving in southern New Mexico)

Patience

April 8, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

One of the hardest characteristics to develop and grow in this world is patience. All around us is convenience, time-saving, be first, get it done…hurry hurry, we want it now! Whew…take a moment…breathe. The “rat race” as it has been called consumes so many people. Let’s stop and think about that phrase…’rat race’…it has origins of a mouse or hamster in a cage running on a spinning wheel. Working so hard and going nowhere. We need the courage and strength to step off the spinning wheel. The goals of the rat race give us nothing but anxiety, stress and the desire to move the bar higher causing more of the same pain and suffering. One of my favorite quotes from Albert Einstein…‘the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result,’ sounds like the rat race to me. Time to start making a change in how we live and the only way we can change is with patience and persistence. Take a least one step each day out of the rat race and get into the race of faith…for the reward in that race is eternal life through Jesus Christ. May God’s peace be with you.

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“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 in White Sands National Monument in New Mexico)

The Message

April 4, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We can bring the light of Christ to the world several ways. We can use more than words as actions are often more powerful then words alone. How we conduct ourselves in our everyday life tells a great deal about what we believe. How we react to both success and failure will tell others about what is deep in our hearts. Our attitude and the characteristics of our personality and how we apply them to helping others in need will tell a story about who has saved us. As we grow in our faith we learn from our past, we are thankful for the present and we know our future is secure with God. Share Jesus Christ with another person when the opportunity presents itself in your life. May God’s peace be with you.

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“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit…”

1 Peter 3:18

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while traveling in northern Colorado)

Share Goodness

March 28, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Whenever you can, share the goodness of life. Make eye contact and smile at other people, hold a door open, help someone carry things, be patient with others, listen instead of talking and support those in need without expectation of something in return. When we choose to live in community with one another we can see the goodness of the Lord in life. It is striving to get back to the basics of interacting with each other in a simple and kind manner. It is a choice, we are not victims of our environment or our surroundings unless we choose to be. If you don’t know how or where to start, I would recommend getting out into nature and be present in God’s creation. Nothing soothes my soul better than being outdoors in the amazing world God created. May God’s peace and the wonder of creation be with you.

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“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while traveling in northern Colorado)

Perseverance

March 22, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The definition of this word is: “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.” To me it says don’t give up. One truth about life that some find difficult to understand is there are going to be times when life is difficult and unfair. We are human and none of us is going to be perfect. Trouble will come our way despite our best efforts to avoid it. So what are we going to do? We keep going with “continued effort” in spite of difficulties, failures and opposition. We move forward respectfully and give our best to achieve. Another blogger who writes BeautyBeyondBones shared some advice she would get from her mother during extremely difficult times…what is the next right thing to do? If we can figure that out in any situation we can persevere. We also have the greatest teacher ever in Jesus, He showed us the ultimate perseverance and we will remember it during Holy Week next week. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Blessed in the one who perseveres under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

James 1:12

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 near Arches National Park in Utah)

Confidence

March 16, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The bible is filled with promises by God and He fulfills those promises, not according to our standard rather, according to His. We are always trying to fit God into our view of how things should be instead of surrendering ourselves to His view. Every promise God has made has been completed, except for one. He promises that Jesus will come back again to take us home and based on the history of promises kept a believer should have every confidence that Jesus will return. It is written, He will come down from heaven, check…He will heal the sick and help the poor, check…He will be crucified and die, check…He will be risen and ascend to the Father, check…He will come again, still pending…this promise will be fulfilled according to God’s standard not ours. May God’s peace be with you.

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“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Psalms 27:13-14

(This photo was taken in June of 2012 while traveling through northwestern Wisconsin)

Friends

March 14, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Throughout our journey in life out of all the places and people we will encounter there are only a few who will last as our true friends through it all. These are the few who know us better than any others, they know more about us and we have built up a significant amount of trust in our relationship with them. They are the ones we want to call when we are struggling and they are one of the first people we want to celebrate with when things are going well. We are willing to do more to help them and they are more willing to help us. A true friend listens without giving you instructions on what you should do, a true friend sacrifices and makes time for us, a true friend accepts us unconditionally just as we are and a true friend is willing to stand by us no matter what happens. As you can see this is a very high standard of friendship and we strive to meet it with a few people but the only one who can attain this level of friendship without fail is Jesus. He set the bar on friendship and the human race should be eternally grateful. May God’s peace be with you.

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“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:11-12

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

Forgiving

March 12, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Everyone has been hurt by others in some way, at one time or another. This is not a unique situation to be in, the key to peace and joy is what you do with the hurt and the pain…do we live with bitterness and anger at the sound of their name or place where the pain occurred? Maybe for a period of time, eventually we must find a way to forgiveness. We will be much better off to learn about what it means to forgive someone and proceed with removing the dark cloud from over our heads. It won’t make the pain go away and we will live with the scar of past hurts no matter what we do…what it will do is open us up for other future possibilities, some that we could have never imagined if we were still angry and bitter. Give forgiveness a try and see what God has in store for you. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:32

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

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)

Rest With God

March 10, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We all get tired, fatigued and exhausted. We were not made to go so fast all the time, as a dear friend of mine would say “Mach II with our hair on fire” all the time day and night, day after day after day. We will break down, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Even when God created the world it is written that on the seventh day he rested…

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

Genesis 2:2-3

The pace of life can easily spin out of control if we let it. We must be more self-aware of our limits and be Ok with saying no to an invitation that may just be an event or time that will not work for us. Take time to be with God in your life and learn ways to balance the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual parts of your routine to present the best version of you. May God’s love and peace be with you.

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