He Cares For You

June 12, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When situations in life bring us down or when we are struggling and our path is difficult, our human minds may wonder, ‘does God care what is happening to me?’ God is always with you…when you find yourself in a place like this, stop and pray. Not some memorized words, rather a real heart felt prayer asking God to help you see your way forward. God does care for you…He sent His Son to die on a cross to save you and to be able to have a relationship with you. Seek Him and His will for you and your life and you will find peace. Amen.

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“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:7

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

Angels Watch Over Us

June 11, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Like in the story of Daniel in the bible…Daniel was faithful and trusted God and when danger was near God protected Daniel in the lion’s den. There are many more stories of people who have had near misses in life…how many times have you heard, if it was a few seconds sooner or if it was a few inches more this way it would have been much worse? I believe that God is working through His angels even today to protect people from danger. Give thanks to God for the angels that keep us safe. Amen.

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“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Psalm 91:11-12

(This photo was taken in September of 2014 on a walk in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Prepare The Way

June 10, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. He gave up everything to save us and to reconcile us with God. Seek Him and prepare your heart and mind to follow Him in all that you do. In Him we will find peace, courage, strength, wisdom, joy and love. There is nothing on earth that can compare to Him. Amen.

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“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.”

John 1:5-9

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

What Do We Learn?

June 9, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To be patient…to be courageous and to seek wisdom. To trust in the Lord and to keep doing good things whenever you can. We learn that all that is good comes from God and we are blessed to be a blessing to others. We learn that God the Father is our Creator and Jesus Christ is His one and only Son who sacrificed Himself to save us and that when we believe we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Spend time reading God’s word and praying…learn about the amazing relationship available for each of us with God because of Jesus. Amen.

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

Psalm 27:13-14

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

Persistence

June 7, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Do not give up…don’t assume you know the outcome…they say failure is a stepping stone to success…or as Dory the fish says “just keep swimming.” We will always have the opportunity to stop trying to do something. Maybe the answers for a situation are related to trying a new approach or a new way rather than quitting. If we are able to surrender control and trust in God and His plan, we may find new outcomes we didn’t imagine were possible. Bring your worries and struggles to the Cross and let Jesus lead the way. Amen.

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“Let us not become weary of 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 near Pike’s Peak in Colorado)

With God In Control…

June 6, 2019June 6, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We can be conquerors of sin…we can overcome obstacles…we can be blessed with wisdom to find our way. If we are willing to cast our worries and burdens on Him and trust His love for us anything is possible. There is nothing that can separate us from God’s love and God’s plan for us. Believe and you will receive. Amen.

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“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Romans 8:37

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

Humility And Strength

June 5, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It’s not about me…it’s not about how everything affects me or makes me feel…I am not the center of everything. Each of us is one person, created by God and how we choose to live and interact with others on a daily basis is what we can control more than anything. Our actions and how we choose to respond to the actions of others is up to us. Put God first, read His word and pray. Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and give thanks to Jesus Christ for His love, His mercy and His grace…if you are wondering how will I ever do this or get through this…know that strength can be found in weakness. Amen.

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“…For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2 Corinthians 12:10

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

Friends

May 30, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Often times, not always, these are the people who are more like our brothers and sisters than the ones in our family. There is trust, honesty, a sharing of experiences, giving as often as receiving and love. Some friends are only for a period of time in our life and others last the whole way through, even when there are gaps of time. Like everything else that is good they are a gift from God. Who are your true friends? Give thanks to God for those people and say a prayer for them and their life this day. Amen.

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“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:12-13

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)

Perspective

May 29, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we talk about the rich and the poor our minds immediately go to someone’s value based on their financial position. There are more ways to be rich or poor than with money. People can be rich or poor in intellect or with emotions. The bible talks about spiritual poverty and spiritual riches. If we get it stuck in our minds that money is the key item to define poverty and wealth then we are missing out on so much joy and we are setting ourselves up for constant defeat and struggle. Turn towards the Lord in prayer and read God’s Word regarding wealth and poverty (1 Timothy 6:3-10) and be open to expanding and shaping your perspective of rich and poor. Amen.

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“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Colossians 3:2

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

His Love Endures Forever

May 25, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

All that is good comes from God. When darkness creeps in and fear takes hold, God is our strength. When you don’t know what to do ask God to guide you and your decisions. When life is going well give thanks to God for His blessings. Remember the Lord every day and know that with God all things are possible. Amen.

Forever by Chris Tomlin

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