Free Will

April 23, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

God has given us the gift of free will. We are allowed to choose how we will respond to everything. When you think about it after everything that God has experienced with the human race…why did He do this? After all the things humans have chosen to do wrong starting with Adam and Eve, why allow us to choose? I believe it is because real love, joy and goodness offered voluntarily is the only kind worth having…the risk, of course, is we are filled with sinful hearts and minds and we often choose poorly and that is why bad things happen in the world. Use your free will to offer goodness, kindness, love and joy to others. Amen.

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“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:13-14

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

Connection Through Prayer

April 22, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The joy of the resurrection is more than a one day event or church service. It is the fulfillment of God’s promise to never leave us or abandon us. We can continue and grow our relationship with the Lord each day through prayer. Prayer that is from the heart, that involves raw emotion, not a list of wants or a moment that we recite words before a meal with no feeling or emotion other than let’s finish praying so we can eat. Our connection with God the Father exists through our personal relationship with Jesus Christ our risen Lord…start today…thank Jesus for what He did for you on the cross and ask Him to guide you and teach you through your prayers. Amen.

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“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”

2 Thessalonians 3:5

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 on the island of Maui, Hawaii)

Filling the Void

April 18, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We all are born with a void in our spirit. We all have free will, it is a gift from God. As we go through this life we make choices about what is filling the void. We choose sinful behaviors and we choose spirit led behaviors. It is up to each and every one of us to invite Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives…He will not force His way in without an invitation from us. Say a prayer and ask Jesus Christ into the void in you and see what God has planned for you. Amen.

The Motions by Matthew West

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“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where this is no water.”

Psalm 63:1

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

Holy Week

April 14, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is Palm Sunday…the day we celebrate Jesus entering the city…the moments and events of the coming week are in honor of the facts that changed everything in the world thousands of years ago. It is all very relevant today, and this week in history was not the End…it was the End of the Beginning…think about the events in the life and death of Jesus this week and all that He has done for you. Amen.

End Of The Beginning by David Phelps

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“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

Revelation 22:12-13

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

A Strong Foundation

April 10, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The best things are built by starting out with the development of a strong foundation. A solid foundation helps to support missteps, mistakes and accidents along the way. If we try to build something without developing the foundation the endeavor will eventually fail and end up as a pile of rubble. The foundation of our faith is our relationship and daily interaction with Jesus Christ and the Word of God. These are the elements that will help us build and grow our spiritual life and sustain us through the most difficult things the world will throw at us. May the peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

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“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that 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 August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Sing Praise

April 7, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Today is a day of worship. Give thanks and praise to the Lord. May we be comforted by His mercy and grace and know that God is with us…Forever. Amen.

Forever by Chris Tomlin

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“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; his is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:9-11

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

The Word Of God

April 4, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The Holy Bible…The Good Book…The Scriptures…The Word of Life…The Living Word…the Truth. It is more than a compilation of stories about people who lived thousands of years ago…it is God speaking to us, teaching us principles of life and the story is not over at the end of the Book. It lives on in all of us today because of Jesus Christ…He has risen and He lives! Take time to read and hear the Word of God in your life, you will find the stories about struggles and comfort are very similar to our lives today…the principles are still the same. The reason it is stood the test of time is because it is the Truth. Amen.

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“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be throughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

(This photo was taken in October of 2014 on the island of Maui, Hawaii)

Take Time to Rest

April 3, 2019 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

There is always more we could be doing. More on the checklist of things to do…how many items on our checklist make room for living a balanced life? We seem to prioritize the activities of “getting things done” pretty easily, when do we rest? To be clear sitting still scrolling through social media is not rest. Resting and restoring yourself is about calming your mind, body and spirit…when and how do we rest our minds and emotions? The first step is figuring out what place or environment best provides you the opportunity to calm your mind, your body and your spirit? What time of day or night? The next step is to make it a priority and designate time in your schedule. As always, be sure to include God’s Word and prayer in your time as the only true source of peace in life is Jesus Christ. Amen.

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Matthew 11:28-29

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 sitting by the lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

Renew Your Mind

March 29, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

A time for daily devotion and reading of God’s Word is critical to feeding your spiritual life. It helps with perspective, attitude and gratitude, it can be a guide to living if we are willing to take time to know Him who saved us. Jesus Christ is the center of our faith, He sacrificed everything to save us…we do not deserve God’s mercy and grace and yet He loves us so much that He offers it to us anyways. We are sinful, but we are redeemed because of Jesus. Renew your mind with God’s Word and a prayer of thanksgiving to Jesus Christ. Amen.

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“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Romans 12:2

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

Seek God’s Will

March 28, 2019 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When questions seem never-ending in life, we often look for easy or convenient answers in worldly places. If we just knew all the answers than life would be easy…becareful what you wish for. Easy has never been promised to anyone and even if you think there is a person or people who have it easy than most likely you don’t know the whole story about them or their lives. We all have troubles, we all are broken in some way. The one constant, the only thing that we know we can count on is God’s love. He is our Creator, He knows everything about our lives and His plan is far better than anything we can cook up ourselves. Seek God’s will for your life and you will find peace. Amen.

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