God’s Faithfulness

May 31, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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.
²⁴I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24 NIV

Father God, even in the midst of many troubles, You are faithful

When we are tired, overwhelmed, burnt out or grieving, Your love still covers us

Thank You for showing us kindness and mercy every day

Your steadfast love endures forever

Great is Your faithfulness!

In Jesus name, Amen.

DSC_0126 publish

“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

(This photo was taken in Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming)

Hope…Nothing Is Impossible For God

May 29, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

Jeremiah 32:27 NIV

Hope…What drives it? Why do we have it?

It comes from belief…it comes from trusting God

Even when no one believes there is any hope…hope persists

Think about the day Jesus was crucified…nobody, not even the disciples had hope

Jesus, their teacher, the one who performed miracles had died…yet with God anything is possible

Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

The stories of hope with God in the Bible go on and on…Sarah who was barren has a son…Moses and the Red Sea…Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survive the fiery furnace…Daniel in the lion’s den…Mary the virgin gives birth to Jesus and on and on it goes

Don’t give up hope…trust in God!

DSC09023 publish

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37 NIV

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

Free Will…Real Love

May 27, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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 NIV

God has given us the gift of free will

We are allowed to choose how we will respond to everything

Why did He do this?

Considering the risk and 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 poor choices, of course, is why bad things happen in the world

Use your free will to offer goodness, kindness, love and joy to God and others

(Happy 30th Anniversary to my beloved wife…so thankful that God brought us together and continues to guide our marriage and family…I Love You!)

DSC_1443 publish

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever^[c] you want.”

Galatians 5:16-17 NIV

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

Life With The Spirit

May 25, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”

Romans 8:5 NIV

“Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
²but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
³That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.”

Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

DSC_0054 (2) publish

“Let your eyes look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
²⁶Give careful thought to the^[a] paths for your feet
    and be steadfast in all your ways.
²⁷Do not turn to the right or the left;
    keep your foot from evil.“

Proverbs 4:25-27 NIV

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

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

DSC_0203 (2) publish

“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)

Open Ended Praying

May 17, 2025 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“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

When we pray we ought to leave room for God’s will and God’s plan to be the way we go

We tend to think we have things all figured out and we just need to top it off with a quick FYI to God to get Him on board with our way

Surrendering to God’s will and God’s plan means we are open to a new way for things to go

Maybe in a way we haven’t considered or thought about yet

Let’s be more open ended with our prayers

Remember to make room for God’s way in your life

DSC_0232 publish

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:4-7 NIV

(This photo was taken while traveling in southern New Mexico)

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

2012 224 publish

“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)

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

IMG_20141016_114909746 publish

“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

DSC09023 publish

“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

DSC_1250 publish