Rest In Him

Peace And Rest

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Peace 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 14:27 NIV

Father God, it is so easy for us to worry about the circumstances in our lives.  Each day, help us to remember that You are always in control.  Help us trust in Your provision, protection and plans for our lives.  Because we know You care about every need and desire we have…we know we can rest in You.  Give us peace as we let go of circumstances that we can’t control and put ourselves into Your hands.  In Jesus name, Amen.

DSC01214 publish

“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.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

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

Rest With Him

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[e] just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.”

Hebrews 4:9-11 NIV

What can we do…where can we go…to get a moment of rest?  True rest and refreshment of your mind, body and spirit is found when we take time to rest with God.  It can be in prayer, reading God’s Word or even just sitting quietly in a peaceful environment.

There are these and many more ways to spend time in your relationship with God…how you do this is between you and Him…if you do this, well that is all up to you.  Take time to rest with Him.  Amen.

DSC07416 publish

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while visiting Rocky Mountain National Park)

The Goodness Of God

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Lord is good to all;
    he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalm 145:9 NIV

“The Lord is good,
    a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him,”

Nahum 1:7 NIV

“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8 NIV

Goodness Of God by Jenn Johnson

DSC_0199 publish

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.”

Psalm 107:1 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 at sunrise along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

God’s Word

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105 NIV

Put your hope in God and in His Word.  We all are broken and will have troubles in this world.  But God gives us The Way to salvation.  May we all find rest for our souls in God’s Word.

Find Rest by Francesca Battistelli

DSC_0226 (2) publish

“You are my refuge and my shield;
    I have put my hope in your word.”

Psalm 119:114 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2021 at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

Put Your Hope In God

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God!”

Psalm 42:11 NLT

Where is your hope?  What do you put your hope in?  Do you put your hope in worldly values and worldly perspectives?  I certainly have in my life.  Is your hope in something that can be taken away from you and leave you disappointed and discouraged?  Yep, been there done that.  We must stop trying to fill the void in our hearts with the things or people of the world as that only leads to frustration…we were created for relationship with God.  Only God can satisfy the desires of our hearts through a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Put your hope in God.

Find Rest by Fracesca Battistelli

DSC_0081 publish

“Have you never heard?
    Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
    No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
29 He gives power to the weak
    and strength to the powerless.
30 Even youths will become weak and tired,
    and young men will fall in exhaustion.
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:28-31 NLT

(This photo was taken in April of 2020 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Be Still

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;”

Psalm 46:10 NIV

It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness, the quick to respond without thinking speed of the world.  Yet our God does not operate according to our worldly ways…it may be better to be still and wait for God.  How can we know what He is doing or where He wants us to be?  By staying in close contact and communication with Him, every day.  The more we can take time to be with Him the better we can understand what He is saying to us through His Word and through others.  Be still…be patient…trust His way.  Amen.

“Peace 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 14:27 NIV

DSC_0888 publish

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

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

To Know Him And To Make Him Known

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
    or the strong boast of their strength
    or the rich boast of their riches,
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
    that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
    justice and righteousness on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV

Our purpose, to Know Him…our ministry, to make Him Known.  Amen.

DSC_0894 publish

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20 NIV

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

Surrender and Rest

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

Luke 9:23-24 NIV

The more we try to take control and hold on tight to all circumstances the more life slips through our fingers.  We were never meant to carry all of our burdens alone; we are not meant to fix everything or try to get things to meet our expectations.  God doesn’t need us to define our purpose in life, only our surrender to bring us to it.  Turn towards Him and daily give yourself to His way in your life.  Trust the Lord with everything.  Amen.

DSC_1543 publish

“Come to me, all you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest. 29 Become my servants and learn from me. I am gentle and free of pride. You will find rest for your souls. 30 Serving me is easy, and my load is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 NIRV

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

Fruit Of The Spirit…Gentleness

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV

“But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats[b]; do not be frightened.”[c] 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

1 Peter 3:14-15 NIV

DSC_0151 publish

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 at a park in northern Minnesota)

Rest In Him

/ mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

This holiday season take time to rest with Jesus.  The hustle and bustle, the coming and going will always want to pull you to do more…come to Jesus.  Rest with Him and just breathe…

Breathe by Jonny Diaz

DSC01214 publish

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then 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 NIV

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