The Cross

July 3, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Come to the Cross…A place to bring your burdens…Savior…Salvation…Forgiveness…Peace. The Cross of Christ, this is the place we should turn to in all situations. This is where God sent His One and Only Son to be crucified to save us from our sins. This is where our relationship with God is reconciled. There are problems and struggles everywhere you can’t change everything for everyone, but He can. You can’t change everything but you can change something, you can change one thing that will make a difference in the world…You. Jesus said ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ (John 14:6) Open your heart and mind and invite Jesus Christ into your life everyday. This will make the world a better place. May God’s joy and peace be with you.

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“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

John 19:30

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Pike’s Peak in Colorado)

On Believing And Seeing

June 28, 2018June 28, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

You may have heard someone say or you may have said it yourself, a phrase such as ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’ This originated in biblical times after the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus appeared to the disciples at a time when Thomas was not with them. Even as one of the apostles who had been with Jesus he could not comprehend the resurrection and told his brothers…“unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” (John 20:25) Thomas was so sure this could not be true, that Jesus had risen, that he made this statement basically saying to the others…prove it! Oh boy, I have been there before. The problem with this approach to our faith is it is not faith at all…if we have to see it to believe it, what do we truly believe in? A simple example is the wind…the air can move at very high speeds at different elevations and we know this not because we can see it move, what we can see is what it can do. Don’t get caught being a doubting Thomas, rather learn from him and have faith in the One who knows us and can see what He has planned for our lives. May God’s love and joy be with you.

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“We live by faith, not by sight.”

2 Corinthians 5:7

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

Jesus

June 24, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To Him be the glory.

The world divided, broken and lost…how can there be hope? Lives of struggle, hearts broken, sadness…who can make this better? People hurting each other, selfishness in control, fear and anger rule the days…what can change our perspectives?

The answers to all of this; to every thought of despair, to every life looking for a new direction and for every individual wanting to make a change…Jesus is the answer. Believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, invite Him into your life everyday, spend time reading God’s Word, build your personal relationship with Him and you will see transformation. May the presence of God be in you and may the saving grace of Jesus Christ bless you each day.

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“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in Badlands National Park in South Dakota)

The Door To Your Heart

June 22, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We learn to build walls around the parts of our heart where the deepest and most vulnerable topics and issues, thoughts and feelings are hidden from others. We believe we are safe keeping these items locked away. There is a door in these walls and Jesus is on the other side. He is not locked out, we are locked in…think about this…we do not have to wait and hope that He will find us and help us or save us. He already knows about these things, He has done what He needed to do to save us. In His words, it is finished (John 19:30). We are the ones who need to take the next step, unlock the door to your heart for Jesus and let Him in. I like many people have been searching for the door in the wall, it takes persistence, discipline and courage to open the door and let go of those things keeping us trapped in cycles…we need to let the fullness of Christ into our lives. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

Revelation 3:20

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Pike’s Peak in Colorado)

God’s Grace

June 20, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Have you ever been in a situation where someone you love has done something that offends you? I believe we all have this experience. We know what they did was wrong, they know what they did was wrong and yet we love them so much we forgive them. We go forward not holding the past against them…well as humans we are not quite that good at forgiveness…there seems to remain that little voice that says ‘remember what they did? they might hurt you again.’ It is hard to forgive because we are not sure we can trust again. Think about how hard this is for us…God has done this and will continue to do this for you everyday. We are sinners, we are broken and yet He forgives us our sins. We have never deserved it or earned it, yet Jesus Christ gave up His life to give it to us. May you find peace knowing you are forgiven in God’s grace.

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“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

(This photo was taken in September of 2016 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

The Lord Of My Everything?

June 16, 2018 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

One of my struggles in faith is opening up to the Lord for everything. Not only the parts of my life and my heart I think He wants to be involved in…that would be God on my terms. It does not work like that. God is the God of everything and Jesus Christ is Lord of all. All of creation, all people in all nations since the beginning of time and His love for everything, His grace and His mercy will endure forever. It is so difficult for my finite mind to comprehend the totality of God and His love. He is more than the God of Sunday morning or Wednesday evening…He is more than the God of when I really need help or a crisis is happening…He is more than a beautiful sunrise or sunset when we feel more of His presence. He is the Lord of housework, the Lord of daily errands, the Lord of trips to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, He is the Lord of where you work and what you do…He is the Lord of everything. Period. The best part of all of this means He is right there waiting to hear from you about all of it. He is your Lord and Savior and even though that doesn’t mean everything will be easy and good He is with you through it all everyday. May God’s presence, His love, His joy and His forgiveness be present in your life everyday.

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“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of the life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalm 23:6

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

His Love Endures Forever

June 7, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Just when we think, ‘I am sure God is upset with me’ or ‘why do I feel so distant from God’ or any other self pity thoughts about our relationship with God…He shows us again that His love is all around us. Either through nature or through another person God shows up and reminds everyone He will never leave you or abandon you. When we make an effort to start with gratitude for what blessings we have been given, we learn to better understand how God is working in our life. God is love and His love is never-ending for us. He gave His one and only Son to be a sacrifice for us, out of love, and He continues to know you and to bless you because His love endures forever. May you see God’s love and peace present in your life.

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

(This photo was taken in May of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

God’s Presence

June 6, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

A relationship with God is like no other. He can provide the greatest comfort in times of trouble, the greatest joy out of the worst of tragedy and He never will leave you or abandon you. God wants you to engage in a covenant with Him. An agreement that you will honor only Him as God and you will pursue to keep His commandments in your everyday life. You will accept His Son, Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, believing that He died and has risen to save you from your sins. If you strive to honor this covenant you will get a better sense of God’s presence in your life. God does not play favorites like humans, His covenant is not a quid pro quo situation where you scratch His back and He will scratch yours. God loves everyone and His forgiveness, His mercy and grace is available the same to anyone. The only the difference is how we choose to engage in our relationship with Him. May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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“All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.”

Psalm 25:10

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

The God Of Peace

May 10, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Everyone is facing a battle and a struggle of some kind. It is natural in this broken and fallen world. Some battles are easy for others to see on the outside and some battles are kept hidden from others yet they rage on inside a person just the same. We are not equipped to fight these battles alone, the dark forces that exist in and around the human race are very powerful. Our Creator God knows this and He has promised to never leave you or abandon you. His presence is even more powerful than the darkness, He is the God of peace. He will calm your anxious thoughts just like He calms a raging sea. He has sent His one and only Son to be one of us to reconcile a relationship with us. And most importantly He loves us with an everlasting love. Bring your battle to Christ, no matter what it is, invite Him into your heart and mind and trust in God to bring you a peace like nothing you have ever experienced before. May God’s love and peace wash over you this day.

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“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

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

Sacrifice

May 8, 2018 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

He gave us His everything to restore a relationship with us. God loves us, God loves you so much that He came down from heaven to be born as a baby among us. From the moment of His birth different people in the world sought to kill Him. Even still God has forgiven us. The world is filled with darkness, anger and shouting about my rights…yet when Jesus was here He spent the majority of His time teaching and helping others. When He was persecuted He didn’t shout out you have no right to attack me, I am God…instead just before His death He said Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. Jesus has set us an example of how we should live, now it is up to us to choose our attitude and our behavior each day. May God’s love, joy and peace be with you.

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