Hope

January 29, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

One of the strongest feelings or drivers of action in our human lives is hope. Hope is about ambition, desire, goal setting and most importantly hope is about trust. Hope comes from belief and belief is driven by trust and trust operates very much like a bank account. There are events that occur between you and another that are trust deposits and there are events that are trust withdrawals. The tricky part is one withdrawal is typically much larger than just one deposit. So similar to when you are trying to build up savings in an account if there are too many withdrawals when you are first getting started your relationship gets stuck near zero. Trust continues to function like currency in what we give, if people make several withdrawals on us we have very little trust to give. We should reflect on our relationships and our trust accounts with others and know that no matter what the current balance is there is always hope to make it better because of Jesus. May God’s peace be with you.

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

Persistence

January 28, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

In a world that focuses on self-serving convenience, fast, time-saving rushing around and immediate gratification it takes persistence and patience to stay on your faith journey and to grow your spirit. You have to be willing to be different from the crowd at times and have the courage and confidence that God is with you always. We will all make mistakes and wonder off, I certainly have, and God is always able to guide me back when I take the time to be with Him. You won’t have all the answers and may not know all the reasons why…it won’t be easy, however, in the end when our time on earth is up it will all be worth it. If you don’t believe it…just ask God. May God’s peace be with you.

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“The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Galatians 6:8-10

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 near Salem, North Dakota)

Gratitude

January 27, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The messages that come to us through television, the internet, social media, and many other ways usually have a sense of negativity and complaining within them. The world is full of despair and suffering. We humans are inviting sin and darkness into our lives when we sit and consume hours of screen time and look only to serve ourselves…this is not a judgement it is a fact and it happens to me far too often as well. It is so easy to get sucked in to misery and despair…while it is important to recognize a time for sadness, and mourning, depending upon the battle you are fighting, it is not a state of mind or place to stay and live constantly. There should always be a time for hope and gratitude to coincide with sadness and despair…with everything in life there should be a healthy balance. The one place I can trust in hope is in the Word of God…the bible is not a fairy tale it is history and recorded observations. Jesus Christ came into the world to save us from our sins and He sacrificed himself to death to reconcile us with God…for that I am eternally grateful. May God’s peace be with you. (If you are wondering we got the computer working again)

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

Psalm 118:1

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

Be A Giver

January 25, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When I feel things spiraling downward in my mind and I read Scripture I begin to see that my thoughts are filled with issues only surrounding myself. This is the sinful nature, to be consumed by self thinking. When I take off the blinders and begin to to see that I am not alone and there are others around me everyday who I can help and support in many different ways I begin to get a better perspective of purpose. Give of yourself to others in whatever way you can…just as God in the Christ Jesus gives to you. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

A New Creation

January 24, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Spiritual growth comes from change…change in attitude, change in perspective and change in our focus. When we invite Jesus Christ into our heart and mind receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. We begin to surrender our self-serving desires and focus on the needs of others. We will begin to view people and events with a new perspective and we start to change our behaviors from the old way of being to a new way…one that shines a light on who we are becoming…our true selves, the way God made us to be. This transformation happens at a different pace for everybody…there is no one way to be transformed…it is between you and Jesus Christ…you just need to spend time getting guidance from Him. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

2 Corinthians 5:17

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

Trust In The Lord

January 23, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When I try to go it alone, when my actions say…”I got this God…” I usually end up at “Um, a little help here?” this is a lesson that I stumble upon often. Learn to Trust. It seems I have a stubborn will and I am discovering that it takes me off track of God’s plan far too often. We are not made to “go it alone” and throughout history it has been proven that when left to our own thinking and ways of doing the sinful nature is no match for us. We were made to be in relationship with our Creator and we were given the gift of salvation through the life and death of Jesus Christ his one and only Son. A loving relationship takes two engage beings to grow. I for one will work harder on my part with our Lord and Savior. May God’s peace be with you.

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“But blessed in the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence in in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 near a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

It Takes Courage

January 22, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

A life of faith is not a way to live on easy street…it takes courage, commitment and a willingness to surrender self-centered desires and trust in the Lord. It takes courage because it is not the message you will see and hear in the world. When you wonder if the choice of faith is really making any difference in your life or the life of others you are experiencing doubt and that is natural…what you do when doubts occur will tell you a great deal about where you are on your faith journey. Spiritual growth comes when we “don’t know what to do about this” and we turn and pray…we give ourselves and our doubts to God and ask for His guidance as well as the ability to see and hear Him. That takes courage…May God’s peace be with you.

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.”

1 Corinthians 16:13

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

Living For God – A Prayer by St. Francis of Assisi

January 21, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Make me a channel of Your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring Your love,
Where there is injury Your pardon Lord,
And where there’s doubt, true faith in You.

Make me a channel of Your peace.
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope,
Where there is darkness, only light,
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.

Oh, Master, grant that I may never seek,
So much to be consoled, as to console.
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved, as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of Your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving to all men that we receive,
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

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“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

1 Peter 4:10-11

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 on a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

The Answers Are Found At The Cross

January 20, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

History is filled with events and stories of struggle, despair, war, judgement and injustice. People of all generations have pressed for money, power and self-centered convenience. This continues in the present day for all of us…I like everyone else am a sinner and have succumbed to temptations and poor decisions. These behaviors are the result of human beings inviting sin into the world. It seems like defeat is all around us and that is just how the prince of darkness wants you feel. Yet even today there is hope…there is hope of goodness, faithfulness, kindness, peace, patience, love and joy. And it begins at the Cross of Christ. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!”

Philippians 2:5-8

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

Give Thanks

January 19, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is easy to get caught up in the minutia of life everyday and forget that God is with you. In fact that is exactly what the forces of evil want you to do, evil wants you to believe you are all alone and you should only look out for yourself. God knows the struggle…Jesus faced the devil in the desert and He has overcome death and evil through His death and resurrection. Connect with the Lord today and be thankful for Jesus who has fought the battle and won. May God’s peace be with you.

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