Serving Others

December 18, 2018December 17, 2018 / mcalcagno / 1 Comment

We have been saved by the grace of God our Father and the sacrifice of His One and Only Son…Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. We have been blessed so that we can be a blessing to others. As you reflect on your life or this past year…how has God blessed you? What are you thankful for? What gift, talent or skill has God given to you and how can you use that gift to help and serve others? Seek the blessings you have been given, give thanks and pursue the ways you can be a blessing to others. Amen.

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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.”

1 Peter 4:10

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

Goodness

December 7, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

This is one of the Fruits of the Spirit. In our dictionaries it is defined as ‘the quality and state of being good.’ I see it as a summary word…things that go into goodness can include…being helpful, selfless, supportive, kind, generous, a good listener or serving the needs of others. There are several ways to express goodness in our every day life. It is up to us to choose an attitude that will reflect goodness in our actions and our behaviors. I pray we all tune into the Holy Spirit living within us and seek goodness and righteousness wherever we are in life and the world. Here is a quote associated to John Wesley that speaks about doing good:

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”

John Wesley

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“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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

Give Generously

October 31, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we talk about giving and generosity, society and the world focuses on money and wealth alone. There is so much more to giving than money. To give of your time, your talents or your gifts. To give is about perspective, attitude and encouragement of the spirit. So give whatever it is you have to offer and give to those who are in need in your daily life and surroundings. Start by thanking God for whatever it is you have been blessed with and ask Him to guide you to how you can share it. I pray each one of us seeks a generous attitude with the gifts and blessings God has given us. Amen.

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“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a Cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

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

Gifts For Your Faith Journey

October 21, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Each one of us has been blessed with gifts, abilities, strengths. God created us out of His love and our love for God can be expressed best by using the gifts He has given us for good things. The hesitation or fear we sense when we are unsure about things can be very uncomfortable…we must be willing to take time and reflect on times when God has showed up and we were made aware of our gifts. We also need to be sure to be in prayer and not take all our cues about who we are or what we can do from the world as evil and darkness wants us to do very little in relation to what God intended for us. Our Faith is a journey and the best part is God packed our bag full of the right things for us to take on this journey…it is up to us to be sure we talk with Him about it often and use the things God has given us. I pray we all have courage, confidence and trust in the Lord until the day we go home to be with Him. Amen.

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“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in your master’s happiness!”

Matthew 25:21

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 while on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)

Sow The Seeds Of Faith

October 17, 2018 / mcalcagno / 5 Comments

Whatever we choose to be, how we choose to behave, the attitude that we choose as our approach to things…this is what will come back to us in our lives. If we choose to be angry, full of fear, jealousy, envy and go around constantly judging others…that is exactly what we will get back. Yet if we choose to live differently, if we choose to follow the Fruits of the Spirit as written in Galatians 5:22-23…we will receive those fruits back to us. So the question is what do you want to sow today? I pray we seek goodness and to live by the Fruits of the Spirit in our daily walk. Amen.

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“The one who sows to please the sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

Galatians 6:8

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 while traveling through North Dakota)

Truth

August 13, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

On our faith journey there is so much conflict with what the world is telling us and what our readings and spiritual life teach us about how to to live. This is the result of the spiritual battle going on all around us. We are created by God and He loves us and longs to have a relationship with us. And the forces of darkness and evil are doing everything they can to keep our attention on other things, any other thing than God. There is peace, and it can be found in a daily connection with Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. The simplicity of doing good things and helping others where you can is the path towards hope. Take refuge in God and you will have your peace. May God’s joy be with you.

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“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 7:12

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 on Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Stewardship

August 9, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Guardianship…upkeep…safekeeping…managing…cherishing…protecting…preserving. We are asked to be good stewards in our lives. We come into the world with nothing and when we leave we can take nothing with us. All that we receive is from God. God owns everything and we receive so that we can be cared for and share with others. The sinful nature would have us go after gaining more to keep and store up this turns us away from faith. The world has been filled with more than enough resources to feed and clothe everyone, yet the human race has not distributed things properly so there is poverty everywhere. Do what you can wherever you are to help those who need it most. May God’s joy and 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 they have decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

Humility

August 5, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

To say there seems to be less and less of this in the world is an understatement…more then ever we are hearing about people shouting about their individual rights or their me and my group first mentality, which just drives the motivation of others to put themselves first, which does nothing more that create division and violence. Imagine if more people were working for fairness for all people…instead trying to push and pull others down to get a step up. My guess is that this is because of a lack of trust in society. People can’t trust that other people will be honest and work for the best intentions of all. Selfishness. Think about what it felt like when someone did something kind and generous for you that had no benefit for them. That is where God is. The only one who can overcome the rule of self in the human race is God. He can be trusted, He has kept every promise He has ever made and He has one promise left. Turn to God and pray, trust in Him and He will bring you peace.

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“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior in Ashland, Wisconsin)

Call To Serve

August 4, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

If you find yourself frustrated, anxious or worried more often than usual you may be spending too much time focused on things that are self-serving. Typically I have found on my journey that contentment and joy come from serving the needs of another. Providing help where it is needed most. This does not have to be a major undertaking or monumental tasks…it can be what is most needed, when it is most needed. Maybe someone needs a ride to get to work…holding a door open for someone who has their hands full with someone or something…preparing a meal…or just sitting and listening. We all have gifts and abilities to share and we are called by God to serve one another. May God bless you with wisdom and understanding.

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“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”

Galatians 5:13

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 in the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior)

Use Your Gifts

July 29, 2018 / mcalcagno / 2 Comments

All of us have something that comes naturally for us to do. Things we do well that can help others and serve a useful purpose. Our gifts or strengths that God has blessed us with could help support the basics in life…food, shelter or clothing. They also could be gifts that help spread the Good News of the Lord. Whatever they are and whatever they help you to do…get to know them, understand how to use them best and if you are not sure about this…start by asking God in prayer to help you to see the goodness He has planted in you and where and when to use it. All that is good comes from God and He created you, don’t take your cues about your worth from the world. Learn from the Creator about your goodness and use your gifts from Him to help others. May God’s love and joy surround you each day.

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