The Needs Of Others

June 21, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We all have been given gifts and talents to use in the world. While we are all unique the gifts we have are to be used to not only support ourselves, they are also the way we can help others in need. It is important to learn and accept the gifts and talents God has given us and to seek out ways to use them to honor God. Selfishness is running rampant all over the world and therefore the needs of people are many. Can we help everyone? No. Does that mean we should only worry about ourselves? No. We should strive to do whatever we can, for whomever we can, whenever we can, wherever we are…even if it only helps one person in that moment in time, it is helping someone in need. May God’s grace and peace be with you.

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“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:4

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at a rest area in South Dakota)

Do Good Things

May 21, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is easy to look around and think, what difference does it make if I do this or I don’t? This type thinking can lead to a downward spiral of negative thoughts and low self-worth. This is the way of evil and darkness. When we act and do good things it will make a difference, to someone someday. Even if we never get to see the difference in our life or in person it is important to continue to do good things. We are made out of the love of God and we have the hope of eternal life with Him. This world is not our home but while we are here we should do whatever we can, wherever we are to help those in need. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9

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

Free Will

April 24, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

One of the most sacred aspects regarding the creation of humans is free will. We are given the gift of free will by God to decide and to choose our behavior and attitude each day. How we choose to live is our responsibility and no one else’s. We choose to do good or to do wrong or we choose to do nothing. Everybody in the world is fighting a battle of some kind, real life is not what people are posting on social media, that is merely the book cover that people want to present to the world. We should not take our free will for granted, use the power to choose how you will live to do good for others, just as Christ did to save you. May God’s peace be with you.

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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. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

Galatians 5:13-15

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while traveling through southern New Mexico)

Do Good Works

April 23, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Go out into the world of your daily life knowing that God is with you and do good things. Do not measure your goodness by how people in this world do or do not react, do not measure your goodness by how many “likes” or “shares” you have on social media. Do good work that benefits, encourages and uplifts another person. It can be just one other person or it can be more depending on where God is leading you. Fulfill a need of another person without expectation of getting something in return. Everything you do, every single day, God knows about it and our relationship with Him is most important one of our lives. May God’s love and peace be with you.

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“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while driving through southern New Mexico)

Share Goodness

March 28, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Whenever you can, share the goodness of life. Make eye contact and smile at other people, hold a door open, help someone carry things, be patient with others, listen instead of talking and support those in need without expectation of something in return. When we choose to live in community with one another we can see the goodness of the Lord in life. It is striving to get back to the basics of interacting with each other in a simple and kind manner. It is a choice, we are not victims of our environment or our surroundings unless we choose to be. If you don’t know how or where to start, I would recommend getting out into nature and be present in God’s creation. Nothing soothes my soul better than being outdoors in the amazing world God created. May God’s peace and the wonder of creation be with you.

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“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 while traveling in northern Colorado)

Serve To Meet The Needs

March 1, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we look at what we do each day for work or what we are doing as a part of our daily routine…sometimes we find ourselves asking, ‘Why am I doing this?’ What is my purpose here?’ It is difficult to remember that our reason sometimes is just to provide for our families, friends or relatives who need us. A parent who stays at home to care for a child actually can easily see their purpose, it is to provide for the needs of the child, not to serve themselves but strictly to provide for the needs of another. The interesting part about this, is that purpose is true for all of us all the time…God wants us to love our neighbor as ourselves, care for the needs of others. For some reason we get caught up in the messages of the world that we become focused more of ourselves and less on others and then when we get older we start to wonder, ‘Why am I doing this?’ ‘What is my purpose?’ If we spend time in the Word of God and read about what He has planned for us, it is simple…focus on meeting the needs of others, not just financially but in all ways in relationship, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, etc. May God’s peace be with you and those you serve today.

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“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:4

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at a rest area in South Dakota)

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)