Wait For The Lord

October 2, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
²⁶it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.”

Lamentations 3:25-26 NIV

Hurry and impatience are causing more bad things to happen to us than we are willing to admit. Why are we rushing around? This is not how God created us to be. Look at how Jesus lived on earth. He took time sit quietly alone with God and to pray. Filling our life with busyness is a sickness and will cause damage to our bodies and our relationships with others over time. If you are often tired and weary take a moment to slow down…pick up God’s Word and pray to the Lord. Remember God’s promises and wait for Him to guide you and lead you.

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“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!”

Isaiah 30:18 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2023 alomg the North Shore of Lake Superior)

The Truth Will Set You Free

October 1, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32 NIV

Faith in God means believing the truth. The truth that God sent His only Son to save us from our sins. If we allow temptation and sin to rule our lives…it will keep us away from God and we will be inviting trouble into everything we do.

If we follow the truth and put Jesus in the center of our lives, we will know peace. Peace that surpasses all understanding.

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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2022 at Big Sky Resort in Big Sky, Montana)

God Is Our Refuge

September 18, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.”

Psalm 46:1 NIV

Worries and burdens will pile up. We set ourselves up for disappointment and regret when we try to go it alone. God is our refuge, He is the stronghold of our lives. There is more to our relationship with the Lord than Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings…there is more than quickly speaking memorized words before a meal or at bedtime.

Turn towards the Lord and seek Him. Pray for His presence to comfort you and encourage you…listen for His guidance in everything. Amen.

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“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”

Psalm 62:1-2 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Arches National Park in Utah)

Spirit of Truth

September 14, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

John 16:13 NIV

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. Put your trust in the Lord and His will for your life…it may not be what you have always thought about your life yet God is the Creator and knows what is best for you. Stay close to the Lord and spend time with Him, be in His Word and the Spirit of Truth will guide you. Amen.

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“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

John 14:15-17 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming)

He Will Carry Our Burdens

September 8, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.”

Psalm 55:22 ESV

How often do you feel like you have to carry something all by yourself? That it all depends on you and what you do? We all have moments and seasons of life like this and God knows we will face them…in fact, He is the one that told us about them in Scripture…

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 NIV

And He is the One who has given us the Way through these times in life…turn towards Jesus…tell Him about the things that you are carrying. During my morning prayer time with God I give thanks to Him, affirm my belief in Jesus and ask for His guidance throughout my day. I share my worries and my concerns and I work on changing the way I think in order to trust His way. Your experience may be similar or different, what is most important is that you do it.

He wants to hear from you and He wants you to know He is walking right along side you…you just have to acknowledge Him and seek Him. He is with you and He is willing to carry your burdens for you. May we find peace with the Savior. Amen.

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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 NIV

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

Listen…Be Transformed

September 5, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”

Romans 10:17 NIV

Draw near to God…stay close to Him. Do not allow the world with its values and temptations entice you to drift away from Jesus. It is easy to start a new habit of connecting with God every day and it is also easy to let it slip away. Try to attach your new habit to something you are already doing every day. Start small and it will build naturally as you stick to it.

If you are a ‘I need coffee in the morning’ person…make it a point to spend your first cup reading or listening to scripture. If you are a ‘I like to read at night person’ give a few minutes to a daily devotional book each night. Maybe mid-day would work best for you…no matter when or what the important thing is to do it and trust that God will use that time to transform you.

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“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ²Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.“

Romans 12:1-2 NIV

(This photo was taken in September of 2020 at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

When You Pray…

September 2, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Matthew 6:5-8 NIV

Amazing things can happen that only God can do, when you pray. It is not about the right words or the proper position…it is about what you believe! Prayer is for all circumstances and is meant to be communication with God…not only speaking but listening and reading His Word so it can be planted in your heart.

Look at Jesus…when the devil tempted Him He responded with Scripture and when He was struggling to follow through on God’s plan He prayed…He prayed so hard that He was sweating blood. When you do not know what to do, pray…when things are going well, pray…when you need help or to calm down, pray. God is with you and He is within you…He is also waiting to hear from you. So pray.

When We Pray by Tauren Wells

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“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Mark 11:24 NIV

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

God’s Presence

August 27, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
²When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
³For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;”

Isaiah 43:1-3 NIV

His Presence restores and renews us, it comforts us. It provides for us even when we are not paying attention to Him. He meets all our basic needs…our role is to believe in Him and obey His Word. His Word is not a burden or a bunch of rules…His Word and His Presence give life, comfort, peace and hope.

Think about circumstances and events in your life that have occurred in the last few days, weeks, months and years…God was with you…so where did you see Him? Trust in the Lord and remember He provides for you with His Presence. Amen.

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“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

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

Commit Your Way

August 23, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.”

Psalm 37:5 NIV

Stand firm in faith. Trust God and His plan for you. We will not always see the way or understand His plan, yet we know that all good things come from God. Amen.

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“…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2019 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Believe

August 16, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ¹⁵“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

¹⁷“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

¹⁹Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁰He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” ^[21]^[a]

Matthew 17:14-21 NIV

We Believe by Eagle Brook Music

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