A Solid Foundation Of Faith

April 19, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield^[a] and the horn^[b] of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:2 NIV

Even though the world knocks you down, your faith will see you through.

What Faith Can Do by Kutless

DSC_0002 publish

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalms 37:3-4 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Be Strong And Courageous

April 11, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:7-9 NIV

It is so easy to get caught up in uncertainty…we want to take control and try to force our desired outcomes. Many of us spend years trying to grasp that which is beyond our control and get anxious and worry when things don’t go the way we want. In the Old Testament Moses and Joshua are excellent examples of trusting God with uncertainty, being obedient to Him and trusting His way even though we have doubts. At the end of Deuteronomy and the beginning of the book of Joshua, Moses dies and Joshua is being promoted to fill his shoes. Just like Moses was apprehensive to lead the people out of Egypt, Joshua is uncertain he should be the one to lead after Moses. In both situations God reassures them to “be strong and courageous because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) We would do well to listen to these words when we are uncertain and have doubts about situations and events in our own lives.

DSC_0130 publish

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?“

Psalm 27:1-2 NIV

(This photo was taken in Spetember of 2022 in Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming)

There Is No Rock Like Our God

April 1, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield^[a] and the horn^[b] of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 18:2 NIV

IMG_20150722_155504791 publish

“There is no one holy like the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.”

1 Samuel 2:2 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2015 at Red Rocks Park near Morrison, Colorado)

Trust In The Lord

March 27, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
⁸They 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 NIV

A vital element to any relationship is trust. If there is a lack of trust everything else that comes after that will be filled with negativity and the relationship will erode and break apart. Trust takes effort, commitment and humility. Trust works like a bank account…you build it over time making deposits and it can disappear quickly with big withdrawals. The most important relationship for each of us is our relationship with Jesus Christ. We can trust in Him because of who He is and what He has done for us…to learn more read about Him, His birth, His life, His death and His resurrection and know that He did it for you…because He loves you. Amen.

2012 224 publish

“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 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2012 while hiking on the North Shore of Lake Superior)

A Light In The Darkness

March 26, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?”

Psalm 27:1 NIV

When we wander off course or make poor decisions…when we go our own way instead of drawing near to God…life is harder, we struggle more and get discouraged and defeated. When we turn towards God first with every decision, every day…the light of Christ will shine bright for us and illuminate our path. When we choose to put God first and we will see a light in the darkness. Thanks be to God for the Light of life. Amen.

IMG_20200905_064506 publish

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV

(This photo was taken this morning at sunrise over a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

With God, Anything Is Possible

March 25, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37 NIV

“But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26 NIV

Spend time in your relationship with God…remember the things He teaches us. Keep doing good things and doing your best according to His Word. Keep praying, keep believing…keep moving towards God. The next moment might be the best moment…a breakthrough is coming if you are willing to be persistent and patient. Anything is possible with God…God is working even when you can’t see it. Praise be to God.

Haven’t Seen It Yet by Danny Gokey

DSC_0021-1 publish

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ²Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV

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

Rise Up

March 23, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The bible states things very clearly…it doesn’t say you may or might face trouble in this world, no…it is clear that we will face trouble and hardship. Jesus gives us the bad news and then immediately gives us the Good News when He says…

“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

He tells us take heart, which means be strong, be courageous and today rise up from the ashes of trouble and suffering because He is with you. Trust the words of Jesus, believe and Rise Up! Amen.

Rise Up by CAIN

DSC_1448 publish

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
²See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.
³Nations will come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”

Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV

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

He Knows You

March 22, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

^“I know the plans I have for you,” announces the Lord. “I want you to enjoy success. I do not plan to harm you. I will give you hope for the years to come. ¹²Then you will call out to me. You will come and pray to me. And I will listen to you. ¹³When you look for me with all your heart, you will find me.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIRV

Have you had moments like this? “That’s not what I meant”…”I wish they knew me better”…”I don’t feel like I fit in”…”Nobody understands me.” I have been there before. You can be surrounded by people but feel like you are isolated. God knows who you are, He knows what you can do, He knows how you think and He cares for you. If you feel like you are off the rails in your life, it is time to get back to God. He is waiting to hear from you. He is the Creator, the one who formed you and has been right there with you every step of the way in life. Turn towards God. Trust in Him. May you see the blessings from God in your life each day. Amen.

DSC_0010 publish

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Psalm 139:23-24 NIV

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

Trust

March 15, 2023 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

“Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.“

Psalm 9:10 NIV

Firm belief…confidence…faith…count on…believe in…truth…certainty…love. The darkness and evil of the world are constantly working to turn us away from God and God is constantly speaking to us. Seek Him, seek His will, believe He has good things planned for you and be patient. Trust in God. Amen.

PXL_20220717_013758789.PORTRAIT-EFFECTS publish

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2022 on a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)

The Truth Will Set You Free

March 8, 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 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 be free from sin.

PXL_20220716_104252803.PORTRAIT publish