Faith

December 16, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Commitment…belief…trust…relationship…communication…courage…strength…mercy…grace…worship…praise…thankfulness…love. It is a powerful thing. Give thanks to God for all He has done for you and trust in Him to carry you through, wherever you are, no matter what struggle you are facing. Believe in Jesus Christ and the power of Faith. Amen.

Here is some music about Faith…

What Faith Can Do – by Kutless

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“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Hebrews 11:1

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

Comfort And Peace

December 15, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is astonishing to discover the comfort and peace that God can provide with His presence when we surrender control and strive to not only listen to the Word of God but actually do what it says. The process of surrender takes time and I have only sensed this amazing comfort and peace on few occasions because…well old habits die hard. The self is stubborn. One occasion most recently was when my Dad went home to the Lord, unexpectedly. I clung more tightly to the words in my bible and prayed more passionately…and as promised, God carried me through and is still carrying me and my family onward. The hardest part is trying to avoid slipping back into old habits or old ways of thinking, especially after sensing such a closeness with the Lord. The comfort and peace we seek and that God offers every single person is available to us today and everyday…if we are willing to put aside our selfish ways and desires and put our hope in God. Amen.

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“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalm 145:8-9

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

Joy And Love

December 14, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Here we are back to discuss some more Fruits of the Spirit. Our relationship with Jesus Christ can help us get a better understanding of how these fruits show up in our lives. Let’s look at joy for a moment. The world’s definition of joy includes words like ‘good fortune’ or ‘possessing what one desires’…that sounds more like the emotion of happiness and satisfying the self. For me joy is more than a feeling, it is about comfort knowing that God is in control. It is about knowing God works for the good of all in every situation. Joy is as much about learning and growing in faith and sharing what we have learned with others. And love…show love to others in the same way God shows love to you. It is simple and yet it is not always easy. God never said life would be easy. I pray we seek to bear good fruit in the world according to God’s will. Amen.

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“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

John 15:11-12

(This photo was taken in February of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Let Your Light Shine

December 13, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our Savior and Lord we receive the Holy Spirit. It is implanted in us to guide us, strengthen us and to build us up. We must feed our spiritual lives by attending worship, reading God’s Word and by praying. As we go on this journey we may notice a stronger sense of peace and calm and joy present more often than it used to be within us…we may notice a desire to good things more often and we may find we have greater compassion for others than maybe we did before. We should seek to follow a desire to do good things as often as we can and to give credit to God for who we are and what we have done. I pray we seek to shine the Light of Christ that is planted within us to others by our actions and our behaviors. Amen.

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“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:14-16

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

Find Rest For Your Soul

December 12, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The pace of life in society tends to be frenetic and hurried. Rushing to get here and there taking little time to stop…and live in the present moment. There is time to rest, to be more balanced and to set down our technology devices and have an in person conversation with a friend or family member. To talk and to listen…all we have to do is make the decision to do it. The world and other people are not going to do it for you…there is one person I know who actually invites us to come to Him and find rest. He is even willing to take on our burdens and to give us peace and comfort. Take your worries, your fears and all those things weighing down on you and bring them to the Cross of Christ and you will find rest for your soul. Amen.

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Matthew 11:28-29

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

Why Did Jesus Come?

December 11, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

He came down from heaven and into this world. God had a plan and Jesus knew exactly what He was getting into…so why do it? He did because He loves you, He cares for you and He wants only the best for you. The answer to this question and so many others have been given to us in God’s Word. It’s not complicated, it is simple and yet the human race seems bent on making things much more difficult and complicated then they need to be. Jesus came to save us because He loves us and even though we don’t deserve it, He loves us anyways. Let us be thankful for Jesus Christ and His saving grace. Amen.

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“…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

John 10:10

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

Our Living Hope

December 10, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

One of the greatest strengths of our faith is the hope we have because of Jesus Christ. When we read from God’s Word about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the way He lived when He was here on earth, we find there were many times when circumstances looked really bad and the people seemed to have very few choices of how to respond. Yet Jesus would help and find new ways to work things out…not necessarily the way the people wanted but in a way that was better for everyone involved. Just because we cannot see the way forward during trails and suffering does not mean the situation is hopeless, it just means we are not putting our trust in the Lord. Look to Jesus in all situations good and bad and there we will find our Hope. Amen.

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“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

1 Peter 1:3

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

Patience

December 9, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

During this Advent time of year, the Fruits of the Spirit keep coming into my mind. We wait for the celebration of the birth of our Savior. Nothing about His coming was designed by us, the human race. This is a clear example of God at work for the good of all people. We must be patient on our faith journey and not give up hope…no matter how bad things may get, in any situation. Prayer…thoughtful, sincere, true and honest prayer, that is based in trust and belief in Jesus Christ is very powerful. The answers to our prayers are not based on our plans or our desires and that is a good thing. When you are discouraged or frustrated regarding a person or situation…take it to the Lord in prayer and remember when God was at work with His plan over 2,000 years ago, the results both then and now have been better than any human plan ever conceived. I pray we all trust in the Lord and seek patience with His plan for our lives. Amen.

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

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

Faithfulness

December 8, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Devoted…loyal…dependable…reliable…committed. Faithfulness is another one of the Fruits of the Spirit. To be faithful means there is a willingness to set aside ourselves as top priority, and put our focus on something greater. Faithfulness may not be filled with excitement and adventure rather it is about being consistent and supportive in our values and beliefs. Being faithful may not always fulfill all of our wants and desires, however, when faithfulness is given and received it does fulfill some of our greatest needs. May we all take time to reflect on our relationships and give thanks to those who have been faithful to us and seek where we can serve others faithfully. Amen.

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“…The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.”

Psalm 145:13

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

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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