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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“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 June of 2016 at a lake place in northwestern Wisconsin)

Draw Near To God

July 28, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is so easy to get drawn into a worldly perspective. To judge others and have thoughts that justify ourselves in our own minds. Eventually we may find that things are beginning to draw us farther away from our relationship with Jesus and our faith life. This can be a very gradual process, during this time when you start to question something from a faith perspective be sure to draw close to God and His Word. In order to persevere in faith we must look to God and the Holy Spirit for guidance. I believe it is true that all people were made to be able to be good and do good things as we are all created by God. The hard part for us as humans is managing our free will. It is a gift from God and when it is used to pursue the sinful nature we are choosing to turn away from the Lord. May the grace and peace of the Lord be with you.

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 near the border between Minnesota and South Dakota)

Rest And Sleep

July 27, 2018July 27, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

How many of us have had or are having trouble falling sleep? Our minds won’t stop wandering or we are constantly moving, rolling from side to side trying to find the comfortable way to fall asleep. There is usually much more than physical discomfort at work when this is happening. If we are trying to control everything in our lives we keep thinking about the next thing we need to focus on and if we go with very little sleep too long we will eventually wear out sooner than we should. Being unable to fall asleep is a spiritual problem more than anything else. We all need to rest and recharge. One thing that has worked great is when I hit the pillow and close my eyes I start to pray in my mind, prayer that is memorized, whether it is bible verses or the Our Father. It keeps my mind focused and I drift off secure in the hands of the Lord. Another great source of soothing bible verses are in the Psalms. If you are struggling to fall asleep try something new, put yourself in God’s hands for your rest. May you find rest and be at peace with God.

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“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Psalm 4:8

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

Transformation

July 26, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

A change…conversion…overhaul…renew…remake. When something or someone is transformed they appear new again. The change from what of how they used to be to a new way. A transformation in the spiritual life means recognizing who and what we are and admitting that we need to be made new again. We must be willing to admit we are broken, stubborn and chasing after the sinful nature…once we see and know the conviction of sin we have the opportunity to be renewed, restored and redeemed. A relationship with Jesus Christ is vital to finding redemption. May God’s mercy and grace be with you.

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“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

Ezekiel 11:19

(This photo was taken last week in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Treasures

July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

What gets your attention quickly? What is it that gets your blood flowing faster? What is it in your life that you have passion towards? These are hints of your treasures. We all have something that drives to the heart of us. As we continue to grow on our faith journey the treasures tend to change. As our knowledge and time spent on growing our relationship with Jesus Christ grows we begin to get a better understanding of the value of a person. We also can begin to clearly see that the stuff and the things we have worried about in the past may have been foolish worries. We are humbled to learn and to know that God in heaven knows us, loves us and forgives us and the things He has planned for us are far greater treasures than those the world offers us. May the awe and wonder of our God be with you.

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“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6:21

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

Understanding

July 24, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There are a few places in the bible that state…“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,…” (Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 9:10) There is also…“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,…” (Proverbs 1:7) I want to take a moment to talk about “The fear of the Lord…” In modern language fear is strictly defined as being afraid of or believing something or someone is dangerous and to avoid. An older definition of fear is to stand in awe of; to have respect for, to revere, reverence. These verses are telling us to have ultimate respect for the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. To stand in awe of the love, the mercy, the grace and the power of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. May the grace and peace of the Lord be with you.

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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.”

Psalm 111:10

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

Time

July 23, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We measure ourselves by it constantly. We rush from here to there, as a song from the early 1980’s says…”everybody’s working for the weekend” – (Loverboy, 1981) We gauge where we can spend our life by the day of the week and the hour of the day. We are not made to measure our lives by the minutes, hours, days, weeks and years. More important than time are relationships. Focus more on who we spend our time with, what we are doing with our community of people. The things we do that help others who are in need are the most valuable. Instead of measuring how long we did something or how much time we saved we should start measuring ourselves by asking two questions. Who have I helped today? Who has helped me today? As always ask the Lord to help with the answers in prayer. May God’s wisdom and grace be with you.

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“As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows it over and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.”

Psalm 103:15-16

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

Wisdom From Above

July 21, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

I don’t know…I’m not sure…I don’t understand…Can you help me…I need help. Statements like these make us vulnerable, they open us up, they make us humble. To the world these phrases can be seen as weak and needy. More importantly than just the words are the attitudes and behaviors that you show along with these statements. If we learn wisdom from God we will gain wisdom like this…“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17) Wisdom from the world is self-focused, gain more oriented, no time for losers, me first mentality. The most significant thing about choosing the wisdom of the world is we can lose the opportunity to pursue relationships with others. God our Creator, Jesus Christ our Savior and the Holy Spirit as our guide have the all the wisdom that is so desperately needed in this world. May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you.

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“For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”

1 Corinthians 1:25

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

The Holy Spirit Within Us

July 20, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we turn in faith to God and strengthen our relationship with Him, evil and darkness will increase its attacks on us. The primary goal of this darkness is to have us turn away from God. To distract us, to keep us focused on worldly values of wealth and possessions and a self-serving mentality. Evil wants us to stir up anger, hatred, dissension and all the things we were not made to do. God knows these will come, Jesus experienced these attacks personally when He was in the desert. Knowing this God has provided us with the Holy Spirit. In the Bible it says…“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) When we stay focused on God and His Word, when we put our relationship with Jesus Christ first with devotions and prayers then we are equipped to fend off darkness. Take courage in your faith and trust in God. May the wisdom and peace of the Lord be with you.

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“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

Ephesians 6:16

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at the Garden of Gods near Colorado Springs, Colorado)

God’s Grace

July 19, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

He calls us…He is speaking to us in a variety of ways…He knows the mistakes we have made…He forgives us…He lifts us up…He loves us. In all that comes at us on a daily basis in today’s world we are bound to mess up. Whether we are trying to do too many things for too long or trying to control the outcome of events, we were not made to do things this way. We have been given the gift of God’s grace…we don’t deserve it, we can’t earn it. He gives it to us freely, it is up to us to turn to Him, to praise Him, to seek His guidance and know that He will carry us through anything in this life. “Not to us, O Lord not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 115:1) God is our Creator and He loves us unconditionally, He wants us to have good things, take your burdens to Him. May you know God’s grace and mercy in your life.

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