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)

Give Thanks

January 19, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

It is easy to get caught up in the minutia of life everyday and forget that God is with you. In fact that is exactly what the forces of evil want you to do, evil wants you to believe you are all alone and you should only look out for yourself. God knows the struggle…Jesus faced the devil in the desert and He has overcome death and evil through His death and resurrection. Connect with the Lord today and be thankful for Jesus who has fought the battle and won. May God’s peace be with you.

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“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 15:57

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Use Your Spiritual Gifts

January 17, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We are all uniquely made by God. In each one of us there are gifts and talents that we have that were given to us to use to help others in some way. These may not be fully developed yet but they are still there. Seek to find what your gifts and talents may be…when you are able to do something that feels like no effort at all and yet others are so thankful for your effort that may be telling you something about your gifts. Another way to learn about your gifts is to look through a list of volunteer opportunities and whichever one speaks to you and makes you think ‘I could do that’…then go and do it. You were made for a purpose find ways to seek out what that is and when you find it do more of it. May God’s peace be with you.

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“We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”

Romans 12:6-8

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Colorado Springs, Colorado)

Give Thanks To The Lord

January 15, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

I grew up in house where Sunday was all about going to worship, then food which was usually a full spread brunch at home or out to eat and then football. These Sundays are some of my best memories from childhood. There is something about following sports that is hard to explain in words and it doesn’t matter what sport you follow…football, basketball, baseball, hockey, Nascar or even Olympic sports. For everybody it can be a different sport but when this thing about it gets into you…your juices really seem to get flowing you are either excited because things are going well or you disappointed and disgusted because things do not go well.

Either way, win or lose, the one thing that I have thought about lately is sports and sporting events seem to bring people together in community in a way that few things in this world can and that may be the best part they play in our lives. May God’s peace be with you.

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“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:5

(This photo was taken by my friend Matt in July of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Let The Light Of Christ Shine

January 14, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When we open ourselves up and invite Jesus into our heart and lives we will receive the gift of Holy Spirit to guide us and our thoughts. Leading us to a life that is filled with the fruits of the Spirit. In order to get there we must surrender the desire to serve ourselves be willing to serve the purpose that God has planned for us. This is not easy and it is not a one moment event, it is a daily journey to learn to die to self and live to God, changing from the sinful nature of this fallen world to an eternal nature of the Spirit. The world is dark but Jesus is the Light in the darkness. Shine on. May God’s peace be with you.

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“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

2 Corinthians 4:6

(This photo was taken in July of 2014 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

He Renews Our Strength

January 13, 2018January 13, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

One important aspect of a relationship with God the Father, Jesus His Son and the Holy Spirit is the power to renew us and restore us when we get off course or off track. When you spend time growing your relationship with the Lord you learn to become aware of His presence…there are few words that can describe the peace that comes from knowing that God is with you every moment of every minute of every hour of every day of your life. Ask Jesus to come into your heart and restore you…trust in Him…he is the one person that gave up everything he had to save you. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:28-31

(This photo was taken August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Always With You

January 12, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

One of greatest mindset shifts that needs to occur on the faith journey is knowing no matter where you go or what you do God will always be with you. It is up to you to recognize Him and to be aware of his presence through the Holy Spirit. We all get off course and make mistakes or poor decisions as we live in a broken and fallen world. God knows this and wants to have a relationship with you to help you through life. Whatever is on your heart today…give it to Him…leave it at the foot of the cross and see what happens. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

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

Commitment

January 11, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Do what you say you would do…stay true to your word…demonstrate a willingness to be responsible…show integrity. When you read these phrases and think about them none of them say this is going to be all about ‘fun’ or ‘personally convenient’ or ‘this is all about being happy all the time.’ Commitment is hard and it takes dedication, it takes time and it doesn’t always serve personal desires.

That is the point about commitment…it is not about you! That is exactly why we need to build our personal relationship with Jesus, he knows what it means to be committed to something that is hard, not fun and not about him…yet he spoke openly with his father to help him keep moving forward and complete the task given to him…and he did it for you and me. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

Proverbs 16:3

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

Choose Holy Living

January 7, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

With each day the gift of free will means we can choose our attitude toward everything…we can choose our attitude towards what other people think, say or do. We can choose to be kind and compassionate or we can respond with vicious words and wrath…nobody can make you do this, it is up to you how you respond even if you don’t take the time to think about your response you are still accountable for your behavior every day. Choose patience…choose kindness and compassion…be forgiving and most of all no matter what choose to respond with love…after all that is what Jesus did for us. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Once For All

January 6, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Never give up hope. Out of the most tragic circumstances can come the greatest peace and the greatest joy. Look at the people alive when Jesus was here on earth. They believed in him as the one person who was going to save them from corrupt government and tyranny. Then the most tragic set of events occurred…he died…he was crucified even though he was with out sin. For three days they mourned and were very frightened for there own lives. Then the most amazing and unexpected thing happened next…he was raised from the dead. Can you imagine the unbelievable joy they sensed when they were speaking with him? Incredible…yet without his death and the death of our sins there could be no resurrection. May God’s peace be with you.

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“For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 6:9-11

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake near Minneapolis, Minnesota)