Parenthood

May 3, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When life on earth begins we are completely dependent on loving parents to care for us, feed us, hold us and watch over us. As time goes by and the phases of life change a child begins to learn about interacting with others in the world, all the while the father and or mother each offer their unique perspective based mostly upon their own experience with their parents. The generations go on…unfortunately the family structure has been under attack by darkness and evil for a long time now and in today’s society the vast majority of people are ruled by selfishness and they show little respect for family or parents mainly because of how people who are given the gift of children have not honored their role of parenthood. When we become parents, we should be prepared to sacrifice things in order to help a child become a contributing adult in community. One of the greatest joys of parenthood is watching your child succeed and do well because you were willing to have patience and willing to be persistent in doing what God has asked you to do with the gift of a child. We are all God’s children and He is patient and persistent in loving us. We would do well to pass it on. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Train a child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not turn from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Badlands National Park in South Dakota)

Strength

May 2, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

When life is difficult and frustrating, where do we get the ability to move forward? What could possibly renew us? What makes some people so resilient? It has been my experience that there is only one thing powerful enough to lift us up out of any tragedy or trial…it is the Presence of the Lord. A relationship with Jesus Christ in the way to strength in the battle and rest when we are weary. To experience His presence we must do our part and be willing to spend time in devotions and prayer. God made a promise, He will never leave you nor forsake you and He always keeps His promises. Invite Jesus into your heart and into your life daily and you will be renewed each day. May God’s peace be with you.

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“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10

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

Lead Me, O Lord

April 30, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We are always looking for the the best way to go, looking for the right path, whether physically going from one place to another or mentally trying to make a decision. We analyze and assess multiple options and eventually proceed. We do this so often it is easy to forget to consult with our Creator and to consider what direction or path will keep leading us closer to Christ versus leading us farther away in from our relationship with Him. God knows you better than anyone, even if you haven’t spent much time with Him. You are His child and He loves you. Take time to meet with Him each day and bring your choices to Him. May God’s peace be with you.

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“Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.”

Psalm 27:11

(This photo was taken in April of 2018 while walking the dog at a park near Plymouth, Minnesota)

The Power Of Faith

April 29, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

The blessings that come from our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are so great it is hard to fully appreciate. We should be careful not to underestimate the gifts God has given us. Each and every one of us has been created and blessed with special talents and our role in life is to learn about those gifts and talents and then to use them to do good things in and around our community, to help others and to spread the Good News of Jesus. Our actions and the things we choose to do and say are a good indication of where we are in our personal faith journey. For myself, I did not understand or spend much time thinking about such things until about 8 years ago and in the last 8 years I have experienced events of all kinds in life, pain and suffering as well as joy and contentment…most importantly I have been learning to be more open to putting my relationship with God first…I have been learning gratitude and thankfulness…I also know I still have a lot of learning left to do as I still mess things up frequently. The best part of my journey so far…I know more about who God has made me to be and I know He is always with me no matter what…I know because He told me so in His instruction manual for life…the Bible. May God’s love, joy and peace be with you.

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“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

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

The Joy Of The Lord

April 28, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

We live and we work, we eat and we drink, we move from one activity to the next day by day. We face decisions and choices day after day, big decisions, little choices and through it all God calls to us to live life to the fullest. What does that mean for you? What is living to the fullest? It all depends on the perspective you choose to look from…if you choose to view life through the eyes of the world measuring success by possessions, material things and number of likes on social media then you will find much disappointment. If you choose to look at life through the spiritual perspective, with a daily connection with God, praying for and helping others, serving those in need and living life filled with the fruits of the spirit…you will find joy. True joy is found only in a relationship with Jesus Christ. May God’s love and joy be with you.

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“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

John 15:11

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

Do You Not Know? Have You Not Heard?

April 27, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

There are so many different verses in the bible that can become a connection point for us. God’s Word is filled with life application instructions and teachings. I have heard people say I son’t know what to do, or all I can do is pray…the power of scripture and prayer should not be underestimated. If you haven’t seen it or you are unsure if God is present in your life…give this a try. Pick up a bible and find words that may apply to your situation…not sure what part of the book to go to…go out onto the internet and type ‘bible verses about (insert your topic here).’ The world is filled with darkness, evil and suffering…choose to follow the light that has been given to us and see what God has planned for 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 in July of 2016 while driving along Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Anything Is Possible

April 26, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Why do we doubt so much? Why is it so hard for us to believe what may be possible with God? When we are willing to surrender to His plan and His way in His time, there’s no telling what can happen. Look at the stories in the bible…Abraham and Sarah had a child they had so longed for when Sarah was 90…the 5000 were fed when all that was available to eat was a few fish and some bread…Lazarus is raised from the dead after being gone for a few days…and there are so many more examples. When God is involved in a situation anything is possible. We must turn to Him first with whatever we are facing and remember He is not a genie in a bottle who sometimes grants wishes…He is our creator, our savior and our guide who always has good things in store for us. Trust in the Lord and watch to see what He has in store for you. May the joy of the Lord be with you.

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“For nothing is impossible with God.”

Luke 1:37

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

Walking In The Light

April 25, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

Actions speak louder than words…words are an introduction, actions are the full story. In the life of Jesus we learn that He taught the people with His words and He showed the people the truth with His actions. Being true to our word is a characteristic that seems to be fading away in this ‘me’ first world. Living life by walking in the light is being very aware of what we say we will or won’t do and then following through with what we said…if we say, I will call you later, we need to be sure to do it…if we say I will pray for you, we need to offer an honest to goodness true prayer to God regarding that person. The concept in words is simple…the execution in daily life is the next step in our faith journey. May God’s peace be with you.

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“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

1 John 1:7

(This photo was taken in September of 2014 while on a walk in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Free Will

April 24, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

One of the most sacred aspects regarding the creation of humans is free will. We are given the gift of free will by God to decide and to choose our behavior and attitude each day. How we choose to live is our responsibility and no one else’s. We choose to do good or to do wrong or we choose to do nothing. Everybody in the world is fighting a battle of some kind, real life is not what people are posting on social media, that is merely the book cover that people want to present to the world. We should not take our free will for granted, use the power to choose how you will live to do good for others, just as Christ did to save you. May God’s peace be with you.

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“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

Galatians 5:13-15

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while traveling through southern New Mexico)

Change Happens When You Truly Pray

April 21, 2018 / mcalcagno / Leave a comment

How many times have we said, I will pray for you or I am praying for you…and then we never do it. We never sit quietly with God and discuss the specific concern or topic with Him. I know I am guilty of that and I am working really hard on not saying I will pray for you with out doing so the next morning during my daily devotions. I am really working on praying for people in situations in my morning time and telling them afterwords, I have been praying for you when I know it is true. When the words, my thoughts and prayers are with you, become just that a bunch of nice words with no action, we have really disgraced and disrespected the true power of prayer. The recent protests and marches have shown me that we have turned the power and privilege of prayer into a trite saying that causes anger and does not bring peace. True and honest prayer between you and God is powerful and it is one of the strongest weapons we have against evil and darkness…even the people that made the movie “Bruce Almighty” understand that, watch the scene near the end when Bruce is offering his prayer. My last thought for you…every morning just before I hit publish on these posts I pray for you as I pray for anyone who reads my post each day…May God’s love, joy and peace be with you.

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