Scripture Reading for today: Luke 22, 23, 24 Whew!Twelve steps in 365 days. I'd love to hear from you about your experiences of faith this past year. Email me at AskTeresa@hotmail.com and tell me your stories. While I wait to hear from you, can I pray for you and yours? Lord,I realize that you want to be found by us! How awesome to know that you love us. That your eyes rove to and fro across … [Read more...] about December 31
December 19
Scripture Reading for today: Isaiah 40, 41, 43 Years ago we had friends who worked as consultants for a large missionary organization. Their job was to screen potential candidates and place them in the area of mission work that would best suit their unique gifts and talents. I found this process fascinating, and I was always asking my friend about his work. I never will forget the conversation … [Read more...] about December 19
December 26
Scripture Reading for today: Luke 5, 6, 7 Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas this year? Are you satisfied, yet? Anyone drink too much at a family gathering and insult a guest or a sibling? How well did you eat? I'm not referring to how much; I'm talking about how well? Did you pig out on stuffing and sweet potatoes, pecan pie, and coconut cake? Have you started to think about how … [Read more...] about December 26
December 22
Scripture Reading for today: Jonah 1, 2, 3, 4 I was in the fifth grade the first year I tried to find where Santa stashed the goodies. My brothers and I had it all figured out. No way could Santa make it to every single house in one night--unless (and here's where it got exciting) he came around in advance, dropped off the loot, and then showed up on Christmas Eve simply to arrange all our … [Read more...] about December 22
December 6
Scripture Reading for today: Galatians 4, 5 and review Matthew 1 Yesterday it hit me: we're on step twelve! What can we expect when we're finished with this study? Is the goal of the twelve-step process to get us all "perfected" so that we can then go out and set others straight? We're almost finished with a year's worth of devotionals focusing on the twelve-step model--a way of life intended to … [Read more...] about December 6
December 5
Scripture Reading for today: Galatians 1, 2, 3 Yesterday we commented on the "bigness" of God and how that good news could comfort us when we were counting on Him to rescue us. What if we feel so small, "less than," and unworthy that we fear the greatness of God? Whether "big" is comforting or terrifying depends upon one's point of view, right? Yesterday we learned that when Isaiah saw the … [Read more...] about December 5
December 14
Scripture Reading for today: 2 Timothy 1, 2, 3, 4 Twenty or so years ago I had an awakening - but not the kind anyone would really want to experience. It was more like waking up from a terrible nightmare. I had known for a while that I was a people pleaser, and I understood what a burden it was to try to please all the people all the time. I had a vague notion that this probably wasn't as … [Read more...] about December 14
December 17
Scripture Reading for today: 1 John 4, 5 and 2 John I went to visit a new mother and she asked me this question, "Why didn't you tell me it would be like this?" Well, some experiences are simply indescribable. That's why I hesitate to tell people that using the twelve steps as a tool to draw near to God will dramatically change their lives. It's hard to describe it and best if it's experienced. … [Read more...] about December 17
December 16
Scripture Reading for today: 1 John 1, 2, 3 and Isaiah 9 "God will always look for someone who has a perfect heart toward Him, not necessarily someone who has a perfect performance before Him. When the Lord has the heart, He can always change the behavior." Joyce Meyer, Me and My Big Mouth, p. 141. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and … [Read more...] about December 16
December 13
Scripture Reading for today: 1 Timothy 4, 5, 6 I sometimes read the last chapter in a book first. And if you are reading about the twelfth step without having walked through the first eleven, you're in the same boat! My husband thinks this is a ridiculous way to read, but I disagree. Sometimes reading the last chapter first gives us a vision for where we're headed. So go ahead, keep reading. The … [Read more...] about December 13