What Really Matters?

Tozer Devotional
Collective Writings from the Books of A.W. Tozer

Renewed Day by Day
Chapter #
WHAT REALLY MATTERS?
It is all but impossible these days to get people to pay any attention to things that really matter. The broad cynic in our modern civilization is likely to ask: "What really matters, after all?" It is our personal relationship to God that really matters! That takes priority over everything else; for no man can afford to live or die under the frowning displeasure of God. Yet, name one modern device that can save him from it. Where can a man find security? Can philosophy help him? or psychology? or science? or atoms or wonder drugs or vitamins? Only Christ can help him, and His aid is as old as man's sin and man's need. A few other things matter to be sure. We must trust Christ completely. We must carry our cross daily. We must love God and our fellow men. We must fulfill our commission as ambassadors of Christ among men. We must grow in grace and in the knowledge of God and come at last to our end like a ripe shock of corn at harvest time. These are the things that really matter!

Prayer
Lord, teach me today and always, to keep my focus on what really matters.

Scripture
For what hath man of all his labour... wherein he hath laboured under the sun?— Ecclesiastes 2:22

Thought
We must trust Christ completely. We must carry our cross daily. We must love God and our fellow men. We must fulfill our commission as ambassadors of Christ among men. We must grow in grace and in the knowledge of God and come at last to our end like a r

Tax Rebate Warning

My friend K's husband is an accountant. He has posted some important information about a tax rebate being given this year for people with children. Please go to their blog, Matschstick Adventures to read about it, and then spread the word. Most people do not realize that this is kind of like a "loan" on next year's taxes!!

Happy Birthday Big D!

My oldest is 12 today!! I can vividly remember his birth; the doctor lifting him and placing him on my tummy as his Daddy and I just stared, hardly believing this was ours! And now that little bundle is almost as tall as I am (he wears the same size shoes)! It's such a funny thing because part of you thinks 12 is such a long time, and yet it's not. He's still my little boy.....still so much to learn.......will we be able to teach him all he needs to know in the short time we have left with him? To him, 6-8 years is so far away, and yet to me, oh my!!! So soon?? My baby! My boy!! What a treasure I have in this one. Lord, help me not to miss this time with him by being too tired, or frustrated with him or what have you. Thank you for this precious one!

I am a wife and I am a Mom!!!

Please, please take the time to go read the Feb. 18th post at Praise and Coffee blog! Those of you who know me, know that I don't really pay a whole lot of attention to politics, but I gotta tell you, I took the time to read through this whole bill (SB777) ...it is rather alarming. A serious wakeup call to Christians....now is NOT the time to sit idly by, merely calling yourself a Christian....now is the time to choose which side you stand on, and then stand! Stand strong! What can you do? How do you fight this darkness? It's not ours to fight.....God knew this was coming, He knows the hearts of man......now is the time to pull out the "big guns".......time for serious prayer and intercession! And thankfulness and praises that God is the God of eternity, that in the end HE WILL BE VICTORIOUS!!

Oh, just go read the article and the comments, and leave a comment of your own!

And if your armor is dusty and dented, get busy, get in the Word, and get that armor shined and ready!!!!!

GOD GAVE ME A VALENTINE...

...and it is my husband!!!!!!!!!! Things will start to fall into a routine around here, and then my Beloved Husband does something that again reminds me of the great miracle in our marriage!!!!!!!! (can you tell I'm excited? I know you're not supposed to use more than one '!', but I can barely contain myself!!)

This morning I got up to make my DH breakfast before he went to work. He never mentioned Valentine's Day at all, so I decided I would be happy with today no matter what happened. Well, I just got an email from him telling me Happy Valentine's Day and then told me to go look in the trunk of the car for a surprise. I went out to the garage in my jammies and slippers! And in the trunk I found a big heart-shaped box of chocolates and a big bottle of my favorite wine (Cafe' Zinfandel....wow!) I am so.....happy seems like such a limp word.....no, I know.....I feel so CHERISHED!!

So I've got a yummy pot roast going for dinner, I'll cook up a good dessert (maybe his favorite, apple pie) and I'm going to make him a card. This is an awesome man that God has blessed me with!!!!

Do you Yogi??

Don't panic, I'm talking about this:



Still lost?? It's yogurt!
A gallon of homemade yogurt!! I find, with the way my chickies like yogurt, this is the best and cheapest way to do it. And this is plain yogurt, but I also have a great way to flavor it (other than just mixing in something at the last minute). So I thought I'd share the recipe as this is VERY easy to make!

Update!! The following recipe makes 2 quarts so you'd have to double it for a gallon.

1 pkg unflavored gelatin (ya know, like Knox)
1/4 cup cold water
6 cups very warm water
3 cups powdered milk
1 can evap milk (which I didn't have this last time, so I just scalded 1 1/2 cups of milk instead)
1/4 cup yogurt (yeah, you have to have yogurt to make yogurt)

Put 1/4 cup water in small saucepan, sprinkle with gelatin, mix and slowly heat until gelatin has dissolved and mixture is just about to boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine powdered milk with 6 cups warm water and mix well (try to get out all the lumps...good luck!). In saucepan with gelatin mix, pour in evaporated milk and yogurt. Mix well, then pour into warm milk mixture. Mix gently, then set in a very warm place to set for 6-8 hours (I put it in my oven with the light on). That's it! Refrigerate before eating (unless you like really liquid yogurt!). Note that homemade yogurt is a bit "slimier" than storebought.

Now, for flavoring (and if you have picky people who are grossed out by the slimey yogurt). Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a large glass bowl. Pour a 4oz box of FLAVORED gelatin (one of our favorites is lime) into the water and mix until it is all dissolved. To this, add 3 cups of plain yogurt. Mix well, refrigerate. Later you will have a custard like yogurt to make any picky person happy!

Fellowship of Believers

Yesterday the Pink Princess and I finally made it to church. It had been 3 weeks in a row that we (as a family) had not been able to attend church (traveling for week 1, terrible flu bug for week 2, and lots of snow for week 3). So about Wednesday or Thursday of last week Big D started having terrible headaches and tummy aches; by Friday he had passed it along to Little D. NO FUN! And we were all so looking forward to church, we all really missed it. So Saturday I said, "I really need to go to church." Thankfully, my dear husband said, "Honey, I'll stay home with the boys, and if Pink Princess is okay, you girls can go." I have to admit, it was hard walking out on the boys, knowing how very much they missed it too, but it was so nice to go to the house of the Lord and worship with His family!

Last night, laying in bed and thinking about the day, I was so thankful for the blessing of a church family. We haven't been attending this church for very long, and it is a small church, but oh! the presence of God in that place!! I just can't get enough, I love being around people who are so 'sold out' for Christ! So many times people try to put God in a box, but this little group has a big, big God and they are not afraid to put everything on the line for Him. I love that, I need that!! Friends are a good thing, they're there through thick and thin.....but a family of believers....there's just something to that....like you can get recharged, refocused, refreshed.

It was wonderful yesterday, to be in this fellowship of believers who wholeheartedly believe in God and express it in an unstoppable joy. God knew exactly what I needed and found a way for me to be there, to recharge, refresh and refocus! Awesome!!

1 John 1:3:3 What we have seen and [ourselves] heard, we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And [this] fellowship that we have [which is a distinguishing mark of Christians] is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

Yummy Yogurt-Honey Muffins

I made these muffins this morning and they're good! Figured they're fairly healthy too, so thought I'd share the recipe (it's from my The 250 Best Muffin Recipes by Esther Brody).

Yogurt-Honey Muffins
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
pinch of cinnamon & nutmeg
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 cup raisins (didn't have, so I used chopped dates)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin.

In a bowl combine flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well. Make a well in the center.

In another bowl whisk together yogurt, honey, butter and egg. Pour into dry ingredients. Fold in raisins; stir just until moist and blended.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes.

Yummy!!! Enjoy!!!

Don't forget

to sign up for a giveaway at Praise and Coffee blog, and while you're there, be sure to stroll through her blog and be encouraged!! You can also sign up to have new posts sent to you by email....a great way to keep up with some great, heart-challenging posts!!

Blessings!

Flowers are Red

This is something to think about! It makes me sad when life is lived in a box.

Check it out

Go check out our first annual Snowman-a-Mania contest!!