1 cup of oats

1/2 cup maple sugar

4 tbsp cocoa

1/2 tsp of salt

1 1/2 tsp natural vanilla

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 egg whites

1 scoup protein powder

Heat oven to 350F.

Add oats, sugar, cocoa and salt in a bowl, stir until well mixed. In a measuring cup add wet ingredients, stir until well mixed. Pour contents of the measuring cup into the dry ingredient and stir until well mixed. Wrap the mixture from the bowl in ceran wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes until firm. (allow time for the oats to soak up the other ingredients)

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Scoup dough onto baking sheet and press down, forming small cookies. You should be able to make about 24 cookies. Bake for 1o minutes. Serve warm. These are amazing!!! Shout out to my amazing friend Michelle who originally found the recipe!

May you be blessed today as you serve your household and bring honor to your husband and children!

My kids love books! I am always looking for good literature for children. They enjoy sitting and listening while I read to them. Reading to our children is SO important, it teaches them many important life skills; how to sit, be still, how to listen and respond, how to focus, exercise concentration, patience and self-control. Reading and cultivating a love for books is a gift to any child.

We were given the book “The Treasure Tree” as a gift. (Thanks Grampie:) It is such a wonderful story that I wanted to recommend it to all my readers. I don’t want to give too much away but this book is a wholesome story about friendship and adventure. It teaches children about the importance of team work and the role that different personalities play in solving problems.

At the end of the book they have a checklist to help parents understand their children’s personalities. Being a therapist/counselor, I am already intrugied with personality, so it was nice to confirm my children’s personalities and begin the process of training them appreciate their giftings. It’s funny because we now realize that each member of our family are one of the 4 different personalities; I’m the Lion, Jim is the Retriever, Judah is the Beaver and Mercy is the Otter. (We haven’t figured baby Atirah our yet:) It has been fun to talk to the kids about their God-given personalities and how we can compliment and help eachother in life.

I highly recommend getting your hands on this book, you can order it on http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/175-0670130-0616841?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=The+Treasure+Tree. Dr Gary Smalley co-authored the book and also has many other personality books for adults and couples which shed a lot of light on relationships. Many of his books have been beneficial in our family and our marriage relationship.

Hope you enjoy the Treasure Tree as much as we have. It has truly been a treasure to our family!

I had the amazing opportunity to host a small dinner party recently for some very special friends and I decided that I wanted to try something new in the arena of flower decorating. On most occassions I just buy a bouquet of flower, put it in a jar and plop it in the middle of the table and it looks amazing. The only problem is that it is very costly ($24+) and I have to move it when everyone sits at the table because no one can see each other over the arragement. So I decided to get creative and try something new:)

Truth be told I always saw flower arragements in magazines and thought it would be very expensive and time consuming but I wanted to try it once…so I did.

I went out to a local flower shop and purchase a foam cube which is used by flower decorators to arrange flowers. I got two small bouquets of roses and hydragas and some green fillers for approx $12 and the cube cost $2, so for $14 dollars I was able to make three arrangements as well as a large vase to place of my island as an accent.

I went out into my backyard and cut off more greens from some evergreen shrubs and bushes to have a more filler which cost me nothing!

I found 3 small square vases and cut the cubes to fit. (You can use any old bowl, jar, or vase) I let the cubes sit in the sink to absorb water for about 20 minutes, once they were fully saturated I placed them in the vases and began to decorate them. I started off with all the greens and filled each vase with the height and fullness that I wanted. Then I added the roses and hydragas to complete the vases. It took me all of 10 minutes and I AM NOT A FLOWER GURU! They turned out amazing and it was much cheaper than purchasing a large pre-arranged bouquet.

It has been So simple and beautiful that now I get on-sale cut flower and make my own arragements. I put one on my island in the kitchen and one in the bathroom, it freshens things up and it LASTS for weeks! All you need to do is water the base and it will soak it up and keep watering the flowers.

I would encourage you to try it for yourself and see what you think, if you like flowers as much as I do I’m sure you’ll be blessed!

May you experience rest and joy in your home today. May the peace of God guard your heart and may His joy be your strength!

This recipe is a simple pizza crust, it takes about 5 minutes to mix and knead. Mercy loved kneading it with me today. We all love eating it, super healthy, fresh and way cheaper than buying them in the store!

Mercy freaking out at the thought of putting "bedgtables" on her pizza:)

I usually take it out at the end, slice up the pieces and then put them back in for 3 more minutes to make sure that the center is fully cooked! It is such a treat to have fresh crust. The kids don’t even complain about eating it because it doesn’t get really hard like the store-bought stuff.

Serve warm and enjoy!! (We like to eat it with smoothies and salad)

This new year has brought with is a deep longing to hear the voice of God. I am dreaming of a new level of mentorship and closeness with my God. I feel like I am being awakened to a new season of desperation and hunger for the Lord. I am not sure if it is because I feel more out of control of my life than ever before, or if my soul is just plain thirsty for Him, whatever it is I feel like my brokeness is making way for new levels of healing and wholeness in Him.

I can sense a new level of awareness of the presence of God as I sit in the silence of my home. In the evenings and afternoons when the children are quiet, I love to sit in the silence. There have been several nights this week when I just awaken and lie still in my bed and sense the Spirit of God with me. As I have been reflecting on a life that is completely consecrated to the Lord I have begun to realize that this is the true longing of my heart. To devote myself to God. I am choosing to hear His voice, obey His leading and focus on His words.

I am awakening to the reality of how much I have to be thankful. I have caught myself grumbling and complaining over the past couple days and have had to repent of my selfishness. I want to become increasingly aware of what is on the heart of God and find out how I am become part of the solution. I think often I try to complicate my destiny or purpose, when in reality it is right in front of me. I am called to be part of the solution to those who are troubled around me. God show me the opportunities that I can help others who needs  to be encouraged.

Who is troubled in your sphere of influence? How can you bring resolve or encouragement to them?

May you be awakened to the reality of who God is. May you embrace the opportunities right before you. My prayer is that we would all follow Him with our whole hearts, not seeking approval from man but from God himself. Lord make us more like you so that we can be an example to our children and those beautiful people you have place in oursphere of influence!

Be still, and know that I am God!

I will be honored by every nation.

I will be honored throughout the world.

Psalm 46:10 NLT

This verse in Psalms can be a challenge for us busy woman, wives amd mothers as we tend to the many needs of our husbands, jobs, studies, and little ones during the day. So many things are causing us to be anything but still! I have been challenged by the Lord to take whatever moments in the day that I get to sit in the stillness and know that HE is God. To be aware of how great he really is!

When I get these quiet times I am NOT to be on the phone or the computer, NOT reading emails, facebook, catching up on blog comments, NOT doing chores or striving to make my house look spotless, but giving myself the freedom to STOP and BE STILL! (At least for a few minutes each day). All the other things will always be there and I can get to them later. Being filled up by the presence of God keeps me going each day. The more of God I have in me, the better momma I am to my little ones and wife to my husband.

When was the last time you just sat in the stillness to know that He is God?

I think that many times we forget to read the entire verse of Psalm 46:10. We read the beginning; “Be still and know that I am God”, but the second part of the verse is equally as amazing; ”I will be honored in every nation, I will be honored throughout the world”. God is God. He is amazing and powerful. He is the reason we have breath in this moment. Be still and know Him. He WILL be honored by all nations and throughout the earth, let Him start to be honored in your heart today!

Honor Him today by recognizing Him in the moments of stillness. Believe, trust, and depend on His presence. May you be flooded with the knowledge of God today. May you be blessed beyond measure and may you truly know that He is God!

Naples sunset

As I sit here and reflect on this past year I am deeply grateful to the Lord for all he has done in our hearts and lives! 2011 has been a year of establishment and growth for our family. We have been challenged and changed because of the many blessings and trials we have encountered on this journey. The Lord has grated us the strength we needed during the hard time and given us peace to rest and enjoy the simple and beautiful moments along the way.

Here are some of the amazing memories that 2011 has left us with:

~ Moved into our new home!

Unpacking our entrance the day we moved in:)

~ Spent our first winter unpacking and getting settled, many renovations, and many long nights working on our new home!

~ Took a two week vacation in Naples, FL, visited Disney World and had a wonderful restful time as a family

Enjoying Florida!

~ Celebrated many Jewish feasts and festivals as a family and with our local church

~ Started a blog – A Simply Beautiful Life!

He loved snack as much as he loved playing soccar!

 ~ Judah started playing soccar which was a fun family event to go and cheer the little guy on:)

~ This summer we picked strawberries and enjoyed weekly vegetable shares from a local farm, it was delicious and fresh!

Heading out on the tractor to pick some berries!!

 ~ Enjoyed many family bonfires in our new backyard, we love having bush behind our home, it has provided us with many new adventures, such a blessing to us!

~ Welcomed our baby girl – Atirah Kaiya Prayse into the world on July 28th – what a gift she has been to our family!!!

Our little blessing from God

~ Jim was able to take a month off in the summer at the arrival of our baby and we spend some amazing time together

~ Built a deck on the back of our house and landscaped the yard

Helping daddy build the deck

~ Travelled to Ottawa to attend a nation wide day of prayer and fasting

~ Spent many afternoons swimming in Lake Nipissing

Ottawa Ontario

~ Enjoyed many walks while exploring treed trails near our home with the kids

~ Started homeschooling our son Judah

Playing in the pumpkins

~ Enjoyed a beautiful fall season here in Northern Ontario. We had fun in the pumpkin patch at Thanksgiving, reflecting on the many things we have to be thankful for!

~ Took the youth from the Harbour to an event in Hamilton Ontario called Acquire the Fire

We had SO much fun with all the leaves on our new property

~ Enjoyed the beautiful weather of fall and had a wondering time of Advent, preparing our hearts for the promised Messiah.

~ Had an amazing Christmas with friends and family. Enjoyed the first year of the gold, frankincense and myrrh gifts with our children.

Opening his frankincense gift on Christmas morning

~Brought in the new year with our wonderful friends The Weenings and their 4 children, we had a blast! (There were 7 kids, 6 years and under and it was incredible!)

Moving forward into 2012 we are hopeful and full of vision and purpose for the upcoming year. Jim and I have been able to sit and talk together about the upcoming year and we look forward to a year of intimacy and stillness before the Lord. We feel that we need to learn to seek the face of God, NOT for what he can give us or do for us but just simply to love Him and bless His heart.

Atirah in her favorite seat

“Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you” Matt 6:32-34. We believe that as we do this we will hear His voice and he will show us the will and desires of His heart for us. We are excited to spend time in prayer, worship and fasting.

We have had some time to refocus and revisit our finances, our goals, savings, insurance, givings and our time schedule for this upcoming year. It has been really amazing to look back and see how God and blessed us and then reassess our goals in these areas. We want to be WISE in every aspect of our lives. I am hopeful that we will walk in the center of His will for our lives and that new things are on the horizon for our family.

Left to right: Violet, Florey, Anabelle, Mercy, Judah, Atirah, and Sterling didnt make the picture:)

I feel as though I have grown a lot in the realm of motherhood. I have learned that I am NOT in control and that I need to ease up more to enjoy the simplicity of my children in this stage. I am looking forward to sharing more of my life, the good, the bad and the ugly, with all my blog friends in this upcoming year.

Pure Joy!

I believe that the Lord is going to speak and encourage us all in 2012. I believe the best is yet to come!

May you experience joy and peace today as you rest in His love!!

The Wilson Family 2011

We wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! If any of you are excited as our children are for Christmas then I am sure you are going to have an incredible time this year! I love having Christmas with kids, it makes all the memories that much more special! Over the next couple days we will be spending time with family and friends, celebrating the birth of our Savior! This is such an incredible time to stop and be still, to know that HE is God, that HE came in to the world in the form of a tiny little baby for US!

May you and your loved ones enjoy special time together this year. May your heart to be open to the fullness of Christ’s coming and may you be moved to respond to His call on your life.

May the Lord bless you and keep you,

May the Lord makes His face shine apon you, and be gracious to you,

May the Lord turn His face todays you, and give you peace!

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us by His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Chanukah

Every night of the 8 days we light one candle, say the blessing, and do a Hanukkah reading together about different aspects of light! Here are the verses that we will read over the course of Hanukkah this year!

1. The Lord is Our Light (Isa. 60:19)

2. The Word is Our Light (Ps. 119:105,130)

3. We Should be a Light to Others (Luke 11:33)

4. The Light of the Body is through the Eye (Luke 11:34)

5. The Messiah is the Light of the World (John 1:4-5, John 8:12)

6. Paul Saw the Light (Acts 26:12-18)

7. If Christ is Your Light, You are No Longer in the Darkness of this World (Eph 5:8-15, 1 Thess 5:4-6, 1 Peter 2:9)

8. We need to Shine as Light (Phil 2:14-16)

History of Hanukkah

Here is a short synopsis of the history behind this special occasion. Hanukkah is an annual festival of the Jewish people celebrated on eight successive days to honor the restoration of divine worship in the Temple as after it had been defiled. The biggest lesson of Hanukkah was the power of the spirit, the ability of God’s people to live by God’s commands…Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says that Lord (Zech 4:6)

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who brought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season

The dreidel is used to play games during Hanukkah, you can read online for instructions to play the game

Today we celebrate that Jesus is the light of the world and that through him we (his Temple), which was once desecrated is now in the processes of being refined, purified and consecrated for His works and purposes. Such an amazing picture of the Spirit’s work in our lives! Truly this is a miracle! Again it emphasizes the verse: ”Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says that Lord (Zech 4:6) We don’t need to do anything to fix ourselves or purify our own hearts, what freedom! Giving Him leadership over our lives, transfers the control to Him and He completely heals and restores us!

Star of David Craft

We did a fun craft today with the kiddos. It is a star of David craft and we hung them on the tree after wards. It was SO simple but fun for them because they could really participate in it. We also talked about the significance of the Star of David in Jesus’ birth and how it led the wisemen to Him.

1. We took 3 pipe cleaners each and folded them in half. We cut one in half and attached it to the other peices to form two triangles, I then twisted them together to form a star of David.

2. They each got to choose a color of ribbon and twirrled it around the star to decorate it. If I would have had them I think popsicle stick would have been fun to use because they could have coloured on them, however the pipe cleaners worked just fine.

3. Tie a bow at the top and we hung them on the tree (you can hang them where you want). They are cute, festive, and mess-free!

Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us by His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Chanukah

This year I wanted to do something a little different in the area of gift tags. I also wanted it to be afforable and special. I ended up getting custom picture gift tags made up. They were ordered online through Walmart, very afforable and they turned out amazing! The kids love them because we do a gift exchange with our cousins on my husbands side of the family and each cousin buys for another. The kids know which gifts they are giving to their cousins because their picture is on the tag! Once Christmas is over, the tags can be cut and a wallet size photo can be kept.

The first photo is the gift to my brother from our family. We wrote: To: Erik, Love Us! (and from the photo he would know who “us” is without us having to sign all our names- it made it easier!!) The second, is to “mormor” and “morfar” which is grandma and grandpa in Swedish from our little Atirah.

Blessings to you and your family today!!