Christmas Blessings!

I cannot believe that it is already December! The days have been flying by at our house. We have been having a wonderful time adjusting to life with a new little one:) I have unfortunately not been able to write in my blog as much as I would like to…but now that life seems to be normalizing I am hoping to begin again soon!

Praying that the Lord would bless you and your families during this season!

I’m Back!!

After what felt like a VERY long season of sabbatical from my blog I finally feel released to get back at it and start blogging again!

It has been a busy and challenging past 6 months of my life, I have been stretched physically, emotionally and spiritually. My life has basically been flipped upside down. I have grown and learned a lot and I look forward to sharing many of these life lessons!

So this post is going to be short and sweet…and speaking of sweet here is the newest and VERY sweet addition to our family!!

Eliyah Grace Wilson

Looking forward to posting again very soon!!

Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade

I decided to try this recipe because I wanted to get rid of some frozen strawberries and rhubarb I had been left over in my freezer from last summer. Turned out, it was a hit and everyone in the family loved it! The strawberries gave it a natural sweetness and the rhubarb was slightly tart so it was a nice combo. (We added a bit of honey at the end to taste). It was very simple and hardly took anytime to make. Here is the recipe, hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen strawberries
2 cups frozen rhubarb
8 cups of water
1 lemon, sliced
Maple sugar or honey to sweeten

Instructions:
In a large saucepan bring strawberries, rhubarb and water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Strain the juice into a pitcher making sure that no chunks of strawberry or rhubarb get into the pitcher. Cut up the lemon and add to the pitcher, add honey or maple sugar to sweeten. Put in the fridge and chill for 4 hours. If it is too concentrated just add more water and if it is too bland use less water next time. Enjoy!!!

Seeds of Encouragement

I’m not sure what tires me out more being 23 weeks pregnant or having three little ones running around. I feel like I have been dragging myself around lately. My brain is on overdrive, my body can’t keep up and I find it difficult to keep my eyes open if I sit down for more than 2 seconds:) Can anyone out there relate?

The other day my 4 year old said “mommy do you want me to brush your hair, it looks really messy? Maybe you should put on a dress, your shirt is not very fashion”. Lol, there you have it, my 4 year old brushed my hair and got me dressed. How incredibly humbling!!

Because of my exhausted state, over past few days I have also made a point to have peaceful worship music on in the house, it seems to help lift my Spirit when I feel tired and dry. I have been crying out to the Lord (out loud); asking for help, expressing my heart, and confessing my desperation for Him in this season. Judah asked me yesterday “Mom, is everything ok”? “Yes” I replied, “why?”. He looked at me and said “you ask God for a lot of help.” Well, that is the truth and he is very observant! I am thankful that he sees my desperation and it humbles to continually confess to my 6 year old my need for the Lord.

It always amazes me how pride wants to creep in and tell us that we need to be independent, that we shouldn’t ask for help and that fearing man is more important than fearing the Lord. It says that we need to have every together, and it points to our identity as being flawed if we do not have all our ducks in a row. Thankfully over the past few years I have been able to recognize this prideful voice and ignore it when it comes calling. As godly women, wives and mothers we need to remain humble. I have found that positioning myself to remain humble provides fertile ground for seeds of encouragement to be sown. When we are prideful the soil of our heart is hard and it is difficult to plant anything in tough soil.

I have watched the Lord sow seeds of encouragement into my heart over the past few weeks as I have felt tired and broken. It reminds me of the kindling that you add to a fire to keep it burning. I see Him adding small words, actions and deeds from others to keep me going. I trust that He knows what I need, if too much kindling is added to a fire too fast, it burns dangerously fast and hot and then dies out and if not enough is added it dies out immediately. It is important to add just the right amount at the right time to sustain a warm enjoyable fire. I beleieve that He does that in our lives too.

What areas are you needing encouragement these days? Are you children able to see you in a place of brokeness before the Lord? It is important that our kids see us as human beings, not just supermom’s! They need to know that we have real feelings and real needs just like they do. This keeps us humble and it keeps them considerate. Being real and vulnerable with eachother strengthens our relationships and it promotes, healing, forgiveness and freedom!

May you be strengthen and encouraged today as you continue to burn for Him!

Happy Birthday Mercy

I wanted to post birthday wishes to my beautiful little girl today as I am so overwhelmed with love for her! Having a daughter is truly a gift from God. I learn so many lessons from watching her interact with others as I can see myself in her. I feel like the Lord speaks to me in such deep and profound ways as I watch her grow.I love her beyond words. I believe this is the same love that the Father feels towards me.

There are so many emotions that arise today as I celebrate the birth and life of my Mercy. As many of you know she has an older brother so when we recieved news that we were pregnant for the second time I was really hoping for a little girl.I had always dreamed of her but at the same time had struggled with thoughts of raising a daughter. I struggled with wondering if I was good enough. I doubted much of my identity and felt very insecure at the time. I was afraid that I wouldnt be able to give her what she needed to grow into a strong confident woman one day. I felt like all of my insecurities, self-doubts, shame and fears surfaced as I prepared to welcome her into the world. It was her birth and life that actually allowed me to find freedom from many of these dark thoughts and deep struggles that lay dormant in my Spirit.

God has mercy on me, as His kindness lead me to repentence. I began to realize that He is my source of strength and identity and He would provide me with everything I needed to raise this little girl.

Her life is a daily reminder of the freedom and deliverance that God has brought into my life. The mercy of the Lord was truly evident during this season of my life, part of the reason why we named her Mercy in the first place. So I bless her today, may her life continue to be light to lead others out of darkness for His honor and glory.

Nobody loves you like I do!

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Garden Basics – Part 1

Starting Indoors

I have had many reader ask about gardening and strategies for veggie gardens. While I am not a pro gardener I do enjoy it and have learn a lot over the past 8 years of having a veggie garden. I apologize to those of you who asked me for the delayed response. I admit that since the weather has been extremely warm I have been neglecting my blog because I have been enjoying every minute outdoors. This gorgeous weather is well deserved after the LONG winter we all endured! 🙂

I started many of my veggie seeds about 3 weeks ago now, I started them inside so that I can allow the plants a longer time to grow so their season will be increased. Living in Northern Ontario only allows for a short growing season. Planting indoors helps to extend that season! I planted many of the veggies that take a longer time to grow (red peppers, tomatoes, brochali, celery, etc). It is amazing how much they grow indoors and I am looking forward to trandplanting them outside in a few weeks! I keep them indoors at night and bring them out during the day to get plenty of sunshine. Many of the other seeds can be sown directly outside into the garden because they grow quickly.

TO START VEGGIES INDOORS
1. All you need to do is: some small pots, or cups, or trays, even cracked egg shells work, organic chemical-free potting soil and seeds. I ordered my heirloom seeds http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heirloom_plant from a wonderful place in southern Ontario called the Cottage Gardener. Check out their website: http://www.cottagegardener.com
2. Fill the containers with soil.
3. Plant one seed in each section and water.
4. Label each section so you know what you are growing:)
5. Water every day and give plenty of light.
6. Within a couple days you will start to see them spout. Once they get too big for the container transplant them into a bigger container OR if the weather permits transplant them outdoors. It is that SIMPLE!

I also started my herbs so that my herb garden will be usable all summer and we will have fresh herbs to add to our cooking. Last year I got a dehydrator which I plan on useing for any excess herbs, as many of your know some herbs spread like crazy and we just can keep up with the growth. Rather than wasting them we dehydrate them and use them in the winter time.

Feel free to post any questions for comments, I’d also love to see pictures of your garden starters!! I will post again soon the second part of this blog which will discuss outdoors garden, plants, soil quality and the importance of planting specific plants in certain areas of your gardens.
May you enjoy these sunny day. May you be blesses as you watch God’s creation grow and produce an amazing harvest!!!!

Coconut Granola

Tried this again tonight with our homemade maple syrup, SO GOOD!!

Passion for Family

Here is another recipe that seems to satisfy my obession with coconut:) It is delicious, I eat it with rice milk for breakfast.

Ingredients:

1 cup almonds

1 cup walnut pieces

1 cup pecans

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup ground flax

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup currants, raisins, cranberries (assorted depending on what you like)

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except the currant/raisins and cranberries. spread out mixture on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 300F for 30-40 minutes or until it has reached your desired “crunchiness”:) Be sure to stir a couple times to avoid burning. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then mix in the raisins. Store in an air tight container, it keep for about 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

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Grace to Grow

I heard a quote the other day that summed up what God had been teaching me over the past couple of days. Joel Osteen said this; “Give people room to be who God made them to be. If God wanted us to all look, think & act alike, He would have made us that way.” I often face this challenge with my own children. Some of them are really good at one thing while others are good at something else. I find myself comparing them to each other in my mind and hoping that they will just act the way I want them to.

The Lord has really been teaching me in those moments to stop and think about who He made them to be. They are ALL very different and beautifully unique. They all have strengths and weaknesses and it is my job to help them develop into the individual that He created them to be, NOT who I want them to be! There is a BIG difference. I need to give them grace to grow and room to develop their unique abilities.

I would challenge you this week to embrace the differences and unique strengths that each of your children have. Be thankful for who God is making them to be and recognize that they were not created to be like each other. I think that if, as parents, we can teach them this, then they will feel confident as they grow up to explore their God-given identity.

The Lord commands us to love Him will all our hearts, souls, minds and strength, and to love others as we love ourselves. (Matthew 28) I believe that each family and member of that family will express this love in different ways. If we all make that our mission and give eachother room to grow then we will revolutionize the world!!

May you be blessed as you watch the unqiue characters and traits in your family come alive today!

Cashew Almond Butter

In the past, I have made almond butter which I enjoyed but sometimes found it rather dry and bland. I haven’t been able to stomach peanut butter lately because of my pregnancy but I have been craving toast with some kind of spread. So I decided to try something different this time, made almond butter with raw cashews! It was simple, quick and more cost effective than buying it in the store. It is amazing on homemade bread or toast, I actually could eat it by the spoonful;)

Ingredients:
1 cup Raw Cashews
2 cups Raw Almonds
Water

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Lay out the cashews and almonds on a baking sheet.

3. Bake for 15 minutes. Be sure to stir once or twice so that they do not burn.

4. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

5. Place in the food processor and blend for 6-8 minutes or until they turn into butter. If you want it to be more liquidy you could add some water.

6. Label and place in a mason jar and store in the fridge.

Enjoy!!

Leek and Potato Soup

One of my favorite things on a cool rainy day is a warm bowl soup. This recipe is amazing, it is meat free and dairy free but the consitency is very creamy. It is simple and quick to prep. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do:)

Ingredients:
1 lbs leeks, choppped (3 medium leek)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb baking potatoes, peeled and chopped in cubes
4 cups homemade veggie stock
tsp sea salt

Directions:
In a sauce pan combine the olive oil and leeks. Cook on low heat until the leeks are browned. (Make sure when you chop up the leeks to include even the dark green parts at the ends – they add more flavor). Once the leeks are cooked, add the potatoes and allow to cook with the lid on for a few minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Use an immersion blender and blend the soup until smooth. You can add more or less broth depending on how thick you like your soup. Add sea salt to taste and serve warm!!

Enjoy!