Category Archives: Family

The Treasure Tree

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!

 

Reflections of 2011

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!!

Christmas Blessings From Our Home to Yours!

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!

Holiday Photo Gift Tags

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!!

Shepherding our flocks

Photo Credit: Expressions Photography

I have been thinking alot about shepherds these days. I’m not sure why, perhaps it’s because we have been watching the Nativity Story and the shepherds are highlighted several times in the movie. Or, it could be that I was blessed with incredible insight from a good friend of mine, Jenilee, about a week ago on shepherding our children. Either way the concept of shepherding has been on my heart!

As I sit here this afternoon all I can think about is how tired I am. All three of my children have been sick for the past 24hrs and I am exhausted. Moments like these really take a toll on me emotionally. I often begin to doubt my mothering abilities and start to become frustrated with my children and our present “sickly” situation. Thankfully the Lord has been gracious to me and has given me the strength that I asked for. Much like a shepherd I am taking care of my flock, through the good the bad and the ugly.

Since becoming a mommy it has been a real challenge to find time to be with the Lord in the midst of my daily happenings. Especially when the kids are sick, I feel like I am constantly running from child to child, wipping noses, changing diapers and washing my hands in between. I am humbled and lowly. I feel like I am serving their bodily functions all day long! What purpose is there?

My dear friend Jenilee inquired of the Lord about this and this is what He told her, I believe that this word is for all mothers out there. “David was a shepherd, as you are.  He shepherded sheep, you shepherd your children.  He may have wanted to close his eyes and get lost in hours of blissful worship, as you do, but he couldn’t afford that.  He had many little sheep that needed constant attention.  He had to bring them to water, bring them to food, keep them corralled, chase them down when they wandered, keep a constant eye out for wolves, bears, lions, and then kill the beasts when they challenged the safety of his lambs…. much like you do.  You have to feed and nurture your children, keep them in safe places, watch constantly that the enemy is not attempting to prey on them, and then you must stand up against the enemy when he dares to touch your child.  You must constantly be alert, as a shepherd.  There are moments of quiet, but even in those moments of quiet, you are watching, listening, caring.  Just like my servant David.  Yet, he took the moments of love.  He sang while he watched.  He listened to my voice, while he scanned the herd for wandering sheep.  He drew on my strength and wisdom when he fought beasts.  He grew to know me, though his times with me did not look much like what you used to experience, yet he knew me and sought my heart, even amidst the distractions, the constant watching and tending.  And, though shepherding was a very simple job to the outside eye, I saw what it created inside him, and I saw him worthy to be established as a king.  You will shepherd children for many years, and it may feel somewhat aimless at times, and even like you’re giving up much of your greatest potential in order to just wipe noses or scrub behind ears, and it may feel that there is greatness within you just lying there, waiting, untapped.  Yet, at the right moment, those years of faithfulness and commitment and care are laying a foundation for you to step into the “kingship” seasons that you sense reside quietly inside.  When you feel your parenthood is an obstacle, the menial tasks of raising children “pointless”, remember my servant David, and continue on in your faithfulness, encouraged that it is not a waste, it is not fruitless, it is not wasting an ounce of what I’ve placed in you.   The greatest king of Israel spent the majority of his life raising sheep… and yet he made a great king of Israel because he seized the moments of love when they were available and allowed me to build him into a King.”

Photo Credit: Liz Lott, Snapdragon Photography

The great King David, written about in the Bible, was a shepherd before he became king of Israel. He would sit in the fields and take care of his sheep ALL DAY LONG FOR YEARS! He would fight off bears, bring back lost sheep, carry sheep that were sick, get them food, water and lead them all day long. Although he looked like a young boy, God was working in his life and training him to fulfill this destinee! After years of his service to sheep God saw fit to promote him to become a King! The King over Israel, a people whom God loved and cared for. Not only was he a king but he was also called “a man after God’s own heart”. How did this happen? From a pasture to a palace?

Photo Credit: Sara Crowe, Sara Naomi Photography

I am convinced that something happens to a person when they are put in a position of “shepherding” a flock.  When we are shepherds we become lowly and humble. We realize there there is nothing in ourelves that is worthy to serve, it is a priveledge and an honour. When we give ourselves completely to the life of another individual and expect nothing in return our heart and character is exercised! Embracing shepherdhood allows us to become all that God intended us to be! Humble, kind, generous, sacrificial, loving, forgiving, patient and the list goes on. Essentially we become more like Christ, the good Shepherd. He is the one who shepherds us on our journey and teaches us how to love others. What an amazing man He was and what an incredible example He left for us through his life.

My children are my flock in this stage of my life. God knows what I can handle. He knows when I am weary and tired. When I feel like I want to give up. Shepherding my kids is the most difficult job on the planet because it constantly tests my heart motives and character. Mommas are dealing with sickness and heart issues, with selfish toddlers and crying babies, these little people who do not know how to give back at this point in their young lives. I hope and pray that through the example I live as I shepherd them that they too will desire to be people to give of themselves daily to meet the needs of others. No matter what happens everything I do is unto the Lord, as I follow him, my children will follow me.

Photo Credit: Liz Lott, Snapdragon Photography

Who is your flock? How are you doing at shepherding them? I believe that all shepherds will be rewarded in this life or in the life to come. Think of the lowly shepherds living outside of Bethlehem, God sent an angel to them to announce that their savior was born, that is a pretty big deal considering that they were considered social outcasts in those days. God does not overlook anyone! King David was a shepherd who was overlooked by his own father and brothers. He became the great king of Israel and a man after God’s own heart. I am encouraged that one day I will see the fruit of my labour. That these tiny children who are coughing and sneezing all over me today will grow to be mighty servant of the Lord.

May you experience peace and rest as you shepherd your flock today!

Loving our Husbands

I’m SO thankful for the gift of marriage. My husband and I have been married for 7 1/2 years now and I can honestly say that it is a relationship matched by no other. He is my best friend. Our relationship has taught me SO much about myself. If you want to learn first-hand about selflessness, grace, kindness, justice, forgiveness, humility, mercy, love, joy, peace and patience…get married!:)

I remember in our early days of marriage we would spend ALL our time doing pretty much whatever we wanted to do. Date nights, movies, candlelite dinners, weekend getaways, we backpacked through Europe for 6 weeks, travelled to the States on several occassions as I was finishing up my degree, we were spontaneous and free! Then the Lord brought us into the season on being parents……

After we had our first child life wasn’t that different, our son was kind of like an accessory that we took with us wherever we went. But then we had another and another, and now with 3 children the dynamics of our home have drastically changed! The dynamics of our relationship have changed as well and I have learned alot over the past 4 1/2 years with having children.

I have realized that not only am I called to serve my children but even more importantly I am called to serve my husband. To love him and nurture him as well. As a mommy I can get overwhelmed and consumed with the immediate and urgent needs of my kids and sometimes overlook my poor hubby:( He is so gracious and kind, not demanding of his own needs but continuing to give and serve our family. He is an amazing provider. He works harder than any man I know.

We, as wives, need to recognize that, just like our children, our husbands have emotionaly and physical needs that we need to tend to. We need to make our husbands a priority. It is pretty easy to continue to take care of our kids and households and neglect our husbands. However when we do this, they suffer, we suffer and eventually our kids will suffer. I believe that if we do not make time for each other we can put a wedge in our relationship and eventually we can grow apart. How sad would it be to get to the end of our lives and realize that we grew apart in the midst of a life that we both wanted? I am challenged to remember that the Lord is first priority in my life, second is my husband and third are my children.

Do you know your husbands love language? When we did premarital counseling before our wedding we read a book together called the 5 Love Languages (www.5lovelanguages.com), it helped us to overstand how we give and receive love, I challenge you to read it together! It has taught me how to express my love to my husband in a way that he can understand and receive.

Jim and I have been challenged to make our relationship a priority. We have learned that the only way we can do this is to plan for it! We have intentionally put things in place to make sure that this happens. Here is a list of a couple things we do to safeguard our relationship and invest our time wisely.

1. We have a date night twice a month, no kids allowed, just the two of us. (Minimum of 2 hours away – sometimes I bring the baby because she is still nursing but she usually sleeps)

2. We put our kids to bed at 8:30pm every night so that we have a couple hours to talk and spend together before we go to bed. We try to read together or talk about our days. (If you don’t have kids you might think establishing a bed time is not necessary, let me tell you from experience, IT IS!)

3. We have chosen to spend one night a week playing a board game together, rather than watching the TV, interacting on some type of social media, or reponding to emails.It helps us to engage, laugh and connect on a lighter level. (Remember TV can be a time stealer, you can both sit in front of the TV for hours and not even talk to each other!)

4. We have 15 minute talk time. Either before or after dinner we tell our kids that mommy and daddy need uninterrupted talk time and we spend this time catching up on our daily events, its nice to have eachothers undivided attention, it ends up feeling longer than 15 minutes:)

We have found that these simple events keep us connected and allow us time to experience life together. Even in the midst of whinny toddlers, poopy diapers, tantrums, time-outs, and being extremely over tired we are madly in love! We are continuing to grow together and learning to love eachother more each day. I challenge you no matter what your situation is to take time for your relationship when you can. The moments may be few and far between but seize the one you get, they are worth it!

Marriages are the foundation of our families. If the foundation crumbles the whole house will fall. I encourage you to build a strong foundation and continue to build it as your household grows. A house is only as strong as its foundation! Take the time, it’s well worth your investment!

May we ALL honor the Lord with our marriages today!!

The Joys of Juicing!!

At the beginning of November we dusted off the old juicer and decided to start using it again on a daily basis. I bought some bulk fruit and veggies; carrots, celery, apples and oranges and started juicing every day with our kids. It has been really fun to allow the kids to help me and to watch them really enjoy the different flavours of juices that we make together.

Their favorite juice is Apple/Orange/Carrot juice, its sweet and filled with goodness (recipe below). I also put 5 drops of children’s probiotics into the juice each day so that they are getting a regular probiotic, as we do not consume yogurt or other dairy products which sometime have probiotics in them.

Juicing provides vital nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals for our bodies to repair themselves, it also helps strengthen the immune system which is beneficial in these days when flus and other colds run rampant.

  • Juicing unlocking nutrients in raw foods. Fiber is locked into many vegetables and fruits and the potential benefit of the fiber is lost as the digestive system does not unlock it. Juicing releases the fiber’s nutrition so that benefit may be realized.
  • Normally we do not consume peelings, seeds and pits of fruits and vegetables. These parts are a rich source of vital nutrients we normally throw away. A good quality juicer extracts juice from the whole veggie or fruit, including peelings, pits and seeds to provide vitamin and minerals that would otherwise be lost. I have also decided to keep the pulp that our juicer spits out and we make muffins and loafs with the leftovers:)
  • Heat kills live enzymes. A quality juicer minimizes heat in order to preserve the most live enzymes possible.
  • Juice is an excellent snack or meal replacement.
  • Antioxidant effects of juices help detoxify your body and help you eliminate the toxins, fats, preservatives and chemicals that a diet of processed foods leave behind in your body.
  • The most readily digestible or absorbable form of foods, not to mention the most concentrated form, is juice. Juicing makes foods easy to digest and thus, easier for the body to receive maximum benefit from the source food.
  • Making your own juices allows you to make any combination of fruits or vegetables that you choose into juice – and you know what’s in it, unlike produce on the supermarket shelves.

I recieved a Champion Juicer (www.championjuicer.com) for Christmas two years ago and it has been amazing. Check out their website for more details.

Here are a couple of recipes for simple juices.

Apple/Carrot/Orange Juice = 2 apples + 2 oranges + 2 carrots

Apple-Strawberry Drink = 5-6 apples + 1 cup strawberries

Pineapple Drink = 1/3 pinapple + 1 carrot + 1 apple + 1 stalk of celery

Pear Drink = 1 pear + 2 apples + 4 oranges + 1 grapefruit

The possibilities are endless and you can make an combination of fruits and veggies that you like. My kids love apples so in all the juices we always include apples. If you like tomatoes juices you can make them as well to make a natural V8 juice without the added sodium. V8 Juice = 5-6 carrots + 1 beet + 3 tomatoes + 1 bunch of spinach + 1 red bell pepper + 1 celery stalk + pinch of sea salt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making these juices together has really reminded me of the importance of teaching my children by example. I have been able to explain to them how there are natural sugars in fruits that are good for us rather than the added sugars that we find in juice boxes and such. (We do drink juice boxes, but only as treats) And on another level I have realized that my kids learn more by my actions than by what I say. When I get them involved and we are hands on together it teaches them more than if I just do everything for them. So I encourage you to do things together and let them have the experience. It is definitely more time consuming and messy but I trust that it is worth the investment!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparing for Advent

One family activity that we do every year around this time of year is Advent. Advent can take many forms and can be done in SO many creative ways. In our home, during this season of having small children, we have a fun advent activity tree that we do every day starting on December 1st leading up to Christmas eve. Included in each insert on the tree is a scripture verse of the Christmas story and a small gift. Every other day Judah and Mercy take turns opening the advent numbers.

We do verses from Luke 1:26 to Luke 2:11 throughout the month of December. In the past we have pasted them on the wall or fridge and on Christmas eve we read the entire story together as a family. This year we are going to put them on paper, let the kids draw a picture of the story and we will make an advent book to read together. (Plus it will be a fun memory for me when they get older)

We also include a small gift, and when I say small I mean it. I have wrapped several little things that are fun to open but are necessities that the kids will use. They are colour coded and one of them is placed in the insert each day. (If I put them all out they would be opened for sure! – we are working on self-control:) I have included things such as; a tooth brush, playdough, art supplies, colouring books, hair bows, trail mix, a veggie tales DVD’s, pencils, stickers, etc. These are all things that could be found in a stocking but rather than being overwhelmed on Christmas with a bunch of stocking stuffers we do one per child, every other day, leading up to Christmas.

The most special part of Advent is that we get to explore the entire story of Christmas as well as ponder it for the whole month. It prepares our hearts to recieve the revelation of Christ and the beauty and mystery of His birth. It allows the kids to take it all in and to learn the remarkable the events leading up to His birth. We are excited for tomorrow as it marks the first day of our advent activities.

May to experience the awe and wonder of the birth of our savior!

Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

I had the opportunity to hear about a fun, family-focused way of giving gifts to our children this year. My friend Jenn shared a link with me on facebook and after reading it, my husband and I were confident that this was the approach on gift-giving that we were going to take with our family this year, and now I want to share it with all of you.

From previous blogs you have likely understood that I am not really into the whole materialistic idea that often accompanies Christmas is our Western world. The greed and hoarding that comes with this season is NOT something that I want to impart to my children. In fact, I want the opposite to be true; I want us to realize that giving is the greatest joy of this season and that God gave His son to us and commands us to give to others with the same spirit of generosity!

I received the following ideas from www.kyria.com and would encourage you to check out the website if you are interested as they have more detail on the site. I have shortened it down and explained it below.

The three wisemen brought Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Each of these gifts had significance and each had a specific meaning to the life of Christ. In the same way, we as a family will be giving gifts of “gold”, “frankincense” and “myrrh” to one another this Christmas.

1. Gold– in the times when Jesus was born gold was even more valuable than it is today. It was a gift that was given to a king or someone of kingly authority. Jesus received these gifts from the wise men, because He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. The “gold” present given should be something of great importance to suggest how valuable your child is to your family. Gold gifts often end up being our most expensive/valuable presents. For example, a gold gift might be the bicycle a child has been dreaming about, a doll house, an ipod, or a piece of jewelry that seems appropriate. I am going to wrap our gold gifts in gold wrapping paper.

2. Frankincense – another gift that was given to Jesus was the gift of frankincense. Frankincense is known for its antiseptic, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. No wonder people in ancient times begged for it. It was probably one of the ancient world’s first “cure-all” medicines, healing everything from infections to headaches. It was a sacred substance. God commanded the Israelites to place frankincense in front of the Tent of Meeting to scent the place where he had promised to meet with them. Years after that temple was destroyed, God sent his own Son, Jesus, to be a symbolic “Tent of Meeting” for all people. The wise men brought frankincense as a gift for Mary’s baby. Jesus had become our Emmanuel: God with us. Your child’s “frankincense” gift should correspond with the way he “meets” with God. It should be somewhat of a spiritually challenging gift. For example, a new study Bible, teaching series, a devotional book, a journal, or worship CD. I got our children a BOZ the Bear DVD and a Hillsond worship DVD.  I am going to wrap the frankincense presents with bright white shiny paper with white bows to represent the sacred white incense that Jesus received.

3. Myrrh – rather than being white, myrrh is a dark, earthy color and has a rich aroma. In ancient times myrrh was used for anointing oils, perfumes, and embalming liquids. Today you can still find myrrh added to some soaps, oils, and lotions. Interestingly enough, the wisemen gave the gift of myrrh to Jesus, it  might have seemed strange that they gave embalming liquid as a baby gift but at the time they did not know that He would die on the cross for our sins and rise 3 days later!!! How amazing! As a family we are going to remember the amazing sacrifice that Christ made for us. “Myrrh” gifts for our chidlren are presents that “anoint” their bodies. For example, you might give scented bath soaps, perfume or cologne, lotion, or shampoo. For younger children, choose colorful bath bubbles or playful tub soaps. To stretch your options a little farther, consider buying combs, hair products, comfy towels, or even make-up if it’s age appropriate. The wrapping for this gift can be with earth-toned paper to represent myrrh’s rich dark color. I am going to use a blue wrapping paper simply because that is what I have.

Rememeber simplicity is what it is all about. Don’t feel the need to go out and buy all sorts of colourful papers, that is NOT the point, you can use what you have to keep it simple and beautiful at the same time. I am hoping one year once my kids get a little older to make our own wrapping paper to save on the costs. I also wanted to one year cut all of our leftover paper into smaller pieces and connect them to make collage paper for our gifts:)

We have experienced Christmases in the past where the kids are just SO overwhelmed with so many presents that they don’t really know what to do or who to thank for what. It is chaotic and I feel like they are not even able to appreciate the gifts they have recieved. Hopefully this year will be different and they will be surprised and thankful for their 3 gifts also realizing their importance and significance in their lives.

May you and your family experience the JOY of giving this Christmas!

Preparing for Christmas

Over the past month I have been working on preparing my home and heart to slow down and enjoy the days leading up to Christmas. Even though Christmas is still a month away I have been challenged to prepare early so that our family can really enjoy the season and prepare our hearts to focus on Jesus and the celebration of His LIFE! The Lord has been prompting me to remember Him in all seasons of life and as a result it has been fun to prepare ahead of time for Christmas.

I have decided this year that I am rebelling against the spirit of materialism and greed during this season. I am choosing not to be rushed, stressed, busy, or financially burdened. I prayed and asked the Lord to show me creative ways to bless the people in my life and He did! I purchased gifts that are truly meaningful and necessary for people rather than out of obligation…AND I have purchased them in advance. I am all done my Christmas shopping for this year! (I just need to print a few pictures for family gifts). I have never done anything like this before, usually I wait until much later and I find the whole shopping experience to be stressful and financially disorganized. Now that I am done so far in advance I feel really excited about everything that I bought and I am looking forward to blessing others with it.

I am hoping to start wrapping this weekend and then kick back and enjoy the month of December!  At this time last year we had just moved into our home so it was a bit chaotic but this year it’s going to be much different!

I love some of the special family traditions we share during this season. Our “tree” advent calander, Christmas baking, gingerbread houses, decorating the tree, making Jesus’s birthday cake, ice skating, watching “Home Alone” and “Elf”, listening to Rita McNeil (it’s a childhood memory that I still hold onto:). I love listening to Christmas music, it is so calming and reflective during this time. We actually just got an amazing NEW christmas CD put out by my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Sean and Aimee Dayton, it’s called; A Living Room Christmas – it’s amazing and highly recommended. If you are interested check out their website at www.seandayton.com

I was thinking about starting some new traditions this year as well. I want to take time each week as a family and sit by the fire and remember all the blessings that we have had over the past year. I really want my children to get a picture of the importance and blessing of a Christ-centered life. I think as we begin to reflect together it will become evident that God has had His hand on our life throughout the past year. I would also like to start a large puzzle together and leave it set up on the dining room table so we can pick away at it over the holidays (We all LOVE puzzles). Once our children get older I think it would be fun to go out to a tree farm and get our own Christmas tree but for now we go to Home depot:) (They actually have beautiful and afforable trees).

My challenge to you this year is:

1. Plan your time wisely. Don’t let the hustle and bustle of the season steal the true joy that comes from slowing down and celebrating the birth of our Saviour. Sometimes you may need to say “no” to different events and invitations because they will steal your time.

2. Don’t let the spirit of materialism discourage you or burden you financially. Ask God to give you afforable ideas for gifts and He will show you ways to bless others. He is wise with finances:)

3. Make memories with your family. Bundle up and head outside for a walk, make snow angels, decorate your tree together, bake; whatever you do, do it TOGETHER!

4. Remember the greatest gift that God ever gave…His Son. Let you heart soak up the reality that you are worth SO much to God that He gave you His most valuable gift.

As you prepare for this holiday season may you experience the joy that comes from preparing your heart and your home so that you can recieve the greatest gift ever given – Jesus Christ!