Category Archives: homemaking

our time and devotion

 

Over the past couple weeks the Lord has taken me on a journey to search my heart. I have been challenged to be honest with myself about where I spend my time and affection. I have realized that devotion to something or someone is directly related to the amount of time spent with that something or someone. The word “worship” is defined as; showing profound respect, or adoration to, to dedicate and give devotion to, to give honor, homage, and reverance to that which is considered sacred. Worship is something that we all do.

We were all  created to become like what we worship. If we worship God we become like God. If we worship food we become fat. If we worship alcohol we become an alcoholic. If we worship work we become a workaholic. If we worship ourselves we become selffish. If we worship money we become greedy. We bow down to whatever consumes our time, energy and resources!

Who or what do you worship? Where do you spend your time and energy?

Take some time to survey your life and ask the Lord if there are things that are taking your time, energy, and affection…I don’t know about you, but after meditating of the idea that we become like what we worship it makes me long to spend time ALL MY TIME with the Lord. I want to become more like Him. I heard a quote today that summed up this concept perfectly; “We must become transparent vessels. A transparent vessel brings no glory to itself, but it glorifies what it contains” John Bevere

May you bring glory to God today. May you become more like Him as you spend time in His presence and worship Him alone!

A NEW Year

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Well, if timing is any indication of me being on top of things the fact that I am writing my first blog of the NEW YEAR on January 22nd tells you a bit about the fullness of my life in 2013!! I had actually been seeking the Lord at the beginning of this year asking Him what His heart is on my blog as it is something I enjoy but it is also a difficult venture at my stage in life. I did feel like He said to go ahead whenever I am able to post but that I need to remove my sel- inflicted expectations that I can post every other day:( So I am going to do my best and pray for LOTS of GRACE!!

My husband and I started out this year travelling down south to experience a week of inner healing as a couple. It was an incredibly unifying experience and I am so thankful for that opportunity. The Lord spoke to us and healed our hearts of so many different issues. God is so good and His desires is for US!!

I feel like God has a lot in store for us in this new year as we seek to serve Him with our whole hearts and offer our bodies and families as living sacrifices before Him! We are excited for all that the Lord is going to do in our lives!!

May you experience God’s best in 2013!!

 

Winter Wonderland

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Today we got TONS of snow, we have shoveled the driveway multiple times and the kids have been out playing in the snow all morning! It has been such a blessing. When I look out our back window it looks like a WINTER WONDERLAND:)

Emotion floods my heart as fond memories of my childrenhood flash through my mind when I see all the snow. Thoughts of Christmas warm my senses as I ponder the nights leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

May you enjoy a cozy day with your wonderful family!! Make time to be still and know that He is God for His glory. As you think about the coming of our Saviour, be thankful for all that His life represents for you today!

Photo Walls

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We have a lot of wall space in our home and I am always looking for creative ideas to decorate with pictures or art work. Unfortunately I don’t really have an eye for art but I do love photographs and have quite enjoyed putting together some photo walls around our home.

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Here are some reasons why I love them:

1. Inexpensive – you can purchase inexpensive frames that look great in a variety of colours. You can also buy 3M stick tape so that you do not have to put holes in your walls.

2. Nice looking – they are unique and fun to look at. People always have something to observe when they come over

3. Low maintenance – once you hang them they are hassle free. The only updating you will do is if you want to change the pictures inside the frames.

4. Simple to layout – it is easy to form patterns or shapes that are appealing to the eye.

5. Can grow and expand with your family – you can switch up the pictures or add more frames as your family grows and you have new and exciting adventures together!

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I am always amazed at how quickly my children grow and how much their apperance changes. I tear up when I look at pictures of their births, birthday parties, first steps, etc…they are growing up too fast!!! I have found that making these photo walls has allowed me to enjoy the changes and it serves as a constant reminder to love each stage in their little lives because it passes all too quickly.

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Judah has a photo wall above his bed consisting of pictures of when I was pregnant with him and when he was a newborn. He doesn’t want me to change them because he says he doesn’t want to forget what it is like to be a baby. SO CUTE!

I encourage you to find a space in your home and create a memory that you can look to often and be reminded of God’s faithfulness in your life!

Blessings!

Beet Hummus

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I heard about this idea from a friend so I tried it and it was definitely worth posting!!! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!!

I used steamed beats to make this purple hummus which was extremely simple. All you need is a regular hummus recipe (below) and at the end take two beets and throw them into the food processor. You can add as many beets as you like, I didn’t find that they changed the taste very much. It is simple and looks amazing! It’s a perfect holiday appetizer served with garlic toast or crackers.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 clove of garlic (or more if you really like a garlic taste)

19 oz of chickpeas (you can soak your own for 24hrs in water and drain or used the canned chickpeas, drained)

4 tbps fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp homemade tahini (if you used store bought use 2 tbsps, the homemade has a much strong taste)

1 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Mince the garlic into the food processor. Add chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, oil and salt. Blend until it is creamy and well mixed. If you want to thin the mixture, add a small amount water until you get your desired consistency. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Little Living Legacies

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I have always had a deep desire in my heart to leave a “mark” on the world. To do something noble and helpful for humanity. I thought, for many years, that this “mark” would be accomplished through a career or a selfless call to overseas missions. However, I have realized that, in my case, and in the case of many other woman, this “mark” is a simple and disguised blessing that comes through motherhood! The very call on my life, to be a mother, satisfies that heart desire impact the world! The legacy that I will one day leave will be through my children. They are my little living legacies!!

These precious little ones are my inheritance or my “mark” on the world! I love them so much and I know that when I am one day gone I will live on in them. Everything I teach them will become part of who they are; this is why imparting a knowledge of the Lord, godly character, integrity and honor are so important. This makes my job as a mother so much more fulfilling. This is why I am passionate about family, about marriage, about children, about homemaking, and about homeschooling…because I know that each and every moment that I invest in my “legacies” I am investing in my destiny and the Kingdom of God.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deut 6:4-9

Bless you and your living legacies today, let them know how much you love them. And remember a great investment will reap a great return!

From Our Home to Yours

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Our family wanted to extended our blessings to everyone out there this season. May you experience even deeper levels of connection as a family. May you make fun memories over the holidays as you enjoy each other. We pray God’s best for you in the coming new year!!

Blessings,

Jim, Emma, Judah, Mercy and Atirah Wilson

What is really Important in Life?

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There are so many days where I learn so much from staying home with my children. There are so many new concepts or cool analogies about parenthood that I would love to share with the rest of the world, but sadly enough, I can never find the time to pen my heart! I find myself looking forward to writing a new blog to encourage other woman, especially mothers, and 2 weeks later I still have not be able to find the time to sit down and write.

Even as I write this post tonight, my littlest, Atirah, is teething and has had a fever for the last 36 hours. She refuses to sleep and wants me to hold her 24/7. Now that would be completely do-able if she were my only child but she isn’t, she is my third! So it has been hard juggling the kids, homschooling, feeding everyone, playing, keeping the house clean, etc. Today I didn’t have a shower and get dressed until almost 4pm! It was a long day but as I sit here and ponder the events of today, I am so thankful that I was able to be here in my home with all my kids, especially the little one who needed me most.

I find it sobering to think that one day they won’t need me like they do now. I am so used to hearing “mommy!, mommy!, mommy!” that the thought of not hearing that beautiful echo casts a sad shadow over my soul. I love to be needed and wanted by them. I was made for this! You were made for this! Let us not forget the importance of this time. Seasons will come and go, opportunities to share with others will always be there but our babies will not always be here.

Our family needs to be number one. No matter how many wonderful career or ministry opportunities arise, they are never worth failing our families. This rings very true in my heart even now, as I am choosing to be home with my family over pursuing a career in therapy/counseling. There is a huge need in the city and many people who I am sure that I could influence through this avenue but I know that this is where I need to be right now. How sad would it be if I missed this precious time with my kids? I believe I would forever regret it. (I am not saying everyone needs to be a stay-home-mom, at this time our family has decided that this is best for our current situation:)

Remember that we are important, what I do today shapes the generations to come. I was doing a bit of generational math and realized that my influence in my children’s lives (developing their morals, worldview, character, faith, etc) will, in the next 60 years will directly  impact 130 individuals. And that is only my grandchildren and their children and spouses, not to mention that hundred of thousands of people that they will interact with individually. There is no way that I could personally influence that many peoples lives in my lifetime alone . Investing in our kids bring exponential growth and blessing!

May you be blessed as you continue to serve and grow on this journey. You are a woman of faith, let your light shine!

Homemade Rice Milk

Since I am on a kick with making everything from scratch, I decided to try rice milk as well. We go through a lot of rice milk because we do not drink cows milk. A 900mL container of brown rice milk costs $1.87 and I made about 4 times that amount for only $2.00. My husband and I don’t really drink it by the cup, although our kids do, but I find that I consume most of it through baking, cooking, and on cold and warm cereals. I may still purchase some for the kids to drink but will definitely use the homemade stuff in everything else.

The homemade rice milk definitely has a thicker texture to it and you can taste the rice a bit more but I found straining it several times really helped to remove the rice taste. I used brown rice, but you can use whatever kind you like. Again I think that the brown rice adds a stronger taste but it has more protein and fibre than the white rice does so that is why I chose it.  I’d love to hear feedback from anyone who tries it, let me know how it works out for you. Here is how it’s done!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cooked rice (anykind)

2 cups water

1/2 tbsp maple sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in a high powered blender (I use the Blendtec), secure the lid and select the whole juice cycle. Remove lid and strain through a strainer several times or you can use cheesecloth for a more thorough strain. Transfer into a jug and refrigerate. I usually quadruple the recipe and make a large batch at once. Sometimes some of the rice particle sink to the bottom, I just leave them and try not to shake the jug so that they stay on the bottom, again helps with the taste and texture.

Enjoy!

May you be refreashed and invigorated in your spirit today. May the love of the Father compel you to love yourself, honor your husband and bless your family!!!

Homemade Tahini

I decided to tackle the art of making tahini. I came to find that it is very simple to make and much cheaper than buying it at the grocery store. Best of all, it only requires two ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 cups Sesame Seeds

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

In a bowl coat the sesame seeds with the olive oil. Spread out the oil coated sesame seeds on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 8 mins. Bake just until they begin to brown. Remove from oven, allow to cool. Put the baked sesame seeds in the food processor and blend until they are smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Tahini is great to use in any hummus recipe.

Have a blessed day!