Category Archives: News & updates

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

Eliyah Grace Wilson

Looking forward to posting again very soon!!

A NEW Year

IMG_2545[1]

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!!

 

A Time of Rest…

Our family was blessed these past few weeks with a wonderful vacation in Florida. It is something that we do every year, Lord willing, and I am amazed as how the God refreshes us during this time.

I believe that there are so many important things that come when we take time apart from our routine. You certainly do not have to go to Florida to experience the Lord’s refreshing but I do believe that there is value in stepping out of our normal routine if only for a couple days and getting a new perspective on things. God wants to take us to new places, to have new perspectives, ultimately to give us an ariel view of our lives so that we can see the bigger picture.

As I was running one morning in Florida, the Lord was speaking to me about giving me eyes to see what He is doing in the earth and how to be part of His plan. I was feeling so “stuck” in my own little world of being a mom, keeping our home in order, and feeling isolated and disconnected at times.  As I began to focus on Him and His word I began to see how my role fits into His master plan. Each of us have a part to play.

Imagine that God is the director of an incredible play, each of us are given a role in which we must perform. According to our gifts and talents he appoints us as different characters in the play. Each of us are given the platform at some point in His play to do what He casted us for. Life is the practice and rehearsal for this play. Each day we recite our lines, plan our costumes and rehearse our part. The final day will come when there will be no more dress rehearsals, no more practicing, we will be on stage doing the very thing we were created to do.

Are you ready? Have you practiced as much as possible? Do you know your lines?

Are you using the giftings that God has given you to be the best you can be?

Perhaps you don’t even know your part in the play…maybe you have never auditioned? It’s time. I encourage all of you to take seriously that which God has placed before you. Don’t ever let up, give up or shut up. See everyday as a rehearsal for what is to come. Let’s make our director proud!

God reminded me of a verse I’d like to share Jeremiah 29:10b,11 Msg “I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for”. Isn’t that AMAZING!!? Let’s trust Him to lead us everyday and allow His plans for us to become a reality!

May you be blessed as you see life from a new perspective, may you embrace your role in the master play! God help us to be faithful with what you have given us!

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!