Tidbits
New Perspectives
Sometimes we hold ourselves to ridiculous standards. Lets be honest.
Some seasons we can’t do it all.
In some seasons, we need to say NO and let go. We can find freedom in doing less, but doing it really well.
Recently, I realized that my standards for my morning routine were way to high. So rather than do a few things on my long list, I would end up doing nothing because I knew no matter what I couldn’t do it all.
So I made a shift.
I started with a list of 2 things. And guess what? I did those 2 things. Then I did those 2 things again. And again. Suddenly, I was killing it at my morning routine. I realized how much happier I was focusing on the things I could do really well consistently.
I needed a new perspective. I needed expectations for myself that matched the season I am in. That doesn’t mean we let ourselves be ruled by excuses. You can still grow no matter what season you are in. I mean that we can find better ways to push ourselves to grow while also finding joy in what we are doing (not how many things we are doing).
Let’s take my morning routine for example, those 2 things I picked are still REALLY important. And the confidence I gain every day by accomplishing those 2 things I bring into my whole morning. Now that I know I can do those 2 things I can maybe add more, but I also know that I am doing enough, and I can be proud of that!!!
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Growth in the Unexpected
Have you ever felt paralyzed by the unexpected? Something happens that you weren’t expecting and you aren’t really sure what to do or what to think or where to go from there. Discouraged, unstable, anxious, fear, unknown…all can come with the unknown and unexpected.
These are all things we felt when we first found out that Hezi would be born with a cleft lip. There were so many unknowns, so many uncertainties that the doctors could not clarify for us until he was born.
And now, most recently, Sophie was diagnosed with strabismus, something I had never heard of until we started noticing a strange occurrence with one of her eyes. We took her to the ophthalmologist and found out that because one of her eyes goes inward periodically, she would need to get glasses. When most kids her age brains can adjust to focus on something far to something close, hers has to work twice as hard to do it. So, the glasses should allow her brain to recorrect this in a few years. Although the diagnosis was what we were expecting, the treatment was much different. But, we are hopeful that the glasses will do their job and will fix her eyes for the rest of her life!
SUPER SOPHIE!!
When she first put on the glasses, she said “I’m a Super Hero!”
<–Showing off her Muscles — We told her that wearing her glasses made her muscles bigger 😀
^^^Hezi wanted to join in the fun!
Daddy and I joined in for dinner, too!
But, it can be difficult when it feels like something hits you out of nowhere and it can be easy to get stuck in a rut when the unexpected happens. Although not always a simple task, here are a few ways to find …
Read MoreCrazy Schedules and Saying no
I think it is safe to say we all say yes to too many things! We run from one thing to the next, stay connected on all our devices, minds are in a million different directions, our time is filled, and our lives are busy! As a mom, no matter how many kids, or what ages, or what activities involved in, moms are wearing lots of hats. Whether its dinner or laundry or work or personal time, it is all taking up space in the day and in the mind.
Saying yes to too many things is not only saying no to freedom, space, and a little rest, it could also be saying no to what you really need. Saying no can leave room for the big yes, more time to think through decisions, and more bandwidth for creativity. I fall into this trip all the time. I want to say yes to everything. I love keeping all my options open. But I have realized that doesn’t always lend to depth or freedom. It also doesn’t always leave room for the best thing. Saying no to something on the schedule can lead to more family time. Saying no to staying up later can leave room for more energy the next day. Saying no to another commitment may help you dive in deeper into the things you are already involved in.
I know I know, as a mom, I want to do it all. But that frame of mind and way of living probably isn’t what is best for my family. Yes I can maybe get more done, but if I am stressed out in the process it is going to affect my family, my marriage, my ability to be present. What if saying no was the courageous thing to do, …
Read MoreSending Love One Card at a Time
“Sending Love One Card at a Time” quoted from a wonderful friend’s website who has inspired this post. Upon receiving a letter from her last week it opened up a little piece of my heart. When was the last time you received a letter just because? Do you know that feeling of fishing through all that junk mail and finding a real envelope addressed to you and opening an actual real note? There is something so real and authentic about it that feels different than an email. It is like reading a real book. Real, tangible, meaningful, you can feel it and touch it. It connects to your heart and can connect to your soul. Or how about getting all those family Christmas cards during the holiday season? I absolutely love getting Christmas cards and sending Christmas cards. It is like this piece of my heart opens up and feels connected to all those people. Snail mail gets some similar feeling from me. It feels pure and deep. Real and vulnerable.
So I have been thinking about the past week of Valentine’s Day and love and relationships. And I think it is time to send a little love to some important people in my life. Tell them that are valuable to me. Show them in a different way I care. Even if the mail doesn’t mean the same thing to them, I love getting the opportunity to send it. Sometimes the things we think we are doing for others actually ends up opening a different piece of our heart and touching us in a different way.
I have a friend that sends letters on birthdays and anniversary. She is amazing and so intentional. And it means so much to me that I get a little blessing from such and incredible …
Read MoreHealthy Habits Healthy Lifestyle
We are taking a little break before we start introducing the Growing Weisser men starting next Monday.
It’s a new year. Time to think through the you you want to be. Hopefully that you is pretty close to the you you are today. Focusing on just a few things, small things that can become a reality can help. But don’t think about things that are so far out there that are unattainable. Think about things you can incorporate into your lifestyle today. Set a few goals. But don’t overwhelm yourself. Things take time. And you have to let yourself be you while still trying to grow! What can you do today? And then tomorrow, focus on what you can do tomorrow.
Matthew 6:31-34
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Philippians 4:8-9
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.…
Read MoreYou are an influencer!
Influence. It’s a big word. What do you think of when you hear the word influence? I think of leader, impact, strong, change, powerful, and authority. But this isn’t all this word means. Influence means “the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself” (dictionary.com). So in reality, we are all influencers. Have you thought about the influence you are having lately? Are you leaving a positive or negative impact? Is your influence who you want to be? Does your tone reflect your heart? Does your attitude overflow?
As a mom, I have been thinking about this alot lately. My little two year old is soaking up everything he sees, hears, feels, and even smells. I find myself having so much fun with him, and then two seconds later I can be losing my cool about something else. What I need to realize in those little moments is the influence I am having on him. My response, my tone, my attitude, my facial expression, all makes an impact on how he responds to the situation. I want to be lighthearted, patient, loving, and easy going. But I find myself stressed, irritated, and negative. Everything I do is influencing his little character and development. I am an influencer. How am I using that influence! I made a goal this week to pray for my little guy every time I found myself getting a little overwhelmed with his toddlerness. Because the best thing I can do for him is point him to Jesus, pray for him, and love the snot out of him. He’s just being 2! I can’t get mad at him for being exactly how he is supposed to be. But I can influence him to respond positively, feel …
Read MoreFavorite Go To Meals Right Now
Dinner prep time gets crazy around my house! I only have one kid. But I usually find myself like this
or feeding him some type of snack so that I can actually get dinner on the table at a decent time. So I have been trying to think of and plan some easy go to meals that I can prep ahead of time or not have to even look at a recipe.. Even though most of the time I look up something! I also know spring and summer is crazy time for sports and school ending and vacations… so we all need some ideas of how to make dinner a win!
- Barbecue- Who doesn’t love a good old barbecued meat that you can add some sides to. Thank you husband for manning the grill
- Roasted Vegetables- oil them, season them and throw them in the oven
- Quinoa or Tabbouleh- add some veggies and dressing and perfection
- Mexican- can’t go wrong with some ground turkey or crock pot chicken and all the fixings
- Crock pot chicken- so many options
- Salad- Add some meat for a full meal, do a green salad with veggies, some fruit and nuts for an extra flair,
- Omelets- a great go to for last minute!
- Breakfast for dinner
- Pizza- Trader Joe’s dough and some toppings galore
- Turkey burgers
Trader Joes Favorites:
- Masala burgers
- frozen pizza
- Chili lime burgers
- Orange chicken with stir fry veggies
Here are some recipes of our favorite go to meals:
wow enchilada casserole: A Growing Weisser Favorite!
Ground Turkey Mediterranean Salad
What are your go to meals in times that are really busy?
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Our Favorite Phone Apps
Is your phone a crazy tetris puzzle of different applications and notifications? Or are they organized and easy to find? Regardless of what kind of phone you have or how full your storage may be, we thought it would be fun to take a little time to let you know what some of our favorites are! So if you need to try anything new or consolidate some of yours… let’s take a look. Of course, we all use FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM because those are just the go to’s.
Rach
- iBooks
- Disneyland app- Which one of us do you think goes to Disney alot? 🙂
- Storybots
- Cartwheel
- Podcasts
- BabyNursing
- Amazon
- Target App’s Cartwheel
- Pandora
- Spotify
- Zulily- HAVE YOU EVER SHOPPED HERE? IT’S GREAT!
- Focus on the Family- GREAT PODCASTS
- FamilyLife- GREAT PODCASTS
- FitBit
- Shopping Apps for Mobile Coupons – Sprouts, Joann, Michaels, Hobby Lobby
- Nike+ Training- GREAT WORKOUT APP
- Etsy- TOO MUCH CUTE STUFF
Bethany
- Spotify
- Picstitch- PIC COLLAGES!
- Remote (for Apple Tv)
- Target
- Amazon
- Groupon
- Marco Polo- LEAVE FRIENDS VIDEOS!
- First5App: GREAT DEVOTIONAL
Kerry
- WAZE
- AccuWeather
- Holy bible (Youversion)
- Focus on the Family Daily broadcast
- Family Life today
- Jesus Calling
- KP-Kaiser or any healthcare app. SUPER CONVENIENT
- Fandango
- Zulily
- Cartwheel
- Safeway
- Trip advisor
Any new ones you want to try??
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Read MoreBooks for Growth, our favorites.
I love to read, but as a mom of littles and in a home that seems to always have something to be done or to clean up, reading has not been fitting into my life like it once could.
Reading can be such a source for growth, whether it is for personal growth, spiritual growth, or even growth for your mind to be at peace, to get lost in a different world, or to be engaged in a stage of life you are currently in.
Here are a list of some of our favorite books that have brought each of us growth in different times of our lives…
KERRY
Desiring God by John Piper
Growth was learning that God desires my delighting in Him, not doing things for Him, just being with Him and finding joy in relationships
Nothing to Prove by Jennie Allen
I loved the reminder that we do not have to strive to please God or prove ourself to earn His favor
Erasing Hell by Francis Chan
a Biblical based response to the current culture’s desire to believe there is no evil and no hell
RACHEL
Greater by Steven Furtick
Learn how to dream bigger and ignite God’s greater vision for your life
High Performance Habits by Brendan Bouchard
Developing six habits for success
Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
Living a life of meaning and connection instead of perfection
JESSICA
Love Unending by Becky Thompson
On marriage in the midst of motherhood
Life Giving Table by Sally Clarkson
Using the table in your home as a place of discipleship
BETHANY
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
A book on changing your perspective on thankfulness
Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning
Stretching our view on trust and what God has for us in trusting Him
Love Does by …
Read MoreGrowth and Gratitude
Gratitude is an essential part of health. Gratitude affects your relationships, your health, enhances empathy and reduces aggression, helps you sleep better, improves self esteem, increases mental strength and resilience.
Gratitude for what you HAVE and where you are NOW is an important part of growth. We need to appreciate our blessings and reflect on where we are so we can plan and dream about where we want to go.
A great way to cultivate gratitude is by journaling. Either in the morning, or in the evening as a reflection on your day.
Here’s something I’m working on – once you have that gratitude practice and are regularly cultivating and attitude of gratitude, what practices or behavior can you adopt to GROW and get BETTER?!!
*****
One way to grow is to watch other people. Study people that you respect and notice their daily habits and practices. Think about what they are doing on a regular basis that are helping them grow. Are there some habits and practices that you could model in your own life? Start small. Consistency is key!
Be willing to change. Chances are, if you want to change, you MUST change your habits. Growth requires being willing to try new things. Oh and get ready to fail. A lot! It’s part of the process!
With that willingness to change, you need to stop making excuses. If you don’t like where you are, only YOU can change it!
LOVE YOURSELF. Feeling good inside will make it more likely that you approach the world and others with feelings of happiness too! Here’s where the gratitude comes in again. You might not be exactly where you want to be mentally, physically, spiritually, but finding things to be thankful for – including what make you YOU – will give you …
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