Posts by Kerry Weisser
Thanksgiving Reflections
Jess is thankful for:
1. Wonderful family that we get to spend time with over the holidays, some on thanksgiving, others at Christmas.
2. How much Jesus loves me
3. Husband who loves me and pursues me.
4. 4 children who are silly, fun, and always challenging me to rely more on Jesus
5. Community group of people who want to do life together in Jesus
Bethany is thankful for
1. I am thankful for my husband who loves me for me, is willing to learn with me, adventures with me, and loves to make me laugh.
2. I am thankful for family who if I could have a choice, I would pick to be my friends and close people in my life. Including parents, sisters, brother in laws, and sister in laws.
3. I am thankful for our church, where I am being challenged to get more into the word of God, go deeper in community, and fall more in love with Jesus.
4. I am thankful for the ministry of Young Life. I
Creamy Yam Bake with a Healthy Twist
If I was asked to choose one of my favorite dishes at any Thanksgiving table, it would be the sweet potato or yam dish. I actually have never tasted a sweet potato casserole that I do not like. Since the recipe I usually make tastes as much like a dessert as a dinner side dish, I decided to try a new recipe this year that was a bit healthier. I adapted a recipe that was given to me by my sister’s SIL (sister-in-law) and the end result was delicious and nutritious.
Ingredients
8 yams or sweet potatoes
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 Tablespoon grated orange rind
1 cup greek yogurt honey flavored
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
1. Wash and wrap yams in foil, sealing tightly on ends. Place in 400 degree oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, until soft and tender to touch. I place my yams on a baking sheet with sides in case they leak a bit from the sealed ends of the foil-this helps prevent a sticky mess in the bottom of your oven).
2. Remove from oven and allow to cool until easy to handle-30-60 minutes.
3. Peel yams by making a slit in the skin length-wise. The yam flesh should slide right out into your medium sized mixing bowl.
4. Mash yams slightly with a potato masher while adding the yogurt, tahini, ginger and orange rind. You can continue mashing by hand or whip in kitchen aid until fluffy. Transfer to ovenproof serving dish and heat for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. While yams are baking, toast your chopped pecans in toaster oven for 3-5 minutes watching very carefully because they get done very quickly.
6. Sprinkle toasted pecans on top of yams and serve.…
Turkey Headbands
Here is a fun and easy craft for bringing some creativity to your Thanksgiving Holiday season.
All that you need is
Glue gun
Scissors
Ribbon
⅝ inch polka dot or plain brown and yellow
¼ inch polka dot or plain orange and red
Wiggle googley eyes
Stretchy headband
Cut one strip of brown ribbon 2 inches long, fold wrong sides together and glue ends together.
Cut three strips of brown ribbon-one 4 inches, one 4 ½ inches and one 5 inches-glue by placing a drop of glue on the right side of each ribbon and fold over creating 3 separate loops.
Place first 2 inch folded ribbon inside smallest loop and glue together. Place the second and third loop one inside the other to form the body of the turkey. 
Cut one more brown piece of ribbon 3 inches and make one more loop for the head. Attach the head to the top of the body.
Create the feathers by cutting 3 yellow ribbons 5 ½ inches long, 2 red and 2 orange ribbons 5 ½ inches long. Glue feathers by forming loops.
Attach feathers to the back of the turkey, arranging them in any order that suits you.
Glue a small triangle of yellow ribbon onto the Turkey for a beak. Glue on two wiggle googley eyes.
Glue your turkey onto a stretchy headband and wear for your Thanksgiving celebration.
What fun Thanksgiving craft idea have you tried?
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Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Soup
I like to have a few super easy recipes ready to make during the Thanksgiving week. When I spend day after day, planning, decorating, shopping and beginning my food preparation for the holiday meal, the last thing I want to do is stress over what to cook for dinner the few nights before Thanksgiving. So having an easy throw together slow cooker meal that is this delicious is wonderful!! Ingredients 2 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice 1 (10 oz) can salsa verde 2 medium yellow onions chopped 2 cloves garlic minced 1 cup chopped cilantro 2 cups water 1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth 1 Tablespoon concentrated chicken stock 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon oregano 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large) 1 (10 oz) can corn 1 (10 oz) can black beans Place all ingredients in Slow Cooker and stir. Cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 2 ½ hours. Before serving, shred the chicken and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve in big bowls with optional toppings-shredded cheese, tortilla strips, sour cream and salsa. Nutritious and delicious!!!
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Thankful for Magical Moments
Watching the world through the eyes of a child brings a magical perspective to every situation. I am not sure at what age that magical perspective and sense of wonder begins to fade, but when I am spending time with my grandchildren it can be rekindled in a matter of moments. This weekend I was blessed by one opportunity after another to participate in many magical moments. I came away with a renewed sense of thankfulness for imagination and make believe.
Our first event was a “Pinkalicious” birthday party complete with pink decorations, a pink paper cupcake craft, make-your-own ribbon twirlers, PINKALICIOUS cupcakes and a table full of green food. (If you have not read the book “Pinkalicious” you MUST read it-the green food is the antidote to the troublesome dilemma that the pink cupcake loving little girl gets herself into). Bright eyed children looked with wonder and there was lots of laughter and joy!
Our second activity, the following day, was an early morning trip to the Disney Store. My grandchildren love everything Disney! My daughter learned from a friend about the special Unlocking Ceremony where children are able to “Unlock Imagination!” This opening ceremony takes place every single day at every new Disney Store. (Check your local Disney Store to make sure they participate in this awesome ceremony) We arrived about 30 minutes before opening and our birthday girl was the lucky child chosen that day to take part in the opening ceremony and officially “Unlock Imagination” at her Disney Store with an oversized lock and key. Magical moments abound in the Disney Store as we watched the girls look with awe and wonder at all the beautiful toys, clothes and stuffed animals in the store. The highlight was the big screen that lit up with …
Read MoreQuick Quinoa Medley Meal
I am so grateful for the beauty that surrounds me every day. I am blessed to live in a town that bursts forth with all my favorite colors every October and November. On these cooler Fall nights, when you feel like a warm meal, it is fun to be creative with what you have in the refrigerator. A few nights ago, I decided to try a warm Quinoa meal that you can make with almost any vegetables and add meat if you want to. Here is the Quinoa medley I whipped up and both my husband, Rick, and I thought it was delicious.
Ingredients
1 cup dry quinoa which yields 3 cups cooked (cook as directed on box)
2 cups butternut squash peeled and cubed (1 medium or ½ large squash)
2 cup brussel sprouts trimmed and cut in half if large
4 cups power greens chopped a bit (any combination of kale, chard, spinach)
4 cloves garlic smashed
½ cup chopped cilantro
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon Season pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala seasoning
1 chicken breast cooked and cubed
Cook Quinoa as directed on package to yield 3 cups. Set aside while preparing vegetables and chicken. Toss butternut squash and brussel sprouts in 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt pepper and Garam Masala. Place foil on cookie sheet and spread vegetables out in a single layer and roast at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes until fork tender. Set aside. Saute garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add power greens and stir until tender and cooked through about 5 minutes. Toss together quinoa, sautéed power greens, roasted vegetables and ½ cup chopped cilantro. Add cooked, cubed chicken and stir until combined. Serve warm with hummus and pita bread and a nice green salad. It is also …
Read MoreCommunication-Being an Effective Leader
Today Bethany and I spent our Veteran’s Day at a fantastic Leadership Conference called Catalyst. Catalyst is a one day or two day event where a community of like minded people who LOVE the church and want to become more effective leaders in every aspect of their lives gather for encouragement and teaching.
Everyone of us has a leadership role somewhere in our lives-we might lead people in our job or in our family, in our community or in our church. Being an effective leader involves communicating clearly and learning how to motivate people to join in.
One of the speakers, Craig Groeschel, talked about the four qualities of effective communication. He began with a quote from George Bernard Shaw- “The single biggest problem in communication lies in believing that it has taken place.” Craig challenged us to remember that just because we say something, doesn’t mean the people we are saying it to are hearing or understanding us. We need to bear in mind that often times people do not think like we think, see what we see or care as deeply as we care. But in light of that, we can become better leaders if we recognize our responsibility and are willing to do our part. Here are the four qualities of effective communication that I learned today. They can be applied to our lives in our leadership roles as well as in our day to day lives.
Be CONSISTENT in my values, my vision and my direction. Be true to my values in how I live my life because values communicate what I stand for. My vision is expressed in my purpose and works itself out in my life as I discover what I am here for. My direction is demonstrated in my life by where …
Read MoreGratefulness-A Reflection on Family and Friends
The nights are getting colder, crisp and clear and fall leaves are changing.
Thanksgiving Day is in 2 ½ weeks. Families are making holiday plans, menu ideas are in the works, grocery lists are being written, decorations are filling our homes with autumn colors of red, orange, yellow, green and brown. I want so desperate to stop time and really appreciate all that fills my life-but I find myself racing against the clock every day during the months of November and December. My ‘ToDo List” seems endless and my desire to make homemade gifts for everyone I love buries me deeper in my quest to somehow find more hours in my day. So this year I am trying something new……I am putting people ahead of my agenda….I am taking a bit more time to reflect on the blessings of family and friends and actively making sure they know how important they are to me. I am making it a priority to spend quality time with them to communicate my love in my actions . The gift of TIME with the ones I love, gives me the opportunity to grow deeper in my relationships with them and be an encouragement.
And an amazing thing is happening…..by opening up my heart to the needs of my family and friends, my time seems to be multiplying. I feel a deeper sense of peace and joy and I have an eager anticipation for what opportunities await me….. to give and love and serve. Having an attitude of GRATEFULNESS and a desire to express it in tangible ways to the ones I love has freed me from being chained to my “Must Do-ToDo” list. It might be a phone call just to check in or to give a bit of advice or encouragement to a …
Read MoreReal Life is Like Sports-Parable of the Pitcher
We asked Julie if we could share one of her parables from her book, “Real Life is Like Sports”. Here is the one she chose to share.
Check back tomorrow to see if you won Julie’s devotional book, “Real Life is Like Sports”!!
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Read MorePassion Perspective Interview Part 2
We continued our interview by asking Julie how her faith has played a part of this journey.
What were your challenges-expected and unexpected? “As I began this journey, someone shared Luke 1:45 with me: “You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” While writing the content of this booklet took chunks of time throughout a period of several months, the entire process of transitioning from a dream to reality actually took several years. It was my faith that got me through the delays due to other responsibilities and the dry times that come with writing. I kept returning to this scripture and other words God spoke to me about this “dream,” trusting God that He would fulfill that which He placed in my heart in His perfect timing. And as always, He was faithful.”
What were your blessing-expected and unexpected? “While the original intent of my “dream” was simply to create a booklet in a foreign language, Kerry Weisser challenged me to consider making an English version available as well. So I created an English version with the hope that coaches and athletes here in the States will also be encouraged to live out their faith through their coaching and playing sports life. An additional unexpected blessing occurred when an Athletes in Action staff expressed interest in having “Real Life Is Like Sports” translated into Arabic for those who serve overseas under her leadership. So we’ll see where God takes this.”
We asked Julie what wisdom she has gained through this experience.
What tips would you want to share with others? “When God gives you a dream, pursue it by faith. Make it a priority, and don’t stop until it becomes a reality! Most likely you will experience spiritual opposition, and it may take …
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