Posts by Kerry Weisser
JT Ayers-Passion Perspective Interview
JT’s journey of taking his passion for leadership and coaching and making it a tangible platform so he could share this passion with others began a few years ago. In his interview we asked him some questions about the development of his dream and we will share his responses here with you.
When asked how and when his passion began, JT answered, “An exceptional life and leadership coach decided to coach me in creating and following my passion of leadership. He guided me through the beginning steps and remains my friend and advisor. Basically one man, by God’s grace, decided to invest and mentor a younger leader trying to do it right.”
What were the steps you took to make it a reality? “I taught myself how to build websites. Then I learned how to create a business. Every step I asked people for help. After taking many people to lunch and asking a lot of questions CoachAyers.com became a reality.”
We asked JT what sets his website apart from other leadership websites and what makes CoachAyers.com special and he responded, “CoachAyers.com is a platform that reaches a very broad audience of freshman in high school to retired adults. Some are Believers and some are not. It is very practical and is the only website that I write for. Honesty, I don’t think it really is that special. I had a desire to invest in the lives of those that I had the opportunity to lead. It is impossible to be with my assistant coaches, students, captains for my track team as much as I feel necessary. CoachAyers.com gives people an opportunity to learn at their own pace and time frame. Along the way, the website picked up more followers and I am honored to research and write …
Read MoreGetting to Know Coach JT Ayers
Summer of 2002, my second oldest daughter began dating a young co-ed from college. They had met on a mission trip in Mexico during spring break. He comes from a great family, awesome parents and two younger brothers. The Fall of that same year, during those early “dating days” we had the privilege of spending a day in Disneyland with them all, and everyone of us came away from that day excited to see what the future would hold. Flash forward to the summer of 2004 and we had the blessing of giving away our daughter in marriage to an exceptionally awesome young man-JT Ayers.
Here are JT’s words in a short bio, “Born to good parents. Jesus found me at 19. Met a girl 6 months later. Married her. Found my purpose in teaching and coaching. 10 years later have 4 kids. Sojourning to build a legacy.”
Bethany’s words, “JT is what you can call an influencer. He is determined, passionate, enthusiastic, and a visionary. From the moment I met him years ago, I was excited to have him as part of the family. He has led the way for his family to pursue abundance in Christ. He seeks to pursue more and more of Christ in his role as a father, husband, and in his job. He won’t settle for anything less than more. More love. More joy. More freedom. And more truth. JT is a great example to so many, and makes so many people feel important. As a coach, teacher, discipler, mentor, father, and husband, he continues to influence the world one person at a time.”
His wife describes him, “JT Ayers is husband and best friend to Jess; daddy of 4 kids, 5 and under; coach, mentor, teacher, and leader to hundreds of high school …
Read MoreStunned by the Beauty of God’s Creation
Towering mountains of sandstone, voluminous white puffy clouds casting shifting shadows, babbling brooks becoming rapidly flowing flash floods after sudden thunderous storms fill their banks with fresh rain water, incredibly interesting rock formations……….all part of experiencing Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks.
In Zion National Park, precipitous canyon walls and massive monoliths are seen in abundance. The Virgin river flows between them and these sand stone formations soar thousands of feet above the floor of Zion Canyon. We hiked to the top of the Observation Point Trail, an 8 mile roundtrip trail, rising 2,150 feet from the Canyon floor, to an elevation of 6,508 ft. The views from the top were breath-taking.
We forged the Narrows, a hike through the rocky river bed that took us to Wall Street where the canyon walls are sheer, near and so high that they appear like walls on either side of the river. We climbed over boulders and sloshed through knee deep water and were fortunate enough to take our trek the day before the big storm hit, which prevents explorers from trekking up the Narrows, due to potential flash floods which can be very dangerous.
In Bryce Canyon, where weathering and erosion create the statuesque rock forms called Hoodoos, the views from the top of the canyon are colorful and unique. The limestone pillars are formed by frost, snow, ice and rain enlarging cracks in the thin walls of rock. Holes are created and bridges form but eventually collapse to leave free standing pillars of stone. The immensity of canyon allows fantastic exploration opportunities. The trails weave through the Hoodoos, down into the canyon floor and go around and under archways and bridges. Our favorite trail was Fairyland Loop. It was long and steep but captivated us with rewarding …
Read MoreApple Date Bars
We are settling into the Fall season and the leaves are beginning to turn beautiful colors. Hopefully by now I have made my annual trip up to Placerville to celebrate the beginning of Harvest time by spending a day at Apple Hill. I love the smells, the sights, the tastes and the sounds. Every one of my senses gets a dose of Autumn when I spend a day on Apple Hill. If you have never been up to Apple Hill it is a must-do adventure. Take the whole family and spend the day. Saturdays and Sundays are really crowded so if possible go early in the season. I typically buy bushels of apples for my annual Apple Butter making day with my good friend Sally. This year, in addition to my apple butter making endeavor, I am going to try to bake many new apple treats that I modify to make healthier options-some even gluten-free. Here is my first try (for a gluten free option, use almond meal flour combined with gluten free rice flour or quinoa flour)
1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
¾ cup coconut sugar (brown sugar)
¾ cup honey
¼ cup butter softened
¼ cup coconut oil
1 egg
2 egg whites
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups chopped granny smith apples (2 medium apples)
1 ½ cups chopped red apples (2 medium apples)
1 cup chopped pitted dates
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Set aside. In a mixing bowl combine sugar, honey, butter and coconut oil and beat …
Birthdays are for Spoiling Kids and Grandkids
What do you get when you combine a pack of Pinkalicious stickers with a piece of pink cupcake fabric, a pink t-shirt, some pink ribbon and a pink cupcake appliqué? Why a PINKALICIOUS BIRTHDAY PARTY-of course!!!!!
In the next few days or weeks this pile of supplies will be transformed into the dream outfit for one special grand daughter who will be turning 3 years old in November. The style of Personalized birthday outfit may change a bit from this throwback post from a year ago but the love that goes into the making of the outfit and the joy of wearing the outfit will be the same if not better. I hope to have pictures of this new 3 year old birthday outfit ready to share in a few days.
If you have a special someone who is about to celebrate their special birthday-check out this throwback blog post and head down to your favorite fabric store and start creating! A very special someone will be very glad you decided to spoil them.
What creative ways (that don’t necessarily cost a lot of money) have you used to spoil your kids or grandkids on their birthday?
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Read MoreMy New Normal
Our family has had SO MUCH CHANGE in the past 5 years, it is hard to keep my head from spinning off. In the past 3 years alone, we have added 2 new son-in-laws and 5 new grandchildren to our clan. Change is in the air….I know that most people think of January as the time of life re-evaluation and yearly resolutions. Others think of springtime as the season of new life and new growth. But I always feel the strongest sense of new beginnings as we change seasons from summer to fall. School begins afresh, the evenings grow cooler and darker and the leaves begin to change. It may be because I absolutely loved school my entire life and looked forward to a new year of learning. It may be because during our Navy years, in all our change of duty stations, we packed up and moved in late August, to be ready for the new school year.
It is September once again, the signs of Fall are in the air and once again I have the opportunity to define “My New Normal”. What will this year bring? Sweet Ellie turns 3, in 2 months, and she and her little sister, Hanna, will both be BIG sisters in a matter of a few weeks when their new little sister makes her appearance into this world. 
So many new beginnings. So many changes. What changes will be required of me this year? What will be “my new normal”?
Yesterday I learned the difference between being an INSTRUMENT and an AGENT with regards to change. An instrument of change is ready to serve and willing to work hard to initiate change but usually is unaware of the greater power available to help manifest the desired change. An agent of change has …
Read MoreMuffin Mania-Back to School Secrets
School is back in session and moms everywhere are adjusting to the early morning routine. Making lunches, serving a healthy breakfast, helping everyone get dressed for school and making sure all necessary items are in the backpack are just a few of the essential tasks that must be completed each morning. I remember a few secrets from school days that helped our family stay organized…
1. Lay out the childrens’ clothing the night before, including hair accessories, socks and shoes.
2. Organize the childrens’ backpacks the night before, making sure important papers, books and especially any permission slips or notes to be signed by a parent are completed. Get the sports/ dance/ music/art bags filled for after school activities.
3. Grab the brown bags or special lunch boxes the night before and fill with everything except the sandwich and place in the refrigerator. Then all you have to do in the morning is make the sandwiches.
4. Plan and prepare some healthy breakfast options so you are not rushed or stressed in the morning. Breakfast is a very important meal and a special time to connect and talk together and pray before everyone goes off to face their busy day.
I love to bake muffins and it is amazing how many delicious and nutritious foods you can add to a muffin. Muffins can be made ahead of time (they keep well for a few days in the refrigerator or for weeks in the freezer). Serve with fruit, yogurt or scrambled eggs for a super charged breakfast. They can also be wrapped and placed in their lunch boxes for a healthy snack.
Here are a few really YUMMY, kid friendly, adult craved muffin recipes:
Triple Berry Muffins
2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon …
Labor Day/Back to School Week
Growing Weisser followers…..
The Growing Weisser Staff is taking this entire week off to regroup and get recharged for the upcoming year. Stay tuned for more innovative and exciting developments in the weeks to come. Check back next week for the start of an awesome Fall season!!!
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Decorating on a Budget-Part 2
It is 11:30 pm and Bekah is still sorting and organizing the new home she and Ashkon moved into 2 weeks ago. So I am her ghost writer tonight. Today, we had a successful adventure searching for the best deals we could find. We were looking for creative ways to store useful items in her home in an organized manner. Buying new pieces of furniture was definitely NOT in their budget so we brainstormed all the places that might have things we could use. We hunted for inexpensive things that could be used for functional storage spaces. We saved a lot of time and money by being prepared with all kinds of coupons, discount codes and special apps on our phone. We had a strategy for which stores to start with and what to look for in each store.
Here are some things Bekah did before we left that gave us the upper hand for our “Decorating on a Budget”.
1. Look up each store online to discover their weekly ads and markdowns and print up any available online coupons.
2. Take advantage of the in-store specials.
3. Check to see if the stores you are going to have apps on your phone and have all the items you wish to buy designated before hand on the app. (Target’s Cartwheel app is fantastic!)
4. Check for coupons that come in the mail, in magazines or in flyers that you may have picked up the last time you were in the store. Some stores even give you coupons on your most recent receipt, but you have to keep an eye on the expiration date on those receipt coupons.
5. Check your email for free membership subscribers coupons that come to your inbox once or twice a week and print out any …
Read MoreRedecorating on a Budget
Moving can be stressful, but it can also be fun. The challenge of creating an organized living space on a budget has reminded me of my first 15 years of marriage. We lived in 7 different cities and 13 different homes in those early years, so I became the queen of reorganizing and redecorating on a budget. Today the possibilities are endless with all the retail stores that focus on organizing closets, kitchens, bedrooms etc, but when you are on a tight budget you need to do your research and find the best deals possible.
My daughter and her husband are just settling into their new apartment and I came to give them a hand. They had found a fantastic deal on a dining room table and four chairs but the cushions on the chairs needed to be recovered. So we headed out to the local fabric store with coupons in hand. She chose some beautiful canvas style a pollsters fabric that was on sale and we headed home to recover the cushions.
Start to finish, the project took about 2-3 hours but it was worth the time because the new covers for the chair cushions completely changed the look of the table and chairs. Here are the tools you need.
2 yards heavy duty canvas or upholstery
Staple gun and light duty staples
Screw driver
Scissors
Remove the cushions from the frame work of the chair with your screw driver.
Place the cushions one by one, face down on wrong side of canvas fabric.
Cut out squares of fabric the size of the cushion plus 6 extra inches all the way around. ( a 16 by 16 seat cushion needs a piece of fabric cut into a 28 by 28 square)
Place the cushion onto the wrong side of …
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