Shows
The Root For Wisconsin ShowEpisode 155 - Packers Beat Cleveland; Team USA Hoops Gets Gold; Justin ReturnsFootball is back, and so is Justin! Eric, Dylan, and Justin have the latest in the Wisconsin sports world. We start with discussion on USA Basketball winning gold in the Olympics and the merits of Steph Curry's greatness. We also discuss Giannis' impact on both the Bucks and Team Greece. Then we take a look at the Brewers splitting the series with the Dodgers, and the outlook on the remainder of the season. Can Milwaukee make the playoffs without Christian Yelich? Last we wrap up with the Packers, recapping the team's win against Cleveland and what to watch for...
2024-08-161h 56
The Root For Wisconsin ShowEpisode 138- Justin is Back in the Saddle; Joe Berry Must GoFor the first time in a year (Yes, we checked) Justin joins Eric and Sean on The Root For Wisconsin Show. We start with the "Game Ball Controversy" between the Bucks and Pacers, Then, Justin catches us up on his thoughts with all of the Milwaukee Brewers news since the season ended. We take a deep dive into the UWGB Men and Women's basketball teams. Then, we look at the upcoming offseason for the Wisconsin Badgers football team. And of course, a look at the Packers after an UGLY MNF loss to the Giants. This and much more in...
2023-12-151h 53
The Root For Wisconsin ShowEpisode 129- Brewers Playoff Preview; Shawna and Sean ShenanigansShawna is back, joining Eric and Sean for a shenanigan loaded episode. We give live commentary on the Brewers playoff game as it goes, and preview the series as a whole. Plus, a look at the Packers struggles against the Lions. We have trivia, and plenty of sports movie talk as well. This and much much more in Episode 129.
2023-10-041h 46
The Root For Wisconsin ShowEpisode 96- Packer Victory Monday (Finally) and Is Shawna a Jinx?Happy Tuesday, we finally have a Packers Victory Monday! Eric, Sean, and Shawna breakdown all angles of the Packers victory over Dallas, and preview the upcoming game against the Titans. We also do a draft of the best supper club foods in our new weekly draft segment. Plus, the guys also explore the possibility that Shawna is a jinx on the Bills. This and much more in Episode 96!
2022-11-151h 48
The Root For Wisconsin ShowEpisode 90- Badgers Suck But Secretary Shawna Says Yes!The Badgers may have lost Saturday, but Eric and Secretary Shawna got engaged while tailgating at Camp Randall. You'll have to listen to hear the story! After the loss, the Badgers fired Paul Chryst as head coach, starting the Jim Leonhard Era. The Brewers have been eliminated from Postseason contention, Eric and Sean breakdown what could have been for Milwaukee and what needs to come next. Plus a breakdown of the Packers win over New England and how to beat the Giants in London. This and much more in Episode 90!
2022-10-051h 59
The Root For Wisconsin ShowEpisode 79- Hot Weather, Hot Brewers, Hot TakesSummer is officially here in Wisconsin and both the weather and takes are red hot. Eric, Justin, and Shawna have plenty to discuss this week starting with a talk about the weather. In the world of sports have another Packers roster prediction to break down. Eric says goodbye to Kurt Benkert and Lorenzo Cain as each's time in Wisconsin comes to an end. Justin gets us caught up on the latest Badgers news and we have some fun talking about the red hot Milwaukee Brewers. We wrap the show up with an RPW announcement and some sizzling debate about...
2022-06-221h 33
The Root For Wisconsin ShowEpisode 25- Eric and Justin's Trip Around Wisconsin SportsIt's just Eric and Justin this week, and the guys go around the entire state of Wisconsin. There's a little something for everyone, some big Badgers news, catch up on the red hot Brewers, preview the Bucks-Nets series, catch up on Packers news, and talk Ty Majeski's 2021 Truck debut. Plus some birthday wishes and news on Baby Daul.
2021-06-041h 04
Hoopsology PodcastDJ Shawna, Milwaukee Bucks Official DJ, LaMarcus Aldridge Retirement, Are NBA injuries really on the rise?In this edition of Hoopsology, Justin and Matt talk to the official DJ for the Milwaukee Bucks, DJ Shawna. This conversation goes into detail on how DJ Shawna went from basketball player into DJing for one of the top teams of the NBA. DJ Shawna discusses how she’s able to keep the energy up during games with limited to no fans during the pandemic. Then the hosts discuss the sudden retirement of LaMarcus Aldridge and if injuries are really on the rise in the NBA.
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2021-04-191h 05
Less Stress Family Podcast159 What's Your Next Step?Today, we look at your next step of improvement in life. We talk about the 5 -2 -1- 0 and 10 measure for your health and the 5 second a day way to evaluate change and transformation in your day. We want to say thank you for all the fantastic feedback about the podcast. January was very hectic for us and we enjoyed the month off. Facebook = Less Stress Family PodcastShawna = Instagram @shawnashereewoodArt Work: ShawnaIntro Voice: Hosanna, Asher, EzraIntro and Outro Music:Acoustic gu...
2021-02-0223 minLess Stress Family Podcast158 Sing A Long Music to Bless Somebody!Here is the full Sing A Long CD. We made it to be a blessing to anyone who is feeling lonely and isolated. Like Shawna said in the intro of this episode, imagine 16 of us with half a dozen instruments coming into your living room, drinking coffee and singing songs. It is fun chaos!This is free so please share it freely with anyone who might need some encouragement!Facebook = Less Stress Family PodcastShawna = Instagram @shawnashereewoodArt Work: ShawnaIntro Voice: Hosanna, Asher, EzraI...
2020-12-2852 minLess Stress Family Podcast157 Finding Baby Jesus - Why You Need Christmas TraditionsTraditions can bring stability and purpose to your life. Today we talk through how Christmas traditions like St. Nicholas Day, St. Lucy Day, Christmas Caroling and Finding Baby Jesus bring meaning to our family. Movies like = The Nativity, The Man who Invented Christmas, A Christmas Carol all build a rich tradition in our family. But we have to communicate to our kids and to ourselves why we are going through the traditions that we have. Expressing the "why" can make space for such awesome memory making. Christmas is just 1 day. We can build meaningful traditions...
2020-12-2120 minLess Stress Family Podcast156 Ten Silver Linings from 2020We have learned that if we don't learn a lesson in life, then we often have to re-take the test. We don't want to re-take the tests from 2020. So here are ten things we have learned or had reconfirmed in 2020:1. Do the new thing = launch a podcast. 2. Your environment is your cookie cutter. 3. Routines are essential. 4. Life is very short. 5. Build redundancy in every area of life that you can.6. Self learning is always best.7. Slow down and reconnect with what is important. 8. Who are the real heroes?
2020-12-1425 minLess Stress Family Podcast155 A Tribute to Grandma JuneIn November 2020, our dear Grandma June passed away. This episode is dedicated to her memory and life. What you do matters! Living an ordinary life is more than ok. https://www.facebook.com/100766271391212/videos/3548322861927487Email = woodfamily@lsfpodcast.comwww.lsfpodcast.com for our free morning planner for adults and kids.Facebook = Less Stress Family PodcastShawna = Instagram @shawnashereewoodArt Work: ShawnaIntro Voice: Hosanna, Asher, EzraIntro and Outro Music:Acoustic guitar - JustinBass - Xavier
2020-12-0726 minLess Stress Family Podcast154 Eight Tips for Low Stress Transition and ChangeToday, we are coaching ourselves through transition and changed. We all have seasons of transition and change. It is okay to feel a bit nervous about the unknown. However, you don't have to feel completely out of control during a time of change in your life. Focus on what you can control. Today we talk about:staying positive and thankfulputting a time line on the changesee it as a challenge not a problemthink about benefitsplan out the simple things more during transitionreflect and journal (don't b...
2020-11-1320 minLess Stress Family Podcast153 No Stress Thanksgiving and ChristmasWe are both super EXCITED about Thanksgiving and Christmas this year!! Why? Because we have decided to get back to the basics.We discuss how to de-stress your holidays with some very simple adjustments that we have learned over the years. We talk about:Too Much of everythingSchedulingSugar IntakeUnrealistic expectationsand Being UnpreparedEmail = woodfamily@lsfpodcast.comwww.lsfpodcast.com for our free morning planner for adults and kids.Facebook = Less Stress Family PodcastShawna = Instagram @shawnashereewoodArt...
2020-11-1119 minLess Stress Family Podcast151 Are You Self Sabotaging?Self Sabotage is when you block yourself from reaching your own goals. Things like: chronic lateness, procrastination, perfectionism, negative self talk, etc.Shawna is going through some professional development where she realized that there is some self sabotage going on. So we have been talking about the story or stories that go with that self sabotage behavior. Why?We also talk about Fixed vs Growth Mindset and how we need to develop the habits of a life long learner to overcome self sabotage.https://daringtolivefully.com/ability-to-learnhttps://jamesclear.com/fixed-mindset-vs-growth-mindset
2020-10-3019 minLess Stress Family Podcast150 What will You Choose? Stress is a Choice.Today we talk about how we choose to be stressed in life. Sure, there are hard times but how we handle the situation is the key.I (Justin) cut out most news and stressful media for over a week. Instead, I listened to encouraging podcasts and youtube videos. Shawna noticed a big difference in that week of time. We refuse to allow stressed out to be the new normal in our life. We are replacing the words "busy and stressed" with "full and at peace".Email = woodfamily@lsfpodcast.comwww.lsfpodcast...
2020-10-2821 minLess Stress Family Podcast149 Do You have Irlen Syndrome? (It is NOT a virus.)We are NOT talking about another virus you should be concerned about. We talk about Irlen Syndrome (Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome) and some things you might need to know. We discuss how our discovery that 1 of our kids had it has opened us up to all of us getting tested for it. We got our son glasses and he is on pace to advance 2.5 grade levels in reading this year!! No joke. Our glasses have been ordered and we should get them in a couple of weeks. Dyslexia, reading problems, headaches from light, light sensitivity, a...
2020-10-2620 minLess Stress Family Podcast148 No Bad Teams only Bad Leaders. Extreme Ownership Chapter 2You are the leader of yourself.You are the leader of others (whether you like it or accept it).We discuss chapter 2 of the book Extreme Ownership.We also talk about:How face to face communication is so important in good leadership. How you have to have your team's best in mind as you lead.How there are 2 parts to the equation: the goal/mission and the team dynamics (you will probably spend half your time on each)https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057Email = woodfamily@lsfpodcast...
2020-10-2323 minLess Stress Family Podcast147 Routines Revisited. How 1 or 2 Changes can Shift Your Life.I (Justin) have fought routine and structure most of my life. I don't like to be told what to do with my time. But I keep finding that routines make my life and my family's life so much better. Just a couple of small changes in your life can really create a better flow for your entire day. We talk about how helpful routines allow you to go into auto-pilot and get so much stuff done in your day. Start your routine building with simple things that help you, help your spouse, and...
2020-10-2123 minLess Stress Family Podcast146 Unplug from Screens and TechnologyOur goal in this episode is to talk through some of the complexity with needing but also being over dependent on technology. There is never a good time to unplug from technology. Well, we went on this camping trip and we didn't use our screens and technology. Wow. We actually had to deal with our own feelings and our own thoughts a little bit. We all get sucked into our screens and technology. We talk about the complexity of our need for technology in 2020.We talk about the addiction for technology in 2020.
2020-10-1919 minLess Stress Family Podcast145 Overcoming FearOvercoming Fear. You probably have this mastered. Right?"Fear is a liar with a smooth and velvet tongue."Perfect love casts at fear.Focusing on your fear will steal your peace and weaken your immune system. We talk in this episode about some practical steps to overcome fear. We talk about our journey and dealing with fear. https://reallifecounseling.us/overcome-fear-and-anxiety/Email = woodfamily@lsfpodcast.comwww.lsfpodcast.com for our free morning planner for adults and kids.Facebook = Less Stress Family Podcast...
2020-10-1619 minLess Stress Family Podcast144 How to Journal like a ChampionJournaling is a great tool to have in your toolbox.Neuroscience is showing us that writing things down makes a greater impact on your brain (and ultimately your whole self).Shawna and I have been greatly impacted by the journaling of Anne Franke, George Mueller, Thomas Merton and Mark Virkler. We cover some helpful tips for journaling well. https://www.cwgministries.org/Four-Keys-to-Hearing-Gods-VoiceEmail = woodfamily@lsfpodcast.comwww.lsfpodcast.com for our free morning planner for adults and kids.Facebook = Less Stress Family Podcast...
2020-10-1422 minLess Stress Family Podcast143 Ten Simple Steps to Stay Negative and Miserable in LifeToday, we flip the script and talk about what to do to stay stressed, negative and miserable. Sometimes it is helpful to look at life from a different perspective. These negative habits are very small, but holding onto them for long periods of time will exhaust you:Don't be thankful.Stay default pessimistic.Focus on perfection.Maintain a negative physical atmosphere.Neglect your body.Confuse what you can and cannot control.Then worry about what you cannot control.Don't rest. Only think Binary.Keep your body, mind...
2020-10-1222 minLess Stress Family Podcast142 You Will Win IF You Don't QuitIf your purpose and "why" are clear, then you will win if you don't quit. Sure, your activities and tactics may change over time, but if you keep the goal in mind, then you will succeed. Our society teaches us that the easy path is the best path. We falsely think that if it hurts or is difficult then we must be doing something wrong.That is simply not the case. Embrace the grind now so that you will reap the benefits later. Email = woodfamily@lsfpodcast.comwww.lsfpodcast.com for our...
2020-10-0917 minLess Stress Family Podcast141 Write Your Own HeadlinesBe proactive and write your own headlines: Husband loves his Wife! Parents have an Awesome Day with Their Kids! Neighbors Show Great Kindness to Each Other!Multiple people this past week have told Shawna that the news headlines have raised their blood pressure or caused them great stress. Stop it!!!Shawna's new mission in life is to have people write their own headlines for their day, week, month, year and life. Of course, we need to know what's happening, but do not give up your control of your own life. The headlines in...
2020-10-0719 minLess Stress Family Podcast140 Refine Your Purpose - Finding Your "Why" at a Deeper LevelThis year 2020, is forcing us to ask a lot of questions about "why" and the "purpose" of many things.Finding your purpose is a journey that we keep refining on a continual basis. Shawna reads a story about finding purpose:https://betterlifecoachingblog.com/2013/07/19/panning-for-gold-a-story-about-finding-your-purpose-in-life/We visit 10 questions that Jack Spirko asked about finding your why:http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/why-and-your-passionEmail = woodfamily@lsfpodcast.comwww.lsfpodcast.com for our free morning planner for adults and kids.Facebook = Less Stress Family PodcastShawna...
2020-10-0519 minLess Stress Family Podcast139 Part 2 What I Wish I Knew quotes from Robin SharmaPart 2 We continue with our look at wisdom from Robin Sharma. We need more and more wisdom in our society because we are becoming more and more foolish. We have said numerous times that information does not equal transformation. A famous quote (that I have now seen attributed to multiple people) says, "Knowledge is learning something every day. Wisdom is letting go of something every day."We look at some wisdom from Robin Sharma. https://www.robinsharma.com/article/25-life-lessons-i-wish-i-knew-at-25Email = woodfamily@lsfpodcast.comwww.lsfpodcast.com for...
2020-10-0219 minLess Stress Family Podcast138 What I Wish I Knew quotes from Robin Sharma Part 1Part 1 Make a place for wisdom in your life!!Where is wisdom in our society today? One could argue that we are the smartest people ever to exist, yet we lack wisdom in our relationships, dealing with people we disagree with and the way we live our life. We have said numerous times that information does not equal transformation. A famous quote (that I have now seen attributed to multiple people) says, "Knowledge is learning something every day. Wisdom is letting go of something every day."We look at some wisdom...
2020-09-3021 minLess Stress Family Podcast137 Burnout Recovery Revisited and How to Heal from ExhaustionI (Justin) had a friend keep coming to mind. I prayed for him but I didn't really reach out to him for a couple of weeks. Turns out, he has been going through some difficult times with work and family. It made me realize that burn out is a very real problem that many of us face in 2020. We talk through the 5 stages of burnout.Then we discuss ways to recover from burnout (it isn't a quick fix).Again, this stuff is simple, but we need to be watching out for our own self...
2020-09-2820 minLess Stress Family Podcast136 Are YOU an Imposter? Dealing with Imposter SyndromeSince Justin wrote his devotional book, he has had a difficult time of seeing himself as an "author" because it wasn't part of his story.When you grow and develop, the story inside your head must change. You must see yourself and accept yourself in this new reality. We talk through the 5 different types of Imposter Syndrome that Dr. Valerie Young articulates. This is such helpful stuff for you to use on yourself and anyone you know. It is a great help to accelerate you forward as you rewrite the story in your mind.
2020-09-2521 minLess Stress Family Podcast135 Ten Reasons to Practice GratitudeHere is the bottom line: In 2020, you can even develop your gratitude muscles or you can practicing being a jerk and just not fun to be with. We know that we have talked about thankfulness a lot, but being thankful is probably the single practice that will keep you from sliding into misery and hatefulness (just look around you).If we are going to overcome the challenges of 2020, you have to walk out these 10 things.We share a great article from the Dave Ramsey blog about the benefits of being thankful. ...
2020-09-2319 minLess Stress Family Podcast134 Break the Rut with Fall ActivitiesSchool routines have re-started and we are focused on enjoying the now. Autumn is an awesome time to experience life. Today we talk about some simple but profound things we can all do to enjoy life in the Fall. Because if you are waiting on the news to find your happiness, then you are wasting your time.https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/entertainment/fall-activitiesEmail = woodfamily@lsfpodcast.comwww.lsfpodcast.com for our free morning planner for adults and kids.Facebook = Less Stress Family PodcastShawna = Instagram @shawnashereewood
2020-09-2121 minLess Stress Family Podcast131 Easy Steps to a Family Devotion TimeHere are the easy steps for having a quality family devotion:1st - don't wait to feel holy or spiritual. You won't.2nd - read through a short Bible passage (like 10 verses or less - less is better)3rd - read through the same Bible passage again but leave some blanks as you read (we demonstrated this with our kids on the podcast)4th - then we ask what you like, what you disliked, what you learn about God, what you learn about people5th - a short and sweet prayer to close
2020-09-1420 minLess Stress Family Podcast130 Caroling in September - Remember the Elderly and Shut InsThis episode is just to encourage you to remember the elderly and shut ins who are around you. In a covid safe manner, find ways to connect with them. Saturday, we have huge plans to go singing in some elderly people's yards. We are joining our friends - Jon, Mandi and my parents (Justin). We are just going to drive to their homes, keep a safe distance from them in their yard and sing some songs. We share some songs from our sing along last week that we plan to make into a CD for...
2020-09-1124 minLess Stress Family Podcast129 Moving Through Your AwkwardnessAwkwardness. Who enjoys it? Join us today as we talk through awkwardness and how to move through it into the growth process. But can you think of a single thing in your life that wasn't awkward at first?Learning to walk. Learning to eat with a fork. Learning to read. Learning to drive. 1st day at work. 2nd day at work. 1st date. 2nd date. We get stress out when we want to be smooth and look great at something the first or second time that we do it. We have to u...
2020-09-0919 minLess Stress Family Podcast128 Restoring the Lost Art of HospitalityMy dad and mom have an amazing gift of hospitality. We have just spent 2 days at their house recording music, eating great food and hanging out. It has been a real blessing!In this episode, we talk about the challenges of covid, but we encourage you to find a way to engage with others and practice some old school people skills as appropriate.We talk about meeting outdoors, using paper products and some other things to practice hospitality in 2020.Art Work: ShawnaIntro Voice: Hosanna, Asher, Ezra
2020-09-0717 minLess Stress Family Podcast127 Start Measuring Backwards - review of James Clear (again)This discussion comes from James Clear's Atomic Habits and it started in episode 125 about how to start the 1% improvement lifestyle. I (Justin) removed the TV from our living room because of the happiness that I felt when measuring backwards. I realized how happy I felt when I could just sit in my chair and not turn on the chaos in the world. Such a peaceful place. James Clear points out that when we set goals and plan for the future, we often set ourselves up for failure because we don't consider what brought us to th...
2020-09-0420 minLess Stress Family Podcast126 Food Freedom!! Trim Healthy Mama OverviewFood Freedom!! We struggled to find a way to eat healthy and not feel hungry.Corey and Hollie first introduced us to Trim Healthy Mama and this pattern has become the way we have judged all other meals and diet plans. We give an overview of how this way of approaching food has shifted us. We lay out the general philosophy and application. This is a great system for understanding food and you can find practitioners all over the world now. https://trimhealthymama.com/www.lsfpodcast.com for...
2020-09-0220 minLess Stress Family Podcast125 Our Families 1% Improvement Plan - James Clear's Atomic Habits ReviewSome times things just click. Things clicked for me (Justin) when I read James Clear's explanation of 1% improvements. I applied this to our family with 100 pennies laid out on the floor during our devotional time. I told them that most people do not value a penny enough to pick it up because it is only 1% of a dollar. But if they ( my kids) will improve just 1% in something every day, then they will be 37x better in that area in 1 year. James Clear lays out the British cycling team that began to dominate the world...
2020-08-3118 minLess Stress Family Podcast124 AreYou Hunting Antelope or Mice?If you are exhausted at the end of the day (every day), but you aren't getting what you need out of life, then you might need to reconsider your to do list.We share the story about how a lion can hunt mice all day and basically starve over time (not enough calories in vs calories out) OR the same lion can hunt the bigger game that will sustain the pride (group of lions). We talk about inputs, outputs of time, energy, and value. Obviously, evaluating your inputs correctly can take a lot of...
2020-08-2816 minLess Stress Family Podcast123 Enjoy the NOW and be More Fun to be With.Shawna has been working hard to practice the NOW - meaning that she has focused more and more about the present and the LORD's Presence.Some people are geared to dwell in the past which can lead to depression, regret, anger.Some people are geared to dwell in the future which can lead to rush, worry anxiety.If you can learn to live in the right now, then you can experience more peace, grounding, and joy.We read the amazing Derek Sivers story about riding his bike 43 minutes vs 45 minutes.https://sive...
2020-08-2617 minLess Stress Family Podcast122 Opposite Day. Do something opposite than normal?Do you remember Opposite Day in elementary school with your friends? We dive into Tim Ferris' story about doing the opposite in his first sales job. He stopped calling from 9 to 5. Instead, he started calling from 7 to 8:30 in the morning and then after the 5pm work stop. Why? because the gatekeepers were not there during those hours and he could often talk to the real decision makers.Ask yourself if you can do the opposite in regards to your timing, your doing, your sourcing. We give some examples of ways that Covid has forced us t...
2020-08-2421 minLess Stress Family Podcast121 Your Enneagram Stress Number Part 2In this Part 2 = The enneagram is such a useful tool because it shows your blindspots (episodes 98, 99, 100) and it also shows your how you act in stress. I (Justin) was super blown away because the enneagram nailed my stress response tendencies.We have used these stress tendencies to become aware when we are stressing out or when our spouse is stressing out or when our kids are stressing out. We are able to give ourselves and our family members and our co-workers are lot more grace when we can see the stress patterns that the enneagram...
2020-08-2118 minLess Stress Family Podcast120 Your Enneagram Stress Number Part 1In this Part 1 = The enneagram is such a useful tool because it shows your blindspots (episodes 98, 99, 100) and it also shows your how you act in stress. I (Justin) was super blown away because the enneagram nailed my stress response tendencies.We have used these stress tendencies to become aware when we are stressing out or when our spouse is stressing out or when our kids are stressing out. We are able to give ourselves and our family members and our co-workers are lot more grace when we can see the stress patterns that the enneagram...
2020-08-1919 minLess Stress Family Podcast119 Top 6 Tips for Back to School in 2020The school year is a great to time refocus your time and energy so we talk about 6 tips that will allow you to have the best school year. 2020 is going to be a challenging year because there are so many unknowns with Covid, but if you do these things, we promise you will have a successful year. 1. Secure your Bedtime and Morning Routines2. Choose healthy choices - diet, sleep, exercise, water, etc.3. Ownership of school gear 4. Create learning spaces at home ( for you and your kids)5. Very clear Communication between spouses, kid...
2020-08-1718 minLess Stress Family Podcast118 Do YOU Hygge? Make a Happy FamilyThe word Hygge (who guh) is a Danish concept that basically means feeling content and well being thru enjoying the simple thing.Denmark is one of the happiest places on the earth and there is a lot of research about why that is.We need to learn and develop "we" time with the ones we love. This takes effort and focus.https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_secret_to_danish_happiness
2020-08-1420 minLess Stress Family Podcast117 Your Immune System and Social DistancingWe are not doctors and we do NOT give out medical advice. BUT we are tired of hearing all about illness and sickness and germs. Very few people are talking about boosting your immune system. We look at many of the simple things you can do to boost your immune system. Of course, we are not saying you won't get sick. But if your immune system is strong, you can fight illness better. https://www.evms.edu/media/evms_public/departments/internal_medicine/EVMS_Critical_Care_COVID-19_Protocol.pdfhttps...
2020-08-1220 minLess Stress Family Podcast116 How to NOT be a Shallow Person - Spiritual ExercisesIn today's episode, we talk about the need for people to develop depth in their spirit/soul. Just like we need to do exercises to strengthen our bodies, we need to do spiritual exercises to strengthen our spirit/soul. Some benefits of spiritual disciplines (from the link below):Delay gratificationReceive insightHear God’s voice/one’s inner voiceMake better decisionsRemain centered and unaffected by external eventsDemonstrate moral courageDetach from distractionsFeel inner peaceBehave unselfishlyAct with practical wisdomFollow one’s own courseEndure hardshipForge good habitsConquer the worst parts of yourselfhttps://www.artofma...
2020-08-1024 minLess Stress Family Podcast115 Everyone is Grieving NowThis episode is really about being kind to yourself and kind to others.I (Justin) was pretty skeptical about talking about grieving and the state of the world, but we read about what expert David Kessler says about grief and the different kinds of grief. Also, I learned that the steps of grief aren't necessarily linear. You can jump around the grieving process. This episode is just a caution to look at your own life and your spouse and kids and friends. Give yourself and others some grace as we figure out the new normals of...
2020-08-0718 minLess Stress Family Podcast114 Prepare Yourself for the Fall of 2020It is time to prepare your mind and heart for the fall of 2020. We have this Covid thing, elections, potential universal homeschool, and whatever else you want to put into the blank.To reframe this in a positive manner, it is a good time to take more ownership of your life. Let's assume this is the end of the 1st quarter of this covid life. What things do you need to change? What have you done well? What do you need to improve?Here are the areas we are addressing in our home:
2020-08-0520 minLess Stress Family Podcast113 Can You Listening without Laughing? We Tell Jokes.Well, we needed to laugh so we just told jokes this episode. The joke we told about sodium atoms and Batman:On the periodic table, sodium is NA. So sodium is Na so Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Batman
2020-08-0315 minLess Stress Family Podcast112 How to Covid Proof Your MarriageObviously, we are not talking about the physical infection of the Covid 19 virus. But we are talking about the emotional and relational impact that Covid 19 is having on marriages. Solutions include:Self Care - you have to find new times for youselfGet out of the Rut Actually, Pay attention to your emotionsAsk questions and actually listen to your spouseShare a bigger vision with your spouse than just the day to day, week to week routineBecome more aware of God's Presence
2020-07-3115 minLess Stress Family Podcast111 You NEED MORE Stress (eustress vs distress)There are 2 kinds of stress: good stress (eustress) and bad stress (distress)The purpose of this episode is to talk about how you need to start having a scale in your mind about the stress you encounter. If you only encounter bad stress, then you are going to have emotional and physical problems in the long term. You need to balance out the negative with doing something positive. We talk in this episode about how Shawna finally a breakthrough with cold showers. There are a million things you can do to get the...
2020-07-2919 minLess Stress Family Podcast110 Good Brain Chemicals from HobbiesWe have seen some real breakthrough with our kids by incorporating some simple hobbies in our life. The idea of a hobby can seem overwhelming but it doesn't have to be.We talk about how we set up a corner of the basement as a no electronic area for arts, crafts and board games. Our kids have spent hours every day down there. HUGE victory for us and our daily routine. We also talk about how running (Justin and the boys) has decreased stress with the boys. We go through about 50 things that ca...
2020-07-2722 minLess Stress Family Podcast109 Extreme Ownership Book Review Chapter 1A guy named Alex came and lived with me (Justin) in Ethiopia for a couple of months. Alex was a dynamic guy who had an awesome testimony. Alex talked with such honor about his brother who was a Navy Seal. Alex told me about a guy named Jocko and something called Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Turns out, Alex's brother was one of Jocko's platoon leader. In today's episode, we go over how ego and pride will keep you from becoming a great leader. We briefly cover the 1st chapter of this great book - Extreme Ownership. We...
2020-07-2420 minLess Stress Family Podcast108 Ready, Set, HomeschoolWith Covid uncertainty everywhere, everyone needs to have a homeschool back up plan. We have a lot of years of homeschool experience so here goes:*** You as a parent care more for your child's educational success than anyone else on the planet.***1st, include lifeskills as part of your school. On age appropriate levels, you kids need to know how to clean, prepare food, and do laundry. Lifeskills are not on a math test, but are so important.2nd - group your kids together when possible. History, science, health, PE and e...
2020-07-2220 minLess Stress Family Podcast107 Losing Your Best FriendThis podcast is dedicated to one of my best friends - Keith Garmon. He passed away this morning after a 3 year battle with stage 4 cancer. Keith loved to worship the LORD. Keith loved his family. Keith was hilarious.With death totals continually in the news these days, we thought it was a good time to talk.We sat down with our kids this morning and talked about Keith's pass with our kids. We told them the following:1st - knowing the LORD is the most important thing you will ever do. It i...
2020-07-2014 minLess Stress Family Podcast106 How to Recover from Your BurnoutWatch any road race from kids, high school to adults. You will watch some runners go out too fast. By the end of the race, their wheels have "fallen off". A lot of people have lost their wheels during this covid crisis because they started off going too hard and too fast. This thing is now a marathon and not a sprint. In this episode, we look at the Ziglar wheel of life and rank each category as being bored, comfortable, stretched, strained or burned out. This is a really good episode to reflect on yo...
2020-07-1720 minLess Stress Family Podcast105 You NEED to Consider Your Habit LoopsGood habits make your life and business flow so much more smoothly. On the opposite side of the spectrum, bad habits can crush your success."The Habit Loop" is a concept presented by Charles Duhigg in his book, "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business." He sheds light on the subconscious factors (cues and rewards) that are at play when you try to break or form a habit. In this episode of the Less Stress Family Podcast, my husband and I break down the loop and offer a f...
2020-07-1518 minLess Stress Family Podcast104 How to Win an ArgumentSo Shawna took all of Justin's notes about how he always wins the argument . . . LOL. Shawna had MULTIPLE difficult conversations with people due to COVID policies this week on the phone and even in email. NOT FUN.The current reality is that life is STRESSFUL due to COVID, economic crisis and racial and political tensions. Add in a hard conversation and you might be ready to scream. In this episode of the Less Stress Family Podcast, we discuss an article based on an interview with an FBI Hostage Negotiator. His tips really helped Sh...
2020-07-1318 minLess Stress Family Podcast103 Successful People Stay CuriousBeing Curious. Staying Curious. Curiosity is a word/idea that I keep hearing about so I found this article by Catherine Pearson about how being curious will actually lead you to great success. We discuss this article and how to adopt a curious life.https://www.huffpost.com/entry/curiosity_n_5736402
2020-07-1019 minLess Stress Family Podcast102 Beyond Setting GoalsSetting goals is part of our culture, but maybe we need to think beyond goals. Today, we look at an article from James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits. Clear says that we need goals, but our main efforts should be building systems (habits, routines, and structures) in our daily lives. Hitting a bunch of goals can actually cause us to be more and more stress out if these goals are not tied to the rest of our life. He says there are 4 problems with just making goals:1. Winners and losers...
2020-07-0818 minLess Stress Family Podcast101 Walk in FreedomHow do you see freedom in 2020? This weekend, my friend Brad, asked me about my views of freedom today. It was a simple question that really got me (Justin) thinking a lot. Freedom is not free. We have to steward and exercise our freedoms. If we don't exercise them, then they disappear - like any muscle. Walking in true freedom can become stressful because freedom comes at a high cost. We have to make some sacrifices and go through some pain to walk in freedom. Today, we use Zig Ziglar's Wheel of Life to e...
2020-07-0623 minLess Stress Family Podcast100 Enneagram Thinkers - 5, 6, 7Today we look at the Enneagram Thinkers - 5, 6, 7.The Enneagram has been a tremendous tool to reduce our stress in family relationships. We have learned a lot about our blind spots and our family's strengths and weaknesses. Start here with an enneagram test:https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-testNext, the enneagram Institute has a good quick overview:https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptionsIf you want to dive deep into the Enneagram, I love Beatrice Chestnut's book:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1938314549/ref=as_li_tl...
2020-07-0316 minLess Stress Family Podcast99 Ennegram Feelers - Types 2, 3, 4Today we lay out the heart/feeling intelligence types = 2, 3, 4The Enneagram has been a tremendous tool to reduce our stress in family relationships. We have learned a lot about our blind spots and our family's strengths and weaknesses. Start here with an enneagram test:https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-testNext, the enneagram Institute has a good quick overview:https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptionsIf you want to dive deep into the Enneagram, I love Beatrice Chestnut's book:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1938314549/ref=as_li...
2020-07-0218 minLess Stress Family Podcast98 Enneagram Types 9,8,1Today we lay out the body/doing intelligence types = 9, 8, 1.The Enneagram has been a tremendous tool to reduce our stress in family relationships. We have learned a lot about our blind spots and our family's strengths and weaknesses. Start here with an enneagram test:https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-testNext, the enneagram Institute has a good quick overview:https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptionsIf you want to dive deep into the Enneagram, I love Beatrice Chestnut's book:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1938314549/ref=as_li...
2020-07-0116 minLess Stress Family Podcast97 Find Your Blindspots - Enneagram IntroWe all have blindspots in our character and personality. Just like in a vehicle, if you drive without paying attention to your blindspots, then you will run over stuff. We share a story about how the enneagram helped us understand our 14 year old son. The enneagram is sort of a personality test, but it assumes that the personality we have is a coping mechanism, a false self, that we have developed to deal with the world around us. We share the structure of the enneagram with the 3 centers of intelligence. We talk about the growth...
2020-06-3019 minLess Stress Family Podcast96 4 Questions for Quick, Easy Family DevotionsEveryone struggles with family devotions. Why?We talk about a couple of the issues: 1st - we have this false belief that information = transformation. With all the info available in our society, people should becoming smarter and smarter. But this just isn't the case. Gaining lots of information does not guarantee transformation. Talking and learning lots of Bible facts doesn't mean your life has changed for the better. 2nd - For the past decades, churches have relied on lots of programs (from Sunday School, to VBS, etc.). Run people through all the programs and ho...
2020-06-2918 minLess Stress Family Podcast95 Having the Spouse (and Kids) You have Always WantedThis episode comes from our stress of trying and doing all the things in life, but still feeling so disconnected from people that we love. The solution comes by asking your spouse and kids - what are the 3 most important things I can do for you on a regular basis. Even if you can only do one of these a day, you will start to have a deeper connection with those you love.
2020-06-2613 minLess Stress Family Podcast94 Essential Questions during Crisis (for Family and Teams)Our kids seem to have hit a new stress level during this re-opening Covid summer. Things are open but not "normal". We as parents have been trying to work through this stress processing with our kids. We came across this article and spend our time talking about how good leadership always bring you back to the basics. And if you are a leader, you will get so tired of repeating these type questions. But asking questions and really listening are the keys to the best leaders. https://www.lollydaskal.com/leadership/important-questions-to-ask-your-team-in-a-time-of-crisis/
2020-06-2517 minLess Stress Family Podcast93 Your Most Important Metric for SuccessWe use metrics to measure everything. Whether it is the fuel gauge in a vehicle or metrics on a website. Today we talk about the metric of creating quality relationships with the people we love. We are entering a time of "social poverty" that existed prior to COVID but has been intensified even more during isolation. We have to prioritize and that means scheduling time for meaningful connections with each other. We dive into some practical ways of doing this. This episode was inspired by this article:https://qz.com/1570179/how-to-make-friends-build-a-community-and-create-the-life-you-want/
2020-06-2418 minLess Stress Family Podcast92 If People were CrayonsNo child ever picks up a coloring book and then colors a person in the book "black" or "white" Even a child sees the shades of color that each person carries.In this episode, we share about our separate experiences in Ethiopia and Kenya when we were both corrected for not understanding that "white" and "black" are not good terms to describe all the many colors of people. Our society is stressed out for many reasons. One reason seems to only be speaking binary code about everything. It must be this or that. It must b...
2020-06-2320 min2020-06-2222 minLess Stress Family Podcast90 - My Cheat Code for Less Stress - Wim Hof MethodWhen I read that Wim Hof was able to share his amazing feats of health to a small group of volunteers in just a week, I was interested in learning more. The Ice Man has spread his healthy lifestyle design to millions all around the world. Wim Hof took the tragedy of his wife's suicide to discover how to use breathing and the cold as his primary tools to health.I love the Wim Hof Method and how it has improved my own health. In just a few minutes, I can feel stress leaving my body. In...
2020-06-1914 minLess Stress Family Podcast89 How to Make Work NOT feel like Work? Team MindsetThe best way to operate in the "zone" is to have a great team around you. Each person can do what he/she is good at and the task gets done. When people in your home (or office) are not working as a team, then you will feel lots of stress. People can develop a "martyr" mindset as life without teamwork can unravel. Also, when a team mindset is not cultivated, the members become stagnant. We share about why you need to consider: What, When, Who, and Where when considering your team.
2020-06-1820 minLess Stress Family Podcast88 - You are Michael Jordan at Something - Unique Ability - Dan Sullivanhttps://uniqueability.com/the-book/This is a book review of Unique Ability 2.0 from a concept that Dan Sullivan developed. In a nutshell, each person is a Michael Jordan at something, but schooling, institutions, and careers do not necessarily show you how to find your Unique Ability. This leads you to a life of stress and angst. We briefly go over what your Unique Ability looks like in your life. We discuss the 2 paths to help you discover your Unique Ability. This book is awesome and we highly recommend that you purchase it...
2020-06-1720 minLess Stress Family Podcast87 Stop Trying to Manage Time - 30 Day SprintsYou cannot be good at everything all the time. We realized that we have done so many strategic tasks during the Covid shutdown, but we have been so focused on our tasks that our diets have become much worse. We cant do it all, but we can focus on 1 thing for 1 month. We have so much more stress when we only see the perfection side of social media. The superman/woman complex is real in our heads but not in real life. You are not going to be a superhero in every area. Stop trying. St...
2020-06-1618 minLess Stress Family Podcast86 Processing Current Events with Others (Kids, too)Let's be honest. No one saw 2020 creating so much stress for all of us. Current events are impacting us in so many new ways that we have not felt before. We need to understand that a lot has happened in 2020 and it is okay to feel emotionally wiped out. Our generation has not see anything like this before and we need to continue to work through it together; in face to face dialogues. Today we talk about what is going on in the world around us. We talk about how we need to have core beliefs that r...
2020-06-1520 minLess Stress Family Podcast85 The Benefits of BoredomWe (mostly Shawna) have struggled with our kids becoming a bit bored through this Covid crisis. But do not stay stressed and do not blame yourself as a bad parent. There are several benefits from boredom: improve mental health, increase creativity, increases novelty, creates new goals, improves self control. “ A certain power of enduring boredom is therefore essential to a happy life, and is one of the things that ought to be taught to the young.” Bertrand Russell
2020-06-1217 minLess Stress Family Podcast84 When You Vacation LocallyWell, with the Covid lingering, protests, and being inside too much, it is time to reinvent your local vacation options. All of us are having higher levels of stress from what just coping with this new normal of life. We are looking at taking multiple micro vacations. People are camping out or finding major discounts for a week hotel rate. We are shelving out plans for a bigger, more traditional “vacation”. We are scouting out local trails and places to explore that are nearer our home.
2020-06-1115 minLess Stress Family Podcast83 What You Need to Know about the Next 10 Years Part 3Part 3. Well, this is not a typical podcast for us and we struggled to share these concepts. But if we are indeed in the midst of a 4th Turning, then we felt obligated to let you know. We hope we are wrong and this model doesn't work out. However, the trends seem to be aligning and building. If we know something is coming, we can mitigate the stresses of life better. This is part 3 of a very important 3 part series about generational cycles and the changing times that lie ahead of us. We are all part of...
2020-06-1022 minLess Stress Family Podcast82 What You Need to Know about the Next 10 Years Part 2Part 2.Well, this is not a typical podcast for us and we struggled to share these concepts. But if we are indeed in the midst of a 4th Turning, then we felt obligated to let you know. We hope we are wrong and this model doesn't work out. However, the trends seem to be aligning and building. If we know something is coming, we can mitigate the stresses of life better. This is part 2 of a very important 3 part series about generational cycles and the changing times that lie ahead of us. We are all part...
2020-06-0918 minLess Stress Family Podcast81 What You Need to Know about the Next 10 Years Part 1Well, this is not a typical podcast for us and we struggled to share these concepts. But if we are indeed in the midst of a 4th Turning, then we felt obligated to let you know. We hope we are wrong and this model doesn't work out. However, the trends seem to be aligning and building. If we know something is coming, we can mitigate the stresses of life better. This is part 1 of a very important 3 part series where we discuss the generational cycles of Strauss and Howe who foretold difficult times in the 2020s. In t...
2020-06-0819 min2020-06-0518 min2020-06-0418 min2020-06-0318 min2020-06-0218 min2020-06-0118 min
Less Stress Family Podcast54 Hitting RESET on Parts of Your LifeIt's good to have times of reflection and self assessment. The COVID-19 Shelter In Place directives have given many, many people extra time to do just this. We talked in Episode 20 about the Wheel of Life as a tool you can use to examine the different aspects of your life (financial, health, marriage, etc.). Today we discuss a tool that Shawna found online by Michael Hyatt, the Life Score Assessment, that you can do to quantify your self-assessment and give you some good descriptions of what you might be currently experiencing.More important than the t...
2020-04-3016 min
Less Stress Family Podcast32 - Managing the Chaos Called HomeMy apologies - I dropped yesterday's audio file into today's episode, but it has now been corrected.This is one of our last pre-corona virus recordings.There are so many moving parts in maintaining a home, and very few people actually see how it is done as children any more. Then "POOF" they are an adult with responsibilities including managing laundry, dishes, general upkeep, meals, and so much more! The ONLY way to manage all the chaos is to create a system. In today's episode, Justin and Shawna discuss the book, "Large Family Logistics" and w...
2020-03-3118 min
Less Stress Family Podcast31 5 Ways to Ruin Sunday Mornings - When we Return from IsolationWe're providing you a recipe for disaster on Sunday mornings. Follow these steps to insure that your heart is not ready for worship, and your family is all stressed out and upset by the time you walk in the church doors. For a terrible worship experience on Sunday morning, make sure you:Don't pay attention to your own heart and spirit all week long.Don't get anything ready the night before.Don't have a breakfast plan.Don't get enough sleep - or have your kids get enough sleep.Show up with a consumer mindset at church...
2020-03-3014 min
Less Stress Family Podcast19 How to Homeschool at NightToday's topic is how to homeschool at night. Shawna tells the story about her hashtag mishap.The problem and stress is that parents might want to homeschool, but they have to work during the day. If you try to work from home and teach homeschool during the day, then you will end up in major stress. The solution is to block schedule your teaching time at night after dinner. We review a possible schedule for how it has worked for us. We cover some practical examples of group learning and online options. ...
2020-03-1214 min
Less Stress Family Podcast18 Jerk DadJerk Dad is when dad is operating at his low self. Justin tells the story about bedtime routines gone wrong.The problem is that men don't process the whole self very well. We aren't usually very self aware so communication, emotions, feelings, etc. won't be articulated or dealt with properly at times. Thus, dad is super stressed.The solution is that dad needs to self-care and take account of his mind, body and emotions.
2020-03-1115 min
Less Stress Family Podcast17 MOMsterToday's topic is Momster Mom. When you parent out of your low self. Shawna shares the story about how headache + taxes + a broken homeschool system led her to becoming Momster.The Problem is when mom does not take an adult timeout and then melts down. She is not fun to be with.The Solution is to know yourself and to self care (mind, body, spirit). Shawna talks about music, exercise, journals, prayer, worship, sleeping well.Momster does not mean that you are failure. Instead, it is a time to grow as a pe...
2020-03-1014 min
Less Stress Family Podcast16 High and Low SelfToday's story is about when Shawna's mom refused to wake her up in the morning because of the way Shawna acted. Fast forward to today and Shawna is very energized and excited to speak to groups at 7AM. What changed? Shawna realized that she has a high self that she can step and walk into. Problem and Stress - People have 2 versions of their true authentic self - a high self and a low self. These are not good/bad types of you. But more like motivated and proactive self vs depressed and reactive self. You have t...
2020-03-0916 min
Less Stress Family Podcast15 Our Arranged MarriageWe tell our story about our arranged marriage. We talk about the benefits of allowing people you trust to speak into your life. Justin wanted to be single and never dreamed of having kids. Shawna was looking for a husband, and figured that emailing a guy on the other side of the world was harmless. We also talk about the difficulty of marrying a complete stranger. Our first year of marriage was rough!!
2020-03-0616 min
Less Stress Family Podcast11 Pissed Off PrayerToday's topic is learning to pray when you are mad at God. Story: The times that Shawna journals when she is really ticked at God. The Bible verses that tell God that He is doing a really bad job at being God. Problem and Stress: People think they can only talk to God when they feel holy so they stop talking to God. Being pissed off is a part of the prayer cycle. Not praying will often lead you to more stress because your emotions become bottled. Solution and Examples: God can handle all...
2020-03-0213 min
Less Stress Family Podcast3 Life is HardToday's Topic is Life is Hard. Story: Shawna talks about the difficulties of life in the past few weeks. Justin talks about his Grandma Allene walking to school barefoot.Problem: Too often, you believe that life is suppose to be easy (just look at social media). The lie is that life is hard so I must be failing. Because I am a failure, I should quit. Believing that you are a failure creates all kinds of stress in your life. It kills your dreams, relationships and lots of other good things. Solution: Lower yo...
2020-02-1813 min
Less Stress Family PodcastLess Stress Family Podcast IntroductionIt took 2 years of convincing, but Shawna has finally agreed to join Justin on a podcast adventure. Both grew up in Kentucky, met in Ethiopia via an arranged marriage, 15 years of marriage, 6 biological kids, foster parents, teachers, business owners. Ready to share our successes and failures. Today's Topic: Introduction to Less Stress Family PodcastStory: Shawna and her Grandmother Whartenby + Justin and his Grandfather = the little things we do matter to generations. Problem: Dads, moms, kids, and families are experiencing very high levels or stress. Internally, this stress makes us fe...
2020-02-1809 min