This past week, I was hit twice with church invites.

On Thursday, a woman called me to invite me to her Saturday night church gathering. Then, on Friday night a young student hit me up on my way to my brother's house. I actually knew the student and I was happy to run into him. He handed me a stack of invites for a movie event at his church.

Was God trying to tell me something?!

I ended up taking the young woman's offer. Here is what jumped out at me in the message that was dished out that evening. It was called, "Threats to God's motion".

• Sometimes we work so hard not to work
• God made us for work
• It's work to go after God
• Obedience is key. Not opportunity
• We begin to search for life in lifeless things

•  My availability is God's opportunity

I have a lot to mull over! 

Did you know that the main ingredient in WD-40 is fish oil? I personally would of never guessed that or even wanted to know that.

My mother just sent my sister in a law and I an e-mail that gives several ways WD-40 can be put to good use.

 

• It keeps flies off of cows
• Restores and cleans chalkboards
• Removes lipstick stains
• Loosens stubborn zippers
• Removes stains from stainless steel sinks
• Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly. Use WD-40!
• Removes all traces of duct tape
• It attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. This approach is illegal in some states.
• It is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.

Lynnsey, my two and half year old niece, and I have bonded a great deal lately. I love her personality at such a young age and I enjoy spending as much time as I can with her.

Here is one of my favorite highlights that took place over the past week.

My brother decided to have us all over for a bbq. My dearest sister-in-law thought it would be a great idea for me to give Lynnsey a bath. I personally just think Hayley wanted a break. She is a smart woman.  :)

After I gave my niece the most entertaining bath ever, I lifted her out of the tub and wrapped her in a tightly in a towel. I then proceeded to drain the bath tub. I looked over to see what she was doing and my mischievous niece was nowhere to be found. Her towel was laying on the ground so I decided to call out for her. I had no response.  I ran to the front door and it was an unbelievable sight. I saw her running around the front yard butt naked laughing really hard. She thought it was hilarious. I of course chased after her and tackled her to the ground with the towel.

The neighbors, my family, and friends all thought it was hilarious. I am just praying that she grows out of the "I love being naked stage".

So, over the past year I've been storing a wedding dress at my place. No, it's not my wedding dress but I along with another woman purchased it. Yeah, it is hard to explain. The dress was for someone that we were mentoring.

Anyways, every time I had guests over they would ask about the dress. I would swear up and down that it wasn't mine but nobody would believe me. Unbelievable!

Here is the deal. The woman who was suppose to get married isn't anymore. So, now I have a dress hanging in my place that will not be put to good use. Sad, isn't it?

Do you know of anyone that would like to purchase this brand new dress that has never been worn? Willing to sell it for $100.00. Any takers?

On Saturday, season two of my Men's Adult Basketball League ended. This past season was much more intense which made me extremely nervous. :)           

                                 

                                                    Season Two Champs

                                  

                                            One of my favorite state certified refs.      

                                     

                                        My kick butt staff that help run the league!

                                                   Check out season one here!

As we all know, Michigan has been drastically impacted by the economy. Organizations, businesses, churches, and all.

Businesses have been closing down. Every day, a great day of people are experiencing lay offs. Retirement funds have been touched. And pay cuts have been implemented. It is a rough economy!

However, iphones, wiis, and gigantic flat screen tvs are being purchased in this economy. People still have cable tv. Vacations are still be taken. People are even still hitting up Starbucks several times a week.

I am a firm believer that you cannot always blame the economy for the lack of revenue in a business. You cannot always blame the economy for the lack of customers. You cannot always blame the economy for people leaving a particular organization or even church.

It just might be time to search within. One should always re-evaluate what their services offer or how they are running things. We need to just get smart with how we operate.

Is it relevant? Is it what the community wants? Is it in line with God's will? Or is it man's will that is taking over?   

Uncontrollable! That is exactly how I would describe my life right now. Especially during the months of May and June. More and more work has been added to my plate. 

My day camps, gymnastics classes, and t-ball league with 400 kids start on Monday. My Men's Adult Basektball playoffs is this weekend and the next season starts back up again soon. Soon, my 3 year old soccer league will also start back up again. All of the programs are growing in number of participants. I am stretched to the max! 

During the chaotic season, I try to keep my family a high priority in my life. They keep reminding me to do so. Here is what has been taking place this past week in Haugerland.

                                        

My 7 year old cousin passed away two weeks ago. It was a rough one but we know that Ethan is partying with Jesus right now.

                                       

In January, my grandma was put in in an at home hospice care while living at my mom's house. Last weekend, we celebrated her 93rd birthday. Wow!

                                      

Jacob and Lynnsey took me to the Detroit Zoo this past week. We had way too much fun! Now, Jacob has a sad face in this picture. Don't worry. It's fake!

                                      

I lived with nine other women in college. It was a blast! Two weekends ago, one of the room-mates came into town with her husband and 18 month old baby girl. It was my first time meeing baby Gracie and she was so stinkin adorable!

Everyone seems to be attached to their cell phones nowadays. Think about it. Throughout the day we constantly see people on their phones. Either texting, talking, or using the internet. It is unbelievable!

Over the past week and a half, I took around 17 of my staff team through 36 hours of intense training. Over the first few trainings, I was a bit relaxed on the cell phone use. My staff were texting and even checking their facebook page during training. I soon realized that they were not fully present. Not only were the staff not giving 100% of their attention to the information that was being delivered but they were neglecting each other. I recognized that that can hinder the dynamics of a team.

On Saturday, I decided to make the training into a cell phone free zone. I had all 17 of my camp staff leave their cell phones on my desk for a four hour training. It was amazing! They were fully present!

I encourage you to go without your cell phone for a few hours. Try focusing on face to face interaction. Embrace what is going on around you. You might be amazed on how much you miss out on.

Leading 30-40 staff along with 125 volunteers is a handful. They definitely keep me on my toes. Over the years, I have worked hard on my leadership skills. I have failed as a leader many times but I have also been shaped.

Here are a few tips from the One Minute Manager that I strive daily to hold onto.

• Encourage upward feedback. Ask your staff how you are doing and how you can be more helpful.
• These staff expect you to be professional. They expect you to be above reproach. If you act unprofessional in any way, it only undermines your credibility.
• We talk alot about leading by example. Your example is very powerful.