Love Life, Embrace Risks, and Live for Eternity

My Personal Leadership Development

Just recently, I have been selected to sit in on a new committee in the Detroit Association. It is called Leadership Circle. I will be working closely with nine other leaders over the next year.

This year, this is the second type of leadership committee that I have been selected to sit in on. I am looking forward to developing relationships with these individuals along with strengthening my leadership skills.

On Wednesday, we met for our first time as a group. We created our own goals along with a mission statement for the Leadership Circle.

Our Goals:

• Build experinece with Philanthropy
• Learn more about operations and fiscal management
• Build networking skills
• Be better leaders
• Gain insight into all apects of the Association and Branches
• Begin to help shape public perception of the YMCA

Our Mission Statement: By becoming better leaders through networking we will be able to gain insight into all areas of the YMCA, so that we may begin to redefine the community's perception of the YMCA.

Sitting on two leadership committees during this season in my life will be challenging. Both committees have homework assignments and great responsibilities. Before I accepted both invitations, I thought about the sacrifice that I would need to take. The sacrifice of time. This sacrifice should be well worth it in the long run.

Hopefully, I will be developed into a stronger leader ready to be launched into a new direction in my life. Hopefully, I will advance someday!

A Journey with Six Young Married Couples

 
For the past three weeks on Tuesday evenings, I have gathered together with six young married couples to process the journey that we are on as individuals. This small group is a place for each one of us to grow and challenge each other. It has surely been a trip!

Here are a few of the weekly topics.

• Jesus Wasn't a Christian
• Jesus is Unfair
• Jesus Wants You to Give Up
• Jesus' Love is Absurb
• Jesus Isn't Quiet

Every week we each received a challange. Sometimes, we all receive the same challenge while other times we receive different ones. Some of the challenges are really difficult. While others are easy. I have even tried to trade certain challenges with others but they wouldn't let me.

Here are a few of the challenges that I have received:

• Extend some grace to someone-and it could be anyone-by surprising them with an unexpected gift
• You need to forgive someone for something. Your challenge is to take some time to write a letter to that person, forgiving them for something specific. This communication is about you, not them, so you don't have to send it. (in fact don't, especially if the person doesn't know they hurt you)
• Visit a local cemetary and listen to (or read) this week's challenge while you are there 

It has been years since I have sat in on a small group. So far, this weekly commitment has been well worth it. I have been challenged, encouraged, and loved. I am looking forward to the next three weeks with the six married couples and a one friend that is single. 

Fun Pictures

Jon and Hayley Hauger at the Lions verses Steelers Game.

  

A sign that is hanging on my office door. Don't you love it!? :)

 

Drinking some coffee after a delicious dinner on vacation. The view was perfect!
 

The Detroit Lions Mess with My Emotions!

     
Four of us went to the Detroit Lions game today against the Steelers. Now, I absolutely cannot stand the Steelers. There were too many of them at the game. And a Steelers fan even tried befriending himself with me during half time. Ridiculous! I wasn't going to let it happen. Anyways, at the end of the day I have decided that the Detroit Lions mess with my emotions way too much. We should of had today's game! Ugh!

Sidenote: the men who have season tickets right in front of us made it in sports illustrated. their pictures took up two whole pages. gotta love die hard Lions fans

Smyles Day (In Honor of Myles Beckley)

On Tuesday, Channel 4 news did a story on a child who has made a phenominal impact on my life. His name was J. Myles Beckley. He passed away at the age of five about a year and a half ago in a tragic accident. I will never forget the phone call that I received from his father informing me of his death.

You can read more about him here.  And you can check out the story Channel 4 did on him here.

My Adventure on the Golf Course

Yesterday, I hit the golf course for my very first round of 18 holes. Thank goodness that it was a scramble! Phew!

Here are a few of the highlights or even lowlights.

 

• I managed to not roll the golf cart over. However, I came close several and I mean several times. It was my goal to teach my golf partner the importance of trust.

• At times, I hit the ball farther than my old boss and others that have golfed before.

• I struggled big time on what to wear to the golf course. I know, I know. Women! :)

• I personally kicked butt when it came to trash talking on the course.

• The golf nazi yelled at us a few times. He surely needs to learn how to loosen up 

• I lost three golf balls. One in the water and two in the woods. Is that normal?

Making Relationships a Top Priority

Isolation tends to cause damage especially when one is dealing with hard times at work, a rocky relationship, or even submerged in a state of depression. So many of us tend to lock ourselves in our home shutting ourselves off to the world. Isolation does not help during those times.

There have been times when I have isolated myself from friends, acquaintances, and even those that have hurt me. I have put up defensive walls in order to protect myself. However, it wasn't the best for me.

Relationships are what we all need. People that can speak hope into our lives. People that can love. People that can listen. People that will believe in us especially when we do not believe in ourselves.

Relationships need to be one of our top priorities in life. We were not made to walk this life alone.

"No matter how much I win, if I win it alone, I lose. Love is the ball game." John Ortberg

Me + Golfing = Quite Comical

                                       This might come as a surprise but I am not a golf fanatic. Yes, it is hard to believe, eh?!

On Friday, September 18th I will be heading out to a golf course all the way out in Romeo. I will be clueless as to how this leisurely activity is suppose to work. The last time (and only time) I went golfing I only made it to the third hole. My brother didn't have enough patience with me and dragged me off the course.

So, September 18th should be quite comical!

My Menu for the Day

Taking care of my body has been a huge focus of mine over the past year to year and a half. Now, I have fallen short in a few areas but my goal is to pick it back up. I want to be physically healthy!

Yesterday, I had a heart to heart with one of our personal trainers. The trainer educated me the importance of eating protein, carbs, and fats with every meal and even snack. It has to do with the body's insulin level and all. It is crazy! Anyways, the trainer helped me put together my menu on what to eat. I am going to give this a shot for two weeks and see the results.

Here is what day 1 looked like.

Breakfast:1/2 cup of slow cooked oatmeal. 1/4 cup raspberries. a sprinkle of walnuts. coffee with two splenda.

Snack: 1/2 grapefruit. 1 hard boiled egg

Lunch: 4 oz. turkey breast cooked with olive oil. Onion and 1 green pepper

Snack: 1/4 cup of 2% cottage cheese. Apple

Dinner:6 slices of deli meat with avocados slices. Fruit

Optional Snack: egg

Communication Gaps Between Sexes

Men and women are drastically different especially when it comes to communication. A few leaders in Michigan and in the surrounding states talked about this a great deal in my training on supervision. Here are a few examples.

Men

• Tend to talk about things
• Regard questions literally as requests for more information
• Feel more comfortable with "report talk"
• Often think "small talk" is insignificant, and prefer action

Women

• Tend to talk about people
• Often ask questions to keep conversations going
• Feel more comfortable with "rapport talk"
• Think "small talk" is important because it shows caring

Here are a few differences when it comes to communication styles between men and women.

Men

• Finite (end sentences in definitive: "this is a chair")
• Succinct
• Nodding head means "yes"
• Less eye contact
• Need more "ear" time
• Don't ask directions-inhibits hierarchical relationships
• Grab the floor in meetings
• Speak louder

Women

• Process-oriented (end sentences in questions: "this is a chair?")
• Story-telling
• Nodding head means hearing information
• More eye contact
• Need more "ear" time
• Ask directions-promotes relationship-building
• Don't grab the floor in meetings
• Speak more softly

We all had some good laughs as we were discussing and evening debating about the gaps. It was hilarious!