The Importance of Goals

People who have direction in the lives (specific goals) go further and faster and get more done in all areas of their lives. Read more at... http://truthatlife.com/

Profiles in Leadership: Sarah was Impatient & Insecure…and a Control Freak!

Sarah said to Abraham, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please go into my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” Genesis 16:2 God told Sarah’s husband, Abraham, that his offspring would grow as numerous as the sands of the seashore and the stars of the sky. But there was a problem: Sarah was barren and past the age of childbearing. As the years passed, God’s promise didn’t appear any closer to fulfillment. Sarah began to doubt because she looked at her circumstances and not at the Almighty God who keeps His promises. Sarah was facing a problem and felt compelled to solve it in her own way. Lacking the patience to trust God to keep His promise, Sarah looked to her own methods. After waiting more than a decade for a son, she felt she had waited long enough and unwisely attempted to fulfill God’s will her way – through her Egyptian servant named Hagar. After Abraham’s son was born to Hagar, Sarah despised both of them. The true problem facing Sarah was not a need for offspring, but rather her own impatience. Sarah wanted control – something that has afflicted many leaders throughout history. Instead of trusting God, Sarah tried to make the promise come true by using her own methods and according to her own timetable. She depended on her own strength when she should have leaned on God. She illustrates what happens when an impatient and insecure leader tries to work independently of God. Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Update on Dad

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 After being home with us for 2 weeks under hospice care, we were just beginning to get used to the daily routine. In the morning we prepare his pureed food and thickened drinks, administer a breathing treatment, and give him his multiple medicines, etc. The nurse or aid comes in to help bathe him, dress him and, if he is feeling up to it, move him to his recliner in the living room. In the evening, we get him to the table, prepare his pureed food and thickened drinks, bring him back to bed, give him his medicines, another breathing treatments, etc. A week ago he developed a UTI and went on a strong antibiotic. After a couple days, he seemed to be responding well. Unfortunately, yesterday afternoon dad started having trouble breathing, he developed a fever, as well as other symptoms I won’t go into. This morning he had to return to the hospital and, after a brief diagnosis, the doctor told us he has a much more severe infection. At his age, the doctor explained, there is no guarantee that he will be coming home. We’ll keep you informed, but likely won’t know anything more for at least a couple days. Thanks in advance for your prayers. We love him and want him to be comfortable. He has lived a long life, so we have peace whatever the outcome. Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Monster In All of Us

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. Galatians 2:20 Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes once interviewed Yehiel Dinur, a Holocaust survivor and witness at the Nuremberg trials. During the show, Wallace played a 1961 clip of Dinur walking into the Israeli courtroom where Adolf Eichmann was on trial. A principal architect of the Holocaust, Eichmann had evaded capture for years but had finally been found and brought to justice. As Dinur spied Eichmann for the first time in 18 years - he had last seen the German mastermind at Auschwitz, the notorious death camp - he stopped and stood motionless in the middle of the courtroom. He began to sob uncontrollably. He fainted and collapsed to the floor. Was he overcome by hatred? Fear? Horrid memories? Actually, as he said later, it was none of these. What overwhelmed Dinur was this: Suddenly he realized Eichmann was not the godlike army officer who had sent so many to their cruel deaths. Adolf Eichmann was just an ordinary man. Wallace captured it best when he asked, "How is it possible for a man to act as Eichmann did? Was he a monster? A madman? Or was he perhaps something even more terrifying - was he normal?" "Eichmann," Dinur said, "is in all of us." This statement by Eichmann is difficult to swallow. If not for fear of consequences or a liking for our own reputation or the healing flow of God's grace, could any of us be another Eichmann? May God keep us from ever believing that our goodness is something we've worked up from within. May we realize again that whatever goodness lives in us is the goodness of God shining through us . . . the One who gave His Son to give us life and to save us from ourselves. Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Truth@Life

My new ministry, Truth@Life just launched! It is a Christian based, personal coaching and consulting business. Check it out at... http://truthatlife.com/

Profiles in Leadership: Abraham – A Leader Who Put Others’ Needs First & Finished His Tasks

Is not the whole land before you? … If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left. Genesis 13:9 When the Jews in the New Testament days spoke of their heritage and spiritual legacy, they claimed Abraham as their father. They gave him the title “father”, a term of respect synonymous with leadership, because he put others’ needs first and he finished his appointed mission. Abraham always seemed to follow through on his commitments. When God called him to depart to an unknown land, he went the distance. When enemies abducted Lot (his nephew) and all his worldly goods, Abraham pursued the kidnappers and subdued them. When commanded to circumcise the males in his household, Abraham did it ‘that very same day’. And when God asked Abraham to take his beloved son, Isaac, to Mount Moriah and sacrifice him there, Abraham was willing to follow through to the very last detail. In addition, Abraham put the needs of others first. When the land could no longer sustain both of their herds, he allowed Lot to have the first choice of which piece of land he wanted. Abraham was willing to take whatever real estate Lot didn’t. He served generously and sacrificially, giving up what could have been his for the sake of someone else. Abraham was willing to do this because: (1) He valued his relationships more than his possessions, and (2) He knew that God was in control and would do him justice in the end. This is a great example of a leader taking the high road. Those who do this believe that life is too short to keep score. These “high road” leaders realize that God is better at providing for them than they are for themselves. Lot’s decision took him to Sodom, a place where he and his family experienced a bitter life. Abraham followed the Lord and received a bountiful promise. No wonder that God, the ultimate leader, called Abraham “My friend”. Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Don't Celebrate too Soon!

It happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, … that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. Nehemiah 4:15 It the measure of a man is how much it takes to get him to quit, then Nehemiah would have ranked near the top of anyone’s list. Nothing could keep this guy down! He began with an almost impossible task, and his entire staff was demoralized. He rallied them to get them started rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, but they soon encountered betrayal from within their own ranks and opposition from the outside. Nehemiah’s leadership saved the day. He kept his staff working through all the opposition. And, at the critical moment when they were ready to quit, he told them to focus their attention on defending their families from attack. This put “steel” in the backbones of his people. The enemy recognized this and gave up. Immediately, Nehemiah told the people to go back to work on the walls. Why couldn’t they take a break? Just a few days off to celebrate and regroup? Nehemiah knew the best thing for them was to get back to work. They wouldn’t be safe until the walls were rebuilt, and they couldn’t afford to waste any time. Sometimes it is appropriate to take a brief break to celebrate our minor successes, but often people need to get back to work as soon as possible so they can complete the larger goal. Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Golf and God

Since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen. Romans 1:20 A friend of mine and I played a round of golf years ago at a beautiful course just outside of Littleton, Colorado. At sunrise, the massive rocks that jut up out of the ground (the size of a 2-story house) turned a brilliant pink and deer casually crossed the fairway in front of us. As we stood there on the course - I couldn't help but admire the beauty of this location. Every hole is absolutely stunning in its layout and contour. It's truly a magnificent piece of golf architecture. In the distance, you can also see the snow-capped mountain range in all its splendor, majesty and rugged beauty. Whether you gaze at the beauty of the landscape immediately in front of you or consider the majesty of the Milky Way on a starlit night, you have to agree - truly we serve a God whose ingenuity has no peer, whose power and might and knowledge of us overwhelms with its sheer magnitude. And this same almighty God, who slung a billion galaxies into space, cares about you. He knows everything about you, yet He still loves you. And He wants you to trust Him with all your problems and worship Him with all your heart. Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Leaders Can Capture the Heart of their People Through Vision

I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great… Genesis 12:2 The incident at the Tower of Babel was more than punishment for the people who refused to submit their hearts to God. God was implementing a “divide and conquer” strategy over mankind. But within one of the new people groups He created, He chose a particular man to make a covenant with. God spoke to an elderly man without any children, Abram, and promised to richly bless Him. He promised to make him the father of nations and to bless all humankind through him. God proposed His plan carefully to Abram in the form of a vision he could understand and get very excited about. He told Abram He would bless him, along with his cattle, land, family, and name. God spoke to Abram heart to heart, revealing to him the blessings he would enjoy through this new covenant. In this passage, God lays out the criteria for a God-given vision: It must begin with God’s priorities, not ours. It must connect with the leader’s identity (match his needs and desires). It must bless others. It should be much bigger than the leader. But at the same time, it must connect with the leader’s deepest convictions. It should be tangibly and easily communicated. And finally, it must have eternal value. While Abram might have chosen to obey God simply because He is God, the Lord made the effort to connect with him first. He touched Abram’s heart before asking for his hand. Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Leaders Are Learners

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7 One of the most attractive traits of a powerful leader is getting excited about learning a new skill or gaining fresh insights. Conversely, one of the most discouraging characteristics of some in leadership is a know-it-all attitude that walls them off from new ideas. Leaders who love to learn add enthusiasm and creativity to every meeting and every relationship. They are great examples to others in the organization. The Christian life is often called a walk (see the verse above). A slow, steady, consistent pursuit of God and His will characterizes our lives. And, like the roots of a tree, we reach down deep into the truth and grace of God to find nourishment. Soaking up sustenance never stops. And even in times of drought, we find sources of strength if we’ve gone deep enough. Finally, like a sturdy building, each choice we make to honor God is a block in the structure of our spiritual experience. We grow stronger with each God-honoring decision. Indeed, life is like a classroom and only those who are willing to be lifelong learners will move to the head of the class. What is God teaching you at this phase of your journey? Please comment below or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com