Welcome to the Truth@Life Blog Site by Curtis Songer


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There are 5 threads of thought in this blog site:
1. Church Stuff - things pertaining to the evangelical Christian Church of today
2. Leadership Corner - concepts on management & leadership
3. Two Becoming One - principles of marriage enrichment
4. Train Up a Child - principles of parenting
5. Personal Thoughts - my mental ramblings on how God is growing me

I highly recommend you find an entry on one of these topics that interests you and click on that label at the end of that entry. It will bring up all the entries on that particular category. And be sure to check out the great web site links in the lower right corner of this page - Enjoy!

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many-- not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." ~Charles Dickens Today the entire United States celebrates one of its most cherished national holidays -- Thanksgiving Day. It's a day often filled with great food, family get-togethers, and lots of sports on TV for those who care (Go Steelers and Lions!). But the real intent of the day is to take a break from the daily routine. To step back and reflect. And then to give thanks to God for all the blessings we have, as a nation and as individuals. Sometimes that's not always easy. You can either beat yourself up over past mistakes, or learn from them. And look forward to better days ahead. After all, your life is FILLED with potential... and opportunities right now… if you only accept them. Most people dwell on the negative of past mistakes, and that paralyzes them from creating a better future. May you find joy and thankfulness in whatever you do. The road to get there may seem daunting at times…but we can all be thankful that we do not walk that journey alone. Happy Thanksgiving from... www.nccxpastor.blogspot.com

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Show Some Kindness

In this world of negativity, leaders know the power of kindness and the rewards it brings. They may not know the timing of those rewards, nor the form they will take, but rest assured they are very real indeed as the following story illustrates... The year was 1863, on a spring day in Northern Pennsylvania. A poor boy was selling goods door-to-door to pay his way through school. He realized he had only a dime left, and that he was hungry. So he decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal, he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry and so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said, "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strengthened also. He had been ready to give up and quit. Years later, that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, he went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown, he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day forward, he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office pass to him the final billing for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally, she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words: "Paid in full with one glass of milk." Could you use some help in changing your organizational culture or personal leadership style? Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/

Saturday, November 23, 2013

The Power of Positivity

Literature and history are full of people who suffered from handicaps, had talents that were inferior to those around them, lived in the worst of circumstances, or faced many defeats. Yet, many of these people are listed among the winners in life’s Hall of Fame. Those who were famous we hold up as examples of great leadership. Why? What made them achieve despite their circumstances? The secret is this: Whether you reach success or failure in life has little to do with your circumstances; it has much more to do with your attitude, with your faithful courage, and with your choices. You see, non-achievers blame their circumstances; winners rise above their circumstances. Some concentrate on the blank wall that boxes them in; winners always look for a way to get under it, over it, around it, or through it. You must surround yourself with positive influences. When you are surrounded by negative thinkers, images, or materials, it is easy to get bogged down in hopelessness. Read inspiring books and magazines. Listen to motivational recordings and speakers. Attend positive-thinking seminars or programs. Make it a point to read or watch or listen to something positive and inspiring at least once every day. Focus on your strengths instead of your weaknesses. Learn to leverage your strengths in all dimension of your life: personal, family, faith, vocation, and community. Associate with positive people. Look for friends who feel good about themselves, people who have the attitude of gratitude. People who need to tear down others are not happy with themselves and are not good for you or your attitude. Life should be an adventure, to be savored from beginning to end. It is a game of constantly changing odds, constantly developing challenges, constantly opening opportunities. To win it, you have to play it. Sitting on the sidelines won’t do. Even after you’ve achieved all you ever hoped to achieve, it’s no time to stop living. Do you need assistance developing a more positive attitude? Have you maximized positivity in all areas of your life: personal, family, faith, vocation, and community? Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/

Friday, November 22, 2013

Empowerment Needs Boundaries

Every great leader knows he must empower his/her people to work autonomously if he wants to accomplish great things. But when you start your people on a journey to the land of empowerment, don't forget that they need boundaries. If you cut them loose without any direction, they will get lost and revert back to their old unempowered habits. Like the banks of a river, boundaries have the ability to channel energy in the right direction. A study was once done of a school playground in the middle of a big city. The playground was surrounded by the school on one side and three busy streets on the other sides. The children always played in the center of the playground or close to the side bordered by the school. Upon closer observation, it appeared the children were afraid to go close to the busy streets, for fear of what might happen to them (e.g., being hit by a car, kidnapped by a stranger, etc.). The school officials realized the potential danger and decided to install six foot fences around the playground. As soon as the fences were installed, the children began using the entire playground, no longer afraid of the busy streets. They would go right up to the fences to play and talk with one another - only a few feet from dangers that had terrified them before. They inherently understood there was safety and security in the boundaries. Inside the boundaries they felt complete freedom to do whatever their hearts desired. If you take away the boundaries, your people will lose their momentum and direction. Boundaries that create autonomy include: Purpose - what does your company do? Values - what are your company's operational guidelines? Goals - where is your company headed? Roles - who does what? Structure - how is your company organized? Culture - what is acceptable behavior? Don't send inexperienced people off alone and then punish them when they make mistakes. Establish clear boundaries that will free them to make decisions, take initiative, act like owners, and stay on track. Do you need assistance establishing appropriate boundaries with those you lead in your workplace, your home, your church, or in your community service role. Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/

Friday, November 15, 2013

You Need a "Solution Pandemic"

Everywhere you look today there are problems. Turn on your TV or computer - pick up a magazine or paper—and what do you see? Problems! Talk to your spouse, co-worker, family members or friends, and within minutes someone will bring up a problem...or two or three. Problems permeate the workplace, too—new products, old products, customer service, health care, retirement plans, sales, marketing, budgets, IT, personnel - the list of problems we confront each day is vast. If that's not enough, consider the global problems we are facing - hunger, war, terrorism, economy, jobs, pollution, global climate change, disease, energy, health care, education, government corruption, trade barriers, overpopulation, sanitation, water - the world's problems seem endless. In short, we are experiencing a "problem pandemic" like never before. What's scarier yet, is many experts predict there is no end in sight. So what can YOU do about this threatening pandemic? Embrace it! This may seem strange at first, but many "problems" aren't problems at all. In fact, most problems are opportunities and many are actually solutions just waiting to be found. Can you imagine waking up each morning faced with a "solution pandemic?" Truth@Life provides you with the solutions to problems that plague your life. Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/

Monday, November 11, 2013

Great Leaders Become Great Followers

The following is a message given by Justin Dosch, Associate Pastor of Grace Community Church in Cranberry, PA, one of the 50 fasted growing churches in the United States - a 10 year old church averaging about 2200 per weekend in worship (interesting note: 4 of the 5 pastors are from the Baptist denomination). Justin has been one of my leadership development clients for the past year. In this message, he has summed up, better than I ever could have, some of the reasons I am a life coach and what I hope the true mission of Truth@Life is: Week 3: Follow Me - Great Followers Become Great Leaders By Justin Dosch November 10, 2013 What are the characteristics of a great leader? Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. Jesus was the greatest leader of all time. If I am called to be a follower of Jesus, then I am called to be a leader. We are all leaders. What kind of leader am I? Where am I leading my people? When I follow Jesus where am I going? The Bible says: Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45 NIV) The greatest leadership principle is, "whoever wants to become the greatest must be the greatest servant - to give his life to others." Servant leadership turns the world's definition of leadership upside down. Jesus called you to be a follower so that you could be a leader. A change agent - an influencer of others. Based on this passage, what do leaders look like? 1. Leaders are humble. Leaders lift the influential ability of others. ALL our talents and gifts are from God! The greatness in me has nothing to do with me. The greatness in me has everything to do with God in me. We must look at every person as greater than we are, worthy of our time and service. 2. Leaders leave a legacy. If we don't mentor others, what we have been given dies with us. If we don't pass it on to others and teach them to pass it on to others, it dies. Jesus said - I have taught you so that you can teach others. An example of this is a succession plan - not just a future org chart - rather a development plan for those we mentor. Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23 NIV) What is your cross? Your cross can be thought of as your life mission and core values. It is what you would give up your entire life for. Do you know what those are? If so, are you living them with the purpose of influencing others? If you don't know them, it's time to find out! Truth@Life can help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a FREE consultation. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/