Allen Hunt's Blog

Good stuff happening on the web site starting today. Our team is always looking for ways to help you live out your faith. We especially want to help parents.
So, beginning today, 2 new features to the Allen Hunt Show web site.
1) Rich Maring's See No Evil blog. Rich is the founder of See No Evil software, which helps parents monitor and guide their kids online. Great help in protecting your kids from the dangers of online porn and predators. We have entered into an agreement where Rich will blog a few times a week on topics to help parents protect their kids.

2) Rich and I will do a podcast about every 10 days or so to help parents as well. Real life topics facing real parents. And it is all free to you. Check out the first one here.

My elder daughter went to see Prince Caspian. She said it is wonderful. I can't wait to go. But it will have to wait.

In the meantime, our family is going on a short trip to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary (one of my 6 key goals for 2008). I am taking along a copy of two volumes from the Chronicles of Narnia series, including Prince Caspian. Sadly, the only one I have ever read is “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” Planning on correcting that while on our trip. Will try to read at least two of the series while on planes, etc.

Have you been to see Prince Caspian? Please share your reviews and impressions.
And have you read any or all of the volumes in the series? Which was your favorite and why?

I am all ears – summer is upon us. Time for some good vacation and reading.

5 years ago today, my father died. I still remember the moment very well. Standing with my mother in the hospital corridor in Lakeland, receiving the news from the doctor.

I went to church today to thank God again for a good father. After last night's show, where folks shared some really painful stuff, I remembered again how fortunate I have been to have two good parents. My father loved me unconditionally. He did not express that in flashy or verbal ways so much as in a quiet life that provided immense stability and security. I never had to wonder where my father was - he always arrived home at 5:30 pm. He had few outside interests. His consistent presence provided a web of security and peace that I only later came to appreciate. He lived a modest life, shunning the public eye and seeking to serve God in a behind-the-scenes, simple way. In doing so, he passed on values much deeper than materialism. Finally, he reared me in a home without abuse and conflict. I did not appreciate that then, but after 20 years of pastoring folks who desperately craved that, I realize now just how blessed I was. My father had a deep, quiet faith. And in the end, that was his greatest gift to me.

While at church, I also thanked God for the last few weeks of my father's life. We got to spend lots of time together in his final days, and the experience humbled me in a way that I cannot express in words. I drove him and my mother from NC to FL so he could get back to his doctor, and the two days we spent on the drive (Dad did not want to go on interstates) were two of the most memorable and grace-filled days of my life. In the hospital, I trimmed my father's finger nails, shaved his face (he loved a good shave more than anything else), and simply sat with him as he prepared to die. It was humbling to honor and serve a man who had quietly served and provided for me my entire life, even when I was not aware of that.

So I went to church and pondered the idea that my father lives fully in the presence of God now. That Dad belongs to Him. And that I do too. I look forward to seeing him again across the river.

"I want my mother back."

That is what Rachelle McIntosh says. "It was hard to mail my mother but I had no choice."

Rachelle's mom died a few months ago and she wanted to have a memorial service in New Jersey. So she shipped her mom's cremains via UPS (or in this case, OOOPS)to her sister in NJ.

When the box arrived in NJ, it was empty. No urn, no ashes. OOOPS!

2 thoughts occur to me:
1) Would you ship your mother's ashes anywhere? Not me. Seriously, there is no way I am gonna ship my mother's cremains (by the way she is alive and I hope she is not reading this) anywhere. If they must travel, I will take them there myself. Airlines evidently are forbidden from transporting cremains, so I guess I would drive. But to ship them? Seriously!

Worst of all, my UPS store operator tells me that the only entity legally allowed to ship cremains is the USPO. Just confirms my decision. Not entrusting my mom's cremains to the feds. Not even Newman!

2) She says it was hard to mail "her mother." Rachelle, that is not your mother. Those are your mother's earthly remains. Your mother had a body; she was a spirit. I pray she is now in heaven with her maker. Either way, the ashes in the urn are not "your mother."

That should come as good news.

My friend (yes, I only have one) shared with me this week that his 8 year old son was the only boy in his school class not to receive an invitation to a classmate's birthday party. The birthday boy passed out his invitations in class - to everyone but my friend's son, "Johnny."

Are you kidding me?

My wife taught first grade for years and learned early on to make it plain to parents - if you are gonna pass out invitations in class, invite everyone. If not, invite folks privately.

But, really, it is not the teacher's responsibility. It is the parents'.

When my friend called the birthday boy's parents to inquire about what happened and why, the father was billigerent. "Our son doesn't want your son at the party. We let him choose who comes to his party."

Fine, then pass out the invitations privately or by phone. Have a heart. Even better, be a PARENT for heaven's sake, and teach your son to have class (no pun intended).

Who's running the house? Mom and Dad or the kids? Parents know the difference.

Not much blogging recently. My family and I are preparing to go to St. Lucia on a mission team with 20 people.

Check in here each day during the next week, beginning Sunday, to get updates.

We'll be:
- Working with kids in the public schools to share the Gospel and teach sexual purity (80+% of kids there are born out of wedlock)
- Sharing with orphans the love and grace of God
- Playing soccer in the streets and playgrounds of the poorest parts of the island with street kids and their friends
- Assisting several local churches there, and I will also preach two or three times
- Enjoying one day at the beach (I have never been to the Caribbean before!)