Allen Hunt's Blog

Religious Freedom Rally in America and Atlanta

Allen Hunt — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:33:06 EST

Join me at Atlanta's next Stand Up for Religious Liberty rally on Friday, June 22 at 7:00PM at Marist School’s football stadium. The keynote speaker will be Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta.

The Stand Up for Religious Liberty rallies have spontaneously arisen across America in response to a number of assaults on the first freedom enshrined in the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights: Freedom of Religion. For example, the Department of Justice has taken on Christian schools and their right to determine the religious compatibility of those whom they will employ (thankfully, the DOJ lost 9-0 at the Supreme Court on this case). Next, the Department of Health and Human Services have unilaterally at the hands of a single bureaucrat imposed a requirement for religious groups who oppose sterilizations, aborti-facient drugs, and contraception to be required to pay for and provide such procedures for their >>>>> Read Entire Post

Same Sex Science

Allen Hunt — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:23:31 EST

Now that the nation seems obsessed with creating a new category called Same Sex Marriage, whatever that is, it is good to have facts and real data. Much of the conversation now is based on feelings rather than on reason or science.

Here's a good article that gathers lots of the actual studies regarding homosexuality to provide some substance to the debate as we debate what marriage actually is and whether homosexual behavior is "normal" or >>>>> Read Entire Post

Summer Reading 2012

Allen Hunt — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:57:54 EST

Thank you for your recommendations for summer reading. Hundreds of you responded via email and on Facebook. Wonderful stuff!

In an ambitious move, I am taking 5 books with me on vacation, all recommended by you. A number of you asked for the list ahead of time, so here it is. I will post reviews when I return - of as many of these as I can read while not turning vacation into work!

Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy (recommended by EC, Sarah, and Franklin)

The Last Great Game by Gene Wojciechowski (recommended by Mark)

The Noticer by Andy Andrews (recommended by Kay)

Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder (recommended by Wheeler and Tom)

20 Love Poems and a Song of Despair by Pabo Neruda (recommended by Chris, the wildcard of all wildcards, >>>>> Read Entire Post

Photos from The Rally

Allen Hunt — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:55:50 EST

Check out the photos from our motorcycle rally to benefit the severely abused children at the Murphy Harpst Children's center. I posted them on my Facebook show fan page >>>>> Read Entire Post

What They Didn't Tell You at Graduation

Allen Hunt — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:52:06 EST

Great piece by Charles Wheelan at the WSJ today. I've taken the liberty of shortening it just a bit. Numbers 7 and 9 are truth bombs!

Here is what I wish someone had told me at graduation:

1. Your time in fraternity basements was well spent.

The same goes for the time you spent playing intramural sports, working on the school newspaper or just hanging with friends. Research tells us that one of the most important causal factors associated with happiness and well-being is your meaningful connections with other human beings. Look around today. Certainly one benchmark of your postgraduation success should be how many of these people are still your close friends in 10 or 20 years.

2. Some of your worst days lie ahead. Graduation is a happy day. But my job is to tell you that if you are >>>>> Read Entire Post

Thanks for and from "Chase"

Allen Hunt — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:32:59 EST

Many thanks to you for helping as we generated more than $17,000 to serve the children at the Murphy Harpst children's center. Our motorcycle rally provided tremendous fun not only for those of us who participated and gave, but also for the children at Murphy Harpst who were blessed by all the fun, attention, and interest in their lives.

Photos will be posted soon from the day - I have so many that I am trying to pick the best 20 or so to share here. Please check back soon for those.

In the meantime, let me share about a young man named "Chase". This week, Chase will be discharged, and one of the discharge gifts that Murphy Harpst shares with kids is a dog tag that reads "All things are possible for him who believes" (Mark 9:23). The team at Murphy Harpst talked about his new life with a family that plans to adopt Chase. What a remarkable contrast is their love >>>>> Read Entire Post

Give Me Your Wisdom

Allen Hunt — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:06:11 EST

The time is near. I need your wisdom. What is the best book you've read this year?

My family and I will be going on vacation in a few weeks, and I am looking to take three excellent books with me. Last year you responded with great recommendations, and I actually had time to read six of your suggestions.

I am looking for suggestions in three areas:

1) Fiction - I love good novels. Bring your best recommendation on!

2) Business/Leadership - The Dream Manager is the best one I've read the last few years. What recent book has been powerful for you?

3) Wild Card - This area could include faith, science, bio, history, or something else that you found helpful.

You always give me good wisdom, so I look forward to hearing from you with your recommendations. After the vacation, I will share the results and my reviews of the books I >>>>> Read Entire Post

5 Facebook Rules for Teens

Allen Hunt — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 08:54:55 EST

My show will tag team with WSB TV tonight to discuss social media, parenting, and kids. As part of that conversation, here are some starting points from several experts for parents in guiding their kids' use of Facebook.

5 Facebook rules for Parents and Kids

Similar guidelines apply to other social networking sites. This can be a starting point for discussing Facebook with your teen.

1. General comments

Facebook has a wide range of privacy settings available, and in general you want all the privacy you can get. Most of the horror stories about social networking involve kids making information public and/or making contact with strangers. The rules below are generally designed to avoid all contact with strangers. The key concept is to use Facebook only to interact with real personal friends.

Consider the following statement from the official Facebook terms:

We recommend that >>>>> Read Entire Post

Lesson from a No-tell Motel

Allen Hunt — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:39:24 EST

I think I just stayed in a No-tell Motel. I've been travelling this week, mostly in Chicago, and I am not very familiar with this area. So I booked an economical room online at a "hotel" that got good reviews.

When I arrived, they said I could not check in before 5:00. If I wanted to do so, it would be $15 per hour. Same hourly rate if I wanted to stay any later on check-out day too.

Upon entering the room, I noticed two things I usually do not see on business travel. Mirrors for three of the four walls. And an ocean-sized whirpool right in the middle of the room where usually there would be furniture. Also, the only refreshment offered at the "hotel" was wine by the bottle. Strange?

I made it safely through the evening (amen). But I learned yet again, that when you do not know where you're going, you can land yourself in some uncomfortable places. It's true geographically and it's true spiritually. Always   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Everybody Needs to Forgive Somebody

Allen Hunt — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:22:04 EST

In the final stretch of a complete re-write of my book on Forgiveness. The more I got into it, the more it became an entirely new book. Included some powerful new stories and how to discover the power of forgiveness in your own life. Even a new title: "Everybody Needs to Forgive Somebody."

Hope to have it out for you this   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Mother of Holy Week

Allen Hunt — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 10:24:21 EST

Stephanie Decker's dream house in Indiana took 9 months to build and 9 seconds to fall in a recent tornado. With the house disintegrating, she grabbed her son Dominic, 8, and daughter Reese, 5, and ran to the basement. There, she wrapped the kids in a blanket and climbed on top of them. Protecting.

"I remember the whole thing," she said. "I stayed conscious the whole time. They needed me. They had to have me, so I had to figure out what to do." She held on tightly to the children as the house fell down around her. Braving.

"Everything started hitting my back, beams, pillars, furniture - everything was slamming into my back. But I had my children in the blanket and I was on top of them, reaching around holding them." Unwavering.

Then she realized she had been badly hurt, with her leg appearing as if it had been severed. Fighting back the tears, she said: "It was cut off or it was barely   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

TIcket to Ride for Kids

Allen Hunt — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:14:44 EST

Compassion. Jesus says all eternity hinges on it. In fact, He says that when you serve a hungry person a meal or offer a drink to a thirsty person, you are doing so directly to Him.

And that is one reason why "Gregory" matters. An apartment manager in Atllanta heard an odd scratching noise coming from a vacant apartment. He made a note to check that the next day. But he forgot. On the third day, he walked by that apartment again, and heard the same noise. So he opened the door, expecting to find a mouse or a raccoon inside.

Instead, he walked through the vacant apartment and found nothing...until he got to the rear bedroom. The manager opened the closet and found a little 7 year old boy, covered in cockroaches and eating with his hand in a jar of peanut butter. That little boy, "Gregory," had been left behind by his parents when they moved. They abandoned him. And he finally made his way to the Murphy Harpst   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

5 Days to Ride!

Allen Hunt — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:34:24 EST

Well we're down to 5 days before our Rescue Riders event to benefit the children of Murphy Harpst.

Just wanted to share some additional information with you as it relates to the morning of April 14th.

Our groups will meet at one of four locations around 8:30am and then funnel into Harley Davidson of Atlanta on Thornton Road. Our point of departure as a total group will be from Harley Davidson of Atlanta around 10:30am bound for Murphy Harpst in Cedartown, GA.

8:30 am Meeting locations:

Great South Harley Davidson

185 Highway 16 East

Newnan, GA 30263

Killer Creek Harley Davidson

11480 Alpharetta Hwy.

Roswell, GA 30076

Frazier's Harley Davidson

4699 Friendship Road

Buford, GA 30519

Stone Mountain   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

What I'm Doing for Holy Week

Allen Hunt — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 09:18:14 EST

For Lent this year, I added something rather than deleting something from my life. I have partnered with several friends to do something extra to help hurting kids.

Together we are sponsoring a motorcycle rally on Saturday, April 14 to benefit the children at the Murphy Harpst Children's Center in Cedartown. These kids are the most abused and sexually traumatized kids in Georgia. They have rarely, if ever, known love and stability. And Murphy Harpst has a nationally-recognized success rate in helpling them find healing, help, and hope.

Our rally will have multiple starting points in metro Atlanta (Stone Mountain Harley Davidson, Great South Harley Davidson in Newnan, Killer Creek Harley-Davidson in Roswell/Alpharetta and Frazier's Harley Davidson in Buford) and we will all then funnel through to Harley Davidson of Atlanta on Thornton   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

To Love is to be Inconvenienced

Allen Hunt — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:20:35 EST

For Lent this year, I added something rather than deleting something from my life. I have partnered with several friends to do something extra to help hurting kids. God made it clear to me that I needed to inconvenience myself on behalf of other people more often. That is the best way to learn how to love.

Together we are sponsoring a motorcycle rally on Saturday, April 14 to benefit the children at the Murphy Harpst Children's Center in Cedartown. These kids are the most abused and sexually traumatized kids in Georgia. They have rarely, if ever, known love and stability. And Murphy Harpst has a nationally-recognized success rate in helpling them find healing, help, and hope.

Our rally will have multiple starting points in metro Atlanta (Stone Mountain Harley Davidson, Great South Harley Davidson in Newnan, Killer Creek Harley-Davidson in Roswell/Alpharetta and   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

How to Have Your Best Monday Ever

Allen Hunt — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:02:06 EST

You need a really good Monday. Especially when you consider all the bad news and conflict swirling around us - the Trayvon Martin case, the ObamaCare hearings and mandates, Iran's saber-rattling, and nagging high unemployment rates.

So what could be the key to having your best Monday ever? Worship.

A new Gallup/Healthways well-being index reveals that if you attend worship at least once a week, you will experience 10% more positive emotions PLUS 20% fewer negative emotions on Monday. And those figures stay consistent throughout the whole week.

Perhaps it's because faith strengthens you for tough times. Maybe it's because of the social relationships that come from attending worship. Or it could be the same healing experience that studies have shown cause regular worshippers to live longer, experience less depression, suffer fewer divorces, and bounce back more quickly from surgery. Then again, it could   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Hogs for Tony

Allen Hunt — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:19:33 EST

Let me remind you about Tony, a boy I mentioned to you some time back. Tony (I have changed his name) lives at the Murphy Harpst Children's Center in Georgia where he arrived carrying only a paper sack of clothes. All his possessions in a single grocery sack. Tony has been sexually abused by a number of men in his life; he has been beaten, burned, and forced to live in a box. Tony is withdrawn and angry. He has failed in 12 foster placement homes, and Murphy Harpst is his last hope for help and healing. Like most of the kids who live there, Tony has tried to end his life. Death seems more hopeful to him than what he has experienced from life and adults so far.

The therapists, counselors, and teachers at Murphy >>>>   Read Entire Post

One Priest Speaks

Allen Hunt — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:41:33 EST

Thoughtful, concise opinion from Atlanta's Father Lopez regarding ObamaCare's requirement that Catholic organizations violate their moral consciences and bow to the State.

The comments about the Hawthorne Sisters are particularly   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

What I'm Doing for Lent

Allen Hunt — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 14:09:41 EST

For Lent this year, I added something rather than deleting something from my life. I have partnered with several friends to do something extra to help hurting kids.

Together we are sponsoring a motorcycle rally on Saturday, April 14 to benefit the children at the Murphy Harpst Children's Center in Cedartown. These kids are the most abused and sexually traumatized kids in Georgia. They have rarely, if ever, known love and stability. And Murphy Harpst has a nationally-recognized success rate in helpling them find healing, help, and hope.

Our rally will have multiple starting points in metro Atlanta (Stone Mountain Harley Davidson, Great South Harley Davidson in Newnan, Killer Creek Harley-Davidson in Roswell/Alpharetta and Frazier's Harley Davidson in Buford) and we will all then funnel through to Harley Davidson of Atlanta on Thornton   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

4 Parts Peyton

Allen Hunt — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 17:02:21 EST

How do you create a Peyton Manning? I asked myself that after watching his 2 minute press conference last week as he was released by the Indianapolis Colts. Classy. Respectful. Humble. Dignified. Well done.

How do you help your kids grow into that kind of person? The kind of person who generates the classiest 2 minutes in YouTube history at the press conference where he is being let go from the franchise he built? Here's my 4-part recipe:

1) FAITH - Help your child have faith in God. Faith not only grounds an individual when hard times come, it also gives your child a larger view of the world. He will move toward humility by recognizing that God, not himself, is the center of the universe.

2) TWO PARENTS - Moms and dads complement one another. Moms tend to nurture whild dads tend to encourage risk-taking and exploring the world. When both parents actively engage with your   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Motorcycles and Murphy Harpst

Allen Hunt — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:57:51 EST

Breaking News: Stone Mountain Harley Davidson joins the team to help kids!

I am proud to help sponsor a motorcycle rally on Saturday, April 14 to benefit the children at the Murphy Harpst Children's Center in Cedartown. These kids are the most abused and sexually traumatized kids in Georgia. They have rarely, if ever, known love and stability. And Murphy Harpst has a nationally-recognized success rate in helpling them find healing, help, and hope.

Our rally will have multiple starting points in metro Atlanta (Stone Mountain Harley Davidson, Great South Harley Davidson in Newnan, Killer Creek Harley-Davidson in Roswell/Alpharetta and Frazier's Harley Davidson in Buford) and we will all then funnel through to Harley Davidson of Atlanta on Thornton Road near Douglasville on I-20 to head to Cedartown.

Once, there you will   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Atlanta Rally for Religious Liberty

Allen Hunt — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:55:37 EST

The Stand Up For Religious Freedom rally has been set for March 23^rd at 12 noon at the Georgia State Capitol. This event is part of a group of rallies being held in 100+ cities across the country. (http://standupforreligiousfreedom.com/).

People of all religious and political backgrounds are invited to join in voicing their opposition to mandates that force religious organizations to pay for insurance that violates their religious convictions.

To be added to the group email list, please contact atlanta@standupforreligiousfreedom.com or >>>>   Read Entire Post

Join me to Help Hurting Kids

Allen Hunt — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 20:17:29 EST

I am proud to help sponsor a motorcycle rally on Saturday, April 14 to benefit the children at the Murphy Harpst Children's Center in Cedartown. These kids are the most abused and sexually traumatized kids in Georgia. They have rarely, if ever, known love and stability. And Murphy Harpst has a remarkable success rate in helpling them find healing, help, and hope.

Our rally will have multiple starting points in metro Atlanta (Great South Harley Davidson in Newnan, Killer Creek Harley-Davidson in Alpharetta and Frazier's Harley Davidson in Buford) and we will all then funnel through to Harley Davidson of Atlanta on Thornton Road near Douglasville on I-20 to head to Cedartown. Once, there you will receive a tour of Murphy Harpst to meet some of the precious children there who are growing stronger each day, receive a gift bag with all kinds of gifts and   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

One Man, 30 Kidneys

Allen Hunt — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 09:21:00 EST

Rick Ruzzamenti of California met a woman who had just donated her kidney to a friend she had bumped into at a Target store. Her kind generosity inspired Rick, so he decided to donate a kidney to a person in need of one. The beneficiary turned out to be an anonymous 66 year old man in Livingston, NJ.

Here's where the story takes a remarkable turn. The NJ man's niece, Teresa, had hoped to give her uncle her kidney but their bloodwork did not match. She was touched by Ruzzamenti's kindness in helping her uncle, so she decided to donate a kidney to someone else too. That recipient turned out to be Brooke, who lives in Michigan.

And the kidney chain of donations took off from there. Brooke's friend then donated a kidney to a woman whose husband then donated a kidney, and so on and so on. In the end, because of Rick Ruzzamenti's kind thought and generous act, 30 donors were inspired to share kidneys with 30   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Fun week in Monroe, GA

Allen Hunt — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:42:05 EST

Spent a great week last week at St. Anna's church in Monroe, Georgia, preparing for our best Lent ever. Here are some great shots taken by my friend, Carlos.   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

You Won't Find this in the NY Times

Allen Hunt — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 22:38:37 EST

Not even a word there when this was published last Friday. Nor in the Washington Post. Not even a story in their eyes.

Religious liberty is on life support in America, and our media could not care   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Help and Healing for Hurting Children

Allen Hunt — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 19:35:09 EST

I am proud to help sponsor a motorcycle rally on Saturday, April 14 to benefit the children at the Murphy Harpst Children's Center in Cedartown. These kids are the most abused and sexually traumatized kids in Georgia. They have rarely, if ever, known love and stability. And Murphy Harpst has a remarkable success rate in helpling them find healing, help, and hope.

Our rally will have multiple starting points in metro Atlanta (Great South Harley Davidson in Newnan, Killer Creek Harley-Davidson in Alpharetta and Frazier's Harley Davidson in Buford) and we will all then funnel through to Harley Davidson of Atlanta on Thornton Road near Douglasville on I-20 to head to Cedartown. Once, there you will receive a tour of Murphy Harpst to meet some of the precious children there who are growing stronger each day, receive a gift bag with all kinds of gifts and   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

What are we feeding our children?

Allen Hunt — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 09:26:32 EST

It has happened again. This week in Ohio, with at least two students shot dead in their school cafeteria and others apparently saved by a heroic coach who risked his life to protect kids. School shootings are now so commonplace that we almost don't notice them in the news anymore.

After Columbine, a friend of mine asked our group, "What are we feeding our children? They must be ingesting something deadly that is killing them. For surely school shooters are dead on the inside before they could so such a thing."

He's right. It's not our physical food that is tainted and deadly so much as it is our spiritual food. Some will blame guns, some will call for more school security, some will blame the media. But I think it is the food.

I'm talking about the steady diet we have been feeding our children for 50 years now. Moral relativism, humanism, secularism, atheism, agnosticism, self-esteemism,   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Motorcycles Serving Georgia's Kids

Allen Hunt — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 12:21:28 EST

I am proud to help sponsor a motorcycle rally on Saturday, April 14 to benefit the children at the Murphy Harpst Children's Center in Cedartown. These kids are the most abused and sexually traumatized kids in Georgia. They have rarely, if ever, known love and stability. And Murphy Harpst has a remarkable success rate in helpling them find healing, help, and hope.

Our rally will have multiple starting points in metro Atlanta (Great South Harley Davidson in Newnan, Killer Creek Harley-Davidson in Alpharetta and Frazier's Harley Davidson in Buford) and we will all then funnel through to Harley Davidson of Atlanta on Thornton Road near Douglasville on I-20 to head to Cedartown. Once, there you will receive a tour of Murphy Harpst to meet some of the precious children there who are growing stronger each day, receive a gift bag with all kinds of gifts and   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

How to Avoid Poverty in 3 Easy Steps

Allen Hunt — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:26:51 EST

How do you avoid poverty in three easy steps? I have learned the answer. And it is more important today than ever before not only because of a tough economy but because of the recent news that more than 4 out of 10 kids are born out of wedlock in America today.

A friend from the Georgia Family Council shared with me the research that shows if you do three simple things, you have just an 8% chance of living in poverty at some point in your life. Fail in just one of these three, and your likelihood of poverty explodes to 79%.

The three things?

1) Finish high school

2) Marry after the age of 20

3) Wait until marriage to have kids.

Tell your son; teach your daughter. Inspire your grandkids. Simple decisions and actions make all the   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Religious Liberty

Allen Hunt — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 08:36:36 EST

Wise and thoughtful words from a friend regarding why the Catholic Church and others are so insistent on religious freedom when it comes to the ObamaCare mandates and edicts. I share what I receive. Enjoy!

Why is the Catholic Church fighting the federal government over contraceptives?

The fight is larger than the Catholic Church or contraceptives.

Ok, who’s in the fight?

The Catholic Church with 70 million members in the United States (the nation’s largest faith), the Southern Baptist Convention with 16 million members (the nation’s largest Protestant denomination), the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod with 2.3 million, the Greek Orthodox Church with 1.5 million members, Orthodox Jews, who number 1.5 million. There are many other religious groups that have formally protested as well.    >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Rescue Riders for Georgia's Kids

Allen Hunt — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 10:29:59 EST

I am proud to help sponsor a motorcycle rally on Saturday, April 14 to benefit the children at the Murphy Harpst Children's Center in Cedartown. The kids there are the most abused and sexually traumatized kids in Georgia. They have rarely, if ever, known love and stability. And Murphy Harpst is usually the first place they find healing, help, and hope.

Our rally will have multiple starting points in metro Atlanta (Great South Harley Davidson in Newnan and Frazier's Harley Davidson in Buford) and we will all then funnel through to Harley Davidson of Atlanta on Thornton Road near Douglasville on I-20 to head to Cedartown. Once, there you will receive a tour of Murphy Harpst to meet some of the precious children there who are growing stronger each day, receive a gift bag with all kinds of gifts and cards from the kids, and eat a meal furnished by Chick-fil A. Plus you'll get to   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

She Had Beautiful Eyes

Allen Hunt — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:18:58 EST

My friend, Randy, was eating dinner at the airport by himself when a lady sat down at the counter near him. A few minutes later, another woman and her young daughter sat across on the other side of the counter. The small girl's face was marred by a terrible scar. The woman seated near Randy stared intently at the girl as Randy looked down embarrassed for her. About a minute passed, with Randy growing more and more awkward with each second as the woman stared at the young girl. Finally the woman said, "How old are you, little girl?"

"I’m 8", came the reply.

"My, what beautiful eyes you have," said the woman.

My friend Randy went away sad. He had been able to focus only on the disfiguring scar. So much so that he had missed the opportunity to see those beautiful eyes.

What a shame to hear of Whitney Houston's death and to focus only on her addictions and failures. My, what a beautiful voice   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Sunday's Show and Podcast

Allen Hunt — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:30:06 EST

FYI for you podcast fans. We recorded the show last night (2/12) but I am having difficulty uploading it and will need to recapture the audio from WSB's computer. Will get it on the site next weekend along with the 2/19 show. Thank you for listening to the Allen Hunt   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Give me Liberty or Give me Death

Allen Hunt — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:43:01 EST

Peggy Noonan says it well. "If the church is forced to go against its conscience, religious liberty in America is not safe. If religious liberty is not safe, you are not   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Go Geek

Allen Hunt — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:49:37 EST

My younger daughter, Little G, and her friends were robbed at Georgia Tech this past Sunday. Purses, laptops, wallets all taken. Fortunately, no one was physically hurt.

As they feverishly called to cancel credit cards, one of the girls called her boyfriend. I now call him King Geek. He quickly logged into her ICloud account, activated the GPS tracking on her cell phone, and located where the stolen phone was. Tech police officers immediately headed to that location, and sure enough, there were the two men, standing with bag loads of stolen goodies. Nearly everything (but not all) was recovered. Two men arrested. Case closed.

So, here's to the geeks who know how to use all the stuff that confounds pen and pad users like me in order to save the day for young damsels in distress. Well done!

Do me a favor. Hug a geek (or a police officer)   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

The One Thing To Know Before You Die

Allen Hunt — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:59:26 EST

I've been working on my next book this week. May call it The One Thing to Know Before You Die. Which reminded me of one of my favorite real life stories.

Aldred Pruden Wallace is an odd name for a man. His son, Peter, is my friend. Aldred lived his last 18 months in a nursing home, surviving on his small pension. He had no other possessions besides his wonderful, warm and generous spirit.

The staff loved Aldred and would do anything for him. In his final few months, dementia set in, and Aldred created scenarios in his mind. For example, one day The President had consulted Aldred for advice on foreign policy. But most of the scenarios revolved around money. He thought he had $200MM left over from World War II and he really wanted to bless his caregivers and friends at the nursing home.

So several times a   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Great book on an airplane

Allen Hunt — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:58:36 EST

Most people desperately desire to believe that they are part of a great mystery, that Creation is a work of grace and glory, not merely the result of random forces colliding. Yet each time that they are given but one reason to doubt, a worm in the apple of the heart makes them turn away from a thousand proofs of the miraculous, whereupon they have a drunkard's thirst for cynicism, and they feed upon despair as a starving man upon a loaf of bread.

- Dean Koontz in Odd Thomas

Just read this suspense/thriller on the plane. It was a fascinating   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

My Inspiring Friend

Allen Hunt — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:02:35 EST

My friend, Tom, is riding a bike from California to Boston to inspire people regarding the dignity of human life. Proud of you,   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Lunch with "Cathy"

Allen Hunt — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:40:31 EST

My friend, Gary, and I had lunch with "Cathy" this week. We were blessed.

Cathy's mom lost custody of little 4 year old Cathy because her drug habit had spiralled out of control. Cathy's dad is nowhere to be found. Cathy has been in and out of more than 20 foster care homes and several adoptive family situations over the past 11 years. Her life has lacked stabiiity and unconditional love, and the 15 year old Cathy we shared lunch with has often found herself repeating her mother's cycle of drug abuse and treating the adults around her with anger and disrespect.

Eight months ago, Cathy came to live at the Murphy Harpst Center, which treats kids who have been sexually abused, traumatized, and rejected. This is likely the longest she has ever lived in the same place. Cathy has been clean now for 8 months, and her favorite part of Murphy Harpst is the library. She loves to read, and now for the first time is making good   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

What I Wish I had Known BEFORE My Daughters went to College

Allen Hunt — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:56:03 EST

I rarely have guests on the show. Too much that I want to say and I only have a 3 hour show once a week!

But when I heard that Dr. Miriam Grossman, M.D., was coming to town, I knew I had to have her be a part of the show. Her talks and books have been most helpful to me as a dad and as a person of faith. I only wish I had discovered her work sooner, like before my two daughters went off to college.

Check out this site that shares some of her work and the dates for her appearances and talks here in Atlanta in the coming week. I will be attending some of these and you should   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

North Atlanta Compassion

Allen Hunt — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:47:27 EST

For many years, I have assisted North Fulton Charities in my community. They do good work, and it is a privilege to partner with them. North Fulton Charities will celebrate February as Have A Heart for NFCC month.

NFCC’s mission is to build self-sufficiency and prevent homelessness and hunger in our community by providing emergency assistance and enrichment programs. The purpose of this month long campaign is to secure much needed funds to support our programs while increasing the awareness of the needs of our families. Our goal is to raise $200,000. Your participation in the “Change Your Heart For NFCC,” campaign will help us reach this ambitious goal.

Here are some suggestions about how YOU can Have a Heart for NFCC during February.

Host a party in your home, invite your friends, and provide insight about the   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Growth is Good not Bad

Allen Hunt — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:50:19 EST

I have made countless mistakes in my life. I wish they were only confined to my youth and my 20's. Yet the older I get, the more I realize how flawed I am. We all are; we're humans. Since we all mess up, the goal should be to learn from mistakes rather than pretend like they never happened. Regret where you have failed, learn why you did, and grow forward to become a stronger, healthier, holier person. As a Christian, the goal and destiny of my life is a holy future not a perfect past.

News reports this week shout how Karen Santorum, Republican candidate Rick's wife, lived with an abortion doctor for several years while in her 20's. Now she and her husband, Rick, staunchly promote the dignity of life and the sacred worth of each human being. The contrast of her past with her present has generated criticisms that she is somehow discredited and hypocritical. As a faithful wife, and a mother of 7, actually,   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Must see MLK Photos

Allen Hunt — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 12:31:41 EST

On this MLK holiday weekend, we all take a deep breath reminder of the significant progress America has made in the past 50 years toward becoming the best version of ourselves.

No one has played a greater role in that progress than Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I give thanks for his courage, vision, and perseverance. The greatest American of the 20th century.

Found these photos online this weekend that capture the stunning moment and shock experienced by his inner circle on the evening when he was assassinated. Powerful must see shots that capture that moment better than   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Antonio ran out of Grace

Allen Hunt — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:02:39 EST

Right before Christmas last month, Antonio searched his wife's chest of drawers and found quite a surprise. Love letters she had written to a man with whom she was having an affair. In the 1940's.

Irate, Antonio confronted his wife, who guiltily confessed the affair. From the 1940's. 70 years ago.

This was it. The straw that broke the camel's back. So Antonio filed for divorce. After 77 years of marriage, 5 kids, and 12 grandkids. He ran out of grace.

Did I mention that Antonio is 99 years old? I have to wonder what his long-range plan is.

He's now the oldest person on record ever to have gotten a divorce. Would you prefer to be remembered for that or for finishing strong by embracing a measure grace and a sprinkle of forgiveness? Finding a way to become better, rather than bitter, at the age of 99. Come on Antonio, you can do it. By the grace of God, we all   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Email of the Week: Divorce and Remarriage

Allen Hunt — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:40:30 EST

Fun show last Sunday on Arnie and Maria reconciling and how reuniting during or after a divorce is a good thing. Reconciliation, redemption - when possible.

Great calls and emails on the topic - here's a good one for chewing on the subject. Enjoy!

Allen,

Great radio show as always!

My Ex and I have been divorced coming up on 7 years after 22 years of a mostly good marriage (the last 2 of those years were a little rocky, I feel because of his retirement from US Military, type A personality, midlife crisis). He said he didn't feel like I was attentive enough.

All I knew was that I thought we were going to be married until we died and his announcement that he couldn't remain faithful (had already found someone online) and I needed to let him go, hit me to my core. I had heart attack   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Stupid Things Never to Do Again

Allen Hunt — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:30:10 EST

Appreciated this excellent piece on the 12 stupid things not to do again. Hope it helps you as it did   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

27 Rules of the Gym

Allen Hunt — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:32:53 EST

Loved this column on the 27 rules of the gym as the new year begins and I try to lose all the strawberry cake I ate for Christmas and my birthday. #20 is my   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Death meets Life in Utah

Allen Hunt — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:04:12 EST

Roger Andersen thought it was over.

The 46-year-old dad lost control of his car on an icy winding Utah canyon road and slid into a frigid river, trapping his 9-year-old daughter Mia and 4-year-old son Baylor, along with their friend, 9-year-old Kenya. The car flipped upside-down and within a second the cabin of the vehicle was full of water.

Andersen's first thought? "So this is it how it ends." He struggled to free the children from their seatbelts, but couldn't get them loose, and he had to breathe.

"I decided the best thing was to get out of the car and get air," he said. When he got up, within five second, he saw eight men jumping into the river, ready to assist.

But the story gets even more amazing. The rescuers   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Christmas Book Fare

Allen Hunt — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:57:40 EST

In addition to the 4 movies over Christmas break, I read two books worthy of passing on recommendations.

Galway Bay - by Mary Pat Kelly

Had actually been suggested by one of my listeners for my annual summer book indulgence list but I never got to it then. A long historical novel that chronicles the life of an Irish family in the early 1800's through the potato blight and ultimately to America, Chicago, and the Civil War. Kelly does a nice job of painting the the scene of life in rural Ireland at the time and makes you care about many of the characters. A long read but one well worth the time.

AHS Grade: B

Great by Choice - by Jim Collins

A follow up book of research to Collins' classic Good to Great. In this work, Collins looks at how the healthiest companies navigate times of great change and/or chaos (appropriate for the time   >>>>>   Read Entire Post