Allen R. Hunt's Blog, page 13

Winners Never Cheat; Cheaters Never Win

Winners never cheat; cheaters never win. Did everyone teach you that phrase when you were a child? Nice words but is it really true?

Last week we learned that Emory University falsified its student data and thereby intentionally sought to inflate its rankings among colleges for a decade. Lying is a pride issue: we usually lie when we think too highly of ourselves and want others to think that way of us as well. Lying conceals the truth and focuses more on style than on real substance. We lie because we are not truly comfortable with who we are. We want more - more status, or more money, or more power.

Rich Karlgaard has called this the "age of cheats." He makes an excellent point. The financial meltdown of 2008 was built on a bonfire of lies, from Fannie Mae's untruths to deceptive mortgage lenders to misleading loan applicants. Why? Everyone wanted to be bigger than they actually were.

Recently, Atlanta   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Email of the Week: Anger

Fun show last night for all three hours. Different kind of feel for the show for a night. And the anger topic generated a lot of interesting responses.

Here is my favorite:

Thank you for your show tonight.  While I really only caught a few brief segments between running errands in the car, it was apparent to me that the Lord put your show on my radio!  I am very angry right now.  My 17 year old son has gotten the best of me and my wrong handling of his disrespect to me has caused me to be angry at him, my wife, and my family in general.

I did catch the close of one of your segments and maybe the end of the show where you said the cure for anger is three things; prayer, exercise, and service.  Thank you for this advice.  I will try this.  

I am a believer, but I'm also in a tough spot in my life just now.  I will try to ramp up my prayer   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Anger, anger everywhere

Observations from experiences in a restaurant, the DMV, and a bank this week cause me to stop and say: We have become a very angry nation/people. Anger is everywhere. Is that because of economic stress for 5 years, too much technology and not enough time with real people, or subtle changes in our society ever since 9/11? Not sure but the last decade has not brought out the best in us. Kindness and civility have been placed on the endangered species   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Redemption

Got the motorcyle license today. Second time was the charm.

Now on for Saturday course with the guys at Two Wheel Adventures. Gonna be fun. Can't wait for the April 20 ride to benefit the children at the Murphy Harpst   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Pride Before the Fall

I hurried out the door on Friday (my day off) and got in the long line to wait to take the test to get a motorcycle license. Met a nice young man in line who just graduated from high school but needs to get his license restored after it was suspended for missing too many days of school. He graduated, so what's the problem? But that's another conversation. 

After they finally called my number, I stood in another line while the clerk dealt with a poor chap who had failed his written test. I chuckled a bit at the fellow for failing the test and having to come back to the 2 hour wait to take the test again. Even though I had not studied, I figured how hard can it be to pass a written knowledge test for a motorcycle license anyway?

Finally, two hours into my visit, I sat in front of the computer and answered the twenty questions put before me. Fourteen of those I answered correctly. Six, well, let's just say I should   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Inside Out

I've recently taken on two experiments to do something new. First, learning to ride a motorcycle. Second, agreeing to personally coach someone who wants to grow in his faith life and work to become the-best-version-of-himself. It's too early to tell how the first experiment will work out :)

But I am having more fun with the second experiment than I had expected. This week, he and I will discuss how you view God and how you pray.

Some folks see God as "out there" somewhere, and believe that you and I have to work to move toward God. Their thought is that we take the initiative and then God rewards us with grace, peace, and hope.

I disagree. I have learned that prayer depends most of all on the moving of the Spirit in me and not in my own efforts. That's right. Prayer is the work of the Spirit in us. It is not our work to try to get to know God better. 

The Holy Spirit moves you toward gratitude to   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Top 5 Words for New Parents

Last weekend, my wife and I visited with friends who recently welcomed their first child into the world. What a blessing!

Now that our kids are young adults, we miss having a little one filling the room with noise and cheer. On the way there, we discussed what one piece of advice we would share with a couple celebrating their first baby. So here is our top 5 list:

5) Throw away all the books. Most were written by folks who have no idea about parenting. You might keep one book that shares the key signs of development at each age. That's all.

4) Call your grandmother or your aunt who had 6 kids. She knows more than any author.

3) Balmex. It works way better than Desitin. Wished we had figured that out sooner.

2) You don't need all that stuff you've bought. Maybe half of it at most.

1) Talk to your child and hold him while you do.   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Forgive? Really?

I don't know how he got there so quickly, but he did. Last week, Pierce O'Farrill was shot three times in Aurora, Colorado at the Batman movie. Yesterday, he forgave the assassin who tried to kill him, and unfortunately did kill 12 other people. In a radio interview, he said, "Yes, I do forgive him, and I'd like to talk to him."

How do you do that? Forgiveness is hard. Remember the scene of the Amish families in 2006 after a gunman killed five schoolgirls and wounded five more? The Amish families in Pennsylvania not only forgave the killer but reached out with mercy and compassion to help his wife in the aftermath.

In my upcoming book, Everybody Needs to Forgive Somebody, I share the powerful stories of 11 real people who model this centerpiece of the faith. Forgiveness. Forgiveness that replaces hate with love. Forgiveness that offers a second chance and redemption in a broken relationship. Forgiveness that frees   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

When Someone Gives You $20

You are walking down the sidewalk, and a person walks up and hands you an envelope. Inside you find $20 and a slip of paper that tells you to spend the money on yourself by the end of the day. What would you do with it? Buy lunch, a DVD, or pay for your dry cleaning?

Then imagine the slip of paper tells you to use the money to spend on someone else that day. What do you think you would do with the cash?

Psychology professors performed this as a test, and found that when they followed up with those who were told to spend the money on others, that group reported greater happiness than those told to spend on themselves. The results held true when tested in South Africa, India, and Canada too. And the results even held true when a child development expert conducted a similar test with kids using goldfish crackers. We really find more satisfaction when we use our resources on others rather than on   >>>>>   Read Entire Post

Kids' Cause for Pause

I am still reflecting on the heart-wrenching calls on my show in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky/Penn State verdict. Caller after caller shared his/her experiences with having been sexually abused and the challenges that presents in leading a whole, healthy life as an adult. It was a privllege to hear those real stories and to listen to the pain in hopes of guiding people toward healing.

The past two American decades have been filled with scandalous stories from schools and churches where abuse has taken place, and in some cases, even been ignored or denied. It will take years to begin to repair the very real human damage.

Sadly, the most likely place that a child will be molested is still in the family. And a new University of Texas study provides cause for pause. This nationally representative study revealed: when asked if they were ever touched sexually by a parent or an adult, grown children of lesbian   >>>>>   Read Entire Post