You know of my love for the work that the Murphy Harpst Children's Center does with children who have been abused and sexually traumatized by the adults who should have been caring for them. Take a listen to this excellent piece. May it inspire you as it does me.

I am almost embarrassed to admit it, but I enjoy the Oscars. Not because I find enchantment in celebrities but because I really love good movies and appreciate awards to recognize them. And sometimes the Oscar entertainment can even be fun (see Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin). Sadly, this weekend's rather dull Oscars contained only one bright moment. A highly unexpected one. Kirk Douglas, 94 years old and a stroke survivor, stood out with his presentation for Best Supporting Actress. Sure, he slurred some words. That is what stroke survivors do. Sure, he enjoyed the spotlight a little too much. That is what 94 year old actors do. It was a priceless moment. But also greeted by a lot of sneers and criticisms like those of LA Weekly who called it "embarrassing and painful." Quite the contrary, ignoring elderly folks is embarrassing and painful. Hiding them in a closet, or pretending that they don't exist, is worse, even inhumane. But Hollywood worships youth. So Kirk Douglas was a wonderful thumb in the eye to those who deny the dignity of aging. After all, aging comes to all of us who are lucky enough to age in the first place. How appropriate that a 94 year old became the story on a night that the Oscars tried to be young and hip. Well done, Kirk!

Came across this excellent piece from the Jerusalem Community Rule of Life. Hope it is as meaningful for you as it was for me. Every day ask God to pour love for your brothers into your heart and to put love for you into theirs. God can deny nothing to a community that prays this way, because it is His will that we love one another as He has loved us. Where there is no love, put love and you will harvest love. Susceptibility is charity's worst enemy, humility its best ally. You should be intelligent and holy enough to be the first to give way in a quarrel; and never let squabbles over trifles harm your deep union with your brothers. You may be in the right, but your duty is not to let the sun go down on your anger. Resolve each day anew to pray for your brothers. Pray that you may love, and love while you pray, and the grace of His love will find a way in. Look on the call to brotherly love as the entry into an immense mystery, since it is your gateway into God Himself. Where love is, there is God. You, with your brethren, give God a body, express His presence and signify His action. Let your whole community become in this way a theophany of His love. To express this love in authentic action, you must live sharing. Share your time, table, roof, salaries, and belongings. Possess nothing so that one day you may, like Christ, be enriched by all you have given away. Likewise, you should be able to say to each community member: all that is mine is yours.

I have shared this concept with you before, but Tom Knox has pulled a whole host of proofs together in one column here. If you desire to live in a place that will help you have - Lower blood pressure - A longer life by an average of 7 years - Shorter recovery times from illnesses - A more rapid recovery rate from depression - A stronger immune system - The lowest levels of stress on earth - The highest levels of self-esteem on earth - The lowest levels of suicide on earth - And the highest sense of purpose in life and overall sense of well-being Where should you live? In a city? In a small town? In Switzerland? In Costa Rica? Nope. You attain these pleasures and benefits in church or your favorite faith community. Knox pulls together about a dozen studies over the last decade or so that demonstrate this simple truth: a strong and active faith life is the key to becoming the best version of yourself. Nice that science has reinforced what believers already knew. :)

Fun race at Daytona on Sunday. With a most interesting finish - youngest Daytona 500 winner ever. And the winner, 20 year old Trevor Bayne, was starting only his second Sprint Cup Series race ever. His second race, his first Daytona, and he won in a flurry of a finish. But he warmed my heart when he spoke to everyone who had a question and stayed late into the evening to sign autographs for swarming fans. Victory and publicity were not a burden for him but a pleasure. What a breath of fresh air in professional sports. Even better, Bayne spoke openly and confidently about his faith life. He gave thanks to God for giving him talent in this sport and for opening a window of opportunity for him to race at the highest level. He spoke glowingly about giving a percentage of his winnings (nearly $1.5MM) to ministries like his home church and an international ministry with orphans called Back2Back. Good for him. Victory. Joy. And purpose. All wrapped into one package on a wonderful day to start the NASCAR season. Good for us.

I interviewed Charla Muller several years ago on the show. She had just written her book, 365 Days: A Memoir of Intimacy, chronicling her "gift" to her husband of having sex every day for a year. Now, it has been 5 years since she gave him that gift. A British reporter caught up with her to find out how their marriage has been affected by the year of sex, the book, and all the conversation it generated. Really interesting article. Basic results: 1) The year drew them closer together in a way that neither expected and has made their marriage stronger and more intimate. 2) She rightly recognizes that a marriage with daily sex as an expectation is not sustainable in the long run but then again neither is a marriage where sex is not a regular component of love and intimacy. 3) Thus, her "gift" and the years that have followed have shown what we already knew. Men need sex, usually more often than women do. It is not merely a want. In sex, women essentially hold the keys to their man's self-confidence and emotional well-being. The self-giving exemplified in sexual intimacy is part and parcel of God's design for marriage. It binds the partners together in a way that nothing else can.

5 to 1. That simple formula is the key to a healthy marriage. Sounds too good to be true? It's not. John Gottman is America's pre-eminent marriage researcher. He claims to be able to predict with a 94% accuracy the likelihood that your marriage will last for the long haul. How? 5 to 1. For every one (1) negative interaction (an unkind word, a cold shoulder given, the rolling of the eyes), there must be five (5) positive interactions (a smile, a compliment, a thank you, a love pat, a gaze into the eyes). 5 positive interactions offset 1 negative interaction. In other words, show me a couple where there is a lot of eye rolling and very few kindnesses, and you have shown me a couple well on their way to divorce. During this Valentine's week, what a crucial lesson to absorb. Fill your relationship with small kindnesses and watch it flourish for years and years. How simple: Be kind to one another.

Boy, this Mark Sanchez story just keeps getting worse and worse. 24 year old poster child for the NFL, and the New York Jets, develops a sexual relationship with a 17 year old high school senior. Wow! Joe Namath was the darling of New York in the late 1960's and enjoyed the sexual offerings placed before him. But a high school senior? Hard to imagine. As a dad, there is simply no way I would ever let my 17 year old date (and then overnight) with a 24 year old, particularly a public playboy like Sanchez. And the Jets owner needs to quietly call his QB and remind him that he is the very expensive face of the franchise in a city full of lovely women to choose from. Dating and bedding a high school senior not only reflects poor judgment on his part but also a stunted emotional development. Feel free to date a grown woman, perhaps even one with a degree or a career, if you are not too threatened by that. Geeeez. Not to mention that the Jets are a franchise that over the past year has brought us Brett Favre's wiener-gate, Rex Ryan's foot fetish photos, and the harassment of a female sideline reporter on the field and in the locker room. Very classy indeed. Finally, where are this young woman's parents? Well, her mom is out clubbing with her daughter. Helping her daughter get into clubs, where she then meets and goes home with Mark Sanchez. Dad? Nowhere to be seen or heard. Wow. A story covered in wrong sauce from every angle.

Thank you! Your faithful listening to the show and our podcasts as well as your interaction here and on Facebook/Twitter and email has made The Allen Hunt Show #37 in the Talkers Magazine "Heavy Hundred" list for the second year in a row. In contrast to the traditional political right and left shows, the Allen Hunt Show stands alone as the only place to truly zero in on what's right and what's wrong. Everyone else clings to politics while we champion your moral compass. Thanks for listening!

In honor of the Packers' enjoyable win, I share a Packer Cheesehead link I received this week. Congratulations Cheeseheads!