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It’s Not About the Food – Penny Hunt
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There's more to life than food

There’s more to life than food

Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? Matthew 6:25

“No, Mom! They can’t have that. Red food coloring makes them hyper and grumpy!”

“I can’t eat this. Pasta isn’t gluten free.”

“Is this celery organic?”

“Mom, throw this out. This yogurt expired yesterday!”

After two days of rebukes and dietary restrictions coming from my children, I was about to “go off” myself. Nearly all the dishes I had prepared were now enemies of the state rather than family favorites.

When one of my daughters reached for a bottle of catsup to make cocktail sauce, I heard her husband ask, “Does that have high fructose corn syrup in it?” At this, I decided to drop my dishrag and take the dogs for a walk.

Some believe we shouldn’t bother God with petty things like lost keys and special orders for range-free poached eggs, but I believe His unconditional love includes the small stuff too.

I prayed. “Lord, when did the food I thank You for at every meal become poison? Should I worry? I feel ignorant, insulted, angry, and unappreciated. Help me, Lord.”

Jesus never seemed to worry. In fact, He almost seemed insulted that those He taught would consider it. Christ knew His Father was a God of His word, a keeper of promises, and He tried to help us understand that God had our backs. He provides our needs.

Through the tender voice of His Holy Spirit, I heard Him speak to me. “Look at the birds. I take care of them and I’ll take care of you. Do not be fearful about what you will eat or drink. Trust Me and remember, life is about love, not food.”

My peace restored, I rejoined my vegetarian, dairy-free, filtered-water-bottle-drinking family. I prayed for His love to free and protect us from the bondage of fear while I cheerfully asked, “Would you like Stevia or Blue Agave sweetener?”

The next time worry overtakes you, remember our great and awesome God has your back. Send worry back where it came from and trust God to handle the rest.

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphoto.net

Penny Hunt, a.k.a., “The Change Speaker,” is the wife of a career Naval Officer/Attaché and mother of five (yours, mine and ours). Her speaking and writing encourage and equip people from all walks of life in navigating the choppy waters of change. She is a member of the National Speakers Association and author of an Amazon.com bestselling children’s book, Little White Squirrel’s Secret. She is a contributor to the Chicken Soup series;  Fighting The Fear At Home and columnist for the Edgefield Advertiser of Edgefield County, SC. A popular speaker with a meaningful message, Penny resides with her husband, Bill, in the rural peach-growing region of South Carolina.

You can find her at www.thechangespeaker.com, www.misspennysplace.com, or www.truebluecommunity.com.

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The Magic Sleeping Bed – Penny Hunt
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Sleeping

Sleeping

I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. John 14:18 (KJV)

​Is there anything more precious than sleeping children? Getting them to sleep, however, makes the event even sweeter.

At our house, whoever tucked the kids in for the night was responsible for seeing the major chunks of toys and clothes were off the floor, teeth were brushed, prayers were said, and a good-night kiss was planted on each forehead before the lights were turned off.

​Some nights there was time for a story and we would all tuck in together, like chocolates in a box, atop the youngest child’s bed to listen and look at pictures as the pages were turned. It was indeed an amazing and curious thing—no matter how interesting the story, after just a few moments of lying on the bed, our eyes would grow heavy and one-by-one we would drift off to sleep…

​This was not a problem when there were two adults in the house to check on each other but when their father was deployed, lying down in the children’s room on what had become known as “the magic sleeping bed” was risky business indeed. More than once I awoke with glasses askew, an open book resting on my chest, surrounded by peacefully dreaming children well past my own bedtime.

​Settling children in for the night is easy. Settling ourselves in can be an entirely different story. Sleep can be a long time coming when you lie alone trying to push aside the emptiness and fears you feel. It is only when we realize and remember we are never alone in our aloneness that we are able to find real peace and rest. This is the peace promised in God’s word that surpasses all understanding. It is the kind of peace that can turn a half empty queen size bed into a “magic sleeping bed” for a weary heart and soul.

God will not leave you comfortless. He promises to come to you. Just ask.

Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Danilo Razzuti.

Penny Hunt, a.k.a. “The Change Speaker,” is the wife of a career Naval Officer/Attaché and mother of five (yours, mine, and ours). Her speaking and writing encourage and equip people from all walks of life in navigating the choppy waters of change. She is a member of the National Speakers Association and author of an Amazon.com bestselling children’s book, Little White Squirrel’s Secret. She is a contributor to the Chicken Soup series, Fighting The Fear At Home and columnist for the Edgefield Advertiser of Edgefield County, SC. A popular speaker with a meaningful message, Penny resides with her husband, Bill, in the rural peach-growing region of South Carolina.

You can find her at www.thechangespeaker.com, www.misspennysplace.com, or www.truebluecommunity.com.

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Locked Out – Penny Hunt
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Got your I.D. handy?

Got your I.D. handy?

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. John 1:12

The speaker had been hired by a large corporation to deliver a talk entitled, “Dress for Success.” Having spent the night in the hotel where she would be speaking, she had room service deliver her breakfast. After eating she opened the door, checked to see the hall was empty and, dressed only in a camisole and half-slip, gingerly placed the tray outside her door. Unfortunately, the coffee pot tipped over and, without thinking, she hurried to sop up the mess with the napkin from her tray. That’s when she heard the ominous “click” of the door closing behind her.

Barefoot, she tip-toed down the stairwell, up to the front desk and sheepishly explained what had happened. To her amazement, the desk clerk asked, “Do you have any ID?” Eventually things worked out, but not before the man who had hired her met her in the elevator and quipped, “Dressing for Success?”

When our children turned ten years old, they were issued a military ID card allowing them access to the base. It didn’t take long for them to realize the importance of their cards. It is no fun to wait outside the commissary while mom picks out your cereal. Not having proper ID can be more than embarrassing or inconvenient. It can be dangerous and become a tangled web of expense and frustration if lost or stolen. In today’s world, a valid ID is a must.

The same holds true for the day we leave this world and step into the next. Whether that day comes slowly or as quickly as the sound of a shutting door, if our identity is not found in Christ, we will be separated from His light and love for all eternity.

How reassuring it is to know, as a believer and follower of Christ, our identity is secure in Him. The day we come to Him, ask Him to forgive our sins, and come into our heart, we become a child of God with an eternal identity we cannot lose, forget, have stolen, destroy, or leave locked in a room. But wearing our identify for the world is equally as important . . . to be seen as one of God’s children through our actions and our lives.

Are you identified as one of His? Let your identity in Christ shine.

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Penny Hunt, a.k.a. “The Bloom Lady,” is the wife of a career Naval Officer/Attaché and mother of five. Through her Blooming Where You Are Planted talks, seminars, and writing, she encourages and equips people from all walks of life in navigating the choppy waters of change. Penny is the author of an Amazon.com bestselling children’s book, Little White Squirrel’s Secret, the Faith Columnist for the Citizen News of Edgefield County, SC, and a popular speaker with a motivational, humorous message. An active member of her church and community, Penny resides in the rural peach-growing region of South Carolina. Contact Penny at: thebloomlady@gmail.com.

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Hold Loosely – Penny Hunt
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Let go!

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. II Corinthians 9:7

Hands waving from every window of the car, the last of our family headed for home after a long Thanksgiving weekend… and we checked our watches. If we hurried, we could make it in time to see my husband’s NJROTC cadets present the colors for the singing of the national anthem at the Christmas parade.

Lining the street, children held green, red, and white helium balloons for release as the parade began. Eager anticipation reached its peak as “…and the home of the brave” was sung and erupted in yelps of excitement as the colors of Christmas filled the air.

My attention was drawn to a little girl sitting with her mother on the curb. She was about three years old, adorable in her Christmas outfit, and absolutely bent on hanging on to her green balloon. Her mother’s gentle promptings were responded to with a definite, “No!” Nothing would persuade her and, in the end, her tiny fingers were pried loose from the string as her mother pointed skyward exclaiming, “Look. There goes your balloon with all the other boys’ and girls’ balloons.”

How does a child learn it is more blessed to give than to receive? I believe the answer is in modeling the actions of people we respect and admire who give from the heart, not grudgingly or out of a sense of pressured duty.

We learn to give from the stories of the Bible, like the widow who gave her last coin to the poor, the Good Samaritan providing for a stranger, and the most amazing story of all…the Christmas story. God loved us so much He gave us heaven’s best, Jesus, along with the gift of eternal life when we believe in Him.

I tend, like my little friend on the curb, to hold tightly to what I have been given or feel I have earned. I resist, even resent, the overwhelming seasonal pleas for my time and money.

Are you finding it hard to be a cheerful giver this year? Instead of stressing, choose to pray for wisdom, hold loosely what has been given to you, and then be blessed as a joyful giver.

Penny Hunt, a.k.a. “The Bloom Lady,” is the wife of a career Naval Officer/Attaché and mother of five. Through her Blooming Where You Are Planted talks, seminars, and writing, she encourages and equips people from all walks of life in navigating the choppy waters of change. Penny is the author of an Amazon.com bestselling children’s book, Little White Squirrel’s Secret. She is the Faith Columnist for the Citizen News of Edgefield County, SC, and a popular speaker with a motivational, humorous message. An active member of her church and community, Penny resides in the rural peach-growing region of South Carolina. Contact Penny at: thebloomlady@gmail.com.

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Happy Is as Happy Does – Penny Hunt
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Do for Others

If you brag, brag of this and this only: That you understand and know me… I’m God, and I act in loyal love. I do what’s right and set things right and fair, and delight in those who do the same things. Jeremiah 9:23-24 The Message

Why do we say we’re feeling blue? It’s a naval term coined by the deep-water sailing ships of old. When a ship lost her captain during a voyage, she would return to port with a band of blue painted along her entire hull and flying blue flags.

We all feel blue from time to time. It’s a normal emotion and certainly appropriate during times of grief and loss. However, feeling blue for long periods of time isn’t healthy. It should be addressed.

A woman seeking counseling for depression, called her pastor. His calendar was full and he couldn’t see her for at least two weeks. She didn’t think she could wait that long.

“Well,” he said,“can you do just one thing for me?”

“I suppose so,” she said.

“Go bake some cookies and then give them away.”

Weeks passed. When he saw her again he asked, “What happened? Why haven’t you come in for counseling? You said you were struggling with depression.”

“Oh,” she said, “I’m over that now. Ever since I started sharing cookies, I’ve felt fine!”

The woman regained happiness by tapping into one of the greatest truths of Jesus, the Servant King. The night before He was crucified Jesus took a towel, knelt and washed His disciples’ feet, giving them, and us, a tremendous example to follow. Jesus did more than just talk about the need to serve one another—He demonstrated it. His disciples were confused until He explained He had given them a model to follow by serving others. Our Heavenly Father delights in us when we demonstrate our knowledge of Him through our acts of loving kindness. Our happiness will increase as we perform them. If you’re feeling blue, do something for someone else. Making a batch of cookies and giving them away might be a good place to start.

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Penny Hunt, a.k.a. “The Bloom Lady,” is the wife of a career Naval Officer/Attaché and mother of five. Through her Blooming Where You Are Planted talks, seminars, and writing, she encourages and equips people from all walks of life in navigating the choppy waters of change. Penny is the author of an Amazon.com bestselling children’s book, Little White Squirrel’s Secret, the Faith Columnist for the Citizen News of Edgefield County, SC, and a popular speaker with a motivational, humorous message. An active member of her church and community, Penny resides in the rural peach-growing region of South Carolina. Contact Penny at: thebloomlady@gmail.com.

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Chipping and Painting – Penny Hunt
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Paint and Chip

You have commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. Psalm 119:3-5 KJV

My teenage granddaughter loves nail polish. Blue, neon pink, black, and purple are just a few of the colors she has piled like gum balls in a bowl on her dresser. With all that available polish it amazes me how, more often than not, the color on her nails is nearly worn off and the object of scraping and picking that drives her mother crazy.

One day her grandfather noticed her digging at a spot of silvery-grey polish. Rather than reminding her to stop he said, “Hey, that’s one of my favorite colors. Battleship grey! I didn’t know they made nail polish that color.”

She shook her head and laughed. “Oh, Grandpa, it’s not battleship grey, it’s Silver Sequin.”

“Oh,” he said, “hard to tell with so little of it showing. Looks like you’ve been at it with a needle gun but forgot the paint.”

“Needle gun?” she asked. “What’s a needle gun?”

WARNING:
Never ask a naval officer with a degree in engineering, technical questions without ample time to practice listening skills.

After an enlightening discussion of galvanic corrosion, chipping and painting with the aid of a needle gun were explained. Chipping is the tedious and time consuming job of removing paint and areas of corrosion from a steel ship. Chipping is done one small area at a time using a compressed air device called a needle gun. The “needles” are really very fine chisels. Afterward, protective coats of primer are followed by battleship gray paint.

When schedules permit, ships enter dry dock where the entire vessel is stripped and repainted. In the meantime, diligent chipping and painting are a must. Likewise, when my schedule permits, I can attend Christian conferences or retreats. These are special times where I am lifted from the rushing flow of life and refreshed in ways that deeply restore my soul.

In the meantime, diligently chipping away the rust of procrastination to pray and study God’s word and the corrosion of materialism and negative influences that can lead me away from God, are a must. Daily putting on the whole armor of God is my final coat of protection.

Just as shipboard inspections reveal areas needing attention, as we pray, God will reveal areas in our lives in need of chipping and painting. Let God repaint you.

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Penny Hunt, a.k.a. “The Bloom Lady,” is the wife of a career Naval Officer/Attaché and mother of five. Through her Blooming Where You Are Planted talks, seminars, and writing, she encourages and equips people from all walks of life in navigating the choppy waters of change. Penny is the author of an Amazon.com bestselling children’s book, Little White Squirrel’s Secret. She is the faith columnist for the Citizen News of Edgefield County, SC, and a popular speaker with a motivational, humorous message. An active member of her church and community, Penny resides in the rural peach-growing region of South Carolina. Contact Penny at: thebloomlady@gmail.com.

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Hunting the Good Stuff – Penny Hunt
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Elisabeth Elliott

Strengthen yourself in the Lord your God! I Samuel 30:6

I will never forget hearing Elisabeth Elliott speak to missionaries gathered at Alliance Academy in Quito, Ecuador.

Perhaps you know her story told in the 2007 movie, End Of The Spear. Elisabeth Elliott was a mother of nine months, married just three years when her husband, Jim, was killed in the Ecuadorian jungle attempting to make missionary contact with the Huaorani Indians. A lesser woman would have fled the Huaorani and Ecuador. Instead, Elisabeth learned the Huaorani language and three years later returned with her young daughter to minister to those who had killed her husband.

Marveling at her resilience, I imagined she would share how the Lord had carried her when she could not walk. How the love of friends and family had sustained her through her darkest days, etc. etc. Instead, she gave a locker room speech and quoted Isaiah 40. She said as Christians we have no business falling into despair when stunned by the blows of life. When there is no one around to help keep you from succumbing to discouragement you have to, “Get a hold of yourself. Pick yourself up by the scruff of the neck, sit yourself down, and remind yourself of God’s promises. It is up to us, not our husbands or our wives, our pastors or friends, to strengthen ourselves in the Lord.

How? How do I stop listening to my doubts, fears, worries, and feelings and strengthen myself in the Lord?

One way is to deliberately shift my focus from the bad, begin hunting the good stuff, and then writing it down for future reference. The good stuff that demonstrates: God is who He says He is; can do what He says He can do; and that I am who God says I am. As I begin journaling the good stuff, I strengthen my soul and am able, as Elisabeth Elliott exhorts, to follow the command, not the suggestion of Christ, and strengthen myself in the Lord my God.

Won’t you try it?

Penny Hunt, a.k.a. “The Bloom Lady,” is the wife of a career Naval Officer/Attaché and mother of five. Through her Blooming Where You Are Planted talks, seminars, and writing, she encourages and equips people from all walks of life in navigating the choppy waters of change. Penny is the author of an Amazon.com bestselling children’s book, Little White Squirrel’s Secret, the Faith Columnist for the Citizen News of Edgefield County, SC, and a popular speaker with a motivational, humorous message. An active member of her church and community, Penny resides in the rural peach-growing region of South Carolina. Contact Penny at: thebloomlady@gmail.com.

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Portrait of Pure Love – Penny L. Hunt
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God sees not as man sees…the LORD looks at the heart. I Samuel 16:7 (NAS)

It was only normal for the neighbors to call 911 when they heard the torturous screams of a child coming from the house next door. Not so normal for the police to be greeted by two soaking wet parents and to discover a toddler, wrapped in a beach towel, wedged beneath three sofa cushions.

It took a great deal of explanation for everyone to comprehend how washing my autistic granddaughter’s hair was like trying to baptize cats. Sandwiching her between sofa cushions provided total body compression and was a comfort to her.

On “S-Day” (shampoo day) the family bathroom was reminiscent of a well prepared surgical center. The tub was scrubbed and cleared of all objects, including the shower curtain, and lined with long bath mats. A soft rubber hose and shower head were attached to a padded faucet and next to the tub were placed wash cloths for quickly wiping eyes and ears, along with a cap-less bottle of shampoo. When the ordeal was over, my granddaughter would sob in ragged breaths that shook her shoulders and broke our hearts.

Now fast forward 15 years to the amazing photo of my granddaughter holding her long blonde pony tail for donation to Locks of Love. There, in the slightly different pose of an autistic child, is a portrait of pure love with no hidden agenda, no ulterior motive, no glory seeking or proud display of generosity. Instead is a living demonstration of the humility Jesus spoke of when He called a little child to sit with Him in answer to His disciples’ questions of who would be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. Verily I say unto you, except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not even enter the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

You and I may never donate a pony tail to Locks of Love but we can pray, with God’s help, to be living portraits of His love, generously giving to others with a pure heart.

Penny Hunt, a.k.a. “The Bloom Lady,” is the wife of a career Naval Officer/Attaché and mother of five. Through her Blooming Where You Are Planted talks, seminars, and writing, she encourages and equips people from all walks of life in navigating the choppy waters of change. Penny is the author of an Amazon.com bestselling children’s book, Little White Squirrel’s Secret, the Faith Columnist for the Citizen News of Edgefield County, SC, and a popular speaker with a motivational, humorous message. An active member of her church and community, Penny resides in the rural peach-growing region of South Carolina. Contact Penny at: thebloomlady@gmail.com.

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Am I Being Part of the Solution? – Penny L. Hunt
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Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:18 NIV

QUITYERBELLYAKIN was written in large letters across the front of the team leader’s t-shirt. Beneath the gibberish was the translation: “Quit Your Belly Aching!” and the words could not have been more appropriate.

The women’s outreach ministry was scheduled for a “Lessons Learned” session after hosting a city-wide event to welcome newcomers as a means of establishing points of connection and initiating efforts toward friendship evangelism.

The event had gone well but was poorly attended and some team members, disheartened with the poor return for such a great effort, had become quite vocal with their negative opinions. The “meetings before the meeting” had become a breeding ground of frustration and discouragement. Emotions ran high and the enemy of the church was at work establishing an underground watering system designed to nurture the negativity and leach the poison of discontentment throughout the participating churches.

Concerned team leaders prayed and the Lessons Learned session was re-scheduled for a time just before dusk. As team members arrived, they were directed to a hilltop and asked to watch as night fell and lights gradually illuminated the city below. When it was dark, everyone was given a flashlight and a printed piece of paper, and asked to form a circle to read the words aloud.

Let me tell you why you are here… You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world…Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine. Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

I will never forget that night — the tears or the glow of faces as the beams from the flashlights swept the circle and we saw each other as light-bearers. We returned with renewed vision and focused on bright spots in our program rather than all the problems. Through prayer and faith, we began looking at new ways to move forward.

As children of God, our calling is to be part of the solution not part of the problem. When you are tempted to grumble and gossip, stop and ask yourself, “Am I being part of the solution?”

Penny Hunt, a.k.a., “The Bloom Lady”, is the wife of a career Naval Officer/Attaché and mother of five. Through her Blooming Where You Are Planted talks, seminars, and writing, she encourages and equips people from all walks of life in navigating the chopping waters of change. Penny is the author of an Amazon.com bestselling children’s book, Little White Squirrel’s Secret. She is the Faith Columnist for the Citizen News of Edgefield County, SC and a popular speaker with a motivational, humorous message. An active member of her church and community, Penny resides in the rural peach-growing region of South Carolina. Contact Penny at: thebloomlady@gmail.com.

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Love Watches Its Wake – Penny L. Hunt
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Don’t be callous in your exercise of freedom, thoughtlessly stepping on the toes of those who aren’t as free as you are. Corinthians 10:32-33 The Message

“You see it your way and I see it mine.” It’s an age old problem. In the days of the Apostle Paul, the issue was eating or not eating meat sacrificed to idols. Today it’s about things like the use of medical marijuana. So who’s right and who’s wrong? I was really struggling with that question when a boating incident along the waterways of South Carolina helped me find the answer.

We were cruising at a fair clip when rather unexpectedly our speed decreased. As our bow dropped lower in the water and the mist of salty spray dissipated, all eyes turned toward the driver of our boat for explanation. He directed our attention to a small johnboat located near the edge of the marsh where three men could be seen on board, with one casting a shrimp net among bait poles placed there.

Had we or any of the other four boats in line with us continued at our current speed, the individual or combined wake of our boats would have easily produced waves capable of swamping and possibly capsizing the johnboat. Someone laughingly commented, “Must be their first time out.” More experienced shrimpers would never have selected such a heavily trafficked area. They were lucky the driver of our boat, though not required to, willingly gave way to the smaller vessel, recognized its vulnerability, and adjusted his course and speed. I followed our wake reaching the marsh and was happy to see it only rocked the johnboat.

It’s not about who’s right or who’s wrong. It’s about the attitude of the heart and an awareness of the impact our thoughts and actions have upon others. As we operate in the spirit of Christ’s love we will be more concerned with keeping others from stumbling than making our point through powerful arguments that may damage their conscience. We will willingly avoid certain activities rather than flaunt the understanding of our liberty with actions that offend. We will do all we can to build others up and help them mature. To put it another way, love watches its wake…

Penny Hunt, the wife of a retired naval officer and attaché, has led “Blooming Where You Are Planted” talks and seminars both nationally and internationally. She is a popular speaker with Stonecroft Ministries at Christian Women’s Clubs and a motivational/inspirational speaker for many other events. She is the faith columnist for the Citizen News of Edgefield County, SC and author of the Amazon.com bestselling children’s book, Little White Squirrel’s Secret – A Special Place To Practice.

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