House of Plenty

By Ruth Pegeron

House of Plenty (HOP) is a book that describes a select few very important foundational characteristics that assist in the understanding of the profound impact that women have not only on their lives but other people's lives as a result of their character choices. The author's personal experiences, her corporate career as a Regional Director of Human Resources, her personal growth, insights combined with wisdom from others sharing their intimate lives encourage both men and women to take a deep dive into the most influential women that helped shaped their lives. A woman has a house of plenty and naturally equipped to build a house of plenty. Let's face it the woman was selected to nurture life from its conception to populating the world. She has significant influence on her definition of plenty. Building on her own experiences, Ruth Pegeron shares this wisdom and knowledge that all of us can use to strive to be the best in our spiritual, physical, emotional, and have confidant lives (S.P.E.C. Model) by defining and understanding the plenty you have or the women in your lives have impressed upon you. In each chapter Ruth provides a clear understanding of these select inherited attributes and how a woman can use them to self -define enhancing their womanhood. HOP explores attitudes that are chiefly relevant to woman such as her queen status, standards, and her definition of beauty. In as much, anyone male or female alike can explore each chapter to self-identify and reflect on the woman influence in their life. Men especially can even use this material as a selection tool for a wife and mother of his children.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483655444

Ruth Pegeron

Ruth Pegeron is a talented business professional with over 20 years of experience. Th e vast majority of her professional career has been as a Human Resources Corporate Executive specializing in all aspects of the profession. She also has professional experience in sales and operations from Fortune 500 companies. Ruth’s knowledge and skills has recently successfully transitioned into the retail mortgage industry. She has worked in many geographical east coast markets primarily from NY to the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area inclusive of San Juan, Puerto Rico. She also won the Most Outstanding Executive Award for her leadership during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Ruth has balanced her career with rewarding volunteer assignments that have included Director of Preschool , Founder of B.L.E.S.S. a singles ministry (Believers Living Encouraged to Serve Single) , and a co- founder and leader of Mourning Lite a grief ministry. She has recently joined Every Child Fed a nonprofi t supporting acute malnutrition in Africa. Ruth is the founder & CEO of Pegeron Productions, LLC. with this book being her fi rst major accomplishment for the company.

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 by Ruth Pegeron.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2013912580

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-4836-5543-7

                Softcover      978-1-4836-5542-0

                Ebook            978-1-4836-5544-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 08/08/2013

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1 – The Queen Bee: Productive Indeed

Chapter 2 – Simply Take the Second Seat and Feel the Rewards

Chapter 3 – What Is the Definition of Beauty?

Chapter 4 – Establish Your Own Standards—Say What?

Chapter 5 – A House of Plenty: Love in Action

Chapter 6 – Don’t Be a Gossiper, Be the Gossipee

Chapter 7 – You Are No Better than the Next

Chapter 8 – The Dinner Rule: Friend or Foe

Chapter 9 – Integrity Is an Invitation to Peace

Chapter 10 – The Charity Advantage

Chapter 11 – Celebrate You

Chapter 12 – The Attitude

Epilogue

DEDICATION

To Ollie Lavelle Pegeron

December 22, 1939-February 20, 2010

In memory of my mother, Ollie Pegeron. I have been so poignantly touched by her life in so many ways. I am first grateful that she chose life for me and my four brothers and, secondly, that she made the choice to sacrifice her life, her ambitions, and the intimate desires of her heart to successfully nurture us to productive, responsible, and respectful adults. I know through each of us, she experienced both sides of the complicated emotion of love—tremendous joy and the deepest grief.

I could have never considered the possibilities of writing this book without her teachings of invaluable life lessons, toughness, and making my involvement in extracurricular activities that promoted confidence as nonnegotiable. She was the first woman I met. My mom, the one who showed me what true love feels like, the pain of deserved discipline, and the rewards of being my best. My role model, the first woman I was introduced to who taught me about being a woman and the role of a woman.

In her memory and in honor of Mother’s Day, I completed the book in May 2013. Her home was coined the House of Plenty by one of her good friends who inspired the title.

Forever grateful

Respect, love and gratitude always to my brothers

Joseph Pegeron

Pierre Pegeron

Matthew Pegeron

Harold Pegeron (deceased)

In memory of mom

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

To my heavenly Father, thank you for our relationship and your unmerited favor I am especially grateful for you being there as a safe place for me to be free and as a confidant. I appreciate not only your approval but also your guidance, vision, and discipline through my first book project.

As always, I am nothing without you. Thank you.

To my brother—Joseph Pegeron thank you for growing up carrying the burden of feeling the responsibility in supporting us younger siblings like that of a father. You have always been there for us. Your financial and emotional support through my first book project has been appreciated. You are my biggest fan and I am yours. I love you!

To my aunt—Esther Jones thank you for being a house of plenty to our family. You have silently supported our family in a lot of ways. The two things I am most grateful for… you giving my mother your blue Shadow car and your personal standard of you teach people how to treat you. Boy! do I not only live by this standard but teach it. It is also pretty cool to see that you and I are the namesakes of the only two women that have books in the bible.

To my aunt & late uncle—Anna & Edward Dent thank you for making the choice to share your resources in supporting our family and not to be envious of our mother for having children when you desired children. I am additionally grateful for your willingness to assist as a caretaker for my mother. Also, thank you for your example of a successful marriage of over 50 years.

To my aunt—Mary Miller thank you for always believing in me. Encouraging me to tap into more of my talents and always asking me to consider motivational speaking and writing.

To my eldest cousin—Michelle Gaines thank you for being a role model of the power in reading and my first true introduction to a successful book club. Literary Voices inspired me to know that books bring people together to enlighten and empower lives.

To my best friends—my confidants—Veronica Lattimore, Gloria Harris—Coffield, Darrell Belcher, and Keasia Green—thank you for your trust. Allowing me to be free in you and accepting wherever I may be.

To my niece—Amanda Pegeron thank you for recognizing me as the unofficial Dr. Ruth when you would hear and see me working to help others grow to a healthy place. It was encouraging coming from you as a teenager during that time!

To my sister-in-law—Bonnie Poligrates thank you for being a ‘house of plenty’ to and for my brother Pierre. He absolutely adores you.

I am so grateful and marveled by your endless love for him.

You are a beautiful woman that I have the upmost respect for.

To my dear friend—Ms. Vivian Thompson thank you for always being so giving to me and my family. I appreciate your listening ear and giving me advice with wisdom.

To my half-brother Henry Pegeron, Jr.—thank you for being a part of the ‘core fives’ lives. You have been a wonderful & supportive brother to me from day one. Our bond was immediate like you were in my life all my life. Your energy and personality are infectious. I love you much!

To my professional friend—Darryl Workcuff @ABCD3142 Productions. Darryl, thank you for accepting the opportunity and putting my vision to paper for the book cover. It is amazing how God introduced us in 2006 in the work environment where as your HR Director I learned of and remembered your artistic talent; seven years later you create the art for my first book House of Plenty—divine introduction. Blessings always to you, your wife and children.

INTRODUCTION

W OMEN HAVE A profound impact on influencing not only the lives of those they were given the gift of creation for but also for the many other lives that enter their sphere. We can all think about the different women that have entered our lives. By sheer human nature, we remember the best and the worst women that we have encountered. The best and worst stay at the top of our minds because of the extreme impact they have had on our being. It does not matter if the experience is positive or negative, short term or long term, physical or emotional, or spiritual or secular in nature; the mere fact that the encounter or relationship has been established our memory captures it through heterosuggestion. This information received from another person has the power of influence in your life. We often form boundaries, guards, and attitudes as a result of these best and worst interactions with the women in our lives. These boundaries, whether intentional or not, begin to shape how we view and react to women. Depending on the relationship, these women can shape our personality, our behavior, our values, and our morals. In most cases, for men and women alike, these things, along with our ideas or images of a woman, start with the most influential woman in all our lives— our mother . The mother is so powerful that whether she is present or not, the influence and shaping of who we are always has this specific woman as a starting point.

I remember having a friend and we committed to doing a daily Bible study. The Bible study suggested for people to have a partner and that it was designed for a minimum of thirty minutes per day for forty days. Neither of us knew much about the specifics of the Bible study. But how could it be wrong or even go wrong? It’s a Bible study! Well, it turned out to be the worst Bible study in my history. We got into the study consistently for about a week