Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

All in a name

October 21, 2026

Shakespeare says that “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” but those in marketing would tell you not to label roses as limburger cheese, or they will not sell. A product needs to be of quality, be useful, and it also needs a name that will convince customers to try it.

There is a new insurance company called Devoted that tries to convince us older folks to try them for our Medicare supplements. I did a little research and found that they are owned by Aetna. This year, my wife and I both dumped that company after two years and progressively worse service.

They must have decided that a new division with a more appealing name will help their bottom line. Have you noticed that many people and companies think that they can improve their names? Over the past few years, several businesses have changed product names to avoid offending others.

Not everyone is as concerned with what others think. I do not use Chuck instead of Charles because I wanted something new. I started using Chuck because when I turned eighteen, I thought it sounded more grown-up, and no one would call me Charlie, which I always hated. It worked for the most part.

One of the universities I attended changed its name from Southwest Missouri State to Missouri State in Springfield. Now they are another MSU and not SMSU. Ozark Community Technical College is now Ozark Tech. Someone thought it was a better name.

Do you believe in a creator God? You can use many names for this one individual. Jehovah, Jesus, and Allah are the first three that come to my mind. Many cultures believe our world or universe was created. Each religion has its own attributes for this supreme deity.

Christians believe that Jesus is the incarnated human form of Jehovah, who is the I Am. He is also referred to as Yahweh; these are two ways of Americanizing the same Hebrew word. Names mean a lot to some folks. I find some of the names that are used are offensive to us.

Do not call me a Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative, bigot, or racist. I have been called each of these by people who knew nothing about me. I have been non-partisan since I registered to vote in 1972 when I turned eighteen. They wanted me to declare a party, and I had to remind them it was a violation of federal law to require that.

When we voted at our current precinct for a primary election, Cindy and I asked for an issue-only ballot. The election judges did not know that there was such a thing. They finally found them, and we were allowed to vote without declaring a party.

When we grew up there were names that we were all called. Many of those are no longer considered acceptable by most of us. I know that many of you know these names and do not need me to tell you what they are.

I want to add all the names that offend others to this list and ask that you consider what names you may use that might fall into this category. Dumb, stupid, and ugly are just a few of the words I have decided to eliminate from my vocabulary. I do use the word ignorant at times when referring to the fact that we all have certain things that we have yet to learn. Think about what you say and join me in this.

They are lying to us

October 19, 2026

Every time I hear someone say that “they say” or that “they” did this or did that, I want to know who “they” are. I used that word, so I need to tell you who the “they” I am talking about is. I am referring to the state and federal politicians that have put issues on our ballots. This includes the ones that have their names on the ballot.

I am talking about our local, state, and national legislators and officials. I must define the verb I am using. Most of us think that not telling information that they know is true is not a falsehood. I want you to realize that when they keep their mouths shut to mislead you and support the ones who are deceiving you, they are accomplices to those actions.

For all of you candidates who have someone or something running negative ads about your opponents, shame on you. I know you deny any responsibility for them. That is why we haven’t seen the phrase, “I am ____ and I have approved this message” yet this year.

We need to shut down the Trumpites and Republicrats that have been refusing to fight Donald Trump and his minions when they have attempted to overthrow parts of our Constitution. I’m fed up with his name-calling, criticism, and attacks on anyone who does not kiss his ring.

Have you noticed how bad the backbiting and name-calling is? President Trump has taken his lessons from previous candidates and the mudslinging that has proliferated for decades. I am tired of hearing terms such as woke, liberal, conservative, socialist, or Christian being used without defining what they mean by these terms.

Amendment 3 on the Missouri ballot is designed to revoke what a majority approved two years ago in allowing abortion in our state. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states had the right to control whether they wanted this allowed. States had been trying to strengthen laws against abortion since the 1972 Rowe vs. Wade decision.

Missouri’s legislature had passed a bill outlawing this practice, and it was written so loosely that doctors were refusing to provide surgeries that were needed to save pregnant women if there was any chance that the child might not survive. I opposed that Amendment because it went too far the other way.

I will vote for Amendment 3 this time, as well as Amendment 6, which will stop legislatures from changing laws that are put on the ballots and approved by voters. The same legislators who brought Amendments 4 and 5 in August also voted out other laws approved by We the People. They are promoting this Amendment 3 as suppressing parental rights to allow sex changes in children, even though those laws are already in effect.

When you voted against 4 and 5, some of you voted against incumbents who had opponents on their respective primary ballots. Those who are on this ballot still need to be removed from office. There are those who are running for new offices who showed who they truly were.

As a non-partisan voter, I still encourage you to choose someone other than a Republican or Democrat. We need nonpartisan elections, and the only way to do that is to vote against the parties by electing those they don’t own.

Fake it till you make it

September 25, 2026

This is one of those sayings I don’t agree with. Another is, “It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.” I don’t like people who are not what they try to make me believe they are. Salesmen who do not know the products or services they sell. People who say they are Christians and have no idea what the fruit of the Spirit is are examples of this.

I believe that we should all admit our weaknesses and let the words, “I don’t know,” be my mantra. If you don’t know what a mantra is, it is a saying you keep repeating to remind yourself of something. I have made this statement to many and then followed it with, “but, let me check for an answer for you.”

This worked well in business for over forty years. Every job I had meant I needed to learn new things. I was offered a purchasing job, and the owner of the company asked if I knew anything about it. My response was no, and within six months he considered me one of his best purchasing agents.

When I started in a pet store, I saw a rack of books for sale. These ranged from simple books about the different animals to volumes on how to diagnose and treat illnesses. After three months, I was promoted from a salesman to a store manager and within a year I became the assistant livestock manager at the wholesale distributor owned by the same man.

My second purchasing job started a twenty-five-year career with the company. I moved straight from that job to office manager and was over all the inside sales staff without ever having the job. I trained myself and had more product knowledge than some hired to sales before me. How’d that happen? I read the catalogues.

When I left there, I returned to purchasing as a buyer and a few months later became the supervisor in the department. I completed my career as purchasing manager for another manufacturer. I am now doing what I have done as a hobby my entire life.

I publish my own writing, edited by me, based on what the Lord is telling me to create. Did you know that there is a parable told by Jesus about three men who are given different amounts of money? The king is leaving them with money to invest for him while he is away. When he returned, the one who was given an amount called five talents had doubled the amount.

A talent was a year’s salary for these men. They were given five, two, and one year’s pay to invest. If your boss gave you this kind of money, would you know how to invest it for them? I don’t think I could double it like the first two did. The third man buried his.

We, teachers and preachers, use the term talent to encourage our listeners to use abilities that we have been given rather than wasting them. For more on this, read my column The One Talent Man. I consider that younger me only knew how to write. When I was called to ministry, I had added an ability to speak before groups. I’ve just shown a few other ways that Jesus has allowed me to grow. Don’t fake it, just make it.

Javelin catcher

September 19, 2026

When people start talking about playing football, basketball, soccer, or baseball when they are in high school and ask me what I did, I tell them I went out for track and field. They look at me and ask Which events? My response is javelin catching.

They are always surprised, and I tell them this story. Jim Vaughn was my P.E. teacher. He was the football and track coach. I was a skinny kid who was not very athletic. He asked me to come to tryouts in the spring. I demurred and said I had never been very fast at running. He asked me to come anyway.

On the track, I saw all these young men and ladies jumping, running, throwing, and then I saw the coach. As I walked up to him, he said, “Kensinger, come this way. I walked with him to where the discus, shot put, and javelins were being thrown. He had me try the javelin.

I did not throw it very far, and after trying three or four javelins, he sent me onto the field to retrieve them. As I was walking back, another competitor threw his javelin. They yelled at me to watch out, and I stepped out of the way, turned, and caught the spear in both hands.

Coach sent me back out to snag some more javelins, and I continued to catch ones I was close to. When practice was over, he told me that it was too bad that there was no event for javelin catching. There were liability issues with such an event, and it was never allowed. I told him that it was his fault because he taught football receivers to catch in their bellies. Not a good idea for a sharp object.

Yes, this is a fictional story, and I should change my byline to Chuck instead of Charles for this one. I began telling this story shortly after graduating from high school. I have the same problem that Jesus did. People just don’t want to laugh at my jokes.

He is one of the funniest men I have read about. Have you heard the one about the camel going through the eye of a needle easier than a rich man going to Heaven? The rich Pharisees did not see the humor.

What about when Peter told Jesus that he would not allow Him to die as He had just predicted? Jesus replied, “Get behind me, Satan.” Peter didn’t laugh at that time either, and this time the other disciples did not laugh either. They did laugh when the Lord called the Jewish leaders vipers.

I think I am in fine company because most of us do not know that His jokes were supposed to be funny. I was told by my daughter that I don’t know how to tell a joke. That is why I’ve decided to start charging before I tell a joke; then you will feel obligated to laugh like you do with professional comedians you buy tickets to see, most of whom get their laughs because of objectionable language.

I’m tired of this

September 17, 2026

I am sure that you have pet peeves. One of mine is the fact that people continue to be murdered by impaired drivers, and our legislators do not seem to care. My opinion, as a non-drinker, is that something drastic needs to be done about curbing the ability of repeat offenders to continue to drive when they should not.

The first thing that should be done is for those of us who care that innocent people are being indiscriminately killed to become angry enough to do more than we have been. If you are driving intoxicated, high, or impaired in any way, you must be forced to stop.

In the 1980s, the sister of a friend of mine was killed when a man who had previous DUI arrests hit her car. In the 1990s, I witnessed an accident where a drunk driver ran a red light and flipped a small truck on its side, injuring the driver and passenger.

The case never appeared before a jury because the defendant agreed to enter rehab for the third time. At that time, I questioned the validity of a court system that allows this to continue. I have a suggestion for each of us that craves a change in the way we deal with these atrocities.

The first step is to eliminate all legislators in every state who have ever had an arrest for driving while impaired. I suggest we run a CaseNet search for anyone that we are considering voting for. If you are prone to visit candidates at their small local events, and these infractions show up on their records, you should bring this up in public.

We cannot bury our heads any longer. These offenders need to be called to task for their violations. A friend of mine had to have a device installed in the vehicle he drove that gave him a test to determine if he was intoxicated before the engine would start. These are expensive and can be bypassed by someone else providing the breath. It is difficult, but not impossible.

A second step would be to eliminate all judges with similar problems. We could recall local judges at elections, but few of us research who they are and how they rule in any case. A search for their personal legal records is also appropriate. A judge with a substance abuse problem will be less likely to enforce our laws properly.

I’d also like to see vehicles impounded when unlicensed drivers with prior offenses are the drivers. It should not matter who the owner is. Family, friends, or others who allow their property to be used illegally should lose it and not penalize the innocent who will be murdered.

I would like to see the manslaughter charges that most of these criminals are convicted of being charged to murder. It is not an accident when you use alcohol or drugs and then drive. It is intentional and should be called premeditated murder. Especially for repeat offenders. I believe the reason there are no harsher penalties is that legislators don’t care. Your vote can fix that.

What you post

September 15, 2026

What you post says a great deal about you. Just as what I write can show you who I really am. It can also tell others things about you that you may not want to say. Posting online is too easy and often says things that are interpreted in a negative light.

I am a minister, and those who know this expect certain types of behavior from me. No, I am not talking about being boring or not having fun. If I use what are considered inappropriate words or am seen in unsavory places, they may view me as not being what they think a minister should be.

There are people that you can influence in the positive and the negative by the posts that you make. Parents, keep this in mind even before you allow your children the opportunity to use social media. They have friends, and these schoolmates may share what they see since they get to do things before your children.

You don’t have to worry about me being in a crowd where there are beer bottles or wine glasses sitting on the tables. I don’t drink and do not usually attend parties where drinks are served. If you see a photograph of me in such a situation, it has probably been enhanced by AI.

Many businesses now check your social media accounts when they are checking your references. They won’t ask for your information because it is simple to track you on almost all the media outlets. Be careful of what goes out to the rest of the world. “They” are watching. “They” can be anyone, even the companies that you apply to.

Another thing that you need to be aware of is that even people who are not your friends can access your posts and pictures of where you are and what you are doing may alert criminals that your home is vacant. Your address is easy to find. The more information you put on social media, the easier it is to steal your identity or belongings.

As an experiment, I have made notations of names, birth dates, and other information we are asked for in doctors’ offices and other locations. When I entered this information in a search engine, I was amazed at what I found about people I did not know. Keeping anything private is more difficult than we think it is.

We need to teach each other from our own mistakes. I never had to worry about these things for my first forty years. We older adults are some of the biggest targets for scammers and identity thieves. We may think we are wise, but don’t test your intelligence by being a victim of a cyberattack.

Stop working for money

September 13, 2026

As a Christian workplace minister for over fifty years, I finally learned to do this. I had this epiphany while having lunch with another minister and asked his advice about a job I was flying to Philadelphia to interview for. “If they offer you more money, take the job.”

That answer did not flow with what I felt Jesus wanted me to do. For years, I had been looking for what He wanted me to do as ministry, not by what I would make from a position. I wanted to leave the company I was with, and I knew that it would be hard to turn this job down.

I had been praying for a different job for years. When this interview became available, I thought it was what I wanted. What you want is difficult to walk away from. I would like to say that I always choose what Jesus has for me and ignore my own desires, like more money. However, that’s not always the way I rock.

I decided to talk to a minister friend of mine and asked him to join me for lunch. I explained to him that I was going for an interview and needed advice about how to be sure it was God’s will. His advice was to take the job if they offered me more money.

Not exactly what I was hoping for. I thought as a minister he would give me advice on how to tell what God wanted me to do. I had heard others speak of ministers using the amount of money they were offered as a reason for taking on a new position. I knew that my family would be provided for no matter where I was led to go.

We all need money to pay bills and live on. My problem is why more of us do not voluntarily help others. I am a writer and speaker. If you contact me to speak to your group, all I will charge is for travel and lodging. I recently turned down a chance to join a speaking group that offered me as many chances to speak as I might want; they did not seem to want to give me the discretion to choose events. If you ask me to help you write your memoir, call me, and we will set times for phone conversations or personal meetings.

You can also use a bartering system to help yourself as you aid others. What can you use to trade with? Do you have a service business or one that manufactures or produces things? Bartering was a common currency in frontier days. It can help reduce inflation in our current climate.

I know many of you volunteer and help family and friends with their projects when you are asked. I suggest that you begin looking for those who need assistance when they do not ask. I always did this in the workplace where I was. I considered it part of my ministry. Remember that Jesus said we should do as much as we could for even the least of His children.

Do you think that you are beautiful?

September 11, 2026

Or, if you are a guy, do you think you are good-looking? I see the supermodels, actresses, actors, and others that the media says we should change ourselves to look like. They say you need larger lips, hips, biceps, triceps, or other parts of your body to improve who you are. Remember the saying, “Beauty is only skin deep.”

I have never believed beauty begins or ends with how you look. The best-looking people I have known were not always physically attractive. They may have had bad hair, an inappropriately sized nose or ears, or another feature they view as a deformity. I believe that Yahweh personally creates each of us as He desires us to be.

Changing hair color, using makeup, or adding tattoos or piercings are minor types of change that I have never tried. When Cindy and I were first married, I adored her naturally curly hair but politely declined when our hairdresser offered to give me a perm to make my straight-as-string hair as curly as hers. If I had curly hair, I might not like it either.

I have said for years that I don’t understand why they call this treatment a permanent. It will grow out in a few months and must be applied again. For this reason, I refer to it as a temp, and that means temporary, not permanent. She does not always appreciate her hair or other attributes as much as I do. I’m fine with my looks, though.

Now you can also have permanent makeup applied. While these tattoos in place of makeup will stay on your skin, they don’t remain looking the same. Everything changes over the years despite what anyone promises you. When I began growing my mustache when I was eighteen, it was very light. Now it is grey.

My facial hair is my act of rebellion. My dad once said that if any of his sons had grown their hair out, or grew a beard or mustache, he would throw us out of the house. It took six months for him to notice I had not shaved my upper lip. When he asked me about it, and I told him how long it had been growing, he said nothing more about it. My wife and children have never seen me without it.

Many folks think that I am a funny fellow; my response is that looks aren’t everything. When I taught in junior high at church, I would greet new students with, “My name is Chuck, and I am good-looking.” When they looked at me weirdly, I would tell them that I liked to point it out because sometimes that was not noticed immediately.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made, and we should accept the way we are and only change things that Jesus tells us to. I was a shy child and seldom spoke before those I did not know, so I studied public speaking for three years in high school. I have become what I thought would be needed in my professional life. And it is a great life; how about yours?

Thank you, President Trump

September 5, 2026

One billion dollars more for gasoline over the Labor Day weekend than last year. That is what they said on the news. Aren’t you glad that you voted for this man and all his Trumpite friends? I know that you thought his followers were called MAGA, which is an acronym for Make America Great Again. Guess what? America was great before Donald Trump ran in 2016.

I have written before that I felt we should say, “Keep America great.” At this point, I need to revise that. Mr. Trump has turned our citizens against each other, tried to destroy our economy and legal system, and polluted respected national institutions with his name.

I use the term Trumpites to designate anyone who supports the man who currently holds the office of Chief Executive. I do not know of anyone who would appreciate being called by this term. As Jeff Foxworthy used to say, “You might be a redneck if . . . .

We are describing Trumpites here, and I hope that you will not recognize yourself in these words. You may be a Trumpite if:

you ever voted for Donald Trump in 2016, 2020, or 2024. If you voted for him in all three, you are a Trumpite, and the only way you can be cured is by starting to state publicly that you would never have anything to do with him ever again. I am still not sure I would believe you.

true statements are things that you have argued with. “President Trump was defeated in the 2020 election,” “Donald Trump was legally convicted of crimes.” “Tearing down the East Wing of the White House and building an expensive ballroom is a bad idea.” “Allowing Immigration and Naturalization Officers to arrest, imprison, or kill anyone they want without due process should not be allowed.” These are just a few of those.

you plan on voting for the Republican Presidential candidate in 2026. Understand why I say this. The Republicans have refused to curb the blight that they released on our country in 2016, supported his attempts to overthrow the legitimate winner of the 2020 race, and then nominated him again in 2024.

If you are in Congress and the Senate in 2027, you can still redeem yourself by impeaching Donald Trump, finding him guilty of High Crimes and Misdemeanors, rescinding his U.S. citizenship for treason, and deporting him to any country that will guarantee they will not let him leave. God may have to do this for us, if you won’t.

Yes, we need to thank President Trump for showing us not to believe him. He lied about everything that he promised. There is no way to stop illegal aliens from entering our country without armed guards around a Berlin-type wall. Our borders are too wide for that. Most of our allies have given up on him. Our economy is down the toilet, and he won’t even admit that the war he started with Iran is a war.

Where Are You Hiding Your Valuables?

September 3, 2026

Matthew 6:19 tells us not to store our treasures here, but to put them in Heaven. How much do you have in your 401 (k)? Did I just say that? My treasures are not to be bankable. As that famous philosopher, The Gambler, said, “Never count your money when you’re sitting at the table. There’ll be time enough for counting when the dealing’s done.”

We need to ask, “What is valuable to you?” I am not thinking of what is usually thought of as valuable. As I answer this question for myself, I encourage you to make your own list. First on my list is my family, and I believe the best way to protect them is by leading them in their faith in Jesus.

The same idea goes for my friends, and most of them are in the group that is in the third place: people I love. The problem is that Jesus said that we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Then He went on to tell a story that most of us have heard of that explains who our neighbor should be. (Luke 10:25-37)

Have you heard of the Good Samaritan? Samaritans were hated by the Jews. They were half-breeds. They were from different countries and nationalities. Do any of these descriptions fit those that you do not like? As Christians, we are told to love as Jesus did. For many of us, we do not even know what love is.

It is not liking someone a lot or something that the other person must earn or deserve. Love is what nailed God to a cross to save us from our rebellion. Love is giving yourself for others. It is what the Samaritan did for the injured Jew. He did what was needed despite who they were.

We should value all our relationships whether they are personal, business, or family. Jehovah created this universe so that He could create us to be in relationship with Him. Many wonder why a perfect deity would want to create such an imperfect world with sinful creatures such as humanity.

After we fouled this planet up, Jesus came to die for us. He took three years as an itinerant teacher, re-educating all who would listen about how the Hebrews had corrupted the meaning of the law and prophets. This teaching is one of the valuables that are stored inside believers.

Another thing that is valuable to me is you. You are not just a reader. You are a human being that Jehovah loves. You are important to me because you are special to Him. We like to quote John 3:16: “For God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son so that anyone could be brought to repentance.”

This is how the apostle John interpreted what Jesus did. He did not understand that Jesus was the I Am and not another entity. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” Don’t ask me to explain that statement because all I know is that they are two parts of Yahweh, who is a triune being just as we are.

We are to hide these things that we cherish in the place where Yahweh resides outside of time and space. We call this place Heaven, and Jesus tells us that if we are one of His disciples and a follower, when our bodies fail us, he will come and get us so that we will reside with Him. I hope to see you there.