Let’s talk about – Page 2 – Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Five who will not listen to you

March 5, 2026

Let me tell you who these are. Your cat. Any cat, really. Cats do not listen except to their name or a door opening or maybe a can opener. They have very sensitive ears. They simply do not understand words. They comprehend petting and playing. They know who feeds them and is supposed to clean their litter box. Don’t do this and they will remind you.

Do you ever complain that your children don’t listen? Again, this is not just yours. Youngsters in general have difficulty following instructions. They are people after all. Once again, they respond to love and play. Speak the language they understand and they will comprehend. Yell at them or criticize them and they will not.

They also do not respond to being ignored. If you have ever had a child ask a question that you did not know the answer to or want to respond to at that moment, they will continue to press you. Just like a hungry cat. Give them what they want, and they will leave you alone, momentarily.

Bosses are others that will not listen unless you are saying what they want to hear. When they ask what you think, they do not necessarily want that answer. Some are not sure that their employees can think. Thinking is what they are paid for, and many are overpaid.

When they ask what you think of the concept they have just given to you, they may only want agreement. Give it to them. “Is this a good idea?” Do not say no. Say that it is and immediately add whatever your suggestion to improve on it is. Say it slowly and clearly. Then shut up.

If they want comments, they will accept what you say. If not, avoid confrontation and wait a while. Soon their thoughts may alter. I have often made suggestions, been told they were bad ideas, and left the discussion there. Later the concepts I expressed became the boss’s new directives and were implemented.

Do not try to take credit for their own brainstorms, you’ll get washed away. It is now their idea no matter how much you try to reason them out of it. Take the win. What needed to be done got done. When you become the boss, remember what they did and do not repeat their error.

Both husbands and wives are accused of not listening. That is correct. We all have selective deafness. We are only grownup children after all. The truth is that this malady is not limited to a sex or age group. We really should not limit this to just these five groups.

Politicians are the last of the five. The reason I say this is because I have listened to interviews with them for over fifty years. Most of the time their answers to questions do not answer those inquiries. They may have to deal with the topic but seldom provide an adequate response.

Work on your listening skills. Practice stopping what you are doing when your spouse or kids are trying to get your attention. We all need to concentrate on our communication skills. Listening is an essential part of our relationships. Don’t be one of the sixth group, those who do not care.

Lost, yet found

February 26, 2026

Recently, our dog was able to get out of our fenced backyard. We were devastated and went looking for him. My wife posted pictures of him on Facebook and Lea’s Lost and Found. He was returned to us by a very kind lady who told us he came up to her, scratching on her car door.

Friends were watching in our neighborhood, and a doorbell video was sent to us, and he was found not far from that location. He had a chip, collar, and rabies tag, which helped to identify him as ours. A few thoughts have come to my mind.

Thank you to everyone who saw the posts and especially to the lady who took him to her home and brought Biscuit to me after Cindy called her and identified him. She was kind and knew he had to belong to someone who was looking for him. Thank you also to Lea Moody and KY3 for the site that was used to establish contact between us and the woman that he went to.

When we first took Biscuit in from a family whose father had gone into a nursing home, we had him run off if he got out into the unfenced front yard. We had a chip put into him by the Humane Society. Thank you to them, as well. They work hard to help families keep and reconnect with their pets.

When he returned home, he was so happy to be back. His attitude toward being out in our fenced backyard was different. He was anxious and did not want to be left alone. We could tell that he was afraid he might have lost humans who loved him, again.

For those of you who do not know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, have you realized that you are lost and need to be found? We are smarter than dogs. Biscuit knew to go to a human hoping for help. You need to go to Jehovah and ask Him to take you back into His good graces by accepting Him as your savior and Lord.

You say you do not believe in God or Jesus. Do you believe that anyone could help you with your feelings of being lost? Why not give Him a try? A lost dog tried the first person he found. That turned out to be the one that could help. Make the attempt. Finding someone to talk to about your feelings is another thing to do. If you have a church that you know, the pastor might be a person to help you. Ask him or her to tell you about Jesus as well.

Don’t use the excuse that you have done things that God would never forgive. There is only one sin that He will not forgive. That is rejecting His Son. Have you read about the two men who were crucified with Jesus? One rejected Him, and the other asked to be remembered when He came into His Kingdom. That man was told he would be with Jesus that day.

Refusing to believe is your choice. Suffering the consequences of your choices is a common thing for us. Do not believe that Yahweh will make you live with Him throughout eternity if you do not wish to. After all, He wants you to have what you want, even if that is a life without Him.

He wasn’t willing to back down

February 19, 2026

Have you seen the newly released video of the altercation between Alex Pretti and Federal officers? No, I am not talking about the ones where he was murdered in a street. I am speaking of one where he spits on a vehicle and kicks out a taillight. All we see in this incident is him being taken down.

If that had been me, I would not have chosen to continue to confront these madmen. I try not to be confrontational. That does not look good for a minister or an emergency room nurse. He chose to act on what he thought was correct. Some call him stupid. I think the difference between stupidity and courage is a fine line.

I would like to discuss this. Some examples of courage are standing against bullies, helping out a person facing danger, even if it puts you in danger, or standing against racism or prejudice. This is what Mr. Pretti did.

The agents were doing more than just their jobs. Have you noticed the President and other officials stepping back from what they have been trying to justify? How many will lose their jobs because of this death? He did not want to die, but he was not willing to back away from injustice.

The President says that he is doing what he said he would do by removing illegal immigrants from our country. The problem is the methods they are using. Did you know that Texas has significantly more law violators from other countries than Minnesota? Why did the Immigration officials not start there?

Just this week, an illegal immigrant from South America murdered a man here in Springfield, MO. He is being held in the Greene County jail for an ICE pick-up. Maybe one of those officers from Minnesota who likes to kill people can come get him and see if he makes it across the state line.

We are in the seventh Congressional District of Missouri. Highly Republican and Trumpite in sentiment. If ICE gets him and takes him out of the country and loses him, no one will ever have to worry about him again. We Ozarkians know what to do with murderers.

Some other facts have recently come up. CBS released statistics from a Homeland Security report that reports that less than fourteen percent of the detainees that ICE has seized have been held for being criminals.

We all need to follow Pretti’s lead and not back down from a fight. President Trump says that he wants to remove illegal aliens and send them packing. How about helping the Republican Greene County Sheriff get rid of those in his lock-up?

If they’ve been arrested legally, had their preliminary hearing, and are awaiting extradition back to where they belong, I am sure Sheriff Arnott will have no problem handing them over. Maybe the Homeland Security Director would like to have Trump come with her for a photo opportunity to show they are doing something other than murdering Americans

Take Responsibility

February 17, 2026

Are certain people exempt from the penalties of our legal system? Many people violate our laws every day. In Springfield, police officers run red lights, fail to follow traffic laws, and endanger innocent civilians for no valid reason. As Christians, forgiveness should be our creed. As law-abiding citizens, we sometimes grow fed up with those who believe they are above the law.

Another politician has been accused of driving under the influence. Apparently, he is not going to fight the charge that he was intoxicated. His defense is a 100-year-old law that protects legislators during a session. He did not apologize for betraying his constituents’ trust. He did not admit that he was intoxicated when he was stopped.

Forgiving those who are trying to straighten their lives out might be a good practice for individuals. It is not for the government. Law enforcement should do that, enforce the laws. Whether someone is a politician, a celebrity, a friend of the police, or the police themselves, they should face the full force of the law.

Until no one is given special rights, there will be no equal rights for anyone. When equal rights are mentioned, it is usually in response to racial situations. Our officials need to grow up and realize that the privileges they believe they deserve undermine their authority. The voters need to take responsibility away from these lawbreakers. They should force them from their jobs and require them to work for a living.

Some legislators seem to believe that when they are elected, they become superior to the electorate. The only way to stop this is to remove everyone who shows this type of arrogant attitude. Voters often believe that their legislators should be forgiven, while those from other areas should be removed from their offices. No wonder our country is in the condition it is in.

You all know that our current President still says that he won the election in 2020. He claims it has been proven to be true. The only one who believes this is himself. He cannot admit that he lost. His claim of this injustice brought him back to the eye of the voters, who believe the other lies he tells. Today, he had to take a step back from his Gestapo tactics against illegal aliens.

He needs to admit that he is wrong. Congress has allowed him to continue to try to thwart our laws and even the US Constitution. November will be the election to depose this hypocrisy and turn our government around. We don’t want what MAGA wants. We want America to be Good Again.

Helping but not

January 28, 2026

Watching a movie, I was reminded of parenting skills that Cindy and I have learned. We knew little of these techniques when our first child was born. As our kids grew, we grasped concepts from our folks. Some, we decided, had worked. Others were thrown out with that day’s garbage.

I will share some of the better ones with you:

Give your kids space. The time to keep them close is when they are young. As they grow, the time and type of closeness also change. Each person is different in the freedom they need. Some of us need our parents for a longer period than others may.

Set rules, but as they mature, make them guidelines. Every child needs to learn how to operate in the world they will live in. Your job is to teach them how to make the decisions they will need to make to live in a civilized world. Not all the prisons and graves are full of the children of bad parents. Some kids turn out decent despite being taught the wrong things.

Be their parent and remember that someday you want to be a friend. Try to be friends too soon, and they will not have the chance to be instructed by the parents that we all need. I never had to make it without my mom and dad. They were strict when I needed it and a friend when it was called for. We raised our kids the same. Now they have their own kids and don’t need parents. We are friends, advisors, and help them when they ask.

Quality time also means more time. Some parents think that the few minutes they give their children are enough if they are used well. When I ask what they do with them in those short periods of time, they have no actual answers. Usually, they can’t remember what they do with their kids.

There are books on parenting that are helpful and ones that are full of a lot of crap. The ones that helped us might not be as useful for you. You must keep in mind that your child(ren) are unique individuals. You are the one who will help them become adults. What type of grown-ups will they be? That is not your choice; it is theirs.

Children should be given responsibilities that are suitable for their age. Toddlers should pick up after themselves. They should eat, sleep, and listen to instructions. Don’t wait until they rebel against being treated inappropriately to allow them to mature. Think about the mistakes your parents make and realize that sometimes, when you think you are helping, you are not.

True love is worth it

January 26, 2026

You may get tired of hearing me talk about things that I have heard on rom coms. I am married, and this is something that Cindy and I do together. We also make quilts, do home renovations, shop, and visit our grandchildren together. I DVR movies just for me that are not romantic comedies. I get to watch these by myself.

I wanted to speak of true love. Can you define what love is? It is not an emotion. It is not a hole that you fall into. It is something that you choose to do. You love someone that you want to love. Some people get married and then divorce because they do not love their spouse anymore. That is a decision they make.

I hope you have not experienced this. I know some whose marriages ended because their spouse did not want to be married anymore. Everyday Cindy and I decide that we want to love each other. Sometimes this may not be an easy decision for you and your spouse.

That means that we want to be together. We want to be kind and patient. We decide to treat each other as we want to be treated. We stay faithful to each other. We do not have to be together all the time, and we do not have to agree on everything. We do have to decide to go out of our way to get along.

Most couples who have been married for twenty-five or more years feel this way. Feeling trapped after you have been married for five or ten years is normal. What you need to do is determine whether you will stay together. When Cindy and I were married, our wedding vows included “till death do us part.”

We also promised to stay together “for better or worse, in sickness or in health.” Many modern vows I have read in the last forty years do not cover these things. Flowery language is more about a spiritual type or physical form of love, and not a true or lasting love.

Sex is not lasting. Satisfying lust will not sustain you. The next time you and your spouse or live-in have a disagreement, discuss whether you intend to stay together. If you have children together, think of them. Children of parents who do not stay together have emotional problems. They have problems at school and at home. Consider how your relationship will impact them.

I am asked whether I thought Cindy and I would ever divorce. My reply is, “No.” I feel that way because I had no desire to take the easy way out. When we have difficulties, I want to solve them. I am willing to take second place in my family’s lives. Nothing is as important to me as our girls and their mom.

Impeach Trump

January 20, 2026

He began his second term as president, violating his oath of office. This was done within forty-eight hours of the inauguration. He has continually made executive orders that have required our judicial system to waste time and money overturning what he wants done.

He has now kidnapped a man and his wife, whose government is friendly with three of our greatest enemies. His motivation for this is supposedly for national security, when he is the one who has had us murdering their citizens on the seas and claiming they are transporting drugs without any legal proof.

From the news reports I have seen, the main motivation is to get access to crude oil. Where is the United Nations? Why are none of our allies denouncing the use of our military to depose a leader in another country, even if he is a dictator? I do not believe that anyone wants to oppose him.

I do not like to be political. My problem is that some have told me they cannot believe Christians like me support this madman. Their words, not mine. I am constantly reminded of others who claim to be followers of Jesus, who apparently see no problems with his actions.

Let me set the record straight. I am not a Republican. I am not a Democrat. I am non-partisan. I have never voted for Donald Trump and would be more likely to vote for a dead dog. I have known the man to be unreliable, uncaring, and only out for his own profit for as long as I have heard of him, for the last three or four decades.

I am sure there are Republicans who agree with me. They need to voice this dissatisfaction and denounce the man and any others who continue to support him. Here is what I propose. Vote against every Republican who refuses to publicly oppose these actions.

Vote against anyone else who does not speak against his actions to control states, cities, and other countries. The actions of his administration appear to be those of a

dictatorial government. He says that he knows he is not a king. The problem is that his decisions appear to some of us to be confirming what others say about President Trump.

Apparently, we also need Congress to defund the INS, including ICE. Shut them down and fire every employee. When you have impeached Trump, inform Vice President Vance that his administration has three months to prove that they can rebuild what Trump has tried to destroy, including our immigration department.

With the problems that his all-out war on so-called illegal immigrants is causing, he needs to go. He is killing Americans, and those who are here legally are being deported without due process. Stop this now, or it will be stopped in 2027 after an all-new Congress has been elected and one-third of the senators have been replaced.

We will not forget what you have done to our people and country. We elected you to lead us. Do it now or find another job. We are mad as hell and will not take it anymore. If you do not believe me, we will see who is laughing in November. As President Trump is infamous for saying, “You are fired!”

AS MUCH FUN AS WATCHING PAINT DRY

January 10, 2026

Many of us have used this phrase. It has a great deal of meaning. However, while painting a room in our home, I stood and looked back at the first wall I had applied paint to and noted the color change from the wet, to the partially wet, not quite dry, and completely dry colors. The shades were different. It was subtle, but it was there.

Maybe it was the lighting on this bright day. I had all the windows open because the curtains were down. Maybe it was the Christian music playing in the background as I worked that made me more contemplative. Nonetheless, paint drying had a lesson to teach.

Things are different as you start a task, proceed through the various stages of it, and finally reach completion. Never judge a job before you finish it. All you will have is discouragement. Often, I have partially completed projects. When I delay completing a task, it seems that I never get back to it.

My wife and I bought our current home on a bridge loan. This is a short-term mortgage that allows up to a year to avoid paying a second payment while you sell the old property. Our new home had nothing that needed to be done before we moved in. The old house was full of unfinished tasks.

I repaired windows, flooring, ceilings, and more than I can remember at this time. That was after we moved twenty years of accumulated possessions to our new home. Six months later, we were still trying to sell it. Our agent helped us place a price, and we had one offer that was then canceled when we failed an inspection.

We repaired everything on his list and received another offer. This one is for less than the first one. We countered, and the buyer accepted the counteroffer, which was still not at our asking price and included other repairs. I finished the few simple changes they wanted and closed the deal.

I did not spend any time watching paint dry while working on this project. After twenty years in this house, we have made some repairs and changes, and these include painting. I still think back to that time when I noticed the color variations and have confirmed this process with every paint job we’ve tackled.

Life is full of constant changes, some setbacks, and some advancements. Keep going and try something new tomorrow. You never know what you can do until you try. Step out of your comfort zone and see what world-changing observations you can make while you watch paint dry.

WHERE ARE YOU IN LIFE?

December 30, 2025

2026 will begin on Friday and this is the (?) New Year I have seen. The first eight or so, I do not remember. Since 1961 I have been amazed at the way we greet the turning of the pages in the chapters of time. Many are making resolutions this time of year and promising themselves to change who they are or what they do.

I decided not to make these types of choices. I have attempted to define corrections to be made daily. Life is a process. Mine began over seventy years ago. Yeah, that makes me an old fart. For some of you, I am your contemporary. That means that you are also a baby boomer or old.

For others you are in your teens or twenties. Some are new parents; others have teenagers of your own. Our daughters now fall into this category. That is what I want to talk about in this column. We are all in a stage of life. As we begin the new year I am looking at where I am.

I dislike the way many writers describe the generations. Gen X, Z, Y, A, PDQ all mean something different to all of us that refer to these broad strokes in our stories. You need to know what I mean when you are reading what I produce. Let’s talk about where we are at this moment.

Are you beginning your life? You may be a teenager, young adult, parent or in another group. Refer to yourself in the most positive way that is available. I tell people I am good looking. When you look at my picture, you may not agree. That’s fine. You’ve been wrong before and so have I.

These are opinions. They are like noses and most of us have them. One problem some of us have is we take other’s ideas as truth. They may be wrong as well. I don’t want to lie to you and there are even politicians and salesmen that do not want to lie to us. They may think that is their job. They are also wrong.

As you begin 2026, try not to be one of those. My Bible says that I am to tell the truth but use love to make it more palatable. That means it is easier to swallow. We all know the song “Just a Spoon full of Sugar.” It does make the medicine go down. When I tell people things that they may not want to hear, I attempt to do it in a sweeter way.

Join me in this and I will spend this year helping you to stay on track and you can comment below and try to keep me on track. Do not be afraid of this button. The way my pages are programmed I see your comment and I will not send it out to everyone. WordPress has a safety feature that blocks comments that have nothing to do with a story. I don’t see these.

When you start out rude or try to use my site for your own purposes, it is blocked. Most advertisers or scam artists have already learned this about me. If you do not want what you say to me to go to anyone else, start out with Off The Record. This is reporter speak for “don’t tell anyone I said this.”

My advice to you is to do this in your personal life. When you are told you are stupid, ugly, don’t know what you are talking about, or any other negative comment, block it out of your life. Make it off the record in your own soul. Don’t ever remind yourself about these comments.

This is why good social media sites have a blocking feature. When they do not, I do not use them. Some of my social media contacts have lost their connection with me by attempting to speak their opinions as if they are the truth. Even the President of the United States does this.

For this year, wherever you are in life, make it a better year. When your child says, “I hate you” understand they are children. You are an adult, even if you are only fourteen. When you became a parent, you had to become a grownup even if you don’t want to be. I speak of this often on these pages. Follow me this year and let’s work on our lives together.

“Happy New Year.”

Give the gift of improbability

December 15, 2025

Once again, the Missouri Lottery is running commercials with the tag line of “Give the gift of possibility.” Keep in mind that I would rather have the money you spend on this. Read the disclaimer on the ticket telling what the odds are. If you give me the few dollars you would spend, I will put it in my IRA, and in a few years, it will be worth something.

I like to remind players of the lottery that this is a self-imposed tax. I was happy when you voted for this many years ago. I am also pleased each time you approve a gambling issue on the Missouri ballot. It never costs me anything and may keep the legislators from increasing my taxes.

I have purchased lottery tickets when the prizes have increased to multiple millions of dollars. I believe God blesses me. He has given us prizes in drawings. I’ve never won if I had to pay for the chance to win. There is a difference between what is possible and what is probable.

Your probability of winning these games is in the millions to one. You are more likely to be hit by lightning or by a satellite falling out of orbit. If you want to give me a gift, then give me the money. Once, I was in a family gift exchange where our suggested limit was ten dollars. I received a gift that I knew had only cost one dollar. I felt cheated. At least at the end of the day, I had something.

When the receiver scratches off a losing card, they are not the only losers. You have lost the respect and possibly even the friendship of not just the person you gave it to. You may also offend everyone who hears what your present was.

I know that some of the scratcher’s cards cost more than a few dollars. I’ve been told that ten- and twenty-dollar tickets are given as gifts frequently. That makes it ten or twenty times as bad because you gave the money that you could have given to me to the government.

May I suggest that you burn that bill and put the ashes in an envelope with a note stating that before you burned it what it would have been worth. I think I will start making some gifts like this and keeping them with me, and when I open a gift with a lottery ticket in it, I will hand them my gift. When they thank me, I will return the sentiment.

I have participated in gag gift exchanges before. If you haven’t, the idea is to give something humorous or of little to no value. This would be a perfect time to give lottery tickets or envelopes with burned paper and a note that tells them you burned a one-hundred-dollar bill. These will both bring a laugh, rather than a groan.

Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Walk With a Servant

Category: Let’s talk about