Let’s talk about – Page 6 – Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

America is still great

July 26, 2024

Get lost in the fifties with me.

I am a child of the fifties. I began school in the fall of 1960. When the decade changed to the seventies, I was in high school. I wrote a feature story about how it felt to begin a new decade which was published in my high school newspaper. I wanted to become a journalist. That was where I was headed.

I remember when Allan Shepherd became the first American to fly in the first Mercury manned spacecraft. I was in front of our TV watching Walter Cronkite as Mr. Shepherd took that historic ride. I was there for the launch of all six mercury flights including John Glenn’s Friendship 7 orbital flight and Gordon Cooper’s final Mercury flight in Faith 7.

I watched every launch of Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. I saw most of the splashdowns. My life revolved around the NASA space program and the astronauts. When I graduated from high school, there was one more moon mission to be flown. In my opinion the manned space program showed the greatness of America.

I watched this live. Did you?

Yes, we beat the Russians to the moon. We do not know for sure, but it is assumed that more cosmonauts were lost during their programs than were killed in our entire history of space flight. Does this make America great? I think that depends on your perspective.

The Russians who put themselves at risk were willing to risk their lives just as Americans and others have. America has never been great because of our government. We are great because of our people. Our government started the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; however, it took courageous men to go into space. These men were my heroes.

As a boy, teenager, young man, and eventually a father I looked at these heroes as people that I wanted to emulate. I knew I did not have the courage, physical stamina, and intelligence that astronauts had. I did have the courage to become a husband and father. My dad had been my hero for many years. He was up there with those astronauts.

I had given up my dream of being a journalist to surrender to be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As I trained to be a preacher, I learned that what made America great was the gospel of Christ as it has been represented in the American citizen. Not everyone born in the United States does things that make this country great.

Today there is a slogan used by a political group Make America Great Again. This is abbreviated MAGA. Because of the person who started using this slogan while running for President, many of us do not view MAGA as a positive force. My personal viewpoint has always been that America is great because of great Americans.

You are probably one of these people that I am talking about. How do we make our country great? We must be good citizens. That means respecting others and being willing to work. We must be kind to others. Patience is a virtue. There are many virtues.

One of my favorite School House Rock episodes.

I find it depressing that there are those that believe that America is great or not because of whoever is President. He is one man. An entire country is not good or bad because of one man. Our constitution says that our government is by the people and for the people. A person is singular. We the people are plural.

I believe that it is our responsibility to Keep America Great. Would you comment below if you agree that we need to keep America great. I would like to see as many of us that are making this a wonderful world to adopt the slogan Keep America Great, not Make America Great Again. Which do you believe in, an America that needs to be made great or keeping it great by treating others as we want to be treated?

For better or for worse

July 12, 2024

I’ve officiated at several weddings over the years. I remember the first one in the fall of 1976. Cindy and I had not been married for a year. My store manager at Wendy’s asked his girlfriend to marry him. When she said yes, he asked me to marry them. I used standard traditional vows for them. Love, honor, and cherish till death do you part. The line, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse was also included in the ceremony.

As the years went by and other weddings, I noticed that some brides and grooms did not want these words and those traditional vows were changed. One couple gave me a ceremony they downloaded from the internet that included their children from other marriages. Their pastor had declined to marry them because of the vows.

Think about what the phrase for better or for worse means. The best situations you can imagine are the better. No one wants to think about what the worst could be. What if the plane crashed as you were flying home from your honeymoon? What could be worse? It crashed on the way to the location.

What would cause you to get a divorce? Adultery? Finding out that your spouse had a million dollars of debt and no intention of ever paying it off? They were married before and forgot to tell you. And they also neglected to get a divorce. As you move into your first place together, the police pull up and arrest your one and only for rape or murder.

Would you stick it out in these situations? What is the worst you can think of? Do you know that often it is the best thing that causes a marriage to fail? Children can be a bone of contention for some couples. Women may transfer their love for their husbands to their children. He would be torn between his love for them and his need for companionship.

Wedding vows only work when you commit to each other for life. No matter what. Our marriage has lasted for forty-eight years. My Mom and Dad never made it to forty. He died when he was sixty. Mom could have found many reasons to end their marriage. She did not.

Commitment is difficult. Do not run from it. Run toward it. Fight for it and each other. I find it interesting that many couples refer to each other as a fiancé. They haven’t even set a date and have been living together for years. I’ve seen these relationships break up shortly after the wedding.

Good and bad are relative. All it takes is for circumstances to change. Hang in there, baby. The best and the worst you can imagine will change. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Challenge yourselves to become better than you have ever been.

Eight Decades

March 2, 2024

I’ve experienced a great deal from the time I was born in the 1950s until now in the third decade of the twenty-first century. I have not lived seventy years, but I have experienced some or all of eight decades.

My first recollections were of the race for the President that ended in November of 1960 with the election of John Kennedy. My Dad was a Teamster. This meant he and Mom always voted for the Democratic candidate. I did not understand why they did that, but I was just a kid.

Dad was a Baptist and did not want to vote for a Catholic. On more than one occasion I heard him discuss with other adults the guns and explosives that they kept in their basements to use to overthrow the government. The only other group they seemed to hate more was the blacks. That wasn’t the word they used.

In the 1960’s I watched the Mercury astronauts fly into space and circle the Earth. Later the Gemini program tested technics and technologies that would be needed during the Apollo program that took men to the moon in 1969 and into the 1970’s. A total of twelve men walked and drove on the moon. Did you know that one man took a golf club and ball to the moon and made the first drive not on the surface of the Earth?

Many new devices were developed in that decade. Microwave ovens, wireless home phones, and computers for businesses came into use. Manufacturing and technology were stepping up all around the country. Television moved into the future with cable companies spreading throughout the country.

In junior high, I discovered the world of science fiction. Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clark were the first authors that I read. The first sci-fi movie I saw was “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” It premiered in the late 1950s and is still considered one of the finest motion pictures of its kind.

The next two decades saw many low-budget films produced but the genre took a giant leap forward with the original Star Trek TV series and the first Star Wars movie. Special effects technologies continued with George Lucas and his vision. And we need to talk about graphic novels. When I started reading them, they were called comics. Everything from Spiderman, Batman, and Classics Illustrated were being published. These were much better than the Mickey Mouse and child-type magazines.

I have watched computers progress from the Univac and the IBM machine that NASA used to calculate the trajectories of all the space vehicles. The 1980s brought personal computers and cell phones into our homes. Smartphones came around in the next decade.

Those two decades saw the way we watched movies and television change drastically. Satellite systems, video cassette recorders, and compact discs for audio music became popular even though they are mostly obsolete now. The DVR and streaming services came on the scene. The internet was needed for all this new technology.

Our new millennium and century began with a possible panic that never materialized in the computer and technology areas. In my lifetime I have watched black and white, color, cable, satellite, and high-definition programming come into my home. Now I walk around with a computer more powerful than the one that got us to the moon in my shirt pocket.

I haven’t even talked about robots, artificial intelligence, and many other advances. I mentioned reading earlier. I have carried a book with me from the time I learned to read and now have over two thousand on my phone that I can read in print or audio versions. I even have comics on my phone. What a difference a decade makes.

What do you do?

February 27, 2024

This morning there was another deadly shooting in Springfield, Missouri where I live. The news report currently being released says that two men are dead and two other men are in custody. This was in a residential area and those arrested were taken at a convenience store in a business area that is close to the home where the attack happened.

Another report talked about the increase in traffic fatalities nationwide. They mentioned a few of the tragic collisions that made the national news in the last year. Is there any way to avoid these situations?

I don’t have to give those who have read my memoir “Doulos” the story that explains my concern for accidental shootings. I have not shared another story about a shooting that my wife and I were witnesses to. A few months ago, we were grocery shopping. We left our car parked in a handicapped space close to the doors.

As we pulled into the row of cars, I noticed a young lady standing near a car that was across from us. We were in the market for at least a half hour. When we returned to our vehicle, she was still there. As we prepared to pull out the conversation escalated.

We did not understand most of what she said. None of the other person’s words could be heard by us. She was backing away from the car with the driver’s door open. A man bolted towards her. My wife immediately called 911 on her phone.

Before she could complete the call, the woman pulled a small gun from her purse and fired one shot into her attacker’s chest. He fell to the ground. She began screaming that she had shot him. A nurse that had been behind her when she fired, bent down to check on the injured man while she ran and laid the gun on the hood of the car opened a back door, and removed a baby.

This all happened in a few short minutes. What should we have done? We both considered leaving the scene. We did not need to because she was more concerned with her child than she was with bystanders. Let’s talk about what to do if you are present when shots are fired.

In our situation, had she waved the gun around as other supposed witnesses reported, we would have vacated the area immediately. We had no need to do that because she put the weapon down and we were not in danger. In the case of the shooting last night one witness heard five shots while she was in bed. We were not told what she did. What should you do?

Take cover. Do not look outside. You may become a target. Stray shots may enter your home. Put as much between you and the exterior as you can. Walls, furniture, and space are some of the things to separate you from danger. If the shots sound like they are inside, hide and be quiet or leave the house. Vacating should not be done until you determine you can do that safely. Each situation is different.

Let’s discuss a situation like the recent tragedy in Kansas City. If you are outside and hear shots, you probably want to hide and wait to run until you are aware of where the shooter or shooters are. Getting down might be safer unless you can see where the shots are coming from. I won’t tell you to remain calm. You already know to do that. The question is how to do it.

Now about those traffic accidents. Do not allow yourself to become angry. Road rage will escalate the situation. Again, you know to stay calm. Stay observant while you are driving. If you aren’t driving, be observant. Do not yell at the driver, if you think you see something that could possibly be dangerous, use as quiet a voice as you can and be specific about what you see.

Do not scream “Look Out.” “Do you see that kid running this was?” would be a better way to handle it. I once saw deer running toward the highway I was driving on. I had a matter of seconds to decide what to do. I put the pedal to the metal. One of the animals jumped over the trunk of my car. And the others crossed safely.

I have always driven defensively. My dad was a trucker and he taught us to drive safely as we were traveling. Mom did the same. The best way is to be shown proper conduct. Do not get in a vehicle with an unsafe driver. Our daughters had friends they wanted to go with and we questioned their skills. Our answers were no to these requests.

Do you stop and let other traffic from side streets proceed when it is rush hour? I was in an accident when someone did that. I was in the inside lane where traffic was still moving. I was hit by a driver who could not see me coming. He did not approach my lane with caution. I tried to avoid him but was not successful. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Stop and think about where you are and what you are doing whether you are driving, walking, or sitting quietly at home. Accidents happen regardless of how careful we are. Others can create dangerous situations that we may be able to avoid. I no longer like to be in crowds. I’m not afraid of being shot. I’m tired of rude people. Try not to be rude. I’ll do the same.

Creators

January 18, 2024

There is a term that is used today for those of us who are creative. We are often called makers. I understand that. We use words, materials, ideas, and objects to “make” something. We are not creating something from nothing as Jehovah did when He brought the universes into being. I am still a creator when I use my thoughts to form words and ideas.

There are those of us who have not experimented with this ability to take what we possess and make it something new and unusual. I like doing things that are un-e-kew. You normally think of it as unique. I pronounce it my own way, un-e-kew. I also create words and phrases that you have not heard before. Often, I find out that I did not create them.

I wanted a way to designate political party members as being overboard in the way they embraced their political party affiliation. I refer to them as Republicrats and Demicans. It does not matter what group you stand for, if you believe that you are always correct and anyone who agrees with you is also infallible then you fit the meaning of these words.

A Young Republican once was explaining to me why a democratic congressman should be forced to step down while a Republican who was accused of the same things could wait until he was actually convicted of these offenses. He was one of the first Republicrats I knew. Many have crawled out of the woodwork since then.

I have also used the terms doginality, catanality, and animality for years. When I refer to what others call their pet’s personalities, I use these terms. We treat our pets like people, but they are not human. Thank God. They are better than us. Many of these traits cross the lines. Others are similar to the way we humans act.

Cats are distant, aloof, and opinionated. We all know that dogs have owners and cats have staff. Some of these canines and felines are loving, hateful, and contrary. We have had many animals in our family. They all have certain characteristics that we find challenging and endearing. That makes life fun.

In the sixth grade Mr. McNeil asked us to memorize this poem.

We know some monkeys or apes can be mean but they would never make a movie called “Planet of the Humans.”

I am sure I have used other words and phrases in my writing that I have created or borrowed. You may wonder what I mean when you catch me in this. If so, just make a comment and I will try to explain myself.

Trapped?

December 23, 2023

Am I? Trapped, that is. I know some people who are stuck in jobs they do not enjoy. I was there on more than one occasion. My last two jobs were not the ones I really wanted. There were different reasons that I did not want to be there.

Personality conflicts and bad management practices were two reasons. Another job that I worked in for twenty-five years had similar problems. I stayed there hoping that I could make changes to improve these difficulties. After I realized I could not God led me to a job I loved. A layoff I had no control over, took me from there.

Some are in bad relationships. We may be the ones who need to change our attitudes or actions. Others are not always completely at fault when there is trouble communicating and we can grow apart if we do not change positively. My wife and I often discuss ways that we have changed in the last forty-seven years. Compromise is the reason we have stayed together. And, of course, love.

I had a bout with addiction a few years ago. I did not know it at the time. I found myself in the emergency room with flu-like symptoms. The doctor sent me home to recover. A friend suggested that I might be going through withdrawal from the opioids I had been taking for pain following bypass surgery.

The fourteen symptoms that I was told were a virus were listed as withdrawal symptoms on an opioid website. I had become addicted in a short time. Now, healthcare professionals are learning that what manufacturers told them was incorrect. Smaller dosages did trap some people in less time than was believed at then.

I understand now how fortunate I was. I recognized what caused the pain, nausea, and cold I was experiencing. I did not take another dose as I had been doing every two to three days when my pain became worse. Alternate over-the-counter painkillers got me through a rough couple of days.

Smoking or alcohol usage may be your problem. I’ve never used these substances. I cannot tell you how to overcome their control over you. These are also addictions, and you may need professional help to get out of these traps. The first step is to admit that they are a problem for you. Then find a trusted friend who will assist in your recovery.

The worst trap that I have seen is in my own mind. You may be like me and subject to believe that your opinion is the only correct way to view situations. I have attempted to draw my opinions from the Bible for over fifty years. God has taught me that because you do not agree with me, you might not be wrong.

I have seen myself use scripture to prove what I was taught was the only right interpretation. Let me give you an example. Do you believe in The Rapture? Many of us Christians do. Our proof that we will be taken to meet Jesus in the air at the End of Time is a collection of unrelated scriptures.

Like the prophecies that prove that Jesus of Nazareth was the expected Messiah of the Jews, we believe God will save us from a world of evil. Some of us think this will happen before we must choose life or death. In some countries, this is already their situation. Being a follower of Jesus is a crime that carries the death penalty. I am not one hundred percent sure that my way of thinking is correct.

I could tell you of other doubts that I have had. I even considered the possibility that Jesus was not Christ or that God did not exist as my parents and grandparents taught me. I dealt with that internal conflict by asking Jehovah to prove He is the I Am. He did this for me and straightened out my thinking about who Jesus really was.

I have decided to accept Him as my Lord and Savior. Each year that passes on the calendar gives me more confirmation that this was the correct decision. I am constantly considering all alternatives and do not see any that my faith does not prove to be false. I may be putting this faith in the wrong being. If I am wrong, I will not spend eternity in a place of torment. That is one main difference between my beliefs and other religions.

Lastly, let’s discuss other ways our own minds trap us. Many of these are referred to as mental illness. Some of you may diagnose me as having a delusion because of my faith. I am talking about depression, schizophrenia, and all the other ways that our physical chemistry or internal thoughts can hold us prisoners.

Suicidal thoughts have haunted me for years. Sometimes these are caused by medications that react badly to our systems. Other times outside influences can make us feel hopeless and helpless. Get professional help for these problems. Just as I take insulin and heart medications for my health problems, we may need assistance in handling anger, frustration, depression, and all those emotions that plague our everyday lives.

If you feel trapped in any of these areas, ask for help. Do not accept this as the way you must live. Look for someone who has dealt with what you are enduring. If they have been able to overcome problems like yours, they may be able to direct you to someone who can assist you.

HIGHWAY & HEDGES MINISTRY

November 7, 2023

In forty years of ministry, it has often been asked, “You’re a minister? Which church do you pastor?” The explanation is often difficult. Not all ministers are pastors of churches. When the calling came, it was to full-time gospel ministry. That was a term that had a lot of possibilities.

At the time, the pastorate was the assumption. Music ministry is not this Christian’s gift. My passion was for the written word. God could not use that. Or could he? Lesson plans have been conceived, drawn up, and used. They were not published, yet. Plays, skits, monologues, etc. have been created and performed. Once again they have not been published as yet. Articles have been written and published, but just in the past fifteen years.

Full-time does not necessarily mean that you make your living by it. As the road has taken a salesman to different locations, ministry has been accomplished. As others came to a purchasing agent or manager, the same has happened. Stories about these encounters are numerous. Some are shared in “Doulos”, others have yet to be written down. You may see these in later pieces.

Ministry by definition is difficult to pin down. A cup of cold water is a ministry. A kind word or listening ear may be another. A bowl of stew or other nourishment may be another way to serve some. A listening ear and shoulder to cry on is another way to help.

Another thing I have learned is that every believer is a minister. Accepting this call may seem difficult for many people. I remember the days when I could not speak to people without having my knees knock together. When I accepted the call to serve, I struggled with being the kind of person Jesus could use.

Because I expected to be bivocational, after college I went into secular business. Christians in the workplace can be good employees. They can also be available for prayer and listening to difficulties. Training is not needed for most of us to be friends.

Jesus told a parable about those invited to a wedding feast. When the servants returned to the groom’s father and said that none of the invited guests would come to the dinner, they were instructed to go into the highways and hedges and bring in anyone who would come. That may be your ministry. People from work or school need comfort or help. Those standing in line at Wal-Mart may need a smile or a “good” joke. Ministry is not hard, but it can be challenging. What is your challenge?

Marriage

October 4, 2023

Once again, I would like to give you my definition of an expert. Let’s break the word down. Ex means former or has been. The difficult part is the spert. It should be spelled spurt and is a big drip under pressure. That means that an expert is a has-been big drip under pressure. I don’t want to be one.

I will simply claim to be a long-time practitioner of marriage. I do not have all the answers. I’m not sure that after forty-seven years I know half of the questions. I think the key to keeping a marriage healthy is like anything else. Give it what it needs.

When Cindy and I became engaged, it was because I wanted to be with her more than anyone else. She was having a bad day and said that she did not believe anyone loved her. This feeling had not been caused by me. Later it would be my fault. This night it was not.

I told her that I loved her. She did not seem to believe me. We had been dating for a few months and this was not the first time I used that particular four-letter word. It is easy to say. It is much more difficult to prove. My evidence of my LOVE was to tell her that I wanted to marry her and spend my life with her.

She hugged me and kissed me and said yes. Today couples sometimes have elaborate proposals. They have engagement parties and lavish weddings. Many have already been living together and should know each other. I know couples who married after a child was born.

None of these things are any better than our way. We have stayed together this long because we are willing to work for it. Another of those dreaded four-letter words. What I mean by work is that we give each other what we need. We both need support, approval, companionship, and understanding. These things are not easy to do.

I must put myself in her shoes quite often and try to decide what I am doing wrong. She does the same thing. Neither of us can expect to have our own way. We make decisions together and most of the time we agree. If not, we make compromises.

We gave our daughters an example of how to do this thing called marriage. They seem to be figuring it out as well. I warned those men about what they were getting into. They can’t blame me that their wives act like women. I also gave the girls the best advice a father could. I told them that boys are scum.

Facebook won’t let me post that. I am the editor of my web page. I allow it. With this explanation. I did not want them to marry a boy. They needed a man. Maybe like me or maybe not like me. That was their choice. He needed to be a grown-up. And they did, also.

If you are having trouble in your marriage. Are you both acting like adults? Childishness can be fun. It can’t last our entire lives. Give your spouse what she or he needs. Start with those four; support, approval, companionship, and understanding.

If you have more to add to this list, do it in the comments. I will continue this conversation with you later. We all need to contemplate our strengths and weaknesses. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.

Where you want to be.

June 22, 2023

Like everyone else, I started out life as a baby. I ate, slept, and pooped my diapers. My mother would add that I screamed a lot for no good reason. They called that the colic. Today I am pushing seventy very hard. I can do much more than I once did and have learned what it is to be retired.

The problem is that most days I am simply tired from sunrise to sunset. It takes little to wear me out. I’ve always wanted to advance myself. I remember the books my older brothers brought home from school. Bud was in first grade and Kenny was in third grade. Kenny’s books were not much more difficult than Bud’s.

I learned this as I listened to them read and my first older brother studied his alphabet. He started with Dick and Jane books. I had those down two years later when I began first grade. That year my brothers were in the third and fourth grades respectively. Our oldest brother had to take the third grade a second time because of his reading.

Life had many choices. It also included tragedies. Mom lost a baby between Vanessa and I. I did not know the word miscarriage then. Dad finally had his daughter four years after me. President Kennedy was assassinated. I learned that word the hard way. My grandparents all died by the time I was ten.

In the fifth grade, I had no choice about studying Spanish. That was required in our school. How hard you worked at it was up to you. My best friend Rob and I did not agree completely on this. When we went to Junior high, I took Spanish, but he did not. That was where I met Vern. We took Spanish III as freshmen in high school.

Being in Spanish at Pipkin meant that I was not in the English class that met simultaneously. Those students produced our school newspaper. I learned Spanish because a good reporter needed more languages than English. Latin and French were the only other choices available in High School.

I chose my classes to prepare me for college. I selected the Missouri University Journalism School as a high school freshman. I had trouble speaking in front of crowds. Water Cronkite did not. I enrolled in speech during my sophomore year to overcome that deficiency.

I also had a typing class that year. And chemistry. That was just for fun. Junior year was when I had Journalism I and I was the feature editor my senior year. This was a disappointment. I wanted the editor position. Mrs. Backlund saw that my strength was in more creative writing.

I did not receive a scholarship to MU that year. I did receive a scholarship to Southwest Missouri State University in my hometown. My plans changed. Two years at SMSU as a creative writing major and then at J school at UMC. SMS had no journalism program.

During my sophomore year in college, my plans changed again. God called me to full-time Christian ministry. I thought that meant I would be a pastor. My three years in Speech and debate would be advantageous there. When the acceptance letter to Journalism school came, I ignored it. Instead, I transferred to Southwest Baptist College thirty miles north of Springfield in Bolivar, Missouri.

Two years there and I would go to seminary. That was not God’s plan either. My degree in Religion meant something to a few people in the business world. I knew nothing about workplace ministry then. I spent over forty years as a salesman, purchasing agent, and manager in many companies. At each position, my heart and ears were open to co-workers.

When you retire, everything changes. I can no longer be in the workforce due to health issues. How do you minister when there are no co-workers to serve? That is where these columns come into play. My desire to write has stayed with me. Now you are my congregation.

Continue to follow where I am going as I proceed to the place where God is leading me. It may be a winding road. I hope it will not be a roller coaster ride. I get sick on those.

Goodnight Reese

June 2, 2023

I have heard stories of why people live longer than animals. They are funny and interesting. My belief is that our pets come and stay with us and give us joy and love. They are allowed to die to teach us to deal with the loss of someone we love.

Whether it was that first goldfish that you ignored to death because you were too young to have a puppy or kitten. Or the hamster you were given on your birthday. Your first dog may have been the one that “followed” you home at the end of the rope you tied to them. Either way, they were yours.

She was a ball of fur when she came to live with us. The steps to the deck were too high for this tiny pup. After a few tries she had it down. The grands came that first weekend and they loved her. They gave her the name Reese. She was black and brown like a Reese’s cup.

For several years she was Lilly’s buddy. A year ago, we took in another dog that needed a new home. Biscuit was to be Reese’s friend when Lilly died. Now Lilly and Biscuit will learn to be the two dogs in our home.

I see the commercials wanting us to send money every month to support the ASPCA. We don’t do that. We bring an animal into our lives to love, protect, and cherish. In return, they provide love, protection, and admiration for us. I’ve heard it said that you can tell what kind of a person someone is by how their dog acts when they come home.

Reese was the first of the three at the door to the garage to greet us. She wanted to be on your lap or at your feet. She taught us about the “petting seat.” We had to housebreak her from pup hood, but she taught us so much more. She never met a person she did not want to love. Everyone at the front door was barked at. She went out the door to say hello and wagged her stubby tail to show how happy she was to see you.

Trila Kay was the first dog she noticed on the television. After that, the channel had to be changed when a show had dogs or even other animals on it that she wanted to come through the window and play with her.

She has had it rough for the last few months. All but four of her teeth had to be pulled and no antibiotic stopped the infection that those rotten teeth caused. Remember that even dogs need to have their teeth checked before they cause worse problems.

The last thing I did last night was lay her in her bean bag bed. At some point, she moved to the door to the deck as if she wanted to go outside. That was where Cindy found her when she realized she could not hear her labored breathing. She will be greatly missed.

I’ve been thinking about writing stories about all the animals we have cared for. Each had their own doganality or animality. Reece will be just one chapter of that book and she will not be the last to find herself there. God only knows how much more love He can send to our home.

Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Walk With a Servant

Category: Let’s talk about