Tangents – Page 3 – Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

What Year is it for You?

January 1, 2023

2022 is over. What year is that for you? Did you have your first child? Is that event due later this year? Will you graduate from high school or college? Will this be a significant year that you can look on in the future and say, “I did this in 2023?”

We’ve heard how awful the last two or three years have been. Why? Did you die from Covid-19? I’m guessing you did not, or you would not be reading this. I’ve lost some dear friends in the last three years. Most were not from the pandemic.

What makes a year memorable or forgettable? I don’t remember the year I was born. My mother did. It was one of the hottest in history for my hometown. Let me share some good years with you. This is my point of view. Yours may not be the same.

1960 was the year I started school. Mrs. Jackson was my teacher that year. Alan Shepherd became the first American in space that same year. I began high school in ’68. The first decade I remember the end of was the 1960s. I also passed my first driving test in 1970.

I graduated from high school in 1972. That means my class had our 50^th reunion last spring. High School was a time I remember as being fun and difficult at the same time. I was 14^th in my graduating class. I just heard you say, “So, there were only 15 that graduated that year from your school.” We had over 300 graduates.

I wasn’t the best, but I made it out and into college the following fall. I graduated from there four years later. The best thing about 1976 wasn’t that I finished college. That was also the year I began my marriage. “A good year for you and a bad one for your wife.” I heard that.

1979 was a banner year for us. Our first daughter was born, and we both started new jobs. Cindy’s lasted until after our third daughter came along and we decided it was time she became a stay-at-home mom. Mine lasted 25 years when I decided it was time to make a change.

Each of those years was good because our family was comfortable, and we did not go through significantly rough years. Our three daughters all graduated high school and college and began their families. Which was the best year? Most would say it wasn’t 2009.

That was the year I was laid off from the best job I ever had. Why was it the best? I was doing what I enjoyed with people I liked at a company that treated me well. It was a good year because I began publishing columns while I was unemployed. God used that as a turning point in my life.

My health has taken a plunge in the last few years. My wife and I had Covid-19 in 2020 before it had been identified in the United States. We both survived. Cindy is going through the long haul with it. I have retired and find it easy to stay away from people and stay home with the dogs.

During the shutdown, my wife worked from home, and we helped with some of the grandkids when they could not be in school. We helped our daughter and son-in-law get their two oldest kids to school. Because of that, I can’t say the last three years have been bad for us.

Will this year be better or worse? It depends on how I want it to be. My attitude is what makes the difference. I plan on making it one of my best years ever. It can be one of yours also. Don’t let circumstances rule your life. Make what you do affect what happens this year.

It’s beginning to look a lot like marketing

December 30, 2022

This is a time of year that we often hear the statement that Jesus is the reason for the season. Originally, December 25^th was the date for a celebration of a pagan winter holiday. When the emperor of the Roman Empire converted to Christianity, he allowed the change of holidays to keep the people happy and alter the focus from debauchery to a form of holiness.

Yes, I said a form. Many of our traditions have been taken from other cultures and nations. The evergreen tree, ornaments, lights, the nativity scene, and gift-giving. According to our current culture, gifts began with wise men. Gold, myrrh, and frankincense are what they brought.

Today, the candy, toy, floral, electronics, and clothing industries use this concept of sharing with others to make a profit. They are not the only people who use the holidays to earn money. Christmas and New Year are not the only times of year to sell these products as well as food, alcoholic beverages, and decorations.

After graduating from college with a degree in Religious Education I was looking for a job that would support my wife and I. She began a position in direct marketing with a man from our church. He sold funeral supplies.

Yea, I had not realized that there was a market for clothing, flowers, and sundries for this field of endeavor. He was creating a catalog with new products and a unique line of items he was importing from Europe. They were not easily marketable to his current clientele. He needed photographs and a marketing strategy that was different from what he did at that time.

My experience as a photographer aided me in acquiring the position of marketing director. It lasted as long as it took me to create the new marketing materials and a ten-year plan. While my job ended after six months, my knowledge of marketing that I had gained for the effectiveness of this program has remained.

I wish I had written this commercial.

I have added to it with over forty years of sales and purchasing experience. I know that July is when you must order Christmas products. Spring brings its own marketing strategy for clothing, vacation plans, and outdoor supplies.

Christmas has been expanded to a time to market not just products but the not-for-profit industry. I am talking about what was once called charities. For 19 dollars a month you can help children with medical problems, the homeless, disabled veterans, animals, and countless other organizations that survive on the American market’s pension for helping others.

Be careful how you help these well-deserving people and creatures. If you want to help abused animals, donate to a local shelter. Do not agree to send money to an organization you have not researched or vetted thoroughly. Help a family that you know is struggling. Do it with kindness and anonymity.

Walk the streets and ask the homeless what they need. It is easy to give money. Can you contribute the time to help one person get back on the track they were following? Do not focus on what you think they should do. Help them make the decisions themselves. Start with your family and friends and let the love spread.

Time is more valuable than cash. Give it liberally to anyone who needs some of yours. If I had a dime for every minute I have given away, I would not just be wealthy. I would be able to help those that I am now reaching.

Do not take this the wrong way. I believe that we all should be in the business of serving others. My ministry has been one of doing what I can for the health and wisdom of others. You are now experiencing the latest incarnation of what Jehovah called me to do. Follow this page and see where He takes me in 2023.

Rejecting the Church

November 27, 2022

We have all been rejected. Everyone has had others in their lives that they have not accepted. That means we are all on both sides of this scene. When I was in college as a ministerial student, I had a person that rejected me. Not just as a friend. This was someone who did not like me at all. Fortunately, we were around each other for one summer and have never met again.

When I was growing up, I was raised in a Southern Baptist Church. Our pastor was forced from the church by a group of members. This was not the first time it had happened. Some in the church left. When I was a teenager, it happened again. I was graduating from high school when the third pastor I knew was pushed not just out of the church, but out of the ministry completely. His two sons were friends of my brothers and I.

I stepped away from that church. I was not rejecting Christ. I had a problem with church people. I don’t want to call them Christians because that would be rejecting the Messiah. I did not want to do that. I did not trust any gathering of people. I was certain that something must be wrong with those folks because all those pastors could not be the problem.

I spent about a year running from my faith. I wanted to acknowledge the creator God and His son, Jesus. I did not want to support an organized congregation. I attended a couple of other churches where friends were members. They did not seem any different from the body I had left.

I wanted to know who Jehovah was. I needed to be sure He was real, and that Jesus was His son and the savior that I had accepted as a child. I studied ethics, psychology, and other subjects in college that did not give me any answers. Other students were from different denominations or religions. I continued to pray that I would be shown what the truth was.

My old church called a new pastor, and he was visiting all those that had left the church. He came to my house with a friend who had taken me to another church with him. They invited me to a young adult Bible study that met in the minister’s office before the morning service.

I decided to give that church another chance. I had come to believe that God did in fact exist. That He had come to earth as a baby, grown into a man, and was executed by the Roman government. I was not sure that Baptists were always correct.

I believed that if I was going to believe in Jesus, I needed to trust the Bible all the way. I wanted to read it more critically than I ever had. If it was inconsistent as some claimed, misrepresented our world, or had an incorrect view of humanity I wanted to determine for myself what the truth was.

A short time later I had my mind made up and felt that I was being called to full-time gospel ministry. I changed my life plans, my college and major, and most of what made me who I thought I was.

I finished my degree at a Baptist liberal arts college. I spent the next two years studying the Bible and what ministry was. As graduation day approached, I had to decide if seminary was in my future. I felt that my ministry would not need an advanced degree.

When I graduated, I had a job and pursued a career in business while I waited for direction on how my ministry should proceed. Over the next forty years, I learned that there were other workplace ministers out there and that many employees and managers needed someone to talk to in a non-threatening manner.

I am now retired from business and changing my life work from a hands-on direct contact ministry to an internet writing career. I am not writing to make money, gain fame, or be an influencer. I want to give anyone interested an opportunity to realize that all of us are imperfect and need a savior.

If you have rejected God, Jesus, or the church, I hope that you will give my Lord a second chance. Don’t base your belief on those who follow Him. Read His word and ask Him to show you the truth as I have. Let me know if you need more information.

Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving?

November 26, 2022

I’ve been hearing the term Friendsgiving recently. My assumption is that this is an alternative celebration for those who cannot or do not want to be with family. I have never been unable to join my family for this holiday. My wife and I have always been close to our parents and siblings or later in life, our children, and grandchildren.

Family is within a drivable distance for us. I know this is not true for everyone. After our family gathering, I am considering how difficult it would be to not have your children, parents, and siblings to share holidays with.

I had one Fourth of July when I was over a thousand miles from home and spent the day by myself with church friends and their families. I wish I had been with my family that summer. I had chosen to work with a mission organization earlier that year. I had started at a new college and saw this opportunity was available in the early fall. I had never been away from home for that long.

I feel the concept of sharing a holiday with friends is an excellent idea. One Thanksgiving our family invited our new pastor and his family to join us because they were not returning home for the holiday. We had a great time and I think it made my relationship with their family stronger.

My problem is with the name. Thanksgiving says what the gathering is about. Friendsgiving includes part of that but does not include the term thanks. If the original was family-giving, the new name would fit. Thanksgiving can be used whether you join with family or friends.

My daughters brought friends home with them when they were in college. One Easter we introduced a friend to dyeing eggs. This young man had never experienced that in his family. New experiences are what life is about.

Friendship is often an ignored type of relationship. Friending is a skill that is not usually printed on a resume when you are looking for a job. It is one of the most essential characteristics an employee or business owner can develop. I say develop because you can learn how.

In high school, I learned to be a better writer, to speak in front of crowds, and to improve my skill of being a better friend. Earlier this year our graduating class had our fiftieth-class reunion. We renewed some friendships and made new friends with people that we never really knew in school.

Some of our classmates remembered high school as a time they did not wish to revisit. I am thankful that I did not miss the opportunity. Many of the friends I enjoyed at that time were from younger classes. Those in my class were not popular and many failed to come to any of the events. I would like to encourage you to strengthen your ability to make and keep friends. Push hard to accomplish this. Always be friendly. Attempt to make everyone you see each day smile. That has been one of my goals for many years. I hope you will make it yours.

That is what I am thankful for

November 25, 2022

I just viewed the movie “Up in the air” with George Clooney. If you have never seen this film, I will try to tell you about it without spoiling the ending. The Clooney character works for a company that specializes in helping others downsize their staff.

He travels a great deal and is asked what his goal in life is. His answer is to reach one million miles on his frequent flyer miles. This would make him the seventh to reach that milestone.

I used to travel for my job. For three years I would visit customers every day of the week through southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas. I spent two nights away from home to cover part of my territory once a month. I do not know what it would be like to travel all over the country constantly.

My family grew up knowing that I would be home almost every night. My children have not been traumatized by not having their father involved. This is the first thing I am thankful for this year.

The second is that my wife and I were married before I had to move away after graduating from college. Our relationship survived a ten-week separation shortly after we were engaged. I am thankful that we have been married for forty-six years.

I am grateful that Jesus saved me and called me to be a minister of His gospel. That has included over forty years of serving at Hamlin Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri. My ministry has been leading Bible studies for youth and adults. I am also a member of their Deacon body. My work has also enabled me to be a workplace servant.

Our daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren have also been tremendous blessings. As I watch them grow and mature into decent human beings, I am proud of who they are becoming and have become.

Another thing I want to share is that I am proud to be an American and thankful for those who protect us daily in the armed forces and as first responders. I do not want to become one who says that our country needs to become great again. I also am glad that our laws are such that many of us vote for those that we wish to lead our constitutional government.

Our country may not be perfect. Our lives are not always what we want them to be, but we can make changes and choices. Life can be much worse as we are constantly reminded when we watch the news. Remember, life is as good as you make it and part of that is based on your attitude. Happy Thanksgiving.

America is still great

October 25, 2022

For all of you Nay Sayers, America is still great. The Donald said that he would make America great again. His negativity convinced many of you that the Demicans had caused our country not to be great. As usual, he lied.

The President and the Congress cannot change what makes the USA great. Our people and Constitution make us different from other nations. Trump wanted to make America his. That is why he wanted to overthrow the legally elected president. He is a spoiled baby. Wake up Trumpicans or all the Demicans will win in November.

When the original thirteen colonies joined together to revolt against the British, they did not want only the freedoms that Great Britain gave their subjects. The rights that were denied by the English were the ones the Colonists wanted. They risked their lives to move to this continent to distance themselves and their families from tyranny.

They pledged their fortunes and lives to gain what they wanted. You may call yourself an American. What have you given to making this country great? If you were in the military, your service is not ended. If like me, you did not join any of the military branches, what can our job be?

First, lose the negative attitude and speech. Stop talking bad about our government. I recognize that many of our administrators, lawmakers, and judges are just professional bureaucrats. They only want to be re-elected or support the one who will keep them in their jobs.

There are some who are trying their best for the rest of us. Many are self-serving or like us, they work for a living and have no ambition beyond making more money. We need to use the means that we as citizens have to unseat these ineffective ‘servants of the people.’

Our government is “of the people, by the people and for the people” according to President Lincoln in his address at Gettysburg. “We the people” are the ones who vote. We can and should remove these Nay Sayers and anarchists from the paid employees’ ranks.

An anarchist is a person who actively attempts to overthrow an established rule in exchange for a lack of control. Many Trump supporters failed to think it through in January of 2021. Stopping the process of accepting the results of the 2020 election would not have kept the defeated incumbent in office. His staff knew this and tried to get him to understand what he was trying to do to our nation.

When you go to the polls in November, remember what these Trumpites wanted to accomplish. Remove them from every office and replace them with Americans. Not Republicans or Democrats. I’ll be there. I hope you will be as well.

Do you have FOMO?

October 24, 2022

I did not know what FOMO was either. It is the acronym for fear of missing out. I have heard of hydrophobia, acrophobia, and other fears over the years. This is a new one for me. It is like the bucket list and other thoughts shared by celebrities and others who have more money and time, than brains.

I have gotten past the age where I was supposed to buy the sports car, divorce my wife, and marry the trophy wife. I get the idea that some men want something other than what they have. I am sure this concept is not limited to men. Women also have a problem with the greener grass in other pastures.

I want to be like the Apostle Paul. “I am always content in all circumstances.” Philippians 4:12 This is the official Chuck version and is a short segment. Contentment is being satisfied with what you have. Most of us want more. Some of us will never have enough.

After college, my first three jobs lasted around six months. I left the first because of problems with management. The second was better. Not really what I wanted to do. I wanted Monday through Friday from eight to five. An office job sounded better than what I had so far.

My next position was as marketing director for a small privately owned company. They were expanding their product lines and moving into a new industry. I shot some photos for a new catalog, and they offered me a full-time job.

I accepted it and spent the next six months developing the new advertising materials for the next two years. We even made a ten-year plan. The day I delivered the proofs to the printer was when I was laid off. I never learned how our plans worked out.

My next opportunity was as a retail salesman. In a few weeks, I was promoted to management. Then to the wholesale company that owned the stores. They gave me a chance as an assistant manager. Shortly after that, the purchasing agent resigned, and my two previous bosses recommended me for that position.

I agreed to take it and liked it so well that I left them for another company that needed a PA. This gave me another chance to move up. I stayed with that firm for twenty-five years. I was PA, office manager, salesman, customer service representative, and operations manager. I left there and returned to purchasing.

I retired as a purchasing manager for a manufacturer. I never pushed for a position or pay increase. When I went to a new position, I always expected more money for taking on additional responsibilities. Money has not been a motivating factor for me.

I have been asked why I do not charge for my writing. To this point, I have not added any premium material and charged a fee for those items. This will be changing soon. I have books that I have written and others I am in the process of finishing. I am creating videos and study materials that are costing me to produce. If I accept payment for what I produce, I will be able to afford to be more creative.

I have learned much in my business life as a purchasing agent, salesman, and management. One thing that I am certain of is you get a better product when you pay than when it is free. Another truth I have found is that if something costs you nothing you see little or no value in it. Unfortunately, I have also been overcharged for services and products.

When you subscribe to the premium material, the sooner you sign up, the less you will pay. It will take me some time to load everything that I have already produced. Some of it will be finished at the time of publishing. Other stories will be growing as I work on them, and you will be watching that creative process. I will continue to offer materials for no charge. Keep checking this site as I try to offer what you enjoy.

Reason or Excuse

October 8, 2022

As I have said before, I am a word guy. A reason is the cause, explanation, or justification for an effect, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. The word justification can be a synonym for an excuse. By that dictionary, a reason and an excuse can be the same thing.

The Britannica dictionary states that it is a statement of fact that explains why something is the way it is. Fuel prices have increased substantially in the last year. When we are told that it is the war between Russia and Ukraine or the fact that some of the refineries reduced production due to the pandemic or because of the higher cost of crude oil these are excuses.

The reason why prices increase is the old problem of supply and demand. In this case, the supply is controlled by the oil companies. Demand was reduced when we all stayed home. It increased because we wanted to go on trips and vacations after being stuck in our homes for months.

The reason we are seeing a small drop is that the suppliers want us to continue to vote for their candidates in November. Remember when you go to the polls that usually the oil companies contribute to both the Republican and Democratic parties and candidates.

If you want someone, not in their pockets, look for non-partisan, independent, or third-party candidates. Be sure to check their contribution records before the election. Failing to support people who have not sold their soles to the oil companies will get us nowhere again this year.

Do not believe those who criticize the other candidate because they claim they have sold out. They are all bought and sold by many different groups. It takes a lot of money to buy the advertising and make trips to encourage voters.

Missouri has a senator that is not up for re-election this term. He had run for another position and was elected. One of his promises was that he was not a professional politician like some of his opponents. A few months later he filed to run for the Senate position he now holds.

I voted for him the first time. I did not vote for him as a Senator. I will never vote for him again for anything. He is a professional candidate and will someday run for President. We need to put a stop to the long-term Congressmen and Senators.

We need term limits of eight years for Congress and two terms for the Senate. This is what the US President is limited to. Republicans pushed this through with the democrats’ help after President Franklin Roosevelt died in office after his fourth inauguration.

There is a reason why we need to do this. We must cut the pensions and health coverage off for all former elected officials. It is almost impossible to unseat an incumbent. The excuse for not doing it is different for each office holder. Some claim their experience is invaluable. Others report that no one else will support these bills and that is why they are never proposed.

A third excuse is that the states must propose a new amendment to the US Constitution. This is the only way to put term limits into place. Our country has been taken hostage by two political parties.

The excuse for voting for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was that they were the nominees for the two major parties. The reason Trump won was that those who are not Republicrats or Demicans thought he might be better than Mrs. Clinton. Two years ago, the voters decided they had all The Donald that they wanted. That is why Biden won the election.

My hope is that we will refuse to vote for those who have been part of our problems. Once again, I am calling for those of you who are not Demicans or Republicrats to vote for other candidates. It has been over a hundred years since we had a new party upset an established one.

The Republicans are the youngest of these two. It is time to unseat both groups. Join me at the polls on November fifth and let’s make America and Missouri great again.

What I won’t die from

September 26, 2022

Embarrassment, inactivity, and boredom are three things that occur to my mind immediately. Those who know me well recognize that I am not easily embarrassed. Nothing I do will cause my demise due to others’ awareness that I did that. I may turn red on my face. I will not get hot enough to burst into flames. Yes, I am aware of spontaneous combustion.

The Bible gives a lot of warnings about sloth. Not the jungle animals. Sloth is another word for laziness. You can waste your entire life by not doing anything. I know many will not agree with these comments. I believe the following are wastes of time. Watching television, playing video games, and checking your cell phone for Facebook messages.

I put watching television first because that is my downfall. I used to play video games but could only play for 20 seconds before losing all my lives. My cell phone is used for three things. To make and receive calls. To read books. For my wife to keep track of where I am if I should start having trouble finding my way home. That last one was added a few years ago.

I may be boring at times. I hope I have never bored anyone to death. I hope that should it happen; I could do as the apostle Paul did when a young man fell asleep in one of his sermons. The problem was the man was sitting in a window and fell out and died. Fortunately for both the participants, Paul brought him back to life. I don’t think that is my gifting.

Remember the three things I use my phone for? The books I have downloaded on it have saved me from feeling my time is wasted. However, I do not use it to read when I am out to eat with someone. I also do not use it at home when others are around.

I believe reading when I have someone to talk to is not taking advantage of social situations. Those of you who know me may have commented that I will speak to a brick wall. That is not true. However, many people in lines and waiting rooms have learned not to start talking to me. I put my phone away for them.

Things that I may die from are too many political ads on radio, television, and now on the internet. Poorly prepared food at what used to be good restaurants. My own cooking. Natural causes are what I am hoping for. The bad driving habits of some of you. Especially those of you who think yellow and red look the same at traffic lights. I’ll give you a hint. Follow their example when people in the lanes next to you are slowing down.

Life is too short already. I do not need you to shorten it for those of us who do not have our heads up our rears. Two more things I just thought of that I won’t die from. Smoking and drinking. I might be taken out by secondhand smoke or drink, but not the direct effects.

Vote!

September 24, 2022

November 5, 2022, is election day. We are not interested in the party line. We want a decent human beings that will vote the way we think they should.

Personally, I do not want anyone who still believes that Donald Trump was a good choice for this country. He is still only interested in himself. I will not vote for anyone that believes his endorsement is a positive attribute for them.

I also do not want anyone who thinks that talking badly about their opponents or candidates from another group is a wise thing to do. These two perspectives reduce my options a lot. I also need to know what you mean. Acronyms and abbreviations used by your ads leave me confused.

I do not know the political language and do not care about who supports you. Everyone that may believe you are a good choice means nothing to me. What conservative, liberal, outsider, CRT, woke, or any of your other bywords mean, varies with the person who uses them.

If you want me to vote for you or your candidate, I need specifics about what you or they have done and will do if voted into office. How do you stand on the reversal of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision? I know you all have recognized that our economy is in trouble. Don’t blame someone else for that.

Your solution to this problem is what I need to hear. You cannot lower gas prices. Do not tell me that you will solve this problem. Washington is not the trouble. The people in Congress, the Senate, or other elected offices may or may not be doing their jobs correctly. My opinion and yours may be different.

Tell me what your plan is. How will you vote? I need to know that you will work with anyone else that you must. I was in business for over forty years. I had to change my approach depending on who I worked with. I want you to keep your position working to solve problems. Shutting down the government is never an acceptable result.

We want you to work for us and with each other. We will vote. When you lie to us, you will never get our vote again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Walk With a Servant

Category: Tangents