No, I do not want to stop Christmas from being celebrated on the twenty-fifth of December. I want to discontinue Christmas in October, November, and especially in July. Any month except December. Christmas is not what it should be. The name means a celebration of Christ.
What we call Christmas is an advertising gimmick. Companies want to hook you into their products, movies, or TV shows. I know many people find Christmas as enticing as pumpkin spice everything. Personally, I like pumpkin pie, but all these other concoctions that seem to be everywhere around the holidays seem to me to be just stupid marketing ploys.
Christmas was designed by the Catholic Church to replace a festival held in December. The trees and some of the other traditions that we have today were part of the original feast. What has created this monster that covers almost the entire year is the legend of Saint Nicholas and his desire to give gifts to local children.
Gifts are one reason that the Christmas season has been extended. Another is that many seem to enjoy decorating. Does it seem to you that some go overboard in decorating? I have also noticed this same desire to decorate for other holidays.
Halloween is over, and there are many who may not be into Christmas but enjoy decorating. If Halloween is their thing, that is why they go all out for this holiday. The thing I noticed in previous years is that many of these decorations are adapted to the upcoming Christmas season. I understand why they make these conversions.
The worst offenders are the TV networks that inundate me with Christmas year-round because some folks want to watch Yule tidings all year. This article is to advise these stations or networks that they are wasting their advertising money, telling me about these out-of-season premieres.
They probably don’t care any more than the networks that air football and other sports all weekend and two or three nights a week. I do not watch sports at all. I am sure I am not the only one.
It is not that I want everything my way. I would just prefer that those who have the power to force their opinions on us would slacken it off a little. Let’s not cancel Christmas; let us simply concentrate on the birth of our Lord and Savior.
In 1971 I was the Feature Editor for the Hilcrest Herald my high school newspaper. Something I tried was writing stories about historical facts about each holiday. Some were published on page three with other features. Others were editorials and published on page two and one or two made it to the front page.
I do not remember where the one with this title appeared before Halloween. This column is not an exact duplication of it because over the years my files of these published stories have been lost. As any good author is always willing to do, this is a rewrite from my original idea.
All Hallows Eve is a pagan festival that celebrated the dead and the spirit world. Part of that celebration was to dress as the dead and walk around in public on the 31st of October. There were other times when it was part of the feasts for children to go door to door pulling pranks as the spirits were believed to do. Residents would set out treats to discourage the spirits and the children would accept these for payment.
This was how trick or treating began. Decorations representing the spirit world would be hung from trees and placed on buildings. They also posted many items that were thought to serve as talisman or good luck charms to keep evil away. What we call Halloween was a celebration of the spirit world of the pagans.
That is what I remember from my original article. Today, I will elaborate on things I have learned in the last fifty-plus years. Many Christians have opposed the celebration of this holiday for over three decades. Fall or holiday festivals are rampant at churches.
Trunk or treat celebrations are also popular now. The interesting modern developments to me are the number of businesses and not for profits that provide treats for children and how many young adults dress up and have parties. While some Christians want to tone down the spookiness others are spooking it up.
Remember to stay safe tonight when you are out with your children or grandchildren. Have parties without alcohol or drugs and stay off the roads if you have imbibed. We don’t need any tragedies while families are having fun.
We just watched another Christmas rom-com in which a couple who start out disagreeing about everything decide they are in love in thirty days or less. This is not reality, or is it? Some believe in love at first sight. There is also the concept of “falling in love.”
Cindy and I began dating in October. By the time I left in June of the next year, we were engaged. That was fifty years ago. Was it love at first sight? No. I realized I loved her after a few weeks and asked her to marry me because I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.
I asked her out because I liked her. I guess you could say it was like at first sight. The more I got to know her, the more I enjoyed being with her. I decided to love her because I could not imagine my life without her in it. That took longer than thirty days. Not much more, that may be true.
We did not start fighting or disliking each other. We have our squabbles and disagreements from time to time. I learned this from living in a family where love was exhibited every day. Mom and Dad also had disagreements. I remember Mom throwing dishes at my father once.
Romantic comedies, either in movies, TV, or books, must include certain elements of storytelling. Real life may be your story, but it does not have the plot points and character traits that we include in fiction. Life is life, and fiction is fiction. Romance is not necessarily what an author or script writer thinks that it is.
Love is what a couple desires it to be between themselves. What you consider romantic or loving in your relationships may be different from what others would call these descriptors. Dr. Gary Chapman defined five love languages in his books. These methods of communicating love are not accepted by everyone.
Some show love by words of affirmation, receiving gifts, quality time, acts of service, or physical touch. There have been jokes made about what a love language is. Portuguese is not a love language mentioned by Dr. Chapman.
You and your spouse may have a different story from ours. If you believe that you “fell in love” at “first sight,” I would like to hear your story. Comment below to share it with me. If you do not wish to share it with my readers, include that in your comment, and I will not release it to anyone else.
I’ve talked about misleading television ads. It is assumed that stations and networks will not air ads that are not in compliance with FCC regulations. From time to time, companies are found guilty of crimes by government organizations. The FTC, FCC, or others may file suits against these businesses.
I am not referring to any groups that are anything but legitimate. Do our governments allow legal theft of our money? Yes, they do. They promise things that they cannot deliver, and you are still legal. Especially for the gambling industry. You may win some money, and that makes it legal for them to say this.
My Microsoft Word grammar check wants me to change “win” to “earn.” Does Microsoft own stock in gaming companies? This brings out another reason why I believe our culture has decided that gambling is another of those past vices that should be viewed as reputable.
Missouri made it legal for companies to establish sports betting in our state. We already have bingo, the lottery, and casinos on boats on our waterways. Now you will be able to sit at home or anywhere and make wagers for sporting events on your computers, tablets, or other devices. Of course, the spots have warnings that some find gambling difficult to stop.
I’m sure that will be as effective as the warnings against tobacco and nicotine usage, alcohol and drug abuse, and other activities that we once thought civilized society should restrict. Some areas have legalized prostitution, and often these are notorious gambling zones. Why do you think Las Vegas, Nevada, is called Sin City?
Another name for this wagering capital is Lost Wages, Nevada. In 1969, my New York Mets took their first World Series title. I was not old enough to go to Vegas and place a bet. I’m sure a twenty-dollar wager placed before the season started would have netted thousands for me. I had predicted this win for over five years.
While some chances may pay off, we need to think intelligently about the chances we take. I am constantly amazed by how many folks I know who expect to invest money in lottery tickets, bingo, or casinos and gain a fortune for future needs. Now in Missouri, you can add sports gambling to the list.
Anyone who thinks about it knows that the companies that make their money from any kind of wagers will not allow themselves to pay out more than they bring in. That means that most gamblers may win some but will ultimately lose what they win if they continue to wager.
Random games of chance are the worst offenders. Sports gaming may seem a more certain chance, yet the winner is never truly known until the end of the game, or match. There is no sure thing. Please do not be one of those that fall into this trap. Gambling is a legalized means of stealing your money.
Everywhere I look everything seems to be adding a plus. Me-TV+, Hallmark+, and savings plus are just a few of them. This is supposed to show you that something has been added that was not there before. It is better than what has previously been available.
Our society is always wanting the next big thing. New, better, best is what we are always craving. Faster, easier, and quicker are all things that we look for. It occurs to me that what we really need is what we once had. My 1966 Chevy was the best car I ever drove.
Why? It wasn’t just what it had; it was what it did not have. It did not have all the gizmos and gadgets that we need today. All it had was power and the ability to take me where I needed to go fast. It was also the first car I drove that had seat belts. That was the epitome’ of safety for the time.
Maybe what we need most is not more but less. Take away what is not good for us and continue to be what we knew was good. Missouri passed a law that allows sports gambling. We also approved abortion and labor changes that our state officials want to overturn. They think we need more of what they want and less of what we want.
Walk back with me to the things that our grandparents believed in. Mine knew there was a God and that Jesus was His son and that the Holy Spirit could take up residence in our lives. About fifty years ago, I decided to accept that this was true. I’ve lived my life the way the spirit has instructed me as well as I have been able to.
I have had setbacks, but most of my life has been better than I ever imagined. I am not one of those that goes overboard and eliminates modern conveniences from my life. My wife and I have smart phones that link to our car that we drive so that we do not violate current Missouri law.
I like our two air-fryers, microwave oven, and laptop computers. Our house also has a fireplace, skylight, and a landline. We have security on our Wi-Fi, phones, computers, and tablets to prevent hacking. There are so many new things that we do not have. We do not have the systems that we can just talk to and play music or make phone calls.
I enjoy my smart phone because it allows me to read a book anytime I have a few minutes to spare. I also have an audiobook app that I use to increase my ability to read more. Reading is one thing that I do not want less of. Adding people to your life is a plus. Adding things is a minus.
When was the last time you added a new friend? I like to talk to people. Some people don’t do that as easily as I do. Take a chance and talk to someone new. You may find out that you are the kind of person who people want to talk to.
“I’m impatient with stupidity. My people have learned to live without it.” “I’m afraid my people haven’t. I am very sorry. I wish it were otherwise.” This is a conversation from the movie “The Day the Earth Stood Still” released in 1951.
These lines were given by Klaatu, the visitor from outer space, and a representative of the U.S. President who was trying to determine the reason for his arrival on Earth. An otherworldly organization wants to warn all earthlings of their emanate destruction.
The producers of this movie were trying to demonstrate some points about our society at the time. This quotation is indicative of what many thought of the Cold War at that time. If you have not seen this version of this classic, find it on any of the streaming services and view it.
I know you may not remember this movie because it came out before we were born. A few of you may have seen it in the theaters in the early fifties. Most of us only know of it from DVDs, videos, or even VHS tapes.
My first recollection of it was in the early 60s, on NBC Movie of the Week aired on Saturday nights. Mom and Dad were out that night, and my brothers and I watched it after our oldest brother put our younger sister to bed. It began at 8:00 pm at her bedtime.
Another interesting clip from this movie has the visitor from space, who is calling himself Carpenter, being interviewed by a radio reporter. The newscaster asks him, “I suppose you’re just as scared as the rest of us?” “In a different way, perhaps. I am fearful when I see people substituting fear for reason.”
It is here that the reporter decides to move on to someone else. Start a conversation that others do not wish to have, and they always walk or run away. It is a human reaction. We are either afraid to learn new things or worried that we are being talked down to.
How do you feel when a friend tries to point out a flaw in your personality or actions? My reaction is usually a defensive strike or fleeing. We always want to be correct and often refuse to hear that we are not. Especially if you are a politician.
The story of this film is about the lives of humans, and especially Americans. We react with violence at the least provocation, and it is shown on the news every day, even today. Society is not better than it was in the 1950s. We have more toys and time to waste on them, but no more patience and understanding for each other.
The newest version of this film alters the story to make it work with the 2008 view of what it might mean if Earth reaches a technological ability that would endanger other lives in our universe. I hope you realize that this is fiction.
The real worry for all of us is each other. You never know who might be out to destroy you. Keep reading my columns, and I will explain more about how to protect yourself in this dangerous world full of stupidity.
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus tells His disciples to go into all the world and make disciples and teach those converts everything they have been taught by Him. Someone led you to Jesus. It may have been your parents, grandparents, pastor, friends, or others. A pastor friend of mine accepted Christ after watching a Billy Graham sermon on TV.
After this salvation experience, he was discipled by friends and family. When I met him, we were both in college as ministerial students. Others encouraged both of us to accept our calls to the ministry. After graduation, we went our separate ways. I cannot remember his name, but I know he has discipled many others as I have.
Consider your story. Identify the important people who have led your walk. My father was a licensed minister before I was born. We were raised in church and encouraged to accept Christ at an early age. My brothers and I remained at our home church after our parents and sisters began going to another.
This body was instrumental in my accepting my call to full-time gospel ministry. Sunday School teachers, pastors, friends, and family all discipled me for the next ten years until I graduated from college.
I worked with the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board as a summer missionary while still in college and learned a great deal from that experience and the people I worked with for ten weeks. I have used many of the things I picked up that summer throughout my life.
The point I want to make in this column is that we all need help learning how to follow our Lord. Your job as a believer is to assist your brothers and sisters in Christ. Others are there for you. That is the idea of service that Jesus taught His disciples.
We all should think of the folks that we are familiar with and how we can guide them into a deeper relationship with our savior. Prayer, Bible study, and fellowship are all methods that can be utilized.
Jesus said, “As you go, make disciples, teaching them everything you know, immersing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Educate them in what Holy Spirit teaches you. I hope this column is a small help to you as you grow.
On November 23rd, 2014, President Barach Obama stated that voters will want a Presidential candidate in 2016 that has “a new car smell”. This leads many of those in Springfield, Missouri to comment on the current “odor” in the White House. Being a staunch Republican part of the state, Ozarkers usually have little positive to say about any Democrat.
Looking from a Christian perspective, how should this comment be viewed from a non-partisan point of view? When you purchase a brand-new car, you expect not to notice the stench of previous owners. Can this concept be translated into the political arena?
The only way a car has that “new car smell”, is if it has never been owned before. Those who always buy pre-owned vehicles are not familiar with this fragrance. Neither are voters. No presidential candidate in the recent past has not had the contamination of a previous owner.
The “one owner” vehicle still does not have the same aura as the “no owner.” What the voter wants is a candidate for governor, congress, senate or president that has not been “purchased” before. The stench of another who has control of them should not be there.
Used car dealers have many methods to try to fake the “new car smell”. Anyone who believes that people who have been in politics previously can be brought back to a pre-politics state is either gullible or deceiving themselves. An honest politician can be as useful as a pre-owned vehicle. Or it can be a lemon.
They may both have high miles. If well maintained, taken care of properly, and allowed to work the way they are meant to, they can do and be better than they were before. The problem remains that those who are committed to being our representatives must put our country or state above their political jobs.
For the most part, I did anything I was asked to do for every company I worked for. I wanted to move ahead. I needed to earn as much as I could for my family. There were jobs that I left because the promises that were made were not followed through on.
At another job, I stood up for myself, and they fired me and reported that I had tried to get fired. I was able to refute this with the unemployment people. It surprised me that I had trouble finding a new job after this until I followed advice and dropped them from my resume’. The next position I applied for, I was offered and accepted. I had to cut all ties with that organization and refuse to acknowledge I was ever associated with them.
I understand why Republicrats and Demicans do not want to rock the boat. I believe 2026 is the year to replace the stench that is in our government. This smell gets worse every time our President or anyone else tries to violate our Constitution, force his or her opinion upon our laws, take credit for what others have done, or use their positions to attack those that disagree with him.
State legislatures changing congressional lines to strengthen their parties make me decide never to vote for another member of a political party. What about you? From the time I first registered to vote I have been non-partisan. A Republicrat in Greene County Missouri tried to force this eighteen-year-old to declare as one of two parties. That is still against Federal law.
George Washington and others opposed political parties. The Federalists under Thomas Jefferson changed that and now we can’t get our elected officials to do the jobs we pay them for because political bosses threaten them.
In 2026 I am asking everyone who agrees with me to revolt against the party system in our government. We need state assembly and senate personnel who will change our laws to no longer force us to choose on a party basis to vote. In Missouri a non-Partisan ballot in our primary election has no candidates.
You can change this. When your state allows you to register to run for an office you think you are qualified for, declare that you are not a part of any party. There are elected officials in Greene County that were Republicans or Democrats when elected. If they want my vote in 2026 they should be on my non-Partisan ballot in the primary election. This goes for state and national offices as well.
There is only one way to keep America great and that is by dumping all party affiliations. They will not go quietly. Some have jumped from one group to another to use the party power to get what they want. They lie, cheat, steal, and kill to eliminate the competition.
That is why our federal government is shut down today because these infants don’t want to work together. Our republican democracy will not survive if we allow this fighting go on any longer. Join me in this revolt. Run as a non-partisan candidate. Vote for non-Partisan candidates only. Let’s get back that new candidate smell.
I’ve been a writer for over sixty years. I do not remember ever having writer’s block. I developed a habit in grade school of writing what I wanted when I wanted to. Most of my teachers were just happy that I never asked what to write about. It was usually “write about something that happened to you or something that you are interested in.”
In junior high my teachers were more demanding. I had to write fiction or non-fiction, essays, or reports. Often, I would start more than one paper. If they wanted a particular piece but gave no restriction on the topic, I might write two or three different items. The day before it was due I had to choose which would be submitted.
More than one educator would suggest that we submit an additional paper for extra credit. I was always prepared for that. The fun thing about doing this was that often when a new assignment was given, I had at least one written that could be used.
In high school it became more difficult. Each paper had the maximum and minimum number of words required. Topics were more difficult to choose because the requirements were more restrictive. When I began taking journalism I continued to write multiples of each assignment.
News stories, editorials, features, and even sports articles seemed to come easily. My feature articles were the ones that were accepted most often. News items were not as well accepted. Sports was definitely not my bailiwick. When the staff for the paper senior year was announced, I was the page three feature editor.
Page one was the editor, page two the associate editor and of course page four was sports. Two photographers were chosen as well. Other jobs like yearbook staff were also filled. Our sponsor told us she made the decisions based on our strengths.
Senior year I wrote pieces that appeared on each page including page four. When we selected a theme for the feature page for each week everyone in all the classes were asked to write columns for each issue. Our teacher selected articles from the ones I gave to her. I submitted only one of mine to insert for each edition. We did not submit copy with bylines to prevent preferential treatment.
Each issue featured a bylined piece of mine on at least one page. Photographs from my camera also appeared in the paper and the yearbook. I had editorials that were requested on certain topics for specific issues. These were published with no acknowledgement of authorship.
My skills included interviews which were a mainstay of page three. If no one in the classes volunteered for these stories, they were handed to the feature editor. I spent a lot of time interviewing the principal and most of the staff. Today my favorite joke is to tell people that I was in the principal’s office at least three times a week. I just don’t tell them why I was there.
In my files I have close to a hundred ideas or partial columns. I have been gathering these for over ten years. Each piece I publish may be written completely within the last few days. Others are finished after they have sat in the files for as much as three years or more.
I hope that this has helped you with ways to avoid the dreaded writer’s block syndrome. I always tell young authors that the only way to learn how to write is to write. It always works for me. Tell me if I publish something that you think should have stayed in the file a while longer and gotten more polish.
Someone’s name comes to my mind, and I talk to Jesus about them. It may be a friend or even someone like the President. I speak to my Lord about what this person needs. I do not ask about their desires. He may not tell me what the need is. Other times He gives me ideas of things they have said that triggers my thoughts
Since I am talking to the creator of the universe, I ask Him to give this to them or do it for them. This is what prayer is: communication with Holy Spirit. If you are not a believer and He is not your Lord, the only words He will receive from you are a request for forgiveness.
This does not appear to be much on my part. But I do something, I pray. If you are not someone who talks to God or Jesus frequently, it may sound strange. For those of you who know Him like I do, it is familiar.
When I see a person standing by the side of the road with a sign, I ask Him to give them what they need. I do not ask Him to give them money. They want money. This may be what they do for a living. Many of these are professional panhandlers. I’ve spoken of them before.
They need a desire to change the way they make their money. They need to do something constructive with their lives. And that isn’t to teach others how to beg. Many professional fundraisers do this for a living. They receive a portion of what they take in for charities as their pay.
In college, I worked for some of these people. One time I sold tickets by phone for a circus. We told the patrons that it was to help underprivileged children attend the event. I did very well at that. I stopped when I discovered that less than five percent of what they donated was used for these tickets.
When I say to do something for someone else, I want you to do it for them. If your motivation is merely for yourself, it isn’t for them, is it? We all do things for ourselves. I am talking about not thinking about what it will do for you.
There are always things that you can do to benefit another that do little or nothing for you. Pick up the check at lunch. I have family and friends who do this for us. It is appreciated. We return the favor or instigate the act. I often purchased meals for customers when I was in sales. You know what they say, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.”
For me this was not true. My lunch was free as well. The company paid me to do this for them. They bought my meal. I did give up my lunch hour off the clock to enjoy a meal with them. When I was in purchasing, I accepted the pleasure of dining with my vendors. I used the time to get to know them better.
This was part of what I refer to as my ministry. I was a workplace minister for over forty years. If you do not know what this is, I will explain it. God called me to the gospel ministry as He does every born-again believer. He did not want me to be a pastor or evangelist, as some are called.
My service was to those that I encountered in the work-a-day world. I talked to coworkers, others I met during the workday, and even people I encountered off the clock and on weekends. I still do that. I am doing that now by writing these columns for you.
I am asking you to do the same. Do something for someone else. It can be family, friends, or people you don’t even know. When you are eating out, does the desire to overtip hit you? Do it. Have you heard of servers getting $100 tips? Sometimes they don’t know it until they take it off the table. Do something. Even if it is just $20 or talking to God about them.
Charles (Chuck) Kensinger 