Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Not so favorite Christmas songs

December 18, 2024

I often think about things that I am not fond of. At this time of the year, we hear a lot of Christmas music. Some are carols. Others are spiritual. Many are just fun like one of my mom’s favorites, “Granma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” Then there are those that I question why someone even bothers to record them.

“Little Drummer Boy” tops this list. I do not find it to be Biblical. There is no young boy mentioned in the gospels as being at the manger. There are also those other songs and videos that have the animals discussing the baby being a savior. Do animals need a king? They already have lions.

We do not know how many men came from the East to find the newly born king of the Jews. A star had appeared in the night sky that indicated a new king was born in Judah. We know they were astrologers because of this. “We Three Kings” assumes that there were only three of them because they brought three gifts. Matthew tells us they traveled a long distance. He does not call them kings or tell us how many there were.

Ask anyone who has studied ancient customs in the desert areas, and they will tell you that only three people would be a dangerous caravan group. For this type of trip wives were probably included. There would also be servants to take care of these advisors to the king of their country. They would have been sent by their boss. At some point they lost the direction of the star and ended in Jerusalem.

“Go tell it on the Mountain” is another one that I have disliked by numerous artists. This is usually because of the arrangement. I have heard a few that had an entirely different melody and harmony that I enjoy. I am not a long hair music or opera fan. I’m not sure if this is the class this one falls into, but the original tune gives me that old fashioned feeling.

I am not a country music fan by the nature of the genre. This may be part of why some songs strike a bad chord in me. I grew up with the twangy, throat strangling, yodeling style of some of the earliest country artists. KTTS radio in Springfield, that’s Missouri not Ohio, played this for years. Bill Ring, Barefoot Bob and others were the D.J.s. It was my dad’s favorite station, and I walked out of the room when I heard it was playing.

There are good country singers. I posted Dolly’s version of “Mary Did You Know” in that column recently. The afore mentioned “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” is country in origin. I even like Kenny Rogers. Most of the time. But he was a pop artist when he started with “The First Edition.”

“Do You Hear What I Hear?” is another song with questionable lyrics. A lamb tells a shepherd boy. The little boy that tells a king. Then the monarch proclaims it to the public, each in turn. The topic of the conversation is a baby that is born. He is described as shivering in the cold.

Then the pitch for the non-profit organizations. Bring him silver and gold. Who wrote this? A Madison Avenue advertising copy writer? Give me a break. Yes, McDonalds, you do not have a trademark on that line.

Then there are Christmas titles and phrases that I find offensive. “Deck the Halls” is one. I enjoy the song. I have known the Hall family for years. Even though I don’t always agree with David, I would not knock him out. We used to hang the Greens before Christmas at our church. I never understood why that family did not boycott the celebration.

What about “The Twelve Days of Christmas?” Originally it was a political commentary. It has now been lengthened to the six months of Christmas. TV channels and marketers begin with July and stretch it to boxing day with the British. We Americans just switch to New Years so we can keep getting drunk.

Pop music brings up a long list of not Biblical and sometimes not so great Christmas songs. “Santa, Baby” is one. Some Santa Claus songs are cute. This one is almost obscene. Justin Bieber’s “Under the Mistletoe” is one I would like to say that I do not like. However, I understand the desire to be with someone special. I’ve enjoyed that for fifty years.

We are talking about my personal preferences here. You might enjoy the songs I do not. If so, that is your choice. I don’t want anyone to say that I am trying to ban anything. I can always turn them off.

A Positronic Christmas

December 16, 2024

For almost five years I was with Positronic Industries. Starting as a buyer, before the first anniversary a promotion to purchasing supervisor came through. One of my favorite things about that job was the feeling of the company being a family. Not all the employees felt that way, though.

One of my favorite things was the annual Christmas party. A Hawaiian luau, a western theme, and Silver Dollar City were some of the themes and venues that we were invited to with one special person in our lives. Many of my friends from that time are no longer there.

The reason that I enjoyed working for them was the people that I worked with and for. I would have liked to have retired from that position, but the crash of 2008 meant that many of us were laid off during 2009 and following. I have learned much from that experience.

One thing is not to take anything for granted. I continued my career with two other companies after that time. I retired as a purchasing manager. My ministry continued with each of these companies. Now I hope I can share some other things I’ve learned over my fifty years in business.

Managers and supervisors often believe that their job is to tell those that report to them what they need to do. A better way is to work with the team that you lead and utilize everyone’s talents and expertise to be better at what you are tasked to do. My experience has been that ideas and concepts flow from each employee in varied ways.

I worked for one boss that seemed to be constantly in fear that others would be deemed more suitable for their position. Instead of openly utilizing each person and their abilities, they dismissed valid ideas and changes in procedures. After a few weeks these same concepts were introduced as the manager’s brainchild. By this technic, they claimed these as their own.

I’ve seen this method utilized in church and community situations as well. I believe a lack of self-esteem is at the heart of this behavior. Refusing to give credit where it is due causes some to stop sharing their thoughts. Why contribute when someone else accepts the rewards?

Criticism for the sake of attacking others is one more common occurrence. I’ve seen this from employees to management and in the converse. If we do not feel that we are respected and appreciated, we may attack someone that we see as a threat to us. This does not promote a unified front.

Have you been on the receiving end of this type of abuse? Recognizing why it is taking place can contribute to eliminating this problem. It does not usually help to accuse the offender of this practice. I have left positions on more than one occasion when the owner or manager displayed objectional behaviors or a lack of confidence in me.

I’ve mentioned many negatives and would like to leave you with the qualities of the three best bosses I have had in my life. The owner at Dog ‘N Suds, my first job, recognized the value of each of his employees. If someone had difficulties with certain tasks, they were aided in those areas. He also recognized those who simply did not try to learn, and they were allowed to find other employment.

Tom saw something in me during our interview that made him offer me a sales position in an industry that I had no experience with. After a few months, he promoted me to a store manager, recommended me for a job under another manager, and for my first purchasing position. He saw what I could be and supported my growth.

I accepted another job for a man that I openly told his boss that I would be working to move into his role. I was honest and thought later that my words were ill chosen. I have always looked for improvement in myself and others. When I join a company or organization, I endeavor to work in any capacity that I can.

I enjoy a challenge and rarely shirk added responsibilities. Gary recognized this and trained me to take his place when he had an opportunity to advance. My retiring from the workforce as a purchasing manager was a direct result of his tutelage.

Hard work, dedication to expanding your horizons, and helping others advance is what a supervisor, manager, or owner should do. I could give you more personal examples of others that have exhibited these qualities to me over the years. Take a few moments and think of others that showed you qualities that you have gained in your life.

Christmas is a time of sharing and remembrance. People have made you who you are. Some by their positive actions, while others impacted us to be different from them. I hope that I am one of the former and not the latter. Merry Christmas to you all.

Reading A Christmas Carol, again

December 12, 2024

A fun thing for a reader to do is pick up a favorite book and read it again. At Christmas there are many stories that come to mind. One of these for this Springfield boy brings the true meaning of Christmas home. This years’ experience has brought back some insights not thought of for many years, while reading “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.

If you’ve never read the book and only seen the thousands of video versions of the story, it is well worth a read. Copies are available almost anywhere and you can even find free downloads for some devices and computers. It takes only an hour or two to read completely. Or you can listen to the audio book. Some families make reading a Christmas tradition.

The main character is Ebenezer Scrooge. We all know Mr. Scrooge in his many incarnations. Since his creation he has been copied, degraded, analyzed, and referred to as an old fart or worse. However, the main subject is the Bob Cratchit family. The most memorable line of the book is uttered by Cratchit’s son Tim, aka Tiny Tim, who says, “God bless us, everyone.” The illness that has crippled this boy is not identified. The Ghost of Christmases to Come shows Ebenezer a scene referring to the boy’s death. The lead character’s death is also mentioned, but no one mourns for him.

Dickens was endeavoring to illustrate the plight of the poor, downtrodden, ordinary Londoner. To illustrate what his culture lacked he chose a typical lower-income family. They worked but could not get ahead unless they were treated better than Scrooge treated them. The plight of the poor is not necessarily the fault of the wealthy. They can, however, improve others lot by being fair and honest.

Charity is not required to help the working poor. Decent wages and proper treatment by employers go a long way. As Bob Cratchit shows us, hard work can be rewarding, if your boss wants it to be. The moral is more that kindness as exhibited by Tiny Tim is rewarded, than that those who lack concern for others will die and be forgotten.

Human beings were created separately by God. We should demonstrate human kindness and not animal unconcern. Pets or even inanimate objects are shown more love than some people are shown. Even Mr. Scrooge was shown kindness by the spirits. His greed must be corrected not punished.

This was Dicken’s fourth Christmas story that he published. If you know the other three before this, you are a dedicated bibliophile. One was a short part of “The Pickwick Papers” his first novel that was published in 1837. Charles’ other Christmas stories that came after were “The Chimes” in 1844, “The Cricket on the Hearth” in 1845, “The Battle of Life” 1846. and “The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain” from 1848.

We have read many stories about Christmas over the years. I would like to hear about yours. Make a comment below and share them with us. For other authors please send me links to your stories or blogs about this and other holidays. I know Christmas is not the only holy day that is celebrated. I am always expanding my knowledge of cultures. As Saint Nick exclaimed in Clement Clark Moore’s poem, “Happy Christmas to all. And to all a good night.”

Mary, Did You Know?

December 5, 2024

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Did you know the Christian comedian Mark Lowry penned these lyrics in 1984? In his own words, “I just tried to put into words the unfathomable. I started thinking of the questions I would have for her if I were to sit down & have coffee with Mary. You know, ‘What was it like raising God?’ ‘What did you know?’ ‘What didn’t you know?’^”

These questions were asked in a script he wrote for a church Christmas program. In 1991, Buddy Greene wrote the music, and Michael English recorded the song for the first time. It was released on his debut solo album, Michael English. I have a copy of the cassette tape in my collection.

The three had toured with “The Gaither Vocal Band”. Many have recorded it since including Lowry, Kenny Rogers and Winona Judd, Dolly Parton, Pentatonix, Kathy Mattea, Clay Aiken, Ceelo Green, and Carrie Underwood. David Guthrie and Bruce Greer used it as the title and basis of a stage musical that won a Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Musical of the Year in 1999.

Let’s look at the questions Lowry asks Mary. Did you know who this baby would be? That He would walk on water? He was the ruler of the universe. He was the promised deliverer. There are numerous queries in these lyrics and for the majority the answer is no.

Mary was told by the messenger Gabriel that she would give birth to a son. She was to name him Jeshua or in Greek, Jesus. He would be called the son of the most high and would inherit David’s throne. In the gospels, we are not given more details. I doubt that Mary was either.

She was more concerned with the fact that she would have a baby. She could not get pregnant. She had never had sex. God would be the father of her child. This was never heard of before. Many women may have claimed to have given birth through immaculate conception. The Catholic Church teaches that Mary was born this way. My Bible does not say that.

What interests me most about these words that Lowry wrote is that we are looking at a young girl who has given birth to her first child. Does she know more than any other woman what will happen in the future. Her son did it from an early age. She did not.

This child, as a man, would not only deliver her from eternal punishment for sin, but also her younger children. He would if they and our own children accept Him as the savior that He claims to be.

God lives outside of time. He created time with our universe. Genesis tells us that. Moses did not understand it when he wrote it down. I don’t understand it. I do believe it. Jesus is Jehovah God. He created the universe and our world. He came to live with us and die for us. Do you believe that? Tell Him that you do. Accept Him for who He is.

As you hear the many Christmas carols this year think about the questions in this song. Do you know who that baby is? These inquiries are more important than anything you will be told about Santa Claus, Ebenezer Scrooge, or Rudolph. This is life-changing.

For those of you in my area, Mark Lowry will be in concert at The Mansion in Branson, Missouri on March 12, 2025. Whether this song will be sung at that venue is not known by me at this time. I’ve heard it at other concerts of his that I have attended previously.

(Quotation from “How Well Do You Know ‘Mary Did You Know?'”. Sheet Music Direct. Retrieved December 30, 2018. an interview with the songwriter, Mark Lowry … originally conducted by Martha Lyon for AbsolutelyGospel.com)

It’s the Holiday Season

November 15, 2024

Yes, it is. Which holiday is next? This American Holiday season includes three. We have many holidays each year. Check the internet and see what today is on the official calendar. Many things will appear for each individual day. As I am writing this column, I checked https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/november/november-14 and found these facts. View it yourself for others.

Today is National Seatbelt Day and Family PJ Day as well as Robert Fulton’s birthday. Happy birthday to the developer of the first commercial steam ship. Sherwood Schwartz was also born on this day. He is the creator of “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Brady Bunch.” Let’s not forget Henry Blake, the original commander of MASH 477 played by Mclean Stevenson.

This site is full of trivia about any day of the year. Put your birthday in and see which other important people besides yourself were born that day and what Congress is honoring on your day. As you scroll down you will see what events your day is famous for. Maybe your birthday will appear here in the future.

Scrolling back up, let’s look at the three holidays that make up this season. The first was All Hallows Eve that we call Halloween. It and the third day, Christmas, were part of the Christianization of Roman holidays after Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official Roman religion. The second of these days is the all-American Thanksgiving. This is the next on our calendar.

Marketers here want you to start shopping for these three days and refer to the “Holiday Season” to mostly impact your wallet. This is capitalism at its finest. Our economy is based on this concept. Sell your products and services however you can. If a particular day on the calendar can be used, so be it.

I will be talking more about Christmas and have expounded on Halloween before. I want to take an in-depth look at why we Americans should be thankful. For one thing, the election is over. This happens every two years in November and this year is no different from others. We can put politics out of our minds. If the media can be shut out.

What else are you thankful for this year? Health, happiness, family, and friends are things that come to my mind. I’ve celebrated forty-eight years of marriage with one woman. If you can’t say this, think of something that is important to you.

We have three daughters and twelve grandchildren. That will make for a noisy and happy Thanksgiving celebration. Our feelings of contentment don’t revolve around this group. We have an extended family, a host of friends, a nice home, a dog, and many conveniences of our modern lifestyle. Least of all is the computer and internet that bring my words to you.

Unlike us, many of you may not count health high on your list. I put it in the lead not because ours is perfect. It is manageable, most days. I rank it high because of how much worse it could be. We could have cancer, again. We could be dealing with heart issues, again. We have our problems that the medical community seems to be unable to diagnose. That may be your problem this season.

I want to stop worrying about my difficulties and be thankful for what I do have. I have a lot. I am reminded of that at this time of year as we prepare for the family to return home and must put as much as possible away before they arrive. Don’t open the closet Fibber McGee.

Also, do not forget to be thankful for our savior. If you are not a believer in Him, investigate my archives and stay tuned. We will have more before the next big holiday.

Life can be a constant bother or joy. It is all in the way you perceive it. Approach these holidays with an attitude of gratitude not of dread. Depression can get us at any time. Watch for it raising its ugly head and kick it in the teeth with a song of Thanksgiving and joy. I’m saving Christmas music until December.

Every girl wants a wolf

October 25, 2024

This is true. They are taught by their parents not to want one, but they really do. Christian parents in Springfield and every other city do not want their daughters to date or marry one. They want her to be the innocent Little Red Riding Hood. The problem is that fathers know that the wolf instinct is in every man. Some just hide it better than others.

What is it about a wolf that makes them desirable? They want the girl. Every girl wants to be wanted and needed. Sometimes it is hard for them to distinguish between the two. Often a guy simply wants her sexually. Once he has that, he moves on to his next prey. He does not need her. He does not respect them. He only wants what they can give him.

My wife and I watch romantic comedies. We are subscribers of the Hallmark streaming service Friendly. This service includes a few channels that also play romcoms. You can even disguise these stories as historical romance, science fiction, mysteries, or family comedy. It doesn’t really matter how you start as long as when a boy meets a girl, the boy gets a girl.

As an author, I know there is a lot more to it than that. As with the wolf, he must be smart enough to entice her to follow him. I grew up with the song that contained the lyrics, “A boy chases a girl until she catches him.” You don’t know that one? It is attached below.

Let’s turn the tables, ladies. You can chase him without him knowing that you are. Don’t worry, men. I will not leave you out either. Some of you are already being pursued as are the women. If you watch non-Hallmark movies, you can see these unscrupulous women and men as they scheme to seduce you. The key is knowing what you want and what you will get.

I dated one girl through high school. No, she isn’t my wife. As a sophomore in college, she decided that we were going in different directions and should see other people. She had gone to her senior prom with someone else, and I don’t know how many others she dated while I only went out with her. A few days later, I found out she had been told about me and another girl from a weekend before. They saw me kissing her.

That was fine with me. I agreed with her. I was never a player. The next spring, my date and I stopped with my best friend to pick up her sister to go to their prom. That was the only school dance I had attended to that point. I’ve gone to others since then. The last ones were with my granddaughters. I went to two, one with each girl while her dad escorted her sister.

I told my three daughters for years that “boys are scum.” I can’t post that phrase on Facebook without them blocking it. I’m not sure what else you can post there. I don’t talk like that. That is all they have rejected of mine. I wanted my girls to learn that the male species is divided between boys and men. Men have your best interest at heart. Boys are directed by their desires.

We bounce back and forth often in our adult lives. Women do the same. They can be sweet and kind or they connive and cunningly get their way. It’s a human thing. Age is not involved in these designations. I needed these three young women, whom Cindy and I were responsible for, to know the difference between a wolf and a loving faithful companion.

Can I get an Amen from those of you who had to learn this the hard way? Don’t misinterpret what I am telling you. We were not perfect. Two of our darlings were engaged and had to break it off before they married the men who have been their husbands for more than a decade now. One was a liar and the other a controller. Do you know any?

A longer relationship before commitment is best. I tried to get all the sons-in-law and daughters to wait until they graduated from college. I did. They reminded me that their mother was still in high school at our wedding. We’ll talk about that in another column. I thought we knew each other after eighteen months of dating. I had a lot to learn.

My girls made the correct choices without me picking their husbands. This way, they could not blame me. I want you to distinguish between those who are more concerned about you and will sacrifice themselves for you. That’s what the Bible teaches in Ephesians 5:25. No one can keep you safe except yourself.

It’s in the book

October 22, 2024

There was an old radio skit by one of those comedians seldom mentioned anymore. His name is Johhny Standley. His fame came in 1952 with the release of his recording, “It’s in the book.” I remember hearing it on the radio as a child. You know the type of story. Wayne Glenn played it on “The Old Record Collector” on Saturday mornings on KTXR radio in the 80s and 90s.

Andy Griffith became famous when he told us, “What it was was football.” This was in 1953. He followed Johnny Standley’s format as a comedian and told a tale from the viewpoint of a country boy. Standley took the persona of an old-time preacher complete with closing song. Deacon Andy went on to become famous as Andy Taylor and then as Ben Matlock. Last week I saw a new Matlock show. Life is a progression and that is what this column is about.

In the 1950’s almost everyone responded to these epic comedy records because they came from what we knew. It was familiar to us. Today it appears strange. Everyone knows “Little Bo-Peep” and football. Why were these skits popular? They were funny. They were different from what they heard before.

Television was new and this type of humor converted from radio and recordings to TV with little difficulty. When I retired my ministry changed from the workplace to the internet and instead of talking to dozens of people in a day, I now write to a potential audience of thousands. At least a couple of hundred. I hope.

Your life and experience are changing. Can you go with the flow? All you must do is be flexible. Do not get pushed around by the crowd as young Andy did. Be a leader or a follower and do not let others force you into a path you do not want to take.

In 1970, I got my driver’s license. I dropped Mom at home and went to Dog ‘N Suds drive-in to see Frank Costello about a job. He said they had no openings. As I was leaving, he asked why I had come there. My response was that he had employed my brother three years before. When he heard I was Sam’s brother, I filled out an application and started two days later. I was a fry cook. I became the best fry cook I could.

Three years later I became the best screw installer I could be. I worked on final line five at Zenith Radio Corporation in Springfield, Missouri and helped build console televisions. I was in manufacturing. All I did was install five screws and hang a tuner. I hated it. At the end of eighty-nine days, I turned in my resignation and went back to college determined to never work in a factory again.

A year later my dream of becoming a reporter became a desire to become a minister and I transferred to Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, Missouri from Southwest Missouri State University. My plan had been to go to the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia. That was what I thought I wanted.

God wanted me to spend my next two years learning to study His word and how to lead others to learn what He wanted them to do. Fifty years ago, I began that journey. He opened many opportunities for me. I have served as a student pastor, salesman, purchasing agent, manager, teacher, husband, father, guide, friend, and mentor.

Now I have time to share all my experience with you, dear reader. I hope you realize the potential that God has given to you to be what He wants you to become. The possibilities are endless and yes, the saying is still true. It’s in the book. Join me as we explore it.

Lying in politics

October 18, 2024

You know the old saying, “How can you tell when a politician is lying. His mouth is moving.” Yes, that was a lawyer. I know this is probably a century or more old. Certain people seem predisposed to lying. They do not belong to any one group as we may view them. There are politicians, businesspeople, used car salespeople, and every conceivable profession that will be honest or not.

I can point out a few men and women who are running in the election who have or are openly lying about themselves. We all believe that our opinions about the issues are correct. I will not argue those opinions. I am talking about statements and claims made by these candidates.

One claimed he was not a politician during the first election he ran in. The definition of a politician is one involved in politics. Specifically running for an elected office makes you a politician. He also promised us that he was not and would never be a professional politician. He ran for a second position before his first term was completed. These are two lies.

Check the promises that are being made. Some want you to accept that they will do things that we all want them to. Stating that you want these things accomplished is wonderful. Claiming you can do them the first day you are in the office is a lie. Either they know this is a lie or they are not smart enough to represent us.

Another has been convicted of crimes. This must be part of his strategy to be elected so that he can pardon himself if his appeals fail. Whether or not I think that this candidate is guilty is not the point

I am not telling you their names because the ones I know about are not the only candidates spreading falsehoods. I am sorry if you support these liars. I hope you will look at each candidate you intend to vote for. Remember that the general election is on the fifth of November. Our time is running out to decide how to vote before then.

In Missouri, we will also have many issues on our ballot. My best advice on this is for you to find the bill or amendment as it is written. Do not listen to those who support or oppose any amendment or item. They also seem to not be able to tell the truth. They want you to view their “facts” as true.

I’ll give you a couple of examples. In Missouri where I live, Amendment 3 to our constitution will make all abortions legal. Proponents claim that currently, doctors cannot help women who are having problem pregnancies. Some OBs say this is correct. Others have stated that they continue to care for their patients as they always have. Ladies, ask your doctor what they believe. They are the ones to whom you should listen.

Two other amendments are about gambling. One small city wants its own casino boat, which is legal in this state. They want to change our constitution to allow this. My reading of the original wording of the amendment makes me believe that it will open the door for many more casinos than are currently allowed by our existing statutes. This is Amendment 5 on our ballot.

The other gambling bill is Amendment 2. This will allow sports betting not just at our few casinos, but online. The supporters of this issue claim we will see ten million dollars for our schools in the first five years. The casino owners oppose this and claim our schools will receive nothing. Both gambling proponents are lying. If you want to bet on athletic events or go to a casino, vote for these bills.

Do not believe that our teachers, schools, or students will benefit from taxes on this. Three other times voters have approved gambling that was supposed to benefit not-for-profit organizations or schools and the exorbitant claims were found to be incorrect. I believe those who accept these statements will determine how they were duped within the five years for which the prediction has been made.

Check all the facts. Read the legislation and the claims of the candidates. Those who have been in office should find it easy to verify their claims. The difficult ones are those like our current senior senator who ran for auditor eight years ago on a platform of not being a politician. He failed to complete that term because he won the nomination to oppose a sitting senator who was running for her third term.

Remember that I am a non-partisan voter. I will not vote for a bad candidate when his or her party wants to force me to accept someone who shows themselves to be a liar. I will not accept who you choose. If your party does not nominate a decent candidate, I will find a qualified person elsewhere. This may be the election that more folks who are not Republicrats or Demicans will fill the positions. See you at the polls.

Most hazardous, dangerous, greatest

October 6, 2024

Most of us have heard the clips of the speeches that John Kennedy made where he challenged the US to go to the moon. The emphasis that we hear every few years when we celebrate the Apollo 11 moon landing is a time to replay this sound and video bite. Most of the time we see the address from May 1961 to the Congress.

JFK began the space race with this appeal to our legislators because they would need to provide the funds that were needed. We all know that our country succeeded in this project. We continued to work with others to establish the International Space Station which still orbits our planet.

What we have not heard is the way he ended this talk at least on one occasion. In 1962 President Kennedy spoke at Rice University, Houston, Texas. When he concluded that speech, it was by saying, “As we set sail, we ask God’s blessing on the most hazardous, dangerous, and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked. Thank you.”

I believe we need to look at this and other speeches by our presidents over the decades to see how they used to encourage us and our ancestors. Kennedy was a great communicator. History has proven that. I was a child and still remember hearing his voice on television. What you hear today we got live on the tube.

I would be amiss if I did not share another Kennedy quote from his inaugural address in 1961. “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” I am attaching a video of that speech. If you have never heard it, please listen to it.

There is no other Presidential speech that is more well known than Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Both the introduction “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation” and the ending “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” give me chills when I think of them.

I was not around when Abe delivered those words. I also did not have to live through either the war between the States or World War II. I have heard President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s words on December 8, 1941. It went out around the country on the radio, “December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy.” He continued speaking to Congress and all Americans when we declared war on Japan for the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Hawaii was not a state at that time. It was a location for a naval and air base to defend our friends in the Pacific Ocean.

Ronald Reagan was also a well-respected orator. His address in Berlin in 1987 contained the words, “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace. If you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”

If you did not study it in school, he spoke of what is known as the Berlin Wall. It separated democratic West Germany from USSR-dominated Eastern Germany. They were separated after the Second World War. We came from the West and Russia from the East to defeat Hitler. The two Germanies I knew as a kid are now one.

One last quote from the man who was President when I was born. Dwight Eisenhower said, “Pessimism never won any battle.” Remember this is one of the many famous sayings attributed to the 34^th President. In this election year, we need to remember these sayings as we listen to what the current candidates say.

Are you more important than anyone else?

October 3, 2024

Driving through Springfield streets it can often be noticed that certain people do not obey traffic laws, signs, and stop lights. As a Christian you may wonder who these people are or, hopefully not, you may find yourself participating in these unlawful and unsafe practices. The only explanation for this is that those who ignore common sense or instruction and posted ordinances think they are better than everyone else and laws do not apply to them.

Some examples of this observed behavior are those who do not attempt to stop when the traffic light turns yellow. When the Springfield Police cars and Greene County Sheriff cruisers do this, it is common knowledge that they do not have to obey the laws they are paid to enforce. Why should they set the example by stopping just because the light has turned yellow? Those who drive through red lights must just be off-duty officers who know they won’t get any tickets. How many people are killed in accidents when the instruction of a light is ignored? No more than two hundred or so each year. Who cares about that small a number?

Bicyclists can go anywhere they want to because they are cutting down on pollution by riding. Sidewalks are alright and just because there is a marked lane showing the cyclists to follow the flow of other vehicles doesn’t mean you can’t travel on the wrong side of the road and cuss the drivers that aren’t paying attention to you being where you aren’t supposed to be. If you are hit and killed by a motorist, they will be blamed and must live with it, not you.

Do you like roundabouts? Is that why you do not yield to traffic that is going around the circle? Some of you drive your trucks over the center destroying the expensive landscaping that we all had to pay for. What is even better is the medians that are placed between the lanes on small two-lane roads for no good reason other than for idiots to drive in the wrong lanes.

I won’t even talk about the motorcyclists that we are all reminded to keep safe by watching for them as they speed between lanes of traffic to get in front of cars. It is especially enjoyable to watch them pop their wheelies as they race down the road. The last thing I want is to drive over them when they wipe out on a grease spot.

The two biggest problems are inattentiveness and impairment. Missouri finally has decided to make texting and the use of handheld phones while driving illegal. Road rage is rampant. Someone shot at a car recently. Hopefully, that person will be caught. The prosecutor and judges will slap their hands and put them back out.

I had to deal with drivers for one company where I was the office manager. My boss did not want to deal with it. I was the one that the company delivery truck was issued to by the leasing company. When the driver violated the law and a call was made, it was to me. I also got to send young men home when they came to work drunk.

I’m glad to be off the roads most of the time now. I also am glad I am retired, and it is someone else’s problem to deal with employees who believe lying to their bosses is a good idea. I know that generations younger than I are not any worse than we boomers. It is a fact they are no smarter.

Walk With a Servant