Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

I Do Not Resolve

January 3, 2023

Several years ago, I made a resolution before the new year, and I have not broken it to this day. Have you made a promise this year to do something that will change your life? This is the thing to do. You may be like me and have succeeded in previous years.

Some resolve to lose weight. I was skinny as a boy and through high school and college. When I was married my wife and I were young and trim. I had heard the joke about turning sideways and being mistaken for a zipper. As I grew older my weight increased and now, I am considered obese. I am working on this problem. I have never resolved to lose weight.

Smoking, drinking, taking narcotics, or other illegal substances have never been something that I do. I have activities that I enjoy. They are not illegal and in my mind are not immoral. Some of you would say, “I would never do that.” Good. If you do not enjoy it or think it is “not beneficial” to you, don’t do it. Make that a resolution.

What I am talking about is that when you recognize something as bad for you, stop doing it. I do not mouth off to stupid people. It can get you hurt. I learned that the hard way. I still say stupid things. Only to my friends. They understand.

If there is something that you should do, like bathing more often, eating breakfast, reading, spending time exercising, or just enjoying people, do it. Do it as often as you want. Except for eating breakfast. Once a day is enough.

Waiting for a particular time to do something is not the best way to make changes in your life. A friend of mine decided he would quit smoking. For years it was his New Years’ resolution. He rarely made it through January. Someone told him to quit the next time he finished a pack. That did not help.

One day he was at a business meeting and pulled out his cigarettes at break time to leave the building to take a smoke. Someone detained him to talk about sports or something that interested him. When the next open time came, he continued the conversation.

After returning home, he left the smokes at home. If he did not have them with him, he did not buy more. He found something else to take his mind off them. When he told me about this, he had quit for five months. The process started three years before and he still had that partial pack.

Setting goals is a good thing. The first of the year can be a good time. So can any time of the year. If you slip, start again. That is how I deal with my weight. Every time I overeat or eat the wrong things, I refocus my energy to do better. Sometimes I lose three or four pounds and only regain one or two. That is better than I have done in the past.

Oh, what was that last New Year’s resolution? I resolved to never make another one. It worked.

Would I lie to you?

January 2, 2023

When I saw this game show advertised on television, my first thought was, “Yes, you would if you thought you could get away with it.” If you are a politician, the answer is “of course”.

A local attorney says that he would not lie to you. He might tell you things that you do not wish to hear, but he will not lie to you. Falsehood is at epidemic proportions. There is no vaccine to prevent it. There is not a medication that will help those who seem to be infected with it.

The best of us do it. We even have a holiday to celebrate it and we call it April Fool’s Day. It is celebrated on April the first. Playing jokes on others is lying. Yes, we all do it. The problem is knowing when to tell the truth and when a lie is the kinder alternative.

Gentlemen do not tell your wife that it isn’t the dress when she asks if it makes her look fat. Many of us have problems with self-image. That statement will not help. I always tell my wife that she is beautiful in my eyes. She has never agreed with me. It is the truth whether she accepts it or not.

I recently finished a book that discussed dealing with those who have lost touch with reality. This may be due to dementia or mental illness. Either way, the kind thing to do is to not confront someone with the straight truth. If they ask where they are and you know the answer will upset them, tell the truth in love. You are where you need to be right now.

When will their spouse come to see them? Soon is an answer that should work. Often the loved one is the one they asked the question of. It hurts that they don’t recognize you, but it may be kinder than reminding them they have forgotten.

My memory has never been perfect. I have many techniques I use to aid it. One is asking the person I am talking to what the word I am trying to think of is. Do not finish my sentence for me. Paul tells us that love is patient and kind. Being patient is kindness.

There are hundreds of other situations where the truth is not the best policy. A child may ask where Grandma has gone after she has died. If you don’t believe in Heaven or do not think she could possibly be admitted, tell the youngster that she is far away, and they should see them again. If they ask when say it will be a long time.

The answer to my question is yes. I would lie to you. If I thought the truth would hurt. I try not to lie to you for selfish reasons. Sometimes I even fail at that.

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.

The nation of image

December 29, 2022

I would like to take you to a place that I still frequent, but not as often as I did when I was much younger. As a storyteller, this is my favorite place. It is sometimes referred to as the image-i-nation. Get it? Got it? Good.

I borrowed this line from a classic Christmas movie. Yes, it is “Miracle on 24^th Street”. When Kris is talking to his little friend about playing with other children, he describes this land to her.

Many of us have gone to this country for an escape. We can go there on our own, through a movie or book, or by listening to someone telling a story. If you know the difference between this world and reality you should be fine.

The new year is a time for us to take time off from the stress of our lives and jobs. You may also need to separate yourself from those that you do not enjoy being with. Social situations are often when we need to retreat to Imagination.

As a student, I used my mind to carry me to worlds that did not exist. I entered the stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells, or Robert Heinlein. I traveled to Mars, other solar systems, Elizabethan England, and even the future.

I want you to join me. As I travel through my mind, I want you to come with me. I want you to be on the front lines in the battles that I have imagined and am in the process of writing and publishing. Life is an enjoyable journey. Let’s walk through it together.

I want you to follow this trip that I will be making to the lands that my consciousness is creating. Where will we go? I don’t know yet. Can you get there from here? Sure, you can, but what are you willing to allow to change in the world around us to go forward.

I will be posting fictional offerings more often than I have in the past. These stories will encompass many genres. Come along and see if you like what I am writing. I would appreciate your comments below.

A Smile

December 28, 2022

Ideas may be hard for some of us to come up with. I know that is not proper grammar. Give me a break, please. I am watching a movie on the Hallmark Channel. It gave me an idea for this column.

The name of the show is “A Smile as big as the Moon.” It is taken from a book of the same name by Mike Kersjes. This is not fiction. The book is a memoir because the teacher of a special education class wrote it. It is his story of what happened to them.

The football coach teacher is spurred on by one student who wants to go to Space Camp. He is a Down syndrome student. Many of his classmates have other handicaps or problems with discipline or learning disabilities.

At the time, Space Camp did not have a program for special needs students. The story is about how to convince the administration at the camp to take a chance on children that are not considered even normal. They are usually thought of as difficult to deal with.

Handling problems for these young people is not easy. Frustration, disappointment, and conflict force them to treat each other as friends and equals. One student does not believe his being in this class is fair. He was a normally well-achieving scholar who endured some setbacks in his grades.

Life is not always fair. To make a story work you must have conflicts. Real life makes for some thrilling times even in a movie script or book. This story has protagonists and antagonists. The teacher and the principal have difficulties as do the administration at Space Camp and that same special education teacher.

I have heard of space camp and am glad that they now have programs for all students and adults. I grew up during the race for space and witnessed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon for the first time in 1969. I have always attempted to follow NASA and the others pushing beyond our atmosphere.

My takeaway from this movie is that we should all share a smile with everyone that we meet every day. Kindness has no better technique for being spread than a spontaneous smile.

Reading as a life choice

December 27, 2022

Goodreads offers a reading challenge every year. I joined the group for the first time in 2017. My goal was 36 books. I thought I usually read at least three books a month. I was wrong. I only read ten books that year. That was 28%. I did not repeat this program in 2018. I did not realize the books I read that were not e-books could be added.

I read traditional books. I read audiobooks. I even read books published by independent authors who are personal friends. Goodreads has no way to know that these books even exist. I now know how to add most of these to my list.

Since 2019 I have exceeded my goal each year. That year, I wanted to read at least twelve. That was two more than I completed my first time. That was the year I retired. I finished twenty-six then. That was 217%.

In 2021 and 2022 my goal was 100. I exceeded that goal in both years. I have set a record this year by reading 120 at this time. With four more days to go, I should add at least one or two more by the 31st. Some of you may wonder if I am reading some of the books you have read this year. You can add me as a friend on Goodreads and check my reading list. We could also discuss these books online.

We could form a book club and meet once a month via Zoom for a discussion if some of you want. I read non-fiction, self-help, biblical studies, historical fiction, sci-fi, mysteries of all kinds, and even the occasional romance novel.

Writers are readers. We get our ideas from what we read, see, and hear. I often pull out my phone, a notepad, or just a scrap of paper to make a note of a story idea.

This was me as I was growing up.

I read a George Lucas biography years ago and remember how he came up with robot names. We all know the R2 and C3 series. R2D2 was a notation in one of his notebooks from the filming of American Graffiti. It was an abbreviated version of the setting for one of the lights.

What better way for us to learn even more in 2023 than by discussing the books we are reading. An alternative to a book club discussing the same story is for each to choose something we read in the last two weeks and share it with the group.

Comment below to join. We can use e-mail to decide the best days and times to have our discussions. If you do not zoom, we can do a Facebook live event or join in some other manner. I would even be open to joining a group in the Springfield, Missouri area. Let’s talk.

Mathew’s Story

December 24, 2022

The difference between Matthew’s and Luke’s gospels is the focus. Matthew gives us the genealogy of Jesus from the family of Joseph who was Mary’s husband. Luke lists the genealogy of Mary’s family. This causes a few differences. Both tracks back to King David.

When Mary told Joseph that she was expecting a baby, he knew that it could not be his child. Men, ask yourself if you would believe her story about the angel and God being the baby’s father. This was unprecedented. Who can blame him for being skeptical?

We read that he is contemplating backing out of the marriage. It takes a messenger visiting him to inform him that the child Mary is carrying is the son of Jehovah. After receiving this information, he decides to continue the betrothal and the marriage.

The trip to Bethlehem is not discussed as thoroughly as Luke does. The birth of the child is mentioned as taking place in Bethlehem. A star appeared to Chaldean astrologers that indicated to them that a new ruler was born in Israel. While they travel the star disappears. They go to the capital city.

In Jerusalem, King Herod had no knowledge of the birth. He has murdered children and grandchildren to protect his throne. He enquires as to the prophecy of the Messiah and where he would be born. The answer is Bethlehem. Herod’s request to be updated on this situation would have been reasonable if not for the King’s bloodthirsty reputation.

We are not told how many came from the east to search for this promised child. They do not appear at the manger in the stable. They go to the house where Mary and Joseph are staying. They present three gifts to the child and His mother and father. Therefore, we refer to three kings. Tradition even gives them names.

In a dream, they are told not to return to Jerusalem. Joseph is also told to leave the village to protect his family. They go to Egypt to escape Herod. We believe that Jesus was one to two years old currently. The travelers had confirmed the time that they had originally seen the star. That is why Herod murdered the boys two and under.

The return from Egypt fulfills the prophecy from Jeremiah. The question is, were the prophecies written about things that God knew would happen, or did God make these events occur because prophecy needs to come true? Yahweh does not force His will on us. His desire is for us to be who He wants us to be without Him requiring it. His hope is that we will be the best that we can be.

The return to Nazareth was another prophecy that was to be met. This was a strange saying to have acknowledged. Nothing good could come from that Galilean village. It did and He was the savior of this world and our Lord.

The Story of the Shepherds

December 22, 2022

Christmas is upon us, and we have been inundated with Santa Claus and Elves on Shelves, in toilets, in the fireplace, and even making flour angels. Why do we even celebrate Christ mass? That is what the word means. The Roman Christian Church was fighting the old Roman celebrations. Something was needed for those who were joining Constantine and following the Jewish Messiah.

The winter solstice was a time for celebration in the Roman world. Becoming a Christian should not mean the loss of a holiday. The early Church began many traditions that are remembered by Catholics. We protestants are not that up on a lot of the feasts and fasts around Christmas or Easter.

The reason for the season is the savior. Let’s begin with the story of his birth. The gospel of Luke tells us that Mary was pregnant. She was betrothed to Joseph of Nazareth. The Roman government declared that everyone should pay a tax. Registration of all citizens was needed.

Every ten years the United States does a national census. There are many reasons for this. It is mostly to remark the lines for our congressional representatives. Missouri had a problem doing this before the elections this year. That’s another column and has nothing to do with Christmas.

There were no computers in the first century and everyone that lived in the Roman Empire was requested to return to their ancestral city. Joseph left Nazareth and took his fiancé, Mary, with him. She was expecting her first child. Joseph was not the father. He had the opportunity to break the engagement when he learned about the pregnancy. We’ll share more on this when we discuss Matthew’s story of the birth of her child.

We do not know why Joseph took Mary with him to Bethlehem. It may have been that he was attempting to continue the impression that he had impregnated her. He may have been a man who felt the need to be with her when she delivered her baby. Remember that he knew he was not the biological father of this child. He loved her and wanted to protect her.

When they arrived in Bethlehem there was no place to stay. When we read that there was no room in the inn, we may believe that all the hotels and motels were filled. This village probably had one or two of what the British call public houses. Places where a traveler can be fed and sleep for a night or two. We hear that they went to a stable and think it is an awful thing. This would have been common in this era.

The most interesting part of this story is the angels appearing to the shepherds. They announced the birth of the savior of all mankind. This was not the messiah that was expected by the majority of the Jews. They wanted a king that would rescue them from the rule of the Romans.

I hope you are not asking where the three wise men are. We’ll talk about that in a future piece. Our discussion of Matthew’s story will be the same as it was for Luke. We will read the scripture and answer questions that you may have about it. In the meantime, reread Luke’s account and comment below, if you have any questions.

Reading A Christmas Carol, again

December 15, 2022

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 year’s 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. Some families make reading a Christmas tradition.

The main character is Ebenezer Scrooge. We all know Mr. Scrooge in his many forms. 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 Crachet family. The most memorable line of the book is uttered by Crachet’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 a 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 Cratchet 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.

Dickens used many of his books to promote the harsh conditions in Victorian England. He criticized orphanages, poor houses, businesses, the criminal justice system, and the French government. I hope when you read “The Christmas Carol” you will focus on the story and not get hung up on contemplating the motivation as I have.

Walk With a Servant