Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

TGIM, Thank God it’s Monday

November 1, 2022

Sounds wrong, doesn’t it? Sunday, we had a guest speaker. Our pastor has been sharing the book of Matthew. He began with the upside-down kingdom that Jesus described in the Sermon on the Mount.

Our guest minister told us that we should not be focusing on Friday when our work week ends. We should wait for Monday when we get to work and be with our co-workers for the week. That is topsy-turvy at its best.

I remember when I began a new job after twenty-five years with one company. It was my dream job. I was called to be a workplace minister while in college. I told everyone how happy I was to be at work even on a Monday. I had reached burnout at my last employer.

I did not know what that was. All I knew was that God wanted me to be a full-time gospel minister.

I knew I wasn’t to be a music minister. I can’t sing. I have trouble playing the radio. I love to talk. One-on-one is my favorite crowd. In high school, I forced myself to take speech. My first talk almost killed me. I thought that five minutes of talking about myself would never end. In three years, I learned to be extroverted and speak to any crowd.

My listeners may not enjoy it as much as I do. I had to experience public speaking to allow me to be more comfortable when I was called to be a minister. All I knew was preaching and singing. If I was not willing to be a preacher, I would not have viewed myself as a minister.

Now, I can proclaim a call to every Christian to be a minister in the workplace. My friend Jim told me years ago that he had asked God to call him to youth ministry. He was told no. He has spent over fifty years owning his own business. He shows his customers, vendors, and employees what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Where is your place of ministry? We all need to find our calling and where we are expected to serve others. Those will be both believers and unbelievers. Servants must find their pace to be of use. I have heard this for years.

It sounds strange to thank God for Mondays. We should be excited to share our faith. Not just in certain circles or at church. Our jobs are where we spend a third or more of our time. We should also be witnessing, serving, and ministering in this arena.

Time is considered precious by all of us. We must work while we have light. The darkness can be overpowering. When we do our part, the world will be a better place. Enjoy your Monday.

Dancing with a dog

October 28, 2022

The first time I saw “To Dance with the White Dog” was in 1993 in the Hallmark Hall of Fame. That was when it was broadcast on CBS on Sunday nights. Since then, I have viewed it many times. If you want to see it, I watched it recently on Hallmark Movies Now.

The story of a married couple celebrating their fiftieth anniversary in 1966 is powerful for many reasons. First was the love story between an elderly couple. In 1993 my wife and I had only been married for seventeen years. It was difficult to imagine that we might make it to our fiftieth. We are only four years away from that landmark date.

An African American friend of this couple is shown as being treated as one of the family. At first, you may think that she was hired as a cook, housekeeper, or nanny. That does not appear to be the case as the story unfolds. This is significantly different from another movie, “The Help,” set at the same time. Both films are set in the southern US.

The families are shown to be what I would call Christian or religious. They are not shown in any church. The male lead character points out the discrepancies between the Bible and horticultural science. His wife points out that the scripture is not a science text. While many scientific facts appear in different chapters and verses, I believe this is a true statement.

When his wife dies, he has difficulty adjusting to being alone. A white dog appears, and his children and grandchildren do not see it when they come around. Most days the waking hours are occupied with the changing of the guard as the families alternate staying around his house and orchard.

The old man decides to take a trip to a reunion for the college where he and his wife met. The dog travels with him. He does not bother to tell anyone in the family where he is going. One grandson knows. He is asked not to tell anyone unless there is an emergency. Of course, one comes up.

I’ll stop with my explanation of the plot and sequence of events. If you decide to watch this film, I hope I have not spoiled any of the drama and mystery. The lesson of the movie is to cherish those that we love. At any moment they may no longer be with us.

Nanowrimo

October 27, 2022

It is coming up again. I have not participated in a National Novel Writing Month before. If you are a wordsmith, you may have tried this before. It has happened every year since 1999. I first heard of this through the “Writer’s Digest.” I have subscribed to this magazine off and on for years.

The premise is to write a minimum of 5,000 words of a novel or memoir in thirty days. The month that has been accepted nationwide for most of this time has been November. If you’re a writer or want to be, join me.

The question to answer first is what story you and I have in mind will become our subject this year. This is the perfect time to bring out the unfinished objects that you had every intention of getting to eventually. They may be no more than an idea written on a napkin or scrap of paper.

I believe I will pick up a manuscript that is the first of a trilogy that sweeps through three genres. This first story is a crime drama that takes place in a medium size city. The next one will be science fiction about a businessman that develops new technology in the energy industry. The final installment will be a political thriller. I have a few ideas for each book.

I have working titles for each of the three. I don’t want to share these because a title cannot be copyrighted. I wrote a short story years ago and was surprised when a famous author used that same title. The book was not one of his best. The plot line was nothing like my story. Someday I hope to rewrite it and I can use the same name.

If you want to begin on the first of November as I plan to do, there is the preparation that can be done. Note any possible plot points, make an outline, record possible character names, and even write their backstories. I’ve done much of this already and will rethink any changes I want to make.

My plan is to publish these pages on a regular basis here. When I complete the first draft of this novel, I will be able to move to the second and then the third of this trilogy. I want to thank you for following me and giving me the incentive to continue writing.

That is one of the keys to being an effective author. Sticking to your writing can be challenging. It is easy to become frustrated that any one idea does not want you to complete its story. As we encourage each other to keep plugging away maybe we can all finish one of our UFOs. We’ll meet here again on the first of November and compare notes.

America is still great

October 25, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do you have FOMO?

October 24, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She did not write murder

October 15, 2022

I was surprised when I saw that one of Angela Lansbury’s credits was for Blue Hawaii. It has been years since I viewed this Elvis movie, and I did not remember that she played the mother of Elvis’ character. We were used to Ms. Lansbury portraying Jessica Fletcher in the series “Murder She Wrote.”

The role of Sarah Lee Gates was no challenge for one of the best character actresses in movies at the time. She played a wealthy southern wife of a businessman who had a son that came back from two years in the army. She was a vapid woman that thought only of herself and wanted Chad, played by Elvis, to follow in his father’s footsteps.

She began her acting career in 1944 as Nancy, the maid, in “Gaslight” and received a supporting actress Academy Awards nomination. She was also in “National Velvet” and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” in the forties.

Television called her in the 1950s with appearances in “Robert Montgomery Present,” “Lux Video Theatre,” “General Electric Theatre,” “Four Star Playhouse,” “The Star and the Story,” “Studio 57,” “Climax,” and “Playhouse 90.” Times were changing in the sixties and Angela was changing with the times.

“The Manchurian Candidate” brought attention to her with another nomination for an Academy Award for supporting actress. She was in “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” “Harlow,” and “The Man From Uncle.” 1971’s “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” was one of my favorite Lansbury movies.

Her portrayal of Miss Marple in “The Mirror Crack’d” and the 1984 TV movie “A Talent for Murder” set the stage for the beginning of her most renowned portrayal of Jessica Fletcher in “Murder She Wrote” which would occupy her until 1996 when the series ended. That wasn’t the last we would see of the character.

Jessica guest starred in “Magnum, P.I.” in 1986. Four “Murder She Wrote” movies brought her to the small screen in the nineties. She was also Mrs. Santa Claus in the title role of the television movie in 1996.

She made appearances as herself in the series “Newhart,” and the movie “About Schmidt” starring Jack Nicholson where she is not credited and is a voice that he hears. Two cameo rolls in shorts called “Mickey’s Audition” and “Your Studio and You” were also made in the nineties.

Voice acting was another area where she excelled. My favorite example of this is the character of Mrs. Potts in “The Beauty and the Beast.” Beginning in 1962 she was on “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” “The First Christmas”, “The Last Unicorn,” and “Anastasia” among others.

I recently read “The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax” by Dorothy Gillman. In 1999 Angela starred in a TV movie by the same name. Mrs. Pollifax is advised by her doctor to find something like a hobby to help with her boredom after the death of her husband. The premise of these 1960’s novels is excellent. There was no better actress to play this heroine.

One of her last films was “Buttons, A New Musical Film.” It was released in 2018 and she played a guardian angel for two girls. Dick Van Dyke played another angel that was helping her. Buttons were played by Alivia Clark and Abigail Spencer. Kate Winslet and Robert Redford narrate the story.

I have summarized the career of this marvelous talent and know that I may have missed your favorite memory of her. Comment below with what is your favorite performance. Many of you may have seen her in stage performances. If that is one of your favorite remembrances, I want to hear about it. Let us all share our favorite Angela Lansbury role that will keep her memory alive.

Reason or Excuse

October 8, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where to go

October 6, 2022

When I was in junior high school, I decided I wanted to be a reporter. My goal through high school was the journalism school at Missouri University in Columbia, MO. I did not qualify for a scholarship to MU. I did receive one from Southwest Missouri State University in my hometown of Springfield, MO. I would complete the general education requirements for the J school and transfer my junior year.

That never happened. My major at SMSU was creative writing. They had no journalism program at that time. During my sophomore year, I completed the Missouri University’s Journalism School application. In March of 1974, I received notification of my acceptance.

I was deciding whether I would acknowledge that God was calling me to ministry when I received that letter. I agreed that my call was genuine and that MU was not the place for me. Southwest Baptist College had what I needed and what I believed Jesus wanted me to study. My schedule there was two years of studying the Bible and Christian ministry.

Are you in high school and contemplating what you will do when you graduate? Do you have a course planned out? Many young people do not. Where are they to go to decide what they want to do with the rest of their lives? I also worked during my last two years of high school and the first two years of college.

When I graduated from college, I had another decision to make. Do I go to seminary to be a pastor, or do I go to work to become a different kind of minister? A bi-vocational pastor was a possibility. I thought that was where I was destined.

I worked as a summer missionary in Northwest Pennsylvania during the summer between my junior and senior years in college. My assignments were determined by the pastor at the Bolivar Road Baptist Church in Bradford, PA. I stayed up on the mountain in Gifford. I preached and taught at Hillside Baptist Chapel there.

Others did not have the opportunities that came to me. You must make your own decisions about taking a job in high school, going to a college, university, or trade school. What is best for you? Good question.

I have three grandsons who have graduated from high school. They are all going to junior colleges and working jobs. They have made a choice of what they think they want to do with their lives. Just like me. Will they arrive at that goal? Or will they decide to make a change as I did?

If you have chosen a career path, or one chose you, and it is not the right fit, don’t be afraid to make a switch. I have worked in many different careers and tried numerous jobs. I retired as a purchasing manager. It was where I needed to be.

My oldest daughter began teaching high school full-time this year. Her plan was to go into communication after college. She worked at a newspaper, did product marketing on the internet, and made a decision to return to college and take a master’s degree in education. She had the courage to change her career. That may be what you need to do.

Life is a process of choices. When your previous decisions have led you to a place you do not want to be, make a change. It may not be easy. It can be enjoyable. I have now returned to my first love. You are reading the type of column I always wanted to write. I began this change over ten years ago. I do not know if I will still be doing this in another ten years. Follow my web page and let’s make that journey together.

What I won’t die from

September 26, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vote!

September 24, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Walk With a Servant