Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

The Shop Around the Corner

December 16, 2021

The Shop Around the Corner, In the Good Old Summertime, and You’ve Got Mail are three movies that have a great deal in common. Jimmie Stewart and Margaret Sullavan made the 1940 picture The Shop Around the Corner from a script written by Samson Raphaelson.

Judy Garland and Van Johnson reprise the storyline and the characters in the 1949 semi-musical In the Good Old Summertime. The original play was known as Parfumerie written by Miklos Laszlo, a Hungarian American playwright. The third incarnation was She Loves Me, a 1963 Broadway musical.

The storyline is of a man and a woman who have been exchanging letters for some time and have fallen in love. The pair are coworkers in a perfume store and then in a music store. That changes in 1998’s You’ve Got Mail with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Meg owns The Shop Around the Corner that is a bookstore. Tom Hanks is a CEO of a major chain of bookstores that are moving into the neighborhood.

They are exchanging messages in an AOL chat room. The scene where the couple agrees to meet at a local restaurant is almost identical in all the productions. He looks in and sees that she is a woman that hates him. When he enters and sees her, he doesn’t admit that he is her good friend. He makes fun of the other man. This is the plot in each script.

The unique part of the You’ve Got Mail movie is that the characters Meg and Tom play are involved with someone else and are keeping it a secret from their lovers. Can you be in love with someone you have not yet met? It is an intriguing question.

This was not the first play or movie where two adults who seem to hate each other become lovers. Another series of productions reverse the order. The original was The Front Page from 1931 tells of a newspaper reporter and his editor that have a falling out after being friends for years. That’s the reverse of a couple that hates each other and then falls in love.

What if the reporter is female and the editor is male? They are also a divorced couple. The 1940 movie His Girl Friday starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell was the first incarnation of this twist. Switching Channels from 1988 teams Burt Reynolds with Sharon Stone as a cable news network owner and his top reporter that use the same story. Do you know any other movies or TV shows with the same story? I’d enjoy hearing about them.

Writers of the Week

November 30, 2021

Do you have a favorite author? This week we celebrate the birthdays of many writers that we have read for years. The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, and many other books were written by C.S. Lewis who was born on November 29^thin 1898. Christian nonfiction and fantasy may not be your cup of tea.

If you prefer older classical fiction, Louisa May Alcott, the author of the Little Women and Borrower Series may be what you like. She shared the 29^th with Lewis but was born 66 years before him.

One of my favorite authors is Samuel Langhorne Clemens. He was born in 1835 on November 30^th. That makes him a contemporary of Louisa May. You don’t know his books and stories? You may know him by the pseudonym he used. Mark Twain was taken from his days working on a riverboat on the Mississippi. Life on the Mississippi, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, or A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court may be one that you read in school.

Beginning on Wednesday, the first of December We have Woody Allen Who was born in 1935. Mere Anarchy, Without Feathers, and Getting Even are three of his books. Yes, he was a writer before he began to make movies. He has had more jobs than even I.

Elizabeth Berg was born on the 2^nd of December along with George Saunders, and Ann Patchett. They were born in 1948, 1958, and 1963 respectively. Berg’s first book, Family Traditions, was published in 1992. Oprah chose Open House as a book club selection in 2000. In 2020 she published her memoir I’ll Be Seeing You.

George Saunders won his first National Magazine Award in 1994 for The 400 Pound CEO. Harper’s Magazine, The New Yorker, and Esquire are three of the magazines that published his award-winning pieces.

Ann Patchett was first published in 1992. That first book, The Patron Saint of Liars, was followed by The Magician’s Assistant and My Three Fathers among others. The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2020.

Joseph Conrad is best Known for Lord Jim. His birthday is December 3^rd, 1857. The Secret Agent was first published in 1907 and became a movie in 1996. This was the second film based on this book. The first was Alfred Hitchcock’s Sabotage released in 1936.

There are other famous Americans who were born during the last two days of November and the first few days of December. One that was not a writer was Walt Disney. His cartoons and his company’s many movies based on literary works are the reason I feel mentioning his birthday on December 5 of 1901 is not out of place here. I hope the reminder of these authors and their works will inspire you to read something that you have not before or pick up an old favorite and see if it is as good as you remember.

Is Public Safety a Governmental Issue?

November 12, 2021

The masking issue, social distancing, business closings, and now the push for everyone above the age of five to be vaccinated are some of the things involved in the controversy. Your attitude about each of the topics may vary. I do not want to change your position on these. I simply want to deal with information that some people have been giving that is not factual.

Government should not tell us what we can and cannot do. You are going to receive a letter in the mail in the next week. Be waiting for it. It is from one of your neighbors. The state has decided to build a maximum-security prison on property within three blocks of your home. They want you to join them at a zoning meeting next week to protest this decision. Will you join them?

Why should the city do anything to prevent this from happening in your backyard? You and your neighbors say it is a matter of public safety. Who cares?

The local newspaper has stopped publishing the reports from the health department about inspections of local food service establishments. They say these are not important as they once were. Your child had a terrible case of stomach flu and suddenly you look at an old newspaper and see that your favorite restaurant has been cited twelve times in the last year for leaving food out for longer than recommended. Who cares?

You are being prepped for surgery at the local hospital. None of the nurses, technicians, or doctors are wearing masks. You ask about this and their reply is that they heard that you did not think that masks were necessary during the Covid-19 scare because wearing a mask would not protect you. They have decided not to wear them around you during surgery because they are a lot of trouble. They know you will understand.

Some day cancer will be eliminated from the lists of hazards in our lives. This has been written in internet blogs by many of your favorite writers. It does not concern you when the Surgeon General announces that tobacco companies do not have to print the warning label on the side of the cigarette packages anymore. You don’t care because you haven’t smoked in years.

The Federal government has decided that seat belts, airbags, and other automobile safety equipment is not used by everyone, and congress is in the process of repealing all these laws. The automobile manufacturers are ecstatic. This will save thousands of dollars on every vehicle. They won’t even have to cut the prices.

One last item in case you have not caught on to what I am saying. All the stop signs, yield signs, traffic lights, and other street markers are going to be removed in your city. It has been decided by the city authorities that 20 percent of drivers do not obey them. If they don’t care, why should anyone else? You have even broken those laws yourself. Apparently, you don’t care either.

My point is that the only reason we live in a civilized society is that we care about each other and they care about us. If all rules of conduct are violated because we don’t care anymore, we are back to the dark ages, and life as we know it ceases to exist. That’s o.k. You want to do what you want to do.

Save me a place in the choir, brother.

November 4, 2021

Early in my sophomore year in high school at Hillcrest in Springfield, Missouri I was sitting in Mrs. Reba’s history class when one of my classmates fell out of his chair. It appeared he had passed out. No one else seemed worried about it except the teacher. She hobbled over and stared down at him while she called his name.

“Mark, Mark, are you alright? Does anyone know what we should do?” She was at a loss. She had never had a student pass out in class before. Veteran teachers prepare yourselves for this possibility. Not the one that this Hillcrest history teacher thought she was experiencing that day. As she speculated out loud about the possibility of loosening his belt to allow him more room to breathe Mark could not hold in his amusement any longer and he began to laugh.

The game was up. The student that had been told to go to the office was not out the door. He stayed. Mrs. Reba was exasperated beyond words. She sat down at her desk while many of Mark’s friends snickered at his coop. He had taken over the class. When the teacher fully recovered, she started the lesson once more. As we left at the bell I cannot remember if Mark had to stay after class or was sent to the office or not.

That was the day I became aware of who he was. A cross country runner, a teenage boy with a wicked sense of humor, a good friend, and brother in ministry both as a music leader and a deacon at Hamlin Baptist Church, Mark and I would experience life together over the next fifty years.

My friend was taken to Heaven by his Lord and Savior on Thursday, October 28, 2001. He was 67 years old. I teased him every year when he turned a year older than I and reminded him around my birthday that I, finally had caught up with him, again.

Our friendship did not take flight until he and his family came to Hamlin several years after graduation in May of 1972. I did not know about his marriage to Lynn, another classmate, until that time. They and their three children became part of our church family, and we served our Lord together on many occasions.

He and I were asked to begin a Sunday afternoon church service at a senior housing facility by another church member. Our monthly foray into being the preacher and music leader continued for a few years. When the attendance dropped to two or three and it seemed the residents were losing interest, we moved on to other endeavors.

Mark and I were two of ten ordained to the deacon ministry at the same time. We continued to serve with that body of men. Some of the guys that were brought into that ministry with our wives that day preceded Mark to Heaven. Others left Hamlin for other churches, and one became a pastor and moved to the Kansas City area. I was sitting with Mark in a deacon’s meeting when he attempted to resign because a family situation made him feel he had failed us. Those wonderful men gathered around him and refused to let him step down because his assistance was still needed.

We have been through births, weddings, funerals, church staff coming and going. We welcomed others into the church and deacon ministry together for all these years. I worried and prayed with his family as he struggled through past illnesses that might have been his end at those times. God was not done with him then.

When he was ordained into the gospel ministry and joined the church staff to help minister to those that were in the hospital or had problems that kept them from the rest of the congregation when we met together, I was there. I knew he had been a lay minister for years before that.

Our families grew. Our children left home. We lost friends and family. We cried and prayed together. I visited him in the hospital. He came to see me as well. We have stood hand in hand around staff and other church members. We have grieved with other families who have lost fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, children, and friends.

Now I will be with his family as they mourn. What can I say to them? God gave me a thought last night. When Jesus came to get Mark as we are told He will for each of His children, everyone that he knew who have accepted Christ was in Heaven when he arrived. They had not been waiting for him. There is no time with God. His family greeted him. My family is with him. He is visiting with deacons that we served with. Some of our high school classmates are there. His wife, children, and grandchildren are there.

We do not know it because we are under the God given restraints of time and space. When He said, “Let there be light” and created everything, time also began. Mark does not miss any of us as we miss him. “A day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day.” Did he notice Lynn wasn’t by his side? No. She is a believer and is waiting for time to join him. Her heart is broken. We must comfort her and encourage her and the children to follow Mark’s example. He believes that “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” We discussed what that meant and agreed that we accepted it. We did not know what that truly meant. Mark now knows. Save me a place in the choir, brother.

Good versus bad.

August 7, 2021

We continue with the stories told in Luke chapter 6.

43 A good tree does not produce bad fruit; neither does a sick tree have good fruit. 44 Every tree is known by its fruit. Men do not gather figs from thorn bushes,

Matthew 7:17 Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree produces evil fruit.

18A good tree cannot bring bad fruit, neither can a sick tree produce good fruit.

19Every tree that does not give good fruit is cut down and burned.

20By their fruits you will know them.

Luke 6:43 begins with the distinction between good and evil trees and quality and inadequate fruit. Following this introduction, the fact that thistles and thorns do not produce figs or grapes is given. Matthew shared this concept first. We are not talking about fruit. He is speaking of men. They can be evil or righteous. We are to be fruit inspectors to know the difference.

Matthew 6:45 A good man does what is good out of the treasure of his heart; and an evil man acts with evil intent from the evil of his heart: from the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. 46 Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I ask?

Jesus talks in verse 45 about where our motivations reside. The treasure in our hearts is either good or evil. That inner pressure leads us to be righteous or unrighteous. These different ideas come out of our mouths or are expressed through our hands and feet. Our actions show who we are.

Matthew 7:16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?

When you go to the grocery store to buy produce, do you ever contemplate how the things you buy are grown? I like to grow my own food if I can. This year my garden includes onions, lettuce, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, carrots, and beets. I don’t intentionally grow weeds. Often, they are more prolific than my preferred plants. I know some people in this world that might be considered human weeds. They have no useful purpose in their lives.

Matthew 7:21 Not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me at the day of judgment, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works?

23 And then I will profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

Matthew 7:21-23 has the Son of God telling us that He will deny that He knows us, if we are just playing games with God. Do you call Him Lord, or do we truly respect Him as the one that we follow and let Him guide us through everything? Doing the work that we have been given makes us disciples. Trying to do it on our own, makes us hopeless. Our Father gives hope and encouragement when we ask for it.

We are reading the words that were spoken by the Messiah while He was living on this earth. Hearing these sayings are not enough. We must do what we are told to do. Go back to the beginning of this sermon that was given from a mountain top. These are not suggestions. At this point We are likened to one of two types of men depending on whether we obey His commands or ignore them.

Luke 6:47 Whoever comes to me, and hears my sayings, and does them, I will show you who he is like:

48 He is like a man who builds a house, and digs deep, and lays the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon the house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

49 But he that hears, and does not, is like a man that builds a house without a foundation on the earth; against which the streams beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and it was completely destroyed.

Are you familiar with the construction process? Every project begins with a foundation. The size of the building is irrelevant in determining how the structure should be supported. If you do not dig down and start building from solid rock, you are foolish. Ask any builder and he will tell you this is true. Today we may need to use concrete below our brick, stone, wood, or metal framework. Christians are often referred to as being stupid enough to believe unfounded claims. Continuing listening to what this Godman says about himself and those that follow Him.

Thirty-Nine and not counting.

August 6, 2021

The Ozark Empire Fair is winding down for the year. For our family, the fair was important for many years. It is kind of a Springfield thing. Thirty-nine years ago, my wife worked a booth at the fairgrounds with a friend of ours from church. That is not unusual. People did that and still do it all the time. The difference for Cindy was that she was pregnant.

She wasn’t in her first, second or even third trimester. She was two weeks past her due date. The following day she had a scheduled appointment at the hospital to have the birth induced. Her thinking was that if working the fair sent her into labor that night, she would not have to go to the trouble of being induced to go into labor.

It did not work. That experience working the fair began a family tradition of working at the fair for over twenty years. The sixth of August is also an important date because of that child that was born the next day. Our daughter Michelle came into the world the way most children do. Discomfort, crying, and anticipation were the order of the day with the birth of a child being the incredible culmination for all of us.

Sixteen years later, the fair was still an important part of Michelle’s life. Her birthday was spent working in concessions at the fairgrounds. Two years earlier she started working there in the summers and Cindy and I wanted to be sure her special day was celebrated. A birthday apron was made. She was pointed out to everyone as the birthday girl in that manner. A cake was decorated and taken to her at work to share with her friends.

She now has children of her own and as a schoolteacher, this is close to the end of their summer vacation. I wanted to be sure that she knows how special she is to her mother and I and felt that calling to our memories the special times we had with her as she grew up was the best way.

Happy birthday, Michelle. Blow out the candles.

Love Mom & Dad

The Parables begin.

August 6, 2021

We begin in Luke chapter six with stories that Jesus told during His ministry

Luke 6:39 He spoke a parable to them, “can the blind lead the blind? Will they not fall into a ditch together?”

Matthew 15:14 Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Can the blind lead the blind is the question? What does He mean by this? If you do not see how to follow your own path, you cannot direct someone else in how to live their lives. Without Christ we cannot see our own purpose. Trying to guide others will cause everyone to fail. Matthew 15:14 expresses it a little differently. It is still true.

Luke 6:40 The disciple is not above his master. Everyone that is perfect shall be his own master.

Matthew 10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

Masters and disciples are contrasted and compared. Followers learn from those that lead them. Your purpose is to become like the one that leads. Leadership is the goal of every follower of the Lord. As you mature others will look to you for directions in discipleship. Look at the way Matthew recorded this statement. He adds servants and Lords to the mix which is appropriate because we are to be servants and Jesus is to be our Lord.

Luke 6:41 Why do you see a speck that is in your brother’s eye, but miss the log that is in your eye?

42 How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me pull out the speck that is in your eye, when you do not see the log that is in your eye? You hypocrite, get rid of the log in your eye, and then you will see clearly to pull the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

Matthew 7:3 Why do you see a speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not observe the log that is in your eye?

4How can you say to your brother, “Let me pull out the speck from your eye”; and look, a log is in your eye?

5 You hypocrite, first get rid of the log in your eye; and then you will see clearly to clean out the speck from your brother’s eye.

You can’t lead when you are blind. Blindness may have many causes. An obstruction is the suggested cause in Matthew 7:3-5 and Luke 6:41-42. A speck in the eye is compared to a log or beam in your own eye. This is a direct exaggeration to emphasize the absurdity in what we do. Have you heard of the humor of Jesus? This is a perfect example.

Our Lord asks us to mind our own business and not try to fix others before we have corrected all our faults. Our sins are as bad as those of our brothers and sisters in Jesus’ eyes. The term hypocrite is an interesting one. In Greek, a hypocrite was an actor or thespian. It was someone who concealed their identity and attempted to fool others into believing they were someone they were not. That fits with what Christ is telling us here. We should see ourselves as we are and not belittle others because they are different.

Written in Red introduction.

August 1, 2021

I was drug through the Bible as a young child beginning shortly after my birth. I may have been a week old when I went to church for the first time. I do not believe that first church had a nursery, so I was in the service with everyone else. I was colicky and my mother had to be walking me outside to allow the pastor to be heard.

My first recollection of studying the word of the Lord was in the children’s department of Immanuel Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri. It was a few blocks down the street from our home. It was still more of a pushing operation. My parents and the teachers stayed behind me directing me to drink. I wasn’t very thirsty. At age eleven I came to know the Lord as my personal savior.

These studies are called Bible Trekking because my voyage through it on my own began while I was in college. I was still attending Immanuel and was attempting to find God’s direction for my life. My travels began in earnest in 1974 when I accepted my savior’s call to the ministry of the gospel.

My entry into journalism school was scrapped and I transferred to Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, Missouri to study the Bible on a serious level. My professors reminded me of what I had heard for years as a child. They also opened my eyes to who they thought Jesus and God were. That was where the trek began.

The term Christian or Christianity has thousands of definitions that are held by those who claim to be followers of Christ and those who reject Him. Just who was He and who can we believe?

How can we learn what Christianity is about? Have you tried just reading the words that Jesus spoke? I began this study a few years ago and have decided to finish it while sharing it with you. I began by using a harmony of the gospels to flow through all four stories of the Lord in chronological order. I have decided that it would be more productive to follow His words through categories.

The time we must cover is just thirty-five years or so. We will look at the stories He told, the miracles that were performed, who Jehovah is, who Jesus claimed to be, the new covenant that God was giving to the world, and the new teachings that seemed completely foreign from Judaism.

As we read these words, what version of the Bible should we use. It doesn’t matter. I will be using both the King James Version and Young’s Literal Translation. At times the Quotations will not show either KJV or YLT. The notation will be BTV which stands for the Bible Trekking Version. This is not an official translation. It simply means that I want to use the words that I think explain it to us.

Let’s begin with the stories that are called parables. A parable usually has only one aspect that relates to the teaching Jesus wants us to learn. Some of these teachings are in more than one of the four gospels. We will discuss the different words each witness recalls Him using and if the different witnesses cause any problems with interpretation.

Wisdom from Lemuel.

July 31, 2021

In Proverbs 31 we have another writer that we know little about. There are no Israelite kings named Lemuel. These are instructions from his mother. She warns him against women, alcohol, and encouraging him to speak up for the poor and needy. Beer and wine should be reserved for those who are trying to forget a tragedy. Sounds like a country music song, doesn’t it?

I have heard verse eight used by those who believe in the right to life. I would count unborn babies, the handicapped, the ill, and the elderly as being destitute. These cannot speak for themselves. Those of us who value every life have a duty to use our wisdom that God has given us to defend them.

The last twenty-two verses are some of the most often read in Proverbs. These do not appear to be from Lemuel and his mother. They are especially used on Mother’s Day. Women are encouraged to follow this Lady. Her husband is confident in her because she is good, wise in business, hard-working, and respected in the community. Even though nothing is said about her looks, she is beautiful on the inside.

Let’s take a closer look at her attributes. She is worth more than any jewels she might wear. Her husband has every confidence in her. This is both for hard work in the home as well as outside of it. She is good to him throughout their lives together.

She works hard and is productive. Traveling distances to feed her family is not foreign to her. She rises early, feeds the family and the household staff before she begins her day. She excels at business and her husband knows he can trust her judgment. This woman also spends time working with her hands.

She is a philanthropist. Her husband is a respected community leader. He and the entire family are grateful for the hours spent to provide for their food and clothing.

She teaches her children and the other women the wisdom given to her by Jehovah. She would share this with men other than her husband if they would listen. The praise from her kids is, “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

Her greatest gift is the respect for and knowledge of her Lord. She deserves honor and praise for everything she has accomplished.

Proverbs of Agur.

July 30, 2021

Who is Agur in Proverbs 30? His Father was Jakeh. He is called an oracle. Some versions say they are from Massa. Agur means Stranger or Gathering Together. The second meaning is like Ecclesia in New Testament Greek. It means Gathering Together and is usually written as Church. Jakeh may mean carefully religious.

He is writing to Ithiel of the clan of Judah and Ucal whom we know nothing else about. Sometimes Ithiel is translated as Words of God. Ucal means Power.

Despite being down on himself, as many of us are from time to time. He calls himself stupid, lacking wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.

He knows the Lord is in control. Beginning with verse four we have a description of Yahweh. The verse ends with the question, “What is the name of His Son.” Today we know it is Jesus. His words are pure, and He is a shield and refuge for us. We are warned not to add to his words.

The two things Agur asks for are to keep falsehood from him as well as poverty and wealth. He asks for only his daily bread. That is what we should desire as well. He gives us the reasons.

We are urged not to slander a servant to his master. We need to contemplate this for a moment. The term servant can be seen as employee and master as manager, supervisor, or owner. This instruction tells us not to criticize another worker unjustly.

We must not be of the generation that curses father and mother. This is repeated in verse seventeen. Those who are pure in their own eyes, see no reason to improve. This reminds me of the Pharisees in Jesus’ day. They are the ones devouring the oppressed and needy.

Leeches are disgusting creatures. Their children are always asking for things to be given to them. Think for a moment about the four things that are never satisfied. Hell, a woman who cannot have children, earth which never has enough water, and fire which consumes everything it can reach.

Again, there are three, no four things that we do not understand. We misunderstand the same things he does. Especially a man with a woman. No matter how many years we have been married, we still don’t fully understand each other.

The adulteress is dealt with in this chapter, also. After devouring her prey. she does not see that she has done anything wrong. I hope you do not do this exact thing.

How can we interpret the four things that cause the earth to tremble? A servant who becomes king is a theme for many American novels. Poor boy makes good and becomes powerful and influential. We all know fat fools, unloved married women, and employees who take over companies from their previous bosses.

Four small things are very wise. Ants, hyraxes, locusts, and lizards are all around today. You don’t know what a hyrax is. It is a small furry mammal that lives in the deserts of Africa and the Middle East. Their burrows are amazingly intricate. I can personally testify for the lizards. While I have yet to see one in my house, they are constantly around the foundation and my shop.

What or who do you think of as stately? Lions, roosters, goats, and the heads of armies are the four given here. Lions are powerful. Roosters are sometimes too proud. Goats believe they have the authority to go anywhere and eat anything they want. They do not eat cans. Just the labels from them. An army general is only as strong as his army.

Look at the last two verses. It is not wise to exalt yourself. You would be better to keep your mouth shut. Churning milk, twisting noses, and stirring up anger all have results. So does our self-exaltation. Butter is good. Nose bleeds and strife are not. Be careful of what the reactions to your words and deeds are.

Walk With a Servant