Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Taking time to think about where you live is a pastime many of us have. We worry if our homes are as expensive, beautiful, or happy as our neighbors, friends, and family. That is our concern. God’s is expressed by King David in Psalm 15.

“A Psalm of David. Jehovah, who lives in your tabernacle? Who stays on your holy hill? He who is walking upright and doing what is righteous, who speaks the truth in his heart. He has not spoken disrespectfully. He has not done evil to his neighbor and he has not criticized his neighbor. He has despised with his eyes the one that God has rejected and honors those who respect Jehovah. He has agreed to suffering and does not change his mind. He has cheated no one and does not take a bribe against the innocent. The one who is doing these things will never be moved.” (Ps 15:1-5).

Remember that when these words were written the Temple of Solomon had not been constructed. The presence of Jehovah was thought to inhabit the Tabernacle that had been created during Moses’ time. More specifically, He inhabited the Ark of the Covenant.

Walking upright and being righteous are ways of stating that this person obeys Yahweh. They also speak the truth that they have hidden in their inner most being. Jesus said in John chapter fourteen that He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. They also do not speak disrespectfully. I think this means about God.

There are many kinds of evil that we can do to our neighbors. I’m not just talking about the ones that live next to you. Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan to explain what God meant by loving our neighbors as ourselves. In that story a Jew had been attacked on a road. A Priest and a Levite had both avoided the injured man.

Samaritans were hated by the Jews. Why would one of them stop to help? They understood the law better than the Hebrew officials. Do you ever feel that Christians do not know their Bible as well as they should? I do and that is the reason why I call myself a born-again believer.

The actual place where Yahweh lives is what we call Heaven. It is outside of space and time. God created those after He existed. Remember Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth.” He was already abiding in His home that we call heaven. The heavens are what we see in the sky both during the day and the night.

The one who resides with Jehovah honors those who respect Him and disrespects those who reject Him. Not cheating others or taking bribes are honorable things as well. However, agreeing with suffering seems extreme. Most of us do not want to suffer for Christ even if He suffered for us.

Believing that we will live with our savior and His Father after we die is considered “pie in the sky by and by” according to some. I am sure that they would call me deranged to say that we are there right now and will only realize it when our bodies cease to function. That’s what I call living.

Living history

November 6, 2025

When you have three or four decades under your belt, you start to notice what history is for your children and later your grandchildren are things that you remember firsthand. Mom and Dad knew about World War II as actual events that they experienced both here in the Springfield, Missouri area and for Dad also in the South Pacific with the Navy. As Christians, our lives are lived by what we learn from history in the Bible, but also from life as it is experienced.

In 1972, on September 17th, a freshman at Southwest Missouri State University experienced a historical event that did not seem like such at the time. The CBS TV series MASH premiered. This program portrayed events that were historical in a dramatic and comedic way for those, like Mom and Dad, who had lived through the period, and their children who had not.

An interesting thing about MASH is that it lasted eight years longer than the war it portrayed. Since it was only once a week, that fact was never noticed. In the reruns today it is much more noticeable. At the time, the MASH series finale was an epic event. In 1972 when the first episode aired, nobody knew what to expect. The original movie was alright, but the series surpassed it.

In July of 1969, we watched the moon landing and the walk. I was six when the first astronaut took his ride and followed the other five on the Mercury ships. Then the Gemini crafts were launched. Apollo was next, and the catastrophe of Apollo One catching fire and killing Roger Chafee, Ed White, and Gus Grissom seemed to delay or stop that.

It delayed the launches, but it did not end them. In 1967, the first manned Apollo mission was called Apollo 7. Eight took three men around the moon and nine stayed in Earth orbit to test the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM). Ten went back to orbit the moon and tested the docking of the lander in moon orbit. The first landing possibility was Eleven.

This is not mentioned by most commentators, but Neal Armstrong could have aborted the LEM setting down. During those last few moments before setting down on the surface as the commander, he had to make the decision whether he should attempt to risk the mission with a failed landing. The fuel in the LEM was at the point he had to abort or land. That is what makes a legendary pilot.

You may be asking, “How does he know these things?” I was a space nut through the sixties and the seventies. If it was published about NASA or the Astronauts, I read it. I was in front of the TV for every launch and live broadcast with Uncle Walter. You do not know Uncle Walter? Walter Cronkite was the CBS news anchor for most of my life. We only received NBC and CBS until the early 1970s.

Despite not having the internet, cell phones, satellite TV, or all the miracles of this age, we lived history. We witnessed all these things unfold before our eyes through the miracle of television, and we had real cats and dogs, without having to watch YouTube videos to see what was happening in our world.

We also watched in horror as the twin towers in New York City crashed to the ground, and our president had the guts to send troops to find the mastermind of that attack. In spite of all of that tragedy, he never once invaded American cities to make himself look good. He actually did something constructive without shutting down our government..

Nobody

November 4, 2025

Once again, Jesus brought this Casting Crowns song to my attention. He does this often. When I am down and need something to bring me back to what my ministry is, He sends His personal message to me. It is never a verbal word from Him. If I stop and listen, I know what He has done. Let me tell you about this time.

It starts out with the question of why God chose me. Do you ever ask yourself why you felt a desire to accept Christ when others easily refuse? I accepted Him when I was a kid. In college, I rejected the Church I attended, not God. He then asked me to accept a call to His ministry. I still do not understand that.

I never thought of myself as one of the not-quites or worthless individuals, as some do. I knew what I wanted to do. I once thought I might be a good candidate for President of the US. I thought that after a few years as a reporter, I might want to try my hand at politics.

Like the writer of this song, I can relate to Moses’ apprehension at being a leader and how David felt when he stepped up and accepted the call to fight Goliath. He was young and already believed that he could do anything he was asked to do. It took me a few more years to get there, but I think I may be close.

David did, in fact, take rocks to a sword fight. Yes, I said rocks. Reread the story, and you will see that after he shed Saul’s armor and sword, he took up his shepherd’s pouch, staff, and sling. He stopped and selected five stones that he placed in the bag. Some wonder why others have said that his opponent had four brothers. Only one was a brother. The other three were cousins. He was prepared.

I am beginning to see who He wants me to be. I minister to those I worked with and around for over forty years. I’ve worked with multiple groups in churches and other ministries. Now you are my congregation. I hope I can come across as loving and understanding as Jesus did.

That’s what He tried to teach His followers. He showed love to everyone, even those who opposed Him. He did not stop there. He died for all of us. Even those who wanted Him dead forced the Romans to execute Him.

I know I will not go down in history. All I can ask for is what the chorus of this song says. I just want to tell you what I know about my Lord and Savior. I am not important in any way other than as a witness to what a life of service can mean. I hope that you want to be a nobody like I am.

Canceling Christmas

November 2, 2025

No, I do not want to stop Christmas from being celebrated on the twenty-fifth of December. I want to discontinue Christmas in October, November, and especially in July. Any month except December. Christmas is not what it should be. The name means a celebration of Christ.

What we call Christmas is an advertising gimmick. Companies want to hook you into their products, movies, or TV shows. I know many people find Christmas as enticing as pumpkin spice everything. Personally, I like pumpkin pie, but all these other concoctions that seem to be everywhere around the holidays seem to me to be just stupid marketing ploys.

Christmas was designed by the Catholic Church to replace a festival held in December. The trees and some of the other traditions that we have today were part of the original feast. What has created this monster that covers almost the entire year is the legend of Saint Nicholas and his desire to give gifts to local children.

Gifts are one reason that the Christmas season has been extended. Another is that many seem to enjoy decorating. Does it seem to you that some go overboard in decorating? I have also noticed this same desire to decorate for other holidays.

Halloween is over, and there are many who may not be into Christmas but enjoy decorating. If Halloween is their thing, that is why they go all out for this holiday. The thing I noticed in previous years is that many of these decorations are adapted to the upcoming Christmas season. I understand why they make these conversions.

The worst offenders are the TV networks that inundate me with Christmas year-round because some folks want to watch Yule tidings all year. This article is to advise these stations or networks that they are wasting their advertising money, telling me about these out-of-season premieres.

They probably don’t care any more than the networks that air football and other sports all weekend and two or three nights a week. I do not watch sports at all. I am sure I am not the only one.

It is not that I want everything my way. I would just prefer that those who have the power to force their opinions on us would slacken it off a little. Let’s not cancel Christmas; let us simply concentrate on the birth of our Lord and Savior.

All Hallows Eve

October 31, 2025

In 1971 I was the Feature Editor for the Hilcrest Herald my high school newspaper. Something I tried was writing stories about historical facts about each holiday. Some were published on page three with other features. Others were editorials and published on page two and one or two made it to the front page.

I do not remember where the one with this title appeared before Halloween. This column is not an exact duplication of it because over the years my files of these published stories have been lost. As any good author is always willing to do, this is a rewrite from my original idea.

All Hallows Eve is a pagan festival that celebrated the dead and the spirit world. Part of that celebration was to dress as the dead and walk around in public on the 31^st of October. There were other times when it was part of the feasts for children to go door to door pulling pranks as the spirits were believed to do. Residents would set out treats to discourage the spirits and the children would accept these for payment.

This was how trick or treating began. Decorations representing the spirit world would be hung from trees and placed on buildings. They also posted many items that were thought to serve as talisman or good luck charms to keep evil away. What we call Halloween was a celebration of the spirit world of the pagans.

That is what I remember from my original article. Today, I will elaborate on things I have learned in the last fifty-plus years. Many Christians have opposed the celebration of this holiday for over three decades. Fall or holiday festivals are rampant at churches.

Trunk or treat celebrations are also popular now. The interesting modern developments to me are the number of businesses and not for profits that provide treats for children and how many young adults dress up and have parties. While some Christians want to tone down the spookiness others are spooking it up.

Remember to stay safe tonight when you are out with your children or grandchildren. Have parties without alcohol or drugs and stay off the roads if you have imbibed. We don’t need any tragedies while families are having fun.

Love in thirty days

October 31, 2025

We just watched another Christmas rom-com in which a couple who start out disagreeing about everything decide they are in love in thirty days or less. This is not reality, or is it? Some believe in love at first sight. There is also the concept of “falling in love.”

Cindy and I began dating in October. By the time I left in June of the next year, we were engaged. That was fifty years ago. Was it love at first sight? No. I realized I loved her after a few weeks and asked her to marry me because I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.

I asked her out because I liked her. I guess you could say it was like at first sight. The more I got to know her, the more I enjoyed being with her. I decided to love her because I could not imagine my life without her in it. That took longer than thirty days. Not much more, that may be true.

We did not start fighting or disliking each other. We have our squabbles and disagreements from time to time. I learned this from living in a family where love was exhibited every day. Mom and Dad also had disagreements. I remember Mom throwing dishes at my father once.

Romantic comedies, either in movies, TV, or books, must include certain elements of storytelling. Real life may be your story, but it does not have the plot points and character traits that we include in fiction. Life is life, and fiction is fiction. Romance is not necessarily what an author or script writer thinks that it is.

Love is what a couple desires it to be between themselves. What you consider romantic or loving in your relationships may be different from what others would call these descriptors. Dr. Gary Chapman defined five love languages in his books. These methods of communicating love are not accepted by everyone.

Some show love by words of affirmation, receiving gifts, quality time, acts of service, or physical touch. There have been jokes made about what a love language is. Portuguese is not a love language mentioned by Dr. Chapman.

You and your spouse may have a different story from ours. If you believe that you “fell in love” at “first sight,” I would like to hear your story. Comment below to share it with me. If you do not wish to share it with my readers, include that in your comment, and I will not release it to anyone else.

Advertising to steal your money

October 29, 2025

I’ve talked about misleading television ads. It is assumed that stations and networks will not air ads that are not in compliance with FCC regulations. From time to time, companies are found guilty of crimes by government organizations. The FTC, FCC, or others may file suits against these businesses.

I am not referring to any groups that are anything but legitimate. Do our governments allow legal theft of our money? Yes, they do. They promise things that they cannot deliver, and you are still legal. Especially for the gambling industry. You may win some money, and that makes it legal for them to say this.

My Microsoft Word grammar check wants me to change “win” to “earn.” Does Microsoft own stock in gaming companies? This brings out another reason why I believe our culture has decided that gambling is another of those past vices that should be viewed as reputable.

Missouri made it legal for companies to establish sports betting in our state. We already have bingo, the lottery, and casinos on boats on our waterways. Now you will be able to sit at home or anywhere and make wagers for sporting events on your computers, tablets, or other devices. Of course, the spots have warnings that some find gambling difficult to stop.

I’m sure that will be as effective as the warnings against tobacco and nicotine usage, alcohol and drug abuse, and other activities that we once thought civilized society should restrict. Some areas have legalized prostitution, and often these are notorious gambling zones. Why do you think Las Vegas, Nevada, is called Sin City?

Another name for this wagering capital is Lost Wages, Nevada. In 1969, my New York Mets took their first World Series title. I was not old enough to go to Vegas and place a bet. I’m sure a twenty-dollar wager placed before the season started would have netted thousands for me. I had predicted this win for over five years.

While some chances may pay off, we need to think intelligently about the chances we take. I am constantly amazed by how many folks I know who expect to invest money in lottery tickets, bingo, or casinos and gain a fortune for future needs. Now in Missouri, you can add sports gambling to the list.

Anyone who thinks about it knows that the companies that make their money from any kind of wagers will not allow themselves to pay out more than they bring in. That means that most gamblers may win some but will ultimately lose what they win if they continue to wager.

Random games of chance are the worst offenders. Sports gaming may seem a more certain chance, yet the winner is never truly known until the end of the game, or match. There is no sure thing. Please do not be one of those that fall into this trap. Gambling is a legalized means of stealing your money.

The minus

October 27, 2025

Everywhere I look everything seems to be adding a plus. Me-TV+, Hallmark+, and savings plus are just a few of them. This is supposed to show you that something has been added that was not there before. It is better than what has previously been available.

Our society is always wanting the next big thing. New, better, best is what we are always craving. Faster, easier, and quicker are all things that we look for. It occurs to me that what we really need is what we once had. My 1966 Chevy was the best car I ever drove.

Why? It wasn’t just what it had; it was what it did not have. It did not have all the gizmos and gadgets that we need today. All it had was power and the ability to take me where I needed to go fast. It was also the first car I drove that had seat belts. That was the epitome’ of safety for the time.

Maybe what we need most is not more but less. Take away what is not good for us and continue to be what we knew was good. Missouri passed a law that allows sports gambling. We also approved abortion and labor changes that our state officials want to overturn. They think we need more of what they want and less of what we want.

Walk back with me to the things that our grandparents believed in. Mine knew there was a God and that Jesus was His son and that the Holy Spirit could take up residence in our lives. About fifty years ago, I decided to accept that this was true. I’ve lived my life the way the spirit has instructed me as well as I have been able to.

I have had setbacks, but most of my life has been better than I ever imagined. I am not one of those that goes overboard and eliminates modern conveniences from my life. My wife and I have smart phones that link to our car that we drive so that we do not violate current Missouri law.

I like our two air-fryers, microwave oven, and laptop computers. Our house also has a fireplace, skylight, and a landline. We have security on our Wi-Fi, phones, computers, and tablets to prevent hacking. There are so many new things that we do not have. We do not have the systems that we can just talk to and play music or make phone calls.

I enjoy my smart phone because it allows me to read a book anytime I have a few minutes to spare. I also have an audiobook app that I use to increase my ability to read more. Reading is one thing that I do not want less of. Adding people to your life is a plus. Adding things is a minus.

When was the last time you added a new friend? I like to talk to people. Some people don’t do that as easily as I do. Take a chance and talk to someone new. You may find out that you are the kind of person who people want to talk to.

Stupidity

October 25, 2025

“I’m impatient with stupidity. My people have learned to live without it.” “I’m afraid my people haven’t. I am very sorry. I wish it were otherwise.” This is a conversation from the movie “The Day the Earth Stood Still” released in 1951.

These lines were given by Klaatu, the visitor from outer space, and a representative of the U.S. President who was trying to determine the reason for his arrival on Earth. An otherworldly organization wants to warn all earthlings of their emanate destruction.

The producers of this movie were trying to demonstrate some points about our society at the time. This quotation is indicative of what many thought of the Cold War at that time. If you have not seen this version of this classic, find it on any of the streaming services and view it.

I know you may not remember this movie because it came out before we were born. A few of you may have seen it in the theaters in the early fifties. Most of us only know of it from DVDs, videos, or even VHS tapes.

My first recollection of it was in the early 60s, on NBC Movie of the Week aired on Saturday nights. Mom and Dad were out that night, and my brothers and I watched it after our oldest brother put our younger sister to bed. It began at 8:00 pm at her bedtime.

Another interesting clip from this movie has the visitor from space, who is calling himself Carpenter, being interviewed by a radio reporter. The newscaster asks him, “I suppose you’re just as scared as the rest of us?” “In a different way, perhaps. I am fearful when I see people substituting fear for reason.”

It is here that the reporter decides to move on to someone else. Start a conversation that others do not wish to have, and they always walk or run away. It is a human reaction. We are either afraid to learn new things or worried that we are being talked down to.

How do you feel when a friend tries to point out a flaw in your personality or actions? My reaction is usually a defensive strike or fleeing. We always want to be correct and often refuse to hear that we are not. Especially if you are a politician.

The story of this film is about the lives of humans, and especially Americans. We react with violence at the least provocation, and it is shown on the news every day, even today. Society is not better than it was in the 1950s. We have more toys and time to waste on them, but no more patience and understanding for each other.

The newest version of this film alters the story to make it work with the 2008 view of what it might mean if Earth reaches a technological ability that would endanger other lives in our universe. I hope you realize that this is fiction.

The real worry for all of us is each other. You never know who might be out to destroy you. Keep reading my columns, and I will explain more about how to protect yourself in this dangerous world full of stupidity.