Can you believe a cookie that is soft and can be modified almost as universally as you wish?
Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate chips, Kisses, Rolos, M&Ms, or any candy
Instructions
Mix peanut butter, egg, and vanilla, and drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Place one of your candies on top of the dough or push it inside, and roll the dough ball around it before it is set on the pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Remember, how I said you could modify it? A mini–Reese’s Cup, Milk Dud, caramel, gummy bear, peanut, or anything else you want could be added in or on these soft cookies. Do not press with a fork, and remove from the cookie sheet five minutes after removing from the oven. Enjoy.
My wife accuses me of not listening to her. She is correct at times. Occasionally, I listen and pay attention, and cannot repeat what she just said. I would like to claim this is due to hearing impairment or memory loss. I’ve done this for fifty years.
Today, I would like to emphasize this word in the business community. I spent over forty years in business on both sides of phone calls and both sides of desks. I hate to tell you the times that I have had to repeat myself because someone was not paying attention.
I dislike wasting time. Telling someone something and then being asked about that same thing later is insulting and aggravating. I am sure that I will do this for some of you. We should all try a little harder to avoid this problem.
I was once told I was the best Customer Service Representative (CSR) in my region. That was not my job title. I was the operations manager for my branch. At that time, I had been doing the branch manager’s job for at least a year without extra pay or acknowledgement.
As a branch manager, you are expected to be an outside salesman. I performed this job function for three years before I returned as the office manager for over ten years, at that time. I had three years’ experience, and she had virtually none. I tried to convey this to my boss, but he did not want to listen to what I had to say.
Another way is that some listen to you but do not respond favorably to your suggestions. They may even tell you it is not a good idea. When your suggestion is implemented, you discover that the person who said it was not worthwhile has taken the credit.
Years ago, I read a book called “The Peter Principle,” which promoted the idea that most companies promoted employees beyond their capabilities and terminated them when they failed. The problem I saw with Dr. Peter’s concept was that I had worked for more upper managers who were kept even after they showed their incompetence.
The higher officers gave the tasks these people could not accomplish to underlings and seldom paid them the money the added responsibilities should have demanded. To me, this was more of a problem than the fact that incompetence brought termination. That is a problem that could be rectified by listening.
Failing to advance those who show competence is also a listening problem. These lower workers tell others that they can do the more difficult tasks. The big bosses do not want to admit the mistakes they made. If they promote someone else, then those folks might eventually take their positions.
Keep your ears open and pay attention to everyone and what they want out of life. The mistakes that others make are not a reason for you to follow their example, but the motivation for us to prove we are better and will continue to listen.
“Wouldn’t it be nice” is just one of many songs from my childhood and youth that are currently used in today’s media. This one is found in a commercial. This is a Beach Boys tune that has a young man speaking to his girl, talking about how great it would be to be older and be able to be an adult. How many movies have we seen about kids who are suddenly adults?
I’d like to take this idea to its justifiable fruition. When I was listening to this song as a teenager, I wanted to someday get married and have a family. Not until after I graduated from college and was on my way to becoming a journalist.
Then Jesus convinced me that it would be better to follow what He thought I should do. I changed majors and aspirations for my future and completed my degree as a preacher’s son. I had every intention of attending seminary and even made plans to marry my fiancé so that we could move in together.
That was not His plan. We got married, and the job I had taken before graduating moved me into a management trainee position. Two weeks after the wedding, I was told we were moving. We spent a little over a year there and decided, “Wouldn’t it be nice” to move back to Springfield.
That is what we did. Then we decided that we wanted to stop renting and buy a home. We went to work and remodeled it, and three children later, sold it and purchased a larger home. We have slept together for almost fifty years now. I think we have earned the right to brag about that.
Our dreams of becoming grown-ups have come true. Not because someone granted our wish. We did it with God’s help and instruction. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could do that? If that is what you want, follow our lead and get ‘er done.
There have been many opportunities that we have had in this lifetime. We have served our family, friends, and Lord in many diverse ways. Neither of us went to jail, but we did serve on juries. We also have never run for a political office, but we do work as election judges.
Now, it would be nice to make it to our fiftieth anniversary later this year. We have talked about going on a cruise someday or riding a train farther than a few miles on scenic trips. Cindy might want to take a balloon ride or go skydiving. She would need to do this without me. I have acrophobia.
No matter what age you are, you should always have hopes and ambitions. Think of something that you want to do and have not tried yet. It would be my wish that you accept Jesus as your savior and Lord sometime soon. I hope you have a friend or family member who can show you how.
He spent 29 years teaching children about kindness, patience, and gentleness.
Then he died.
And most people never even knew his real name.
To millions of children, he was simply Mr. Green Jeans.
His name was Hugh Brannum.
He was born on January 5, 1910, in Sandwich, Illinois. His parents expected him to become a lawyer. He did exactly that, earning a law degree and preparing for a respectable, predictable life.
Then Hugh picked up a bass.
Music pulled him away from courtrooms and contracts and into a life of sound, rhythm, and storytelling. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, he toured with Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians, one of the most popular big bands in America. He wasn’t just technically skilled, he was warm, engaging, and gifted at connecting with people. Between songs, he told stories. He learned how to hold an audience without rushing them.
Radio followed. There, Hugh honed something even more important than performance: the ability to reach people gently, using only his voice. That quiet skill would become his greatest strength.
In the early 1950s, Hugh found himself in New York, just as television was being invented in real time. It was there he met Bob Keeshan, a young performer fresh off Howdy Doody, who was developing a radical idea for a children’s show.
Keeshan didn’t want noise.
He didn’t want chaos.
He wanted calm.
He envisioned a show that treated children with respect—one that moved slowly, spoke softly, and teaching without lecturing.
In 1955, CBS launched Captain Kangaroo.
Bob Keeshan became the captain—a gentle figure with a mustache and a jacket full of oversized pockets, living in a magical place called the Treasure House. But he needed someone else. Someone warm. Someone patient. Someone genuine.
He cast Hugh Brannum as Mr. Green Jeans.
The name came from the costume—green denim jeans and farmer’s overalls. But the character came from Hugh himself. Mr. Green Jeans was a farmer and handyman who lived nearby and visited often, bringing animals with him—rabbits, chickens, goats—and a quiet respect for the natural world.
He never rushed.
He never raised his voice.
He never talked down to children.
When he brought a rabbit, he showed children how to hold it gently. When he brought chickens, he explained where they lived and what they ate. He assumed children could understand if given time and patience.
That approach was revolutionary.
At a time when children’s television was loud, frantic, and filled with slapstick, Captain Kangaroo slowed everything down. There was room to wonder. Room to think. Room to learn.
And Mr. Green Jeans embodied that philosophy perfectly.
The show aired weekday mornings for nearly three decades—from 1955 to 1984—over 7,000 episodes. Entire generations grew up watching it. Parents who had once sat cross-legged in front of the television were now turning it on for their own children.
Behind the scenes, Hugh Brannum did far more than play Mr. Green Jeans. He performed multiple characters, contributed music, and served as the show’s musical backbone. His bass, his storytelling instincts, and his calm presence shaped the program’s soul.
Yet almost no one recognized him.
On the street, Hugh Brannum was invisible. Put him in overalls, though, and millions of children knew exactly who he was. And that was enough for him.
He never sought celebrity. He understood that Mr. Green Jeans wasn’t about being known, it was about being useful. About offering children a steady, kind presence in a world that often moved too fast.
In the early 1980s, as his health declined, Hugh retired. He played Mr. Green Jeans for 29 years—one of the longest-running characters in television history. The show continued briefly without him, but something essential was gone.
On April 19, 1987, Hugh Brannum died at age 77.
His obituary identified him simply as the man who played Mr. Green Jeans.
And suddenly, millions of adults realized something startling:
Mr. Green Jeans had helped raise them.
Not with speeches.
Not with discipline.
But with gentleness.
He showed generations of children that strength could be quiet. That knowledge was meant to be shared. Those animals deserved care. That patience mattered.
These weren’t flashy lessons. They weren’t dramatic. But they were foundational—the kind that shape who a person becomes.
Hugh Brannum had a law degree. He toured with famous musicians. He worked in radio and television. He lived a full, accomplished life.
But for nearly three decades, he chose to be Mr. Green Jeans.
And because of that choice, millions of people grew up a little kinder, a little more patient, and a little more curious about the world.
Most people never knew his name.
But they knew his example.
Hugh Brannum died in 1987.
Mr. Green Jeans lives on—in memory, in gentleness, in the quiet lessons that never needed applause.
That is not just a television legacy.
That is a moral education delivered so softly it felt like love.
Remember him. He earned it.
Once again, I took this from Facebook, and it was not credited. If it is yours, I will reassign the copyright. I grew up with the Captain, Mr. Green Jeans, and the entire cast. Thank you to whoever wrote this.
Watching a movie, I was reminded of parenting skills that Cindy and I have learned. We knew little of these techniques when our first child was born. As our kids grew, we grasped concepts from our folks. Some, we decided, had worked. Others were thrown out with that day’s garbage.
I will share some of the better ones with you:
Give your kids space. The time to keep them close is when they are young. As they grow, the time and type of closeness also change. Each person is different in the freedom they need. Some of us need our parents for a longer period than others may.
Set rules, but as they mature, make them guidelines. Every child needs to learn how to operate in the world they will live in. Your job is to teach them how to make the decisions they will need to make to live in a civilized world. Not all the prisons and graves are full of the children of bad parents. Some kids turn out decent despite being taught the wrong things.
Be their parent and remember that someday you want to be a friend. Try to be friends too soon, and they will not have the chance to be instructed by the parents that we all need. I never had to make it without my mom and dad. They were strict when I needed it and a friend when it was called for. We raised our kids the same. Now they have their own kids and don’t need parents. We are friends, advisors, and help them when they ask.
Quality time also means more time. Some parents think that the few minutes they give their children are enough if they are used well. When I ask what they do with them in those short periods of time, they have no actual answers. Usually, they can’t remember what they do with their kids.
There are books on parenting that are helpful and ones that are full of a lot of crap. The ones that helped us might not be as useful for you. You must keep in mind that your child(ren) are unique individuals. You are the one who will help them become adults. What type of grown-ups will they be? That is not your choice; it is theirs.
Children should be given responsibilities that are suitable for their age. Toddlers should pick up after themselves. They should eat, sleep, and listen to instructions. Don’t wait until they rebel against being treated inappropriately to allow them to mature. Think about the mistakes your parents make and realize that sometimes, when you think you are helping, you are not.
You may get tired of hearing me talk about things that I have heard on rom coms. I am married, and this is something that Cindy and I do together. We also make quilts, do home renovations, shop, and visit our grandchildren together. I DVR movies just for me that are not romantic comedies. I get to watch these by myself.
I wanted to speak of true love. Can you define what love is? It is not an emotion. It is not a hole that you fall into. It is something that you choose to do. You love someone that you want to love. Some people get married and then divorce because they do not love their spouse anymore. That is a decision they make.
I hope you have not experienced this. I know some whose marriages ended because their spouse did not want to be married anymore. Everyday Cindy and I decide that we want to love each other. Sometimes this may not be an easy decision for you and your spouse.
That means that we want to be together. We want to be kind and patient. We decide to treat each other as we want to be treated. We stay faithful to each other. We do not have to be together all the time, and we do not have to agree on everything. We do have to decide to go out of our way to get along.
Most couples who have been married for twenty-five or more years feel this way. Feeling trapped after you have been married for five or ten years is normal. What you need to do is determine whether you will stay together. When Cindy and I were married, our wedding vows included “till death do us part.”
We also promised to stay together “for better or worse, in sickness or in health.” Many modern vows I have read in the last forty years do not cover these things. Flowery language is more about a spiritual type or physical form of love, and not a true or lasting love.
Sex is not lasting. Satisfying lust will not sustain you. The next time you and your spouse or live-in have a disagreement, discuss whether you intend to stay together. If you have children together, think of them. Children of parents who do not stay together have emotional problems. They have problems at school and at home. Consider how your relationship will impact them.
I am asked whether I thought Cindy and I would ever divorce. My reply is, “No.” I feel that way because I had no desire to take the easy way out. When we have difficulties, I want to solve them. I am willing to take second place in my family’s lives. Nothing is as important to me as our girls and their mom.
Notice something different about this recipe. There are no quantities. These depend on the number of servings you need and your other preferences. For my wife and I, we use one large boneless skinless chicken breast. Split it in half to make the slices thinner for cooking.
Put a tablespoon of oil in a skillet and season to your taste, and fry the breast pieces for about four minutes on each side. No need to bread them. Brown them as you wish. Check to make sure they are cooked through.
Add two tablespoons of salsa to the top of each breast. Layer your cheese over the salsa and allow it to melt a little. We use a slice of provolone with a top layer of American or cheddar cheese. Use the ones that you like or that you have.
That is the great part of this dish. Customize the quantities, flavors, and side dishes to provide what you enjoy. We serve rice, noodles, or whatever we are in the mood for. I have shared our fried rice and will provide other choices that we use in future columns. Enjoy.
We have gone through the Christmas season and celebrated the birth of the Savior of the world. We call Him Jesus. Do you know who this historical figure is? I am a writer. A craftsman who uses words to create meaning for you. I am a wordsmith.
Just as a blacksmith creates tools, knives, or horseshoes from black iron or steel, I make phrases and sentences that convey ideas to you. Either you agree with these two thoughts, or you refuse to accept them. I don’t mind if you don’t consider me an author. That hurts neither you nor me.
When you do not accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, it separates you from God. Why should I care? That is between you and your creator, whether you know it or not. I care because God cares.
This is what I believe. I know this is the truth. Acknowledge it or deny it. That is your freewill. He gave it to you just as He gave you life. He is not the one who is lying to you. We have an adversary that does not want us to recognize these facts.
Jehovah created the universe. That includes our world and all the objects we see in the sky. Today, we know some are planets. stars, or wandering bodies. I do not know if there is life on any other planet. We are too far from them to discern that. We’ve tried with the ones closest to us, and nothing is there.
When They created all of this, we human beings were created. Men and women are made different from other creatures. We are in Their image or likeness. This is where my craftsmanship comes to bear. I need to explain what this means.
God the Father, God the Son, and Holy Spirit are called a trinity. That word originally meant three divine beings that make up a godhead. A supreme ruling force in our universe. That is incorrect. They are a triune being. Do you see the difference in the words? Trinity combines three separate things into one.
Triune takes one and expresses it as three separate forms. Do you understand this? Let me put it this way. Take an egg. Just an ordinary chicken egg. Open the shell, and you have a yellow thing called a yoke, the shell you just broke, and the white or albumen. Those are three individual things with their own names and purposes. Get it? The shell protects the developing chick. The yoke becomes the chick. The egg white feeds the creature as it grows.
Three things, one individual being. That is us as well. Three things that are one person. Does it make sense to you? It does to me. You have a body. You are not a body. You also have a soul and a spirit that reside inside of you. If you have accepted Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, your spirit is alive. If not, it is dead.
I will continue this more in-depth in future columns. I think this is enough for you to take in now. Please ask me questions in the comments, and I will answer them specifically in the next articles. Thank you for reading what I believe.
I first met Gary about fifty-three years ago. I know that because I had not met my wife yet. I was introduced to her fifty-two years ago. Don and I traveled to Hamlin Memorial Baptist Church from Immanuel, where we went. We had been called to restart the Royal Ambassador program there.
Gary, the associational R.A. director, asked us to visit them on Wednesday evening. In the summer, I volunteered to be a counselor at Baptist Hill, which is important to him. He also called me, and I scheduled a practice game for the Immanuel women’s softball team I led and the Hamlin team he coached.
I began to see him often after Cindy, and I started dating. He and Geri were at our wedding, which was held at Cindy’s church, Hamlin. Gary was our class leader when we visited on weekends while we lived in Joplin. After we moved back to Springfield, he was our young married class leader until I began teaching.
Gary was a deacon, and he and his wife were involved in many events where the Deacon Body led the church. I joined his R.A. staff and worked closely with him, and later became the R.A. Director when he moved on to other ministries.
I took some advice from him and took a week of vacation from work each summer to lead Vacation Bible School. He was working with younger people to teach them to become the leaders that they are today. When his kids were in the children’s and youth groups, I was one of their teachers.
One Sunday, when Ryan, his son, was in my seventh and eighth grade class, we had an impromptu discussion of sex. Our lessons had an annual discussion on this subject. That morning, I answered questions that the boys had. I ended the class with a warning to them to tell their parents that we discussed chocolate, if they were asked.
That evening at church, Gary confronted me and wanted to know what his son meant when he told him our lesson was on chocolate. I explained a story I had used to teach the young men on the correct approach to sex. Some of those men remember that discussion; others do not. I often would use this code word to alert Gary when I was broaching this subject with a group.
Gary and I continued to work together as Deacons and leaders at Hamlin until they moved to another church, and he continued to be the same man who had taught me how to be a better minister and father. Gary’s life was not as easy as mine had been. He had served in Vietnam and experienced situations I never had.
Gary and Geri’s son and daughter know more about the trials that he experienced. I witnessed his anger on a few occasions and tried to understand because I also have issues with anger. Most of us do at times. Like all of us, we are not perfect.
Gary knew that he was not without sin. He taught his children and I that, despite our sinful state, Jesus could be our savior and Lord. Because he knew this, when his earthly body died, his soul and spirit went home. He was welcomed there as we who have accepted Jesus will be.
He began his second term as president, violating his oath of office. This was done within forty-eight hours of the inauguration. He has continually made executive orders that have required our judicial system to waste time and money overturning what he wants done.
He has now kidnapped a man and his wife, whose government is friendly with three of our greatest enemies. His motivation for this is supposedly for national security, when he is the one who has had us murdering their citizens on the seas and claiming they are transporting drugs without any legal proof.
From the news reports I have seen, the main motivation is to get access to crude oil. Where is the United Nations? Why are none of our allies denouncing the use of our military to depose a leader in another country, even if he is a dictator? I do not believe that anyone wants to oppose him.
I do not like to be political. My problem is that some have told me they cannot believe Christians like me support this madman. Their words, not mine. I am constantly reminded of others who claim to be followers of Jesus, who apparently see no problems with his actions.
Let me set the record straight. I am not a Republican. I am not a Democrat. I am non-partisan. I have never voted for Donald Trump and would be more likely to vote for a dead dog. I have known the man to be unreliable, uncaring, and only out for his own profit for as long as I have heard of him, for the last three or four decades.
I am sure there are Republicans who agree with me. They need to voice this dissatisfaction and denounce the man and any others who continue to support him. Here is what I propose. Vote against every Republican who refuses to publicly oppose these actions.
Vote against anyone else who does not speak against his actions to control states, cities, and other countries. The actions of his administration appear to be those of a
dictatorial government. He says that he knows he is not a king. The problem is that his decisions appear to some of us to be confirming what others say about President Trump.
Apparently, we also need Congress to defund the INS, including ICE. Shut them down and fire every employee. When you have impeached Trump, inform Vice President Vance that his administration has three months to prove that they can rebuild what Trump has tried to destroy, including our immigration department.
With the problems that his all-out war on so-called illegal immigrants is causing, he needs to go. He is killing Americans, and those who are here legally are being deported without due process. Stop this now, or it will be stopped in 2027 after an all-new Congress has been elected and one-third of the senators have been replaced.
We will not forget what you have done to our people and country. We elected you to lead us. Do it now or find another job. We are mad as hell and will not take it anymore. If you do not believe me, we will see who is laughing in November. As President Trump is infamous for saying, “You are fired!”
Charles (Chuck) Kensinger 