Tag: Mistakes

Perfection

February 22, 2026

You have probably noticed it when you’ve read my columns. I am not perfect. I have more bad news for you. You aren’t either. Ready for the extremely awful revelation? We will never be perfect if we are on Earth. If we have a personal relationship with Jesus, He will make us perfect in His presence.

Do you get it? No one is what they can be. When we listen to Holy Spirit, we will do better than we are at this moment. That is not the best we can be. There is always room for improvement. The best way to grow is to realize this.

You ain’t there yet. Yes, I slipped into my native Ozarkian. Jesus spoke Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. Since He is God, He could have used any known and unknown languages while he was here. He knew what people were thinking. Read the gospels. Was He ever surprised at situations?

The Sadducees asked about a woman who was married seven times, and they wanted to know who her husband would be at the resurrection. Jesus did not stutter when His answer was, “You do not understand.” (Luke 20:27-40) I often do not know what someone is saying.

God always knows what you are saying and what you really mean. My spelling and grammar check tries to correct some of the phrases I use. It is artificial intelligence. It was made by people. It does not know what Jehovah wants me to say to you at this moment.

AI cannot be programmed to speak for Yahweh. It does not have a soul or spirit. or body. AI isn’t even real. You do understand what the word artificial means, don’t you? It is another word for fake. Got it? You do not want to be a fraud. Be a real human being. Be willing to be wrong and admit it.

Life is not a mistake. While we live, we make mistakes. There is a difference. I can use artificial sweeteners, flavorings, or intelligence. They may help with certain things, or they will backfire and cause me even more trouble. You make the choice; you face the consequences.

Even the President of the United States makes mistakes and must deal with the consequences of his decisions. Did you notice that I did not use a capital “H” on that pronoun? I only use that for God. And he ain’t Him. Neither are you nor I.

Perfection can be obtained, but only when we are taken home to the presence of our Lord and Savior. If you know Jesus as many of us do, then you are trying to get better every day. If not, join us, and we will be perfect together someday with Him.

©Copyright 2026 by Charles Kensinger

Wisdom from an unexpected place

November 18, 2025

It is often referred to as the Boob Tube.  This is for a good reason.  Many have lost themselves in the surreal pastime of watching TV and have not allowed their minds to expand by experiencing the world around them.  The crazes of cell phones, Pokémon Go, and numerous selfie accidents demonstrate how easily video devices can turn normally intelligent beings into stumbling and falling imbeciles.

Have you had incidents where you gained wisdom from this most unexpected source? When you are my age, and every time you go into the hospital, they give you yellow socks, and you start to feel your age. The wisdom I have gained over these decades enables me to tell the doctors no when they ask if I’ve fallen in the last three months.

We learn from our mistakes is an old saying. I am not sure that the generations following me have learned from the errors committed by my age group. Just as many teenagers started smoking as did when I was there. I watched an older brother throw up the first time he took a drag. I said that it was not for me.

I had friends in high school who stayed out drinking because their parents did not pay attention to what they were doing. Mine did, and I knew not to try it. The punishment would fit the crime.

I drove fast, but because I wasn’t smoking or drinking, I was able to stay undistracted. I did date, and that made it hard to keep my mind on the road. But because the parents of the girls I dated told me to be careful, I was.

When I graduated from high school, I thought I was smart. Then I got married and we had children, and I realized I did not know anything. There is a quotation by Mark Twain that says the same thing. I never realized how smart Uncle Sam was.

Wisdom comes from the Lord according to the Bible. I believe he uses everyday situations to teach us, if we pay attention. Some of us are too poor to pay attention. Think about it. You will get the joke, eventually.

Messing things up is part of the human experience. Just be sure that when you do, you live through it. I’ve been fortunate. I’ve survived my own and others’ mistakes as well. Some were easy to identify as near misses, while most are things that I will never know about.

Listen to your elders and watch for signs. I mean street signs, road signs like speed limits, and avoid running red lights. Like driving drunk, these things will catch up with you, and others’ problems may catch you as well.

©Copyright 2025 by Charles Kensinger