Cowboy Bob Sorensen

It is Easter again , the time when many professing Christians observe the bodily Resurrection of Jesus, God the Son, from the dead. On such an important time, we should be seriously examining Good Friday as well as Resurrection Sunday. Unfortunately, many of us make several mistakes. The most obvious is that we take it lightly and go through our routines and rituals. Those are functional and even fun. We need to also consider things we do wrong, and also how Easter gives us hope in several ways. Resurrection wooden art, Pixabay / CP This post was written in 2023, partly with the idea that it would appear even if I had died before the scheduled date. I edited in this paragraph. Something worse for me happened. I lost my beloved wife Charlene, who was also my best friend, in September of 2023. She and Jesus are waiting for me, along with others who have gone before. Although some professing Christians join with atheists in denying it, the Resurrection is a historical fact . The obvious ...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  Hopefully this article will at least prove interesting as well as helpful for people going through the grieving process. Charlene has been gone for just over three months, and this first Christmas in over twenty years without her is brutal. This morning I got up and took a picture of the tree, which is three feet tall and pre-lit, set on an end-table. I added some ornaments. One was a gut punch because it was from her late sister, "New Home 2008" for our new apartment. Now Charlene is celebrating her first Christmas with Jesus in her new home . Using a tripod and the phone camera's night setting, plus I removed clutter Our last Christmas together, we both had the Rona. On Christmas Eve, we watched the 1951  Scrooge  (changed to A Christmas Carol )...just noticed that I wrote "we watched" out of habit. This movie was in our rotation for Christmas Eve and Day viewings. I only made it about halfway though, what with being tired and all — we...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  Today is the 67th birthday of my beloved Charlene, which she is celebrating in Heaven. Right now, I am writing this while listening to one of those music compilation CDs that I made her long ago. The concept of self-esteem has exaggerated importance, often used as an excuse for inflated egos and pride. However, the healthy kind is important. As I mentioned before, we met online and got to know each other texting through AOL. It did not take long to learn that her self-esteem had taken a beating her entire life. Baby Charlene ca. 1957, via PhotoFunia and other enhancement processes Charlene almost never received "props" or complements from her parents. Her daughter (who died in 2010) and ex-husband verbally and mentally abused her. Lots of manipulation. Like I have done, she had wished to go to sleep and never wake up. I think her belief that self-elimination is a one-way ticket to Hell kept her alive. If I rightly recollect, she said she didn't de...

This weblog will focus on my grieving process for a while, and I hope that it will help some people who are going through these things as well. Everyone grieves sometime, but not the same way. There is no "getting over it." Some of these will be short, some long. Music has power. It can influence moods and even cause excitement (such as with rallying songs chosen as anthems). Some become a part of us while others have poor lyrics that were only effective because of the delivery and production. Songs can take us back to times in our lives, both good and bad. I'll hear a song now and remember how Charlene liked it. Some make me think of her even if she didn't know them. She told me that she was playing mix CDs in her car that I had made her years ago. I had label and case insert-printing software, and had fun doing it. What is seen here may be the very first one I made for her. (The picture was taken in the lantern area of the Rondout Lighthouse, and it was quite a feat...

On Wednesday, September 20, 2023, my beloved wife Charlene left this world to be with Jesus and loved ones who have gone before. I love her and will be with her again someday. A rather detailed version of what went on is here , so no need to do it all again. There is a great deal to learn about the grieving process, and it is different for everyone. Do not expect someone to get over the emotional gut punch and mental fog (especially with unexpected losses like mine) quickly. We have to experience it and learn to deal with it. Here is one way I am facing it. Esopus Creek near Mt. Tremper, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen In September of 2022, Charlene and I gave ourselves an outing. We went on Route 28 to Mt. Tremper for some walking in nature and so I could get some pictures. (This is comparatively recent for me, partly motivated by the fact that newer smartphones tend to have good cameras.) Unfortunately, the Esopus was muddy from low rainfall . During this time, her back condition was ...

Most professing Christians around the world are celebrating the bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! If it had not happened, our faith is in vain (1 Cor. 15:12-19). But it did  happen and is the best-attested fact of ancient history. Those who are in Christ are forgiven and adopted as children of God (1 John 1:12-13.)  Like last year, no full post today but I am going to link to my other posts on the subject: Doubt Creation, so Doubt the Resurrection? The Trail of the Resurrection from Genesis (which I had written about a year ago in case I was not around to post something for this year) Resurrection or Evolution as a Basis for Hope Bible with Resurrection account and flowers, Unsplash / Anuja Mary Tilj As a bonus, here is a short post from Jimmy, " This Sunday at Church: Being Grateful for the Resurrection of Christ ." Please pray that God blesses his missions trip and for safe travels. Also, Why?Outreach has reposted a link to a collection of links regarding ...

Wow, Christmas already? It feels like a year...okay, it happens that way. This post is a follow-up of sorts to " Christmas is More than People Think ", and it would be helpful to read the article linked there before reading this one. Helpful, but not essential. Most professing Christians and some people who give a nod to it celebrate Christmas. Ask them what it means, you will be told that the Son of God was born. There is far more involved than that simple answer provides. Pixabay / Gerd Altmann As a child raised in the Untied Methodist Church (misspelling intentional), I learned my best theology from the hymns and public reading-mumblings of the creeds in the back of the hymnals. My understanding was still very weak, however. I have a vague recollection of getting on the prod when someone said that Jesus is God: "No he isn't! He's the Son  of God!" Later came knowledge of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Then the phrase, ...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen  It was one of those nights where I lost some sleep, and frustrating because I had to go to work the next day. Tough it out and pray for strength. Have you experienced dreams that stay with you throughout the day? This was not one of those. Instead, I was laying there at four in the A. of M. trying to remember it so I could write this here article. The first dream that I will mention, however, did  stay with me. I remember most of it rather well years later. Old house, Pixabay / Peter H In the older dream, I was walking alone on a very straight country lane on a very fine day. It was unpaved and there were no fences. Coming toward me was a figure in a hooded black robe, and a dog (like a Labrador Retriever, but with a bit more hair). The dog ignored me and kept on going, but I knew the other character was a demon. I was annoyed, and my immediate response was to rebuke it. "Satan, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the blood shed on the cross —...

Glory to God, Jesus Christ has risen from the dead! That means he has defeated death, and all who believe in him have the blessed hope of eternal life. There is a fearful expectation of eternal life in Hell for those who have rejected God's offer of salvation. It is amazing that atheists are so hateful, and without hope in life, that they not only spit in the face of Jesus, but try to destroy our faith. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Our hope is certain because it is based on the person of Jesus. Don't let anyone try to take your eyes off him! Pixabay / congerdesign I'm not going to post an article here. Instead, here's a list of what I've written up for this Easter season. Some of these were written several months in advance: The Crucifixion and Counting to Three — People say it is not possible to get three days from the Crucifixion on Friday to the Resurrection on Sunday. Modern readers of ancient texts have a habit of imposing their own culture...

This Easter has a deeper meaning for me. Thinking about the bodily Resurrection of Jesus, but it is also the anniversary of the birth of my late father. He, too, had that blessed hope. I will meet him, my mother, my oldest brother, and others in Heaven who have gone before. Credit: Flickr / Kristin Klein  ( CC BY 2.0 ) If anyone was looking for a longer post, yes, I've been busy: Answering Good Friday and Easter Questions  (putting to rest false claims of Easter and Good Friday paganism) The True Source of Life The Other Resurrections (especially that puzzling passage in Matthew 27:50-54) Moses and the Resurrection of Jesus?

During tumultuous times, celebrating the birth of Jesus is a stark reminder to Christians that we have hope. This hope is not based in humanity. Instead, we need to focus on how God the Son left Heaven and became the man Jesus for our salvation. Credit: Pixabay / falco He did not come to make everything into our best lives now. In fact, following Jesus involves sacrifice and persecution; it is not a lazy tinhorn's religion like atheism. But we are given eternal salvation, adoption as sons and daughters of the living God, purpose, victory over death, and much more. I'm not going to take much more of your time, unless you have a hankering to see what I've done for this Christmas season. I'd be much obliged if you'd watch the "flash mob" video. Look for how people are awestruck around the 4 min. 23 sec. mark. Okay, the other posts: Why the Genealogies of Jesus are Important Christmas — Relatively Speaking The REAL Mother of Jesus

Step aside, guard! The king must use the throne. No, this is just a game. Two television programs have ended that were loved by many. One was a fantasy drama called  Game of Thrones, the other was a comedy known as The Big Bang Theory.  From what I read, both generated quite a bit of emotion in some folks.  Background image before malevolentification by NASA / WMAP Science Team (ain't no way they endorse any part of this site), with a graphic from Clker clipart I didn't care. Two shows that people talked about that had many episodes, and I never saw any. Previews for The Big Bang Theory  struck me as silly and I didn't want to spend time on it. Game of Thrones  has been described as not only violent and trying to be politically correct, but it had graphic violence and was pornographic. via GIPHY Fans were disappointed in the ending  of GoT, I'm sad to know that some professing Christians were putting that kind of thing in their minds. So...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Until the last few years, people knew that men and women are different . Not only do we have distinct biological differences that are important medically and in other ways, but it is the way God designed life. We are also psychologically different. It is indeed unfortunate that I have to state what was formerly obvious. Credit: Flickr / Mike Baird ( CC by 2.0 ) The University of Notre Dame was a religious school last I knew, and as such, claimed to uphold certain standards. Apparently modesty is not so important. One of the differences between men and women is that us menfolk are visually stimulated. Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. discussed a problem at the university where a mother wrote a column in the student newspaper about leggings. I highly recommend his March 29, 2018 The Briefing podcast that can be heard online, downloaded, or you can read the transcript. One of the various names for this piece of hosiery for women is yoga pants , which shows t...

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen Edited 4-15-2019 Many of us who have jobs know the frustration of having upper management make demands, expecting those of us who actually do the work to somehow make their dreams and their bonuses come true. Unfortunately, too many people in their positions do not know how things work, but they make promises to clients that cannot realistically be fulfilled. I say that the motto of The Company is the song by Queen, "I Want It All (and I Want It Now)". USSR Order of Labor Glory 3rd Class Medal Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Fdutil ( CC by-SA 3.0 ) While my work at The Question Evolution Project and the Piltdown Superman site (among others) sometimes feels like a full-time job, I have a day job to pay the bills. It is a data entry job, so you can imagine the eye strain from doing that plus writing posts and articles. My own social media rules are stricter than those of The Company because all y'all don't need to know where I work. On...

Yes, we celebrate Christmas. No, we will not be manipulated into feeling guilty about it by Reverend Dourpuss or uninformed, legalistic Christians. Or professing atheists who pass along falsehood. Claims that Christmas is based on plagiarized pagan and mythic figures are false, pilgrim. Credit: Pixabay / RitaE I'll allow that there are some errors in our traditions, such as the Magi visiting Jesus in the stable (their visit was a year or two later, and it was probably a large group, not just three). What if Christmas did have pagan associations? If that was true, then Christians who shun Christmas are inconsistent because several things we know and use today actually do have pagan origins — which are largely forgotten. Those people might want to avoid the days of the week and months of the year if they want to be consistent, for example. December 25? I have read and some interesting arguments that insist that Jesus was indeed born on that date. Then I read others that make...