Today, September 21, 2026, mark the end of another summer.

And it’s on this day every year when I think about those boyhood years nostalgically. Now that I’m back in the southern tier of America, the first day of fall won’t take on that same feeling it did when I lived all those years in Colorado. But this year, it definitely reminds me of those first days back in Texas at the end of summer and the start of fall. Still way more like summer than autumn.

During my last couple of years of high school, I became a poet. And I’ve continued to work on that ever since. Once I graduated high school, I moved to Kansas full-time. My mom and stepdad offered to help get me started in the “real world.” And I loved the rural Kansas lifestyle. Plus, there was a girl. Good grief.

Anyway…

I used to drive around the rolling hills and farmland of eastern Kansas with a plastic Bic pen in my mouth and a trusty spiral notebook on the seat beside me in my car. When I saw something, or someplace, that inspired a word or a phrase or an idea, I would stop and write a poem.

And I felt like sharing one of those with you to end the summer this year…

Those Dewy Morning Flutter-by Songs

If I could only look through those amber eyes again,
I could see those lovely childhood days.
The days my father cherished.
Those times that never perished.
I would run by his side
Through the dewy, silent morning,
And the flutter-by birds sang their morning songs…
Those dewy morning flutter-by songs.
Then, the clock would steal the hours,
And I’d be welded to the powers of the fireside twinkles,
And my father’s whispered stories.
All the draperies were drawn,
And very soon the room was gone…
Lost in the world of those dewy morning flutter-by songs.
When I think nowadays
How my life was seldom bored,
I feel so empty all inside.
I have lost the knack for freedom.
Bring me truthful things; I need ‘em.
Give me someone’s side to run by
Through the dewy, silent morning.
And listen…to the flutter-by birds
Sing their dewy morning flutter-by songs…
Those beautiful songs,
Those songs of my past,
Those dewy morning flutter-by songs.   © 1975 TF

Most people who ever read that poem told me they like it. And I liked it at the time. But I read it out loud, now, and it falls way short of what I expect for myself now. I suppose that’s a good thing. Because I guess it just illustrates the progression that leads to better writing. And I’m grateful to God that I’m still progressing all these decades later.

Now, who’s ready to roll out the pumpkins and get this new autumn going?

By the way, if you’re inspired by the beauty of God’s creations, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post End of summer ain’t no bummer appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

That’s nothing new. But a few minutes ago I started pondering how that happens. And you know what? It doesn’t happen in my cells. It doesn’t happen in my blood. And it doesn’t happen in my internal organs. And it doesn’t happen in my hands or feet or skin.

Nope. music happens in my head. Or to be more specific…in my mind. Not my brain “mind” you. The brain is just the hardware that stores the software.

My Monday morning faith starts out with me knowing this…

Your mind is an extension of God. He is the Great Coder. In fact, He invented code. If God had never invented the code that designs who you are, you wouldn’t exist. And you could never grow up to work with any other kind of code…like the code being used to make these words “magically” appear on your computer screen.

It brings me great comfort to know God is on His throne. Yeah, it makes me happy. Do you feel that way? Do you tell Him thanks for giving you life? Because He loves you so much that He made a Way for you to live forever. I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel so happy I wanna sing a new song.

A few years ago I wrote some words you can sing any way you want. You can take these words and make up your own song. If you do, send it to me, and I’ll share it here on my website. Don’t be shy. It can be YOUR song the way YOU like to sing. Here you go…

My Monday Morning Music

Here’s my song…
For the day…
It’s my Monday morning music, and I pray
That it’s fun …
And you’re blessed…
If you want to sing along, well, be my guest.
Take these words…
Make a tune…
Hum it now, and sing it all this afternoon.
Whistle once…
Add a smile…
Find a way that you can give it your own style.
Start the day…
With a song…
And your heart will be much fuller all day long.
Keep the joy…
Inside you…
Then my Monday morning music is yours, too.

If you wanna start out the work week with a song in your heart, let’s stay connected. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Monday morning faith can lift a woman or man appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

If you have a plan, I hope it includes using wisdom and discernment.

Otherwise you have a plan built on sand, Mister man. And those kinds of plans tend to turn into great material for political and/or religious jokes.

You can’t swing a dead pig (no, my articles are not, an never will be, certified halal approved) without hitting a headline about the coming AI dystopian future. But I predict that such a future will NEVER happen. I’ve staked my life on the reason why.

Yeah, I can make that bold prediction, with 100% confidence, because of another “prediction” I read about in the best selling book of all time. The author said the world (including the planet Earth) will end when He destroys it with an all-consuming fire. And I say that Histopian future trumps ALL dystopian future.

Sure, it still sounds ominous. But it will be under the control of the one true, living, loving God of creation. And He won’t cause the extinction of mankind, as AI doomsdayers predict the “machine” will do. Oh yeah, your creator also wrote, in His bestselling book of all time, that “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night shall not cease.”

So-called AI can do some amazing things at blazing speeds. And the technology is getting better and faster. But keep in mind, it is technology designed and implemented by human beings. So, it can help you have a plan for things like launching a business, outlining a book, or researching information.

But it will never be sentient. Never human.

Because only God can create, from scratch, life-filled human beings. If you have a plan to prove me wrong, I suggest you get another hobby. Or be prepared to be abruptly awakened one day. And if that happens, you’ll discover you treated the only true utopia for an artificial dystopia. You will regret that. Meanwhile, as for me and others who choose to love God, we will look forward to…

The Pure Place

I clamor for the clean life, and I never quite succeed.
I’m hunting for the high ground that’s higher than the sky.
And I’m looking for the love-life…the kind that we all need.
I’m wishing for the wonder that lives in my mind’s eye.

I want to find the Pure Place…that glitters like gold.
I need to find the Pure Place…never hot or cold.
I’d love to find the Pure Place…
Let the Light shine on my face…
No dreams I’d ever have to chase…
No bad that we could not erase…
I’d love to find…the Pure Place!

I’m searching for the sanctity that I never do quite find.
I’m longing for the living days that never, ever end.
And I’m thinking so theatrically, but at least I use my mind
To quest for the quintessence of my Forever Friend

repeat chorus…inst…repeat chorus and end   © 1998 TF

If you know there’s no such thing as AI, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Have a plan Mister Man appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

It’s located in the Denver, Colorado metro area. And it’s an easy 40 mile drive through some canyons and front range mountains. It’s the kind of drive you should check out all the points of interest along the way. If you did it that way, you could make a whole, fun day trip out of it. Maybe even two days.

From where Elgielene and I used to live it was easiest to start out in the little town of Morrison and head up Bear Creek Canyon. Side note: Morrison had one of our favorite breakfast places, The Blue Cow. Not sure if they’re still around. But they made crispy bacon. Winner! And Elgielene loved their “Morrison Scramble.”

Anyway…

In Morrison, you’re literally near the entrances to Red Rocks, one of the best places on earth to see a concert. You could check it out at the start of the loop in Morrison…or at the end…it’s your choice. Either way, it’s worth the stop.

OK, as long as you’re already in the (Lariat) loop, so to speak…

Head on up Bear Creek Canyon. And you’ll pass through Idlewild (a wide spot in the road). Be sure to look for the sayings on the sign outside the church on the right. And then it’s on to Kittredge. In Kittredge you might try another small eatery “From The Vine,” if they still exist. If they do, I recommend the blueberry pie. I like it cold.

Then, it’s just a hop and a skip to Evergreen. There’s a bunch of places to eat and recreate. Don’t miss out on the lake. It’s a postcard setting whether it’s summer or winter.

After you pass through Evergreen you wind on over to I-70. And you’ll drive on it for just a short couple of minutes to the Genesee exit. Go left, over the bridge over I-70. And follow the road until you see a sign for the Buffalo Bill museum. It’s a fun, souvenir shop. And you can see where Billy Cody and his wife were buried. Oh yeah…they have some tasty fudge, too. Or at least they did on our drives.

As you leave the museum, turn left and follow the winding road and signs. You’ll get a panoramic view of the whole Denver metro area along the way.

I always loved that easy, scenic drive through the mountains.

And when you wind on down Lookout Mountain, you get to my favorite spot in the loop. Golden. In fact, I call it the notch of the Lariat Loop. Whoever was in charge of maintaining Golden always did a bang up job. And there was plenty to see and do there. Not just the Coors tour.

OK, I’ve left a lot out. So, you gotta go get in the loop for yourself. It’s a fun drive. It’s close to the Denver area. And you can tell ’em Tony sent you.

And by the way, I brought it up is because it’s featured in one of the songs on my “Bedtime Buckaroos” western themed collection of lullaby songs for kids.

The Lariat Loop

Ridin’ on the stagecoach
Lookin’ out the window
Stoppin’ at the Red Rocks
Listen to the wind blow

Footprints on the hogback
Dinosaurs of old days
Pictures of the wild west
Buckaroos and old ways

On the Lariat Loop where the blue cows play
And the buffaloes smile for the cameras all day
Through the Golden skies where the eagles swoop
You’ll be dreamin’ tonight of the Lariat Loop.

Evergreen enchantment
Kayaks in a clear creek
Listen close and you might
Even hear the deer speak  (chorus)

Get your boots and chaps and hat
Now’s the time to start…
Go lasso all the memories.
Corral them in your heart…(chorus)  © 2012 TF

Get the Bedtime Buckaroos songbook, coloring and drawing book, and there’s a link to download all the songs, included:  https://www.TonyFunderburk.com/bedtime-buckaroos

Stay tuned,

The post The Lariat Loop in this bedtime scoop appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Because I can pray FOR the king (and other sinners) as I pray against him.

And if you’re like me, it isn’t easy to pray for people from every walk of life and in every position. I mean, c’mon, have you seen the horrible things human beings are doing to each other lately?

If you love your neighbor as yourself, you’ll remember that everyone is hurting in some way or another. And everyone needs the saving Grace of Jesus. Not just the weak, the poor, and the brokenhearted. Because, to some degree, every person, especially anyone without Jesus, is weak, poor, and brokenhearted.

When you see your president be stupid over and over again, it’s a good idea to pray for (and against) him. He should submit his will to God. Sure, just because you pray for him doesn’t mean he will. But if no one prays for him (and his foolish/stupid congressional accomplices), then he/they will probably never change.

And this once great nation of America will plummet further into the abyss of broken non-relevancy. How do you like them apples? Certainly some cauldron stirring talk from a guy who writes fun, rhyming books for kids, eh?

And that’s despite the fact that I prefer a quiet and peaceable life.

I know it will never completely come true until I’m living with the Lord in Heaven. But I’ll still work on it here, even though some of what I share stirs up the hornets’ nests in leftists minds.

Anyway…

Think about this when you pray for the “king” today…

No one deserves your healing Lord.
But you deserve our praise.
Your great name and your Word
Will lift us up and fill our days,
If we will look to you for strength
And courage to declare
The love and Truth about You
Found in Jeremiah’s prayer.  © 2018 TF

If you prefer God’s peace, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Pray for the king and every underling appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

There’s a humongous canyon between living your life and just slogging through. To live it requires thoughts, joy, and action. So, “to live” shouldn’t be a passive experience. Because that results in letting life happen to you rather than thinking about where you came from so you can let joy work in you with thanksgiving. I hope you see the difference.

Life is too precious to just be moaning and groaning through.

Life is a gift. Breathed into you from God. And it CAN be an eternal gift. He’s worked on us humans for 6,000 years. Because he wants to show us how to live more abundantly. With more purpose. And go on forever.

But most people tune God out. Maybe it’s because the world is so full of distractions. Or maybe it’s something even more serious? Maybe it’s because most people would rather BE a god and try to “go it alone.” I hope that’s not you.

God sacrificed SO much to provide the opportunity to live forever in a glorious life you can only imagine.

That inspires me to live a life with Thanksgiving.

And that gets me to the turkey part I mentioned before.

My wife and I went on a short pleasure drive in Colorado Springs a few years ago. As we got to the top of one hill we saw a flock of turkeys wandering around in the middle of the road. I pulled up as close as I could and snapped a picture and took some video. And we could clearly see why the word “turkey” is used to describe a dufus.

Naturally, turkeys remind me of Thanksgiving, which is coming up in a couple of months. And with Thanksgiving there’s always the family get-togethers, lots of food, and the delightful Autumn weather. But it’s so important, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day of your life, to remember who to be thankful to.

I’m deeply disappointed at how many people are clueless about that.

Without your Creator you wouldn’t have life. And without His sacrifice you wouldn’t have hope. And you probably WOULD be moaning and groaning through life. So, I hope, if you haven’t already given your life to God, you’ll do it today, because…

There’s A Time

You’ll hold on to nothing when you leave.
It’s only you He will receive
And only you that means a thing.
So learn to love the things you are
And though you may not be a star
You still can hear the angels sing.

There’s a time for rejoicing;
Between the sunrise and the sunset.
There’s a time for your heart to be free from pain.
And there’s a time for believing.
This is only the beginning.
There’s a time when your spirit can see so plain.
That’s when you’ll know
You’re welcome to go.

You can’t make it to the other side
‘Til you’ve got nothing more to hide
‘Cause you can’t hide it from His eyes.
So try to learn from your mistakes
And try to do just what it takes
To live your life away from lies.   chorus

Don’t turn your head.
Don’t turn your head and walk away.
Your time just might be today.     © 1983-2007 TF

If moaning and groaning ain’t your thang, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Moaning and groaning through it ain’t the Way to do it appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

So? Don’t make it your intent to make a dent.

Because God doesn’t expect you to pay Him back. He already paid the price for your eternal life. And He offers it to you as a perfectly free gift. That’s what makes the Grace He offers so amazing. It won’t cost you anything. Well, you WILL have to give up your need to be your own god. But you can do that. Right?

Let’s look at it this way…

How ’bout I offer you a car that’s totally paid for. All the taxes, registration, insurance, and a lifetime gas supply are included. Would you be interested? Keep in mind, we’re talking about a car. And every car eventually breaks down and turns into a rust heap or pile of junk. But my guess is, if someone offered you a brand new one for free, you’d be very willing to at least look at it.

Yeah, if you found out all you had to do was accept, you’d probably accept. I know I would. C’mon, we’re talking about a new car for crying out loud!

Sure, your skeptical mind might also wonder “what’s the catch?”

And what if I told you that you gotta belong to God to get it?

Uh-oh. That’s a Model 3 of a different color. Eh, mate?

But I think the possibility of eternal life (a new car) should at least be on your to-do list of things to explore?

Because God already bought and paid for it. And, let’s be real. If you had to pay for it, even in a million years you wouldn’t make a dent in the cost. Here’s a little bit of irony. God already made two places where you can go when you die. But, because He’s a living, loving God, you get to decide, right now, which place it’ll be.

Eternal separation from Him in hell. Or eternal life in Heaven with Him. I suggest the Heaven option. Open your heart to the Spirit of Jesus. Get your spirit renewed with His Spirit of Life. And live with hope and anticipation.

I always mention how this is a limited time offer. You only have until your last breath to make the decision. So, don’t put it off. You should act now and forever belong to God. Or spend eternity in a place where you won’t make a dent.

C’mon and beat the world, and try to leave a dent.
But don’t regret the time that you’ve spent.
C’mon and beat the world, and try to leave a bruise.
You need to know the life that you choose
Is gonna beat the world. (from my song Beat The World © 1995)

If you wanna beat the world, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Make a dent with your good intent appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And that’s how I like it, too. Simplicity and sincerity.

I know those aren’t the buzzwords these days. Most people like to share the words “genuine” and “authenticity.” But I’ve noticed how often, even when they say you should keep it simple, it takes them anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to describe that. But, then again, that’s just there idea of authenticity.

Seth Godin, a well-known marketing “guru” answered an interviewer’s question about authenticity in a way I really appreciated. He said something like, “Forget about authenticity. Instead, focus on consistency.” And then he explained how showing up consistently, by default, reveals your so-called authenticity.

I don’t recall if he ever addressed sincerity. But my guess is, if he did, that would also be included in showing up consistently. Because think of it this way, if you were there for your friends consistently, don’t you think they will take it for granted that you’re doing it with sincerity?

The apostle Paul was able to prove his sincerity with his letters to the different churches in his day. And his message, when you boil it down, was simple. Love your neighbor.

And that comes directly from Jesus.

He certainly knew the cause and effect of simplicity and sincerity. That’s why, in His new message of grace, he said all the commandments could be boiled down to two. Love the Lord your God. And love your neighbor as yourself.

I dare you to find anyone, in all of history, who’s even remotely as sincere as Jesus. But don’t accept my dare. Because I’m sure your life is too busy to go chasing futility. Especially when you can keep it this simple…

Would you like to live forever
Under Heavenly skies?
Then go get some understanding
In God’s word and be wise.  © 2016  TF

If you like it simple and sincere, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Simplicity and sincerity should never be a rarity appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Well, Paul was able to rejoice and be glad when things were bad.

Yeah, he told the Philippian Christians, that he was “being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.” And if you know anything about what Paul went through to share his message, you know that was no small feat.

I believe Paul understood, and kept in mind, how much God loves His creations. And He formed you in your songmother’s womb. He knit your bones and muscles together with His words. And He knows the number of the hairs on your head. You matter to Him. So, that’s enough reason to rejoice and be glad right there.

The Creator of the universe loves you. So, “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another fin psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Today, get on your feet, dust off your larynx, warm up, have a cup of coffee or tea, and show God how much you love Him in return. Do Him a solid and rejoice with singing. Feel free to admonish me if you disagree with the suggestion.

I won’t mourn the things I lose
‘Cause there’s so much more to gain
And my spirit will rejoice
When I leave this earthly plane. © 2014 TF

If you rejoice like this, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Rejoice and be glad even though things are bad appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And letters to friends was my preference.

Because I figured if God could go to all the trouble He did to share all those letters in the Bible with us, I could do something similar for my friends. And I could share uninterrupted thoughts and updates that I could focus on and write down in my own way. Of course, I enjoyed phone calls. But, back then, they could add up to a significant extra cost. And the conversations sort of interfered with my style of communication.

So, I used pen and paper. And some wacky rectangular things called “envelopes.” I know it sounds like crazy talk. But I wrote out each individual word, by hand, using cursive code. And, if I DO say so myself (and I DO), my handwriting is very fancy schmancy. That little blue, somewhat musical looking “Tony,” at the bottom of my message and the top of my website, is actually my signature…my real one. No kidding. Fortunately, my friends were able to decipher the cursive code I sent them.

Anyway…

Back then I shared my stories from the road.

Sometimes I used greeting cards. And there were even times I sent audio messages on cassettes (ah yes, ancient communication but more reliable than smoke signals). And sometimes I’d include my motel session recordings of original songs to get feedback.

I didn’t really get a lot of mail in return. But the writer in me needed to write. So I did.

Very often I’d visit a place and then send out letters, with pictures, to friends. Just wanted to let them know I was thinking of them even as I enjoyed experiences without them. Such a goofy dude.

I’m gonna share a short verse I wrote, on one of my short trips to Colorado, before I got off the road and moved there. I think I was in Durango at the time. I’m not sure. But I can see the San Juans as I re-read…

Mountain Thoughts

With my rambling heart able to spread its wings
And soar in its homeland…
With my eager eyes able to soak in all the splendor
Of my mountain landing…
With my dream all around me and the peace and happiness
That accompany it…
My thoughts still go out to my good friends.
My thoughts go out to you.    © Tony Funderburk October 14, 1987

If you like keeping in touch with friends, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Letters to friends where the land and sky blends appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And the citizens made many good and beautiful decisions.

If you’re an American, your life is still full of choices. But, in a world full of sin and temptation, you sometimes choose the stupid stuff. You’ve noticed this in your life, right? I’ve noticed that in mine.

Sure, some bad choices you make have little or no consequences. Wearing plaid shirts with striped pants? Not good. But other than maybe your ego, nobody gets hurt. And you’re the only casualty when you have a third cup of coffee on an empty stomach. Basically nobody else is affected.

But here’s where you cross a bad line…

When you make a choice that causes someone else to suffer negative consequences. And when the negative consequences include death, there’s absolutely no justification for that choice.

Members of the so-called “pro-choice” movement moved away from that label. Because, even though they won’t admit it, they know abortion means a mother made the choice to have her unborn baby murdered. Yep, in the vast majority of cases where a pregnant woman goes into an abortion clinic, a death occurs. But it’s almost never the mother, the one who made the choice.

It’s almost always an unborn baby who was given no opportunity for choice whatsoever. What’s so “pro-choice” about that? And don’t even start to say “it’s a women’s health issue.” Since when did it become necessary to kill an unborn baby to assure a woman’s health? (hint: the answer is never)

And if you include the woman’s emotional and mental health in the equation, the cure becomes the cause. A lot of research shows most women never fully recover after an abortion.

Yes, life is full of choices.

Do you suffer from the consequences of choosing abortion? Well, I hope you decide to choose God’s Grace in order to access your only chance for lasting health and peace.

If you’ve made a bad choice and decided to have an abortion, would you get in touch with me first? I can connect you with people who can show you a wide variety of good and beautiful choices you can make instead. And if you’ve already gone through with your decision, I’d still like you to get in touch with me so I can pray for you.

And WITH you if you like. God knows what you’re going through. He said if you’ll only seek Him, He’s easy to find. And He’s waiting for your call.

Abounding Grace

If this was the last day of my life…
If this was the last sunrise I’d see…
I’d still thank the Lord for my days
And His abounding Grace to me.

If this was the last thing I could write…
If this was my final poetry…
I’d still thank the Lord for His word
And His abounding Grace to me.

If this was the last time I could pray…
If this had to be my closing plea…
I know I could say, “I love the Lord
And His abounding Grace to me.”  © 2014 TF

If you appreciate God’s grace, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Good and beautiful where grace is not dutiful appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

The 9/11 attack showed how despicably evil Islam is.

I remember reading a clip where a muslim American soldier recalled that day in 2001. And he said “Why did the terrorists have to be people who claimed to follow my beautiful Islam?” Talk about a fool speaking his whole mind.

That guy is probably one of the many muslims who believes theirs is a religion of peace. And that’s as uninformed as Christians whose favorite Bible verse is (their incorrect understanding of) the “judge not” verse.

But the main reason Islam is foolish AND evil, is because there is no allah.

The allah found in their so-called holy book was a figment of Mohammed’s despicable imagination. And, yeah, I know I’m trash talkin’ somebody else’s “religion.”

So, I won’t share any more details of Mohammed’s life.

Certainly not his incest or pedophile side. Who’d wanna hear something so gross anyway. Right? But it might be worth your time to look up information on the guy. Because you’ll see how his so-called religion creates rapists, murderers, and hit-and-run, cowardly terrorists.

Today, I hope you’ll remember the 9/11 attack and see how we’re heading toward something much worse by allowing Islam to grow, like a fungus, in our country. Then, pause for a minute and thank the one, true, living, loving God of creation for His love. And for the mountains of evidence that prove Jesus was and IS who the Bible says He is.

Pray for courage to stand up for your Christian faith. And tell your so-called “representatives” in government to also stand up and scrub the scum out of our land.

It’s important to believe who you believe in.
It’s important to have faith and hope and trust.
Because you’ll exist forever and forever
As a saved soul or a tortured soul of rust.

If you trust the one, true God, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post 9/11 attack got this one on track appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

So, a “world with no hate” won’t exist without Light.

And that reminds me of the verse in the book of the Revelation, in the Bible, where it says: “There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light.”

Yeah, Jesus could call Himself the “light of the world” because He IS.  But here’s the sad kicker. He’s the “begotten son” gave His only who gave His life so that everlasting life is available to anyone who loves Him back. But most of the world still hates Him and despises his “rules.” They want no part of a “ruler God” who “demands to be loved.”

Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t need demands to coerce me into loving a God who made the ultimate sacrifice for His creation. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” And that wasn’t just some social justice lip service. He lived and died according to His Word.

So, if He calls Himself “Light of the World,” then I hope and pray I can do my part to flip the switch for as many as possible. I won’t live in a world with no hate. But maybe I can help a few stop contributing to it.

In This World

I’m in this world but not of it.
I like this life but don’t love it.
My Savior rises above it.
I’m in this world but not of it.

This world can beat me up.
But this world is not my home.
I have a finer place where I will forever roam.
This world’s no easy street.
This world is not so nice.
It costs a lot to leave,
But my Father paid the price.    So…Chorus

This world has lots of love,
But this world is filled with hate.
One day it won’t be so,
And so I can hardly wait.
This world has moans and groans.
This world has aches and pain,
But soon even this shall pass,
Jesus the King will reign.   Chorus…inst…chorus 3 times   © 2008 Tony Funderburk

If you prefer the Light, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post World with no hate and I can hardly wait appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I know there’s not a single person on Earth who can talk down to me.

And I want you to know that truth for yourself, too. But you first have to realize no other human being on the planet can actually condescend to you? Or to anyone else for that matter. No matter what the perception is in this world, you are equal in value to anyone.

Notice I said “value.” Not position. Of course, if you work for someone, their position is higher than yours. After all, they hired you. They pay you. But all you would need to do, to reverse that, is hire yourself and run your own business. All this has nothing to do with your value.

You’re created in the image and likeness of God.

I hope you get the full impact of that. I’m talking about God. The One who spoke words and the whole universe exploded into existence. And He didn’t create any other living thing on the planet in His image and likeness. Only humans. And He gave US “dominion” over all the other creatures.

That makes you and me pretty unique. Right? Eggzackly!

So, you could say God had a condescending attitude when He lowered Himself to become a man and take the punishment for our sins. He had always existed, in eons past, as a non-corporeal or spirit being. He wasn’t confined by the constraints of flesh and bone.

Still, He was willing to live as we live and deal with the temptations in this world. And even die a horrible death for something He didn’t do. All so you and I could avoid eternal death and all the consequences of sin.

In other words, God made the way for you and me to have eternal life. And He didn’t just talk down to me and you. He had his Son condescend from His position as the untouchable God who became a physical, skin and bones man. He became Jesus.

I encourage you to take a little time to read the accounts of how Jesus died. It’s pretty hard to take. But it fully shows how completely He loves you. Once you take the information into your heart, I’m convinced you’ll be like me. Grateful, eternally, to have God talk down to me.

Here’s a song I wrote about it. It’s called…

Consequential Servitude

God looked down on me…He knew I was wrong
Usurped my position I held for so long
Yeah, He just took over…where my brain left off
He knew it was risky…He knew they’d all scoff
Sometimes I’m so stupid, and so often blind…
Trade reason for feelings; mistakes underlined

And so again; I behold the outer man
Through God’s condescending attitude,
And I defer to the perfect Architect
And this consequential servitude

He spirals His thoughts…through my barricade
He knows I am feeble…yet hands me His blade
And He tells me to rise up…from my Phoenix blight
He builds me a fortress of conquering Light
When my clay is brittle…and crumbles to sand
I long to be putty…in my Master’s hand…

And then I can behold the inner man
Through God’s condescending attitude
Because He chose me as His dwelling place
I choose this consequential servitude

There were no incantations, no hallelujah chorus
He succumbed to His detractors; withstood an inquisition…
And then commended His spirit, relinquished His position,
And then He died a death that was for us!

Repeat 1st verse and 2nd chorus…end

© 2001 & 2008-09 Tony Funderburk

If you’re OK with the consequences, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Talk down to me if you are one as three appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

You should love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.

And there’s a place in the New Testament where it says that.  But do you do it?

I don’t.

It brings me no pleasure, in fact, it pains me to say it. But I don’t give my all to God. And that’s in spite of the fact that I love my Creator. I’m blessed and thrilled to know that I have a Risen Savior. Jesus was totally innocent of all crimes. But He was still put to death in a horrible way. For me. And for you. But I know I don’t put all my heart, soul, strength, and mind into loving Him on a full-time basis. I bet you don’t either.

He made the ultimate sacrifice for us. And all He asks for in return is love. But all of us puny humans focus more on ourselves and the things of this world. Wouldn’t it be great to know why that is?

Well, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles (that’s you unless you’re a Jew), gave us clear insight into this problem. He used himself as an example. He talked about how the right things he wanted to do, he didn’t do. And the wrong things he didn’t want to do…those he did. Then he explained that “…in my flesh, nothing good dwells“.

If something is truly good…not merely good according to the low standards of this world…then it should lead to eternal life. Your flesh doesn’t do that. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s a 1:1 ratio of births to deaths in the world. No one escapes the “wages of sin“. But you can escape having to pay for them forever. That’s gonna require some humility. But if you want eternal life you can look forward to with complete assurance, just tell Him…

I Give You All

You gave my heart
A way to touch you, Lord.
You gave my eyes
A gift to see and recall.
And You gave me stars…
To guide me through my lonely fear.
I give you all…I give you all.

You gave me words,
And they can reach the sky.
And You gave my soul
Salvation out of the fall.

You gave me dawn,
To savor all you gave me, Lord.
I give you all…I give you all.    (chorus)

I give you all…my worries and my fear.
I give you all…and I can feel you near.
And I give you all…you dry up every tear.
I give you all…I give you all.

You gave me nights…
That shine your silver stars.
You gave me time,
To change my ways and stand tall…
You gave me hope,
That in my weakness I am strong.
I give you all…I give you all.     (Lyrics © 2009 Cristina Miller)

That song is one of eleven original songs I recorded and produced when I was the praise and worship leader at a small Denver church. Download the whole collection with a link in the handy, useful songbook journal you’ll find here: https://www.TonyFunderburk.com/rtpsongbook (paperback available, too)

Stay tuned,

The post I give you all in these lyrics ya’ll appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And I could tell you that peace and quiet time is the solution to that other stuff.

But you probably wouldn’t believe the answer could be so simple. Maybe you’d rather have a highly complicated solution to this complex mess we earthlings find ourselves having to endure. And maybe you wouldn’t even like my answer.

Did you know that most of life’s seemingly unanswerable problems had simple solutions? Take the electric light for example. Maybe you’ve heard how many times Edison failed before he succeeded in getting a light bulb to work. Did you know the solution came down to finding what sort of tiny filament could last? Once he solved that problem, bingo! EMF’s everywhere. Uh, I mean, electric light everywhere.

Anyway…

So, what’s this simple solution to finding peace and quiet time in a world full of war and chaos?

Jesus = Peace and Quiet Time.

Hey, don’t roll your eyes at me. I’ll roll ’em right back. Because I told you it might not be the answer you’d like. And I told you it might not be one you’d believe. And you can refuse to believe the truth. But that doesn’t make it wrong. And you can refuse to acknowledge a Creator God who came to earth to be one of us and take the punishment for our sins. But that doesn’t mean the story isn’t true.

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” and He also said “the Truth shall make you free”. Why do so many prefer darkness, despair, and going it alone? If you…

• lack peace and joy in your life today…
• feel all alone in the world…
• believe there’s no way out of your despair…
• think your time on earth is the only time you’ll have…
• would like to know that you can know happiness…

…then test the Word of the Bible. It’s the #1 bestselling book of all time for a very good reason. It makes you FREE.

The One True Way To Peace

Judge me; I need to be judged.
Correct me;  whenever I’m wrong.
Save me from thinking my thoughts.
I’ve lived in them way too long.

Show me what I need to see.
Tell me what I have to hear.
Give me a voice of wisdom.
Thank You for taking my fear.

And I have to trust that my God is just.
And I feel my boldness increase.
I’m a dissident, and I’m an instrument.
For the one true Way to peace.

Search me for the deeper things.
Fill me from Your living well.
Free me from the ways of man.
Take me off the path to Hell.

Listen to my fervent prayer.
Bless me so that I can bless.
Change me with Your mighty Word.
Spare me with Your tenderness.    Chorus

Make me to always understand
I’m only mighty in Your mighty Hand      inst…Chorus to end   © 1998 TF

If you enjoy God’s joy and peace, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Peace and quiet time puts reason in the rhyme appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

That’s what I said, to myself first, after we left a certain church service in a place that will remain unnamed here. And then I said it out loud to Elgielene. And she agreed with me.

I know that sounds harsh. But it’s true. And the reason it even came up is because of how there was such a message of human goodness that permeated the whole place. From the praise and worship time, to the sermon, to the small conversations during the exit. So much back patting. So much focus on self and image. And actual praise and worship and acknowledgment of what Jesus did for us was almost nonexistent.

Tragically, that church was not an exception. I wish I could say that it wasn’t the norm. But that IS the norm in “churches” these days. And I put that word in quotation mark because I don’t think of them as churches anymore. I believe they are just places of business where you can go for your once a week TED talk. And I’ve been saying that for a long time.

It gives me no pleasure to share this.

But those buildings fill up with people who forgot that Jesus said there is no one good.

Sure, they give the impression that they are all brothers and sisters. And they love sharing the feel good messages. Plus many of them love to talk about all the good deeds they do in the community. But Jesus is more of an afterthought.

Several times on social media I’ve seen Christians mention how if the apostle Paul was alive, a lot of churches would be getting a letter. On the surface that sounds a little bit humorous. But it’s a terrible commentary on what has happened to the Christian worldview right here in the good ol’ American land ‘o plenty.

I’ve talked about this for a long time. In fact, a dozen years ago, I wrote some sarcastic lyrics for a song I never got around to producing or recording. And I know you won’t like these lyrics, because they’re not nice. They don’t lift people up and get anybody in a good mood. And it might be impossible to find any redeeming value to them. But here they are. For no one good. Feel free to ignore them and wait for me to get in a better mood to share my more optimistic stuff next time…

With Brotherly Love

What would be so wrong
If I didn’t sing my song…with brotherly love?
Would it be unfair
If I didn’t even care…with brotherly love?
No one does these days,
Everyone just stays
In their old, familiar ways.
That’s how it should be.
If we all agree,
It all can be so easy.

What would be so bad
In not sharing what I had…with brotherly love?
Would I be a thug
If I didn’t want to hug…with brotherly love?
Just some silly rules
Taught in Christian schools
By a bunch of simple fools.
That stuff’s not for me.
Can’t you let me be?
Go shake another fruit tree.

Hey there, do you know?
Where did all those people go…with brotherly love?
I can’t find them here.
Did they all just disappear…with brotherly love?
Things don’t seem quite right…
Especially at night
And no one has a bright light.
Hopeless life lines drawn…
Hard to carry on…
Because all the love is gone.   © 2014 TF

If you prefer actual Bible teaching over TED talks, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post No one good in this brotherhood appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And your chromosome mapping took place in the womb.

Yeah, scientists call it chromosome mapping. But God did it when He formed you. And He calls it knitting.

Anyway…

Since you received 23 chromosomes from each of our parents, your total make-up, everything about you, physically, is found in those forty six chromosomes.

Now, here’s a vitally important part to this information. And it’s completely ignored and even shunned by so-called “pro choice” advocates.

Forty-six chromosomes are all present from the moment of conception.

Do you get that? The moment a human sperm fertilizes a human egg, you have a brand new human. Everything you need, to be you, is found in those 46 chromosomes at conception. And that should be clear as crystal.

Your chromosomes determine whether you’ll be:

• tall or short,
• portly or lean,
• blue eyes and blond hair or green eyes and brown hair,
• rich or poor.

Just kidding on the “rich or poor” part. That one’s on you and your circumstances in this world.

But science actually agrees with God on this subject (whether some scientists want to admit it or not). So, you’d think it would be a so-called “no-brainer.” Case closed. End of discussion. Verdict reached.

A human embryo is a human being.

But, sadly, that’s far from the end of discussion. ‘Cause there’s way too many no-brainer people, swept up in their own selfishness, who ignore the facts. You’re a person from the moment of conception. Period.

And don’t tell me no one can know when the moment of conception is. But even if you can’t agree on when that moment is, can’t you at least agree to not abort (kill) IT until after you know what IT is?

Consider that as you read my chromosome mapping rhyme with a big dose of reason…

23 + 23 = 1

I got a little bit from my mom
I got a little bit from my dad
And I got my DNA from the great Yahweh
And it’s the only life I’ve had

Twenty-three plus twenty-three is one
Chromosomes were a mystery
But that mystery is gone.
Twenty-three plus twenty-three is one.
Until we learn to add it up…
The lesson isn’t quite done. © 2012 TF

If you love the DNA from Yahweh, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Chromosome mapping while you were napping appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

By the Way…you WILL see your Creator later.

But back to the reason I’m sharing this with you today.

First, a little backstory.

David, who was King of Israel, was a songwriter. Many of his lyrics, known as Psalms, are found in the Bible. And he talked and sang, a lot, about his relationship with God. He wrote, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.“

You won’t find a world of peace, tranquility, and wealth simply because you place your faith in Jesus. You won’t see the troubles of the world fade away when you look to God for answers. In fact, you might even see troubles increase. Well, at least from time to time.

Gosh, Tony, your “fullness of joy” doesn’t sound very enjoyable.

Yeah, but the joy I’m talking about springs from Living Water. And it flows through your spirit. In other words, your joy won’t be based on the things and people of this world. Your joy will be focused on the only One who can (and will) give you eternal life. Your “three score and ten” here on planet earth is a tiny fraction of eternity. And that puts it in perspective.

I’m urging you, today, to consider your eternal potential. As a Christian, I know, without a doubt, there will be an eternity of existence for every human being. Where you’ll spend it depends on the choice you make in the here and now. Choose the Life your Creator wants to give you.

Because you can exist as a bodiless, spiritless, soul forever tormented by the knowledge of “what could have been.” Or you can live in the fullness God has prepared. In a body that won’t grow old and die since you’ll be tapped directly into life.

Please, choose Life and experience the eternal fullness of joy.

Swallowed Up By Life

I’ll be swallowed up by life
That will never fade away
When I leave my body here
On an ordinary day.
I won’t mourn the things I lose
‘Cause there’s so much more to gain
And my spirit will rejoice
When I leave this earthly plane.
I’ll be swallowed up by life
And I’ll never more know death.
I will just begin to breathe
When I breathe my final breath.    © 2014 TF

If you prefer that  kind of Life, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Your Creator that you will see later appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

But I discovered a flaw in that meadow of flowers.

Well, the flaw was actually in my picture of the meadow of flowers. Not the actual flowers.

Yeah, I got home, enlarged the photo on my computer, and noticed telephone lines right across my “work of art.” But after staring at the picture for a bit, words popped into my head about how artists kinda feel a need to get something perfect. So, I wrote some lyrics to express how so-called “perfect” is about staying…

Inside The Lines

Inside the lines the grass is greener.
Outside the box the air is cleaner.
Some days your life runs like a river.
Some nights you only quake and quiver.

And then the sun begins to shine,
And then you draw another line,
And then the box becomes a place to store your things.
And then the flowers start to grow,
And then your words begin to flow,
And then you’re glad to join in when the whole world sings.

Inside the lines the route is shorter.
Outside the box there’s no recorder.
Some days your view is from the summit.
Some nights your dreams will let you plummet.

And then the sun begins to shine,
And then you draw another line,
And then the box becomes a place to store your things.
And then the flowers start to grow,
And then your words begin to flow,
And then you’re glad to join in when the whole world sings. © 2014 TF

But those lyrics never became a song.

I guess it felt too much like working inside the box. And you know what they say about how you gotta think outside the box. I’m not sure who “they” are. But I DO know that most of the time I disagree with them.

Anyway…

I could’ve left well alone. And no one else but me would’ve ever known about those lyrics. But I found a melody in my brain that seemed to go nicely with the image in my head of that meadow of flowers. And the melody made me work for several hours to put together lyrics that fit in better. And the result was a song that fit in very nicely with a bigger music project I was working on at the time.

It’s not one of my personal favorites. But it’s positive and upbeat. And it reminds me of something Paul said in his letter to the Philippian believers. Here’s the first verse and chorus:

I Can Do

Outside the lines the grass is greener.
But that will not change my demeanor.
Because my life runs like a river.
I’ll take what all my days deliver.

I know the morning sun will shine,
And so, I’ll draw another line.
I’ll keep a box of all my most important things
Inside my heart where they can be
A constant song of joy to me.
I love the sound of optimism when it sings. 

I can do…what I need to. I know it’s so, so I can do!

If you can do things this Way, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Meadow of flowers cost me several hours appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

But these days the only old house restoration I do is in my mind.

One reason is my physicality doesn’t hold up to it anymore. But another reason is that it’s a way to keep my imagination active. And I enjoy the mental restoration of an old house way more than the physical anyway. Because there’s a lot less dust, mold, splinters, and other nuisances.

This morning, I was thinking about a drive Elgielene and I made out in western Colorado. And we passed by an old house sitting in a place that I found very interesting. So I snapped a picture of it. It’s the picture you see in the glasses that go with this post. And when I got home, I wrote a poem about it as I imagined what it might have gone through. And what it might’ve been like, way back when, to live in…

The Old House

The old house talks to no one,
And no one pays attention.
It tells the story of its life…
The sad parts get no mention.
It once had shining windows
And cedar, wooden shingles.
And folks who lived inside its walls
Would sing their Christmas jingles.
Well, now the wind and sunshine
Have withered all the siding.
The floors, inside, have fallen through.
The yard has started sliding.
But still the house is standing.
The fireplace is still sturdy.
Who knows how many years it has?
It might be one or thirty.
No need to think about it.
A lifespan doesn’t matter.
Unless you’re glad for every day,
Then moments only scatter.
We all will be the old house,
If time and tide keep turning.
But keep the faith and hope and love,
And keep the embers burning.
Then you won’t talk to “no one.”
There’s One who always hears you.
And your foundation will withstand,
If you go where He steers you.

If you share that kind of foundation, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Old house restoration in my imagination appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

You DO have God on your side, don’t you? If not, you have two chances of success without God.

Zero. And none.

Without the hope of an absolute standard of truth, love, and peace you’ll wander in the wilderness your entire life. And it will all be for nothing when your life ends. Even if you sold your soul to satan, and got to be the conquering king of the whole world, you gained nothing. And your conquests devoured true peace like a ravenous buzzard.

But wait. That doesn’t seem to jive with “all things are possible.”

Except that it DOES jive. But only if and when you don’t depend on you to do them.

Let’s take world peace, for example. Even beauty queens know that world peace is a good goal. And God tells us to “pursue peace with all people.” But notice He doesn’t say “attain” or “accomplish” or “establish” it. He’s fully aware that many people want nothing to do with silly, childish notions of peace.

God isn’t looking to you (or me) to make sure peace with all people occurs in our lifetime. He’s trying to establish an attitude…a heart condition for us. He wants us to WANT peace.

So, the desire of your heart should be for peace with all.

This doesn’t mean you have to be a doormat for those who prefer to destroy you and your “peace.” Quite the contrary. You can stand fast and be strong. It’s OK to be powerful and courageous. As a matter of fact, it’s the only way you should be operating in this mean ol’ world.

I hope you’ll start and/or finish your day, today, with an attitude of pursuit. While you’re busy taking care of your family, or helping your neighbor, or running your business…think of ways you can pursue peace. You might not achieve it with all people, but you might surprise yourself at how successful you can be with a little peaceful practice.

The One True Way To Peace

Judge me; I need to be judged.
Correct me;  whenever I’m wrong.
Save me from thinking my thoughts.
I’ve lived in them way too long.

Show me what I need to see.
Tell me what I have to hear.
Give me a voice of wisdom.
Thank You for taking my fear.

And I have to trust that my God is just.
And I feel my boldness increase.
I’m a dissident, and I’m an instrument
For the one true Way to peace.

Search me for the deeper things.
Fill me from Your living well.
Free me from the ways of man.
Take me off the path to Hell.

Listen to my fervent prayer.
Bless me so that I can bless.
Change me with Your mighty Word.
Spare me with Your tenderness.

Chorus

Make me to always understand
I’m only mighty in Your mighty Hand.   inst…Chorus to end   © 1998 TF

Get that song and 11 others when you download my Amen songbook journal. The lyrics are in the book. And you have plenty of space to write down your thoughts and ideas. And there’s a special link where you can download all the songs that go with the lyrics. https://www.TonyFunderburk.com/amen

Stay tuned,

The post All things are possible because the chasm is crossable appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Suicide should not be your cause of death because…

1. Your life is real.
   And it’s the only one you’re ever gonna get. You’re not living in a dream world. When you hear Christians talk about being reborn, they’re talking about your spirit. And your spirit is the only place where true and everlasting life can reside. Have you ever felt a pulling on you from within? A sort of longing to know there’s more to life than what your five senses can tell you? Well, that’s your spirit’s sense of connection to your Creator. He wrote eternity in your heart. He IS life, and He wants you to be drawn to life. Forever!
2. Hope springs eternal.
   Without hope, you can easily become another sad statistic. But the living, loving God of the Bible wants you to know that you’re valuable to Him. And He wants you to know that life in this current space/time continuum doesn’t last for very long. Torment, torture, and tyrants will be done away with by the Prince of Peace. So, knowing that He’ll do this AND give you eternal life can bring you Hope.
3. Eternity is a long time.
   Like I mentioned in a previous post, forever is time without end. Not the absence of time. Because that’s an impossible paradigm. And since time will go on and never, ever end, you gotta give some thought and consideration to where you’ll be during that time. My Christian worldview says you can live forever in paradise with the one, true, living, loving God who created you. Or you can exist apart from Him (from His life-sustaining Spirit) forever somewhere else. But it won’t be paradise. And it won’t be enjoyable. By the way, the choice is yours. So choose wisely.

OK, there are my three simple reasons to be drawn to life.

And I mean the eternal Life of God.

Consider them with an open heart and mind. And I hope you’ll take my words, music, and pictures in the spirit of love they’re given. I wanna live forever in paradise with my Creator. But in case you’re still on the fence, here are the words and music to a song of mine that I hope will nudge you along…

Drawn To You

Maybe it’s Your grace.  I don’t know.
It could be Your Word.  I’m not sure.
But You have a way of refining my thoughts.
Your Will is my strength. Your Will is my cure.

Anytime it’s me making it up
Show me I’m wrong to just forget You.
You barely lift a finger, and You change my whole direction.
What else can I say?  What more can I do?

I’m drawn to You
Like a June-bug to the light.
And I’m drawn to You
Like a boxer to the fight.
I’m drawn to You
Like a sweet tooth and ice cream,
And it may all sound extreme,
But I’m drawn to You.

Maybe I’ll wake up…maybe soon
And find You take me home…Who can say?
‘Til then I’ll live it out…’til then I’ll follow through
And see how many more might feel the same way.

Chorus

Jesus, help me, won’t You take me to my heart’s desire?
Nothing could mean more than having You to be my fire!
Take me higher…draw me near.

Chorus…instrumental…repeat chorus to end   © 1998 TF

Get that song, and a dozen more, in a quick and easy digital download of the Amen songbook journal. And start listening as soon as a few minutes from now. Plus, you save quite a bit over the paperback version that sells on that little bookstore known as Amazon. Here’s your link: https://www.TonyFunderburk.com/amen

Stay tuned,

The post Cause of death from a lack of hopeful breath appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

That scream at me part reminded me of my wife.

No, not in the way you’re thinking. I’ll share the story so you understand better.

Before Elgielene and I were married we experienced one of those “long distance relationships.” She lived in Florida (where I originally met her). And I lived in Colorado.

And I “originally met her” when I was booked at a swanky Hilton high-rise hotel, where she worked, in her hometown. She was married, and I was a musician. So, getting together was basically out of the question,

Once I finished my long-term booking there, I wrote to her, occasionally, from different places while I was “on the road” full time. On the rare occasions when she responded, it was only to tell me I shouldn’t write anymore. How’s that for encouragement? And it was about 3 years before she even gave me the time of day.

Once she finally responded in a positive way, we started talking on the phone. A lot. And this was before smartphones and unlimited long distance. On one phone call she told me how things were hitting her from all sides. And she said “life is screaming at me.” And I thought to myself, “Hey, there’s a song in that.”

Yeah, that’s how it happens sometimes for a songwriter.

“Good ideas” pop up in front of you even without spending any time thinking about them. But I try to make it a purpose of mine. In other words, I look and listen for those ideas on purpose.

Just as “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word,” ideas come by listening. Check out the lyrics to the following song and see if it describes you in any way. If “life is screaming” at you, maybe you need to tune out a few things and tune in to that “still small voice.” The voice you can only hear when you trust God.

Life Is Screaming At Me

Life is screaming at me, “Give me your best shot!
Don’t dream it all away;
You gotta give back what you got!
It’s no big deal to gain the world
‘Cause you can’t take it with you.
But work to keep your soul, and give it your best shot.”

Oh, life is screaming at me, “Listen to your heart.
It can guide you through the dark, abysmal part.
Don’t let somebody else decide
Or tell you what you’re feeling.
Just keep your mind at work,
And listen to your heart!”

Now,
Open the window…the morning sun is gleaming.
Now,
Turn up the volume, listen.
Listen to life screaming at me!

Life is screaming at me, “Do it while you can!
Try to bridge the gap between a woman and a man.
Remember how it was the day
You first became attracted,
And strive to keep the love,
And do it while you can.”

Now,
Open the window.
The noise can stop the dreaming.
Hear the voice of angels
Listen; listen to life screaming at me!  repeat 1st chorus…   © 1996 TF

That’s actually kind of a manic, frantic song. And I wrote it that way to go with the scream at me feeling. But I wrote a collection of praise and worship songs to help put you in a much better frame of mind. You can get all of them in a handy dandy, songbook journal:

(https://www.TonyFunderburk.com/raise-the-praise)

Stay tuned,

The post Scream at me and maybe I will see appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Sadly, most centenarians won’t get to experience how forever is better.

Hey, don’t get mad at me for saying it. I’m just a messenger. The message comes from the best selling book of all time, also known as God’s word. Also known as the Bible. And it says right in there that the gate to eternal life is narrow, and there are only a few who find it. Most prefer the wide gate to destruction.

Wow, I can barely imagine the hopeless feeling a person must get when they ponder the extent of endless time apart from a living, loving God. Or the sort of aching in the heart that must exist for anyone who believes eternal blackness awaits them.

I know, with all my being, that life came from life. But there are billions of people who believe life arose from non-living matter. They don’t bother to explain where that matter came from in the first place. It’s as if the matter doesn’t matter.

And they believe that all that matters is the here and now. What you can know with your five senses.  But your emotions and thoughts and logic and reason don’t come from your five senses.

Life comes from life. God, the only sovereign, eternal being, created you. And He’s made a way for you to live and be with Him through endless time. It doesn’t matter that you don’t know the extent of that time.  It’s basically time without end. Knowing that, I’m hope-filled and hopeful, kinda like this…

Here In Me

Every day I look into the mirror
And I wonder if it’s me I really see.
And every day I get a little closer
To that blue sky that I call my Destiny.

Oh, every day I feel a little stronger
Even though I don’t know where I’m gonna go.
‘Cause I know I’ll always have You here inside me
Like a candle that can never lose its glow.

You’re what I want and all I need
And You make me feel that I could win it all.
My heart and soul have both agreed
That because of You I’II never have to crawl.

You are here in me and You make me laugh
And You make me smile
‘Cause I know You’re here in me.
You are here in me and it has to last
‘Cause I know that I’II…
I’ll always want You here in me.

Every night I look into the sunset
And I wonder just how many more I’ll see
But I know there’s nothing I should be afraid of
I can reach the blue sky if You’re here in me

bridge…chorus…inst…chorus to end     © 1997 TF

That song is actually included in a collection of my originals I call “Love Songs.” Pretty original right? Anyway, get ’em in a digital download or a paperback journal:

(https://www.TonyFunderburk.com/all-for-love)

Stay tuned,

The post Forever is better as I show in this letter appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And you really shouldn’t be alone all the time. But there are times when it’s a very good thing for you. It can help you sort out your thoughts. Solitude is where you can understand yourself better. And you need to be able to understand yourself before you can understand anyone else.

Even Jesus made time to be all alone.

Well, in the physical sense anyway. He wanted private conversations with the Father. He said He could do nothing apart from the Father. I believe that’s because as one place in the Bible says…God IS life.” I mean, think about it. If there was no God, there would be no you. No me. No anyone.

God is the source of Life. And even though you might find yourself alone, you’re never really all alone. Unless you prefer a universe of one. I don’t care who you are, that wouldn’t be much of a place to be.

Back in 2011 I wrote a lullaby for kids that showed how you never have to be all alone, even when you’re by yourself. And I used metaphorical sleepwear that I call…

Music Pajamas

It’s time…to let the daylight fly
Away, but we don’t have to cry
Because…another day will dawn real soon.

So smile…and say a sweet goodnight.
Sleep well. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.
They won’t, if you’ll just slip into this tune.

And wear your music pajamas.
And sing the songs of your mamas
Because they gave you a life of your own.

Through all the cartoons and dramas…
Through all the triumphs and traumas…
Slip on your music pajamas,
And know that God is on His throne.
And you’re never all alone.

Night winds…float down from falling stars.
Lights blink…from Jupiter and Mars.
They bounce…across the water on the grass.

Inside…you’re in a soft cocoon
Of down…the color of the moon.
Dreams come…when you just let the sandman pass…Chorus   © 2011 TF

Get Music Pajamas and a bunch of other western-themed lullabies for your kids and grandkids. It’s the Bedtime Buckaroos collection. Digital and/or paperback:

(https://www.tonyfunderburk.com/bedtime-buckaroos)

Stay tuned,

The post All alone but never lonely when you know the one and only appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

First, to control the universe you gotta get it going in the first place.

And you’ll need a rough idea of how long your materials can last and what they’ll be made of.

Next, get yourself some awesome light sources, water, oxygen, and as many of the elements as you can. Because you’ll need them to build stuff. Like planets, moons, suns, and other heavenly bodies to form a functioning and cohesive universe. After all, you don’t want it to just splatter all over the place. Right?

When you get all those ingredients together, figure out what marketers call “your end game.”

To come up with your end game, answer these two questions…

1. What do you want the final product to look like? and…
2. Why do you want to bring it into existence?

OK…got that stuff figured out? Good.

Now, obviously, the universe ain’t gonna be no fun to control without some fairly intelligent creatures you could rule over. Yeah, it’s fun to make planets, moons, and stars. But what good are they without slaves?

So, you’re gonna wanna take some of those elements and figure out a way to make some interactive beings. Personally I think this would be the hardest part of the whole thing. But maybe you’ve already got some good ideas on how to do this.

OK, once you form a couple of those “beings,” figure out a way for them to procreate. You certainly don’t want to have to go make new ones every time you turn around or get bored. You’re way too busy for such trivial matters. And when they make new ones, that just means you’ll have even more slaves in your universe.

Hot diggity!

Alrighty, so you get a bunch of these creatures making things and starting their own ideas and building houses and such. And that’s when you move in and show them how it’s all done. It’s your right. Because they wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for you. Never forget that. And they’ll probably just bend over backwards trying to find ways to thank you for running their lives.

Once that all starts up, you’ll really thank me for sharing how to control the universe.

If that all sounds like too much work, or even impossible, there IS another option. You could just leave the whole universe in the hands of someone who really knows what He’s doing.

That’s the option I chose. And I gotta say…it’s such a relief to know I’m not in charge of things like…

• Gravity
• Oxygen
• Water
• Sunlight
• Moon dimensions…etc…etc…etc

If you choose the second option, and give up the idea of how to control the universe, or even just the world around you, pray.

Yeah, say a prayer to the God of Creation and thank Him that He made you and the world and the universe and everything in it. Because He didn’t leave the hard work to you and me…

Thank God

In the best of times, where’s the challenge?
In the worst of times, where’s your choice?
And in the fevered pitch, where’s the silence?
When the love is breached, where’s the voice?
Could you have your very life taken from you
While the world stood at your feet?
Wouldn’t that completely stop and numb you?
Wouldn’t you admit defeat?
Well, thank God He didn’t leave it up to you…
Thank God He didn’t leave it up to you. (repeat)

In the darkest hours, who’s your Father?
In the scheme of things, who’s the One?
And in the best laid plans, who’s the Spirit?
When your heart is healed, who’s the Son?
Could you let your very blood be taken
For your friends who’d run away?
Wouldn’t all your faith and hope be shaken?
Would you even think to pray?

Thank God He didn’t leave it up to you…
(repeat twice)    © 2009 TF

If you’re glad God is God, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Control the universe and make things worse appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Yikes! Cheap Argentinian Beef doesn’t sound good at all.

Now, I’ll grant you that Cheap Argentinian Beef isn’t the worst problem. America has to deal with. There are bigger issues. Like the fact that we have turned away from God. And too many citizens celebrate the death of unborn human babies. Yeah, those are way worse than what meat we will have for lunch today.

But I still wondered what brought all this Argentinian beef into the discussion. Here’s a paragraph that explains a little bit of it:

The proposal allows up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef over 90 days, sold 25 percent below market prices to ease costs for families, as cattle herds recover from drought and high feed expenses. Trump aims to help rebuild the U.S. beef herd while supporting Argentina under President Javier Milei, building on earlier quota increases. Safety worries stem from a rejected Chinese shipment tainted with banned antibiotic chloramphenicol and a recent U.S. recall of Argentinian beef for inspection issues, though fact checks note U.S. testing and no direct links to the rejected batch. Ranchers oppose the move, fearing it hurts domestic producers, while supporters see short-term price relief.

When you have a president who doesn’t have enough wisdom to understand the importance of fully supporting American ranchers, you get this nonsense.

And Trump is definitely not wise.

In fact, I doubt he has ever, or possibly ever will, seek wisdom. Because he is wise in his own eyes. And that is a recipe for awful failure. An example of the consequences of that kind of failure came in this other headline:

Nearly 30,000 pounds of raw, frozen beef imported from Argentina has been recalled after being sold in Florida and Texas.

Of course, since I currently live in Florida, and I spent a lot of of my youth in Texas, that certainly got my attention. Fortunately, here in the Funderbungalow we don’t buy foreign beef. In fact, we currently buy from only a couple of sources of American beef grown on regenerative farms.

That doesn’t guarantee we’ll never deal with tainted issues. But at least it’s far less likely. And our choice helps support fellow Americans. Not people from other countries who don’t even like us Americans.

If only we had a president and a government that still relied on God. But the chances of that happening again or starting to look like slim and none. So, I recommend that, more than ever, you and I focus on how to…

Get Wise

Don’t drink the wine of violence
Or eat the bread of hate.
You might just get away with it.
Can you afford to wait?

Don’t push and shove the simple.
Seek knowledge just like gold.
And in so doing you’ll lay up
Your treasures manifold.

A word to the confounded…
Pour light into your eyes.
If you expect more than neglect,
Get wisdom; yeah get wise.

Get wise to the deceiver.
Don’t harken to his lies.
Keep commanding understanding.
Get wisdom; yeah get wise.

Don’t walk, you, with the wicked.
Beware the scornful tongue.
Let never part your loving heart
And live forever young.    © 1995 TF

If you seek wisdom, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Cheap Argentinian Beef is the wrong kind of relief appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

You can actually develop cruel intentions in three easy steps.

Step 1. OK, get ready for this rude awakening. Because you’ve already done step one. But you didn’t really have much to do with it. Hey, I said it would be easy. And step 1 is “be born.” As I hinted at before, you just gotta be born in order to begin your mastery of cruel intentions. Now, let’s move on to the next step. It’s a little bit harder but still very easy.

Step 2. Ignore God. The reason I say it’s “a little bit harder” is because just about everywhere you go there’s someone spouting off about God. And you can find countless websites about creationism and Christianity. Or tons of churches in every town across America.  You can even find those pesky Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms. (side note: Who’s Gideon? And where did he get all those Bibles?)

But it’s still easy to ignore God if you just arm yourself with the right tools.

Good news is, the tools are everywhere so they’re easy to find. And thanks to our trade deficit with China, they’re extremely affordable. Just get yourself a big screen TV (or two or three) and sign up for as many TV, game, and sports channels as possible. Or stock up on booze, bottles, and bongs. Or sign up for as many social media channels as possible and spend all your free time chattin’ it up out there.

Now, it’s big-time important for you to get the tools. Because they help drown out all those noisy do-gooders who keep trying to tell you you’re going to hell if you don’t repent. Buncha freakazoids.

What’s wrong with havin’ a little fun blowin’ up stuff? And so what if someone finds your language offensive. What about free speech, right? What business is it of anybody else if you wanna watch videos, smoke a little skunk, and talk trash?

Plus, that whole business about some “righteous God” sitting somewhere up in a place called “heaven” judging all of us just for livin’ life? Yeah, that’s just a story made up by punk*** puritan control freaks. Right?!

Somebody needs to teach them a lesson.

Somebody ought to round ’em all up and just feed ’em to the lions.

Easy there, Tony, you’re getting carried away.

Am I? Would you believe that happens every day somewhere? And would you believe that sort of thing has happened every century since we humans first inhabited this planet? Look it up. History overflows with examples of man’s cruelty to his fellow man.

Anyway…

So…you’ve completed Step 1.

And I don’t know if you’ve spent much time on Step 2. (I hope not) There’s only one more step, and you’ll be a cruel intentions expert.

Step 3. Keep doing whatever’s right in your own mind.

Don’t listen to anyone who would dare tell you to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Pure silliness. Pay no attention to anyone who has the audacity to say “life is a precious gift from God.” Oh man! Talk about unenlightened. And never, ever fall for that old-fashioned idea of “do unto others as you’d have done to you”. Yeesh. Could it BE any more cornball than that?

No, just keep on keepin’ on. Build your muscles and your dark and brooding attitude. You da man. (or woman) Before you know it, your cruel intentions will help you in your survival of the fittest quest. But don’t be surprised if, somewhere along the way, you end up in…

Echo Rodeo

So much of what you say and do
Will come full circle back at you.
I think no one is born a fool.
You have to learn how to be cruel.
But if you do, you’ll take the falls
And stand and yell at canyon walls.

Fear, buckin’ like a steer, in the echo rodeo.
And the longer you hang on the more you lose.
Hope, just a piece of rope in the echo rodeo.
You could change the course
Or ride the darker horse.
In the echo rodeo you have to choose.

To analyze the spoken word
You should make sure you’ve really heard
‘Cause when your mouth is open wide,
Not too much knowledge goes inside.
Don’t let the sun set on your mind.
Your echoes will leave you behind.

chorus – instrumental – repeat chorus to end    © 1992 TF

Maybe you don’t know me well enough to buy something from me, yet. Ok, then get to know more about me and my worldview. Here’s an easy, passive way to do that.

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Cruel intentions form just by being norm appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

The creation of man has a subtle, and huge, breath of life difference.

I went through the Genesis account of creation when I started writing “The Very First 6 Days.” And for some reason that “breath of life” part really stood out for the first time.

I noticed how God created the Earth and separated the water from dry land. And how He put “lights” into the heavens. Then, He blessed the ground with every plant that could reproduce “according to its kind.” After that, He created all the land, sea, and air creatures and gave each one the ability to reproduce “according to its kind”.

God finished up with the creation of Man.

But there’s a ginormous difference between Man and all the rest of the creatures and creation.

The Bible says “And then the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life”. He didn’t do that to any of the other creatures.

Only humans received life directly from God’s life. His very essence entered into us. And us alone. And only humans were made in the “image and likeness of God”. No other creatures.

We’re unique. When someone says you’re just another animal on the planet, you know better.

If you’re unsure if you have the breath of life from God in you, do this.

Look in the mirror. Do you see a human being? Then you have it.

BUT…

You gotta trust God and trust that His Son, Jesus, died for your sins. Because, if you don’t, that breath of life will leave you forever when you breathe your last breath here on Earth.

You’re not gonna let that happen. Right? Especially since there’s a super simple solution. And it comes down to this.

Either the God and Savior of the Bible, the one responsible for the creation of Man, is real or He isn’t. Either you can prove He doesn’t exist, or you can’t. When I considered the mountain of evidence FOR the existence of Jesus, I chose to trust Him. I chose life.

Do you know someone who hasn’t chosen life? Do you know someone who’s tormented by it? Let them know while there is still the breath of life in them, it’s not too late to choose.

And then God said, “Let us make man,
Not like the things before.
We’ll make them in our image
And we’ll give them so much more.”

If you choose life, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Creation of man God’s special design plan appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Because it’s old-fashioned. And it probably sounds obscure. But since we all have to deal with it from time to time, I think it’s important to talk about.

Worldliness is a subtle and cunning way the first fallen angel, Lucifer (aka “the devil”) lures humans into turning away from God. He’s a clever, cunning devil who likes to use your own conscience against you. And he’s done a masterful job of this for 6,000 years.

So, I’d like you take the Worldliness song into your spirit today.

And meditate on this verse written by the Apostle Paul: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

If God doesn’t want to condemn you, why would you condemn yourself? Or let some fallen angel talk you into it? Tell you what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna share the lyrics to my Worldliness song. And below I’ll share the link to get the song, along with a bunch of other ones, in a special songbook journal, on Amazon.

Then, if you get in a bind with the things of this world, you can sing the song and overcome. How’s that for a deal? Here it is…

Worldliness

Where is your vision?
Where do you lay your treasure?
Have you been wanton?
And living in earthly pleasure?
Ask and receive not.
And trust in your worldly friendship;
Then stand afflicted because of your lustful kinship.

Worldliness.
Don’t let your joy turn into heaviness!
Worldliness.
Don’t let it rob you of your righteousness!
Humble yourselves and God will lift you up!
Worldliness won’t put sweet water in your cup!

Have you been tempted?
Have you made greed your mistress?
Your gold is rusted; it’s your accusing witness!
Who is your master?
You can’t serve two forever!
Resist the devil; the Word is your only lever!

Worldliness.
Don’t let your joy turn into heaviness!
Worldliness.
Don’t let it rob you of your righteousness!
Draw near to God and He’ll draw near to you!
Worldliness will never do what He can do!

So be patient; be wary; sing songs, and be merry;
Then focus your attention on more than this world’s dimension!

Chorus…inst…chorus to end   © 1997 TF

Here’s that Amazon link to get the Amen songbook journal I mentioned. There’s a special secret link inside the journal where you can download all the songs that go with the lyrics in the book:

(https://www.amazon.com/Amen-Tony-Funderburk/dp/B08CJWKTSH)

Stay tuned,

The post Worldliness song makes you feel so wrong appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I’m sure you probably knew it. Because most of my readers and listeners are Christians. And if you’re a Christian, you probably also know that sometimes Jesus is called “The Amen.”

“Amen” is usually defined to mean “so be it” or “it is so.”

Or to describe it in another way…that’s the way it is, end of story, no arguments, please. I’ve heard many people say, “Jesus said it, I believe it, that’s it”. It’s better to say “Jesus said it…that’s it” (Can I get a last word in the Bible?).

Look, I know you might read (or listen to) this as a non-believer and think Christians believe we’ve got the market cornered on truth.”

Well, we don’t really think that way. But we do know THE Truth. Jesus called Himself that. And here’s your trilemma to consider. Jesus is one of three things…

1. liar
2. lunatic, or
3. Lord

If you say He’s a liar, you’re gonna need to prove it. And I’ll let you in on a little secret. A lot of people have tried, only to find out it’s extremely difficult (aka: impossible). If you say He’s a lunatic, you’re gonna need to show some credible evidence. Because the overwhelming majority of eyewitness accounts say He did what He said He would do. And we still say He did.

My suggestion is you get to know Jesus as Lord. Your soul and spirit will be reborn to eternal life. And your body will too, eventually.

There’s a good reason the Bible is the bestselling book of all time.

It’s history, and it’s His Story. Your Creator wants you to know Him and experience the love you need for eternal life. Now, just like the last word in the Bible…can I get an “Amen?”

If you Amen this, let’s stay connected. And so be it! It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post So be it with a little bit of wit appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And if you’re a creatively gifted person you have an advantage. Yeah, writers, singers, and artists can do more to change hearts and minds of people than anyone else. I strongly believe that. Pastors and other speakers can do a great job. And many do. But there’s nothing like words and music and pictures to create effective, lasting messages.

America has lost its soul to the god of selfishness. Because we turned away from the God of Creation. So, it’s no surprise that abortion, murder, child abuse, racism, and so many other sins spin out of control. In fact, it’s inevitable.

Christians in America definitely need a prayer for protection.

My hope is that I can write, sing, draw, and produce some effective messages to change hearts. I pray that God will direct my path and bless my efforts. Because I know…

Everyone has a right to life,
A gift from God before it even starts.
Everyone has a right to life.
Your right is wrong when it stops innocent hearts.

(chorus from my song, Right To Life)

If you support the God-given right to life, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Prayer for protection from a gifted direction appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Yeah, depending on who it is, who says that, it can sure mess up your whole day.

But human beings are just pretty darn good at doing that kind of stuff. We come by it naturally.

In fact, it’s pretty easy to find a reason to tell somebody you messed up my day.

Think not? Well, I’m gonna give you seven reasons you could mess up my day. It could be a simple as…

1. You called me when I asked you to text.
2. I’m working at my desk and you ask me if I wanna go for a walk in the middle of August.
3. I hear you knock on my front door and we don’t even have an appointment.
4. My egg custard is missing from the refrigerator.
5. Somehow, my shoes aren’t positioned correctly next to the bed.
6. There’s a great new burger place that serves grass fed beef, and you suggest a seafood dinner.
7. For some reason, you decide that I need to know your favorite country song.

See what I mean? That’s only seven reasons. The list could go on endlessly. And that’s only my list. There are billions of people on this mostly uninhabited planet with their own lists. And the hits just keep on comin’.

All because of the lack of one little four syllable word. Humility.

When you think, or at least act like, you’re the center of the universe, it becomes child’s play to mess up your day. And that can be avoided, or cured, with humility.

Humility is a key part of spiritual growth and wisdom.

I compare humility to a drive in the Rocky Mountains. If you’ve never been to the Rockies, you might not completely relate to this analogy, but it’s like this. Many roads going over passes have multiple switchbacks (sharp turns where you can see where you’ve been, and where you’re going, from one position). And you can see other vehicles way up the mountain side. The further up, the tinier they appear.

You get a real sense of just how small you are in this world as you observe even 18 wheelers looking like toys on those winding, mountain roads.

That’s how it is with humility and humble pie.

Hopefully you’ve come to a point in your life (or soon will) where you realize there IS a God, you’re not Him, and His eternal attributes dwarf your own finite life. That’s what Christians are talking about when they say “humble yourselves before God.”

But most people don’t want even a sliver of humble pie. They’ve already lifted themselves too high (they feel) to have to submit to some so-called higher will or power or intellect. And that’s a shame because they miss out on the best part of humility…where God lifts you up.

Go make the most of every day
In everything and every way.
Believe in changing things for good
As any caring person would.
Be like a little secret elf grief
And love your neighbor as yourself.
When you’re the apple of your eye,
You need a slice of humble pie.
It isn’t good, but it’s divine.
I know that’s true ’cause I’ve had mine.
So have a slice, and then you’ll know
God lifts you up when you are low.  © 2014 TF

If this helped, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post You messed up my day in an annoying way appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I looked up glorious in the dictionary. And I found this definition: “having a striking beauty or splendor that evokes feelings of delighted admiration.” So, that stirs up some pretty cool images, doesn’t it? It does for me. Maybe I’m biased (in fact, I’m sure of it), but I want my God to be glorious. I want Him to be better than everything else in the universe…combined. So, I’m mighty glad He is.

Here’s an example of how that leads to glory days.

When I read Paul’s writing in 2 Corinthians 3:7-18, I find the glory days. Paul lays out how glorious the new promise (covenant) is. He shows how the old covenant between God and Israel was glorious because it showed God’s love toward His people. But Paul also illustrates how the old covenant was a “ministry of condemnation.”

The new promise is a ministry of righteousness. It’s a promise of eternal life for anyone who believes in the person and deity of Jesus. His righteousness bought and paid for the gift of eternal life for anyone who believes and trusts in Him. You know what? I want that. I can’t imagine even a skeptic saying “No, I don’t want that.” But they do. And by the millions, even billions.

If eternal life is even a remote possibility, I want it. And I want to discover as much about it as possible…because eternal life sounds glorious to me. Imagine glory days without end. And without pain and suffering, without death and dying, forever.

You don’t have to imagine it.

It’s real. It’s waiting for you. And it’s yours. All you gotta do is ask. Ask and you will receive. God created you. He loves you. He wants you to live forever with Him in paradise. But He won’t force you to be there. If you’d rather be apart from Him forever, He’s made a place where you can exist without Him. But I highly recommend you don’t choose that option.

Because that place will have NO glory days. And no hope, no love, no life. Oh sure, you’ll be your own king or queen. But it’ll be in a universe of one. Here’s what I suggest instead.

Gather as much information about God and Jesus as you can. Don’t just listen to news organizations, Hollywood, or even televangelists. Check out reliable historical documents. Read the Bible. It won’t bite you. If you sincerely seek the truth, I believe you’ll find that Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life.

If you don’t, then at least you’ll have made a decision against Him based on your own individual research. But my guess is this…if you sincerely seek the truth, THE Truth will change your heart, and I’ll get to see you in paradise. Where never-ending glory days will be filled to overflowing with God’s Love and life.

If you agree that it sounds glorious, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Glory days and not the Springsteen ways appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Need proof that hope is alive?

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 13:13 where the Apostle Paul talks about the perfect trio; faith, hope, and love. The whole chapter there is actually talking about love (“the greatest of these”). But Paul talks about how faith leads to hope. And that hope is for being with the One who loves you enough to give you eternal life.

And really, you can’t take the three things apart. You hope for the savior you can’t see. Your faith in Him and His Word gives you comes from that and helps build up your faith. Of course, it’s all built on the foundation of love. Because, without love, none of the rest of it amounts to much, if anything.

What do you hope for?

That you’ll be able to make it through another day of office grind? Or cooking, cleaning, and kids? Maybe it’s to make it to the end or beginning of the month bills and expenses? Or rising prices?

Do you hope for world peace and a better tomorrow? Or that someone will stop all the violence in America? Is there anything you believe your hope will help? Or does it all seem hopeless?

Well, maybe hope is not a strategy for making a lot of dollars and cents in sales. But it’s an essential part of the strategy you should implement when it comes to making a lot of sense in the world.

I hope you hope for bigger hope,
The kind where Jesus lives.
Just ask Him for His love and grace.
I promise you…He gives.

If your hope is in the Lord, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Hope and faith and glory in the most excellent story appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Yeah, when I look at myself with my own limited understanding, it’s easy to see my less-than-pristine past. I see my limitations. The losing battle against my aging flesh. And all it desires.

If you feel this way right now, or you ever feel this way, here’s a better question to ask yourself.

“What does God see in me?”

Look in the mirror and think about that for a minute.

God must see something in you worth redeeming. After all He went to a lot of trouble and suffered a tremendous sacrifice in order to provide you with redemption. He was understandably angry with His creation who rejected Him. But His love and mercy extended further and wider than His anger.

What God sees in you is a person He made with His loving hands.

The Bible says you’re fearfully and wonderfully made. That means you’re not an accident, and it also means God went into such detail on your design that He even knows the number of hairs on your head.

Today, I’d like you to be able to say…

• “What I see in this me, now, is the Spirit of God.”
• “He loves me, which trumps every doubt I had about that me from before.”
• “I’m a child of the Living God, and I’ll live with Him forever.”

When you can say those things and mean them, you can know that your eternal fate is safe and secure. And isn’t that better than any nagging doubt or underlying insecurities?

But if you’re still wrestling with doubt, if you still have questions about how any of this could possibly be true, leave me a comment below. Or email me. I’ll be glad to do what I can to help you through it.

If you trust God’s view of you, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Look in the mirror at your personal this and that appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I stood there staring out the window, almost hypnotized. And I began to form a story in my head about a mean king who lives in the red sky. Instead of making him a king made of fire or something else red, I decided he was full of hot air. And I called him King Breeze. I decided to finish the Rhyme with a good dose of reason. And with a happy ending. What do you think? Should I have left out the happy ending? Send me a comment or email and tell me your idea after you enjoy this short Rhyme and Reason story of a mean ol’…

King Breeze

In the red sky over black seas
Is the fiery house of King Breeze.
He’s a mean king full of hot air.
He sends big winds from way up there,
And they break things, but he won’t care
‘Cause it’s all for his enjoyment.
You might say it’s his employment.
But today is not like others.
King Breeze looks down at two brothers
Who are flying up to his cloud.
When they get close, they yell out loud,
“Hey you mean king. What’s up with you?
What have we done? What did we do
To make you mad and do mean things
Like red hot winds and red smoke rings?

Well, the king laughed at these two guys

Who had flown up to his red skies
In a small plane made of plywood.
Then he paused and wondered why would
These two brothers take this big chance.
Was it some sort of a rain dance?
Then they yelled out, “Hey there King Breeze…
Could we not fight…and be friends, please?
Look, we brought you some tomatoes,
Peas and carrots and potatoes.
You can roast them. They’re delightful.
You might smile with every bite full.
If you like ’em, we’ll bring lots more.
Let’s be friends, that’s…what we’re here for.”
Well, ol’ King Breeze gave ’em credit
For their idea…how they said it.

He said, “Guess what…you delight me

How you did not come to fight me.
I accept you and your gifts, too…
And here’s something that I can do.
I’ll send breezes full of cool rains
To your mountains and your gold plains
And your land will smile a green smile…
Every square foot, every square mile.
I’ll make sure that no fire harms you
And your loved ones and your farms, too.
Does that suit you? Are you willing?
Both the brothers found it thrilling.
Now you know how and you know why
There’s no mean king in the red sky.
You can stare out through your windows
And be glad when that sweet wind blows.  © 2013 TF

If you enjoyed all the simple things in this storybe delightful. Especially when something that was wrong turns to right., let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post The simple things delight when they turn wrong to right appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I remember grandparents saying something like “stop wishing your life away.” They had a point. When you’re a kid, you just can’t see how good you’ve got it. Someone else is responsible for the bills, for getting the food into the house, and for taking care of you when you’re sick or hurting.

Kids only know they’d rather move on to the next fun thing. The next video game or song or skateboard ramp or TV show. But I suggest a visit to Imaji Nation. It’s a place I made up. And it’s for kids. But there’s no rule against grownups visiting.

But I think a visit to Imaji Nation needs to have a couple of conditions, though. Your mind needs to be focused in a creative way. It needs to be prepared to turn a cloud into a dragon. Or a tree into a rocket. You need to make your mind go to good places. When you can do this, you can create a wonderful, special world.

Then…you gotta write it down and keep it in your notebooks or computer. One day you’ll be glad you did. And not only will you make your day go faster…you’ll make your life go better.

Make the day go faster

‘Cause I’ve got a place to go…
Called Imaji Nation.
It’s a land of sun and snow.

But it’s never cold there,
And bright flowers always bloom.
I simply close my eyes,
And it’s all there in my room.

Make the day go faster
‘Cause Imaji Nation waits.
I’ll take you if you like…
Down the path and through the gates.

The mean world disappears
When your mind is deep in thought
Of love and faith and hope…
When you give it all you’ve got.

Now that you know it’s good
To be thinking on these things…
Make the day go faster
On Imaji Nation’s wings.

If you this helped you go faster and higher, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Go faster and higher to find your desire appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

But I soon discovered how getting to go to college ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Unfortunately for me, by the time I was in college, it was nothing like John boy’s experience. Universities had already become institutions for thought control. But thankfully it was happening slower at my college in the rural countryside of Kansas. Because that’s a part of the country where generations had grown up with a Christian conservative worldview.

However…

I noticed classes, like “Western Civilization” and “Sociology I & II, shared one-sided political views. Maybe I was surprised because I was raised with a Christian conservative worldview. And even my public high school had leaned heavily in that direction. No kidding.

But it didn’t take me years of college to figure out the so-called “enlightenment” in the halls of higher learning sounded like George Orwell wrote the script. And it wasn’t even 1984 yet.

And that became glaringly apparent on one of my homework assignments.

The year I first attended college a crucial bill was put to the voters, in Kansas. It was about whether or not motorcyclists would be required to wear helmets. Gasp! Imagine the carnage and chaos of no motorcycle helmets.

My journalism professor gave us an assignment to present a pro or con view on a controversial topic. So, I chose the motorcycle helmet issue on the ballot.

I took the somewhat controversial “no helmets” side of the debate. And I wrote about how it would end up being another small step toward total government control of every corner of our lives. Boy, howdy, was I wrong! NOT!

Thankfully there were still plenty of others, back then, who agreed with my position on the topic. But I was surprised at how “passionate” others could be in their opposing opinions. They actually got mad about it.

Fast forward to now. Thank goodness you can go to college without a motorcycle helmet or big brother watching and/or listening to your every move. Right? Hello?

Uh…

Nowadays people don’t just present “passionate” opinions. Yeah, large groups of people have determined it’s perfectly fine to riot and loot and burn down businesses to “express their views.”

But here’s a key point.

We have voted our way into this mess.

And I predict we won’t vote our way out of it.

So I’ll leave this here for you to ponder…

Passion doesn’t make you right.
Learning doesn’t shed more light,
When it’s learning based on lies
And rebellious alibis.

If you trust God more than college, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Go to college unless you care about knowledge appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Those lazy summer days didn’t seem to fly by, at the time.

But now they’re long gone. And it feels almost like they never happened.

But they did happen. I know, of course, because that once-upon-a-time-Tony is me.

And those lazy summer days were so enjoyable I remember even small details to this day. We’d take a net, spread it across the creek between us, and scoot it up the creek until we had some bait. Usually it was minnows and crawdads. Then, we’d find our spot, where the creek was deeper. And we’d cast out our lines and talk and wait.

We almost always went home with some perch for mom to fry up in a pan. And that fish dinner included some vegetables we’d pick right out of the family garden just before dinnertime. Now, that’s what I call a healthy lifestyle. It sure beats going to those rusty golden arches or sitting under some bloated bell.

Tell you what. How ’bout you relax, sit back, enjoy a nice cup of your favorite beverage. And I’ll take you back…

Down by the creek bank…
Sittin’ on a tree stump…
Listenin’ to the birds sing…
Lookin’ at a frog jump…
Thinkin’ lots of nice thoughts…
Sippin’ on a sweet tea…
Writin’ down a few words…
When they come and greet me…
Watchin’ little squirrels run…
Climbin’ up the oak trees…
Lyin’ in the green grass…
Waitin’ for a cool breeze…
Stayin’ till it’s twilight…
Catchin’ me a firefly…
Down by the creek bank…
Life is passin’ by.

If this kind of story takes you back, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Lazy summer days where a memory still plays appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Good, clean, pure water flows and has no color.

And no flavor. You can’t really taste water. So, imagine that for a sec. You need pure water, an essential ingredient for life, but you can’t taste it, smell it, or find any color in it.

OK, kiddos. Did that fire up your imagination machine? Well, keep imagining, and take this little journey…

In the color of water that is pure
Is a quenching, magnetic allure.
See, there’s really no color found at all
Until we see a place it can fall.

Water colors can be found only if
There’s a rainstorm or maybe a cliff…
Or when light shines through water in a glass…
Or it’s heated and it turns to gas.

In the color of water you can find
Exploration to sharpen your mind.
Many people might simply pass it by
Without it ever catching their eye.

When you wake up and anytime you play,
Take a cool drink of water today,
And the good health of your life will shine through
In the color of water in you.  © 2013 TF

Now, I don’t believe or even a second that all that wonder found in water is some sort of happy accident. In fact, it’s clear that all this beautiful design, and pure water, flows into existence from Living Water.

If you love the Living Water, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Pure water flows through living rainbows appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I love rhymes. But I also love reason. And by “reason,” of course I mean logic. Read my Rhyme and Reason blog posts and so many of my rhymes can seem illogical. On the surface. That’s because I create colorful characters from things you do AND don’t find in life. Then I apply Truth and reality.

Some people take a couple of words like “dazzle candy” and use them to describe drugs or a mind altering experience. So, I’m gonna stake my claim on those same words and use them for doing good. It’s a shame to let colorful, whimsical, and shining words get hijacked for darker purposes.

It won’t give you cavities. It has no calories. And it could actually be good for you. Let me know if you have any side effects when you enjoy some…

Dazzle Candy

When you don’t feel fine and dandy,
Find yourself some dazzle candy.
You could munch on lightning sweets
And tons of fat-free thunder treats.

‘Cause dazzle candy isn’t bad.
It doesn’t leave you feeling sad
Or longing for another bite.
It satisfies your soul just right.

Things that truly come in handy…
You can find in dazzle candy.
Inspiration, motivation,
Knowledge of your own creation…

Make yourself a heartfelt promise,
And don’t be a doubting Thomas…
Seek the Truth that makes you free…
That’s where you’ll find dazzle candy.  © 2013 TF

If God’s love dazzles you, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Metaphors for kids are found in rhyme and reason ground appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Anyway…

So, here’s how I see it. People watching stirs up all kinds of thoughts.

Thoughts create ideas. And ideas create words. Words create sentences. Sentences create paragraphs. Paragraphs create verses or chapters or books. So, it’s like people watching sells pens. Because it gets a writer writing. But even the best pen runs out of ink. Then you gotta gettanudda.

(Side note: this obviously doesn’t apply to my computer keyboard.)

What do you think? Do you prefer to leave writing to those of us who can’t seem to stop our ideas from flowing out? Or do have an interest, like people watching, that makes you invest in pens or stay up to date on your word processor.

Well, whether you write, or prefer to read, I hope ideas and words dance around in your thoughts today and everyday. Here are a few of mine that turned into…

Ink For The Pen

The little girl who fell and bruised her knee on the ground
Didn’t know her tears were some more ink for the pen.
The little boy who ran and laughed and jumped all around
Didn’t know his giggles were more ink for the pen.

The dog that chased a ball and caught it right in the air
Didn’t know its wagging tail was ink for the pen.
The ducks that saw the dog and then scattered everywhere
Didn’t know they quacked up some more ink for the pen.

The loved ones who were here but have since passed away
Didn’t know their lives provided ink for the pen.
Until I leave this world and my body’s cast away
I’ll write about this love that brings me ink for the pen. © 2013 TF

If you enjoy observing God’s creations, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post People watching turns into things I write and send to you appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I’ve always been a dreamer and and an optimist. This world can beat down dreams and optimism. But I don’t depend on this world for my inspiration. And I don’t depend on this world for esteem. And even if it sounds old-fashioned and out-of-touch, I believe in and trust God. He’s the ultimate source for optimism and dreams. Without Him, I wouldn’t even be here to write.

There’s the rub. When you publicly admit your faith in God, you most likely won’t win any more popularity contests. But no prob. I haven’t won anything like that in decades. And I don’t care if the whole world hates me. Because God loves me. And He’s the architect and author of…

My Story

My story is a simple one to tell.
I hope it touches nerves. And I hope it rings a bell.
I tried to do the very best I could.
I loved my fellow man…not always like I should.
There were some words and deeds I should have skipped.
Sometimes I stood up proud, and after that I tripped.
As I grew up, I loved to laugh and smile.
When others joined right in, it made it all worthwhile.
So I began to write, compose, and sing.
My music and my words were there through everything.
I found that children loved my silly rhymes.
Their grace reminded me of bygone simpler times.
Then I began to write some picture books
And drew some characters with loony, loopy looks.
I wrote about imaginary dreams
With universal Truth and happy ending themes.
The writer’s life was mine for many years.
With consonants and vowels I wrote of smiles and tears.
I think I touched some lives for just a bit.
I tried to kindle hope and keep it brightly lit,
But then I passed away with no farewell…
My story is a simple one to tell.

If you have a similar story to mine, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post My story as a dreamer and a silly sunbeamer appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Here’s why I brought up where I am.

Because it was exactly on this day, the 8th of August, over a dozen years ago, when I wrote about how nice it was to have cool breezes blowing through open windows. What a difference a few years, AND a whole ‘nother part of the country make.

Maybe you’re having hot, humid summer weather, too. And I’m sure we’ll have a lot more. Because that’s just how it is this far south along the coast. So, I have to imagine and reminisce about cool breezes flowing through the house in August. Those are my Rocky Mountain memories.

But, no matter where I am, I’m blessed to be free. And freedom keeps you healthier and certainly can increase how long you live. No matter where you are right now, take a minute or two, and say a prayer of thanksgiving for how God’s love makes you free. Regardless of the weather.

That freedom might even help you solve this Rhyme and Reason riddle I wrote on that different August day…

Where I Am Now

Can you guess where I am now?
I am hiding in plain sight.
You might think I’m in the grass,
And you’d almost be just right.

But the grass is just close by.
It can see me. So can you,
If you know right where to look…
If you read this riddle through.

I’m in something you might love
And on something you might see
In the front yard or in back.
Take a look and you’ll see me.

Little bugs crawl on my face,
And some worms dig down inside.
Where my wrinkles crinkle up,
There are places they can hide.

But now here’s a little twist…
I am somewhere else as well.
In a puppy? In a dog?
Read this riddle…it will tell.

If that puppy sees a cat
Climbing up the Aspen bough,
Then the clues will all spill out
Showing you where I am now.  © 2013 TF

If you trust God despite the weather, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Where I am is in the middle of a recollected riddle appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And if you hate God, you’re not gonna have fun with me.

Because I enjoy telling people about Him. If you don’t look for opportunities to serve others that way, it might sound a little wackadoo to you. But serving others instead of always thinking about yourself is the way to get so much more out of life.

You might not make their problems all go away, but the important part is to be there. Be there for your friend, your family, your neighbor. And by “be there” I mean look for ways to give without having to be asked. You need other people. And everybody needs help sometimes. It’s OK, too. That just means there are opportunities all around you to help someone else have a fun day. Or at least a better one.

You might see an old man or woman who seems to be lost. You can offer to help them find their way or find something. Maybe you’ll be walking near someone who drops a bag of groceries or purse or something. You can pick it up (or at least offer) and smile as you hand it back to them.

You have a great imagination. So, you don’t need me to tell you all the ways you can help. All you need to do is keep your eyes and ears open. And keep your smile ready. Use it every chance you get. Because no matter how mean or tough this world can get, you and I can still trust God, serve others, and…

Have a fun day…

Whatever you do.
Someone else might…
You might as well, too.
Whether there’s sun
Or whether there’s rain,
When life has lemons,
Grab a sugar cane.
Never can tell
When your neighbor might
Benefit from
Your bouncy, bright light.
Something you do
Or something you say
Might help somebody
To have a fun day.  © 2013 TF

If you think God’s world can be fun, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Have fun with me and be set free appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Well, today I decided to think about things.

But I don’t believe that automatically means I have no more than an average mind. In fact, I think it puts me in infinitely good company. Because I remembered it’s God who created all things. And He did it through Jesus Christ. So, my guess is that He had to think about those things before He could create them. Can I get an amen?

And before you try to figure out a way to correct me, I realize God didn’t create mediocre things like we humans do. No, He created all the materials needed to make everything you and I can make. And by materials, of course, I mean dirt, water, breathable air, trees and all the other plants, animals, fish, birds, and human beings. Whatever He thought was good to create, He spoke the words and created them.

But make no mistake. God thought about things before He created them. (side note: the implication there is that he is not outside of time because he did things before, and after, and there must be time in order for that to happen)

OK, let’s get past that rabbit trail and go on another one. A few years ago, I wrote a rhyme for kids and posed a brain challenge for them. I said this…

Quick! Before anything else happens to distract you…think about nothing.

You can’t do it, can you? If you think you can, then you just thought about something.

And that proves you can’t think about nothing.

Oh no, it feels like we’re going in circles.

If you think about it (ha ha), there’s really no such thing as nothingness. So you couldn’t think about it even if you could think about it. Because if there really wasn’t anything, then there wouldn’t be you, and you couldn’t be here challenge your brain this way.

Are you starting to get a headache from all this brain strain? Well, that’s because you’ve got something in your thoughts. Yeah, it might not be huge or important. But there IS something there. So, since we’ve already figured out you can’t think about nothing, take a few seconds more to…

Think about nothing
As fast as you can.
Then try to make up
A fantastic plan
With all those thoughts
About nothing you thought.
Then, what will you do?
Well, nothing…that’s what.
‘Cause nothing is nothing
You can think about.
It doesn’t exist
So you can’t leave it out.
Oh, all of this thinking
Makes my head feel light.
So I’ll think about nothing…
Else tonight.  © 2013  TF

If you think about things God made, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away. Super duper easy peasy.

Stay tuned,

The post Think about things and ring a ding dings appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

If you make mealtime more fun, you might be surprised at how many health benefits you’ll get from it. It’s true. Smiling, laughing, and even dancing burn more calories and lift your spirits. Here, at the FunderBungalow, there’s a real goofy guy who turns on the big sound system and does some very goofy dances at dinnertime. He moves around making funny faces, and he even makes the dogs follow him around in circles. And everyone laughs. And before you know it, dinner’s ready, and everybody’s hungry.

What do you do at dinnertime? Does the family gather around and tell stories of the day? Share some fun or funny things you and your family do when it’s time to…

Dance In The Kitchen

Cookin’ up black beans…
Biscuits and butter…
I’ll be the chopper…
You be the cutter.
We need a salsa…
Also a salad.
Put on some music…
Bach or a ballad.
Dance in the kitchen…
Turn up the laughter…
Times like this live
Here ever after.
Pepperjack cheese on a
Crisp tortilla…
A dash of salt and
Some mantequilla.
Dance in the kitchen
With a song and smile.
Times like this
Make life worthwhile.  © 2013 Tony Funderburk

If you “dance before the Lord,” let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post In the kitchen here’s how you pitch in appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

This is what I said about the August heat there…

The August sky was hot and blue today here in Colorado.

Then, in the evening things cooled off with some rain and mountain breezes. Ahh…it’s so great to live in a place that can be in the 90’s during the day and cool off into the low 60’s at night. If you’re like me, you might enjoy the scent of rain sprinkling on the lawn and quenching the thirsty streets. Here at the FunderRanch we love to sleep with the windows open so the night breezes fill the room. It’s so much more refreshing than plain ol’ air conditioning.

I’ve noticed a lot of back-to-school commercials and advertising lately. It’s weird to think it’s already that time again. We’re almost three fourths of the way through with 2013. This time of year brings back memories like…

• the last barefoot days of the season
• a train trip from Kansas to Texas
• getting new school clothes
• looking forward to all my new school supplies
• cooler weather

And here’s my favorite part about the August sky.

It marks the end of the hot weather. Sure, September can have some hot days, but then the cool, crisp days of Autumn sweep in and revive me.

That’s why I wrote…

The August sky is full of colors
And sometimes drops of rain.
It makes me think of bygone summers
And riding on a train.
The golden sun, like Kansas wheat,
Would bake the fields of corn,
And I bucked endless bales of hay
And all my jeans were torn.
I still remember pools of blue
And going to “the game.”
My bike was candy apple red
And “Flyer” was its name.
So many memories are there
Up in the August sky.
The colors still shine brightly
As I watch the years fly by.  © 2013

Here’s my updated version for the “sunshine state.”

In Florida, the August heat
And bucketloads of rain
All make me long for mountain drives
Through rocky high terrain.
Relentless heat, humidity,
And barely any breeze
Can stifle you and wilt you
Into finding remedies
For swimming ’round in pools of sweat
While grabbing cubes of ice
To cool off just a little bit.
Relief would be so nice.
So many memories return
Into my brain of days
That blurred into a single thought,
My Colorado haze.  © 2026 TF

If you know God’s love never leaves you even in the August heat, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post August heat is not a treat appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Because the light in my eyes didn’t come from the sun.

It came from the Son. Jesus the Christ. And I know most people in the world don’t wanna get me started on that. No, let’s talk about anything but that. Things. People. TV shows. Movies. Concerts. Anything but Jesus. And that’s tragically ironic. Because Jesus is the only reason you and I have eyes. Much less light in them.

A few years ago, I shared how He created our solar system and put the moon 400 times closer to us than the sun. And, by design, He created the moon 400 times smaller than the sun. And that’s more than just a little interesting. Because it’s how we can get an almost perfect solar eclipse. Very cool.

There’s a whole lot more I could say about the design of the moon, stars, and sun. But I’ll just share a rhyme that I wrote for kids years ago. Feel free to share it with your kids or grandkids. And don’t be surprised when you see a glow from the light in their eyes as you read it. Kids eat this stuff up…

There’s a moon in my room…
And the light is in my eyes.
It came in through the window
Just as soft as lullabies.
There’s a smile on its face
As it floats up on the wall.
I love the way it flitters
Without any sound at all.
And I’d love to fly up there,
With the moon, into the sky.
But the sandman just stopped in…
So, for now, I must say “bye.”  © 2013  TF

If you love the lights God created, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Light in my eyes will never tell me lies appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Well…with that information and a smartphone, you can connect to the internet and even make long distance calls.  ha!

Caesar Augustus didn’t decree this, but…

I wondered what a month would have to be called if it were named after me. Let’s see, using my nickname, Tony, we might have the month of Tonyary. Or Tonus. Or Tonember. Yeah, I think I like the sound of that last one. Because my birthday is in December. And we could maim two birds with one pickleball racquet with that month. What do you think? Sound good?

Here’s a rhyme about it, decreed by yours truly…

On August 1 2014
The congress did declare
A new month named Tonember
To people everywhere.
And every person big and small
Began to clap and cheer.
“Oh we can hardly wait,” they said,
Until Tonember’s here.
We’ll gather up the chocolate chips
And cashews and pecans
And bake Tonember cookies
Till they’re delicately bronze.
We’ll visit friends and family.
This year we’ll top the last.
Don’t hesitate to celebrate.
Tonember, please come fast. © 2014 TF

Science shows the earth revolves around the sun.

So, scientifically speaking, there’s no such thing as a sunrise. But, when you know you were created by the one, true, living, loving, artful God of all of creation, the sun does rise.

A sunrise is a metaphor, an allegory, or even a simile. It’s how your creative mind “sees” things. Either as you’d like them to be, or as they appear to be. In both cases you get a sense of the imagination forged into your spirit. God didn’t have to give you imagination. He could have just designed you to see whatever He wants you to see. And to perceive only things He says are necessary for survival.

Yeah, He could’ve created your mind to work just like animals and bugs.

But God loves to see what you come up with. Not that silly here-today-gone-tomorrow kind of Hollywood luv. His is a real and enduring love. And your imagination is an intangible proof of His love. You can think with logic and reason. But you can also imagine and create worlds of your own. You can soar into the skies, dive into the depths of the oceans, paint rainbows into the leaves of trees, and even rise above whatever physical limitations you have.

So, where will you go…

When the sun does rise,

And it surely will,
We will run straight to
The aroma hill.
We will pluck one rose
From its thorny vine,
And refresh our lips
With a sip of wine.
We will find delight
In the sweet bouquet
Of this flowered hill…
Of this brand new day.
It will be a feast
For the nose and eyes,
And it all begins
When the sun does rise.   © 2014 TF

If you prefer the God-given gift of imagination over Caesar Augustus, let’s stay connected.
It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Caesar Augustus and imagination for just us appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I only bring it up because I watched a video, a little while ago, that showed a bunch of toddlers basically falling asleep while sitting up. You could hear parents laughing in the background. And it was all innocent fun. Don’t worry. No babies were harmed in the making of the video. Because there were pillows and quilts all around.

Anyway…

Several years ago I wrote about how important sleep is for a kid’s healthy brain. I believe getting kids to bed at a proper time so they can get a good night’s sleep is part of how to train up a child in the way he should go. Because, when he or she is old, they probably won’t depart from those sleep habits.

Here’s what I said back then…

When I was a pre-teen, we had a bedtime of 8 o’clock. Period. There were no if’s, and’s, or but’s. Even though we didn’t always like it, I have to say this much…I was almost never sleepy in school. My regular sleep time and regular 8 hours of sleep helped me have good grades throughout grade school, junior high, and high school. And in my 4 years of high school I only missed a total of 7 days. It would have only been 2 days, but I had a slight appendicitis problem in the 9th grade.

So…if you’re a parent, and you want smarter, healthier kids…or if you’re a kid, and you don’t wanna be a dufus…go to bed at about the same time every night. Try to get 8 hours of sleep. And don’t live on energy drinks and toaster pastries. Or you could end up like this kid…

Sleepy Kid

So, once there was this sleepy little kid
Who wouldn’t do what other kiddies did.
When he climbed up in bed,
He stood there on his head
Till dreamclouds came, and then he ran and hid.

He thought the clouds would rain his dreams away.
He didn’t know they’d help his dreams to stay.
All night he’d lie awake
And wouldn’t take a break,
And ended up so tired throughout the day.

Now, surely you can see what this would do.
Not sleeping makes you wimpy through and through.
To be fit, well, and bright
Get lots of sleep at night…
Or this poor, sleepy kid might just be you. © 2013 TF

If you enjoy God’s gift of sleep, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Sleepy kids get weepy and need some slumber deepy appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I speak as a fool. I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.

Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

And he finished up his illustration of how he suffered for Christ by boasting. But not like Trump. Paul said,

If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.

Now, tell me who is weak in the Christian worldview.

Does Paul’s tale sound like any pastor or minister you know or have known? No, most so-called church leaders these days are quite the opposite. They get fat off the double and triple services in their concert-halls-trying-to-pass-themselves-off-as-churches.

The only beating most of them ever endure is when taters run out during their fall potluck.

I know this all sounds harsh. And you might feel like telling me to stop lumping them all together (the pastors, not the taters). But it should be as plain as the smartphone in front of your face that the kind of truth Paul shared is not being shared in churches these days.

Because his results and life are completely the opposite of what you see in the guys behind the pulpits in American churches.

Sadly, they are the epitome of who is weak.

I doubt they will ever have to be lowered out of a window to escape punishment for sharing the truth of Jesus Christ. It’s not something I wish for them. But I do wish they could learn some lessons from Paul’s writings.

After all, he’s the one who, with the Lord’s inspiration and guidance, ushered in this dispensation of grace we now enjoy. And he was put to death for it.

Abounding Grace

If this was the last day of my life…
If this was the last sunrise I’d see…
I’d still thank the Lord for my days
And His abounding Grace to me.

If this was the last thing I could write…
If this was my final poetry…
I’d still thank the Lord for His word
And His abounding Grace to me.

If this was the last time I could pray…
If this had to be my closing plea…
I know I could say, “I love the Lord
And His abounding Grace to me.”  © 2018 TF

If you go for Grace, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Who is weak in this life so bleak appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

How about three examples where bad is the new good?

Let’s say a father curses at and beats his son. And the son discovers words of wisdom in the Bible and imparts compassion to his own son. (or, who knows, maybe even his father)

Then, there’s this one. A mother drinks too much every day and belittles her daughter. And the daughter discovers the great women of Bible and passes on those stories to her own daughters, friends, and other women. (or, who knows, maybe even her mother)

Finally, how about a famous athlete has a public tirade as a result of drugs and too much adoration for his abilities? But then a young Christian boy sees this and uses it as an opportunity to learn how to focus on others, establish foundations for the less fortunate, and create a legacy of giving.

Yeah, those are actually examples of where something bad happens that motivates somebody to do something good. Not actually where bad IS the new good. But I think you catch my drift.

Anyway…

In 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Paul uses examples of the people who followed Moses out of captivity and into the wilderness. He says “but with most of them God was not well pleased” and that “their bodies were scattered in the wilderness”.

Paul shows us how we can use what they did as examples of what not to do. Most of them just wanted to eat, drink, have sex, and complain. Ironic isn’t it? After all…if all you had to do was eat, drink, and have sex…what would there be to complain about? Ponder that for a second.

Have you noticed anything like that going on in the world these days?

Here in America we have it exponentially easier than our forefathers. Most people can easily and comfortably sit around watching TV or playing video games.. And they can at a cornucopia of foods and snacks without ever lifting a hand to grow any of that food. And they even believe they can have sex anytime, anywhere, and with anyone they want. With no consequences. Because, you know, consenting adults, and all that jazz.

But, even while they do all that, they complain about how rough and tough and unfair life is. And they start to believe the stupidest kinds of lies. Like, if only they could somehow get their hands on the wealth and resources of rich people, their lives would be infinitely better.

That, my fine feathered friend, is envy.

And it’s not only a false assumption…it’s a sin.

Sin is the word used to describe those things which will lead to death. God doesn’t want you to sin because He knows it’ll kill you.

He designed you, and He knows what makes you tic. And what makes you sick. That’s why He put so many examples of sinful men in the Bible. And that’s why I said there are many times when bad is the new good. Because several of those men learned hard lessons and turned their lives back to God. And their examples can help you and me avoid those same mistakes.

It isn’t always happy.
It isn’t always sad.
And with a little understanding,
It isn’t always bad.  © 1978 TF

If you enjoy these bad examples, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Bad is the new good once you’ve understood appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Maybe it’s too much sugar from all that pie in the sky.

Have you ever heard someone say this?

“It’s OK to have your castles in the air. But don’t forget to build a foundation to hold them up.”

I definitely don’t disagree. And, at the same time, the world needs dreamers. Because they’re the ones who challenge the status quo with “what if.”

Christians say “count your blessings”. If you live in America, you most likely have too many blessings to count even if you don’t think so. Your needs are probably met. Not “wants.” I said needs. And when your needs are met, you’re a candidate to become one of life’s dreamers. Because your metaphorical belly is full of meat. So, it’s time for some pie in the sky dessert.

If any of this describes you, I wrote a rhyme for you. Goes a little something like this…

Dreamers

There’s a special place for dreamers
Who believe in love and hope.
You can go there and enjoy it,
If you don’t just sit and mope.

If today you’re feeling sorry
For yourself, well stop and think…
Do you have food on your table?
Do you have water to drink?

So when things just don’t seem happy
And no sunshine lights your face…
Dream your dream and make a difference
With some love and hope and Grace.  © 2013 TF

And never forget it’s that Grace from God that makes dreaming possible. So, no matter how successful your dreams are, you never did it alone.

And if you appreciate God’s grace, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Pie in the sky and the main reason why appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Breakfast meals are part of some of my fondest memories in life.

My earliest recollections include smelling what I call my BET breakfast. Bacon, Eggs, and Toast. I can actually remember my great grandparents house in Oklahoma where they cooked on a wood-burning stove. Yep, it was that long ago. A whole ‘nother century in fact.

There used to be lots of hand-churned butter and fresh whole milk from the cows who lived “just out back.” And sometimes they sent me out to the chicken shack to grab eggs the hens laid that very morning. It was all organic long before organic became a glamorous marketing word.

I’m a big fan of the scent of bacon floating through the house. It smells like home. And I hope breakfast meals always help families start the day off on the right foot. With flavors, aromas, smiles, and loving conversation. Maybe I’m just dreamy-eyed. But dreamers are the ones who wake up with the most optimism and remember that…

Breakfast is the best meal of the day.

Bacon, eggs, and toast are here to stay.
Maybe you like cereal instead…
It’s the reason you get out of bed.

Breakfast makes a foggy brain wake up.
Magic is in every coffee cup,
And the smells that float up from the stove
Give my nose a morning treasure trove.

Breakfast is the best meal of the day.
Start your day in a nutritious way.
It will be worth any time you took…
Even if you buy instead of cook.

So get out of bed and wash your face.
There is no one who can take your place.
Then go light a room up with your smile.
Smiles at breakfast make it all worthwhile.

If you think you’re not a morning dude,
Breakfast just might change your attitude.
That’s the reason I will always say…
Breakfast is the best meal of the day.  © 2013 https://www.TonyFunderburk.com

That’s one of a bunch of poems in a ginormous coloring and drawing book I created and published for your kids and grandkids. Get the paperback version on Amazon:

Or get the much more affordable, digital download version directly from me:

https://www.TonyFunderburk.com/books

Stay tuned,

The post Breakfast meals are some of the best feels appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Yeah, refrigerator art is an American tradition.

Maybe people and other countries do it too. But, for sure, it’s been a big part of Americana for as long as I can remember. And that’s quite a long time.

A few years ago I wrote about a very popular form of refrigerator art. Finger painting. The great thing about finger painting is it’s just an extension of your hand.  So, it’s a direct extension of what’s going on in your head. You don’t have to think of things like brush size and technique. You just start moving the paints around with your fingers and right away you’re making masterpieces. Well, refrigerator masterpieces anyway.

So, if you have kids or grandkids, here’s an idea. If you haven’t already done so this week, get some cheap paper, some washable watercolors, and some eager, little fingers.

Soon your little Picassos and Rockwells will be finger painting something you’ll never want to throw away. Even though you will.

Finger Painting

Somewhere on the canvas
Is a painting you can find,
If you can swish the colors
Like the colors in your mind.
All it takes are fingers
And a smile and some supplies…
Soon you’re finger painting
With some sparkles in your eyes.
Blend some blues and yellows
And a little purple, too.
Add a little water
Just to see what it will do.
Now, you’re making magic
With your very own two hands
Finger painting pictures
Every mommy understands.  © 2013 TF

That’s one of a bunch of poems in a ginormous coloring and drawing book I created and published for your kids and grandkids. Get the paperback version on Amazon:

Or get the much more affordable, digital download version directly from me:

https://www.TonyFunderburk.com/books

Stay tuned,

The post Refrigerator art where creative kids start appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Kids know how to laugh at things no one else can even see. Kids know how to be goofy and not care that mud got on the knees of their pants. And kids know how to love uncontrollably, hug unabashedly, and give undeniably. And most of all…kids know how to…

Ride The Wind

Every morning put your wings on tight.
Wouldn’t wanna lose ’em in the middle of a flight.
Don’t forget wings for your one best friend…
Need a navigator, when you’re gonna ride the wind.

Check the weather. Is the blue sky blue?
Just a little lightning is enough to throttle you.
Wear your goggles, and I recommend
You take along some gloves when you’re gonna ride the wind.

Nothing better than to fly up high
Soaring with the eagles, it’s like dancing in the sky.
Don’t you worry when it has to end…
There’s always tomorrow when you’re gonna ride the wind. © 2013 TF

I know that you know your days on Earth are limited. So, it might seem a little contradictory to say “there’s always tomorrow.” But it’s not, when you ride the wind of God’s love. Because His love can carry you up on eagles’ wings and makes eternal life available to anyone who wants it.

If you like to (or want to) ride that wind, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. Send me your email address, and I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Let’s connect today.

Stay tuned,

The post Days on Earth for all they are worth appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

In Philippians 4:8-9 Paul shows you that focus is so important.

And I know focus is a buzzword, these days. Because it’s used by motivational speakers, marketing gurus, and so-called influencers. But the focus they talk about almost never helps you to see how the God of peace will be with you.

So, I’ll show you one of the better things to do today.

But first, picture this in your mind’s eye. From the window in your kitchen you see a sunflower in your front yard. Standing there all alone in the middle of rocks and weeds. Bright and beautiful. So you open up your trusty camera app and snap a quick photo you can share with all your social media friends.

But the trouble is they don’t get the full effect. Because they see the rocks and weeds and whatever else shows up in the picture.

Now, imagine you take your camera outside, kneel down, and really focus in on the sunflower. And you capture the bright yellow petals with hues of sunset orange blended into interconnecting spirals.

Focused in like that you can clearly see the fruit and seeds of the flower. And it’ll help you appreciate that you have a camera with enough pixels to do it justice. Now, when you take this snapshot, you’ll have a picture that really shows off the beauty that caught your eyes. And most likely anyone who sees the picture will notice, even if it’s only subconsciously.

All because you just changed the focus.

And, just like you focused in on the sunflower, you’ll get a much clearer picture of God’s peace when you focus in on better things.

Paul actually used a synonym for “focus” when he wrote a letter to the Philippians. He wrote the word “meditate.” And to meditate on something just means to think deeply and carefully. Then, he shared a focus list. One of the better things you can do today is go over whatever things are:

• true,
• noble,
• just,
• pure,
• lovely,
• of good report,
• having any virtue, and
• anything praiseworthy.

So, learn to do what you hear and see Paul doing. Because he learned by hearing and seeing what Jesus did. Then, the God of Peace will be with you. That sounds like something I’d like to work on today. How about you?

If you wanna focus more like this, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Better things to do today to help keep the blues away appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Or, does do unto others not include fathers and mothers?

Uh…I don’t think so.

Do you care how much your dads and moms love you? And do you know all the things they have to do to make sure you have food and clothes and a place to live? Well, it’s a lot. They get up early every day and go somewhere to work hard and make money to buy all that stuff.

Then, your dads and moms take some of their money and buy you cool things like a computer or a game or your favorite sneakers. And most of the time it’s not even your birthday. They just want to make sure you have a great life.

So, here’s an idea you can try this weekend, kids:

Take time to do some nice things for your parents (and grandparents, while you’re at it). And don’t wait to be asked or told. Do it all on your own. With love in your heart. Ask God to help you. He will.

What do you say? Wouldn’t you love to see mom smile and have her kiss you on the cheek just because you made her a card? And wouldn’t it be great to get a hug from dad just because you helped clean up the yard? What could be better? There’s no time like the present. Go, get started right now…and have a great…

Weekend Kids

Monday through Friday your parents work hard.
When Saturday comes, you could mow the yard.
Or pick up your clothes and clean up your room.
And pluck the dandelions while they still bloom.
Or clean all the dishes, singin’ songs, it’s fun.
And you’ll see great things when the work’s all done,
For your moms and dads and for all they do.
Show your love this weekend, kids. It’s up to you.  © 2013 TF

If you love the Golden Rule, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Do unto others includes fathers and mothers appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Anyway…

I might also be one word away from encouraging a really great day.

I believe God wants me to try. And I also say that because here you are, reading something I wrote. Just like the truly dedicated fan you are. No, don’t get embarrassed. No need to blush. Go ahead and own it. You fan you.

But chances are you are not a kid. And this rhyme and reason, I’m about to share, was written for kids, basically.

So, try it out on your kids or grandkids. Or someone else’s kids or grandkids. Or even some kids or grandkids you find on the street. Wait…don’t do that. That would be weird. Not to mention (but I will) it’s probably illegal.

But then again, come to think of it, good luck trying to find any kids or grandkids outside anyway. These days they are a few and far between out there in the real world.

Anyway…

Read this rhyme to a kid (after you’ve read it of course). And see what word they come up with for the question at the end. You can email me their guesses, and yours if you like. It might be a lot of fun to see the different things you come up with.

OK, I don’t want to keep you from your appointed tasks too long. I’ll just wish you a good day with this poem that’s…

Little Bitty

In a little bitty house
In a little bitty town
Lived a little bitty kid
With a great big frown.

Well, the little bitty kid
Found a little bitty bird
With a little bitty note,
And it said one word.

The little bitty kid
Read the little bitty note
With the little bitty word
That a wise one wrote.

And a little bitty smile
Hugged his little bitty lips.
In his little bitty yard
He did three back flips.

Take a little bitty guess
In your little bitty day.
What little bitty thing
Did the one word say?    © 2013 TF

The post One word away from a really great day appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

There’s no mud pie recipe good enough for kids to eat free.

I spent my growing up years mostly in Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. And I can tell you, from experience, there’s a fair amount of variety in the dirt you can find across those states. Plus, they each get plenty of rain. So, it’s easy for kids to come up with a good mud pie recipe.

But a good mud pie recipe don’t make a good mud pie. Because, well c’mon, it’s still mud. And there ain’t enough shuga in the world to make mud taste like pie. Give me grass-fed beef any day. Every day.

But, a few years ago, I decided to write a rhyme about a kid’s favorite restaurant where kids eat free and no one orders for ’em. And I figured they might come up with some wacky ideas if they’re the only ones who get to choose what’s on the menu. So, that became the grand opening of…

The Mud Pie Café

The soup’s on gang
And the kettle’s big.
There’s enough for all
To eat like a pig.
So head on down
It’s not far away.
Everybody’s at
The Mud Pie Café.

The food’s made fresh
When it rains real hard
And the mud’s real good
In our own back yard.
All kids eat free.
No one has to pay.
There ain’t no place like
The Mud Pie Café.  © 2013 TF

That’s just one of the many rhymes for kids you’ll find in my ginormous book just for them. Get your kids or grandkids this coloring and drawing book today:

Or get the more affordable digital version

Stay tuned,

The post Mud pie recipe never a reality appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

But then those little, big things become distant memories.

Kids can just imagine things they wish they could do. And then they can see it all happen in their head. And, for them, it all seems very real. Imaginary friends walk right beside them. Inanimate objects, turn into superheroes and creatures that are able to do amazing things.

And I like to tap into those distant memories on purpose. Because that helps me remember how the little things can be filled with awe and wonder. That’s how many of the rhymes and reasons I’ve shared over the years are aimed at kids. And why so many of them have ended up in my books. Like this one…

Tiny Time

Look under the leaves of the sunflower plant…
Way back in the dirt you’ll see Arnold the Ant.
He works at his desk where he thinks up a rhyme,
And writes it all down in his own tiny time.

Now look over there in the bark of the tree.
A beetle’s as busy as beetles can be.
He chews for a while, and then starts to climb,
And keeps moving up in his own tiny time.

Have you seen the tadpoles that live in the pond?
They turn into frogs without using a wand.
They take a deep breath and swim under the slime
And only come up in their own tiny time.

There’s something invisible inside your head
When you are awake or asleep in your bed…
So small it can live in the sound of a chime…
Your imagination in sweet, tiny time.  © 2013 TF

Stay tuned,

If you can appreciate how tiny your time is, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Distant memories inspired many of these appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And I’m thankful to all the great men and women who gave up their lives for our freedom and now live in the realm of angels, so to speak. But they didn’t turn into angels. Despite what cartoons and movies, for decades, have shown to the contrary.

Actual guardian angels are real and created by God.

And ironically many of those angels will be soldiers here on earth one day. At least for a while. And they’ll be fighting for freedom, life, liberty, and the pursuit of holiness.

I pondered these this sort of symmetrical situation and shared some rhyme and reason about…

Soldiers, Angels

Soldiers, angels, walkin’ through the green grass
Underneath the blue skies.
Singin’ soft lullabies,
And they carry baubles made of brass.

Soldiers, angels, hikin’ up the high road
Lookin’ for the heart light
Gotta make it start right
Now because they have a heavy load.

Soldiers, angels, have left us a tutorial
On how to skip mistakes
Like everybody makes…
Then we build a sad memorial.

Soldiers, angels…one becomes the other
Takin’ on a new role
And up goes the death toll.
Why can’t every man just love his brother?

Soldiers, angels…we can’t live without them
Paying for our error
Till God stops this terror…
And that’s why I wrote this poem about them. © 2013 TF

If you appreciate those who protect freedom, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Guardian angels are real but not the way you feel appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

For some reason this evening (probably because it’s Saturday) I put on my writing for kids thinking cap to come up with a quick rhyming blog post.

So, I decided to write a post/poem called “Saturday Evening Post.”

C’mon…you gotta admit that’s incredibly clever. OK…you ain’t gotta admit. But give it a read. Then, let the people over at the magazine know that their title is in no danger of being hijacked by me.

I don’t want to be the ghost
That you miss the most.
So here’s my Saturday evening post.

And I don’t want to boast,
But I ate a piece of toast
Writing my Saturday evening post.

I didn’t sit on the coast
Or eat a pot roast
During my Saturday evening post.

I just became the host
Who kept you engrossed
In my Saturday evening post.  © 2013 TF

If you enjoy rhymes like this, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Evening post about the Saturday ghost appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

If you’re old enough to remember the 50’s, 60’s, or 70’s (and maybe 80’s), maybe that’s a nice memory for you, too. Yeah, we could hardly wait to flag down the ice cream man in front of our house and get him to open up the back of his truck where the tastebud treats were.

My favorite was the drumstick, a waffle cone filled with vanilla ice cream and frozen chocolate and nuts on top. And my second favorite was the frozen milkshake. It came with its own small wooden spoon. And the cup said, “spoon and dip or thaw and sip.” I never sipped.

But something else beat everything from the ice cream man.

You probably already guessed. Yeah, HOMEMADE! Woo-hoo!

Back then mom whisked up some sweet ingredients and gave the creamy, delicious mixture to dad to put in a metal container. Then dad would lower the metal container down into the wooden churning bucket. And he’d lock it in place, surround it with ice, add melting salt on the ice, and start rotating a metal crank. And the (naive) kids got to help.

Wow! Does that, or does that not sound like some magical fun?

But the real magic happened as the crank got harder and harder to turn. When it really wouldn’t turn much at all anymore, dad (and sometimes us kids) would stop and remove the container. We could hardly wait for the lid to be popped off so we could get some of ice cream in our bellies. Yuh-um!

The last week has been a scorcher here on the Emerald Coast (and probably in your area, too). So, I figured I’d just cool you off with some tasty memories and a little…

Ice Cream Magic

In the back of the freezer in mom’s refrigerator
Is a tub of vanilla, and we’re gonna eat it later.
It’s ice cream magic and your spoon becomes a wand
With some sweet imagination and a black cape donned.

Conjure up an ocean of chocolate and strawberries
With marshmallow icebergs inhabited by fairies
We see popsicle breezes and the rainbow twinkles
And there’s Ol’ Man Winter blowin’ cinnamon sprinkles.

Look, some rootbeer raindrops and a candy cane straw.
No one’s ever gonna think we really saw what we saw.
But we’ll forgive their kidding, and our feelings won’t get hurt
‘Cause it was ice cream magic, a very dreamy dessert.  © 2013 TF

If you believe ice cream is one of God’s blessings, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Ice cream man was part of the plan appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

How’s that for some supernatural awesome sauce?

Here’s another reason to go ahead and smile.

It’s a new day. Today is another day you woke up. That means you have another day to do something for someone. So, why would you put on a frown and then wonder why nobody wants to do nice things for you? Especially when it’s just as easy to smile and find somebody to serve?

I can tell you this for sure. Anytime you help someone it feels so much better than just trying to get what you want all the time. And that feeling lasts a lot longer, too. So, just remember this…

Get Your Smile On

Troubles in this life might never be gone,
But go ahead and get your smile on.
You might start the day with a big, fat yawn,
But go ahead and get your smile on.

Parents might say go out and mow the lawn,
But go ahead and get your smile on.
People might laugh at the pictures you’ve drawn,
But go ahead and get your smile on.

You might be a duck and never the swan,
But go ahead and get your smile on.
You can still fly high in a brand new dawn,
So go ahead and get your smile on.

If this brightened you up a little, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Go ahead and smile and put this in your file appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

How can you mind your own business in this age of the internet?

Yeah, if you’re gonna be “sociable,” don’t be surprised if you find yourself sort of minding somebody else’s business. Especially since they’ve got it up there in your face 24 hours a day. These days people will post just about anything. From the outlandish to the gross to the misinformed to the conspiratorial to the, well, you get the point.

But if you’re a Christian (and if you’re not, don’t put it off even one more day), you might just have that nagging thought in your head how God inspired Paul to tell you to mind your own business.

And if you’re not minding it, I hope Paul’s words are nagging your thoughts.

Anyway…

There’s are huge advantages to staying out of other people’s business. I’m not gonna list them for you. But I will focus on one. And that’s focus. And I mean focus on what keeps you moving in the right direction.

I think this kind of focus should even be taught to little kids. Because the earlier it gets in their brains, the better they’ll be at minding their own business. And that could lead to a lot more success for them.

So a few years ago, I wrote a poem for kids to show them how even daydreams can be productive. At first glance, you might not think the poem does that. If not, consider it again as you…

Daydream In Blue

Sitting there minding your own business
And a cloud whispers in your ear,
“Hey, why are you readin’ that ol’ schoolbook?
There’s a daydream waitin’ up here.”

Well, you look up from your ol’ schoolbook
And the cloud smiles and says to you,
“Get up out of that boring ol’ brown chair.
Float up here and daydream in blue.”

“I can’t float,” you say to the grey cloud,
I’m a kid…not a cloud like you.
And as much as I’d love to go flying…
It’s not something a real kid can do.”

The cloud laughs and spits out some raindrops
Two big ones plop down in your eyes.
Then all of a sudden you float up…
And soar through the beautiful skies.

You can’t believe how blue the blue is
Through the sky, on earth, and the sea.
It looks like a giant, blue marble…
The shooter of this galaxy.

From behind you can hear the cloud laugh.
“Look at you,” he says, passing by.
“What’s so funny?” you ask with a grin.
“Well, look…you’re up here in the sky.

“You said that you just couldn’t do it.
You said that no real kids could fly.
And yet here you are floating through it…
The beautiful cornflower sky.”

You have to admit that the cloud’s right.
It’s not someone else, this is you
Who’s floating through all of the heavens.
It must be that daydream in blue.

And then you begin to remember
There’s still so much work you must do.
Don’t worry, don’t fret, you can come back…
Come back to your daydream in blue. © 2013 TF

If you’re glad God gave us the ability to daydream, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Mind your own business and that is what this is appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Silly is cool. That’s the silver rule.

Did you catch my drift when I made that shift? Yeah, I could’ve said golden, but that sounds so olden. And, I think there’s a lot of “rules” for writing that need breaking.

Especially when I see how many different kinds of books and authors are a huge success. That makes me wonder who made up the “rules.”

For example, there have been lots of times I’ve read blurbs from bestselling books, and I just don’t get the success. And other times I’ve found very enjoyable books from writers with basically no success. Go figure. (seriously, go figure. I’ll wait.)

Anyway…

Enough of that rabbit hole. Let’s see, if I remember correctly, I was talking about how silly is cool. In fact, there have been grown men who became famous for their silly entertainment for kids.

Guys like Dr. Suess and Mister Rogers. I think we could have been friends if we lived during the same times in history. Sure, I know I’m no Dr. Suess or Mister Rogers. But I can confidently say they were no Tony Funderburk either. And we’re all pretty similar when it comes to…

Being Silly

You could shine just like a diamond in sunlight.
You could be a star and light the whole dark midnight.
And you could be a daffodil or tiger lily,
But nothin’ quite compares to being silly.

You could make a frown and wrinkle up your whole face
You could walk into a room and freeze the whole place.
By why would you want to make someone so chilly,
When nothin’ quite compares to being silly?

You could be a superhero on a mission
Or a fairy helpin’ people with their wishin’.
You could make a funny face at Uncle Willy.
Yeah, nothin’ quite compares to being silly.   © 2013 TF

If you think silly and wholesome is cool, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Getta lotta Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Silly is cool so it makes a great tool appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And I’ve been sharing a lot of these sunny rhymes the last week or so to give parents and grandparents some good stuff to share with their young’ns. Rhyme and Reason stuff based on the power of God’s love.

When Elgielene and I look for something to watch on TV before we call it a day, we see so much dark junk. Your kids and families are bombarded with it from just about every angle. And you’ve been in this boat so long, it might be hard to see how fast it’s sinking.

That’s why I believe it’s still a great idea to take at least a little time to balance some of that darkness with the light of God’s love. Today I have a short poem called…

Sunny Day Rhymes

This day is a sunny day
Right from the very start…
As long as sunny sunshine shines
In every sunny heart.

And…

If you love this sunny day,
Then make the best of it.
Tomorrow can be sunny too.
A sunny Son day hit.    © 2013 TF

Ok, that’s it. I told you it would be short. Just a little light to shine into those dark places for a few seconds.

And if you understood the Son day part, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Sunny day rhymes for smiles and much more appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Just because the future does not exist doesn’t mean nothing does.

So, there’s no reason to be upset with me for saying this about the future. I just share it to point out how important it is to get as much learning and understanding as you can. Understanding what makes human beings tic is a key to treating each other better. The future, utopian or dystopian, does not exist today.

That’s my point. Matter of fact, I’ll go one giant step further than that.

I believe if human beings would learn to enjoy serving one another instead of stealing from and murdering one another, that description you find in the Revelation, at the end of the Bible, wouldn’t have to come true. Nope. I don’t believe, for a second, that our loving Creator decreed all that before the foundation of the world. Yeah, I believe He would love to see it not come to pass. But, will it? It’s kinda like this…

Maybe, Maybe Not

Will the sun rise in the morning?
Will the temperature be hot?
Will the sky be blue and sunny?
Well, maybe…maybe not.

Will the songbirds all be singing?
Will the breezes blow a lot?
Will the leaves lift up their laughter?
Well, maybe…maybe not.

Will some words of wisdom visit?
Will the books all have a plot?
Will we read some happy stories?
Well, maybe…maybe not.

Will the world go on forever?
Will the getting all be got?
Will we all be nice to others?
Well, maybe…maybe not.  © 2013 TF

I challenge you to read that poem to your kids or grandkids. And when you do, by the time you get to the second verse, you can say well, maybe, and point to them. And don’t be surprised if they say maybe not. It’s just a theory I have. Test it out and see if those little rugrats substantiate my theory.

If you have a blessed hope for the future, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Rhyme and Reason delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post The future does not exist and I simply must insist appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

It’s because life passes one day at a time.

And there’s nothing anyone can do to change that. So, you might as well relax. And take God’s advice about it. He said don’t worry about tomorrow because there’s plenty to deal with today.

There are multiple places, in the Bible, where God says not to worry and not to fear. But golly gee, Wally. Doesn’t God know how this world is filled up with bad stuff? How could he expect you not to worry or fear when there’s so much evil here?

I wrote a poem for kids to encourage them to think positively one day at a time. And I based on a place to eat. I called on my own memories and weird pictures in my head, from the many diners and restaurants I’ve eaten in across America.

So, this cafe doesn’t really exist. It’s just a figment of my nostalgic imagination. But I can imagine it and see it in living color. And I think there should be a chain of the Day By Day Cafes all across America. Read this to your kids or grandkids and see if you guys would care to join me at the…

Day By Day Café

You can order up an orange juice
Order up some toast.
You can order up the sandwich
That you really like most.
And you can order up a root beer
And drink it right away…
At the Day By Day Café.

You can have a bowl of cereal
And not a thing more.
You can order watermelon, and
Eat it off the floor.
Get all your favorite loony tunes
And let ’em all play…
At the Day By Day Café.

You can order up some breakfast
And order up some lunch.
You can order up tortilla chips,
And have a light brunch.
And you never have to leave this place.
The owners let you stay
At the Day By Day Café.   © 2013 TF

If you take life by the day, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post One day at a time in a book and a rhyme appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

It’s alliteration for kids that doesn’t talk down to them.

As always, it’s my goal to spark their imagination and get them to see the amazing art inside their brains. The art that God gave them the ability to see. And I believe alliteration for kids can actually activate that art (see what I did there?).

When I started writing the rhyme you’re about to read, I thought it would be something other than what it turned out to be. But the inner workings of my imagination took it a whole different direction. And, after all the years I’ve been writing, I still enjoy when that happens. Because I figure if it surprised and delighted me, it might surprise and delight kids. Sure, it’s been a long time since I was a kid. But I don’t think I forgot everything.

So, read this to your kids or grandkids.

And let me know their reactions as you activate their brains with…

Tinkling trinkets twinkled through the tiny town.
Lots of lemon drops were lofted by a clown.
And the muffins made with mandarin were sweet…
As the fireworks and fireflies lit up the street.

With one glance a glad glissando glided by…
And a perfect pizzicato pierced the sky…
You might ask where was this wonderment beheld…
I won’t tell you, and I cannot be compelled.

‘Less, of course, you’d share the shelter of your shade
With the people passing by in the parade.
Then I’d treat you to the treasures tendered there
As you aided an archangel unaware.   © 2013  TF

(I used my homeschool affiliate link above. Use the coupon code, TONYFUN to get 10% off)

If you enjoy alliteration activation, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Alliteration for kids to open their minds and eyelids appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Dreaming is free, but it’s also not mass produced.

In other words, no two people will dream the exact same dream. Because no two people share the exact same brain or thoughts in those brains. So think about that for a second. It’s another example of how you are incredibly unique. By design.

Now, since dreaming is free, you don’t have to wait till you go to bed to dream something up. If you’ve ever dreamed about flying high above the trees or clouds, you know what I mean. In real life you can’t do that, but in your daydreams it’s a piece of cake. Speaking of cake, you could even imagine yourself flying on a slice.

Yeah, you can daydream impossible things. Because God gave you a wonderful brain loaded with imagination. And sometimes you can even find ways to make your dreams come true.

Many famous inventors had some of their best thoughts under a shade tree. Or in a swing. Or sitting at a desk with their eyes closed. Just remember, when you take the time to daydream, take the time to write down your best ideas. You might not use them right away. But who can tell when they’ll come in real handy.

Several years ago I wrote this special poem to encourage you to use your imagination to…

Dream The Dreams

Waking up from silly dreams
Isn’t silly as it seems
Because dreamers are what makes the world go ’round.

With those pictures in your head
As you rise up out of bed
You might find the thing that needed to be found.

You might dream of flying cars
That go cruising through the stars,
Then design a brand new turbo rocket ship.

You might wake up from your sleep
With an awesome way to keep
People safer when they’re going on a trip.

What if you could dream a dream
That, to some, could sound extreme.
But your idea helped to ease a lot of pain?

Well, put on your dreaming hat
‘Cause we need more dreams like that,
And they’re waiting to be dreamed inside your brain.

If you’re eager to create,
And you find you just can’t wait,
And your dreams are overflowing from your ears,

Take a breath and write ’em down,
With a smile and not a frown.
Then your dreams become ideas you’ll have for years.

When you dream, don’t think it’s odd.
Dreams are thoughtful gifts from God.
They can help to give your weary mind some rest.

So relax and dream away.
Every day’s a brand new day
To begin to dream the dreams that you dream best.   © 2013 TF

If you love God’s gift of dreams, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Dreaming is free so what do you see? appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

It’s odd, to me, that feeling blue means unhappy.

Because blue is my favorite color and it makes me feel good when I see certain shades of it. Yeah, bold blueberry blue is Mister Tony’s superpower color.  But, OK, I get it. It’s not all about me.

Sure, there’s a lot of bad news out there. People just don’t seem to be able to get along. And for some reason some people want to be king of the world and make everyone serve them.

But you don’t have to be like them. You can do so much more with your life. Especially when you look for ways to serve others. Think about it a sec. When you do something special for your mom or dad or sister or brother, don’t you feel great? Or at least better?

That’s the funny thing about problems and troubles. When you focus on them, they look bigger and badder than they really are. And that keeps you feeling blue. Then, you make things worse as you focus on them even more. And, before you know it, feeling blue turns into something worse.

But when you learn to look for answers instead of staring at or complaining about the problems, you start to work your brain in a really good way. That’s why I say, look UP, when things get you down and stuck…

In The Middle

When you’re really in the middle
And you’re feeling like a riddle,
And you start to get a little bit down…
Take your eyes off all your troubles.
Let ’em float away like bubbles.
When they pop, then I bet you can’t frown.
When you think your life is rotten…
All the good things have been gotten,
And the world’s takin’ more than it gives…
Start to laugh and start to winkin’.
You can stop that stinkin’ thinkin’.
That’s the way that a happy kid lives.
Yeah, your face might get all flappy
When you walk around so happy,
But your life is gonna mean much more.
Now go be a sparkling fountain
Or a bright light on a mountain
‘Cause your Maker’s got a lot in store.  © 2013 TF

If you prefer to look UP, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Feeling blue and what will you do? appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And I hope I’ll be doing something right, too.

Of course, I’m at an age in my life where 10 years from now I could be in Heaven. If I am, at least I’ll know that I must’ve stuck with the right choice. Because there’s only one way to get there.

Anyway…

About 13 years ago, I wrote a rhyme that asked little kids a what will you be doing question? And then I gave them a bunch of choices for answers. But I put them in the form of questions.

I enjoy writing for kids with a goal of getting them to think about the world around them. Because I want kids to understand where we came from and why it matters. And I like to encourage them to be doing something right so they can please their parents and God. Asking questions often does a better job of getting them to think about it than just teaching them stuff. And I’m always thankful when they listen.

If you have kids or grandkids, read ’em this verse and see if they have other thoughts on what they’ll be doing. Check out the delightful ideas they come up with when you ask…

What Will You Be Doing

What will you be doing
When you’re not doing what you’re doing?
Will some pieces need some gluing?
Will your feet both need some shoeing?
Will your smile replace boo-hooing
When you hear a big cow mooing?
Will you watch some hot tea brewing?
Will you smell a pot roast stewing?
Will you see a bear pursuing
When you go somewhere canoeing?
Will it all be your undoing
When you’re doing what you’re doing?  © 2013 TF

If you enjoy G-rated rhymes and other content, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Be doing something right and someone might like your light appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

So here’s the real story. Time to get down to bidness.

OK kids, you are not a carbon based life form. And that’s awesome news. Because it means you’re not just a bag of bones covered in skin, made of dirt, and here by accident.

Nope. Far from it. As far as the east is from the west, you might say. In case you don’t have a handy, measuring tool, that’s a mighty long way.

You were designed by the infinitely creative, imaginative, and perfect Designer. In fact, the whole world, and even the whole universe was made by Him. And He put information into the trillions of cells that you’re made of, and they are electrically charged by the sun. So, you are information based.

Way cooler than carbon.

And even cooler than that is how the information was put into you with love. And that love gave your soul and spirit the opportunity to live forever. But there IS a catch. You gotta choose to believe and trust in the one who makes the opportunity available. Jesus.

Of course, just to mention of his name transforms some people into crazy creeps. But for those of us who want the paradise offer, His name is the top name in the universe. Your real story time began when you were conceived, and it can go on long after you leave planet earth. Or you can choose to and your story and exist forever somewhere where no one but you will remember you. That’s why…

Your Story Matters

Inside a trillion tiny cells
Where no one’s eyes can see…
A trillion times your story flies
On sparks of energy.

That energy is life itself
The fire to light your way
To write your story and to live
And love someone today.

Be thankful for your source of life
And bow or smile and nod…
Because your story matters most,
When it reveals our God.  © 2013 TF

Your email address matters, too. It’s what I need so I can send you my Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. Get lots of fun stuff delivered right to your inbox. Spend your valuable time reading instead of searching. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to 2 of my Christian books for kids and 2 songs, right away. Fun for kids AND not too cutesy. So grownups enjoy it, too.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Real story time in a thought and a rhyme appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

• An apple pie?
• A new car?
• New shoes?
• A phone call?
• None of the above?

Yep, the answer is “none of the above.”

An expectant human mother expects a human baby.

It’s been that way for all of human existence. So, you would think you wouldn’t have to explain that to anybody anywhere. But millions and millions of abortions all across the world prove that human beings are willfully ignorant on a massive scale. Especially in this age of high resolution ultrasound.

It’s gotten so bad that nowadays a lot of people can’t acknowledge that unexpected mother can only give birth to a boy or a girl. No, fools and weirdos like to pretend there are lots of genders. And they angrily demand that we participate in their delusion. Of course, anyone who has received even a small amount of wisdom from God will never join in with that.

You and I know that God wrote, in his best selling book of all time, that he made them male and female. And “them” refers to human beings. Plus, he made every one of us unique from everyone else. For example, think about how no one else in the world has the same fingerprints as you. No one else has the same DNA. And those are just two major ways to show how you are…

YouNeek

OK, look at your fingers, and what do you see?
Look at them now, and don’t point them at me.
On each of your fingers you have fingertips.
Maybe your mom touched hers to your lips.

Your fingertips make their very own prints
Like no one’s before and no one else since.
It’s true of the billions of people on earth.
It means you have value. It means you have worth.

And something inside you too tiny to see
Says you will be you and never be me.
It was God who designed it and made it that way.
He gave you a code, and it’s called DNA.

It controls if your eyes will be brown, green, or blue.
It makes you a human, not an odd kangaroo.
And under a microscope what do we find?
That your DNA makes you into one-of-a-kind.

OK, never forget to remember this news
There will never be three or even two you’s.
And even the voice you use when you speak
Will show the whole world you’re truly unique.  © 2013 TF

If you agree with why you’re unique, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Expectant mother expects no other appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

But, so far, Lingokids bubbles videos seem cute and harmless.

Looks like they just want to encourage kids to learn their ABCs, wash their hands, and other kids stuff like that. I don’t know anything about them, so I don’t endorse them. Just looks like the typical cutesy content, you can find all over the internet.

Anyway…

You might not remember those AT&T commercials, from several years ago, where a man sat at a kids’ table and asked some kids if doing two things is better than doing one. Then, he watched the kids and their reactions, comments, and funny movements. Funny stuff.

I’ve always been that way with kids. I love to challenge their perception and perspective. And then give them goofy alternatives. The looks on their faces, as they try to process the information, is priceless.

And that’s why I enjoy writing for kids so much.

It gives me the opportunity to turn on the switch to the imagination I’ve always had but don’t always tap in to. I can be anything or go anywhere. And I can hopefully write it in a way that takes kids along for the ride. Not just cutesy, wash your hands stuff, like Lingokids bubbles.

But songs and stories where colors can have sounds. And sounds can come to life and sprout wings and fly up into clouds that turn into eyes. Then, the eyes can blink out tears that drip into pools of color. And the whole thing can start over again going in a new, fun direction.

And I look for opportunities to show kids how even our imagination comes from our loving Creator. Because I want as many kids as possible to be part of the eternal, heavenly family of God.

Then, again, sometimes, I share music that makes no sense but sounds fun. Like this goofy song…

Holla holla moolah…holla holla moolah
Holla holla moolah molay

Joppa jeepa joopah…joppa jeepa joopah
Joppa jeeppa joopah jopay

Kenna keena kyna…kenna keena kyna
Kenna keena kyna konay

Wella weela wyla…wella weela wyla
Wella weela wyla wolay

Soli Oh Yo…Soli Oh Yo Yo
Soli Ay Yi…Soli Ay yi yi
Soli Oh Soli Ay Soli Oh Soli Ay
Soli Oh Yi Oh Yi Yo    © 2013 TF

If you speak the lingo, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Lingokids bubbles and singing through your troubles appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

“Am I doing what I’m doing right now because it makes me happy…or am I doing what I’m doing because I’d like to help someone else be happy.”

Either one is OK. But it’s really so much better and so much fun to help someone else.

If you only look at what makes you happy everyday, you can become selfish. And being selfish means you’ll spend even more time on what makes you happy everyday. And then you’re stuck in a circle that’s like a clock. You go ’round and ’round but never get anywhere.

So, right now is the right time to go find someone who needs a smile.

Or right after you read the short poem below. And go ahead and give them two or three smiles. If you do, they might even give you one or two back. And that makes a circle that looks like a wheel. It spins ’round and ’round and goes wherever you steer. So, steer clear.

This Minute Is

This minute is your minute.
Go ahead and jump in it.
One sparkle and one twinkle
One snowflake and one sprinkle.

Be sunny and be cheerful.
Skip worried and skip fearful.
Keep smiling and keep living.
This minute is for giving. © 2013 TF

If you prefer to live in the here and now, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Right now is the right time to read this rhyme appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Because Independence Day 2026 falls on a Saturday!

I read somewhere that won’t happen again until the year 2037. I haven’t verified that. But it seems plausible. Because I sure don’t remember the last time it happened. And it might only mean something to boomers. But I think it’s cool.

Freedom of expression and creativity, the kind we’ve had in America for my whole life, is a big reason why happy, upbeat songs like that ever get written. But most people don’t know that our freedom didn’t start with a declaration of independence from England or a constitution.

And that’s why I take at least a moment on 4th of July to thank God for the ultimate freedom He gave us through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. Yep, without that, I doubt very seriously there’d even be an America that made it to Independence Day 2026.

Here’s my song, in a video, about how truly fortunate we are to live in a country whose founding fathers recognized a dependency on our Creator for our ultimate freedom.

Happy and safe Independence Day 2026 to you. I hope and pray there will be more to come.

Faith working through love…
Let’s praise God for our liberty…
Christ paid off our debt…
Only in Him are we truly free. (lyrics from Freedom)   © 2010 TF

If you enjoy this kind of freedom, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Independence Day 2026 with a song in the mix appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Yeah, Henry wrote a song in 1934 that’s still sung in churches.

Now this Henry isn’t to be confused with the Henry who was my mom’s brother-in-law for a while. I guess I should share his full name. Alfred Henry Ackley. He’s the one who wrote that famous hymn…

He Lives

I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today;
I know that He is living, Whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him He’s always near.

He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me, and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives! He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives: He lives within my heart!

In all the world around me, I see His loving care,
And though my heart grows weary I never will despair;
I know that He is leading Through all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing will come at last!  (chorus)

Rejoice, rejoice, oh Christian, Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him, The help of all who find,
None other is so loving, So good and kind!  (chorus)

I really like how Henry composed three strong verses.

And all three illustrate how he could see evidence, so he didn’t have to just rely on a feeling. But the evidence he saw gave him such a glorious feeling in his heart he had to sing about it. And my mom couldn’t recall all the lyrics, but she sure remembered, and quoted, the last line of the chorus a lot.

I read an article that talked about how and why Henry wrote the song. Here’s a snippet from that article:

While in California in 1932, Ackley began witnessing a Jewish man who attended some of the evangelistic meetings. This young student kept saying, “Why should I worship a dead Jew?”

This bothered Ackley and it stayed on his mind. After waking early to prepare his Easter Sunday message, he was amazed to hear on the radio a famous liberal preacher in New York say, “Good morning. It’s Easter! You know, folks, it really doesn’t make any difference to me if Christ be risen or not. As far as I am concerned, His body could be as dust in some Palestinian tomb. The main thing is, His truth goes marching on!”

What the liberal preacher said on the radio made Henry so mad that he threw the radio across the room. That’s my kind of songwriter right there. And he popped up on my radar because he died on this day, July 3, back in 1960. So, I’m honored to say that he and I shared some time here on planet Earth. And I’ve sung his song more than a few times.

If you enjoy a good hymn like this, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post He lives, she said, I know he is not dead appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

So, three cheers for the men and women differences.

It’s amazing when you think about how the sexual reproduction systems in men and women are different. But they appear to be so made for each other. Of course, that’s a little bit tongue-in-cheek. Because they don’t just appear to be made for each other, they’re perfectly made for each other.

But just imagine the earth millions and millions of years ago (and that requires even more imagination than I have, which is ginormous). That’s when some so-called scientists say the separate reproduction systems were said to have been “evolving.” They expect us to believe that two radically different, yet highly compatible, systems could time their evolution so well. Just think about a few off the compatibility issues:

• Physical
• Chemical
• Emotional
• Environmental
• Accidental

And not only men and women are different.

The reproduction systems in the male and female of all the other species had to have been simultaneously evolving at the same (or similar) rate and speed, too.

And then there are the plants. Don’t get me started.

You can boil it down to timing. If one or the other, of the reproduction systems in any of the species, had been off only a little, that species would quickly become extinct. The number of miraculous accidents that would require is mind-boggling. So mind-boggling, in fact, it’s impossible to calculate.

Dr. Walt Brown talks about this in more detail. And I recommend you read his book “In The Beginning.” In it you’ll discover lots more amazing and awesome reasons you can know that you know you’re created by the one true, living, loving God of all creation. It can help build your confidence and hope in the Truth.

If you don’t already have the hope of eternal life,

Then my hope is you’ll check into the scientific evidence. Yes, I’m a Christian, and I have an agenda. But it’s not to scam you or lure you into one of those churches where you’d better hold onto your wallet. My agenda is simple. I call on my vast expertise in Rhyme and Reason to share the faith, hope, love (and mountains of evidence) that comes from knowing and trusting Jesus. Especially with anyone who’s looking for better answers than evolutionary science fiction.

What does this all mean?
And why should we care
That we didn’t come from slime
And there’s a God out there?   (from my song, Fast Forward)

If this landed somewhere good with you, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Men and women differences can show a well designed plan appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And that’s a dark hopelessness and depression I want no part of.

Have you ever thought about why you’ve lived as long as you have? Well, I have. And I know life’s not an accident. Or a set of random processes. Yes, you and I were put here on purpose. But how did it happen? And why? And does it even matter? Should you even care or try to figure it out?

Well, you and I do things we shouldn’t do. If I decided to make a list of the those things, I’d have to dedicate every article I write and every podcast episode I record to those things. And I still wouldn’t have enough time.

But here’s the ultimate cool thing that trumps all those other things on the “bad” list: God’s mercy. He is able and willing to wipe my bad slate clean, and all I gotta do is humble myself, ask Him to, and trust that He will. And knowing that keeps hopelessness and depression from having any control over me.

God doesn’t make you and me do the bad things we do. Even though we’re here on purpose, we’re not robots. And God hasn’t planned our lives for us. He doesn’t work that way.. And most televangelists and churches tend to give the impression, to the world, that He does. But here’s what God does for you…

• He gives you a brain and a soul.
• And He wants to see what you’ll do with them.
• You have freedom to love God.
• And He even allows you to hate Him.

All that because God knows that true love must be freely given. Not coerced, cajoled, or colluded.

God’s mercy on you and me gives us more time to make a difference.

My mission, in this life, is to use rhyme and reason to share the faith, hope, and love available to anyone who wants it. Anyone who’ll ask for it.

Since I didn’t receive what I actually deserve a long time ago, I’ve been able to grow and learn more about my Creator. That gave me much more knowledge and wisdom to share with anyone and everyone who’ll listen or read. And that word, anyone, is important. Because it’s both plural and singular. Any is synonymous with all. So, you’re one of the any.

You’ll find the spirit of that word in one of the most famous Bible verses. John 3:16. Click that link and read it.

I’ll share this song, lyrics below, about God’s love and mercy in the Rhyme and Reason Podcast .

And, one more time, I avoid hopelessness and depression when I remember God didn’t give me…

Give Me What I Deserve

You gave me life…
Gave me love, and gave me freedom.
You took my sins…
And You nailed “˜em, and You beat “˜em…

“˜Cause this person who you bought never had the nerve.
So I’m glad that you did not…
Give me what I deserve.

You gave me hope,
Gave me bread and living water.
You gave your blood…
When I led you to the slaughter.

But you never even fought or let your focus swerve.
And I’m glad that you did not…
Give me what I deserve.

Lord, don’t give me…what I deserve.
If I stand in the middle of the road,
Nudge me to Your side.
Lord, don’t give me…what I deserve…
“˜Cause I’m the reason and the cause
Why Jesus died…But then He rose again!

You gave me joy…
Gave Your word you’d leave me never.
You gave Your life so that I could live forever.

And on this earthly azure dot I can choose to serve.
So I’m glad that you did not…
Give me what I deserve.

© Copyright Tony Funderburk 2010

If you didn’t get what you actually deserve, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Hopelessness and depression and the wrong impression appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

It doesn’t matter if you can:

• build empires,
• become a trillionaire,
• employ tens of thousands of people, or even
• change the world for the better

Those things are fine. And if you’ve done, or are doing, any of them, then you’re one of the successful people. By worldly standards. But if you never trust your Creator, you will lose your soul. And that’s the complete opposite of success. That’s failure on a scale you can’t imagine.

Truly successful people also know what success isn’t.

And the main thing it isn’t is temporary.

That’s why I say the key to success can be found in 13 letters. It’s not like the DaVinci code using 13 special letters in an obscure alphabet. Far from it. In fact, no letters could be less obscure than these. You’ll find them in the bestselling book of all time.

I’m talking about the 13 letters Paul wrote to the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, and Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. Over and over in those letters Paul shares the key to success. And it’s clearly trusting in Jesus to change you and give you eternal life. Not temporary wealth and influence.

Without eternal life all your efforts and influence lead to failure.

So, what are you doing to make a difference for now and forever? Do you think a new computer software, or so-called artificial intelligence, or self-driving car is gonna be a lasting legacy? Will you be able to create something so powerful the world will never forget your name? If so, I say…think again. But feel free to leave me a comment or send me a message showing me where I miss the point.

A word to the confounded,
Pour light into your eyes.
If you expect more than neglect,
Get wisdom; yeah get wise.

If you appreciate Paul’s letters, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Successful people know who everyone should know appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

OK, now that I’ve got you feeling all good about yourself, let’s get real. Maybe you did get up on the wrong side of the bed. And maybe you couldn’t bite your tongue when that certain someone said that certain thing. Or maybe you didn’t get enough sleep so you keep bumping into things or people. What does all that prove?

Well, it proves it’s all your fault.

And it’s mine, too. And the other people around the world. Even the ones who think their essence is what makes the world turn. Life ain’t fair. Because you live in a world that humans broke. A long time ago. Before you say it wasn’t you who ate the fruit from the wrong tree, I gotta say this…

“You would’ve done the same thing!” You would’ve fallen for the deceptive lie. How do I know?

I know you would have done the same thing Adam and Eve did because you have. Admit it. You’ve wanted everyone to realize you’re the cat’s meow, the bee’s knees, and the bag of chips. You’ve chosen to do things you know you shouldn’t have. Right?

And if you’re gonna be truly honest (I hope you already are), you’ve made more bad decisions in your life than good. Can I get an amen? I’m right there with you dude…or dudette.

Life ain’t fair. But that’s not something that should ever hold you back.

Keep working hard to be better than you’ve been. Say this with me, “I’m better than I was yesterday, but not as good as I’ll be tomorrow.” There. Don’t you feel better? And ain’t that all that matters? Feelings?

NO! Your feelings will keep telling you life ain’t fair.

And before you know it, you’ll give in to those knucklehead feelings and start to go back to those knucklehead bad decisions. So, you gotta decide (and the power to decide is totally in you) to change bad feelings into better ones. Use the logic and reason God gave you, and your life will get at least a little more fair. Not perfect, but it WILL make sense. Then you’ll be more sensible.

And being sensible (using wisdom and discernment) will take you on a righteous road. Where fairness won’t matter a fraction as much as Truth. What do you think? Is your life good? Or do you still think it’s…

Not Fair

You’re born to parents you don’t get to choose,
And you just have to trust that they care.
They pick your clothes and your food and your stuff,
And you learn fast that life is not fair.

As you grow up you discover some things
About water and mountains and air.
You think your big brain should earn you rewards,
And you find out that life is not fair.

One day you wake in a place of your own,
Watch the news, and see pain everywhere.
You decide you can’t ignore it away,
And you’ll help because life is not fair.

Then, when you serve others, you one day find
A real joy that, before, wasn’t there.
And living will glow in a whole new light
Even though this old life isn’t fair.   © 2017 TF

If you wanna help make life better, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post All your fault so you better halt appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

That’s the glaring question. Why love anything at all?

Especially when you can’t even put your finger on what love is. And I don’t think most people can anymore. But have you ever thought about the source of love? I sure have.

Since it isn’t anything you can detect with any of your five senses, it’s hard to think about how it starts or where it is inside of you.

As a little kid, your first experiences with love begin with your parents or grandparents. Of course, you don’t have a clue why you love them, you just know you do. But how that happen? How do those feelings come up inside you when you’re not even old enough to understand them?

Well, I’ve got kind of a silly one word answer for that. Because.

Did you ever get into stupid kid arguments when you were a kid? Well, when I was kid, arguing with a brother or sister like most kids do, I was as good as anybody with those goofy kid answers to stupid kid questions. Most of the questions started with “why?” So, of course, most of the answers started with “Because.” I can think of one instance where the question was something like, “Why do you get to use those? Mom said we couldn’t.” And the answer was just, “Because I can.”

OK, back to love.

Because you can love from the earliest age means you’re born with love.

And if you’re born with love, or the ability to love, how did it get there? Through your mother’s umbilical cord? That doesn’t seem likely since love isn’t made of flesh and bones. Maybe it was through the sound of your mother’s voice and the nurturing you received in the womb. Hmm…closer. But, again, I don’t think love, the deepest emotion a human being can express, can simply be transferred through coziness.

Here’s what I’ve found to be true. Love has a starting place. And it’s transferred and transmitted through your soul and spirit. The only way that can happen is through and from the starting place. That place is the person of God.

Your creator made you with a soul/spirit full of His unending and boundless love. It’s because God loves that we can love. So, the next time you’re thinking, why love anything at all, come back to these lyrics. You can hear the song when you listen to the Rhyme and Reason Podcast .

Because I Can Love

What made You think
That I was worth the risk You took?
What made You take the time
To write Your Holy Book?
I don’t believe I’d give myself a second look,
But You did because You love.

You made a world
That was as perfect as could be,
But then I broke it
When You gave it all to me…
By going through the gate
You made to set me free.
This You did because You love…me.

Because You love me so…in spite of all You know…
Because You did the most that You could ever do…
Because I clearly see…evidence of You in me…
Because I can love…I do love…You!

You put a life
And a will inside my soul.
You knew true love
Would be to give me full control.
But knowing You is all that ever makes me whole.
I trust You because You love…me.

I can live because You live!
I can love because You love!    © 2010 TF

If you believe God is why you CAN love, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Why love anything at all makes you stumble and fall appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I was thinking about how caterpillar can become a metamorphosis butterfly.

It actually creates a cocoon and liquefies itself. Imagine that! Well, you don’t have to. Because God already did.

A creepy crawly caterpillar morphs into a beautiful butterfly. And it’s one of the weirdest and most beautiful transformations in all of creation. Plus, it’s a magnificent piece of evidence against the evolution fairytale.

Now, imagine if you could take a total jerk and stick him in a specially designed cocoon. Then, what if you could liquefy him, and wait a little while for him to solidify. And what if he came back out as a totally unselfish nice guy. Wouldn’t that be awesome?! If only changing somebody’s personality was as easy as changing a creepy crawly caterpillar into a metamorphosis butterfly. But, come to think of it, is that actually an easy process?

I mean, how does a little worm-like creature do all that?

How does it create a cocoon around itself and then liquefy itself? That certainly defies all the silly evolutionary ideas and notions. But it doesn’t defy a pre-programmed process by the one, true, living, loving God of creation. And I believe God designed processes like the metamorphosis butterfly just to show us His amazing creativity. And His attention to intricate details.

Another example of that is how a Monarch butterfly being able to navigate for 3000 miles using only its antennae and tiny, little butterfly brain. Think you could do that well with no GPS, maps app, or climate controlled car?

It might seem like a small thing to talk about caterpillars and butterflies and how they illuminate God’s glory. But it’s actually in the smallest things where that glory looms largest. Are you convinced yet? If not, send me a message or leave me a comment and tell me why. In the meantime, enjoy the lyrics to this song. Or listen to it in the podcast.

Shine In Your Glory

My love for You, Lord,
Is like a river.
Your love is like…the infinite sky.

You guide my steps
Through this worldly desert,
And I will hold your name most high.

So, I will shine in Your glory…
And I will raise my hands to the sky…
Yes, I will shine in Your glory…
And I will praise my Savior on high.

My joy is flowing out into your ocean.
Your grace rains down…in my open heart.

You take my hand
When the road is narrow,
And you’re my Light when things get dark.

So, I will shine in Your glory…
And I will raise my hands to the sky…
Yes, I will shine in Your glory…
And I will praise my Savior on high.

Shine in your glory (repeat 3 times) Lyrics © Cristina Miller 2010

Now, maybe you don’t know me well enough to buy something from me, yet. Ok, let’s change that. Get to know more about me and my worldview. Join the growing body of believers who’ve signed up for my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. And bask in daily, delightful flashes of light from the power of God’s love.

Stay tuned…

The post Metamorphosis butterfly and tell that worm goodbye appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Interested?

First, I bet you don’t always lett God help you be patient with all. Because you’re human. And you fail and fall. Just has all the rest of us do. So, believe me, I’m telling myself this same stuff, too. Because I need to hear it as much as anybody (and more than a lot of people).

Sure, patience is a virtue. But can too much hurt you?

Here’s a little rabbit trail sort of on that question.

Colorado legalized pot back in 2014. And I drove on Colorado highways, a lot, for 30 years. But something I noticed, after they legalized pot, was the scent of pot coming through the vents and windows of my pickup just about everywhere I drove. And it wafted through the air during walks through the neighborhoods. And that includes the so-called “nice” neighborhoods.

If you’re a dope smoker, here’s a statistic I’m sure you won’t care about. But it’s still true. When you smoke weed, your reaction time is significantly slower. Sorry to be such a killjoy, but da facts is facts.

And that means the minority of us who don’t smoke pot have to just be patient with those who do. We have to tolerate the nuisance of the smell, the slow reaction times, and every other negative thing that comes with it.

But I can’t be that patient without God’s help.

I had to deal with what I call “drifters” as I made my way across town or across the state. I’m talking about drivers who couldn’t seem to be deliberate in their actions. They’d drift into different lanes. Or they seemed to have to make up their mind about turning. And then sort of drift around the corner. And if I added up all the time I waited on those drivers to respond to the changing lights, I could possibly add a few days to my life.

That’s what I mean about me lacking patience. And about needing God’s help.

(side note: those drifters are in every state, even here in “conservative” Florida)

OK, I know there are lots of reasons people resort to smoking pot. They use excuses like pain, depression, or physical “conditions”. And they’ll say a guy like me, who never smoked pot, will never understand. On some level, I suppose that’s correct. But I DO know that inhaling smoke of any kind is not a better answer than real foods, fresh air, sunshine, and plenty of good water.

You should read about the real harm weeds does to you.

But if you’re a pothead, you probably won’t. So, I’ll just have to…

“Be patient. Be wary. Sing songs and be merry.
Then focus your attention on more than this world’s dimension”
(excerpt from the lyrics to my song, “Worldliness”)

If you’d rather get high on the power of God’s love, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

I share my rhymes and reasons based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Patience is a virtue. But can too much hurt you? appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

There’s a great Proverb that says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Because the allure of this world is so powerful, you and I need supernatural help. Fortunately it’s abundantly available. Even though many would have you believe all hope is lost.

Hope is not out the window.

Nope, it springs eternal when you trust in the one true, living, loving eternal Creator of Heaven, Earth, and you. Yeah, He made you, too. So He knows what makes you tic better than the finest Swiss watch. Don’t just trust in your own limited knowledge, and become your own worst enemy in the process. Instead, admit that maybe God knows the best way for you to live your life?

The first step is to admit you have a problem.

You’ve heard that line from the 12 step program for alcoholics. And it’s true for just about anything wrong in your life. Not just drinking. So, no matter what issues you’re dealing with, admit you have a problem that you can’t overcome on your own. Then ask God for help. And get back on the path He made.

I’ve heard some Christians use that Proverb I mentioned earlier to say God is in control.

They say, “See? He shall direct your paths.”

And that’s not the meaning at all. Sure God shows you the right way to go. But He won’t MAKE you go there. Because He wants you to have freedom to choose. And that’s why He equipped you with AI.

Actual Intelligence. Don’t toss it out the window for some pagan Greek philosophy.

Intelligent design and DNA,
Scholars can’t explain it all away.
Get ready to be awed
By the handiwork of God.

If this didn’t make you wanna toss me out the window, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Out the window where it should go appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Of course, Harry Nilsson wasn’t singing about the building blocks of DNA.

But the concept of one thing needing another thing to even live is in that song. And that’s kinda what the building blocks of DNA show us.

You’ve heard me talk about DNA (if you’ve listened to The Rhyme and Reason Podcast), or you’ve read some of the things I’ve written about it here on the blog. Right? And maybe you’ve heard me mention how proteins are the building blocks for DNA. Yes? Alright then. It’s important to talk about them both at the same time. Because DNA and proteins are each a dependent variable for the other.

And like the lyrics to an old song about love and marriage say, “you can’t have one without the other.” But they’re separate components.

So, do you realize what the means?

One couldn’t evolve without the other. One component couldn’t simply wait however long it took for the other to evolve into something useful. Because each one is too complex. It just simply couldn’t happen. But being designed in place at the same time by the most brilliant scientist in existence makes perfect sense.

I just watched a video that featured Seth Godin, a well-known author and marketing dude. And I really enjoyed this following quote. He said…

“Make things better by making better things.”

Well, you know who does that better than anybody and everybody else? You guessed ‘er Chester. God. And He designed proteins to do things like decode, store, transcribe, assemble, and protect. As a matter of fact one protein, known simply as p53, stifles cancer and protects DNA. So, how could DNA have ever survived some lengthy evolutionary process without p53 being there from the beginning? Short answer (and the only right one). It couldn’t.

There are intangible reasons why I trust Jesus to be my savior and creator. His love and goodness and righteousness immediately leap to mind. But I believe it’s important to share tangible, scientific evidence for God’s existence in this day and age. Because more and more people think science doesn’t require God. And actually quite the opposite is true.

And you’re a dependent variable whether you like it or not.

You wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the one, true, living, loving Creator. It’s scientifically, mathematically, and statistically impossible that the complexity found in your 30 trillion cells could have happened and function so well simply by chance.

And I don’t know why anyone would prefer it to be another way. Oh wait, yes I do. Because most people would rather be their own selfish god. Why serve, when you can be served? Right?

I invite and encourage you to look into the mountains and oceans of evidence for creation and the building blocks of DNA. I bet you’ll discover much more than reasons. You’ll discover love deeper and fuller than you can ever imagine. And here’s a related question for you. Why would you not want that kind of love?

And something inside you too tiny to see
Says you will be you and never be me.
It was God who designed it and made it that way.
He gave you a code, and it’s called DNA.  (From You Need)  © 2016 TF

If this at least boosted your curiosity, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Building blocks of DNA really do show the way appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Broken stuff happens because of this broken world. Not God’s plan of action.

It’s eternally important to put your faith and trust in the one true, living, loving Creator of Heaven and Earth, Because He’s willing to help you in some awesome ways. And when you read Paul’s writings, in the New Testament, you discover how important it is to know this. You also see how God didn’t decree a plan of action for your life. In fact, He’s the one who can (and will) help you through and over the mistakes YOU make.

Paul said it like this: “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace…”

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, their actions literally broke the world and our spiritual connection to God. After they did that, everything changed. Everything started to break down. And things have gone downhill ever since. You can actually trace everything bad in the world back to sin. But certainly not to God. Rust, mold, slime, germs, and ultimately death, all happen because we live in a broken world. And we broke it. Not God.

So, please don’t fall for “everything is part of God’s plan.”

Sure, God has an ultimate plan of action. He will ultimately bring justice back to the world He made. And He will make a new Earth and new Heaven. But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt He didn’t break my accelerator cable to teach me some sort of spiritual lesson. He wrote a book to teach me those lessons and help me fix broken stuff. It’s called the Bible. I hope reading it is part of your regular action plan.

I’m broken, but God didn’t do it.
In fact, only He can get me through it.
He heals me with love on the inside,
And I’ll live forever because Jesus died…

And rose again!

If this landed somewhere good with you, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Plan of action shouldn’t be the attraction appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

But I can’t remember the whole hidden meaning.

Has that ever happened to you? But I actually like that I can’t remember because it means I’ve moved on. I’ve allowed those thoughts and feelings to have their place. And now that place is in the past where they should be.

So, if you think you can come up with any hidden meaning in this poem, and any reasons for it, share your thoughts with me. Here’s the quirky poem called…

For The Love Of Remandee

On a cold and windless morning
With a magical, icy mist…
There flies a raven across a ravine.
The tips of its wings are kissed by the dawning sunlight.
It carries a message to the chateau of Cheron.
The message reads…

There lies a man
In an auburn casket
Whose heart has been stilled by the cold.
His life had its shortcomings…
He wasn’t old.
Ferry him awhile lest, by chance,
He lives again.
Be kind to the poor soul.
He died bleak and penniless.
Death stole his wealthy future.
He was to be a writer
Writing stories for the world,
But it seems apathy was a spear
Aimed at his heart and hurled.
Therefore he died of hunger to be seen.
Pity poor Remandee.

So fly splendid raven,
And end your long journey.
Give Cheron the message
For the love of Remandee.  © 1974 TF

If this landed somewhere good with you, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Hidden meaning in the lines and no direction signs appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

But don’t misunderstand Paul’s meaning when he said to admonish one another.

On the surface, it might sound like he’s telling us to, according to the dictionary:

• give someone a telling-off
• give someone a dressing-down
• bawl out
• blow up
• lay into
• give someone an earful
• rap over the knuckles
• slap someone’s wrist

But check that verse again. Because Paul said to first let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. Then he said, teaching AND admonishing one another. And then look at his recommended method. You should use psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. And you should sing with Grace in your heart to the Lord.

So, does that sound like you’re telling someone off? Or like you gotta bawl somebody out? Or give someone an earful while you slap their wrist?

Nay, Nay, I say.

I know when I sing with grace, it doesn’t mean I don’t convey a strong (and sometimes convicting) message. In fact, quite the contrary. Because words and music shouldn’t be just all about peace, love, and joy.

No, singing with grace sometimes needs to include rebuke.

For example, when you receive a critique on something you’ve written, you have an opportunity to review and improve your writing. While it’s true, the critic might be wrong (they often are), it’s still another set of possibly more objective eyes. And their perspective might give you a clearer way to get your message across.

That’s what I do when I sing with grace about the Grace I’ve received from Jesus.

I love to be creative. But I also prefer to tell it like it is. And that means, sometimes, I’ve gotta take that admonish one another part seriously. For example, I’ve sung against abortion with words fairly harsh words like these:

It should be so easy to just see we’re not free
As long as the innocent die.
To say that it’s legal we spit on the eagle
That stands for what we once held high.

Then there’s my song called “You Just Don’t Get It.”

It’s about trying to be your own king:

Well you idolize with your idle eyes.
Your body wants what it wants, and you let it.
You identify what you deify.
You’ll see the kingdom, but you just don’t get it.

You can admonish me with your own psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs if you truly believe I need it. Or simply drop me an email through the form, below. And tell me why you don’t agree with me. Or even why you do. When you do, I’ll send you some songs and a rhyming ebook for little kids. So, what do you have to lose?

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Admonish one another every sister and brother appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Ladies, you’re actually closer to call your man a “snake in the grass” instead of a big, dumb ape. According to evolution snakes should be more closely related to other reptiles. But a computer-based study found the genetic distance between a particular protein, cytochrome, from a snake was actually closer to the cytochrome protein from a man.

Wow! Imagine the poisonous fairy tales and fables and sci-fi movies around that.

And speaking of computer-based measuring of genetic distance, the number of organisms that have had their genes sequenced is doubling every year? So, that means our molecular information bank has increased exponentially. And on the molecular level, there’s no evidence to support the evolutionary fairy tales and fables of how life began. None.

Now, I realize Christians are just supposed to have blind faith in “a god” we “created in our own image as a crutch.” But the Christian Faith is based on so much more evidence. And that’s important because Christians place their faith and hope in someone they’ve never seen. I say He’s the one true, living, loving Creator of the universe. And the universe of evidence backs up that claim. By the way., the Bible (bestselling book of all time and only book supported by evidence almost daily) talks about evidence and how important it is.

So, don’t monkey around with evolutionary monkey business.

Even though only about 4% of human DNA differs from that of chimpanzees, that 4% represents “thirty-five million single-nucleotide changes, five million insertions or deletions, and various chromosomal rearrangements.” And the differences between the males from each species is around 30%.

See what I mean, ladies? Guys are not apes. Nope. We’re just as fearfully and wonderfully made as you. Even if we aren’t the eye candy you are. Hey, too much candy isn’t healthy anyway.

Anyway…

For more information on genetic distance and the way it relates to how we all got here, click on most of the links I just shared. They’ll take you to Dr. Walt Brown’s online book, “In The Beginning“. While you’re there, be sure and check out so many other compelling reasons to believe in the Creator rather than evolution.

And save the fairytales and fables for reading to the kids at bedtime.

In awe of all creation and how it all could be,
The fairy tale illusions increase with every year.
The wrinkled plans expand, exponentially,
Until one day, perhaps, a duck becomes a deer.   (yeah, right)
(from my song, Fast Forward)

If enjoyed this science-based shot of reality, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Fairy tales and fables and that book on coffee tables appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Ol’ Pete doesn’t get to decide who comes and goes to Heaven. No more than you or me (or I) or even the manager of your local 7-Eleven or club bouncer. But he did get to be sort of a doorkeeper while he was here on earth. I’m one, too. And you can be one, too. See if you can meet the job requirements. You must…

1. Wanna live forever
2. Trust Jesus as the only way to live forever
3. Be willing to share this information

So…how’d you do? Do you think the requirements are too difficult? If so, what part or parts would you change or want to be easier?

Being a doorkeeper could be the most awesome and most rewarding job you’ll ever have. You won’t get many tips (if any), but the pension plan is out of this world. In other words, the perks outweigh the jerks.

Of course, I’m not talking about being a doorkeeper for some mundane hotel, or exclusive high-rise, or even a swanky tech company. Because the best you’ll get from those jobs will be handshakes, smiles, and crossing of the palms with some crumpled cash. Big deal. You still won’t be invited to the CEO’s house for the holidays.

And it’s basically a metaphorical job beyond the entrance to heaven.

I’m talking about in the house of God. And King David wrote, in a psalm, what his thoughts were on being a doorkeeper there:

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

I can tell you, from personal experience, I need the gift of grace for eternal life. Because I’ve done thing in my life I’m not proud of. And those things prove I’m not good enough, on my own, to live in God’s house. That’s why I’m so grateful I’ll be living in a Pure Place forever…thanks to Jesus. And I don’t mind being a doorkeeper to His house. Would you like to go in? Here…let me get that door for you.

If this helped open a door of understanding for you, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy.

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Entrance to heaven and your 7-Eleven appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Your cells were designed to protect against chemical reactions.

If life just evolved, then all those barriers and buffers would have evolved, too. And how could they develop with all those chemical reactions destroying all the building materials? Plus, how could it all happen at just the right time in the right way? And for millions of different species? And enough times for a single cell to become something more complex? Short answer? It couldn’t happen that way. Accidents don’t create. But God does. And He did.

The Bible says you’re “fearfully and wonderfully made.” And that’s one of the great things about living in these times. Science and technology can see deeper inside us than ever. And what they discover is evidence for the Creator and how amazing He is to love us as He does.

Not evidence that a bunch of chemical reactions could create this complex life we enjoy.

If human life is just sown by chance, then
Nothing we know could be bad or be good.
If we’re just embryonic particulate matter,
Then we could know there is no personhood…
But we hope and we pray
And we live for the day,
When our love becomes broad
In the image of God.    (from my song, Personhood)

If you like this kind of Creator/creation connection, let’s stay connected, too. It’s super easy.

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. So, add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Chemical reactions debunk certain distractions appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And God’s voice, in these times, is more of a thought in your head. Notice the Bible doesn’t describe it as “a small voice.” Or “a voice”. No, the voice is still. Some dictionaries define the adjective form of the word “still” like this: not moving or making a sound – She sat very still, her eyes closed. He lay still, unable to move.

So, God’s still small voice is like a song that doesn’t actually make a sound.

Picture this. The Bible is a collection of writings from prophets, teachers, and apostles. And all those words. perfectly illustrate the power of the still small voice from God. He inspired all the writers to tell a history of the world. And even more importantly, He shows us, through His words, what an awesome, eternal future anyone can have. All you gotta do is believe and ask Him to show you.

That’s why His word says “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”

But I should warn you. When you do believe and ask God to save you and give you eternal life, you might hear that still small voice on a regular basis. And it might make you uncomfortable at times. But it means He cares about you enough to let you know when you’re messing up.

And maybe you’ve noticed, we humans mess up a lot. But God’s grace is sufficient to cover it all. Here are the words to a song I wrote about it. You can hear it in episodes of The Power of God’s Love Podcast.

Still Small Voice

Gotta go make some noise
and go drinkin’ out with the boys.
And maybe I’ll watch TV.
It all really sounds good to me.
And where’d I put my guitar?
In the back of my muscle car.
I’m gonna rock some rock n roll…
Jam the music into my soul.

‘Cause I hear a voice all day, and it just won’t go away.
Ain’t no place I can hide from that still small voice inside

Cheerin’ for my football team on the high def satellite stream
Yellin’ when they mess up bad.
Got a runnin’ bet with my dad.
Saturdays in my yard, you can see I really do work hard.
And then I buzz to the video store
And rent maybe two or three more.

‘Cause I hear a voice all day, and it just won’t go away.
Ain’t no place I can hide from that still small voice inside

Still small voice inside me sayin’…
Boy you know you’re only playin’.
Still small voice inside me askin’…
What’s with all the pain you’re maskin’?
Still small voice inside me killin’…
Everything that once was thrillin’…
No, there ain’t no place to hide
From that still small voice inside.    © 2009 TF

Now, maybe you don’t know me well enough to buy something from me, yet. Ok, let’s change that. Get to know more about me and my worldview. Be the next believer to…

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Small voice song is a singalong appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And not only is the moon smaller by that much…

It’s also about 400 times closer to the earth than the sun. And again that’s on purpose for the same reason I mentioned before.

Check out what the apostle John had this to say about how everything was made:

“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

Lots of people, for some reason, get stuck on that “nothing was made that was made” part. They “feel” like it’s talking in a circle. But that’s not what’s going on.

It’s a description of what’s made and WHO isn’t.

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, was not made.

And God, The Son, made everything else.

So, the sun, the moon, the stars, Earth, and all the creatures on the earth are all made. And not like some random act of creativity either. Our beautiful solar system, galaxy, and all the universe function more precisely and more dependably than any clock ever created by human beings.

And my guess is, it pleases God to surprise and delight us.

He could have designed the Earth and moon to simply work together efficiently and left it at that. But God loves to throw in the fireworks, add the concert, and raise the spectacle. Why? Well, maybe it’s because He’s the ultimate good and loving father. And maybe it just delights Him to see the looks on our faces.

And which direction do millions of faces point during the eclipse of the sun? Yeah, UP!

Why?

Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green?
Why is the sun gold? What does it all mean?
Why is the air clear? Why is the ground brown?
Why does the earth float and never fall down?

Cause God made skies. He made them blue.
He made the world for me and you
And all because it pleased Him to.
God loves us through and through.

Why is a horse fast? Why is a snail slow?
Why does it get cold when Northern winds blow?
Why is the sea green? Why is the sand white?
Why is the day day? Why is the night night?

Cause God made creatures big and small,
And sand and seas; He made them all.
And even if we trip and fall
God helps us to stand tall.

God’s love is always there.
His love will never die.
And so you can trust in Him
For all your questions why.    © 2008 TF

If this landed somewhere good with you, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Is the moon smaller by that much? Yes, thanks to the Master’s touch. appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

If you think there’s no way of knowing God, I encourage you to reconsider.

And if Christians are like fingernails on a chalkboard to you, at least consider actual evidence. And when it gives “the appearance of having been designed for a purpose”, just ask this question:

“Hmm, I wonder if it was?”

And, as you wonder, you’ll use one of the strongest pieces of evidence for the complexity in life coming from an even more complex designer. Yeah, that’s your brain.

If you’ve never wondered how complex life could have come from nothing, plenty of people have. And that includes famous scientists, philosophers, and even atheists.

One noted (and boldly affirmed) atheist, Richard Dawkins said this about life: “Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose.” (The Blind Watchmaker, page 1) He’s not the only one who at least acknowledges “the appearance” of design.

Plenty of Darwinian scientists agree with that much. After all, they have powerful microscopes. And they can see a complex design doing amazing things inside a single cell.

But most Darwinian scientists say no to the complexity of life affirming a designer.

So, instead of knowing God, they ignore where the evidence appears to lead. And they choose to go where they’d prefer the answer to be, based on false assumptions.

That’s not science, by the way. It’s a religion. It requires faith. And a blind adherence to that faith.

For example, to say even a single cell could have emerged from proteins, even if the whole world was full of proteins, ignores how each cell in your body is a “membrane-encased, self-reproducing, self-repairing, metabolizing” unit.

Every part in one single cell had to be there from the beginning in order for the cell to function. Every part! That means it had to be completely assembled at one time by a highly intelligent assembler. It couldn’t have worked any other way.

Scientists, who deny the existence of the Creator God, have been trying for hundreds of years to show how life could have come from non-life. Yet, they’ve never been able to demonstrate how even one cell could have formed from proteins without some outside help.

If you enjoy knowing God, or would like to, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Knowing God is real is a really good deal appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Many, if not most (or all in some way), families are dysfunctional. The simple definition of dysfunctional is: not operating properly. And that certainly describes most families.

As little kids, my brother and I had to deal with the consequences of our parents’ divorce. So I know more than a little about dysfunctional life. When you have to travel a long distance across three states to leave one of your parents and go see your other parent, that’s definitely a family “not operating properly.”

A child of God can look forward to an eternity of perfect function.

I’ve actually heard people say they believe if everything is gonna be perfect, then Heaven will be boring. Are you kidding me?! To quote a character from the movie “The Princess Bride”…

“I do not think that word means what you think it means.”

If something is perfect, then according to the dictionary it has “all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be” and it’s “free from any flaw or defect in condition or quality; faultless”

So there. If you can’t take God’s word for it, then at least take the dictionary’s. And if something is perfect, it can’t be boring or have any other fault.

Perfect function in your home in Heaven and in your forever family means you’ll never have to deal with the destructive, dysfunctional issues of life ever again. And that ain’t all. You’ll also never have to deal with death and dying and decay. Imagine living forever in a place of perfect love where disease and death doesn’t exist.

There’s only one Father who can make a home like that for His family.

Now, tell the truth…wouldn’t you rather be a child of God instead of stewing in your own private universe with a population of one? I wrote a song about it…and sang it with a sweet, little girl a few years back. I’ll add the song on The Power of God’s Love Podcast. And, in the meantime, here are the lyrics…

Child of the Living God

I am not a silly chance…
Not a random circumstance.
I am not a lucky dance
In an accidental place.

I am not a spark of light
That evolved from darkest night.
If you say I did, I might
Have to make a funny face…’cause…

I am a child of God…child of the Living God…
The One who spoke and made the universe.
I am a child of God…child of the Living God…
The One who saved me from my sinful curse.  (repeat)

I did not come out of slime.
That would take way too much time.
You can clearly see that I’m
A whole lot more than simple dirt.

Take a closer look and see
Information runs through me
From The One Who sets me free.
Listen now to my alert…Chorus   © 2010 TF

If this made you wanna be part of the family (or glad that you are), let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Child of God sings about the perfect things appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Have you ever thought about just how on purpose YOU are?

I don’t mean mankind. I mean YOU. Let’s leave the whole world out of the question for a moment. Just take a minute and think about how you got here.

You probably know, or have some understanding of, how you got 23 chromosomes from your mom and 23 chromosomes from your dad. Right? And, so, you know how those all mixed together to make up the singularly unique combination that is you. Right?

And maybe you’ve thought about how that process goes back to their parents…and their parents’ parents…and so on. Right? Maybe you’ve even thought about the process of forming in the womb and childbirth. Do you see how you’re not just accidental proteins, carbs, and fats?

You are awesome because you’re not an accident.

Here’s why I say “on purpose.” Proteins are made up of chains of amino acids. But did you know amino acids can’t link together to form proteins if oxygen is present. And oxygen was present when the first forms of life were supposed to have evolved (as I’ve mentioned before). That means that proteins couldn’t have occurred from random chemical reactions. And scientists have discovered oxygen in rocks that were supposedly here before any of the earliest fossils. So much for the ideal random circumstances to form even the basic building blocks of life.

But wait, there’s more…

To form proteins amino acids need to be “highly concentrated in extremely pure liquid.” And if the earth was a molten mass of liquids, solids, and gases when life was beginning, how pure would that be? Answer: Not very. And there’s more, but I suggest you follow one of the links you see on this page. And read about it from a brilliant scientist, engineer, Ph.D from M.I.T., and former atheist.

Plus, consider reading Paul’s letters in the New Testament of the Bible. Because his letters talk about this dispensation of grace we’re in currently. And I encourage you to discover the power of God’s love there. Because I think you’ll see how much God loves you and how he created you on purpose because of that love.

Yeah, don’t just take my word for it, for cryin’ out loud. Because I’m just a rhyme and reason knucklehead.

Here’s how I put it…

You’re here on purpose.
You were designed.
The living God
Had you in mind
When you were formed…
And given breath.
You can live on
After your death.
But you must choose
While you’re still here.
Don’t live in doubt.
Don’t live in fear.
Give up the world
And keep your soul.
You’re here on purpose
By God’s control.     © 2017 TF

If this helped you feel a little more awesome, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post On purpose design is beyond mighty fine appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Now, keep in mind, I was basically a city boy all during the nine months of school. It wasn’t like I was working on a farm year ’round and staying in shape for that kind of work. Quite the opposite. During the school year I worked on physically challenging chores like vocal practice for choir. Or helping to decide which band to book for the prom. Maybe I’d have to actually help move sets around for the play I was in. You know, tough stuff. Not for the faint of heart. So…

Summer in Kansas can get mighty hot.

So, “let us not grow weary” had a special meaning for me.

I remember one particularly hot day, in a field of about 1200 bales of alfalfa. That’s where I said a prayer under my breath. “Lord, help me not to tire out in front of these country boys.” Because the guys I worked with were mostly all from Kansas farms where they lived year ’round. They were used to the work. I’m sure it was still hard work for them too, especially as I think back on it now. But they moved bales of hay around even during the winter to feed the livestock. Most of them weren’t choir boys, or drama class actors, or senior class officers. Just hard workin’ Kansas boys.

OK, back to that alfalfa field.

If you’ve never been around bales of alfalfa hay, just know, they’re way scruffy. They can wear out the fronts of brand new heavy-duty jeans in a matter of days. And they’ll scratch your forearms till they look like you had a run-in with a cat.

Now, imagine riding a hay truck (with no air conditioning) up to the gate of a field of 1200 of those demon bales. And imagine doing that on a 100 degree day with no shade trees. And imagine working for a beer-guzzling wild man who often forgot to bring water for the crews.

Well, that’s where I was that day when I whispered that prayer under my breath. And guess what?! God, as He always does, answered my prayer. He gave me strength, stamina, courage, and determination. Day after day. Week after week. And summer after summer.

With God, all things are possible.

It was many years later I discovered I was born with a deformed heart. Good thing I didn’t know that when I was a teenager, or I might have skipped the prayer for strength. Because I probably wouldn’t have done a job like hay hauling. And I might not have believed God could get me through those long, hot days with a less than perfect heart. Odd how that works, isn’t it.

That’s why it’s important to remember to lean on the Lord for your strength. Not yourself. And don’t grow weary while doing good. Because the world is full of evil people who’d love to see you give up. Even if you never haul hay all summer in Kansas. Yeah, remember this wherever you are…

If you faint or fall, don’t give up.
For the source of strength, just look up.
When you let Him, God helps you up.
Don’t give up, just look up, and stay up.

Stay cool today. And if you realize what’s possible now, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Summer in Kansas hay all day most every day appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I immediately replied, “I suppose if you leave out dirty words and vulgar jokes about women, different races or ethnic groups, body parts, and bathroom humor…maybe you have a point.”

He didn’t have a witty comeback.

And I wondered how clean puns and good humor could ever be considered “low.”

The dictionary describes wholesome like this: conducive to or suggestive of good health and physical well-being: the food is plentiful and very wholesome. OR conducive to or promoting moral well-being: good wholesome fun.

So, what’s wrong with a preference for wholesome words over profanity and vulgarity?

The short answer is “Nothing”.

Think about it. There are grocery store chains based on wholesome foods. And most everybody would agree it’s better to have wholesome good health and physical well-being. But people get in battle mode mighty fast when it comes to requests or suggestions for good, clean humor. Weird.

Why do you suppose most people don’t mind being told what foods are good but hate being told what words and ideas are good? It’s difficult to even get a consensus on what “good” is anymore. These days, it’s whatever is right in your own mind. Trouble with that is a lot of people have a lot of dastardly things in their own minds.

You can’t go wrong with wholesome words.

Here’s something you can take and/or try with a grain of Celtic sea salt. Look up a word (or two or three) that you don’t know the meaning to. And discover what they mean and where they originated.

Then, see what kind of ideas pop into your head. Because it’s almost guaranteed that ideas WILL pop into your head. And if something less wholesome pops up for some reason today, focus more on your new ideas. When you do this on a regular basis, watch out. Because you might become an idea person.

And the better your ideas the easier is to rise above the dirty jokes and curse words. In fact, don’t be surprised to find you no longer need them at all. Because ideas power up your potential. It’s logical. Because your brain runs on the power of God’s love.

Try it today. What have you got to lose, besides bad taste?

Here are some words I shared, a few years back, to get kids interested in ideas and writing…

Open Your Head

Open your head.
Pour words right in.
Then shake your head
And let ’em spin.
They’ll bubble up
Like polka dots
Into some bright
And bouncing thoughts.
Just let them float,
And let them grow.
When they’re just right,
You’ll let them go
Live on a page
Where they’ll be read
And poured into
Another head.    © 2013 TF

If you enjoy a good pun (or even not so good), let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Good humor, man, is always my plan appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Here’s something I wrote about life on Earth over 15 years ago.

And I believe this will remain true:

“But we are not the sum total of our dollars, beauty, or “stuff.” We’re not the sum total of our monikers we wear through this life. We’re not the sum total of the varied opinions about us. Those don’t make us. And they shouldn’t break us. Here’s what I recommend…

• Work to produce…not for the money.
• Play to relax…not to escape.
• Laugh to enjoy…not to cover up.
• Love to give…not to acquire.
• And live to be thankful…not to compare.

You are the sum total of where you position yourself for eternity.”

And all life on Earth still doesn’t amount to much without love.

The Apostle Paul wrote the Corinthian believers a lesson about life without love (spoiler alert: it wasn’t good).

If you dare to care, then share love.
Day and night it’s right to share love.
You were given a heart that could love from the start.
So right now, somehow, go share love.

If you love this message (or at least like it), let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

The post Life on Earth has no lasting worth appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

But when the anger inside comes out, so does the ugliness of sin.

People are walking around with chips on their shoulders. That’s what we used to call it anyway. Or you could say they’re carrying grudges in their hearts. And that would be bad enough. But at least it would be invisible to just about everyone. Trouble is, they don’t stop the anger inside from coming out. And a lot of it even leads to escalated physical harm.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret about the root cause. Selfishness.

Yeah, selfishness is at the heart of almost all anger issues. It’s difficult to manage your anger, when all you care about is how he or she or the whole world wronged you.

And you find a way to justify your own anger, when you don’t take responsibility for your actions. I’ve been dealing with this with someone I’ve known for a very, very long time. He believes I’ve wronged him in the past (issues from 20 years ago and beyond). And he has told me I’ve never apologized or shown any remorse.

I’m not gonna share the whole sob story. But I can say with a clear conscience that this person has ripped me off multiple times, left me in the lurch multiple times, and F-bombed Jesus in my house. And, to this day, he’s never once apologized or shown any remorse for his actions. Some say this is narcissism. And I don’t disagree.

But again, the root cause is selfishness. And rebellion against God.

The person I’m talking about doesn’t care what God says about anger. But, to quote from Paul’s writing in Ephesians, “be angry and do not sin.” And when Paul wrote that, he was actually quoting from one of King David’s Psalms where it said, “Be angry, and do not sin, Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.”

But people obsess over problems, challenges, and obstacles in everyday life. That makes it easy to form a tunnel vision where the tunnel always leads to SELF.

And that leads to projecting those problems onto others. And that leads to self harm. Physical, mental, and emotional harm. You might not realize the full negative consequences of letting the anger inside out while you’re young and strong. But they’ll show up eventually. And the older you are, the more harmful the consequences.

There are even studies that say anger encourages cancer.

I’m not saying those studies are absolutely true. But it might be more than coincidence that the rising rate of cancer in the world happens at the same time there are more angry people than ever.

So, what about you? What rules in your life? Anger? Or joy? I wrote this rhyme about it years ago…

If you’re angry, just don’t sin.
Open up your heart and let God in.
He can help you work it out.
And He’ll show you what it’s all about.
Life is better, when you trust
The One who is Holy, right, and just.
Give it up, and I know…
You’ll be glad where God will help you go.

If this didn’t make you mad, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Anger inside out can take a harmful route appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

My dad was human. He made mistakes, as we all do.

I admit there were times I deserved punishment and certainly got it. But there were other times when dad would have done well to follow the word of God and show me grace and mercy. Especially if he used those times as a springboard of opportunity to share God’s word with me. But dad was human. And even if he had shown me grace, it wouldn’t have been enough to last forever. Only God’s grace can last forever.

By the way, God doesn’t have to give you grace. It wasn’t written in stone before the foundation of the world. And not on some hermetically God-sealed papyrus in an impenetrable safe where even He couldn’t change it.

And that’s part of what makes His grace so wonderful. He didn’t have to make it available. And yet He did. In fact, He sacrificed more than you and I will ever be able to imagine in order to provide grace to anyone who wants it.

Jesus took us from laws written in stone to grace written in His blood.

And, because He’s eternal, His grace is enough for the whole world.

Through the course of about 4000 years God watched His human creation mess up the world. Yeah, we did it over and over again. He made ways to patch things up and show us how much we need Him. But we just had to be our own kings and queens.

So, we make up our own laws. And we sorta try to keep those laws. Even though Jesus paid the ultimate price to free us from the burden of keeping laws that kill. Such sad and tragic irony.

That’s why the Grace found in the Christian life is so awesome.

God’s grace is enough to cover all the bad stuff you’ve ever done, are doing now, or will ever do. But there IS a catch. It’s not an automatic thing. His grace is available. But you gotta ask. It’s free, too. But you gotta ask. It will carry you through eternity and give you the forever life you can’t even imagine.

But you gotta ask.

So, if you haven’t already, put this at the top of your to-do list. Ask God to keep you alive forever. His Grace is enough to make it happen for you.

Gimme grace to last my lifetime…
Yes, the life that is with You.
I’m so thankful that you love me
And for what Your Grace can do.

If you also love the gift of grace, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Join the growing group of people who already enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to this form and let’s get going.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Written in stone then grace came and changed this place appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I didn’t know it right then, but music would change the course of my life.

No, I didn’t change course right after I left college. In fact, it wasn’t until a few years later, and a wide variety of jobs, that I started to go for a career in music. And that was after it kinda pursued me first.

My brother and I sang songs around the pool of an apartment complex where we lived. We did that in the evenings after hammering nails all day. And I can honestly say we built quite a loyal and substantial following.

Next thing we knew (remember, this is the condensed version of the story) we auditioned at lots of local live music spots in Houston, Texas. Yeah, we worked as carpenters during the day and sang wherever we could each evening and weekend.

Eventually we landed a regular “gig” as the featured happy hour entertainment in a very popular local nightclub. It was regular music work, three hours each evening every Monday through Friday. And we got to see, and get to know, the late night bands on the weekends. Before long other local spots started sending managers and reps to see us. No more auditions. And that’s when we started getting the juicier, more coveted gigs. You might say we had “made it” in the local scene. Traveling the country was next.

Fortunately I grew out of all the pop-star-glory-eyed nonsense.

And one day, after years in the music business, I decided to change course again. Because I no longer liked most of the typical venues I’d been part of for so long. And a secular musical career held no appeal to me anymore. Something else became way more important to me.

Eternity.

In fact, it seemed much closer to me than ever before (probably because it was…and is). So I figured I’d better put more focus on what it was all about.

That’s when a different kind of glory started to guide my words and music.

Yeah, the power of words and music still burns as bright as ever in me. But now I know how much more important it is to use whatever abilities I have with words and music to tell others about who gave them to me.

And if the story I share about Jesus being the only way to eternal life is false, then I’m one of the biggest fools who ever lived. Because that would mean I invested a lot of my life to perpetuate a lie. And it would mean I also wasted hours, days, weeks, and years writing and singing about that lie.

But it’s not a lie.

The mountains and mountains of evidence boldly and clearly point to a Creator who made the whole universe just by speaking it into existence. And He made sure I could change course from death to eternal life. I hope you have that hope. Tragically, most people don’t. Even though it’s readily available.

Since there is a Creator of all life, there is hope.
And if not, there would be only doom and gloom.
But I know my Creator’s promises give me hope.
And they started when He made me in the womb.

If this tweaked your interest about how to change course, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect starting today.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Change course and join the forever force appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

So much for the first true love.

And after “getting over” it, I discovered I could actually love again. Another multiple year relationship developed, blossomed, went sour, and ended. So, that’s when I decided to “play the field.” And see what all the “lotsa fish in the ocean” notion was all about.

Because, in spite of my Christian background, I vowed that no other girl was gonna rope me in. Nope. Enough was enough. And I used my professional musician platform (a stage) to impress and woo the opposite sex. Yeah, I vowed that, if any heart was gonna get broken, it dang sure wasn’t gonna be mine.

That worked out great!

Not!

Because then came the pesky consequences.

Guilt. Shame. Conscience. A still, small voice would confront me each time I did what I shouldn’t do. I was able to ignore that voice for a few years. But it was there each time anyway.

Oh man. Why wouldn’t that voice let me have my fun?! Why did it have to be there? Every. Single. Time.

Eventually I discovered that’s how my actual first true love works. Confrontation when I needed it. Instruction, deconstruction, accomplishments, and even failures. And most of all, a light on the darkest parts of my heart.

And that’s because my actual first true love was God’s enduring love.

I discovered His love is bigger than problems. It’s more valuable and dependable than “feelings.” His love has endured every stupid mistake I’ve made. And there have been more than I care to admit. Now, that’s amazing Grace.

Thankfully, the consequences of love from God include eternal life.

I’m so grateful and thankful God never left me. He never gave up on me. And He still works on me when I stumble back into my self. There’s a comfort and joy in His love that no human being can even remotely match.

All you gotta do is ask Him for it, and you’ll get it. It’ll last forever. And it’s more real than any heartbreak or loss you’ll you’ll ever experience. After studying evidence for decades, I’m more convinced than ever of the reality of our one, true, living, loving Creator. Nothing and no one else could explain love. Love didn’t evolve. It’s a gift from God.

Because I Can Love

What made You think
That I was worth the risk You took?
What made You take the time
To write Your Holy Book?
I don’t believe I’d give myself a second look,
But You did because You love.

You made a world
That was as perfect as could be,
But then I broke it
When You gave it all to me…
By going through the gate You made to set me free.
This You did because You love…me.

Because You love me so…in spite of all You know…
Because You did the most that You could ever do…
And because I clearly see…evidence of You in me…
Because I can love…I do love…You!

You put a life
And a will inside my soul.
You knew true love
Would be to give me full control.
But knowing You is all that ever makes me whole.
I trust You because You love…me.

I can live because You live!
I can love because You love!     © 2010 TF

Listen up for that song coming up in The Power of God’s Love Podcast.

And if you love (or even like) what I shared, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post First true love that was SO far above appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Light shines and no wonder darkness disappears.

The Light of Life is Jesus. He’s the one I just described. He came into this dark world as a light to shine the way to eternal life. And the religious leaders of the day, as well as the secular rulers, were deeply offended by His teachings and claims. Their beliefs and traditions were darkness compared to His light, and they hated Him for exposing their hypocrisy to the people. That’s what Truth and Light do…expose lies and make darkness disappear.

When you choose to trust and follow Jesus, you’re supposed to become an extension of His light and wonder. And, in fact, you’re called to be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.” Salt causes thirst. Are you the kind of salt that makes people thirst for Truth? Light is necessary for life. Are you the kind of light that shines the way to eternal life?

When you share your salt and light, you will offend a lot of people. I’ve certainly offended my share. But you might also help save some. And the few who are saved are more than worth the many who run for cover when your light shines in the darkness.

Be the light shining bright in a dark, dark world.
And be salt that brings on a biting thirst.
When you shine, really shine, darkness disappears.
You can do what your Creator did first.

If this made a light go on inside you, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Light and wonder wherever you might wander appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Here’s how that cheeseburger day started.

For about 13 years I was on a doctor-recommended vegetarian diet. And each time I’d go to a doctor to check my cholesterol levels, the bad numbers would be higher. Yep. Higher.

Finally, one day I heard a naturopathic chiropractor with his own radio program, in Denver, Colorado, talk about the dangers of statin drugs. Of course, my ears perked up because I had already been on a doctor prescribed statin for almost a month. And Elgielene told me I looked like I was dying.

So, I made an appointment with the guy on the radio. And during my appointment, after he discovered, I was on a statin drug, he asked me what kind of food my grandparents and great grandparents had eaten for breakfast in their lives. I told him that it was basically bacon, eggs, and toast or biscuits. Then he asked how old they were when they died. And I told him they lived into their 80s and 90s. You might not believe what he told me next.

He prescribed a good cheeseburger and suggested I start having the same kind of breakfast my grandparents and great grandparents had. I could have hugged him right then and there. I’m not actually a hugger. So, I didn’t do that. But I let him know I thought about it.

And, immediately after leaving his office, my wife and I went for a cheeseburger. Oh man! What I had been missing! I’ve been eating meat from that day on, and my cholesterol numbers have declined. In fact, my most recent blood test showed a total cholesterol number of 195. The lowest I’ve had in years. And I eat almost exclusively carnivore.

Suffice it to say, I got off that statin drug.

And, as fate, and I use that term loosely, would have it, about a month later I received a class-action suit letter in the mail. It was a notification that the drug I had been taking had been found to be killing some people. Yeah. Killing.

So, that leads me to my next point about how I believe drugs corrupt doctors.

Yikes! Quite an accusation. But they do.

Pharmaceutical companies actually pay doctors (meals, talks, and travel) and then those doctors are much more likely to prescribe the drugs from those companies. Years ago, when I still trusted medical doctors with my health, I remember being given medications to “try.”

Yeah, they gave them to me. They weren’t added to my bill. And I never had to pay for them in any way…other than with my health that is. Have you ever experienced something like that?

Why would a medical doctor ever give you a drug and say “try it” to “see if it alleviates your symptoms?” Well, of course you can’t judge a person’s heart, but you can judge their actions. And when a doctor hands you a “free sample” of a new drug and says “try it,” you’ve just become a guinea pig. My experience was with a statin drug because my cholesterol levels were apparently too high. According to what standards? Hmm…could there be a correlation between pharmaceutical companies and acceptable levels of cholesterol?

Kinda makes me go “Hmm…”

Pain is your body’s way (through your brain) of letting you know there’s a problem. When drugs mask the pain, your brain can’t let you know you have a problem. And most times it only gets worse. While you “feel like” you’re fine or even getting better. A prescription is not a protocol for a healthy, well-balanced life.

Do what you will with this information. Only I don’t recommend ignoring it totally if you care about your health and well-being. Because I can almost guarantee you’re so-called “healthcare provider” doesn’t really care all that much. Your best starting point, if you’re a Christian, is to ask God for wisdom and guidance. And trust Him to be with you, regardless of what you’re dealing with or might go through. I believe He will because He says He will.

Then, consider making today a cheeseburger day. If not, then…

What’s your prescription?
How do you feel?
You’re feelin’ real good?
But is the “good” real?
‘Cause medication
Can’t cure your pain.
You might ease aching,
But what will you gain
Slowing your memory
Down to a crawl?
Consider options.
Consider them all.
Your life is precious.
Give it your best.
Give yourself real foods.
Trust God for the rest.     © 2017 TF

If this helped you get more optimistic, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Cheeseburger day pushed those drugs away appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

We could even call it an absolute truth test with these 10 quick questions:

1. Which is a better book to read?

A. The Bible
B. The Purpose Driven Life

2. Which is better to use when discussing matters of life with someone?

A. The truth
B. Awareness of and sensitivity to their feelings

3. Which has more evidence and is easier to prove?

A. That Jesus existed
B. That you exist

4. When a woman becomes pregnant, inside her is…

A. Another human life
B. No one can truly say

5. Who is more likely to be shot and killed?

A. An American citizen in America
B. A soldier in the mid-East

6. Who is more likely to become an unwed mother?

A. A public school girl
B. A homeschool girl

7. Which will always be absolutely wrong…no matter what?

A. Rape
B. Lying

8. “Rights” are something you can…

A. Defend
B. Vote on

9. Even the tiniest single cell is…

A. Irreducibly complex
B. An amazing phenomenon brought about by chance

10. Truth exists because…

A. God exists
B. I say so

Does your worldview make you say something like, “Truth doesn’t exist.” Or “Absolute truth doesn’t exist.” If so, then you need another worldview because your current one refutes itself in about 1 second.

To deny truth is to deny your own existence. Or at the very least, question your own existence. And when you can’t even be sure if YOU exist, then absolutely nothing else you say or do has any meaning or relevance. After all, why would I (or anyone) want to waste time debating issues with someone who might not even exist?

I encourage you to seek truth. Seek wisdom. Start with homeschool and work upward and onward from there. When you get it, I promise, you absolutely won’t be sorry.

If this landed somewhere good with you, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Truth test where I only slightly jest appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

After all, the actual Creator of the universe left evidence literally everywhere.

It’s simple really. When you look at a building, you know automatically that someone built it. Or when you spot a painting on a canvas, immediately you know someone painted it. And when you’re driving somewhere, you have no question in your mind of how cars got here. Or roads. You simply know someone built it all.

So, why is it so difficult for so many people to look at the complexity and variety of life on our planet and agree there must be a Creator of the universe?

And let’s just talk about your eyes for a sec.

No, not YOURS personally. Eyes in general.

They’re WAY more complex than any building, painting, or car you’ll ever see. But so many people blindly believe (pun strongly intended) they just happened by chance. You know. Because, like, well, everything evolved, dude.

Oh yeah? Well, splain this to me, then.

Each of your eyes has a muscle, known as the Superior Oblique muscle. And it’s attached to the top of the eye AND threaded through a tiny sling. That tiny sling is known as the Trochlea. But why does that tiny muscle go through that sling instead of just attaching directly to the forward part of your eye?

Well, it solves space requirements and improves things like angle of torque. And those are design considerations. Evolution or natural selection would require at least a little bit of the design to already be working in order to “evolve” further. And, as they say in certain circles, that don’t make no sense.

But I’ll tell ya what DOES make sense. All things were created by Jesus.

Uh-oh. I just went and done it, didn’t I? Because most fools, uh folks, believe it’s a silly, outdated, and dogmatic notion to believe the whole world was created by a “science fiction” character named Jesus.

But, since this is a Bible study I’m sharin’, I’m here to say it’s a silly, outdated, and dogmatic notion to believe all the complexity in the universe evolved from nothing.

Because you can’t get everything from nothing. No matter how much you might want it to be true, it just isn’t possible. Even if you believe all you can know is what your five senses tell you, none of your five senses will detect something from nothing.

Logic and reason (which are not part of your five senses, by the way) should lead you to admit design requires a designer. And, in the case of the universe, that designer is Jesus.

Like I started out saying…it’s simple really. Unless you don’t want to answer to the Creator of the universe. That’s not you, is it?

All of Creation

All of creation points to the Savior.
We are all here by design.
All the environment and complex behavior…
The Glory of God makes it shine.

All of creation holds information…
Encoded within every cell…
All of the best minds in each generation
Won’t banish what Christians know well…

That all of creation is here by the Word of God.
All of creation mirrors His mind.
All of creation is saved by the Love of God
And all of creation…Jesus defined.

If you agree with the evidence for the existence of God, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, when you send me your email address, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. So, don’t wait another minute. Here’s the form.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Creator of the universe can save you from a fiery curse appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Well, when you listen to what scientists say, instead of politicians and activists, you discover that global warming is pseudoscience. And I’m not talking about scientists who do government sponsored experiments on lab rats, monkeys, and bacteria. But I am talking about physicists and astronomers and biologists.

They might help you see global protection differently.

For example, watch this video of Professor Ivar Giaever, the 1973 Nobel Prizewinner for Physics, tear down the global warming “religion.”

Did you catch the part where Professor Giaever mentioned how water is much conducts heat much better than CO2? And what covers 70% of planet earth? Some sort of liquid isn’t it? Oh yeah…water!

Global warming has only increased by .8 degrees in over one hundred years.

And as the good professor pointed out, that shows an amazingly stable worldwide environment we inhabit. As a Christian (yes, that’s a religion) I also understand and trust God when he says “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”

That’s just one more example, in a book of thousands of examples, of God’s love and promises for us.

Humans can do, and have done, amazing things. But we’ll never be able to destroy planet earth. God will take care of creating a new heaven and a new earth when He’s through with this one.

If you’re not a Christian, it might sound like a fairy tale. I get that. But if you ARE a Christian, His words should bring you comfort and wisdom. The wisdom to latch onto the Truth in the Bible and be able to see pseudoscience for what it is. Rebellion against God. And that’s too bad. Because that leads to another kind of “warming” where there’ll never be any global protection.

Worldview

Masterplans and incidents
Faster man…more accidents
What does this all mean? Could be soylent green.

Trolley cars to rocket ships
Honesty…insider tips
Do you catch my drift? The paradigm did shift.

It’s a worldview that’s not for me and you.
It’s a worldview and no empirical thoughts.
Yeah, it’s a worldview. What’s a humanist to do?
Don’t you see you could be in tougher spots?
You gotta be mindful where you cast your lots.
It’s a worldview.

CrackerJack and Disneyland
Scorin’ crack and lyrics banned
Gets better everyday…just cast those sins away.
Right and wrong? Who thought of that?
Some guys who thought the world was flat?
Now we’ve learned to see. “No one’s the boss of me.”   Chorus

Givin’ up, givin’ in…not a whimper, no shout.
Now the climate is warm, and the fools come out.
Get in touch with yourself and the innermost child…
And the “still small voice” is cast away; exiled.   repeat chorus   © 2002 TF

If this warmed you up a little, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Global protection from just the right direction appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Because Nicole Apelian calls the chicory plant a natural painkilling plant.

I’m sure you recall who she is after me mentioning her over and over this week. And here’s what else she said about the chicory plant:

This is the wild plant that Native Americans used to look for more than any other. They’d harvest and use chicory to make a natural painkilling extract for a wide range of physical discomforts, especially stiff and achy joints. And so can you! The root is rich in chicoric acid (CA), a plant compound with potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties but no risk of addiction. If our pharmacies ever run dry, having even a small patch of chicory growing in your own backyard will provide relief.

No risk of addiction. Pretty cool, right? Sure, chicory, and other natural remedies, don’t come with warning labels for side effects. And that’s mostly because there aren’t any side effects. Unless you get wacky and go beyond what a normal human being would ever think about doing. But I’m confident that’s not you.

So, here’s some chicory trickery you could try:

• Add 1 Tbsp of ground chicory root to your coffee or tea. It’s a prebiotic and natural laxative that will help move things along and regulate your bowels.
• Chicory is a very good soil builder in your garden, pulling nutrients up from deeper in the soil with its long taproot and then returning them to the surface when it dies back.
• Chicory Salve for Pain Relief,
• Chicory Coffee for Better Digestion,
• a Decoction for Adrenal Fatigue,
• Chicory Infusion for Sinuses,
• Anti-Fungal Poultice,
• Liver Protection Tincture

Now, as I’ve said all week, if you have some space in your backyard or front yard, and you would like to wean yourself off some of the western medicine options, get yourself the Medicinal Seed Kit. I think the price is agreeable with just about anybody’s budget. Why not get your natural alternatives from God’s green earth while the offer is still there?

Stay tuned,

The post Chicory plant is a painkilling whiz appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

So, I’m goin’ with marshmallow delight.

My stepmom used to make a very delicious batch of it at Christmas time or Thanksgiving. And she added pecans to hers, which made everything better. Because nuts do that. And that was just one of the tasty treats we could look forward to each year.

No, I’m not gonna start sharing recipes. So no need to worry about me turning into some foo foo dessert chef or something. I just started thinking about marshmallow delight after reading about the benefits you can enjoy from the lovely marshmallow plants. Check out this info:

When most people hear marshmallow, they tend to picture the white fluffy treat commonly roasted over a campfire. Traditionally these were made from the root of the marshmallow plant, a powerful medicinal herb that you’ll want to grow yourself at home. Its leaves and root are antibacterial. And most importantly, they contain a sap-like substance called mucilage. 

As the marshmallow mucilage goes down through your digestive tract, it will coat your stomach, intestines, and colon with an additional protective layer, soothing inflammation it finds along the way. That’s why this tea also helps people with stomach ulcers and digestive disorders, such as heartburn, indigestion, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, or Chron’s disease.

That’s Nicole Apelian again. She’s the Ph.D in Cultural Anthropology I’ve been talking about lately. In case you missed the little background blurb I shared, here’s more about her:

She’s also a biologist, anthropologist, herbalist, and wilderness survival instructor best known for her appearances on the History Channel’s TV show “Alone.” And she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2000. That’s when she utilized her scientific background and indigenous knowledge to heal herself holistically. And then she launched her own health, wellness, and education platform.

That’s where I found her Medicinal Seed Kit to help you grow a natural pharmacy in your own backyard.

And she shared some more information about the marshmallow plant. She said you can use it as a quick backyard remedy. Like this:

Pull out a few marshmallow roots, wash off the dirt, and add them to a glass jar or cup. Cover with ice-cold water and let the mucilage extract for a few hours. Drink for a soothing and restorative effect all along your digestive tract, from mouth to colon.

And if you like butterflies, check this out. She said…

Painted lady butterflies are attracted to it, and native pollinators cover its blossoms all summer long.

And then there are these benefits:

• Cold Root Infusion for Heartburn and Reflux,
• Stomach Tea,
• Marshmallow Poultice for Skin Repair,
• Decoction for Stubborn Coughs,
• Throat Syrup,
• Marshmallow Salve

I wish I had my own backyard, and the physical dexterity to get a garden going right now. Because we’re going through a rainy time. And I bet the plants would flourish in the current conditions.

If you have some space in your backyard or front yard, and you would like to wean yourself off some of the western medicine options, get yourself the Medicinal Seed Kit. I think the price is agreeable with just about anybody’s budget. And if you’re into natural alternatives from God’s green earth, here you go.

Stay tuned,

The post Marshmallow delight to help you feel right appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

But I have to admit I actually did enjoy the chamomile effects.

Because I had a very bad headache. And I guess the chamomile tea helped reduce the inflammation that was causing the headache. So I got relief without taking any drugs. Not even an aspirin.

After all these years, I’ve discovered Nicole Apelian, a Ph.D in Cultural Anthropology. And on her own health, wellness, and education platform she includes chamomile in her Medicinal Seed Kit. That’s something she put together to help you grow a natural pharmacy in your own backyard.

Here’s what she says about this flowering plant:

My grandmother used to grow chamomile in her garden. She would pick the flowers in early autumn, dry them on old newspapers, and store them in mason jars. She saw this plant as a real “heal-all.” If I’d get pinkeye, she’d put a warm compress dipped in chamomile tea over my irritated eyes. If my stomach hurt, she’d make me drink the tea, and I’d soon start to feel better.

It’s very soothing, and it helps relax your digestive muscles. You can also use this plant to make your own chamomile oil, which is still probably one of the best natural skin remedies out there. Researchers believe that’s because chamomile oil can penetrate even the deep layers of your skin, where true healing takes place.

Here’s some more of what she shares in a guide that comes with the kit:

• Take a handful of dried or fresh chamomile leaves and add them to a warm bath. Step inside to relax your entire body, especially sore muscles, and aching joints.
• Chamomile is known as “The Gardener’s Doctor” as it has the power to heal and enhance the growth of the plants around it.
• Chamomile Compresses for Irritated Eyes,
• Stomach Tea,
• Infused Chamomile Oil for Wounds and Skin Ulcers,
• Chamomile Tincture for Sciatica and Rheumatic Pain,
• Eczema Salve,
• Chamomile Sitz Bath for Hemorrhoids

Nicole says that chamomile is “the natural antibiotic.”

Watch what else she says about her Medicinal Seed Kit.

I bet you’ll find it. Mighty interesting to say the least. I sure did.

Stay tuned,

The post Chamomile effects help your system flex appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. (Genesis 1:29)

So, how does that connect to yarrow for wound healing?

Well, I guess you could say it doesn’t directly connect. But my guess is that if all the herbs and trees were nutritional for our bodies, it makes sense they would also contain medicinal properties. No, I didn’t find any mention of yarrow in Genesis. But maybe Adam called it something else. But he prolly didn’t speak English.

Anyway…

You don’t have to take my word for it, because I’m not an authority on herbs and healing. But here’s what someone who has spent over 20 years in those areas said about it:

You always want to have a quick and reliable way to stop a wound from bleeding and help prevent infection. Yarrow does both, and it really saved my knuckle. On day 42 of Alone, I accidentally cut my hand while gutting a fish. The wound was very deep and most likely would have gotten infected since I had no antibiotics with me.

Luckily, I found some yarrow and wrapped it around the wound. The bleeding stopped in minutes, and my wound healed so well that now there’s barely a scar left. Since then, I always carry a pouch of dried yarrow with me, just in case. A yarrow tincture, when applied to your skin, acts as a natural and effective way to repel mosquitos and other insects.

The person who wrote and said that is Nicole Apelian, a Ph.D in Cultural Anthropology within the field of Sustainability Education.

She’s also a biologist, anthropologist, herbalist, and wilderness survival instructor best known for her appearances on the History Channel’s TV show “Alone.” And she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2000. That’s when she utilized her scientific background and indigenous knowledge to heal herself holistically. And she subsequently launched her own health, wellness, and education platform.

Her info about yarrow is a fraction of what she put together.

She organized an excellent Medicinal Seed Kit to help you grow a natural pharmacy in your own backyard. That’s what she calls it. And it interests me because I can see the connection back to Genesis 1:29. I don’t want to even imply that a Medicinal Seed Kit would be as effective as those original herbs. But I have definitely seen how beneficial plants can be for wound healing, bacteria killing, and more.

If you have room in your backyard, or even your front yard, I highly recommend working the Medicinal Seed Kit into your health and wellness way of life. At the very least it could help you reduce the amount of potentially harmful drugs you have to take over the course of your life. And that would be a great thing.

Hey, I’m talkin’ to you man…
Be a healthy happy human.
It’s not so hard to do man,
But don’t wait one more day.

Stay tuned,

The post Yarrow for wound healing and a better feeling appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Pain is your body’s way (through your brain) to signal a problem. When drugs mask pain, your brain doesn’t send that signal clearly And most times it only gets worse. Even as you feel fine or even feel better. But a prescription is not a protocol for a healthy, well-balanced life. Despite what most doctors say. (remember, the longer you stay on the drugs easier is for them to make their Mercedes payments)

Sure, you can mask the pain signals to your brain.

And I know there are times when that could be beneficial. But drugs significantly reduce your mental sharpness. And there needs to be what everybody likes to call and exit strategy. At least if your goal is better health and wellness.

I remember, quite a few years ago, when I installed a new front door handle for an elderly lady. As she invited me in to look thing over I noticed a variety of medications in one of those plastic pill organizers. She also had a variety of over-the-counter pills for indigestion, irregularity, and the usual suspects.

This nice lady kept stating how she “can’t remember anything.”

How many times have I heard that from people on multiple prescription drugs.

She wrote down everything I recommended we get to make the repairs. And then she asks me the same questions again and wrote down the same information again. It’s so sad to see someone, so obviously capable otherwise, who can’t remember what she just wrote down while it’s still under the pen in her hand.

And yet, I see (and know) plenty of elderly people who are sharp as a tack, quick as a whip, and bright as a new penny. How’s that for visuals? Almost always, those folks either don’t do prescription drugs or at the most only one or two. Now, I’m not a doctor or scientist, but even I can put two and two together.

Here’s my final word on drugs…(for now)

I’m not telling you to get off all your meds, if you’re on them. And I’m not saying ALL drugs are bad ALL the time. In fact, I benefited, somewhat, from some drugs after a stroke last year. But I AM saying you should consider the long-term effects of any prescriptions you’re told to take. And don’t take all those warnings on the drug commercials lightly. I know, from experience, how it only takes one of those warnings to be true for YOU to make the difference between a truly healthy life and no life. So…

What’s your prescription?
How do you feel?
You’re feelin’ real good?
But is the “good” real?
‘Cause medication
Can’t cure your pain.
You might ease aching,
But what will you gain
Slowing your memory
Down to a crawl?
Consider options.
Consider them all.
Your life is precious.
Give it your best.
Give yourself real foods.
Trust God for the rest.     © 2017 TF

If this helped you get more optimistic, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Mask pain on that endless gravy train appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

The power of God’s everlasting Love that’s available everywhere.

OK, fair warning. This is gonna be a little bit of a Bible study. So if you’re not into it, drop out now.

In case you didn’t know, there was a guy named Paul who wrote a letter to the Romans, about 2000 years ago, telling them (the ones who were interested) about the Grace of God. And God’s grace is synonymous with His everlasting love. Paul wrote this in his letter: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

You might look at that second question and answer, “Well, almost everyone is against us.” But the point Paul is making with that question is that even if everyone IS against us…none of it compares with God who is FOR us. And God is for you the moment you trust in His Son as your savior. That’s a crucial and key point.

Because His Son took your punishment.

Paul’s letter continues, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? See? There’s that love again. Jesus came to earth as a man to offer everlasting life to anyone who would trust Him. He put His life where His intentions were…and are. And He allowed Himself to be “conquered” by His captors so that we could be more than conquerors. Are you with me so far?

Continuing with his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote, “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” Wow. That’s amazing. You have an advocate whose everlasting love makes everlasting life a reality for you. And when you choose to believe and trust in Jesus, the deal is sealed…

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Here’s a list of physical obstacles unable to separate you from God: “Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.‘ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

And here’s a list of non-physical obstacles unable to separate you from God: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.“

Are you starting to see how important it is to trust Jesus? When you do, your eternal life is sealed and secured. But, like I always say…it’s YOUR choice. No one can make the choice for you…not even God. He lets you freely choose. If you haven’t already, why would you let another day pass without choosing? You might not have tomorrow.

More than conquerors,
Or even world-beaters.
More than warriors
Or non retreaters…
We are loved with an Everlasting Love.

Everlasting and Everywhere

I want the Everlasting Work Of Art,
Not just on canvas, but engraved in the heart.
I need the Everlasting Scale Of Worth.
That’s the only Way to perfect peace on earth…

Everlasting and everywhere…
He’s Everlasting and everywhere

I look for Everlasting holy clues
To steel myself through all this negative news.
I dream the Everlasting wide-eyed stuff,
But I’m still aware that dreaming’s never enough.   Chorus

You  seek the answers to the mysteries of life.
But how much truth can you handle.
And as for me, well, there is only One Fire
That lights the flame on my candle.   Chorus

I look to the Everlasting Guiding Star
To make my path straight as I travel so far.
I sing the Everlasting song of man;
Teach us to understand our place in the plan.

Chorus…inst…chorus…bridge…chorus…modulate up and repeat 

2 verses and choruses to end    © 1992  TF

If this landed somewhere good with you, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered to your inbox for free.

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Everlasting and everywhere and this love is nothing rare appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

But the California Poppy isn’t just another pretty face in the flower world.

What if I told you that you could replace sleeping pills with a California poppy? Of course, if you don’t take sleeping pills, that’s no big deal to you. But even if you have an occasional hard time sleeping, this little flower could help you without the risk you get when you take sleeping pills or other drugs.

Here’s a little blurb from an expert about the snazzy little flower and how it can help:

California poppy helps support a restorative, deep sleep like we enjoyed as children, when falling and staying asleep for at least eight hours each night were both effortless. Why risk the addiction of prescription sleeping pills when you can make your own Sleep Tea from this plant?

I usually drink it before bed and then doze off soon after, while I’m reading or watching TV. You could not wake me up easily; my kids have tried a few times. Now, if your bout of insomnia is of the more serious nature or you’re suffering from PTSD, just turn California poppy into a more concentrated sleep tincture. That should do it.

Pretty cool, don’t you think?

I do. And that’s why I recommend, to anyone who has room in their backyard or even their front yard, the Medicinal Seed Kit put together by the woman who said that. She has spent years developing what she calls your natural backyard pharmacy.

And the Medicinal Seed Kit is the easiest way to start.

I remember, when I was just a little kid, before everybody started using mass-produced, over-the-counter medicines, the “old folks” used plants and other natural things for cuts and bruises and other ailments.

And I believe those natural ways are the best ways. Especially when you can know, without a shadow of a doubt, what’s in what you’re using.

These days you can hardly pronounce many of the ingredients in the medicines you buy at the drugstore?

But I understand if you don’t wanna put out the extra effort to grow your own natural pharmacy. And I also understand you might not have the room for it. But if you do, consider this option for your health.

Nutrition and wellness found in the plants, water, and other elements here on our little blue planet were part of the original intention in God’s design. I know we live in a broken world, so the nutritional value found in those things isn’t nearly as powerful as it was in the first generations. But I believe it’s still better than all the question marks in so many so-called medicines.

As always, though, take my recommendations with a pinch of salt. And skip my recommendations altogether if you prefer western medicine and all the potential side effects. If so, I hope you can still…

Stay tuned,
Tony

The post California poppy just might help you out tonight appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

And I don’t see much care in their psychiatric care.

Plus, there’s an unavoidable problem when you tell a doctor your deep, dark secrets. Especially a typical psychiatrist who has no healthy relationship with Jesus. Because, when you share your feelings and secrets  with someone who doesn’t love his Creator (and many times even with someone who does), you risk hanging yourself out to dry.

All those notes the doctor takes can be like witnesses against you. If the person taking them ever wanted to turn against you for some dire reason, they have a great reference tool. And if you believe the so-called “doctor-patient confidentiality” thing will protect you, you don’t know human nature.

Years ago I watched an old black and white movie where the main character went to a psychiatrist for some marital or other relationship problems. The star of the movie was only one of a collection of weird characters. And it seemed like they all wanted to be the weirdest one. Funny thing is, I thought they were all successful in their efforts.

Shortly after watching the movie, I heard a story on the evening news about how many people were seeking psychiatric “care.” And not long after that I read an article in the local paper (yeah, we still read newspapers back then) about the same topic.

“Hmm,” I said to myself. “I see a pattern forming.”