Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Why would any serious songwriter ever write kids music? I mean, come on. Who’s gonna take you seriously when you write songs about doodles, toys, monkeys, and such? Well, I guess adults, with no love for the zaniness going on inside those young minds, will take me seriously. But I never wrote any songs for those people anyway.

Here are just a few quick reasons I’ve written kids music…

  • They’re really cute
  • It’s fun to watch their faces light up
  • A kid is an imaginative gift from God
  • Nothing like music to bring out their cool dance moves
  • They just LOVE music

 

I could go on an on about how I can write things that don’t make sense at all in the adult world…but kids get it. Or how a kid doesn’t typically care if someone’s watching when they dance. Or how a kid is just as happy with a song about a dinosaur as a song about a political party…because it’s simply about the music. Music for kids is just that simple.

Kids remind us (or certainly should) how important and precious life is.

I say we keep as many around as possible.

Because they disappear so fast.

Thankfully there are still a lot of adults who are willing to make more. But sadly, here in America, the numbers have drastically dwindled.

So, let’s encourage young adults, who are in the prime of their procreation ability, to get married, make more kids, and sing more kids music. It doesn’t have to be songs I worked on for so long and with so much deliberation. No, you can get lots of music for kids in lots of other places.

Just because I focused days and weeks and months of my attention on giving kids a bunch of wholesome songs, doesn’t mean you’re obligated to buy any of it. Feel free to give your money to the corporations and organizations who use that money to fund ideas and policies you might find repulsive.

But I digress. And this isn’t about me. So, move on. Don’t look back. But just in case you DO look back and think, “Hmm…maybe I should support the little guys. The musicians without backing from questionable record companies.” Just in case you change your mind, click or tap the link below.

Stay tuned,

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Don’t forget to get some music for kids and show them how much you love their imagination.

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Weakness is not sin. But letting it rule your life is. And the reason I bring it up is because there are too many, in the Body of Christ, who aren’t willing to “suffer reproach” from the world that hates God. So, they become weaklings in the faith. And that’s different than just being a weak human being.

A little over seven years ago I wrote a piece about how your weakness can be transformed into strength. And unfortunately it’s even more relevant now.

So, here’s how weakness is not sin.

Have you ever noticed how it’s your weakness that drives you to do more? Think about it…when you’re sitting on top of world, whether it’s health, wealth, or relationships…you’re not as laser beam focused on getting those things. But when you’re weak…bad health, financial problems, or dysfunctional relationships…you tend to focus all your attention on getting stronger and better and more.

So, you might say it’s through your weakness that best results come. In fact, God says it’s in your weakness that He’s made strong. In other words, your limitations magnify His lack of them. Your failures illustrate the true success of His words and His life. Not that your stumbling and bumbling make God look good…on the contrary. Your shortcomings should point you to your need for a perfect Savior.

I think you can say in your heart, “I’m weak. And I succumb to temptations. I do that which I don’t want to do, and I don’t do that which I do want to do.” I know I can. But you don’t need to fret and worry about your “heart condition.” God says “my Grace is sufficient“. He gives you His Holy Spirit (for a time) who makes “intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered“.

Wrap your mind around that for a minute or two.

If you find yourself suffering too many weak days, remember who loves you with a love that can’t be measured. Remember the Creator God who “became flesh and dwelt among us“. Like the old song says…

“Jesus loves me, this I know
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong.
They are weak, but He is strong.”

God loves you in your weakness. And His strength can make you strong forever. You simply need to choose His life for you.

Stay tuned,

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There it was again today. Another case of a Christian guy saying, “Don’t judge.” And he’s a nice guy. We’re connected on a social media channel. We’ve never met in person. But if we knew each other better, I’d be sure to tell him to stop saying that. Because it’s hypocritical talk.

Yep. Telling people not to judge is hypocritical talk.

Because you DO judge. In some way or another you judge every day. Unless you’re brain dead or just an imbecile, you judge. And I’m not talking about the pie contest kind of judging either.

You judge others because you need to judge others. Otherwise how would you know if you could help them? Or if you should? For example, how would you know whether or not to assist someone who walks up to you and asks for money?

And that’s just the small stuff.

Every election cycle highlights tens of millions of people judging others. And every day millions and millions of people decide whether one store is better than another. Or whether one doctor listens better. And just because those judgments don’t fall into a category you might believe is a “don’t judge” category doesn’t mean they’re not judgmental moments.

You almost can’t keep from judging. Neither can I. But we can (and should) learn to judge rightly.

When someone says or posts something on social media that condemns someone for doing something, your first response should never be, “Don’t judge.”

Because you gotta judge. So you need practice.

You should want to get as much good practice at judging as possible. But not that hypocritical talk like the people who hate God do. I mean righteous judgment. Ask God for wisdom. And ask Him to help you get good at it. Because, if you’re a Christian, He’s gonna put you to work as a judge one day.

And if you don’t believe me, you don’t believe the Bible. Simple as that.

Yeah, if you think you’re not supposed to judge, let me (yet again) recommend you get busy reading what Paul wrote. Because he seemed pretty set on the idea in his letter to the Corinthians. Of course, he might have gotten it all wrong.

But who am I to judge?

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I’ve been lamenting the pandemic for a long time. And I’ve seen how fast it’s expanded. But I’ve been curious as to why more people don’t realize how closely they’re involved in it. I hope not you. Because the pandemic I’m talking about isn’t the pandemic you might think I’m talking about. Although they’re morbidly connected in the past couple of years. And, by morbid, I mean drug overdose and death.

Yeah, there’s a LOT of drug overdose right here in America.

I read an article that said “almost 30% more Americans died of drug overdoses during the first year of the pandemic than in any prior 12-month period.”

And that’s just the so-called “preliminary data” from the CDC.

The article added that “America’s overdose deaths shot almost 30% higher to 100,306.” And that’s after all the COVID-19 closures and social distancing. (translate that into separation)

Does that sound like an acceptable number of deaths in order to make people feel safer from COVID-19? And remember, COVID-19 is more than 97% survivable.

Of course, it’s not an acceptable number of deaths. And I’m sure a lot of those overdose deaths would have happened without a viral pandemic. But I’m certainly not convinced that over 100,000 people would have been hanging around inside their houses getting stupidly stoned on opioids.

Wait a minute. On second thought…

Maybe I just can’t see, clearly enough, how many people suffer with severe self-loathing due to their unhinged rejection of their Creator’s love. And maybe I can’t fully understand the weight of their depression due to that selfish decision.

Yeah, come to think of it, it makes perfect (yet pitiful) sense that suicides and drug overdoses would be at maybe an all-time high. Because people who don’t have the Holy Spirit filling their souls will have to be on constant lookout for an all-the-time high.

So, when I say I’ve been lamenting this a long time, I mean a lot longer than just the past couple of years. In fact, way back in 1986 I wrote a drug song. No, not because I was on drugs, so no comments from the peanut gallery (Greg). I mean a song with drug references weaved all through it.

See how many references you can find in…

Nothin’s Gonna Happen To You

Well you’re human and it’s hum-drum
So you find yourself in front of a screen
The remote control slowly takes its toll
Then you’re thumbing through a magazine
Years a go you had to know
You had to stand out brave and true
You said, “Don’t wait for nothin’, or
Nothin’s gonna happen to you.”

You were Ghengis Khan and Napoleon
You were king of cool to all your friends
But the juggernaut fell into the pot
And so this is how the story ends
But I have to know what could change you so
I have to see what cut you through
And don’t tell me “nothin’ “, or
Nothin’s gonna happen to you

Why the empty stare…nothin’ nothin’
Tension in the air…nothin’ nothin’
You just can’t admit…you’re too mortal to conquer it
And nothin’s gonna happen to you

Well, it’s so posh how you whitewash
And the truth starts falling through the crack
So your winter scheme is a broken dream
And the pieces stab you in the back
Time gone by can make you cry
And the tears can freeze inside your heart
But don’t obsess in that icy mess
Blow the danger and the pleasure apart
On the inner side it feels like a ride
And you rollercoast into the sky
But the outer side shows the demon lied
Give him anything to keep you high
Years from now they’ll wonder how
How it ever got to you
And I’ll just say “nothin’ “.
Nothin’ ever happened to you…

© 1986 Tony Funderburk

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Over the course of my life, I’ve been inspired to write songs by a wide variety of stimuli. From a technicolor sunset, to a mountain vista, and even down to a single word. And sometimes I’m inspired by how someone will twist a phrase and use it as a product or service or even a business name.

Like how I was inspired to write the song, “Let’s Capture Life Together.”

I did some online work for a local photographer, here in the shadow of Pike’s Peak. And I liked the name of her business. Capture Life Photography. So, I wrote a song based on that theme. Capturing life.

And the song is made up of three verses. No chorus. No bridge. Just three verses. Because life, just like time, is made up of three parts. Past. Present. And Future. And we can’t stop the passing of time. But the closest we can get to making it seem like it is photography. A picture can capture a singular second. And hold it in place.

So, even thought we can’t stop time or move back and forth in it (despite what the Avengers and Star Trek would have you believe), technology helps us save bits and pieces. And that’s why I felt inspired to write about it and share it with you. So, if you don’t have any other plans, today…

Let’s Capture Life Together

Here we are,
Livin’ life each minute, so glad that we’re in it.
Every day,
And forever after, sharin’ love and laughter
Holdin’ on in every kind of weather.

Here we stand,
While the clock is tickin’ we’re alive and kickin’
Time moves on,
But we must remember, keep a burnin’ ember.
Let’s go out and capture life together.

Here we go
With our hearts on fire, reachin’ ever higher
Days go by,
So we’ll keep a token of the love unspoken
Let’s go out and capture life together.
Yeah, let’s go out and capture life together.

Stay tuned,

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I read an article that talked about how Franklin Graham couldn’t understand why Joe Biden said what he said. Actually, that Joe didn’t say something he should’ve said. Apparently Mr. Biden left God’s name out of a so-called “proclamation” on America’s national day of Prayer. And Mr. Graham said, “This is a National Day of Prayer. Of course we need to call on God ““ and not just some generic “˜gods’ or some “˜power’ in the air ““ but on God himself, the Creator who made and created this Earth and who sent his Son, Jesus Christ from Heaven to this Earth to save mankind from sin by dying on a cross.”

Mr. Graham was right.

There is no “power in the air” apart from God.

But there should be no surprise that a guy like Joe Biden wouldn’t use God’s name for some so-called “national day of prayer.” And it shouldn’t be difficult to understand why anyone who doesn’t trust God would omit His name. After all, if you don’t put your faith in and trust the one, true, living, loving Creator of the universe, why would you mention His name?

And it should be abundantly obvious, from his lifetime of bad choices and bad politics, that Joe doesn’t trust God. He doesn’t put his faith in God. And some “power in the air” makes as much sense to him as anything else.

Yeah, when you abandon truth and logic and reason, the only place to go is self.

When you don’t fear the power of the Creator, that only leaves the creation. Which is dangerously foolish.

But you know what? In a way, there is some sort of the “power in the air.” Because that’s how the whole universe was created. By the word of God. Words spoken into the air. Either figuratively or literally.

But the real power…is in the word.

And that’s why I wrote about it over 25 years ago. Matter of fact, I wrote a whole song about it. Power of the Word is the sixth song on my Do Right CD. I remember, sitting in a little motel room in Durango, Colorado, when I wrote the lyrics. Back then I still wrote everything, by hand, (in cursive, can you believe it?) in spiral notebooks.

As I thought about how so many people are afraid of what the day will bring, I wrote, “So you’ve been thinking that you’ve got a whole lot to fear.” And I thought about how many people wonder about their own existence. So, in the next line I added, “And you keep asking, ‘What on earth am I doin’ here?”

Then, with the optimism my faith in God gives me, I wrote, “Well I wouldn’t tell you it’s as gloomy as you’ve heard.” And, of course, I explained why when I followed that up with, “You just need the power of the Word.”

Other verses talk about time and fading hopes and pessimism. And I repeat how the answer is the Word.

But not just any word.

The answer is the only Word that became flesh and dwelt among us. That word does this…

Well the power of the Word takes an ordinary bird
And it gives him songs to sing and wings to soar
With the power of the Word even when your vision’s blurred
All your dreams will be fulfilled forevermore

And there’s a way that you can hear the whole song AND help a widowed pastor’s wife at the same time. Get yourself (or a friend or family member) a copy of my original Do Right CD. There’s a very limited supply of them left. And the proceeds (minus shipping) from every one of them will go to this wonderful woman.

If you can help out, the link is below. And if the $20 price is too much for you, send me a message telling me what you can afford. I’ll work it out with you.

Stay tuned,

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Get the Do Right 25th Anniversary Cheryl Care Package CD Here

 

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Imagine being a 16 year old all-star and state champion athlete in Texas. And now, imagine being that athlete and being told you have basically an incurable cancer. Yeah. And you thought you had a bad day. Right?

Osteoblastic osteosarcoma is that incurable cancer I just mentioned.

And Jeremiah Thomas was that 16 year old all-star and state champion athlete in Texas. Yes, unfortunately I said “was.” Because Jeremiah’s body succumbed to cancer a couple of years ago. Osteoblastic osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that’s resistant to radiation therapy. And Jeremiah had tumors on his spine and one on his chest. So, that led to a lot of pain and even paralysis from the waist down.

(Side note: I know, from personal experience, about tumors on the spine. I dealt with one on my spinal cord, near the base of my skull, years ago. And it caused a lot of pain. And even led to numbness in the fingers and palm of my right hand. Fortunately, the tumor was spotted before it did even more damage. But I can imagine, from that experience, a little of what Jeremiah must have felt.)

Even from the time of the diagnosis, Jeremiah was only “given” a 10% chance for survival. That’s how dastardly osteoblastic osteosarcoma is.

But the great news is, he was a dedicated Christian. And He was unafraid and unashamed to tell people about Jesus. Even after he couldn’t walk he said, “I can still preach from a wheelchair.”

And he added, “What was truly amazing to see was the ministry opportunity that was given to me when I got sick. As soon as I got sick, my testimony blew up. Constantly people were texting me, encouraging me, giving me their testimony and their blessings and prayers.”

Jeremiah was also committed to saving unborn babies.

Right up to his last days, he spoke out against abortion. And he used his “wish,” from the Make A Wish Foundation, to speak on the phone with Texas Governor Abbott and to ask him to abolish abortion.

But life is real. And living has real consequences. None of us inhabit a fairy tale planet.

So, Jeremiah’s cancer grew. It expanded on his spine and increased in his lungs. And the ulcerated tumor on his chest grew. And none of the hospital’s treatments worked. Once again it was an incurable cancer. Jeremiah died.

But not before he wrote a prayer and published it on Facebook. Here’s what he said…

“I don’t deserve Your healing but Lord You will always deserve my praise. Through death or life, may Your great name be lifted up and everything that is of me fall to the waste side. Oh Lord, strengthen me that I may fight the battle with a courage Satan cannot tamper with. If You take me home or leave me here to fight a little longer, may it be Your breath in my lungs and Your song on my tongue. Lord I consecrate myself to the full advancement of the Kingdom of God! Lord, I love You and I can’t wait to see You face to face. Amen. Christ is not for sale and non-negotiable. To God be the glory, no matter what the future holds.”

Before I’d ever heard of Jeremiah, a social media friend wrote to me and told me about him. And the social media friend, who knew about me through my music on a radio talk show, asked me to consider writing a song for Jeremiah and his family.

So, I looked into the story.

And I was moved to use Jeremiah’s own words in a song. That song became “Jeremiah’s Prayer.” And thousands of people heard it and liked it. Maybe you will, too.

Just in case you can’t see the embedded video, here’s the link to it: https://youtu.be/74bW4uU9Nbg

Stay tuned,

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Elgielene and I had been married for less than a year. And each day was an exploration into love, joy, and laughter. But then a routine-changing glitch happened. The economy bottomed out. And we discovered what we had been doing wasn’t enough. So, we did what any normal couple would do. We hit the road.

What? You’ve never hit the road in a bad economy?

Well then, you don’t know what you’ve missed.

And that’s probably a good thing. For most people anyway.

Because I’ve heard so many couples mention how they couldn’t spend 24 hours a day together. Especially for days, weeks, months, and even years on end. And I think that’s sad. You can learn a lot about someone, in less time, when you spend more time with them. Sounds backward. But it’s really forward.

Elgielene and I saw a LOT of America while we traveled, full-time, back and forth across the country. And we met a LOT of people from a wide variety of states and towns. And we had a blast spending all the time together. In our little blue pickup. And in our fancy hotel rooms (yeah, right). Just the two of us. 24 hours a day.

But we found out what kind of person each of us had married. Turns out, we both liked what we got. And that’s more than most married couples can say anymore.

After we got off the road, we landed in Nashville where I made the songwriter rounds. And after a year there (and countless times of being told I should go to L.A.) we hit the road to Tampa, Florida. A friend told me there were lots of places where I could play beach music to appreciative crowds. And that ended up being true.

But, after a year there, we headed back up the road to Colorado.

And once we established ourselves back in the Rocky Mountain state, I recorded a CD of Christian inspired songs. One of those songs was about that road life we had together. And how it made me feel.

It was called Safe and Sound.

Through sales of the CD, across the country, I found out that a couple somewhere down South or in the heartland had even played that song in their wedding. What an honor that was for me.

The chorus, which also sounds like a song bridge, says…

We laugh like there’s no tomorrow.
We’re touched by the hand of God.
So what if there’s no new sunrise.
So what if the world won’t spin around.
We’re safe and sound.

And the verse that captures our road life says…

Miles have gone by; we dared to go see
The wide open space and seldom we frowned
Look how our love is safe and sound
Deep in our hearts and inside our minds
We capture the words and they keep us bound
Saying our love is safe and sound

That song, and 12 others, can be found on my Do Right CD. And I actually have some of those original CD’s left from 1996. So, I’m selling them as the Do Right 25th Anniversary Cheryl Care Package. Because all the profits, after shipping, will go to a wonderful woman who lost her husband just a few weeks ago. He was a pastor.

If you’d care to help out a pastor’s wife who’s been through a lot, the link to get the CD is below.

“Safe and Sound” © 1993 Tony Funderburk

Stay tuned,

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Get the Do Right 25th Anniversary Cheryl Care Package Here

 

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Tell the truth. Would you rather go to a baseball game or a Bible study? And would you rather talk about faith? Or football? Do you know where a great sports bar is? But you don’t have a clue where you could find a church that rightly divides the word of truth? Or maybe just reading or hearing that phrase offends you.

Yeah, most people watch football to escape the word of truth.

And to be somewhat “fair and balanced,” I bet many of them don’t even know that’s what they’re doing. But I also bet it’s no coincidence that professional football teams play their games mostly on Sunday.

My Mom, who died only nine months ago, used to talk about her life as a little girl when her parents moved the family around a lot. And one thought that consistently came up in her mind was a question her family would get from new neighbors in a new town.

“What church do you attend?”

Or some form of that question. Like, “Are you Protestant or Catholic?” Or, “Have you found a church yet?” Man, those Christians, back in the day, were so pushy. Weren’t they?

No, America used to be a place where faith and family were foremost. Sports were only spare time pastimes. And spare time was much more spare (or should I say less available). People certainly didn’t obsess over which teams were in the playoffs. And they didn’t focus on all the stats of a sports hero (aka idol). Some did. But not most.

But I don’t want to give the impression I believe sports are bad.

They’re absolutely not. In fact, sports can be physically beneficial to kids. Much more than sitting around looking at a smartphone screen for hours and hours.

Sports can help kids understand the importance of self-sacrifice. And human connection. And persistence.

But when you look forward to Sunday football games way more than fellowship with Christian friends, you help usher in the downfall and destruction of America.

Sure, that might sound like something a “paranoid Bible thumper” would say. [Side notes: I’m not paranoid (there really IS somebody after me). And I’m not really a “Bible thumper” either. Because I use my Logos Bible app. And it would look weird for me to thump my phone.]

Anyway…

Even though, as Sting sang in one of his songs “history will teach us nothing,” it’s still worth at least a short study to see what happened to Rome and its gladiators. I’m not saying America is gonna fail and fall like Rome did. No, wait. Actually I AM saying that.

America IS on a “one-way trek through the canyon.”

Billions are spent on colosseums…er…stadiums. And team uniforms. And player salaries. Pro athletes are lauded as “heroes.” They sign multimillion dollar endorsement agreements. And their fans hang on their every word as though each word is real and special and true. But most of the time those words are just some vacuous opinion.

Modern day gladiators become part of the spectacle the ruler of this world uses to take your eyes off the prize. The gladiators and colosseums, from the days of Rome, fell from Grace. And history will probably repeat itself here.

But you don’t have to fall victim to such a fate. And you can avoid repeating the failures of the past simply by changing where you point your ears and your eyes. Away from the lies of the world and toward the word of Truth.

Like a freight train on a one-way track through the canyon
(I’m) Payin’ no mind to the walls of worldly opinion.

Do right…and risk the consequences.
And do right…whatever you do.
Do right…and don’t you stand on fences
Now whatever you do with all of your might…Do Right!

(from the song, Do Right)

(tip o’ the hat to Bcuz for the suggestion)

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My wife and I live in a suburb, in the shadow of Pike’s Peak, not far from downtown. And not far from the famous Broadmoor Hotel. We don’t live in one of the mansions in the area. But we do live in what most people would say is a decent, middle class neighborhood. The sort of neighborhood that was once a place where you could work with your own hands, live a peaceable life, and avoid the rat race urban lifestyle.

But we’ve noticed zombies who want what you worked for with your own hands.

And anyone with even a whisper of wisdom can see how these zombies are up to no good. And yes, that’s judgmental of me. Of course it is. Because I’m able to use the brain and wisdom God gave me to discern when someone is up to no good. I’d hate to think I couldn’t make a proper judgment call when the evidence is so clear.

First, these zombies push stolen grocery carts, filled with trash (and maybe stuff off your porch), aimlessly up and down the sidewalks. Or alongside the street curbs. And those grocery carts cost anywhere from a little over $100 to hundreds of dollars. According to Colorado law (and it’s probably similar in other states) thefts in that range carry penalties of six months to one year in jail. And fines from $500 to $1000.

Naturally, the zombies will never pay those fines. Because, well, they only have whatever money they get from you. And many of them would probably welcome the jail time. Because then they’d have a nice, warm place to stay where they can get even more from you. Like three meals a day. Cable TV. Etc.

And those seemingly blank zombie stares conceal their purpose for being in our neighborhood. After all, what good could they possibly have in mind?

I seriously doubt they’re handing out presents from their carts.

No, they’re looking for your treasures. Or your neighbor’s treasures. And they’re looking for anything that’ll help them maintain their off-the-grid-in-plain-sight lifestyle.

But maybe you “love” them more than me. Maybe you think I’m harsh, uncaring, and unloving. And maybe it sounds like I don’t love my fellow man. If so, then maybe you disagree with God. He said “if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” So, don’t shoot me. I’m only the piano player. Take your complaints to God.

If you’re like me (and I hope you are), you’d like to know you can work with your own hands, produce goods and services for others, and take care of your family. And you’d like that to be the norm. And you’d like to know you can do that, peaceably, without wondering if some zombie is gonna sneak up on your porch at night. Or worse.

But you can thank all the enablers who increasingly make that a fading American pursuit. And for turning once thriving cities into the new badlands. The politicians who increase your taxes to line their own pockets and buy zombie votes. And the people who vote for such wicked excuses for human beings. Those same people who think handouts for zombies is love.

That’s not love.

And I’m an expert on love. No joke. Seriously, I am.

Because I’ve studied what true love is. And what true love does. Where true love originates.

And it most certainly does NOT originate in your heart. In fact, that could be the worst place to look for love.

No, my suggestion is this…

Get Wise

Don’t drink the wine of violence
Or eat the bread of hate.
You might just get away with it,
But 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 Tony Funderburk

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OK, you can stop me if you’ve heard this before. But I’m gonna share the story of Feed Me again. And relax. I’m not one of those guys on the street corner asking for a handout. No, this is about my music on the radio. The story goes…

~ Back in 1989, I had moved back to Colorado and had been there for about a year. And I was in my little apartment, B17 (yeah, like the old Olivia Newton-John song), listening to the FM station, KBCO. Because they played a cool variety of music I liked. But also because they had this segment they called “Home Grown.”

And I had sent a song of mine in to them. But they didn’t send out advance notice if and when your song was chosen. So, I guess that’s how they got you to tune in regularly. Well, at least if you were one of the songwriters who sent in music. Like I did with my song, Feed Me. ~

Yeah, if you’ve heard this before, you’re thinking “Yeesh, there he goes with Feed Me again.”

Hey, tune out if you have to. But tune back in at the end. Because there’s a reason why I’m sharing this again.

Back to the story…

~ My music fit right in with their wide variety of styles at the time. And to their credit, the people in charge of choosing which songs were played on the KBCO segment, picked good stuff. And yes, I’d say that even if they hadn’t played my song. But they DID play my song.

And, as any songwriter who’s experienced it, hearing your song on the radio never gets old.

For a long time I even kept a cassette recording of the DJ introducing me and the song. But the hazards of time and the full-time road life took their toll. And I don’t know what happened to it. Too bad. It would’ve been fun to share.

Anyway…

Feed Me is one of the baker’s dozen songs on my “Do Right”CD. And that CD is now officially vintage. Because I recorded and released it 25 years ago.

I’ve been sharing how I only have a few dozen of those original CD’s left. And I have a special request. Would you prayerfully consider buying one to help support a pastor’s wife who just lost her husband in September? I call this offer the Do Right 25th Anniversary Cheryl Care Package.

It’s $20 for this stout-hearted, vintage music. And all proceeds, minus shipping costs, will go to help Cheryl and her family as they deal with the loss of a husband, father, pastor, and provider. If you already have the music, but you know somebody who might enjoy it (and enjoy helping out), send them the link, below.

And thank you from the bottom, top, and middle of my heart,

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Get the Do Right 25th Anniversary Cheryl Care Package Here

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In our galaxy, but far, far away, are known forces at work. Like a giant vacuum cleaner. And I believe, once you hear this, you’ll see the zodiacal light and become a Christian.

Well, maybe that’s just pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking.

Or maybe some known forces will start working on your soul.

But…to get back to my point for the day…

You probably already know all those tiny, tiny dust particles orbiting around the sun, in a disk-shaped cloud, between Venus and the asteroid belt. Right?

And you probably already know about the Poynting-Robertson effect. So, you understand how those known forces should spin most of those tiny, tiny dust particles into the sun in less than 10,000 years.

And knowing that you probably already know all this makes me hesitant to even share it with you. But maybe you know somebody who doesn’t know any of this. So, if you feel like it, you could share this information with them. And then they’d understand how that cloud of tiny, tiny dust particles couldn’t have lasted for 10,000 years. At least not with the known forces and sources they have to replenish them.

So, about that Poynting-Robertson effect…

There’s a man, with a PhD from M.I.T. who described it like this:

“Just as some rain falling on a speeding car strikes the front of the car and slows it down slightly, with the Poynting-Robertson effect, the Sun’s rays strike tiny particles orbiting the Sun, slowing them down, so they spiral into the Sun.  Thus, the Sun’s radiation and gravity act as a giant vacuum cleaner that pulls in about 100,000 tons of micrometeoroids per day. Disintegrating comets and asteroids add dust at less than half the rate it is being destroyed.

A disintegrating comet becomes a cluster of particles called a meteor stream. The Poynting-Robertson effect causes smaller particles in a meteor stream to spiral into the Sun more rapidly than larger particles. After about 10,000 years, these orbits should be visibly segregated by particle size. Because this segregation is generally not seen, meteor streams are probably a recent phenomenon.”

I love how Dr. Walt Brown (aforementioned PhD from M.I.T.) has applied so much of his God-given brain to showing us the scientific evidence for a young Earth. Because that’s actually a combination of science AND love. And that’s like combining Hebrews 11:1 with 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

The Creator of Heaven, Earth, and all living things is a combination of combinations.

Science and Love. Truth and Justice. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

He created this planet, probably less than 10,000 years ago. And made it perfectly inhabitable for all the living things you can find here. But I’m willing to bet that’s far less important to Him than YOU. Because only YOU (Mr or Miss human) are made in His image and likeness.

And it’s not arrogant to think of yourself as the most special species on the planet. Because you are. And there are zillions of intricate ways this planet, solar system, galaxy, and universe prove that.

So, deny the evidence all around you at your own peril. Or…

Choose to believe you can receive
A life everlasting and true,
When you can trust you’re more than dust
Because God put His life in you.

Stay tuned,

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I just read a short blurb about Billy Joel’s song “Uptown Girl.” And it said that song was a Number 1 hit for him on the British charts, for five weeks, back in 1983. That started on this day, November 5th. I knew it was popular. And it was even in my playlist for a while, back when I played live music for a living.

But here’s something I didn’t know about “Uptown Girl.”

Apparently Billy Joel wrote the song about his relationship with his girlfriend.

And, if you were around (and listening to 80’s hits) back then, you might say, “Duh, Tony. Yeah, he wrote it for his girlfriend, Christie Brinkley.” But, to that, my rapier retort would be, “Uh…no. He wrote it about his girlfriend, Elle Macpherson.”

Then, we’d get into a verbal rumble. And the wordplay carnage would leave a mess for someone else to clean up. But, after the smoke cleared, you’d discover I was right. But you’d also discover you were right, too.

“Huh? Are you gonna tell me both Elle Macpherson AND Christie Brinkley were girlfriends of Billy Joel?”

Yeah. At least if you can believe the reports all over the internet and old newspaper and tabloid articles.

It’s another case of truth being stranger than fiction. Because, if you’ve seen Billy Joel in recent years, you might have a difficult time believing he could date ONE supermodel…much less, two. But the reports say he did, indeed, date both Christie Brinkley AND Elle Macpherson. But he bumped Elle in favor of Christie. And he married Christie.

Now, before you start thinking I’m a gossip columnist…

I’m not talking about those three people just to tell stories and name names.

Elle Macpherson is now 57 years old and will be 58 in March of 2022. Christie Brinkley is 67. And she’ll be 68 in February of 2022. And Billy Joel is 72, and he’ll be 73 in May of 2022. So…all three are far from boyfriend and girlfriend ages, now. Time has marched on. Just like it did for all the rest of us.

One day you’re an uptown girl. The next, you’re “middle-aged” or a grandmother. And one day you’re a top 40 rock-n-pop star. The next, you’re more than three score and ten years on.

Some might say it’s amazing that Billy Joel could get not one, not two, not three, but FOUR nice-looking ladies to marry him. And others might say “Well, he’s got lotsa moolah. So, there you go.”

But I say, “None of that matters in the long run.”

And the more I read about Mr. Joel and his entire family, the less evidence I find for his money to mean much at all. Sure, it can give him a “nice life” while he’s here on Earth. But then what?

Regardless of how much money you make, how beautiful you are, or how many times you appear in the news, you’re gonna run out of time in this world. And you’re gonna run out of looks. And you’ll never make enough money to be around forever. So, what’s a superstar or supermodel to do?

Same thing as everybody else.

Find enough humility to admit that God is real. Admit you’re not Him. And ask Him to save you from yourself. Then, whether you’re a famous supermodel or rockstar or simply a truck driver or homemaker, you can live forever. Because the richest person in all of existence (who’s also the only eternal Rock star) paid your way to Heaven.

But there’s a catch.

You can’t wait till you die. No. You gotta choose Life before your last breath. And you gotta ask your Creator to forgive you for hurting others and hurting yourself.

So, get busy all you uptown girls and guys.
Set your focus on that One, Eternal prize.

Stay tuned,

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So, you probably got up today and immediately started to focus on how you could be patient with all the people you were gonna deal with. Right? Yeah, right. Me neither.

Is it even possible to be patient with all the knuckleheads?

No, I don’t believe it is. At least not completely. And certainly not when you depend on YOU for the ability to do it.

But it would seem, if you’re a Christian, this is something you’re supposed to do. Some might even say “called to do” (I wouldn’t be one of those, by the way). Yep, it’s right there in the Bible. And it’s even in the part written TO you and me. Uh-uh. Paul wrote it.

He said, right there in his first letter to the Thessalonians, “warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.” Boom! End of story. Now, go out there and be patient.

OK, you probably catch my drift by now. NO, I don’t expect you to be a perfect picture of patience. But who am I to disagree with Paul? I’m just a singer songwriter poet. And I probably don’t see the world clearly through my rose-colored glasses. You know how quirky us dreamy-eyed poets can get.

But, let’s back up just a second.

Because Paul didn’t just write that little exhortation to the Thessalonians and then head out to dinner.

No, that letter includes 5 sections we refer to as “chapters.” And each of those chapters has lots of verses. And you only need to back up a few verses to see how Paul was guiding the new Christians in Thessaloniki, specifically, on how to deal with each other.

Not the whole world in general.

Of course, you can be patient with all the people you deal with today IF you don’t put your faith in YOU to be able to do it. Or, at the very least, you can be patienter (side note: that’s not really the English word for being more patient. But it’s the French word for “wait.” And that strikes me as appropriate anyway.)

Now, I’m not sure you needed to hear any of this today. But my hope is that you’ll use it as one more way to focus on your Creator rather than yourself.

And the main YOU I’m talking to
Is the YOU I see in the mirror.
‘Cause one fine day he’s flyin’ away.
And that “one day” is one day nearer.

Stay tuned,

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Exvangelical deconstruction. Now, there’s a term you probably don’t hear every day. I hadn’t heard of it before today. But apparently it’s a “thing” in the ranks of people leaving the Christian “church” these days. And I put quotations around “church” for a reason.

Because exvangelical deconstruction is a self-indulgent activity.

No surprise there, right? Selfishness was the original sin. And it’s still at the root of all sin.

And the reason this is on my radar, today, is because of (wouldn’t you know it) an apparently well-known “musician” who called himself an exvangelical on a social media channel. I’m talkin’ about Kevin Max from DC Talk, a band that I saw described as a “3 piece rock-n-rap” group.

Admittedly, I’m not familiar with their music. So, I did a quick scan of some of their songs on YouTube. And they won’t be getting any support from me…which, I’m sure they won’t miss in the slightest. But I’m just not a fan of grinding grunge and rap. And I’m sure they wouldn’t be a Tony fan either.

Since I hadn’t heard the term “exvangelical” before, I did a little snooping around. And I found an article  that said – some of those people leaving the Christian church have begun referring to themselves as the ‘nones’ and are promoting a movement called ‘deconstruction’ translated as “deconstructing one’s faith and leaving the church.”

So, once again, self-indulgent activity.

When you deconstruct your Christian faith and call yourself a “none,” you’ve just exed yourself out of hope.

And that puts you in the fools camp.

I wrote a song, way back, about the people in the world who decide to trust in self. And the lyrics are just as appropriate for the “nones” who are leaving the church. This is from “King of Hearts.”

Dreaming it up, they keep on scheming it up,
And then they’re blowing it up in unsuspecting faces
Groundwork is laid; they’ve got it made in the shade
But there won’t be lemonade in some eternal places

Closing their eyes; they walk right into the lies
But every person who dies will have their eyes wide open
By then it’s too late for all the people who wait
You just can’t enter The Gate with all your earthly hopin’

(chorus)

With all their best laid plans they still just come to this.
I guess they’ll remain where they are while their ignorance is…

Bliss

© 1998 Tony Funderburk

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If you regularly listen to or watch the morning news, it can give you the impression there’s no such thing as lasting hope. And it can give you the impression that the only way to “beat ’em” is to “join ’em.”

So skip the morning news.

At least skip all the opinion stuff. All that point, counterpoint, and other synthetic, so-called “news.”

Because, when it comes to real life, you’re gonna need wisdom to deal with reality. And you’re gonna need wisdom to be able to detect lies and manipulation.

Sounds like a fun day. Right?

I certainly don’t wanna rob you of your good mood. Quite the opposite, actually. But it’s more important, now, than it’s ever been in your whole life, to understand how this world hates you. Or, let’s put it this way, it hates you if you’re someone who says Jesus is the only way to eternal life.

If you tell the truth, like that, the world (people who hate God), WILL hate you. Because the world hates God and anyone who loves Him.

Oh sure, they’ll do their darnedest to deflect and make you look like the hater. In the name of tolerance and diversity. But their hypocrisy stands out like a sore thumb when you increase your wisdom. And I can guarantee your wisdom won’t increase by listening to or watching the morning news.

Go ahead and get the weather report (there’s an app for that). And check your investments (there’s an app for that). And even follow your favorite sports team, if you must (there’s an app for that).

(at’s a lotta apps)

But you’ll do yourself a favor when you get a Bible app (I recommend the Logos . Because no other app, book, or resource of any kind contains even a fraction of the wisdom you’ll find in the Bible. And, with wisdom, you can take these words to heart…

Every time you see the morning news
They talk about another killing.
It’s beyond my power to comprehend
How the taking of life could be thrilling.
Banish the dark side; live in God’s light.
Rise and shine and you can win this fight.
That’s the only way to beat the world at its own game.

Those are lyrics to the third verse in my song, “Beat The World.” It’s from my “Do Right” CD which is now officially vintage. Because I recorded and released it 25 years ago.

I have just a few dozen of those original CD’s left. And I have a special request. Would you prayerfully consider buying one to help support a pastor’s wife who just lost her husband in September? I call this offer the Do Right 25th Anniversary Cheryl Care Package.

It’s $20 for this stout-hearted, vintage music. And all proceeds, minus shipping costs, will go to help Cheryl and her family as they deal with the loss of a husband, father, pastor, and provider. If you already have the music, but you know somebody who might enjoy it (and helping out), send them the link, below.

And thank you from the bottom, top, and middle of my heart,

Tony Funderburk signature logo

Get the Do Right 25th Anniversary Cheryl Care Package Here

 

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Back in 1974 I paid for (and enjoyed, immensely) an America holiday. Because it was an excursion into the best parts of musical imagination. And…what? You think I misspelled it? Oh, I see. You think it should have been American with the n at the end. Yeah, I get it. But no.

I got it right. America Holiday.

But maybe I should clear up the mixup. I should have added “album.” I paid for (and enjoyed, immensely) an America Holiday album. Whew. Thank goodness we got that straight.

Anyway…

Back then, when you bought an album, you actually got an album. On vinyl. And typically the album contained lyrics and other tidbits of info inside the cover. So, you didn’t just “stream” a song. You listened to it. And you read the lyrics as you listened. Or, at least, I sure did.

And since I had gotten a lot of classical voice training in high school, I greatly appreciated when the pop/rock groups of the day incorporated classical instrumentation into their songs.

So, two songs on the Holiday album, from the band, America, piqued my musical imagination right away. And there’s classical music influence through the whole album. And that’s thanks, mainly, to the production work of George Martin. Maybe you’ve heard of him? He also produced for an obscure band from England…the Beatles.

If you’ve never listened to the Holiday album, and you’ve got about 36 minutes to spare, check it out. Or, at the very least, skip the commercials (of course) and listen to Miniature/Tin Man

But there’s something else that’s even better.

Dan Peek, one of the founding members of America, left the band in 1977 because he was tired of all the travel, recreational drugs, and groupies. I read that he “renounced drugs and alcohol” and “renewed his Christian faith.” And he became a “pioneering artist” in the Christian pop music genre.

He did a remake of the hit song “Lonely People” and changed some lyrics to reflect his Christian faith. Instead of singing the lines: “And ride that highway in the sky” and “You never know until you try” he sang “And give your heart to Jesus Christ.”

Sadly, Dan died 10 years ago today. November 1, 2011. He was only 60. But he shed the Tin Man and put on the New Man. So, I’ll bet he’s singing brand new songs now.

Stay tuned,

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I remember, learning about Halloween for the first time, as a little kid. And that’s back when we went “trick or treating” for fun and candy. My first few Halloween costumes were your basic innocent kid types. Casper the friendly ghost. Cowboy. Pirate. You get the picture.

And I think there’s still a lot of the innocent kid stuff out there.

But the vast majority of Halloween has gone over to the dark side. And adults are targeting innocent kids from just about every imaginable angle.

Check out these headlines:

“Disney/Hulu Halloween Short Film Alludes to Nanny of “˜Non-Binary Child’ Killing Boy”

“Beware of Pot Products That Look Like Halloween Treats”

“If your white daughter dresses up as Disney princess Moana for Halloween, then you’re racist”

And those are probably some of the tamer problems.

But it’s no surprise (although it IS or should be alarming) since America, and the world, has dived head-first into a culture of death.

I can’t tell you how many bumper stickers and window stickers I see on cars with skulls and other death symbols. And they almost always attempt to position the images in a position of power. Like, “Yeah, I’ve thrown off all that constricting skin stuff. Now, I’m immortal! Let’s Party!”

It’s crazy how that’s become a “thing.”

And it’s sad how Halloween has become such a boon (and boom) to people who love “the darkness rather than the light.”

I don’t mind the darkness, but I do prefer the light.
I don’t want to stand still while the day turns into night.
But what can I do? (from the song “What Can I Do?)

That was a question I asked way back in the twentieth century. But I’ve equipped myself much better since then. And one thing I can do is continue to write and talk about the dark forces in this world. And another thing I’ll continue to do learn to lean more on the only source of Light.

Like an innocent child.

Stay tuned,

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Just 5 days ago, I alluded to this event that took place 83 years ago today. That’s when Orson Welles did a radio broadcast based on the H.G. Wells (no relation and not even spelled the same way) book, War of the Worlds.

The War of the Worlds broadcast was a special Halloween show.

And, by many accounts, there were millions of people listening. And, as crazy as it sounds, many of them thought the reports of aliens from Mars were real.

Of course, it’s absurd to believe there could ever be a war of the worlds. But not because there are no other planets or solar systems or galaxies. But those planets, solar systems, and galaxies are not worlds.

Because, by definition, a world consists of a planet AND all its countries, peoples, and natural features. And since those other planets out there in the universe don’t have countries and people, they’re not worlds.

So, don’t worry. We won’t be invaded by Mars. Despite what Hollywood and evolution fairy tale fans would have you believe.

But resistance of the fairy tale illusion requires adult minds.

Because little children are easily fooled. And grownups with the minds of little children are, too. They’re the ones Paul talked about when he said they’re,”…tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting”

And if you don’t believe there are crafty, cunning plots against being planned against you, then consider yourself one of those children. The good news is, you can grow up faster than the plots against you. But you can’t do it alone.

Gonna leave this world in a lightning flash.
Gonna leave behind all this earthly trash.
But we still got this life to live till then,
And I know you’re askin’ when is then…

Soon…soon.

Stay tuned,

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Ten years ago, this month, I talked about the root of all evil. No, not congress. Although, they come in a close second most of the time.

Of course, the root of all evil is money.

There I said it. But it needs to be said. Especially right now when Halloween is only a couple of days away. And that’s the holiest day of all. For those who love evil, that is.

But ten years ago, the eyes of my understanding were clouded. And I hadn’t yet seen “the light” of the truth about money. I even share a sappy, little story about my little dreams when I was kid…

“When I started singing, as a little boy, I began to dream that one day I’d rise to the top and have all the money my heart could possibly desire. And I could see that money in gold, silver, green, and diamonds. Piles of it, buckets of it…for cryin’ out loud…truckloads of it!

So…as I began to practice, I repeated, over and over to myself: “money money money.” Then, I’d add few more la la la’s and then repeat “money money money”. It didn’t matter that I was six. I knew if I could envision it, I could make it happen.

And if you believe this story so far,

You don’t know me at all.

I spent 10’s of thousands of hours of my life singing and practicing and learning music theory, scales, sight-reading, and everything music related. For the love of money? Absolutely not! For the love of music. Music has been a constant companion and best friend to me for as long as I can remember. And all the years I spent as a full-time musician never got me even close to riches. But I loved it all the same.

So…in this age of digital downloads where so many people say all music should be free…have I forsaken my love for singing and songwriting? Not on your life. And if you explore my blog, you’ll find plenty of free music available. Still…I’ve discovered something odd in America.

It still takes money to buy groceries, and gas, and cars, and clothes, and housing, and…well…just about everything. What’s up with that?

You know what I’d like to see?

Everybody works for free and everything is free. Wouldn’t that solve the problem? Or should it be just the goofy singer songwriters and other artists who should work for free? Call me crazy, but that doesn’t seem balanced, fair, equitable, or even sustainable to singer songwriters and other artists.

My track record proves I don’t live for the love of money (which IS the root of all kinds of evil). But I do live…in a society/culture where money is necessary to live. So…call me crazy again, but…I still work to create and provide musical enjoyment to as many as will listen…and I’d still like to charge for my products. That way I can afford to keep up on the gear and resources to create and provide more musical enjoyment.

What do you think? Is this just crazy talk?”

So, there’s my silly kid story. Thank goodness I’ve come to my senses finally. And thank goodness I realize how money is the root of all evil. Oh yeah, by the way, please support my efforts to get the word out about this evil problem. Drop a little something in the tip jar…

Stay tuned,

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