Category Archives: photos and videos

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Being a doorkeeper isn’t necessarily a dead-end job.

In fact, there’s one place where being a doorkeeper can be so amazing and the most demanding 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. At best those jobs will only get you 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.

No…I’m talking about being a doorkeeper at the entrance to Heaven.

You might have heard the entrance to Heaven is some pearly gates with Saint Peter standing there deciding who gets in. And that’s just silly. Ol’ Pete doesn’t get to decide who comes and goes to Heaven. No more than you or me. But he did get to be 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? 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.

Stay tuned,

If this landed somewhere good with you, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered 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,

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Fathers Day poems – cards, songs, and videos

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Fathers Day poems don’t always
rhyme or have good reason like this one

It’s June 18, 2017, and I’m sure there are lots of Fathers Day poems going out to dads all across America. Moms and kids have found barbecue grills, fishing reels, special cards, and fun things to do for dad. And that’s all great! Still…I’d like to share my annual tribute to the Father of Life because He’s the reason any of us are here in the first place. My earthly dad went to be with the Lord over 31 years ago, but I still celebrate his life and influence with this song to the One who made us…

(video no longer available)

Share your Fathers Day poems with me…and maybe some good memories of how your dad influenced your life. Here are the lyrics to my song…

Our Father’s Day

We have eyes and ears, a heart and mind.
If we truly seek, God’s not hard to find.
As we leave this broken world behind,
Only His Truth and Love are the ties that bind.

We have hours or days or weeks or years
To be reconciled from our hopeless fears.
Think of this before your last day appears…
Only a loving God wipes away your tears.

He gives life and love and light.
Only He makes all things right.
And we’re here, so we should say”
Every day’s our Father’s Day.
With each day our daily bread…
Every thought that’s in our head…
Should illuminate the Way
Every day’s our Father’s Day.

We can see design upon His land…
Even in an unborn baby’s hand,
And when life is not the way we planned,
Only a living God helps us understand.

© Copyright Tony Funderburk 2010

(side note: I know I wrote Fathers Day instead of Father’s Day…search engines don’t like apostrophes)

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Sacred Grounds: watch your step

Some time ago, in America, sacred grounds were a place where you buried your dead…or a special place where you go to connect with the history of your faith. Nowadays, “sacred grounds” is a nomenclature for issues of the day. And, in the case of many of those issues, you’d better watch where you’re stepping. Especially if you’re a Christian.

Almost every day I read another article or story about a Christian business owner forced to do or accept a policy he or she opposes for reasons of faith. And while that was once inconceivable in America, the country founded on religious freedom, it pales in comparison to the persecution Christians are facing around the world. All either in the name of “diversity and tolerance” or at the hands of ruthless, Godless regimes.

For people who hate God, issues like diversity, tolerance, and multiculturalism, have become sacred grounds. And if Christians don’t step lightly…or better yet, accept willingly…they’d better just watch out. That sort of hypocrisy inspired me to write this song. (I’ll be sharing it in an upcoming episode of the The Power of God’s Love Podcast

Nothin’s Sacred Anymore

Take the truth and lock it up, and throw away the key
Winds of change are blowing foul; a dance with destiny
Blur the face of love and sex and say it’s all OK
Tell the child it’s just a choice and melt her soul away

Nothin’s sacred anymore”
Can’t we learn from mistakes when they cut to the core
Nothin’s sacred anymore”
And should we be surprised since we’ve opened that dark, wide door?
Nothin’s sacred anymore

Cast your vote for social growth and then say yes to law
Keep the peace, divide the wealth; the vision Adolph saw
Hedge the bets and ride the fence; the middle road’s secure
Then one day you’re head to head with all you must endure

Nothin’s sacred anymore”
Can’t we learn from mistakes when they cut to the core
Nothin’s sacred anymore”
And should we be surprised”¨since we’ve opened that dark, wide door?
Nothin’s sacred anymore

More space and time”more would be sublime
Someone else can pay”long as I get mine today

Ain’t nothin’ sacred anymore

© 2002 Tony Funderburk

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

You Gotta Face Facts

But when you face facts, make sure they’re the true facts…not merely someone else’s skewed interpretation. Yesterday I wrote about seeking wise counsel. It’s important to know that wise counsel is getting more and more difficult to find even when you are seeking it. Many people have opinions. But not many people have wisdom to go with those opinions.

If you’re about to start out on a journey into uncharted waters, you might discover even some of your friends will tell you it’s the wrong thing to do. While I certainly wouldn’t tell you never to listen to your friends, I would encourage you to examine their motives and quality of information…or lack of. Oftentimes you’ll discover they just don’t want you to work on something they’d never have the nerve to try. Other times you’ll find they have even more selfish motives. It’s sad. But true.

When you face facts, make sure they’re the actual facts.

Your big idea might be “the next big thing”. But it might only be a big idea in your head. If there’s no real audience for it, you might be humming to yourself and no one else. Not such a good idea. However, if you do some research and discover a hole in a market you truly believe you can fill in a new and creative way, go for it. And don’t let others, who would never attempt something so difficult, talk you out of it.

Here’s an insider tip…before you get started on your new adventure/venture…pray to God for wisdom, courage, and perseverance. You’ll need all three for the long haul. Sometimes when you face facts, it can seem like you’re facing impossible odds. But remember, with God, all things are possible. Here’s a song to encourage you…

If things don’t seem so impossible now, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered 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.

Daily Devotional

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Don’t be a wayward son (or daughter)

One of my favorite songs by the seventies rock band, Kansas, is Carry On Wayward Son. I used to include it in my live shows when I played music full time across America. In fact, I still break it out once in a while and sing it…just to see if I still can. (I can, by the way) But I digress. This article isn’t about one of my favorite songs. It’s actually about the dangers of having wayward thoughts. Let me explain (with the help of Proverbs).

It's best not to be a wayward son or daughter

Of course it’s not cool anymore to start quoting from the Bible when it comes to issues of the day. But if you truly want to live a healthier, longer life, it’s best to go to the source of truth about men and women. You’ll discover more wisdom in a few lines of Proverbs than you’ll ever find in a million other books. And in Proverbs it talks about the perils of adultery.

Put another way, that’s called being a wayward son or daughter.

The Bible uses some poetic (and harsh) descriptions for someone who might try to tempt you to go where you shouldn’t. For example, it says…”For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.” The same is true of the immoral man. Notice how it goes from yummy honey to bitter wormwood? If you’ve ever tasted wormwood, you know how much tastier honey is.

But someone who uses honey to cause you to be a wayward son or daughter will eventually cut you down. That’s where the two-edged sword comes in.

Take time, today, to read the passage of Proverbs that talks about this. You’ll see how important it is to stay true to your true love. It even talks about letting your wife’s “breasts satisfy you always”. See, God is not a cosmic killjoy. So, will you look into it? Will you give it a chance to sink in? Or will you continue down your own, “more enlightened”, path?

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.

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Sunday Morning Music

If you can’t make it to church this morning…and you’d still like some Sunday morning music…sing along with me.

Hey, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

Get my Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered 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.

Daily Devotional

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Who do you believe in? It matters so much
I’m gonna sing about it.

Your eternal fate all comes down to that one question. Who do you believe in? If your answer is yourself, or buddha, or confucius, or the universe, you’re ignoring the mountain of evidence against them being good choices. I know that sounds arrogant of me. And believe me I’ve been told how arrogant I am for saying things like that. But I’m confident my choice for the one to believe in is THE right choice, and like Babe Ruth said, “It ain’t braggin’ if it’s true.” I gotta sing about it for a bit, and then I’ll get back to my assertion…

Yeah, I believe so strongly about Jesus being the only way to eternal life, that I wrote a song called “Have To Believe”. Put another way…I must believe. Or I can’t help but believe. When faced with irrefutable truth, you have two choices. Either you believe, or you continue to rebel against it just so you can maintain your status as god of your own universe.

Believe in the Creator…not the creation

Your conscience tells you there’s a design in your world. There’s design in the universe…in the way the moon and sun are the perfect distance away from us. There’s design in the tiny cells inside your body. You know this instinctively. And that’s why it’s so important to know the right answer to the question, Who do you believe in?

Design, at the very least, implies a designer. Christians call that designer Jesus. He created everything there is. Notice I used the word “everything”. Every…thing. Not every idea. He lets you come up with your own ideas. Trouble is, we humans can come up with some awesome ideas and start getting the notion we’re the awesome ones. Yet, we can only take what’s already created and simply manipulate it. We can’t truly create anything. For example…do you know anyone (even yourself) who has ever been able to create even one grain of sand from nothing? Nope…didn’t think so.

Don’t feel bad. In fact, feel great. Because it’s great to know that the one, true, living, loving God of all creation loves you. He created you. And He wants you to live forever. Your more important to Him than you can imagine. Will you at least give Him a chance? I’d love to hear you say “Jesus”, the next time I ask, Who do you believe in?

Stay tuned,

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