Tony Funderburk

Posted on November 8, 2015 by TonyFebruary 24, 2025

You were designed to understand language and communicate. You were designed to share your story with others…and to be willing to hear or read theirs. Words are awesome gifts from God. Each time you write down your thoughts and share them, it’s an opportunity for someone else to know something they didn’t know before. Your thoughts become shaped images on a piece of paper or a screen. Those shaped images, when read by someone else, become thoughts again. Is that ultra-cool or what?! But just because you’re born with the innate ability to communicate doesn’t mean you’re gonna be an accomplished author. Far from it. You have to learn letters, sentences, and how to convey them into cohesive passages. Would you like to know how to write a better way? Keep reading…

Here’s the secret to becoming a better writer and it’s a much better way to do it than reading any manual you’ll ever find. Ready?

Write.

Yep. That’s it. If you wanna know how to write a better way…write. And write. And write some more. I know, from personal experience, just how awful you can write when you first start out. I began to write…seriously write…in the 11th grade in high school. It was on a whim at first. I wanted to catch the eye of a girl (so typical of a red-blooded American boy, eh?) and I wrote her a funny poem. Don’t even remember what it was. But…

…she actually liked it. Bingo! I was onto something. I didn’t have sports to fall back on in school, so I couldn’t win a girl’s heart by catching a touchdown pass or hitting a home run. But I could write. And I could sing. So…I wrote. And I sang. Like nobody’s business. I wrote every time I could find spare time. And that was when I wasn’t singing and practicing for my next vocal competition.

As I look back on things I wrote, way back then, I see just how awful they actually were. My meter and tempo were off. My rhymes were more of the what I call “vicinity rhymes” than I prefer now. And so many of my poems were based on dark, serious themes. I think I thought if I wrote them that way, I could be taken as a serious writer. Yeesh. What nonsense. But it proves my point. If you wanna know how to write a better way, write. And keep writing. And I did. I write almost every single day of my life, and I have been for many, many years now. I’m not as good as I’d like to be…in fact, I may never get there. But I’m far better than I ever was before. And I thank God for helping me to stick with it because He makes “all things new“.

Today, I’m sharing an example of a poem I wrote back in 1974 that I don’t think is good.

Duke of the Dungeon

They set you on the point of a western star.
I watched you all the time, but you seemed so far away.
You’re the Duke of the Dungeon
With chains in your hand.
The lamplight may catch you beat someone
Till they cannot stand.
Mercy on me
I’m too young to be killed.
Please put down your chains
Lest my beating heart be stilled.
I shudder to think of
The death that you’ve brought.
Oh, Duke of the Dungeon”
The devil will see you rot.
And the devil”
Is he really so insane?
After all, who else
Could live inside your brain?
You’re certainly no angel.
Yes, I’ll tell this to your face.
If I died saying it,
I would bring me no disgrace.
Yes, they made a mistake
Sticking you on that star.
Strike me with your rusty chains.
Forever isn’t all that far.

Stay tuned,

Posted on November 7, 2015 by TonyFebruary 24, 2025

It’s true. Any way the wind blows…it blows on creation. Not accidents. Not happenstance. Creation. The deeper our scientific research tools can dig, the more we see this is true. That’s great news, in spite of what skeptics might say or think, because being able to see the complexity in a single living cell can give you the assurance you’re not alone. Even scientists who don’t believe in God appear to want to believe “we’re not alone”. They conjure up aliens and “ingredients for life” at every opportunity. But they can’t explain life. And that’s because…

Life isn’t about “ingredients” that come from dirt or electricity or primordial soup. Life isn’t material. Life is spirit. And life doesn’t occur spontaneously. It doesn’t come from non-life. Life comes from life. It’s the only possible way it can. Now, that assertion doesn’t have to lead you to a Creator God…although I hope it does or will. But if you don’t believe a living God created us and put His spirit of life into us, you’re left only with options that assert life came from non-life. The problem with that is…there’s no way you can even remotely prove it. When I say life comes from life, all you have to do to see it’s true is look to your parents. And their parents. And their parents’ parents. And so on and so on. Each time a baby is born, it’s a life coming from another life.

Trillions of years of random chance could never create one single eyeball…let alone a complex human body and mind. That’s why I say any way the wind blows you’re not alone. Because the wind, and the fields and meadows and mountains it blows across, were all created by the same living, loving God who made you. He’s the source of life, love, and logic. And you can’t explain those three things with random chance. Do you think you can? Tell me how.

Here’s an example of life, love, and logic in a poem called…

Pleasure Wind

The island’s gentle zephyr
Ran its fingers through the sand.
The epitome of friendly winds
Must have held on to its hand.
Did you know the Lord stores it
In a corner of the sky
Where the people of the world
Can it enjoy it passing by?
Tie your hair up with a piece of velvet.
Stroll a year or maybe ten
In the shadow of a zephyr.
You’ll stroll back, I know, again.
And nevermore be you blue,
Ever be you merriment.
Make no mind of the money
Or the time that has been spent.
Try not to be an island
In an air of all alone”
For even with a zephyr
You’re not much more than a stone.
Gentle wind, come again”
Blow just as you please.
Islands alone, like people of stone,
Can use a pleasant breeze.

Stay tuned,

Posted on November 6, 2015 by TonyFebruary 24, 2025

It’s easy to see how young people can linger in darkness and angst. The world is full of it, so why shouldn’t they be? I remember, back when I was only about 19, how I thought writing about the struggles in life with a “dark” tone would show how “deep” I was. Yeesh. I can read my old notebooks, now, and clearly see how shallow and inexperienced I was. Thankfully, I’ve come out of that darkness and into the light with my writing. But I cherish each feeble poem and song I wrote back then because they were all sharpening my pen, my thoughts, my perspective.

Many times, as I was learning to write, I’d ask my friends to give me a word or a phrase with the promise that I’d write them a poem using what they gave me. Some were easier than others. Some proved to be pretty darn cool. Others proved to be…well… not quite as cool. One of those appeared when a friend gave me the word “desideratum”. What?!

I had never even heard of that word. But, like any good student of language, I looked it up. I won’t tell you what it means. You should look it up, too. Once I had the meaning, I thought about how it applied to a story I had just read. So, I want you to know, the following poem isn’t about me. I’ve never had such dark thoughts. I’m grateful to God for helping me into the light of love at the young age of 13. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t still write “dark” stuff. If you’ve ever felt what this poem describes, write me and let me know. I’d love to help you see that your feelings are temporary while your existence is not.

A Sea That’s Gone

I watched the sea;
Lonely, lonely,
Lonely desideratum to be
A part of it.
The splashing waves:
Crushing, crushing,
Crushing desideratum behaves
Like a child.
I tell it to stop,
But it keeps returning.
It will surely kill me”
This nonsensical yearning.
I could jump off these rocks,
Let the sea come take my life.
But I wonder if that would
Truly end my weary life.
My desideratum once was to live,
Now it’s to die”
To give for take
An eye for eye.
I lost a sea
I used to keep
Inside my heart
Perhaps too deep.
Now I think
I need the same”
To live without
I’m just a name.

Stay tuned,

Posted on November 5, 2015 by TonyFebruary 24, 2025

Where Do You Aim Your Power of Persuasion?

Would you consider yourself to be popular? Do you believe you have lots of friends? Does it seem like most everybody likes you? If you answered yes to all three questions, you might need to reconsider your worldview. It may be that you’ve aimed your power of persuasion in the wrong direction. Of course, that sounds counter-intuitive, but it depends on your worldview. If yours is primarily Christian, it makes more believable sense to understand your popularity might not rank so high…that is…if you’re truly loving your neighbors of this world by telling them THE Truth. There, I said it. And those two tiny words can incite so much anger and bring on so much debate. Wanna know why it’s important to stand firm on that worldview? Well, it’s like this…

…when you say anything with absolute certainty, it forces (or compels) everyone to choose a position. And since many or most people prefer to take the middle-of-the-road position, they’re offended by anyone or anything that even slightly nudges them to one side or the other. This was true of the man who called himself THE Truth, Jesus. And He said anyone who would choose to follow and trust Him would have to deal with the same kind of persecution He suffered.

Maybe, at this point, you’re thinking, “Tony, your power of persuasion for a Christian worldview has come up short. It doesn’t sound appealing at all.” I agree that suffering isn’t a very persuasive argument for following Jesus. And that’s why I don’t often focus on that. However, it needs to be mentioned now and then if I’m gonna be transparent about what’s involved in trusting the one true, living, loving Creator of the universe, it’s important to give you the good news AND the bad. But the good news about the bad news is…it only lasts a little while. The best part of Christianity is its forever-ness. The challenges you may face in this life don’t even remotely compare to eternity in paradise with God.

No one in this world can give you anything, besides love, that will last forever. But God has the gift of eternal life for anyone who loves Him. So, who do you think it’s most important to please? A: Your Creator who wants you to live forever in paradise? Or B: The people in this world who don’t care whether you live or die? With whatever power of persuasion I possess, I hope to convince skeptics to pick A. If you just can’t do it, would you please write to me and tell me why?

Stay tuned,

Posted on November 4, 2015 by TonyFebruary 5, 2023

It’s good to learn and discover new things your whole life. It’s necessary. And you’d be a pretty boring person, if you tried to go all the way through life with only the knowledge you picked up in grade school. But…even though getting smart and smarter is important…there’s something even more important. In addition to having brains, you gotta know what to do with ’em. You gotta get wise. Getting wise means you know what to do with all those brain cells you built up learning and discovering. Wanna know the 3 easy steps to get wise? Well, keep reading. I won’t make this long and drawn out.

The headline says: 3 easy steps to get wise. So, here they are:

Admit there is a God.
Admit you’re not Him.
Trust Him to know what’s best

See how easy that is. Admit. Admit. And trust.

It’s so easy even a child can do it. Yet most people in the world can’t do it…I mean…won’t do it. If you’re one of them, what makes it so difficult for you? Why can’t you admit that something much more intelligent than the universe created the universe? Why would you not be able to admit that you’re not the one who created the universe? And what makes it so hard to trust in the living, loving God?

I’d truly like to know. Send me a comment or an email, and let me know why you would struggle with these 3 easy steps to get wise. If you’d like to talk about it, I’m here. And here’s a little rhyme talking about wisdom, and why you should get it…

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.

Stay tuned,

Posted on November 2, 2015 by TonyNovember 29, 2022

Do you live in a town or city where violent crimes seem unimaginable? Does it make you feel safe and sound in your home and daily life? Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like those kinds of places exist anymore. For example…right here in my hometown (city) of Colorado Springs, Colorado there was a senseless crime scene on a street I’ve driven many times. If you drove or walked by there right now, you’d never guess that anyone would walk down the street with a rifle and a pistol and randomly murder people. But it happened. On Halloween. Maybe you read about it or heard it on the news. That story proves there is no place you can feel completely safe and sound. But I’m convinced there is one Way you CAN. Wanna know more? Keep reading…

It’s often called “the big picture”. And it’s so important to have a clear view of the big picture. Simply put, it’s this…you will exist forever somewhere. You’ll either live in the fullness of life with your Creator in the paradise He’s making for those who love Him…or you’ll exist in your own mind totally separate from Him and everyone and everything else. Your own kingdom of 1. So…do you choose option 1 or option 2? And please realize the choice is entirely yours. I urge you to choose option 1. Is there any good reason you wouldn’t want to live forever with God? If so, let me know. Of course, I’d like to convince you to change your mind. But it’s only because I want you to be…

Safe And Sound

Down on our luck but not out of the game
We both go the distance
and cover some ground…
And still our love is safe and sound
We learned to be part of each other’s dreams
Some time was lost but look what we found
Knowing our love is safe and sound

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

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

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

So many give up when one knee is down
But we’re down on both and now we’re safe and sound

Stay tuned,

Posted on November 1, 2015 by TonyFebruary 24, 2025

Do you ever wake up with muddled thoughts and heavy eyelids? Of course. Who hasn’t…right? Well, what do you do about it? Lots of coffee and comfort food? Brisk walk in fresh morning air? Dunk your face in a bowl full of ice water? Or…maybe you sit in your favorite chair and wait for it to pass? Whatever your method is, I’d like to suggest one more idea which could be better than all the rest…

…God’s word.

If you’ve never spent much time in God’s word, you may not realize how much He thinks of you. It’s true. And it makes sense. After all…He created you. Once upon a time, you didn’t even exist. Then He put your spirit into a tiny cell that formed from the DNA of your mother and father. He did that at the very moment that cell formed. And everything about you was inside that one, tiny cell. And God had plans for you to grow up and discover how much He loves you. And He had hopes you’d want to tell others. Yep, you may not realize it, but all of that can be found in God’s word.

I shared all that with you because I believe you can deal with muddled thoughts more efficiently by leaning on God’s word. Lean on His understanding and not your own. If He says you can do all things through Him…you can. Period. Don’t let those negative self-doubts creep in and push out what God says about you. When you find your thoughts stumbling around in the dark, open a Bible and let the Creator of the universe talk to you. Then, spend a little time in prayer thanking Him for all His love toward you.

If there’s any reason you don’t believe it can work for you, write to me and tell me. I’ll do whatever I can to help you through those…

Muddled Thoughts

One place too many…
Three days, forever.
No chance, not any…
These ties must sever.
Intent is noble…
Desire, contagious
The need is global…
Real life, outrageous.
Cash in, no forward…
Shut down production.
Form lines, no foreword…
Avoid induction.
This time tomorrow…
Ahead, not over.
One place for sorrow…
One place for clover.

Stay tuned,

Posted on October 31, 2015 by TonyFebruary 24, 2025

Is it possible to live larger than life? It depends on where your definition of life takes you. If you believe your time, here on Earth, is all you’ll ever have, then no. You’ll never live larger than life. But if you know there’s an eternity waiting for you…provided by your Creator…then the answer’s yes. And when you know and understand how life is much more than the material things you can gather, your acquire a much larger (and more important) perspective.

Recently I’ve been sharing lyrics to songs I never completed or composed. Today, I’d like to share some more non-song lyrics. I wrote this in November of 1988. Back then I was looking at where the United States was headed, and I didn’t like the direction. Sadly, the country has taken turns for the worse since then. If you disagree, I’d love to hear from you. Do you believe our country and our world are better off now than we were in the past? If so, please show me…because I believe there are far too many people who don’t realize that life is…

Larger Than Life

We live in a greed land”take more than we need land.
We go for the gusto”creating a dustbowl.
A media earful”is leaving us fearful.
It may come to haunt us”someday doesn’t want us.

More money, more persona”everyone’s a prima donna.
Can’t we understand that it’s larger than life?
Another car and another diamond”
The way we take is like a crime, and
Can’t we understand that it’s larger than life?

We’re living much faster”we flirt with disaster.
We use our resources as conquering forces.
We don’t hear the drumming”the enemy’s coming.
We still have a Savior”let’s change our behavior.

More money, more persona”everyone’s a prima donna.
Can’t we understand that it’s larger than life?
Another car and another diamond”
The way we take is like a crime, and
Can’t we understand that it’s larger than life?

There’s so much more than just the here and now.
This isn’t nearly all there is.
But there are too many here who will never know how
This isn’t nearly all there is”
Life is larger than life.

Stay tuned,

Posted on October 29, 2015 by TonyFebruary 24, 2025

Have you ever known someone who was so gifted in an area they never focused on? For example, I had a friend, a long time ago, who was such a gifted artist. He could draw and paint life-like pictures. His attention to detail was incredible. You could practically see every hair on the head of his illustrated portraits. I was so impressed…still am. In fact, I use a tiny piece of his work here on my website everyday. (see if you can guess where) But this artist friend of mine worked at a job he didn’t like. It paid well, and it kept him supplied with the trappings of a comfortable lifestyle. However, I could see a heart and hands disconnect.

Whether you realize it or not, you have gifts and talents designed into you by your living, loving Creator. God gave you these wonderful abilities so you could use them to tell others about Him. And so you could provide for yourself. There’s a place in the Bible where it says “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it“. That’s awesome advice for parents. Look for those natural gifts and talents in your children, and encourage them to discover how they can best serve others with them. Because what happens when the heart and hands disconnect is a life of longing…a life of wondering…a life that misses the mark.

Here’s what I wrote about my friend way back then. If you know someone who’s struggling with this problem, maybe this will help you have something useful to say to them. It’s important to help. Will you?

Heart And Hands

The artist stares at his desk and then at the wall.
His hands perform tasks he doesn’t cherish at all.
He longs for his freedom, but he lives with the pain
That his hands can’t hold on to what his heart can attain.
The artist struggles to be what the others perceive,
But this feeling surrounds him, and it just doesn’t leave.
He wants to paint pictures to show it’s in vain
When his heart can’t hold on to what his hands can attain.

If he could just get his heart and hands together,
I think his doubt would have to cease.
If he could just get his heart and hands together,
I know he’d paint a masterpiece.

The artist sits in a room with a beautiful view,
But he does only things he thinks he has to do.
I wish he could see what he denies us all
By keeping his visions locked behind a wall.

Stay tuned,

Posted on October 28, 2015 by TonyNovember 1, 2024

We’re about to enter that time of year when you’ll hear more about “peace on earth and goodwill toward men”. But do you see evidence of peace on earth? Or doesn’t it seem to be just the opposite? Sure, there may be peace in some small places on earth, but not on the whole earth. In fact, there was only one brief part of history when there was true peace on earth. Wanna know when? Keep reading…

True peace doesn’t come from any mere man, woman, or child. Peace treaties can be signed until the cows come home, and peace will not exist. Pleasant little peace speeches can be made by every head-of-state in the world, and peace will not exist. Well-meaning songs can be written about peace and sung by the top bands on the planet.

And still there will be no peace on Earth.

You must be thinking, “Wow, Tony. You’re such a downer.” And you’re sort of right. It’s very depressing to know how futile all the peace talk is. But the truth is oftentimes depressing. Still, I don’t want you to think for a second there’s no hope. Far from it! There is A hope. There is ONE hope. That hope is the same hope the earth saw in bodily form about 2000 years ago.

Jesus…the one true, living, loving God and the bodily form of peace on earth.

I’d love for you to understand how peace on earth is available to anyone who is willing to believe and trust in Jesus. It’s not an exclusive offer, but it IS for a limited time…your lifetime. When you die, it’s too late to choose. So choose now. But choose wisely. Don’t put your faith in only yourself, or material things, or science. Go further, deeper, and higher. Go spiritual. Don’t be a fool who says “there is no God“. It’s a self-defeating argument. For anyone to say there is no God, they’d have to know everything there is to know about everything in the universe…and only God can know that.

Please speak up for peace. But not simply for the concept… speak up for the Author of Peace, the Prince of Peace. Speak up for Jesus. He not only spoke up for you all those years ago…He died to provide you with eternal peace. When He reigns in your heart, you have a peace that passes all understanding. And one day, when He rules the earth, there will be Peace on earth. Whose peace do you prefer?

Speak Now

The quiet holds you in this mystic mood.
You wish we had someone to talk to.
You feel desire to leave this earthly plane,
But still there’s a lot of things to do.
You do your best to walk the righteous path.
You hope you never stray too far,
But still you wonder where your future lies
And just how real your own dreams are.

You’ve got a lot to say
And a short time to say it in,
And you wish you knew if any ears will hear.
You’ve got a lot to say,
And a lot of time has wasted
Cause you haven’t learned Who overcomes the fear.

Speak now and forever hold your peace.
Speak now and make your voices heard.
Speak now and forever hold your peace.
Speak now; life could change with just a Word.

The days parade by in a fevered pitch.
Each ticking second dims your eyes
Unless you learn to say what’s on your mind
And find your Heaven through God’s skies.

© 1987 Tony Funderburk
November 23

Stay tuned,

Posted on October 26, 2015 by TonyFebruary 24, 2025

Do you look at the world and wish for better things? I hope so because the world is hurting in a big (and eternal) way. But guess what? It’s nothing new. This world has been a place of hurting for 6000 years. All you have to do is read history books, and you’ll discover that’s true. As I look around me, I find that what I wish for is the same thing I wished for almost 28 years ago when I wrote lyrics to a song called “What I Wish”. I never actually composed the song, and I don’t believe I will. But I wanted to share the words with you to see if you can relate.

What I Wish

There are people of the past
And people of today.
They’re standing in lines and passing away.
Let’s not talk about that.
Let’s go find us some fun…
Burn our candles at both ends…
Let our wild sides run.

We don’t wanna hear it.
We don’t wanna know why
‘Cause maybe we’ll feel near it,
And we’ll break down and cry.

Oh, I wish…our world was better.
I wish…our world was fair.
I wish we’d get together
And end the grief out there.
I wish…our world was perfect.
I wish…our world was sane.
I wish…there was no hatred
And more than earthly gain.
That’s what I wish.

There are innocent children
Who are losing their dreams.
All their dreams have exploded,
Blown apart at the seams.
They can’t trust in their mothers
Or their fathers for help.
No, their parents can’t help them
‘Cause they won’t help themselves.

We don’t wanna hear it.
We don’t wanna know where…
Just as long as it’s not us
Who are we to care?

Oh, I wish…our world was better.
I wish…our world was fair.
I wish we’d get together
And end the grief out there.
I wish…our world was perfect.
I wish…our world was sane.
I wish…there was no hatred
And more than earthly gain.
That’s what I wish.

Stay tuned,

Posted on October 25, 2015 by TonyFebruary 24, 2025

Do you feel like this world is getting darker and darker? I sure do. In fact, I see evidence of it all around. Skulls and crossbones on cars and clothing and even cake. Vulgar, profane, useless language fills the air…I guess taking over the space where cigarette smoke used to be. Wars break out on almost a daily basis. Violence seems to be the normal way to handle disagreements these days. You may feel you have no defense against it all. But is that true? I don’t think so. Not if you know God anyway. If you’re a Christian, God is your defense. There’s a book in the Bible, Psalms, where King David wrote, “I will sing of your power; Yes, I will sing of your mercy in the morning; for you have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.” Wow. Not merely singing…

…but singing out loud…first thing in the morning…in the face of trouble. And God said David was a man after His own heart. Does that make you want to start singing of God’s power? I hope so. Does it make you want to start singing out loud first thing in the morning? It makes me want to, but I’ll make sure I don’t wake others who may be sleeping later than me. 🙂

The point is…you have a defense against the darkness and trouble of this world, if you want it. You can have the Creator of the universe on your side. You can talk to Him anytime trouble rises up against you. You can lean on Him, depend on Him, trust Him, and He will never leave you nor forsake you. He came to this planet and became a man named Jesus and took a horrible punishment for you. That provided a defense against the darkness, violence, and eternal destruction of this world. Three words can change everything for you: Jesus, save me. He will.

It doesn’t matter if your voice sounds like part of a choir of angels or like gargling with rocks, make a commitment to use it for your Creator. Join me in saying “I will sing of your power”. Then…start singing. Will you do it? If so, send me the song you sang.

Stay tuned,

Posted on October 21, 2015 by TonyFebruary 24, 2025

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Don’t tell anyone else. It’s just between you and me. OK? Good. The secret is…I haven’t been playing music with all my might for the past few years. I used to practically live for music. It was the way I made a living. Then, things got weird in the venues, and I took a turn. But I decided to get back on the music highway. I read a quote by C.S. Lewis that said “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream another dream”. And I wanna take that to heart. Do you feel that way, too? Good…and I’ll tell you why…

There’s a place in the Bible where it says King David and all Israel played music before God with all their might. It says they used harps, tambourines, stringed instruments, horns, and they sang. Why is this important? At least to me? Because it shows that even an earthly king knew he had to put all he had into it. After all, he was playing music before the Creator of the universe…the inventor of music. The music King David and all Israel played was to do what they could do to show gratitude.

With whatever days I have left here on good ol’ planet Earth, I wanna show that kind of enthusiasm and gratitude with the musical gifts God gave me. And I need to do it before I’m so old that playing with all my might…might not be all that much. 🙂

So…I’ve come around to my starting point again. Music. Words and music to be more exact. And I believe I still have a lot to say…and a lot of people I can help. I hope you’ll come along on the journey. Or at least be an interested observer from afar. Either way, thank you for taking the time to listen to my songs. If any of them bless you in any way, please write to me and let me know. Until next time…

Stay tuned,

Posted on October 20, 2015 by TonySeptember 23, 2024

I’m excited to announce the launch of my custom songwriting service. And I need you to know something. I might have your song stuck in my head. There’s a gnawing knot of notes waiting to be untangled, and I’m not sure if they’re gonna form your song…or that person’s over there. Yeah, you. The one with the ugly Christmas sweater…way too early I might add. “Tony!” you yell. What in the world are you talking about? I’m glad you asked…

I guess your song got stuck in my head last week.

But I shrugged it off as a slight dizzy spell brought on by a lack of coffee. Don’t get me started. No wait…DO get me started. I’ll tell you more later, but I’ll say this much right now. I recently found out my internal combustion system was running with its pedal to the metal…so to speak…and to my dismay, I found out one of the culprits was caffeine. So, cold turkey I stopped drinking coffee. Yep. Just stopped. No problem. Except for…

…a couple of nights with skull-splitting headaches at 3 in the morning. Other than that, no problem. The good news is…it’s been 3 1/2 weeks of a modified diet (we were eating organic already, but I discovered certain foods were beating me up), no caffeine, increased moving around, increased sunlight and vitamin D and a few other things. And I’m feeling and looking (hopefully) better.

OK, what does all this have to do with getting your song stuck in my head? Well, I’ve come to my senses. I realize I’m not 3 people. I’m me. And me is a singer songwriter. I spent 25 years making my living as a singer songwriter. Then, the venues got more and more depressing to me. Then some of the colleagues I worked with got very irritating to me. So, I let the singer songwriter “gig” fizzle. And I decided to take up a more “legitimate” career. Copywriting. But one thing stood firmly in my way…

MUSIC!

I can’t get the music out of my head. And I can’t get the stories that go with the music out of my head. So, I’m not gonna try anymore. I’m giving in. I’m gonna be who I believe God designed me to be. A singer songwriter. But I’m not gonna be appearing at any neighborhood bars, taverns, or other questionable establishments. No sir. I’ve figured out the best way to make use of my singer songwriter gifts God gave me and combine them with the copywriter skills I developed. And that’s where you come in. That is if YOU are an entrepreneur on the upward and onward trajectory. If your business is moving and shaking…in a good way…I’ve got some tools, in fact what I call the “tip top tools” for branding. Words and Music.

That’s all I’m gonna say on it for now. I’ve gotta get back in the studio and get some of these gnawing notes out of my head and make room for words. If it’s YOUR song that’s stuck in my head, I won’t hold it against you…especially when you buy it and take it home.

Stay tuned,

Posted on October 17, 2015 by TonyOctober 9, 2022

You have a voice. Yes you do. Even if you can’t talk, you have a voice. Your voice might be read or spoken by others, but when you write down your thoughts, you’re using your voice. And I’d like to encourage you to do something my Grandmother encouraged me to do…use your voice for God and good. Here’s a video of Kathy Ireland, a former supermodel, who’s using the voice God gave her to speak up for the tiniest human beings…

So, anytime somebody tells you only weirdo Christians are pro life, you share this video. It’s proof that even some of the “beautiful people” can understand that every person is a person…no matter how small. What will you do to use your voice for God and good today? Speak up for Him. He already spoke up for you.

Stay tuned,

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Posted on October 16, 2015 by TonyFebruary 24, 2025

It isn’t always easy to do the right thing”is it? And it certainly isn’t always easy to know the right way to go. Life is full of choices. And, if you’re like me, there are times you don’t make good choices. But there’s a way you can do better. There’s a place you get help to go the right way? Wanna know what it is? Keep reading”

There’s a place in the Bible where it says you need to keep mercy and truth with you at all times. It even says to “write them on the tablet of your heart“. That just means they have to be so strong in you that you’re always willing to share them. God promises when you do, you’ll really shine in His eyes.

So, let’s see”I told you I’d share 3 important things to help you go the right way. Mercy is one. Truth is another. The final thing is the most important. You should trust the Lord with all your heart. Don’t trust yourself to always do the right thing because you’ll only let yourself down. You need God’s help. The good news is”

He’s always there”ready, willing, and much more than able.

Don’t even try to be king or queen of the world. Let God know you believe He’s the King of everything. When you do that, He’ll help you go the right way. Trust Him to know what He’s doing”because He’s smarter than all of us put together.

There. That’s not so hard is it? Will you tell God you trust Him to be Lord of your life today? If you haven’t already done that, do it now. You never know when it’ll be too late. And if you do, send me a note and tell me”because it means you’ll be my forever brother or sister. Here’s a rhyme to help you remember”

Mercy and truth and trust”
Keep them inside your heart.
Love is the reward that comes from the Lord.
He always does His part.

Stay tuned,

Posted on October 15, 2015 by TonyDecember 8, 2023

Do you know what wisdom is? It’s not about how smart you are. Or how old you are. Or even how nice you are. Wisdom means making good choices with the good things you learn. Choosing to do the right thing. Can you get that way on your own? Nope. Not at all. Wanna know why? Keep reading”

It’s not your fault that you were born into a broken, messed up world. But you weren’t very old when you first started choosing to do wrong things. And that means you helped keep the broken world”broken. Don’t feel bad. Everybody else alive did, too. But just because the world is broken doesn’t mean you have to be. At least, not forever.

There’s a place in the Bible where it says getting wisdom in your heart and knowledge in your soul can make you better. Can you guess how you do that? Read the Bible. You can’t choose to do the right thing, if you don’t even know what the right thing is. And the Bible is God’s word. It’s Him talking to you. And me. And everybody who will listen.

God made you. So, He knows what’s best for you. He knows what makes you healthy. And no one on earth loves you more than He does. And He’s smarter and wiser than everybody on earth put together. That means, when you listen to Him and do what He says, you can get wisdom and understanding.

How about it? Are you willing to take a couple of minutes and hear what God has to say about your life? I promise, if you do, you’ll have a much easier time of choosing to do the right thing in life. You won’t always do right, but that’s much better than never doing right.

Get someone to help you understand what Jesus did to make sure you could choose. And when you do, maybe you’ll be able to help others choose to do the right thing, too. And here’s a rhyme to help you remember”

When you wonder what to do,
Then do the right thing.
If you don’t know what to do,
Don’t do anything.
Go discover what God says.
He made everything.
Let His wisdom and His love,
Help you do the right thing.

Before you go, share this link with everybody you know. Tell ‘em to jump on the The TRUTH AND get some music and other fun stuff, for Fa-Ree.

Stay tuned,

Posted on October 12, 2015 by TonyOctober 14, 2015

You’re gonna love the passion in this little 5 year old singer’s voice and heart. Kaitlyn Maher has already gotten over 6 million YouTube views of this video, but I just found it and wanted to share it with you.

Stay tuned,

Posted on October 11, 2015 by TonyOctober 11, 2015

Amazing Grace & An Amazing Little Voice
Enjoy this video by Rhema Marvanne

Stay tuned,

Posted on October 9, 2015 by TonyMarch 14, 2024

Have you ever watched a movie about people looking for a lost treasure? They have to follow a map. And they have to go through the jungle, or the desert, or on top of cold mountains. As they’re looking they have to face danger around every corner and over every hill. They really have to go through a lot”and most times they don’t even get to keep the treasure. Wow! What if I showed you the best place to find the best hidden treasures? And what if you wouldn’t have to face any dangers to get ’em? Would you wanna know? Good. Keep reading.

There’s a place in the Bible (lots of places in fact) where it says if you listen, you can find these treasures. It says if you open your heart, you can find these treasures. And it says if you just ask, you can find these treasures. See how easy that is? Listen, open your heart, and ask. That’s it.

So, where are these special hidden treasures?

In God’s word.

Would you like to get smarter, understand more, and be able to tell right from wrong? Read the Bible. You’ll discover how much God loves you and wants to give you more than you can even imagine. He hides His treasures in plain sight. And His treasures last forever. So will you when you trust and love Him. And here’s a rhyme to help you remember”

God’s hidden treasures can be found in His word.
Just open up a Bible and peek in.
You can’t imagine what is waiting for you.
Just open up a Bible and begin.

Stay tuned,