Tony Funderburk

Posted on July 15, 2015 by TonyOctober 23, 2025

Imagine being able to say words and a planet appears. Then you say more words and the sun and moon appear. Then you say more words and all the birds, dinosaurs, fishes, horses, dogs, lions, and every other creature appear. And imagine being able to stretch out your hands and all the stars in the universe start shining. You can’t do it, can you? It’s hard to even imagine. But God can do it. In fact, He DID do it. After all nothing is too hard for God.

Yeah, God was able to take dirt from the earth and breathe life into it and create a man. And He took a rib from the man and created a woman. Can you do that? I sure can’t. But like I said…

Nothing is too hard for God.

There’s only one problem He can’t help you with. And that’s if you don’t want to love and trust Him. Because He wants you to. But He won’t make you. He leaves it up to you.

So, if you haven’t already told God you trust Him and love Him, don’t let another day pass without doing it. If you think it’s hard to believe in someone you can’t see, ask someone who already loves Him how they do it. I bet they’ll share some great ways you can know that God’s word is true.

Or you can read a lot more of what I’ve said about it here on my website. But the main thing is, there are lots of good reasons to know that you can know and trust God.

But life flies by. Don’t wait.

If you’re unsure, let me know.

You might win a few things in this life,
And you might even win a whole lot.
But you’ll lose everything if you don’t trust the King
Who has given you all that He’s got.

Know that nothing is too hard for God.
He can help you through all of your fears.
If your gold turns to rust, or your diamonds to dust,
Only God can dry all of your tears.

Make the most of the moments you have.
They fly by in the blink of an eye.
Don’t waste time in the dark, jump inside of the ark
Of God’s love. Kiss the old life goodbye.

Subscribe to Tony’s Daily Devotional , my ongoing Devotional that’s Logical AND Emotional. Because then the flashes of light I share on my website come right to your inbox. So you can spend your valuable time reading and listening instead of searching. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies.

Stay tuned,

Posted on July 14, 2015 by TonyJuly 5, 2024

Do you know how to believe in your heart? Well, there’s a key in there. Yep, it’s true. And guess what the key opens. If you guessed a door, or a lock, or a passage way, you’re right. But can you guess where the passage way goes? I’ll tell you…Heaven. The key in your heart opens the door to Heaven.

Is that cool or what?!

And that’s part of why it’s important to know how to believe in your heart.

It’s not a key like grownups have on keychains in their purses or pockets. It’s an invisible key. It’s a key only you can see. It’s called the believe key. Here’s how it works. When you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you open the door to Heaven and you’ll live forever.

So many people in this world don’t want to believe in Jesus. They think He either doesn’t exist or He’s mean to let bad things happen. But that means they’re choosing to make their own key. And it also means they make mistakes and blame them on someone else. That’s not right. And it’s not nice.

God doesn’t need you to be perfect so He can love you. In fact, He knows you’re gonna mess up…over and over. So, a long time ago He made a way to make up for all your mistakes. He sent Jesus to earth to take your punishment. And not for just one bad thing you did…but for all the bad things you ever did or ever will do. Now, all you have to do is own up to your mistakes, ask God to forgive you, and He will. That’s when He shows you the key to Heaven is in your heart. He put it there so when it’s time to go, you’ll be able to swing the door open wide and rush inside into His open arms.

So…do you believe in your heart there’s a key?

If so, aren’t you glad? If not…wouldn’t you like one?

There’s a heart in your chest pumping rhythm.
Keeping time to the seconds you’re alive.
It won’t pump on its own without stopping,
But your spirit and soul can still survive.

Just believe in your heart Jesus loves you.
When you do, your forever life begins.
He’ll put His grace and love in your real heart.
It’s the place inside you where true love wins.

Stay tuned,

Tell everybody you know to subscribe to Tony’s Daily Devotional
(emails with good stuff for Fa-Ree)

Get my Rhyme & Reason Podcast delivered right to your device. (also Fa-Ree)

My books are also on Amazon.com or Apple Books

Grab yourself an un-cool T-shirt

Or how about some music for believers, dreamers, and thinkers

Posted on July 13, 2015 by TonyJuly 5, 2024

The Simple Truth is - love wins if it comes from God.

If your imagination whisks you up and zooms you through the skies, the heavens, and the galaxies, I’ll clap my hands for you. If you daydream about building a spaceship or riding a golden horse or even writing a book, I’ll cheer for you. Make believe can lead to lots of wonderful things. And it’s good exercise for your mind to think about things no one else can see. But there’s a lot of people who say God is like your daydreams. They say He’s just a made up story. I want you to know something that can take you through your whole life with lots more happy times. The simple truth is…God is not make-believe. He’s real.

Take to heart the simple truth
That God loves you today.
He wants you to trust in Him
And know He’s made a Way
You can live forevermore
And never more be sad.
You can have much better life
Than any day you’ve had.
Just imagine life with God
That never ever ends
Where you’ll see Him face to face
And be forever friends.
Jesus is your one way there.
He hopes you’ll want to go,
But He lets you choose the way
Because He loves you so.

Stay tuned,

Tell everybody you know to subscribe to Tony’s Daily Devotional
(emails with good stuff for Fa-Ree)

Get my Rhyme & Reason Podcast delivered right to your device. (also Fa-Ree)

My books are also on Amazon.com or Apple Books

Grab yourself an un-cool T-shirt

Or how about some music for believers, dreamers, and thinkers

Posted on July 10, 2015 by TonyJuly 7, 2024

If you’re out and about with kids, and they spot something in a colorful garden, and they want to stop and smell the flowers, you’ve just been blessed with a beautiful opportunity to talk to them about their Creator. And unless you have a dire emergency you’re already working on, it’s best not to pass up this chance.

This world is a very mean place. Beautiful opportunities are becoming scarcer with each passing year. And the sights and scents of a flower garden attract children almost as much as they attract bees. So, stop what you’re doing and make the most of it. So what if you had an appointment. Be a bit late. So what if you’re on the way to work or the kids are on the way to school. What you can teach them in this precious moment can have eternal benefits. That trumps the daily routine any time.

The main reason kids should stop and smell the flowers is the connection you and they can make to the living, loving God who made the flowers. The same Creator who spoke words and all the universe exploded into being. That’s powerful stuff packed into each and every tiny, fragrant, magnetic blossom.

The Scent of Heaven

Take a look at the colors in a flower.
They’re as beautiful as anything you’ll see.
And God knows just exactly what they all need
To bring joy and delight to you and me.

Even more than the best and brightest flower
God loves you every moment of the day.
So the next time you stop and smell a lily
Take a minute just to thank the Lord and say…

“Lord I love to smell the lilies of the valley
And the roses, lavender, and lilacs too.
I love to know they come back every springtime.
Best of all I know the flowers came from You.”

Before you go, jump on the The TRUTH. And join the growing band of believers who enjoy my books, daily rhymes, songs, and videos about the Rhyme and Reason and power of God’s love.

Stay tuned,

Posted on July 7, 2015 by TonyDecember 2, 2023

Hey kids...you can glow because God put some mighty good things in you

If you think the world is a pretty mean place, you’re right. And if you think the whole world is against you, even that might be true. But no matter how bad it is…or how bad it gets…it’s not nearly as wonderful as what you’ll get to see one day. God put some good things in you. His Word and His Spirit. And one day the whole world will see those good things in you. They might not like it, but they’ll sure get to see ’em.

You got the glory in you,
The glory of God.
If people don’t understand,
You just smile and nod…

And trust the good things in you,
The Spirit, The Word.
And you can know that it’s true,
This good news you heard.

One day, when Jesus comes back,
To make things all right,
He’ll lift you high up because
You walked in His Light.

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 July 6, 2015 by TonyJuly 8, 2024

Maybe you already know you’re supposed to “love your neighbor as yourself“. But sometimes your neighbor isn’t very lovable. What do you do then? Well, what would you want done for you if someone thought you weren’t lovable? Maybe you’d want them to try anyway. An wouldn’t it be better if people tried harder to understand each other?

Just think…you have a bad day once in a while, don’t you?

Of course. Everybody does. Sometimes it’s not easy to tell somebody what’s bothering you. You’re afraid they won’t understand. Or even worse…maybe they won’t care. Anyway, they might want to try to help you, but you don’t let them. Has that ever happened to you? Then, maybe you can put yourself in another person’s place the next time you think they’re just being mean.

Make a decision to love your neighbor before you just yell at them.

How does that sound?

Remember this, too. You might love your neighbor the way God wants you to, but they might choose not to love you back. That’s OK. It’s not the best thing, but it’s OK. Because God loves you, and He’s proud of you for trying to love others. And if you’re using your gifts and talents to show God’s love to others, send me a note to tell me how. I’ll put your story right here in my rhymes and reasons.

For now, remember this…

You can’t always understand
What somebody’s going through,
But you still should always try.
It’s what Jesus said to do.

You can’t always feel the pain
When somebody sounds so mean,
But they might be truly hurt
Day and night and in between.

Use your talents, use your gifts
In your one-and-only way.
Let God’s love light shine in you.
Love your neighbor. Start today.

Before you go, jump on the The TRUTH. And join the growing band of believers who enjoy my books, daily rhymes, songs, and videos about the Rhyme and Reason and power of God’s love.

Stay tuned,

Posted on July 5, 2015 by TonyJuly 8, 2024

Do you ever feel like doing the wrong thing even when you know what the right thing is? And do you ever wonder why you feel that way? If you’re a child of the Living God, this world (and the king of this world) will keep tempting you to do the wrong thing. Is there ever a time when it’s OK to do that? Or should you always do the right thing? You probably know the answer to this question, but I’d like to share some examples of everyday choices where you can make all the difference in how your day goes. Ready?

Do the right thing and remember this rhyme:

Do you do the right thing
When the right thing is to do?
Should you do the right thing
When a problem comes to you?
Does it really matter?
Why should anybody care
If you pick your toys up
Or you brush your messy hair?
And who would it bother
If your toys are on the floor?
Why do grownups grumble
And make playing such a chore?
Why do teeth need brushing
Every morning, every night?
Who made up that rule, and
Who decided that was right?
No, it isn’t easy
To be salt and to be light,
But you do the right thing
‘Cause the right thing’s always right.

Stay tuned,

Tell everybody you know to subscribe to Tony’s Daily Devotional
(emails with good stuff for Fa-Ree)

Get my Rhyme & Reason Podcast delivered right to your device. (also Fa-Ree)

My books are also on Amazon.com or Apple Books

Grab yourself an un-cool T-shirt

Or how about some music for believers, dreamers, and thinkers

Posted on July 2, 2015 by TonyJuly 8, 2024

It takes a mom and a dad to make a baby. Always remember that’s how it works, even if you don’t see your mom or your dad. And remember this, too…God loves you. He’s always there for you to talk to. No matter who else might be missing in your life.

God loves you,
And He hopes you love Him, too.
His Spirit
Lives in you so you can hear it.
His Word lives.
In so many ways He gives.
God loves you,
And He hopes you love Him, too.

Stay tuned,

Tell everybody you know to subscribe to Tony’s Daily Devotional
(emails with good stuff for Fa-Ree)

Get my Rhyme & Reason Podcast delivered right to your device. (also Fa-Ree)

My books are also on Amazon.com or Apple Books

Grab yourself an un-cool T-shirt

Or how about some music for believers, dreamers, and thinkers

Posted on July 1, 2015 by TonyApril 6, 2024

Climate Change and the Thunderword For The Day

More powerful than climate change

Trust God’s promises and don’t fear climate change. Here’s what your Creator says about our planet.

While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.

Let’s see how Tony would write about this climate change thing

God is great, and God is strong.
And He made all there is.
So don’t fear this fearful world.
Remember, child, you’re His.
If He says a thing is so,
Then you can bet it’s true.
Trust His promise to us all.
Trust Him to come through.

Stay tuned,

Tell everybody you know to subscribe to Tony’s Daily Devotional
(emails with good stuff for Fa-Ree)

Get my Rhyme & Reason Podcast delivered right to your device. (also Fa-Ree)

My books are also on Amazon.com or Apple Books

Grab yourself an un-cool T-shirt

Or how about some music for believers, dreamers, and thinkers

Posted on June 28, 2015 by TonyJune 26, 2022

Bad news on the doorstep

If you grew up in the 70’s, or if you listen to classic rock stations at all, I’m sure you remember Don McLean’s song “American Pie”. It was a staple of top 40 radio back then, and it’s a regular on classic rock radio now. A couple of lines of the lyrics ring so true, especially for Christians, these days. They said, “bad news on the doorstep…I couldn’t take one more step”. But I’d like to encourage you to not only take one more step, but take three…right away.

We’re not the first generation to live on this planet during great tribulation and persecution. Not by a long shot. And we’re not gonna be the last. And the tribulation and persecution we’re seeing now is, unfortunately, only a scaled-down “preview of coming attractions”. I don’t say that to minimize or trivialize the despicable things we’re seeing right now. I just want to help you keep it in perspective. And to help you understand (and remember) you’re not helpless and hopeless in this world…at least not if you’re a Christian. You have “a helper” in the Holy Spirit. Thank God for that.

Got bad news on the doorstep?

Here are the 3 things I recommend you do as the days continue to grow darker in this world…

Love God
Talk to God
Trust God

Sound too simple?

Remember, it’s best to keep things simple concerning evil. Start from a position of loving God. He gave you life. He knows you better than you know yourself. And He knows what you’re going through. He won’t let this evil world endure forever. Next…talk to God. Let Him know you love Him. When it comes to love, God is like us…He takes great pleasure in being told you love Him.

Finally…once you’ve told God you love Him…trust Him to give you peace. Yes, even in the middle of so many dark days. That’s when His light can shine brightest. Let it shine through you. Stand up and be a beacon of hope. The good news of eternal life with your Creator should outweigh all the bad news on the doorstep.

Stay tuned,

Your support is worth more than you know. So…

Tell everybody you know to subscribe to Tony’s Daily Devotional
(emails with good stuff for Fa-Ree)

Get my Rhyme & Reason Podcast delivered right to your device. (also Fa-Ree)

My books are also on Amazon.com or Apple Books

Grab yourself an un-cool T-shirt

Or how about some music for believers, dreamers, and thinkers

Posted on June 26, 2015 by TonyMarch 2, 2025

Legal Gay Marriage Destroys Lives

I just read the news how something called “the supreme court”decided to “legalize” gay marriage in all 50 states. Talk about stupid. And talk about eternal consequences. Those “justices” who voted in favor of this ridiculous ruling have no wisdom…no idea of the lives they’re helping to destroy. And frankly…I don’t believe they give a rip. I realize that all 9 “justices” didn’t vote FOR this ruling. And as far as I can tell, Clarence Thomas had the best statement in his dissent…(see below)

“The majority invokes our Constitution in the name of a ‘liberty’ that the Framers would not have recognized, to the detriment of the liberty they sought to protect. Along the way, it rejects the idea””captured in our Declaration of Independence””that human dignity is innate and suggests instead that it comes from the Government. This distortion of our Constitution not only ignores the text, it inverts the relationship between the individual and the state in our Republic. I cannot agree with it.”

Gay marriage isn’t a lukewarm issue.

Even though Justice Thomas made the best dissenting statement, it was still lukewarm. It didn’t invoke the name of God…from whom all Truth flows. He simply said “human dignity is innate”. It merely sounded like a regretful disdain for having stepped on the foundations of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence…not a thoughtful explanation of where rights originate. Oh well, maybe he didn’t want to stir up discord. Oh wait…the decision has already done that.

And something the so-called supreme court doesn’t realize is how legalizing gay marriage doesn’t make it right. Man cannot make right what God calls wrong. Even if every court justice voted in favor of legalizing it, it would still be wrong in the eyes of God. Opposition to God is not a wise strategy.

Well, I’m ashamed of the so-called supreme court. And I’m ashamed of the Presidents who appointed these people. And I apologize to God for not having done more to see to it our country never got to this point. Also…to be clear…I don’t hate gay people. In fact, I believe this supreme court decision shows more harsh judgment of homosexual people than they’ll ever know this side of judgment day. At that time the fullness of their willful ignorance of God’s law and love will be revealed…but too late.

Sad day for America and the world…

Be sure to jump on the one-of-a-kind The TRUTH today, and I’ll send you some free rhymes and reasons right away. Music, a book, and lots of good faith, hope, and love stuff.

And share with everyone you know. Don’t keep this good stuff all to yourself.

Stay tuned,

Discover my ebooks on Amazon.com or Smashwords
Get my Podcast on iTunes – OR Google Play OR Player.fm

Posted on June 24, 2015 by TonyJune 26, 2022

Direct your hearts into the love of God.

How do you direct your hearts?

Look at this line a guy named Paul wrote to some people living in Thessalonica, Greece…sometime in about the 1st century A.D. He said, “Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.” Notice two key words: love and patience. These two attributes of God are found in just about every passage in the Bible. And considering how we humans seem to have a natural tendency to wander away from both attributes, it’s a wonderful, beautiful thing to know our Creator doesn’t. Isn’t it?

Or maybe you disagree that God exists…let alone this love I’m talking about.

If you’ve never read any quotes from Blaise Pascal, let me encourage you to do so. Of course, if reading quotes by a mathematician from a few hundred years ago ain’t your cup of tea, then you might yawn and move on. But if you did, you’d be missing out on some valuable insights. One, in particular, I like is where he likens your choice to believe or not believe in God to a wager. He says wagering on the matter isn’t an option. In other words, you WILL make a choice. Either you will believe in God…or you won’t. And Pascal says that it’s a pretty lousy bet to wager against God’s existence. I couldn’t agree more.

I believe in God.

To be completely clear…I believe in the one true, living, loving God of the Bible. I’ve staked (or wagered or bet) my whole life on the truth of His existence. And if I end up being wrong, I will have lost nothing…after all…what would there have been to lose…in the bigger picture?

However, if you say there is no God. And you’re willing to stake (or wager or bet) your whole life on it…if you’re wrong, you have everything to lose…in the bigger picture. See, the bigger picture is eternity. Of course, eternity only exists if God exists. If we’re all simply “carbon-based matter”, then nothing really matters because it’s all gonna burn out and die eventually. No fire can burn forever.

Your earthly heart will only beat a finite number of times, and then you’ll die. And if it’s only electricity or gamma rays or some sort of “feeling” that holds your life together, those will also wind down. Perpetuation of the species would only lead to an increased number of non-beneficial mutations until the species (us) would die out. And what was it all for? Who cares?

But you are not merely the sum total of the atoms, molecules, and cells that make up your body. There is incredible information coded into every cell in your body. That code needed (and has) a coder. That coder is your creator. That creator is God. I’m staking my life and my eternity on it. I believe I’ve made the wisest bet…a sure thing you might say. And I’m doing what I can to direct your hearts into the love of God. And I’m trusting in the “patience of Christ” to keep me going. Here’s how you can do the same…

Discover that Jesus was/is God in the flesh, and…
that He came to earth to make a way for you to live forever, and…
all you need to do is believe and trust in Him and His love

Stay tuned,

Tony

Posted on June 23, 2015 by TonyDecember 12, 2022

You bought the lie. You did the same thing millions of others, in your situation, did. And you chose yourself over the life of an unborn baby. And you figured it would all be over once “it” was over. But has that proved to be true? Was it all “they” pumped it up to be? How is your life after abortion? I’m guessing that, if you’re genuinely honest about it, your answer is similar to the people in this video.

You have not committed the unpardonable sin if you’ve chosen the abortion option. The unpardonable sin would be to deny that Jesus is your Creator and the only one who can save you from yourself. Imagine living the torment those people in the video described…only to eventually die and “exist” in a one-person universe for all eternity. That would be infinitely worse.

It’s easy to escape. Simply acknowledge what all of creation clearly highlights. There IS a God. You’re not Him. And He has the power and life of eternity in Him. Clearly, there are at least 3 victims for every abortion…the baby, the mother, and the father. For the unborn baby there is no life after abortion. But for the mother and father, there’s the potential for a forgiven, abundant life of choosing life and helping others to choose life. Or there’s the potential for nagging, gnawing internal torment.

If I might make a suggestion…well…I think you know what I say about it…

Stay tuned,

Say Yeah, If You Dare To Take A Side

Posted on June 22, 2015 by TonyJune 9, 2023

In 1992 I wrote a song called “Say Yeah!”. In it I sang about how the United States (and the rest of the world) was headed toward self-destruction. And in the 24 years since, I’ve seen matters only get much worse.

I’m not a pessimist. In fact, most people who have ever known me would probably tell you I’m a very “up” person. And I’m proud to be an American. This is not the country it once was, but it’s still the best place to be on the planet. Consider that I’m able to sit here in my studio/office and type these words into a laptop computer and hit “publish” and watch my words go out to the world. Not just words approved by the state. Or words censored by a totally depraved and tyrannical government.

No. These are…my words.

I’m still free enough to write words of chastisement toward my country without fear of the gallows, or dungeons, or banishment to some frozen wasteland.

At least for now.

But I’m concerned that the day is coming when my words will not be allowed to go out to the world. The day is coming when my Christian belief will immediately label me a “hater”. Think not? Think again. That day is essentially already here. I’m not surprised about it. Jesus said it would happen. He even said “whoever kills you will think he does God a service“.

Don’t you see that happening in other parts of the world? Is there any reason to think it can’t happen here…or where you are? I say, no. But if you’d like to make sure it happens to as few people as possible…

Say Yeah!

Would you like to reach the top
And never have the journey stop? Say Yeah! Say Yeah!
Could you try to hold a hand
Just to help somebody stand? Say Yeah!

Would you give a word or two
To win a soul or win a few? Say Yeah! Say Yeah!
Do you want to change the way
Public servants act today? Say Yeah!

How many laws have to be passed
Before we’re obscured in the shadows they cast?
And how many plans must we invent
Before we can step beyond mere intent?

Do you see the pattern form
How the wrong becomes the norm? Say Yeah! Say Yeah!
Would you like to stop the ride;
Could you dare to take a side? Say Yeah! Say Yeah!

How many cuts are we to take
Before we can see just whose blood is at stake?
We can’t leave the job to the land of the free
Cause when it boils down…that’s just you…you and me.

If we don’t watch, someone’ll be watching for us.
If we don’t care then how can we complain.
We don’t have to give it up and say it’s over.
We can change it here, we don’t have to live in fear.
We don’t have to cry in vain.

Stay tuned,

No-cost, low-cost, and premium ways you can show your support…

Tell everybody you know to subscribe to Tony’s Daily Devotional
(emails with good stuff for Fa-Ree)

Get my Rhyme & Reason Podcast delivered right to your device. (also Fa-Ree)

Get digital Bible stuff from the same company I do.

My books are also on Amazon.com or Apple Books

Grab yourself an un-cool T-shirt

Or how about some music for believers, dreamers, and thinkers

My Song to the Father of Life

Posted on June 21, 2015 by TonyJune 9, 2023

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there. I hope you have a blessed day full of all those things you enjoy most. When I was the music leader at a Denver church for 3 years, I wrote a special Father’s Day song. It’s dedicated to the Father of Life. You were given life by a living, loving creator, and He loves you more than you can ever imagine. His love surpasses all understanding. And yet it’s so easy to receive and keep forever. The best gift we can give Him is…ourselves.

So, while we set aside this day to celebrate dads…I’m paying special tribute to the Father of Life and saying that every day is…

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.

Stay tuned…

Posted on June 18, 2015 by TonyJune 9, 2023

How to be your own man or woman and lose big.

You Are Not Your Own

I’m sure you’ve heard these sayings: “You gotta be who you are” or “You should go discover yourself” or “It’s time to be your own man”. They’re not evil, but sayings like these could cause you to lose out… and lose big. If not now…then possibly for eternity. And you know that’s an extremely long time. Right?

If you’ve chosen to be a Christian, and I hope you have, you probably already know “you are not your own“.

Jesus bought and paid for you. So, it’s best to identify with Him…not some temporary self image you live up to for now that eventually lets you down. Just FYI…as I think of these words I apply them to myself first. Big changes in my life have brought me to remembrance of temporary versus eternal. I’m sure you can relate.

There’s a whole world out there full of people trying to fill that God-shaped emptiness inside themselves. They don’t always know it, and oftentimes they lash out in anger if you mention it to them, but it’s true. Oops sorry…didn’t mean to be so absolute there. Well, maybe a little…

The sad, silly fact of the matter is this: if you want real hope, if you want real love, if you want more, and if you even slightly wonder if there might BE something more than this mean life…then it’s worth your while to look into the claims of Christianity. It’s worth it because no matter what, and like it or not, you’re betting on something being true. Even if it’s only that truth doesn’t exist. (is that true?) You’re staking your whole life on something. There’s no way around that fact. And you can’t plead neutrality. Blaise Pascal, a brilliant mathematician and Christian philosopher put it this way…

“You must wager; it is not optional… Let us weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that God exists… If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.”

It’s a wager you can’t lose when you wager that God exists. Be your own man (or woman) if you must. As I always say…it’s your choice. Just know that if you wager against God’s existence, if you gain, you gain nothing. If you lose, you lose everything. Ready to play for those stakes?

Stay tuned…

Posted on June 14, 2015 by TonyJune 9, 2023

Sometimes, in a battle, you’ll hear those in charge say something like, “We’re mobilizing for defense”. That means they’re gathering the troops together in such a way to make a stronger stand. And that can be an excellent move. But it isn’t always the move to make. In fact, if it becomes habit, it means some sort of fear is driving decisions. Fear can drive you so far into a defensive position that you can find yourself hiding “under a basket or under a bed.” That’s not a good defense or offense, and it doesn’t make sense.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s understandable how you could let fear rule your day or your decisions. We’ve all been there…done that. But it doesn’t make sense. Well…to be clear I’ll say…it doesn’t make sense if you’re a Christian. For one simple reason. God didn’t give you a spirit of fear. He gave you a spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

What can (or could) you do with power, love, and a sound mind?

Hmm…how about…”all things“? That just about covers everything doesn’t it. But even though you can do all things, it doesn’t me you actually do. That’s when you’ve made a choice to lean on your own understanding, not God’s. Let’s look at it from His perspective for a moment…

God knows He created you. He gives you power, love, and a sound mind. He gives you freedom to choose your own path. And He offers His wisdom and understanding of how the world and everything in it works. All you need to do to tap into that wisdom and understanding is read His Word and enjoy the renewing of your mind which comes from it. When you form that habit, it’s much easier to pass it on to others who need to hear about it. What others would that be? All others. Everyone on the planet. Those who will love hearing it…and those who will hate the message…and even the messenger.

I started out this message talking about “mobilizing”. Here are some synonyms for that word:

generate
arouse
awaken
excite
incite
provoke
foment
prompt
stimulate
stir up
galvanize
encourage
inspire
whip up

Next time you find yourself “mobilizing for defense” in some part of your life, ask yourself if your actions are doing anything like those words. If not, maybe it’s time for a new strategy…one that taps into God’s wisdom and understanding. One that uses the best resources at your disposal. One that boldly proclaims you’re a follower of the one true, living, loving God of creation.

Stay tuned…

Tony

Posted on June 5, 2015 by TonyJune 9, 2023

Are you using Persuasive Music or Evasive Music?

I’m all about the power of persuasive words and music.

So, you might be wondering how I could say there’s a way to “send customers away with persuasive music”. Well, there IS a slight catch, but I know it’s possible…from personal experience. Read on…

My wife and I enjoy the food at a particular “fast food” Mexican restaurant. They’re a chain, but for the most part they’ve been consistent in quality, price, and service. When we lived in Lakewood, Colorado, we had one spot we enjoyed more than the rest. It was close to our house, the staff almost always smiled, and we almost always left with a good feeling. However…

…we began to notice changes. First, some of the smiling staff disappeared. Then, we saw regular visits from some of the restaurant’s corporate management. The food stayed consistent, but one thing really started to stand out…their odd music choices.

Admittedly, I may be more tuned-in to that than the average John or Jane Q. Public. But my wife noticed it, too. They started playing hip-hop, pop, and “alternative” music through their sound system. On their own, these genres of music are simply a matter of subjective taste. But when you’re attaching music to your restaurant, it needs to be an extension of what you’re selling. The aural representation of your overall look and feel. This is a Mexican food restaurant I’m talking about. And guess what? There are tons of fun Mexican, Hispanic, Salsa, Tejano, and other varieties of songs to help provide the right ambience and experience to the customers.

But they didn’t us persuasive music from the genre that best matched the restaurant…

…they most likely put a “channel” on that the employees enjoyed. And that, combined with fewer smiles and good attitudes, persuaded my wife and me to look for other places to eat.

I’m all for providing employees an enjoyable working environment. But ultimately it’s not really about them. It’s about tables and chairs being filled with people who get the full sensory experience of your restaurant. The look…the feel…the smiles…the scents…and yes…the music. The more details you fine tune (pun intended) the more people will tell others about your business. But…

…if your goal is to send customers somewhere else, then, by all means, totally disregard what I’m telling you. What do you think? Could something as seemingly insignificant as music persuade customers to go elsewhere? Or do you think it matters? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Stay tuned…

Posted on June 3, 2015 by TonyJune 9, 2023

Your 24 hour mission...separate yourself from the pack.

Are you up for a challenge? A challenge of epic proportion? A challenge that will change the face of the planet? Well, at least you’re part of it. There’s a time limit, so do you think you can work against the clock? Is that a yes nod I see? If so, your 24 hour mission is to separate yourself from the pack. And…….go!

What’s that you say? This 24 hour mission is impossible?

Well, what if I told you it could be done in just a few minutes? It can. But first I want you to understand what I mean when I say “pack” and “separate yourself from”. Your pack probably isn’t the same one I’m in. My pack includes writers, copywriters, music producers, and other so-called “creatives”. The people who craft the words and music and images for advertising, marketing, and website design.

Your pack might be more industrial, or technological, or even theological. Whatever it is, it will help you and your efforts to make money or fund projects when you find a way to separate yourself from it. By that I mean…find that part of YOU unlike the others. And highlight it. Tell the story that can only come from you. Use different kinds of colors or fonts or images. Don’t always be looking for those “stock” pictures online. Make or take your own. Or work with someone who can do that for you.

Also…don’t just put words and pictures on a page, or brochure, or business card. Those are fine, but nowadays you can add so much pizzazz just by tossing in some custom music. Think music doesn’t add to the persuasion factor when it comes to marketing? Think again. Drop by tomorrow, and I’ll share a little story with you how a tasty Mexican restaurant’s music caused a negative effect with loyal customers. I’ll also share a couple of how-to’s for making your messages stand out.

Between now and then…

make it your 24 hour mission to look over your website and other business marketing and see if there’s even a tiny change you could make to separate yourself from the pack. I’m betting you can. And I’d love for you to share with me what it was.

Stay tuned,

Tony

Share this link with everybody you know, so they can jump on the The TRUTH (My regular emails about the essentials of life, AND some music and other good stuff, for Fa-Ree)

Posted on May 30, 2015 by TonyMay 17, 2024

Moses wrote the first 5 books in the Bible.

Collectively, they’re known as the Pentateuch. I’m not gonna even attempt an exposition of all that right now. I just wanna draw your attention to where Moses got a little redundant. He kept using this phrase, “according to its kind”. I think I know why…at least a couple of reasons why. See if you agree…

Here’s a passage from Genesis on the third day of creation: “Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the third day.”

See what I mean? In that short passage Moses wrote “according to its kind” 3 times.

Why did he keep repeating himself. Well, one thing it’s good to remember is…he was being inspired, by God, to write what he wrote. After all, Moses wasn’t an eyewitness to the creation of the world.

And I believe it’s a not-so-subtle way of God telling us He designed things to work a certain way. Certain “kinds” of things would only produce its own “kind”. In other words, you couldn’t get a lavender plant from an apple seed. And you couldn’t oranges from corn stalks. And here’s the key takeaway…

…God’s telling us evolution doesn’t happen. Not macroevolution anyway. He’s saying “I made all these things, and I made them to work the way they work. And the way I designed them is good”. In fact…very good.

Another thing this tells me is that God’s design is dependable. We can know that if we plant corn seeds, bean seeds, and tomatoes…we’re gonna be able to get corn, beans, and tomatoes at harvest time. We don’t have to fret and wonder what’s gonna pop up.

It’s a small thing, but it’s huge because these simple words, written thousands of years ago, clearly illustrate what we see in nature. The plants, the animals, and we humans still procreate…each according to its kind.

Stay tuned…