Tony Funderburk

Toe Tapping Slippers

Posted on April 9, 2014 by TonySeptember 23, 2014

“Toe Tapping Slippers” was a little song I played maybe twice. I liked the idea of the song, but I didn’t end up actually liking the song. And it was MY song. That’s how it goes sometimes in the world of songwriting.

The lyrics were inspired by an album cover. I think even if you’ve read every post or article I’ve ever written, you could never guess which album cover. I’ll give you a hint, below.

Back when I wrote the lyrics I’m sharing with you today I was 18. Life was full of potential. And I loved any words and music that took me to lands and skies of imagination. I didn’t yet play the piano, but the desire to was rising up in me. I’d look at my mom’s old upright piano that never stayed in tune and wish.

The good news right this moment is…I still think life is full of potential. I haven’t nearly used it all up. And I still find words and music and color and scents that take me to lands and skies of imagination. What about you? Do you think there’s still a lot of unfinished business? And do you believe you’ll never quite finish it. If so, then put on your…

Toe Tapping Slippers

A man walked, with his name,
Into a picture,
And a birdie blue flew by.
Oh, are you gonna die young man?
Are you gonna walk down a road that isn’t there…
While the people stare?
A piano player plays his song.
Put another nickel in and sing along
And never remember what you tried to forget.
The time is up, but the end isn’t here yet.
So follow the path that leads to the sun.
You’ll get there soon enough; you don’t need to run.
Wearing your slippers, your toe tapping slippers.
You’ll get there soon enough; you don’t need to run.
The bricks are made of honey.
The clouds are made of money.
There ain’t nothin’ here that’s real.
How ca you die when there’s no one to cry?
How does that make you feel?

Your whimsical writer,

Posted on April 8, 2014 by TonyMarch 11, 2023

During the day you probably have a lot of tasks…or lists…or duties. Right? Or maybe you have one main focus, but it requires your attention all day. Correct?

Either way…do you ever catch yourself daydreaming and wishing things were different? Raise your hands if you ever had a mother, or grandmother, or aunt, or teacher, or someone who’d say “Now, Tony (or your name), you’ll wish your life away. Let’s see…hmm…I see just about every hand raised out there. Yep, just about all of us have heard that one.

But you know what? I think it’s good to wish things were different. Not all the time. And certainly not in and for every circumstance. But wishing things were different is what brought us things like…

our own personal computers
better music recording
airplanes
Jeeps
iPhones (or you fill in the blank with your preference)

Not being satisfied with the status quo gave us America, the greatest land the world has ever known. We’ve seen great prosperity here, and we’ve had surpluses so massive that we’ve basically been able to feed the world.

And all because a group of people not only wished things were different with regards to being able to worship God freely…but they actually did something about it. That’s how and when wishing things were different becomes a great thing.

So, if you’re reading this in the morning, I hope you’ll take some time during the day to wish things were different. Wish things were better for your fellow man. Love your neighbor as yourself…then show them…inasmuch as you have the opportunity. If nothing else, tell your family and friends you love them, or appreciate them, or simply pray for them. I think you might be surprised and amazed at how much power and love you have right there in your sound mind.

Here’s a sample of some daydreaming I did on a cold, January day back in 1973…

During And After

During the day, passing away,
Break the jar, catch the star,
And then become one.
What did I say?

During the night,
Time in its flight.
Catch a word when it’s heard,
And then listen to it.
Whatever is right.

During the song,
Coming along,
Sail a boat made of notes.
What in this is wrong?

After a day,
After a night,
After a song,
Whatever is right.
Break the jar,
Catch a word.
Sail a boat.
What in the during and after is wrong?

Stay tuned,

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Posted on April 7, 2014 by TonyMarch 9, 2023

Whimsical writer, Tony Funderburk, shares why "spring is my lover today".

I’d like to take just a few minutes to tell you about my lover today. And before you jump to any conclusions…this is a G-rated website, and it’s a G-rated article.

In recent posts here on TonyFunderburk.com, I’ve been sharing the whimsical writer side a lot more. And I’ve been sharing poems/songs I wrote from way back into my teen years. In fact, the Potato Chip Song I shared with you came only a few days before this next poem. I didn’t write actual dates on either one, but I know it was in the middle to late part of 1973 or early 1974. Today’s words must’ve been written just as winter was turning into spring because “my lover today” is a season.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while (first, thank you), then you may remember me saying that Autumn is my favorite season. It is, but of course who doesn’t love spring? Right? I’m just as happy about the leaves and flowers coming back as the next person. After many cold days it’s so nice to be able to open windows and let spring breezes blow through. It was just that sort of day that inspired me, all those years ago, to say that particular spring was…

My Lover Today

Wind blowing through snowflake hills,
Ice castle all crumbling down.
Winter, in silence, is gone.
I watched it go with a frown.
Then, with a sigh, I remember saying good-bye
To Autumn the very same way.

Spring opens its eyes and mine.
There is a new warmth in the air.
Skies once clouded with flurries of snow
Now seem to be blue and fair,
And, with a sigh, Winter quickly passes me by,
And Spring is my lover today.

The seasons are lovely today…
Make my heart sing, make my thoughts cling
To wondering
If things will ever
Change me into Summer.
Let me be your flowers.
We can be a painting, if we don’t get sad and…

Then, with a sigh, I remember drying my eyes,
Watching all of the seasons pass me by.

Stay tuned,

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Posted on April 6, 2014 by TonyApril 1, 2024

Fossilized Jellyfish are some awesome evidence for the worldwide flood found in the Bible.

Imagine you’re a jellyfish…just jellyfishin’ along, mindin’ your own business. Suddenly you look behind you and see a huge cloud of mud coming your way in the water.

You swim with all your might and as fast as you can, but the muddy cloud keeps gaining on you. And you look all around you and all your jellyfish family and jellyfish friends are swimming for their lives, too. But you just can’t outrun the cloud of dirt-filled water. Then you’re all buried alive faster than you can say “yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum”.

What do you think just happened?

Well, it’s probably a whimsical rendition of what happened when the whole world was flooded and only eight people survived. The jellyfish and trillions of other marine life were buried so fast their bodies didn’t even have time to decay. And thousands of years later (yes, thousands) we humans can dig them up and see what they looked like in almost perfect detail. It’s amazing.

Have you ever seen a jellyfish washed up on the beach?

If so, you know it doesn’t take them very long to start to decay and smell bad. If fossilized jellyfish were buried over hundreds of millions, or even just millions of years, their bodies would have decayed or faded away. They wouldn’t have stayed intact for all that time. To think so requires a faith greater than Noah or Abraham or David…and most certainly you and me.

So gang…look at the bright side of life and become a Christian. There are some wonderful side effects. You’ll get to live forever. And you’ll get to live in Paradise. You’ll meet God face to face one day. You’ll understand things about fossils that a lot of educated fools don’t. And you’ll never have to wonder how fossilized jellyfish can be found all over the world.

Poor jellyfish, go make a wish
And sadly close your eyes
Because this day you’ll pass away
And quickly fossilize.

I know it’s bad, but don’t be sad.
One day you will be found…
A work of art, not torn apart
Squeezed into solid ground.

Lots of mankind will surely find
Your fossils there quite odd,
But ology will help us see
The mighty hand of God.

Of course, you can always jump online to find all my really refreshing Rhymes and Reasons? But I recommend you jump on the The TRUTH. And I’ll send them directly to your inbox. Do it now, and I’ll send you some songs and some other surprises: https://www.TonyFunderburk.com

Stay tuned,

Potato Chips

Posted on April 5, 2014 by TonySeptember 23, 2014

Have you ever read the ingredients for Lay’s potato chips? Just in case you haven’t, the ingredients are potatoes, salt, and oil. And with only three ingredients, just like their commercial used to say…I don’t think anyone can eat just one.

In the initial summer weeks after I graduated high school I was spending time figuring out what I was gonna do with my life. And I spent a lot of time listening to music and working on my writing life. In fact, that’s when I started to really fill up spiral notebooks that I still have. Every experience was an opportunity to practice my craft…my favorite pastime.

One particular afternoon my three younger siblings were all in school, my stepfather was at work, and my mom was at her part-time job. I had just made a sandwich and added a handful of potato chips to my plate. I grabbed a soft drink, put on Elton John’s “Madman Across The Water” album (yes album) and began to eat.

For some silly reason I got a notion to write some silly thoughts about the potato chips. Not the bread. Not the meat. Not the mayo. The potato chips.

Keep in mind, I was 18, and remember…I’ve always been a whimsical writer. So don’t critique me too harshly for my silly results called…

Potato Chip Song

Potato chips are funny songs
Sung in hot dog harmony.
Eat them tip your octave’s full
Right up to middle C.
It seems their notes are barbecued
With ridges and so crisp.
I bet if they could sing to you,
They’d do so with a lisp.
Oh, I could sing a tater chip
And love that happy song.
I’d make it such a simple one
That dips could sing along.
It doesn’t matter if it’s Guy’s,
Or Lay’s, or Kitty Clover…
I eat the chips and sing the song.
I don’t even think it over.
Potato chips are funny songs
Sung in hot dog harmony,
But they’re very different songs,
If it’s hamburgers you see.

Your whimsical writer,

Carefree Life

Posted on April 4, 2014 by TonyAugust 4, 2022

Just because I might consider myself a whimsical writer doesn’t mean I’ve always had a carefree life. Look closely at the picture and see the pencil-printed words I wrote during a battle with a broken heart. Ah youth…

I spent a year and half in Houston, Texas learning carpentry skills from a master carpenter. I still use those skills on a regular basis, and I’ll never forget ol’ Marvin. But even as I was learning an invaluable trade, I could never put aside my pen (or in this case, pencil) for more than a few hours.

Case and point…I just opened one of my older spiral notebooks and a crumpled piece of very light bluegreen paper fell out. It was an old invoice for some panel doors and casing from a plywood distributor in Houston. And it was dated in 1978. But I didn’t keep it for that reason. On the back was a poem I scribbled with my knife-sharpened carpenter’s pencil. I had just gotten some “dear John” type of message from the girl I thought was my one true one. So, of course, I had to pour out my heart and since there was no handy notebook, I grabbed the closest paper I could find. In my own whimsical way I wrote my thoughts to an inanimate object…because I knew no one would want to hear my story of woe and heartache.

So my carefree life wasn’t carefree at that moment, but in its own way it was still whimsical as I wrote…

To The Sands

To the sands I sent a message
Of my dedication here.
I sent it to the sands
‘Cause I knew they’d shed no tear.
As I thought of how I’d loved her
And was turned away at last
I became constantly idle,
Always thinking of the past.
Love had once again denied me,
And I numbly turned away,
Just forsaken by the distance.
There was nothing I could say.
From the sands there came a message,
And it made my throat go dry.
It said never give her up, boy
Even if she makes you cry.
Yes, you know you’ll always love her
And you’ll miss her even more.
So believe that you can do it,
And she’ll love you like before.

By the way, the message from “the sands” didn’t prove to be accurate or true.

Stay tuned,

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Fooled Me

Posted on April 3, 2014 by TonyMay 8, 2023

There have been people in my life who have truly fooled me. Not many, but some.

Sometimes, all it takes to write something whimsical…something not very self-explanatory…is a negative experience. I think many of those kinds of experiences helped turn me into a whimsical writer. It may be a bit like so many comedians who attribute their sense of humor to dealing with life’s extreme challenges.

Are you wired that way? Do you find a smile on your face when others frown at you? Do you look for reasons to be happy? Or do you prefer to let dreary circumstances dictate the course of your day? If you choose to be happy, how do you handle the negatives?

For me, writing has always been an outlet for the myriad of words and ideas in my head. And often a thinker, a ponderer is misunderstood as someone who’s too quiet or disconnected. I can assure you when I’m staring into space it’s not because a vacuum has occurred in my brain. Quite the opposite. Sometimes something as insignificant as a single blade of grass can stimulate those sensory neurons into overdrive. That’s not to say a masterpiece is automatically on its way…in fact, many times it’s not. It just means my fingers get to work on the words my brain sends their way. And I get to enjoy this never-ending process called writing.

Here’s one of those whimsical ponderings from way back in 1977…

And He

And he peered up through the water,
And I saw his shining face,
And his smile was like piano keys
So very much in place.
And he was a very happy man,
And he always laughed so much,
And he found a hope when no one could.
Yes, he surely had the touch.
But where is he now when we need him?
Why has he left us high and dry?
Can’t he peer up from the water;
I wish he’d peer up from the water.
He could make me smile if he would only try.
And I see him coming back now
And he wears his famous smile.
It’s just a picture of King Neptune,
And he fooled me all the while.

Your whimsical writer,

Finger Painting In The Sand

Posted on April 2, 2014 by TonySeptember 23, 2014

I remember seeing an album cover…yes, I said album cover…back in the early seventies where the singer was sitting on a beach. And it looked like he was finger painting in the sand. The colors, the setting, the whole arrangement inspired a short poem.

Way back in 1973 that’s all it took for me to open up a spiral notebook and start jotting something down. The thrill of simply writing down my thoughts for posterity nudged me ever forward, exploring colors, textures, music, nature, and all of creation. I was a sponge for my surroundings. I’d absorb the sights, sounds, tastes, and scents…and then I’d squeeze them back out onto papers in between thin, blue lines.

What do you do when something seemingly insignificant inspires you? Do you write down your thoughts? Paint a picture? Compose a song? Forget about it?

I urge you to do what you can to capture your thoughts. Who knows who might get a kick out of it many years later?

Finger Painting In The Sand

Fingerpainting in the sand,
Grit and grime on my left hand,
Water spraying on my right
Also sprays the bird in flight.
Oh, here comes that golden mist again.
It’s covering the sands of sin,
And to the eye the sand is pure.
Can this mist be the perfect cure?
The second time on the earth
You’re worth just what you think you’re worth;
Clothed in evil, cloaked in love;
Fingerpainted worlds above.
Oh, here comes that golden mist again.
It’s covering the sands of sin,
And to the eye the sand is pure.
Can this mist be the perfect cure?

Stay whimsical,

Posted on April 1, 2014 by TonyMarch 12, 2022

If you could Breathe Underwater, where would you go and what would you do?

Imagine if you could breathe underwater. Just think of the places you could go.

How do fish breathe underwater?

Well, they actually have a wonderfully designed system of gills that capture the oxygen from the water as it passes through. So fish don’t have to hold their breath like we do.

But what if we didn’t have to hold our breath? What if the gill slits we have during our time in our mothers’ wombs could turn into real gills when we’re born? How cool that would be! We could go for a swim and dive down to the bottom of the lake or river or ocean and just look around as long as we like. Wow! Talk about fun!

Oh wait a minute…we don’t have gill slits when we’re forming in the womb. I almost forgot. When we’re just tiny, little embryos, we have tissues that look a little bit like gills or gill slits, but those tissues don’t have anything to do with breathing. They actually turn into parts of our face, bones in our ears, and glands.

Some silly guy named Ernst drew some goofy drawings and told some fibs about how we humans go through phases in our mothers’ wombs that resemble stages of evolution. What a knucklehead. Just when I thought we could figure out how to use our own gills to explore the ocean blue…out comes the truth.

Oh well…even if we can’t breathe underwater, we can take an imaginary trip through the deep, blue sea. And we don’t have to hold our breath. And we don’t have to say we’re a fish.

We can just be ourselves and enjoy the journey…

I want you to come with me
Down in the deep, blue sea
Where a sea horse grins and spins its fins
And says we can swim for free.

We won’t have to stop for air
The whole time we’re under there.
We can breathe like fish if we make a wish.
It’s a make-believe we’ll share.

So tell me, what do you say?
Would you like to go today?
We can tell our tales how we swam with whales
And then we went our merry way.

Stay whimsical,

Standing On The Brink

Posted on March 31, 2014 by TonyMarch 11, 2022

What do you think of when you hear the expression “standing on the brink?”

Maybe you know that the definition of “brink” is either the extreme edge of land typically just before a steep incline or cliff or on the verge of something. Typically disaster.

I’ll bet you’re not reading this on the brink of a cliff…

Not literally anyway. But do you get the sense you’re on the verge or “brink” of disaster?

What’s the brink where you’re standing? Do you have a relationship about to crumble? Is there a financial crisis on the horizon? Have you made some choices that you know won’t end up well?

Whatever your “brink” is today…I hope you’ll stop and think about something first. You’re incredibly sophisticated and complex. In fact, you’re uniquely complex. The tiny cells that run and design your whole body are yours and yours alone. No one else in the whole, wide world has your DNA. No one else in the whole, wide world has your fingerprints. And no one else in the whole, wide world knows everything you know.

Don’t ever be convinced by people, groups, or governments that you’re simply part of the whole. If you find yourself “standing on the brink”, it should be to boldly go where only you can go. Don’t be a pawn to someone else’s ignorance. Be all that you were designed by God to be. And no one can expect more from you than that.

I’m pulling for you, and I’ll share a poem I wrote in my last year of high school (way back in the 20th century) about being who you are…

No One’s Pawn

Silky satin words in Latin
Are brought now to my mind.
Old arsenic can stop the tick
And cause my brain to bind.
A flowing thought is simply what
A person needs to think.
The answer’s clear, and yes we’er near.
We’re standing on the brink.
Disaster goes…to where, who knows?
Be thankful when it’s gone.
For those who see diversity…
Well, they are no one’s pawn.
I’m one of these down on their knees
And asking for a chance
To prove by words I’m not of herds
Of men unheard and gone…
I’m no one’s pawn.

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Posted on March 30, 2014 by TonyMarch 9, 2022

I have an empty brain.

At least today…right this very minute…it certainly feels that way. I’ve been doing some studying and researching some up-to-the-minute marketing techniques for writers, and ironically it has left me wordless…so to speak.

So, I decided to try an experiment. I titled this post “empty brain” and began typing about my frustration at not having the write words to write. Just to see where it would lead. Have you ever had a day when something you truly love to do just evades you at every turn? If so, what did you do about it?

I believe my condition has come about due to information overload. And not the kind of information that typically inspires me to write. I’m talking about nuts and bolts information. The kind of stuff that supposed to help you know what to do with your work. But not the kind of stuff that draws word pictures in your head. Know what I mean? Normally I can jump-start my writing just by thinking of a creative word…or color…or sound, etc.

But today…words ran and hid in the deeper, darker corners of my mind. The little neurons in my brain fired at them as they scampered by…but no direct hits. Only near misses and untarnished targets.

And so…my empty brain syndrome continues. I’ll admit something to you, if you promise not to pass it along. I don’t find this amusing, and it makes me mad. I’m almost always able to tap my inner prolific writer and create something I can pass along. But today you’ll have to endure this drivel of a whining, moaning, oh-woe-is-me words and music dude.

But…as I often tell others who are suffering through things… “this, too, shall pass”. And who woulda thunk it? I’ve managed to bang out over 300 words on the subject of not having anything to say.

Thanks for your cards and letters sports fans…

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Posted on March 18, 2014 by TonyMarch 8, 2022

Singer songwriter, Tony Funderburk's very first song was a song with no name

Today I’m gonna do something I haven’t done in over 40 years. I’m gonna share the lyrics to the very first song I ever wrote. Ironically it’s a song with no name. And I only noticed that omission this very evening. How odd is that?

I remember an chilly winter evening at a friend’s house in Pasadena, Texas. There was gonna be a party with a bunch of our other friends coming over, and I had written some lyrics I wanted to turn into a song. And I wanted to be able to sing it for the others when we got things going.

The musical instrument I played at the time was a set of drums…not melodic to say the least. But my younger brother, Marty, was coming along nicely with his guitar. So I asked him to find the chords to match the melody I wanted to use. He agreed to help, and we spent a couple of hours putting the little tune together. I’ve always been a fan of minor keys, so it’s no surprise that my first song would be in E-minor.

Wouldn’t you know the song would be a love song. But I’ll tell you right up front…it wasn’t for any girl in particular. It was about “her”…whomever she would be.

Of course, as I look back at the lyrics of my 17 year old self, it’s a bit embarrassing to share them with you. But…well…what are you gonna do? Make fun of me? Go ahead. Give it your best shot. I spent 25 years on stage performing my music and the music of other famous songwriters. So, I figure my humble first attempt must have planted a pretty good seed.

Here is that very first song with no name…

She’s a person I can trust
Gonna love her, it’s a must
I want you to know I’m feelin’ fine
Because the truest love on earth is mine

I’ll sing this song, and I’ll be done
I’ll sing this song, and I’ll have fun singin’ it.

She’s good lookin’…pretty too
This ain’t lies I’m tellin’ you
I have found someone I can love
She must have come from Heaven above

So I’ll bring you this little song
And if you want, you can sing along…with me.

Beauty’s hers; so is charm
Why would anyone do her harm
There’s a sweet, sweet appeal in her heart
That keeps me thinkin’ of her when we’re apart.

And I’ll play this song like a toy
Yes, I’ll play this song and enjoy…playin’ it.

© Copyright Tony Funderburk 1973
Circa: wintertime

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Posted on March 17, 2014 by TonyMarch 15, 2024

Before it gets ugly, ask yourself Why You Gotta Be Like That

Your day didn’t go like you planned or wanted. But why you gotta be like that? Your hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow were dashed against the rocks. But why you gotta be like that? You don’t see anyone living up to your expectations. But why you gotta be like that? I’m serious…why?

Do you think you have the right to make someone else feel as miserable as you do? Well, you’re wrong. Do you think no one else’s pain measures up to yours? Again…you’re wrong. Do you think there isn’t another soul in the world who could possibly understand what you’re going through? Triple play, Sparky. You’re wrong again!

Taking your anguish, your hurt feelings, your frustration out on someone else isn’t right, productive, or justifiable. It’s simply wrong. In fact, it’s a sin…the sin of selfishness. Your anger toward someone else for the shortcomings in your own life is a bold overstatement of your own importance. You ain’t all that…

OK…I’ve beat you over the head with the Truth. Now, it’s time to share the love found in the Truth. Your frustration and anger are symptoms of a deeper problem. Either you’ve decided you don’t need God…or you know you DO need God, but you’re not leaning on His understanding and wisdom. Either way, you’ve got a self-over-God issue you need to deal with. Things might not get better in your life until you do.

I know I’m just a Christian singer songwriter with no particular credentials where your heart is concerned. Fortunately, though, I don’t judge your heart. My judgment, where you’re concerned, can only be made based on your actions…your “fruit,” so to speak. I can only judge what I see. God; however, CAN judge your heart. In fact, He does. So…

How’s your heart?

If you’re a Christian, you’ve asked Jesus into your heart. But maybe you feel your heart is full of anger. Simply put…you’ve pushed Jesus into the corner, metaphorically, and you’ve decided your own wisdom and understanding are quite sufficient…thank you very much.

To that I say…shut up and listen. The Bible puts it more mildly: “be still and know that I am God.” When you listen to the words of wisdom God can and will put into your heart, you’ll be much more likely to “love your neighbor as yourself.” It may not be easy. It may not feel natural. But that’s the point. It’s supernatural, and it always treats the cause…not merely the symptoms…of selfishness.

Next time you feel inclined to snap at someone, ponder first…why you gotta be like that.

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Posted on March 16, 2014 by TonyMarch 8, 2022

Dream big, but don't spend your whole life living in a dream.

Life is calling. It wants you…it needs you wide awake. Be clear-headed, vigilant, and ready. Stop living in a dream.

It’s OK to dream. If it wasn’t, I sure would have wasted a lot of time writing all those lullaby songs for kids. In fact, I suggest you dream big. But don’t spend your life living in a dream. Reality is where you make your dreams come true…or at least pursue them. And reality is full of wonder for the wide-eyed wanderer.

I wrote a story poem, way back in 1974, about living in a dream. It’s a bit of a conversation, a reminiscence, between two people over drinks. I think you’ll see one of the people is trying to cheer the other one up. This person is encouraging…even while suggesting another drink.

And the drinks affect the efforts. See if you detect it in…

Living In A Dream

Have another drink.
It will bring back memories
Of all the good times that we had so long ago.
Let your mind be spirited, and let the spirit soar.
If time is just a memory,
Then surely we can know
That the present will be our past in years to come.
So drink up my friend.
Let’s toast to harmony of life.
We should recognize the fact
That we live the days and share the days,
And we remember the days we loved best…
Not completely forgetting the rest…
But brushing them aside to be spoken of when sad.
If we only had the foresight to see what we’ll do,
But that is only an “if”…a wish.
Have another one good friend.
Intoxicate yourself with the memories
And know the stupor of losing your dreams.
Gentle person; you control yourself at this time.
I can only suggest and advise…
Only help you open your eyes.
Find what you will in sorrow beverage,
But it will be gone in the morning…
Replaced with an ache.
Get off the ground and back into the swing.
It’s your feet you’re made to walk on…
Not your knees.
You must make attempts on your own
Or go through trials all alone.
Direct your feet toward the path
That helps you lose the lust for
Living in a dream.

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Down The River

Posted on March 15, 2014 by TonyJanuary 1, 2020

Down the river there’s a ripple and a wake
That doesn’t seem to end like it does in a lake.
It doesn’t need a storm or a deep earthquake
To shimmer and shudder and shiver and shake.

Down the river there’s a mile-high sky
That changes real fast as the rocks roll by.
It doesn’t share a smile or a mournful sigh.
It darkens and lightens and closes one eye.

Down the river there’s a story to tell
That a few old-timers and their dogs know well.
A tale of woe when the river did swell…
And sent all the rafters to Heaven or Hell.

Down the river, where the rapids break free,
Is a place you’ll be glad that you got to see.
It’s where you’ll decide if you ever will be
Back down the river to the landing tree.

Wow…maps ain’t what they used to be. I think it’s cool how you can go down the river on Google Maps without ever getting your feet or seat wet. Just in case you want to get a rafter’s eye view of the place before you make the decision to go there, you can simply click on “street view” and check out the Colorado River.

Yep…there really is an app for that.

In Faith, Hope, and Love”

Love Is Snow don’t you know

Posted on March 14, 2014 by TonyFebruary 16, 2024

I know you’ve heard love is patient. You’ve probably heard all those other descriptions like

love is kind
love is blind
love is true
love is blue

But have you ever heard that love is snow?

One day, as I sat in my college dormitory room in Manhattan, Kansas…I looked out the window and saw feathery, floating flakes of snow. It had just begun to snow an early Autumn snow, so I knew it wouldn’t last…or maybe wouldn’t even stick around at all.

As I did just about everyday I flipped open my nifty spiral notebook, grabbed my trusty Bic pen and began to write. It was a love song I never wrote the music for, but to this day I can hear the music in my head when I read the words.

A lot of my words and lyrics back then were vague…filled with open-ended implications. I don’t think I did it on purpose all the time, but many times I did. This was one of those…

Love Is Snow

I’m not borrowing the phrases
That you’ve heard so many times.
I’m just putting down my feelings,
And if by chance it rhymes”
It rhymes for you.
For the misbegotten melodies
That ring from birds an bells
Could sing not of the beauty
That my spy, the wind, foretells.
It tells of you.
Let me be sand
So that you might walk on me.
Let me be air
So that you might breathe me in.
Let me be light
So that you might look at me.
Let me be the battle that you fight and win.
I’m not borrowing the phrases
That you’ve heard so long and know.
I’m just putting down my feelings
Like the clouds put down the snow.

In Faith, Hope, and Love”

Two-Celled Life

Posted on March 13, 2014 by TonyMarch 3, 2022

Did you know there are many single-celled forms of life? And did you also know there is no known two-celled life?

It’s no big deal, though. Right? After all…we’re just talking about tiny, little, microscopic particles of life. Couldn’t possibly make any difference in the grand scheme of things. Hold on there partner. It makes a huge difference because millions…or should I say billions…of people are staking their eternal soul on things like this.

Yep…you may not realize it (although most of my readers are quite savvy to this information), but in order for macroevolution to be a valid theory for how we got here, we should be able to find a whole lot of transitional forms of life with 2-20 cells. We should see them everywhere, and that would help close the chasm between single-celled and multi-celled organisms.

In truth, the only known forms of life with 6-20 cells are merely parasites. How appropriate. Those simple multi-celled parasites need a much more complex host animal for even the basic functions of life…like breathing and digestion.

See how that works? Those parasites couldn’t evolve into something greater than themselves. They need something greater than themselves to even exist in the first place. Talk about tautology. (well, let’s not)

The difference between one-celled life and two-celled life is just one cell. But it’s one of the tiny reasons why evolution just doesn’t work as a theory for the origin of life.

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Behind Statues And Doors

Posted on March 12, 2014 by TonyMarch 3, 2022

I remember an ongoing study, in a high school English class, on the implications, metaphors, and similes found in John Keats’ poem, “Ode On A Grecian Urn“. It wasn’t a simple class on which words rhymed and which did not. And I remember my fertile, young poet’s mind wanted to peer behind statues and doors for the hidden meanings.

If you have a few minutes, click that link, above, and read the poem. It’s written in the English style found in the early 19th century, so it doesn’t read like modern American poetry. But that, in itself, can bring a new twist to your poetry reading if you give it a shot.

Keats wrote about all the everyday life he found on a marble Grecian urn. One point of irony, right from the start, is how urns were so often used to store the ash remains of loved ones. So, to write about the life captured in stone on an urn filled with only the remains of a life…well…see what I mean?

I love the lilting descriptions. One of my favorites is “pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone”. Now, ponder that for a moment. Better yet…go read the poem so you can put it in perspective. It was poems like this “Ode” that influenced a lot of my own writing while I was still in high school and for a year or so afterwards.

Then, I began to find my own voice and shed the more formal style for what I hope is my own Tony tone. But here’s a short sonnet I wrote while still mildly under the influence of “proper English” and a desire to be “poetic”. I was walking around the grounds of a museum, looking behind statues and doors and trees, and I wrote…

A Sonnet For The Statues

I saw the wooden statues in the garden.
They stood there, lifeless, with flowers all around.
This scene presented itself to me, and I gazed on.
What a simple sight, but what a pretty one.
One that you’d think poets write about,
And soon I felt as if I was a statue
Destined to stand underneath the clouds.
I think I could learn to enjoy
The feel of flowers growing all round my feet.
But I wonder what it would be like
To never know the feeling of a heartbeat.
I know that statues cannot live,
But for their peace, my life I’d give.

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Posted on February 24, 2014 by TonyFebruary 29, 2024

A child of the Living God may be Down But Not Out. So take heart and look up.

From the world of boxing we got the expression “down but not out.” That’s because a boxer can be knocked off his feet, but until he receives the count of ten…he’s not out.

In 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 the apostle Paul talks about how “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” The earthen vessels he’s talking about are our bodies. And Paul points out how we’re “hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed…perplexed, but not in despair…persecuted, but not forsaken…struck down, but not destroyed.”

Did you get that last part? It translates into “down but not out.” God provides you the count of ten, so to speak, with your own life and freedom to choose life or death.

When you put your faith in the love and life of Jesus, your earthen vessel may still be pounded and come to an end. But your actual life will not be destroyed. You will live forever.

You may be knocked down, but you will not be “out.”

I just mentioned to someone last night that I believe that more than I believe there’s a plate in front of me at dinnertime. I believe that “He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus…” My faith doesn’t rest on my own abilities, deeds, or status. My faith rests on God…where the only true and good rest resides.

You may not have years left to investigate whether or not the Christian claims of eternal life are true. And you may not have months left to determine whether or not the Christian God exists. You may not have days left to make a decision to trust in the Creator of the universe. You may not even have hours left to ponder whether true love exists and where it came from.

But while there is still breath in you, you do have time to knock on Heaven’s door. I promise you…Someone will answer with open arms, a smile, and everlasting life.

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Posted on February 23, 2014 by TonyFebruary 18, 2022

Let sparkling salvation shine in your heart.

From the time I became a Christian, when I was 13, I’ve had a vision of salvation as being like crystal. What I mean by that is the clarity…the clear, clean, crystal eternal life promised to me by God. When I was closing in on 20, I even wrote a song about it called “Sparkling Salvation”. I didn’t do a very good job, as I read it over now, but I remember the feeling I had the day I wrote it…

…pure. Yep, that’s the feeling. I meant to describe purity and used things that sparkle to help illustrate my feeling. Tears, a china set, children’s eyes…these all held special meaning for me at that time, so I put them in the lyrics. It was never a song I recorded, but as I re-read the words today I could hear the melody in my head. I never get tired of that.

If you’re a Christian, what one word would you use to describe salvation? And how does thinking of that word make you feel? Write to me and let me know. Until then, here’s my youthful attempt at describing…

Sparkling Salvation

Look to the clouds in the sky.
Blink all the tears from your eyes.
See how salvation arrives.
At last the moment draws nigh.
Think quick…everybody think clear.
No more living in fear.
See now that Heaven is here.
As we are here it is here.
Break out the china for tea.
Let’s talk of the lives we’re to live
And remember the special rule
That in order to take we must give.
Children’s eyes sparkle today.
What better thing can we say
Than that they have chosen the one right Way
And made our eyes sparkle, too?

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

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