A Glorious Body

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

You can live forever, in paradise with your Creator, in a glorious body. So don’t worry so much about the body you have now which only lasts a little while.

Pardon the abrupt way I jumped into this Biblical topic. But I just wanted to be sure you’re awake for this eye-opening information.

Are you aware that you’ll get a glorious body when you’re raised from the dead?

What’s that you say? You don’t believe you’ll be raised from the dead? Well, do you believe you’re gonna die? I think you can probably wrap your mind around that because you see it happening every day. Death is a natural part of this life we have. It’s not the best part. In fact, it’s the worst part…but nevertheless a part.

In 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 Paul writes a brilliant passage describing the difference in this temporary body we now have and that which we will have upon resurrection. His juxtaposition of adjectives is colorful and clear. To describe our present earthly body he uses words like flesh, terrestrial, corruption, dishonor, weakness, natural, and dust. Contrast that with the resurrected body and find words like spirit, celestial, incorruption, honor, glory, and power.

Wow…what a difference. But of course our resurrected body would have to be amazingly different in order to last through eternity. Right?

Our current natural bodies won’t last forever, and we shouldn’t want them to anyway. Our flesh has been corrupted with sin from the very first generation. Now, I know this sounds hokey to anyone who doesn’t want God telling them what for. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Our feelings don’t make it true or false. The facts do. And if I don’t have my facts straight…if I’m one of those goofy Christians who bought into this whole life-after-death-in-paradise-with-God myth…then I’m a silly fool.

But if I’m not wrong about this (and I’m staking my potential eternal future on it), then I can look forward to a glorious body one day that will never die. And anyone who didn’t believe is a silly fool. This much is for sure…we’re either both wrong, or one of us is right. But we can’t both be right.

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

We Are Not Trained Apes

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

No. We are not trained apes. From as early as seven months human children can understand and learn grammatical rules. Have you ever heard of “feral children”? These are children raised without human contact. There have been studies of 36 documented cases of these children, and they don’t speak until learning from another human. While it’s true we humans need to be taught language…

We are not trained apes.

Some chimpanzee trainers have had success training their animals to recognize quite a few words, symbols, and even make some limited hand signs. But here’s a key thing…

…when the trained animal dies, the trainer’s hard work goes down the drain. These apes don’t pass on their “vocabulary” to their offspring. And no apes in the wild have shown true vocabulary skills. True language requires vocabulary AND grammar because it’s only with grammar that we can use a few words to express a variety of ideas.

We humans also have a variety of methods of expressing language. We have speaking and hearing…reading and writing…signing…Braille (touch)…and even tapping (Morse code). When something prevents us from communicating one way, we use another. It’s hard-wired into us.

Our language and ability to communicate isn’t getting more and more complex…in other words…evolving. No, it’s actually devolving. English, for example, is much less complex than even in the days of America’s founding fathers. Read their documents…even their personal letters to and from their spouses…and you’ll see a much more fluid and flowing use of mood, voice, verb form, syntax, tense, and inflection.

For a human to need another human in order to learn to speak, this means the first humans must have been endowed with a language ability. There just isn’t any evidence that language evolved. This, of course, means that humans didn’t either. And that we are not trained apes or any other form of evolved creatures.

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

I Can’t Remember

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

I can’t remember the last time I sang this song. But I ran across it today, and I thought I’d share a little background about the lyrics.

In another post I shared how I love metaphors. Well, I also love a play on words…or a twist…or something ironic or sardonic or eccentric or concentric…or…well, you get it. In the following lyrics you’ll see a guy who claims to be unable to remember anything at all about his former love. And you’ll be musically carried away on a list of things he can’t remember.

I happened to be playing a particular sound on an old Roland digital keyboard I no longer have, and it has such a melodic, percussive resonance to it that some words popped into my head. Before I knew it the whole song flowed out in one glorious evening of writing, singing, and producing. Those are rare and beautiful moments for a songwriter. And I’d like to tell you more about the relationship the song was based on, but…

I Can’t Remember

I can’t remember the color of your eyes
The smell of your perfume
Or the way you style your hair
I can’t remember what kind of clothes you wore
What kind of car you drove
Or if your skin was fair

I can’t remember your hopes or your plans
Or the way you held my hands
I can’t remember your smile or your mouth
Or what your life was all about
I can’t remember; it just isn’t there
I guess I don’t care…I just can’t remember

I can’t remember how blue the sky became
When we would go for walks
Or picnics in the fall
I can’t remember the way you rubbed my back
The softness of your kiss
I just forgot it all

I can’t remember your plans or your hopes
Or your floral envelopes
I can’t remember your mouth or your smile
No, I simply lost your file

I can’t remember; it just isn’t there
I guess I don’t care…I just can’t remember

I can’tremember…

© Copyright Tony Funderburk 1988

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

If you’re a business owner, I’d like to point out something I thought would have been blatantly obvious until recently. No one has a right to force you to serve their needs. Regardless of whatever inane laws vacuous government officials might conjure up…you DO have a right to refuse service to anyone.

And what if man-made laws take away your right to refuse service?

I completely understand how our federal, state, and local governments manage to make things like this a “legal” issue. But far too often in our system of government, “legal” parts company with “right and wrong”. Simply calling something legal doesn’t make it right. For example…at one time in our nation’s history only three-fifths of blacks were counted as citizens. It was constitutionally “legal”, but it was most certainly wrong.

I’m saying all this because recently, right here in my own home town, a “legal” issue has arisen as a result of a cake maker exercising a right to refuse service to a “gay couple”. They wanted him to bake them a cake for their so-called civil union ceremony. Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colorado informed the two men that his Christian worldview doesn’t support “gay marriage” or a “civil union”. The two men fired some insults at Mr. Phillips, left the shop, and eventually filed a discrimination lawsuit.

I found a report on this from a National Public Radio article that popped up in an app on my iPhone. I’ll paste in some of that article, and I’ll give my views in blue.

“…should they be allowed a religious exemption, like churches and some institutions?”

No…religion isn’t the issue. Freedom is.

Just because a guy bakes cakes doesn’t give you or anyone else a “right” to any of those cakes or to force him to bake you one.

“Or a First Amendment free expression to pass a sort of “conscientious objector” status if the job is at odds with their beliefs?”

This comes closer to reality. If a bar owner, who doesn’t give a hoot about Jesus, doesn’t want skinheads coming into his bar…he should have a right to refuse service to them.

~ In his Colorado cake case ruling, Administrative Law Judge Robert Spencer acknowledged that some may view the actions of baker Phillips as within his rights as a businessman.

“At first blush,” he wrote, “it may seem reasonable that a private business should be able to refuse service to anyone it chooses.

“This view, however,” Spencer added, “fails to take into account the cost to society and the hurt caused to persons who are denied service simply because of who they are.” ~

And Judge Spencer’s view (also any corresponding “laws”) fails to take into account the cost of lost souls and the hurt caused to persons who are forced to provide service simply because of who THEY are. 

“Colorado, like New Mexico, bars discrimination based on sexual orientation.”

In doing so, both states elevate the rights of some over the rights of others. Unjust.

~ For Laura Durso, the issue is one of basic rights.

“There is a steady drumbeat of people understanding fairness in the marketplace,” says Durso, director of LGBT research and communication at the Center for American Progress. “Open a business to serve the public? You have an obligation to serve everyone.” ~

Ms Durso unsurprisingly fails to understand basic rights. Basic rights can be defended equally for everyone. Basic rights are life, liberty, and a pursuit of happiness. No one has a “basic right” to force, coerce, or compel someone else to bake them a cake. And “fairness in the marketplace” is a remarkably childish concept. With all the “fairness” you can muster give 100 people the same tools and the same opportunities and the same freedoms. Then watch as, inevitably, some excel while others crash and burn. And no one has an “obligation to serve everyone”. That’s a senseless statement not well thought out.

~ So, what’s the fix? Where is the line, constitutionally?

“That’s the million dollar question,” Gottry says, and one that will have to be answered by state legislatures, or by the Supreme Court.”~

If state legislatures or the Supreme Court are unable to understand the difference between “right” and merely “legal” (which is the case the majority of the time now), we will continue to decline further and further into moral bankruptcy. And don’t deceive yourself into believing morality comes from people, places, or parchment. Morality comes from God…the same God who endowed us with “certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.

In conclusion, I’d like to say that a free market will almost always determine the course of enterprise. If I determine not to serve a segment of society, and I see my business begin to fail, I should be able to and allowed to make the adjustments…if I’m willing.

And If I’m unwilling to make those adjustments, and my business fails, so be it.

Also…If I decide to serve a certain segment of society while denying others…and I’m rewarded with a flourishing business, so be it. The point is…it’s my business. If you can see a better way to do it, and if you’re able to do it, go for it. You’ll either get my business or you won’t. But I won’t be mad at you for being different.

Stay tuned,

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By And By In A Lullaby

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

I don’t know why certain combinations of words intrigue me, but they do. And I’ve been that way as far back as I can remember. For example…what does “by and by” mean? Well, it appears to usually mean “at some point in the future” or “eventually”.

But “by and by” is also used in place of “by the way”. I prefer the first explanation. And I’ve used it that way occasionally over my many years as a writer. I even sneaked it into the lyrics I’m sharing with you today. It’s not hidden very well, so I’m sure you’ll quickly find it. And I say lyrics because I plan to use the words in a song. However, it’s not a song yet.

I suppose because it’s very late at night as I type this that my thoughts have strayed to lullabies and Dreamtown. Whatever it is…I just felt like a change of pace from my other articles and opinions and studies.

See what you think. Do these words sound like they could be sung to a little one to get them to sleep?

The Dreamer’s Lullaby

In those seconds sliding into sleep…
There may be some time you’ll wanna keep.
Grab the minutes tightly in your hand.
Close your eyes and soon you’ll understand.

There’s a place you’re gonna wanna go,
Where it’s always free to see the show.
Colors in the sky will breathe you in.
Close your eyes and let the dreams begin.

Hear the lullaby and by
Way up in the sky so high
Every little sigh you sigh will fly and fly
Into the dreamer’s lullaby.

Dreams are hidden right behind your eyes…
Every night a new and bright surprise…
Fly across the Milky Way in bed.
Just lay down and rest your weary head.

© Tony Funderburk 2012  (September 10)

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Even though we never truly get to the future, it does exist. There really is a future…in your future. I don’t know exactly what it’ll look like or how it will all play out, but I’m convinced there are good things in my future. If we could fast forward to the future right now, do you think you’d like to make the trip?

One day, about 11 years ago, I was thinking about how we only live in the present…but how we do know there’s a future. Well, I was pondering how as a Christian I have that assurance there’s a future of paradise coming my way. I live in hopeful anticipation of a day when hate, despair, turmoil, and all manner of mayhem humans inflict upon one another will die.

As I continued to contemplate…I thought about how the future exists for every man, woman, and child who has ever lived. But you know that old real estate expression? Location…location…location. That’s the key. It’s not a matter of IF you’ll exist in the future…it’s a matter of WHERE.

My pondering continued, and I recalled the story of Lazarus and the rich man. I won’t write the whole story. You can read it HERE. But a section of that passage talks about “a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us”. That line inspired the first line of my song “Fast Forward”.

The rest of the song is about someone looking back on their life and realizing they had bought into the evolutionary worldview. This person, who has passed from this life, now has full realization of Truth. And thoughts and emotions of “what if” and “panic” begin to set in.

As I like to consistently say here on my website, in my songs, and in discussions I have with people who don’t yet trust a living, loving God who created them…

…it’s all so avoidable. While you still breathe here on planet earth, you can dig deeper into the awe-inspiring details of creation and see the handiwork of God. I urge you to discover and accept the complexity of life for the representation of God’s love that it is…

before you…

Fast Forward

Fast forward to the scene by the ocean.
You’re shattered and fatigued with emotion.
Fast forward to a time of reflection.
Then you can use your hindsight direction
To help explain that angst and depression.
Fast forward past your dreamland expression.

Can’t you just imagine…how it all might be
If we end up dying and find out that we live?
Can’t you hear the questions… “How could we not see?”
“Where’s the one in charge?” and “How much do I give?”

Chorus

In awe of all creation and how it all could be
The fairy tale illusions increase with every year.
The wrinkled plans expand…exponentially…
Until one day, perhaps, a duck becomes a deer…yeah, right.

chorus

What does this all mean?
And why should we care?
That we didn’t come from slime!
And there’s a God out there!

Fast forward!

© Tony Funderburk 2002

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

Words And Music of Faith Hope Love Podcast Episode 24

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Play

Podcast Episode 24 is available for listening or downloading. Click the blue button to hear words and music of faith hope love or follow links and read the articles.

As you start your week”

Just a little over three weeks left of 2013. I’ll let you in on a little secret. This hasn’t been one of my best years. In fact, it doesn’t even rank in the top 10, or 15, or 20.

That being said…it’s still an awesome gift to have life and have self-awareness. It’s better to have lived a rough year than to never have lived at all. I don’t mean that as a cliché in the least. I mean it from the bottom of my everlasting heart. And I hope you feel that way, too. You’re an important creation of God. He loves you and wants you to have an abundant life. If you’re not currently experiencing what you’d call an abundant life, you can change that. The choice is yours.

By “abundant” I don’t mean you’ll have everything your little heart ever desired. That’s not an abundant life…that’s an abundance of “things”. Put your faith hope love and trust in God. Then He’ll impart His Spirit into yours and you’ll have everlasting life. And you can’t get more abundant than that. The remaining days of this year sort of represent how time is running out for anyone and everyone who still rejects the Grace of Jesus. There’s no time like the present to get the expiration date removed from your soul and spirit.

Now”here’s what you’ll find in this week’s podcast.
I talked about:

Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

Let Us Eat And Drink

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Maybe you’ve heard this: “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”. Or maybe you’ve heard another version: “eat, drink, and be merry…for tomorrow we die”.

And “let us eat…” comes from the Bible. Did you know that?

Paul wrote that first version in
1 Corinthians 15:29-34. He was talking about the effects of denying the resurrection of Jesus. He was saying that if there is no resurrection, then this life may very well be all we have. And if that’s the case…we’d better party as much as we can possibly stand. After all, who knows how long anyone has.

Paul also shared with the Corinthians how the work he was doing in Ephesus (and anywhere else for that matter) would serve no reasonable purpose. Why should Christians bother to share anything about Jesus if we’re all gonna just die and that’s it? What a waste of time…right?

Well, everyone of us has our own flesh to contend with. Everyone of us deals with that voice, or notion, or thought that says “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”. The flesh wants what the flesh wants. And like Paul said, “I die daily”. It’s only by the Grace and knowledge of the everlasting salvation Jesus provided for me that I rise again daily.

Do you have that same assurance?

Have you considered the possibility there may be some truth to this story Christians can’t seem to shut up about? Do you feel secure and confident about the choice you’ve made when it comes to how long your life will last? I’m only asking because I know how much love you’ll be missing out on to deny the birth, death, and resurrection of your Creator. I’d hate to see that. Especially when it’s so avoidable. You simply need to make a choice. It’s a matter of life or death…literally.

Choose life.

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

ET Will Not Phone Home

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

I remember a song from Don Henley off his “Inside Job” compilation called “They’re Not Here, They’re Not Coming”. In his lyrics he alludes to beings from somewhere “out there” and sings about how they’re not here, and they’re not coming. I’ve always said that ET is not here, not coming, and therefore will not phone home.

ET will not phone home...a bold prediction by singer songwriter, Tony Funderburk

Let’s put it this way…if life actually evolved right here on good ol’ “mother earth” (which is the flawed assumption many scientists begin with), we could reasonably expect to find at least some simple forms of life at least on the moon. Or maybe even Mars. Yet, even with multiple trips to those other orbs and the most sophisticated tests we can muster, not even microbes have been found.

Because so many believe, without the benefit of truly critical thinking, that we evolved here on Earth…they often say things like “Well, it’s just arrogant of us to think we’re the only intelligent life in the universe.”

I maintain it’s arrogant to assume otherwise. Particularly since absolutely no evidence exists to support such an assumption. America alone has spent zillions of dollars searching for signs of extraterrestrial life to no avail. There are radio telescopes linked to computers simultaneously searching millions of radio frequencies for any nonrandom, or nonnatural signal.* They’re looking for information…because information would prove something or someone IS out there. With all those eyes and ears pointed skyward, the silence is still deafening.

This is just one of many reasons the evolution explanation for the origin of life is invalid. I’ve been sharing these reasons for a while now. And I have a lot more. So stay tuned…

In Faith, Hope, and Love”

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

 

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

You get to choose for yourself where and how you’ll spend eternity. I hope you don’t mind if I make a subtle suggestion: Choose life and live forever.

I’ve shared the lyrics to my song called “Choose Life” before. But I’ve never shared the song itself. Today, I’m gonna make it available to anyone who wants it. Free. You don’t have to subscribe to anything. You don’t have to give out an email address or SMS number or anything like that. It’s just my gift to you for being there.

Because I want you to choose life and live forever.

I hope it encourages you, or inspires you, or otherwise changes your mind to the positive side of life. If so, I’d love to hear from you about it. Now, here’s the words and music…

Choose Life

Well you hid your heart in a so-called safe place,
And you locked your love in a big, black box,
And you had no hope,
But you built your brave face,
And you ran your rat race…through the tics and tocs.

Well, the bluebells bloomed in ideal intentions
As you tilled the truth into lifelong lies,
And you dug in deep making many mentions
Of your pretty pensions…always alibis.

You can’t run away from real truth.
And every word of truth is a knife.
A captivating voice might pigeonhole your choice,
Cut free…and choose life.

When your daydreams die and you feel half-hearted,
And your love is lost in a soulless sky,
Try to train your thoughts when your brain’s bombarded
By the stuff you started”learn to love the lie.

Chorus”

Choose life…choose life…choose life

© Tony Funderburk 2013

Stay tuned,

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The Last Enemy

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Once you live beyond your childhood you acquire enemies. That’s a sad and pessimistic sounding commentary, but it’s true. It’s an occupational hazard of being alive, having opinions, and sharing your thoughts. You don’t have the same enemies as someone else, but the last enemy you will face is the same for everyone. Death.

And, to be sure, the last enemy can sure be the worst.

Here’s what I’d like you to mull over for a minute or two…is it possible to overcome death? If you think it’s possible, leave me a comment or send me an email telling me how we can overcome it. If you don’t think it’s possible, tell me why not. My faith, on this subject, is anchored in the terra firma of God’s word found in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28.

The Apostle Paul said “the last enemy that will be destroyed is death”. Now, don’t misconstrue this to mean that if you somehow muster enough faith in God that you won’t die. Physically you will die. There’s an exact 1:1 ratio of birth to death in all the history of the world. You will be no exception. But the physical is only one of your three parts.

Your soul and spirit will continue to live, if you choose to be with God.

If you don’t believe God exists, and…if you don’t believe He sent His Son to take on the flesh of a man and die for your sins, and…if you don’t believe His Son also rose from the dead to show us how we can also rise again, then chances are this article sounds like just another one of those annoying Christian “sermons” to you.

And you know what? It sort of is like that. Yeah, I’m actually sort of preaching to you. But I want you to get the full meaning of why I even bother to take the time to do so.

I’m convinced that eternal life with a loving, living Creator is real and reachable. But I’m also convinced that there’s nothing you’ve done, on your own, that could get you to or keep you from that eternal life. Plus, I’m convinced that the love of God, shining brightest through His Son Jesus, is the key to paradise.

All the ridicule, scorn, and contempt the world can muster against me for my faith in God will never convince me otherwise. And when I’ve overcome the last enemy, my deepest hope is to be an eternal singer songwriter for my Heavenly Father.

In Faith, Hope, and Love,

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

Turn Your Eyes On

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

I’m a metaphor kind of guy. I love ’em. I use ’em every time it makes sense, and it makes sense almost all the time. For instance…one time back in 1983 I wrote a song about trying to help someone see more clearly and understand the world around them. I used the metaphor “turn your eyes on”.

Tony uses the metaphor "Turn Your Eyes On" as a description of helping someone see more clearly.

Of course, there’s no quick an easy light switch to anyone’s understanding. Would that it were so…but then we’d be no more than robots…but I digress.

It’s ironic how often we can so clearly see how to solve someone else’s problems while at the same time pushing our own out of the spotlight and onto the back burner. Have you ever tried to help someone with their problem…even though they didn’t ask for your help? If so, how did that turn out? Not so good?

We shouldn’t always be so quick to jump in with advice, yet…we should never seal ourselves off to the hurting of others…even when they seem to prefer we didn’t notice. So, there’s a bit of a tightrope to walk. And that’s why seeking wisdom should be the principal goal of every human being.

OK…this article is a bit deeper and shaded than I’d first intended, but I sort of let my thoughts travel where they might as I read the lyrics to that song I mentioned earlier. It materialized about the middle of January in 1983. I was in the last throes of a rocky relationship, and emotions ran the gamut. In the middle of the turmoil I wrote a song about it, kept it to myself, and never made a decent recording of it. But since it’s one I’m considering revamping, I thought I’d share the words with you. See if you detect the subtle nudging I used in the metaphors…

Turn Your Eyes On

You’ve got a soul but you don’t know where it is.
You’ve got a heart that’s almost breaking.
You’ve got a mind to end it all and start again
And maybe lose that awful aching…
But it’s an awful chance you’re taking.

I think the brightest days are somewhere up ahead.
I think the time will be worth waiting.
I know it’s hard to see beyond the way you feel,
But you must stop your senseless hating
And look ahead anticipating.

Turn your eyes on…face the world around you.
Turn your eyes on…don’t let your dreams surround you.
Turn your eyes on…keep your fingers snappin’.
Turn your eyes on…someday you’ll make it happen.

The time will come when you’ll look at this and laugh.
You’ll wonder just what you were thinking.
But now you have to get a grip and face the world
And keep your better side from shrinking…
And keep your puzzle pieces linking.

© 1983 Tony Funderburk

In Faith, Hope, and Love”

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

Hold On To Nothing

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

You’ll hold on to nothing when you leave this life…

You can Hold On To Nothing when you leave this world.

…but that doesn’t mean you don’t have anywhere else to go. On the contrary, your whole life here on earth is only the beginning. Eternity is a full on experience once you leave the confines of your body. It’s the point of no return. And if you’ve chosen to be with your Creator, you wouldn’t want to return anyway.

It’s December, and that means Christmas is just ahead. During this time of year some people seem to have a slightly clearer perspective on what’s important. Family, friends, health. The important things can’t be purchased. And you’ll have them with you wherever you are. “Things” aren’t like that.

Almost 31 years ago I was thinking about this very subject. And as I so often do, I wrote down my thoughts and composed a song about it. I started out the song with a double negative. I have my reason for it, but see if you can figure out why. I recorded the song on a very cheap cassette recorder, but I never really produced it. I think I might do just that pretty soon. I’ll share the words with you, and you can tell me if you think I should do an updated recording. Leave a comment, or send me an email. Now, here are the lyrics to…

There’s A Time

You can’t hold on to nothing when you leave.
It’s only you He will receive,
And only you that means a thing.
So learn to love just who you are,
And though you may not be a star
You still can hear the angels sing.

There’s a time for rejoicing
Between the sunrise and the sunset.
There’s a time for your heart to be free from pain.
There’s a time for believing
This is only the beginning.
There’s a time when your spirit may seem so plain.
That’s when you’ll know
That you’re welcome to go.

You can’t make it to the other side
Till you’ve got nothing more to hide
‘Cause you can’t hide it from His eyes.
So try to learn from your mistakes,
And try to do just what it takes
To live your life away from lies.

(repeat chorus)

Don’t turn your head…
Don’t turn your head and walk away.
Your time just might be today.

© 1983 Tony Funderburk

In Faith, Hope, and Love”

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

Words And Music of Faith Hope Love Podcast Episode 23

Tony Funderburk Posted on by
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As you start your week”

Make this December a month to remember. If you’re a Christian, put on the armor of God with faith hope and love, and talk about Him in any way you know how. You have gifts and talents, and they came from God. Use them to the best of your ability, along with the resources you have access to, and spread the Word.

December is the month we celebrate the birth of Jesus. That truly was a glorious day for all mankind. But another day is coming that will prove to be even more glorious. Jesus will return and bring an end to all this human turmoil. His patience with our ineptitude will run out…thankfully.

So…before that happens we still have some work to do. Every day many more people perish for lack of knowledge. That’s why it’s important that we use the awesome tools we have to get the message out to all the world. I pray my humble website will inspire, edify, exhort, and intrigue others to speak up boldly. Will you do that this week? I hope so.

And if you’re still one of those people who thinks the story of Jesus is just a fairy tale, I hope you’ll give it another chance this month. While you still breathe, there’s still a chance for faith…hope…love.

Now”here’s what you’ll find in this week’s podcast.
I shared articles about:

Stay tuned,

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

If this whole story of how Jesus rose from the dead two thousand years ago is merely a fairy tale…a fable…a legend…then I’ve been duped, and I’ve been a false witness.

You see…it’s like this…since I was thirteen I’ve been agreeing with the notion, and perpetuating the idea that Jesus was (and is) a real person. I’ve told people how He suffered a horrible death for the sins of the world. And I’ve shared how He rose again from the dead to show us how we can also rise again into eternal life.

Now, I wholeheartedly agree this all sounds silly…to an unbeliever. But to one who believes and trusts in the accounts of the life of Jesus found in the Bible, it all makes complete sense. The Bible appears to do a pretty darn good job of explaining how we came to be, who we are, and why we even exist.

Still…if there is no God…if there never was a man born of a virgin, son of God, named Jesus, I’ve been a false witness and a fool. If the story is proved to be false, I would ask for your forgiveness as well as your pity. I’d hope you could find it in your heart to have mercy and compassion for me. And I would also desire to know more about your faith…provided it was placed in the actual truth.

But…(you knew there would be a but, didn’t you?)

…my hope, trust, belief, and faith are in a Risen Savior. I’m compelled by the insurmountable evidence found in manuscripts, archeology, prophesy, and the laws of statistical probabilities…not to mention pure science (but I’ll mention it anyway).

I’m compelled by the truly changed lives I’ve seen throughout my lifetime. The hopeless find hope. The helpless find help. The unloved find love.

There is no other message in the history of the world that so brilliantly and breathtakingly conveys an eternal love toward every human being. Only the righteous and redeeming message of God taking on human flesh to take the punishment we deserve can so completely renew and strengthen our spirits.

We fail and God’s love flourishes. We sin and God saves. We doubt and God delivers. I don’t, for a second, believe I’m being a false witness or a fool to share this with you. My hope is for those who disagree to accept the love God wants them to have. My hope is for failures to fight…for sinners to see…and for doubters to discover. My hope is in the Lord.

In Faith, Hope, and Love”

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

Orange Bird

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

There it was…in a jewelry store window…and I’ve never really been the kind of guy who wears jewelry. But it was very cool. It was made of some sort of ivory or marble or something. Whatever it was, I couldn’t loosen my gaze on the orange bird.

I was strolling through a shopping district in Kansas City on a date with a girl (who will remain nameless), and it was right around this time of year. Christmas…and as a songwriter I know very well put it… “the shoppers did that shuffle that they do when the snowflakes fall”. The air was brisk but very bearable. Christmas lights shined a rainbow in the sky, and decorations of metallic glass were hanging off leafless tree limbs.

Conversation wasn’t forced, but it wasn’t exactly free-flowing yet either. Both of us knew we were enjoying the evening, but we still didn’t know each other well enough to have anything in common to talk about. So, we made small talk…at first.

Then, we passed by a jewelry store window framed in contrasting blond brick and gold lamé stone. Tiny white, blinking Christmas lights also meandered around the frame of the window. There were some elegant watches, diamond earrings, and the usual gold jewelry displayed on rich, burgundy velvet. There was even a diamond pendant attached to what appeared to be a miniature Aspen limb.

But what really caught my eye…what stood out in the midst of all that was an orange bird. It looked like it was made of polished ivory, but it was orange. Could it be marble? Could it be some rare orange jade or onyx or sapphire? No, that just didn’t make sense.

I commented to my date about how beautiful it was. She totally agreed. It was, by far, the least expensive item in the display. And yet…I thought it was the most unique. It stood out by artful comparison. My imagination kicked in, as it so often did back then, and I could see words taking form…even a song.

We walked on, enjoyed dinner and a movie, and I drove her home. There were only a few more dates with this lovely girl, and we somehow drifted apart. You know how those things go. But the story didn’t end there.

A few weeks later, on Christmas, I got out of bed, showered and dressed, and headed out the front door to visit family for the day. On my doorstep was a greeting card with my name on the front. I looked around and didn’t see anyone. So, I opened the card and read a very touching message next to a tiny drawing of a bird flying through the air. The message will remain a mystery, but here’s the cool thing. The orange bird I saw weeks earlier, in the jewelry store window, dropped out of the envelope. It was a necklace.

Like I said…I don’t really wear jewelry…but I wore that orange bird around my neck several times before retiring it to one of my memory boxes. Somewhere, sometime…I don’t know where or when, the orange bird was lost. But not before I wrote this song…

Orange Bird

Over the treetops and under the heavens,
There soars the orange bird,
The symbol of regal desire.
With figurehead poise he drifts through the azure,
His eyes peering downward
For traces of hope he requires.
Orange bird in the sky…oh you’re blinding my eyes.
Your countenance keeps me intact.
Though you hang ’round my neck, and I imagine your trek…
To me you’re not fiction, you’re fact.
A handsome medallion in a jewelry store window
Has caught my attention,
And I’m lost in a daydream awhile.
But the sight of the orange bird with mandarin feathers
Whose lifestyle I envy
Is enough to make me silently smile.

© 1974 Tony Funderburk

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,

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Today Is The Day

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

OK…say it with me. Today is the day I will not…

  • Go into the red to help someone else get in the black
  • Pay lots more in the future for what I take home now
  • Stand in line for something that will be there next week at the same price
  • Become part of a frenzied crowd or mob
  • Change my mind about what’s a truly good deal
  • Allow any hype to change my mood or my attitude
  • Buy into the retail message of Christmas while forfeiting the real message

Today is the day after Thanksgiving here in America.

For my money…that’s the only sensible way of looking at it. I’ve seen lots of advertising and marketing for Black Friday, and listen to me people…it’s so unnecessary.

Retailers would have you believe that continuing to visit with your friends, family, and relatives is such an awful strain…and oh, so boring. Malls, department stores, and online marketers want you to buy like no other day of the year can possibly match the “bargains” of today.

Poppycock…balderdash…gobbledygook…and codswallop.

Today is the day for traditional retailers to kick off their “season” of selling to make up for the rest of the year. This is the day they hope to begin to climb out of the red and into the black. You want to know the most ironic part of it? Many of those retailers (by no means all) are not Christians…do not believe or trust in God…and even think we Christians are small-minded fools. But they’re more than willing to take the fool’s money.

I’m not at all for taking the gift-giving out of Christmas. I love getting and giving gifts. But I just don’t want anyone to be able to profit from my faith in God, in one hand, while they thumb their nose at Him with the other. And I certainly don’t want to buy into the hype that today is the day the year’s best bargains appear.

Feel free to totally disregard my heartfelt tips. I know it’s fun to go out and shop right now since the Christmas music is playing…and the decorations are popping out everywhere. But as for me and my household…I think we’ll take a drive in the mountains, drink some eggnog, and watch some old black and white movies.

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,

Tony Funderburk signature logo

 

 

Thankful Thoughts

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Well, obviously a lot of Americans are having thankful thoughts today, and I’m certainly no exception.

I just did a quick search for the word “thanksgiving” in the Bible, and I found 40 results. From Leviticus to Revelation I found men full of need, needs being met, and thanksgiving to God. True Thanksgiving isn’t found merely in a bountiful table of food, or being with friends and family for the day. No, true thanksgiving can only be to God. After all…if it wasn’t for Him, no one on the planet would be on the planet. And there really wouldn’t be anything at all to be thankful for or to.

So…on this special day we Americans set aside and call “Thanksgiving” I’d like to say how thankful I am to have so many blessings in my life…

  • A wife and helpmate who loves, cares, and nurtures
  • You, for reading my words and listening to my music
  • Digital tools that make my work so much easier to create and share
  • A very nice roof over my head
  • An unquenchable thirst for knowledge and wisdom
  • And most of all…God…who made a way for me to live eternally in paradise

Those are just a few of my thankful thoughts today. My blessings outnumber my trials and tribulations, and I pray that you can say that for yourself, too. Now, I’d like to share the lyrics to an older song of mine. They mildly express the joy in my heart…

I Can’t Hide It

Down in my heart; down deep in my heart
Is a place where no one ever goes,
But that’s about to stop; I know it’s gonna stop
“˜Cause I’ve been changed by You, and I know it shows.

There’s a smile on my face…
I can’t hide it.
My feet quickened their pace…
I can’t hide it.
You have opened the door
To my poor heart once more,
And it’s You I live for…I can’t hide it.

You listen to me; listen closely to me…
I wanna rise up from ashes of defeat.
I need Your grace; I need all of Your grace
“˜Cause I know it’s what makes me feel complete.

 chorus…

I had always worked things out inside,
And then I saw my foolish heart had lied.
Now I have my chance; my only chance…
Not make believe; not a shadow dance.

chorus…

© 1999 Tony Funderburk

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,

Tony Funderburk signature logo

 

Fooling Yourself

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Are you fooling yourself about what’s important?

You're Fooling Yourself if you think there's life apart from God.

No matter how much you achieve in this life…no matter what you build, or attain, or receive…no matter how many people you know…

…if you don’t have the Source of Life in you, you’re merely fooling yourself to think all is well. No, you are dead and will always remain that way. But that fate is avoidable.

You were born a three-part person. Body – Soul – Spirit. Your body formed in your mother’s womb, and it matured as you were nurtured, fed, and watered. Your soul, in a sense, is your unique software. It’s where the untouchable code of all you are…your thoughts, memories, philosophy…exists. Your spirit is where life resides…or at least it can reside if you’re willing.

Life doesn’t come from nothing. It doesn’t come from rocks. It doesn’t come from a magical, mystical combination of chemicals and sparks. Life comes from God. He’s the Source of Life. And being the righteous benefactor He is, He offers you eternal life. He doesn’t force you to choose. He doesn’t force His decision on you. He makes the offer and allows you to accept or reject it.

God would love for you to live with Him in paradise forever. But He won’t make you, if you don’t want to. If you prefer your own path, your own “kingdom”, your own universe, God has made a place where you can go and exist forever. Just one problem…you won’t be able to take your body or your spirit…just your soul. (description above)

Your choice to be apart from God states that you’d rather He didn’t impart His Spirit of life into you. So your spirit will remain empty and unable to exist forever. I think you can clearly see what happens to the bodies of every living person. They wear out and eventually fall away from their souls. What happens after that depends on the choice you made…eternal life…or the alternative.

If you think this life here on planet earth is all there is, you’re fooling yourself. If you think you can sustain your own spirit for eternity, you’re fooling yourself. If you think there’s any paradise apart from God, you’re fooling yourself.

Please turn your back on your own limited perspective and capabilities and learn to lean on the Everlasting Love of God. He’s made an awesome place for all who do.

Fooling Yourself

If you think life merely means
Leaving silver footprints in the grass,
You’re fooling yourself with fantasy…
Wasting away in dreams.
Oh, but there are times when all is simple…
When things are carefree.
These are the times you should cherish
And think of endlessly…
Because your life is but a fragment of time.
Will you allow yourself to overflow?
Will a daydream pass you by with just a glance?
Casting its shadow on your face?
Teasing you with a chance?
If you think life merely means
Letting every little chance pass you by,
You’re fooling yourself and letting go…
Wasting away…away.

© 1974 Tony Funderburk

In Faith, Hope, and Love”

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.

Your Indescribable Gift

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

The moment you were conceived, you were given the indescribable gift of life.

Life is an Indescribable Gift from God. Be thankful.

It’s an indescribable gift because no one can truly describe life. In fact, to merely “describe” it somewhat implies we have a good understanding of what it is. I believe we can perceive life, but we can’t really describe it. How many times have you heard the age-old question, “What’s the meaning of life?”

We fragile human beings hurl ourselves at the future oftentimes without genuine appreciation of the now. And now is the only place in time you can function. Certainly we can know we have a past, but we can never go back there and change even one millisecond. We also have a future, but the only control we have over it depends on what we do with “now”.

Right now, do you love yourself? Seems like a question of arrogance doesn’t it? It’s really not. Even God says you are to “love your neighbor as yourself”. Simply put…we are to love ourselves. Not as the world might have you believe, but with respect to and for the indescribable gift of life we have from God. I’ll bet you feed, water, and groom yourself. Right? You make sure you stay warm in winter and cool in summer. You clothe yourself and you’ve given yourself many, many gifts.

And you absolutely should do these things.

And you should seek to do them for others as well. Remember…your neighbor, whether it’s next door or thousands of miles away, has been given the indescribable gift of life, too. But maybe their life isn’t going so well right now. Do what you can to comfort them, and if they’re willing, share some things they can do to be healthier in body, soul, and spirit. Show them how what they eat directly affects their body. Share with them how what they feed their eyes and ears directly affects their soul and spirit.

This doesn’t guarantee a changed heart, soul, or person. But even if they refuse to hear, receive, and implement the information, you’re still doing what God would have you do. And that shows how you appreciate what He’s done for you. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift”.

In Faith, Hope, and Love”

Tony Funderburk's signature can be found on almost all of his writing for kids.