Tony Funderburk Posted on by

This message might not be for you at all. Because you might be the picture of perkiness. And you have no concerns at all about your holiday health. Or any other time of the year either. If so, fantastic. Share your regimen with me. And I’ll share it with my readers and listeners.

But some people are facing serious holiday health issues.

Because some people haven’t been taking very good care of themselves.

Just in case you hadn’t noticed, sickness and health are opposites. You don’t need sickness. But you sure need your health. It’s not just something that’s nice to have around. It’s the core essential to any job you do or any career you have. And it’s so important that even marriage ceremonies bring up “in sickness and in health” and till death do us part.

I’m not saying you can avoid sickness altogether. Because no one can. But I AM saying there are things you can do to give yourself more of a fighting chance and keep you more “in the game” even when you’re sick.

Take this sickness and health pledge:

Yeah, put down that diet cola and repeat after me:

  • “I want to be healthy. I need to be healthy (are you repeating after me?)
  • If I’m not healthy, I’m no good to anyone. (say it, it’s true)
  • And if I’m healthy, I can overcome obstacles in my mind, body, and work.

OK. Do you believe it? If not, then start over. And repeat until you believe it.

Now, chew on this.

Let’s say you eat fast food everyday. But no exercise. You definitely don’t drink enough water. And even when you’re drinking it, you mix it with tea or coffee. And you think you can take your little one-a-day so-called vitamins and keep the bad times away.

Wrong.

Sickness and health are both something you’re responsible for.

(Yeah, I know left a preposition hanging out there…so, sue me)

It’s essential for you to stay well. People depend on you to do your best. And when you constantly reach for a tissue to honk your nose, or run for an umpteenth bathroom break, how much good work can you get done?

Did you ever see that commercial where the guy didn’t know how to get dressed or make breakfast or even get in his car? Because he gave up smoking. And he had to re-learn how to do everything without a cigarette in his hand. Habits are a pretty big deal.

Don’t be like that guy. Nobody’s smokin’ hot, smokin’ hot cigarettes.

Anyway…

Be well. Stay well. Start now. It’s so much more enjoyable and easier to work on being well than fighting sickness.  So…

Be happy. Grin. It’s good for you.

And try these 3 things today. They’re easy:

  1. Drink a good amount of purified water
  2. Go outside and get some fresh air and sunshine
  3. Find something to laugh about and Laugh!

That last one’s easy. Just watch videos of people who voted for the loser presidential candidate. Two words for you: hill arias.

Yeah, do things like that, and even your holiday health could be good in spite of all that pumpkin stuff you stuff inside you.

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I like this famous quote from Yogi Berra (a famous Yankee ball player). His answer to one of the questions journalists tossed at him was, “It’s like deja vu all over again.” And I thought of that, yesterday, after seeing a bunch of reminders for Black Friday 2024.

The same thing is happening again this year that happens every year now. And, as an example of what I mean, here’s what I wrote about it, six years ago, weeks before the actual day was supposed to take place.

I’ve never participated in Black Friday events.

Never. They’re so black. As in dark-cloud-hanging-over-the-day black. Ever since I was old enough to shop with my own money I avoided shopping on that day like the plague. And just this morning I’ve already seen Black Friday news stories showing how emotional shoppers are complaining about lines and horrible checkout experiences. That was 4 in the morning! I can only imagine how much worse it’s liable to get. Why does anyone still physically show up for such abuse?

Black Friday news should be enough to make you skip the trip.

If you’re reading this (or listening to it on my podcast), then you’re fully aware of the internet. And if you’re like most of my readers and listeners, you’re avoiding the the Black Friday madness. You know the best deals are more likely to be found online. And even if the rock-bottom lowest prices are still found in a brick and mortar story, you know it’s not a great deal when you have to suffer the maddening crowds.

Just so you know, I’m not sharing this Black Friday news as an opportunity to sell you anything. You won’t find any links to stores. No SKUs to shoes, glues, or even tattoos. I just wanted to mention how most people forget the reason it’s even called “Black Friday.”

Because it’s the day that jumpstarts the biggest profit section of the year for most retail businesses. But why? Do even half of those retailers realize who they have to thank for their profits? I seriously, seriously doubt it. But I’ll let you know who.

Jesus is the reason for the season and for Black Friday.

Even people who don’t believe in Jesus celebrate Christmas. They just don’t give any credit where credit is due. I used the word “credit” twice because there’s a lot of credit being used today. And look, I just did it again.

Yeah, even if you don’t believe Jesus plays a role in Black Friday anymore, He’s still the reason it ever got started. Believe it or not, America used to be a mostly Christian nation. And Christmas used to be about celebrating the birth of Jesus. And people gave each other gifts to commemorate the wise men taking gifts to the baby Jesus. So, every year, around this time, after families had gathered together for Thanksgiving (giving thanks to God by the way), they found themselves in the mood for giving.

And the shopping began.

Believe it or not, it began with joy and gladness. But as America (and the world) has fallen away from Jesus, it’s no surprise how black and gloomy Black Friday has become. Even as I read this Black Friday news I’m sharing with you, I can feel the gloom. And since I don’t want this time of year to be black and gloomy, I’m gonna end it here.

And I encourage you to avoid the temptation to join in the Black Friday 2024 blues. You can thank me later.

And I didn’t wanna sing no sappy little Christmas songs.
Didn’t wanna see no perky little Christmas kid.
Didn’t wanna shop at no mall or spend any money at all.
And I Didn’t wanna leave my house, but I’m glad I did.

(from my song “The Christmas Spirit”)

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He and I are connected on the social media channel, X. The “he,” of which I speak, is Bryan Duncan. And, for those of you who aren’t aware (or just don’t care) X is the platform that used to be called Twitter. But Elon Musk bought the platform. And he likes to add the X label to his businesses, so there you go. X.

But let’s get back to Bryan Duncan for a sec.

He started out his music career back in 1973 during what was called “the Jesus movement.” Then, he covered a lot of ground during the “Contemporary Christian Music” era. And here are a few of his milestones/achievements from all those years. This is according to Wikipedia.

~ He has received four Dove Awards and has been nominated six times for male vocalist of the year. He is also a winner of a Grammy Award for his Andraé Crouch tribute, as well as receiving multiple Grammy nominations. Bryan is also the host of the popular podcast “Nutshell Sermons”. ~

And he has 18 solo albums and 16 number 1 radio hits under his belt.

Since we’re connected on X I see his posts, there, pretty much every day. And I get a kick out of his sense of humor and his down-to-earth info about his daily life. For example, in the past day or so he posted a picture of him and his granddaughter. She looks proud of her work. And he said, “had my nails done.”

Real stuff.

I like real stuff. So, I’m glad I was able to connect with Bryan. We had similar musical lives. His path was much more commercially successful than mine. And I had some opportunities at “bigger” stuff. But I opted to go a more independent route. And my Christian words and music took a more John the Baptist course. You know how John’s course ended. So, yeah. There I went. And there you go.

I’m glad to be connected to Bryan Duncan. And I’m even more glad that we’ll get to know each other a lot better when we’re both in that…

Real Paradise

I don’t believe
In magic; hocus pocus.
I do believe
My treasure’s where I focus.

Jesus, Redeemer, Creator of Heaven
Tells every dear Christian who dies…
We will be with him forever and ever.
Now I call that real paradise.

You can receive
A blessing you can’t pay for.
What would you waste
Another single day for?

Jesus, the Savior, and Great Overcomer
Will love you and open your eyes.
There is no sin that His blood will not cover.
Now, I call that real paradise.

Instrumental…

I love the way
His promise won’t forsake me.
And there’s no end
To where His Grace will take me.

Jesus, the Lamb, without spot without blemish,
The Truth who the world still denies.
The world is against me, but Jesus is for me.
Now I call that real paradise.

© Tony Funderburk 2001-2009 

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Here’s a snippet of one of those songwriter stories I get a big kick out of. It’s about Cindy Walker. What?! You never heard of her? Somebody oughta bing your noggin. Check this out.

In 1940, Cindy Walker, at the age of 22, accompanied her parents on a business trip to Los Angeles. As they were driving down Sunset Boulevard she asked her father to stop the car near the Bing Crosby Enterprises building.

Walker later recalled: “I had decided that if I ever got to Hollywood, I was going to try to show Bing Crosby a song I had written for him called ‘Lone Star Trail.” Her father said “You’re crazy, girl.” But nonetheless he stopped the car. Walker went inside the building to pitch her song and emerged shortly afterward to ask her mother to play the piano for her.

Bing Crosby’s brother Larry Crosby had agreed to listen to the song. So Cindy sang “Lone Star Trail” to him, accompanied by her mother. And Larry Crosby was impressed. Plus, he knew his brother was looking for a new Western song to record. The next day Cindy played guitar and sang “Lone Star Trail” for Bing Crosby at Paramount Studios (where he was making a movie). Crosby arranged for her to record a demo with Dave Kapp of Decca Records. And he was also impressed and offered her a recording contract. “Lone Star Trail” was recorded and became a top-ten hit for Bing Crosby.

And this isn’t one of those songwriter stories that ends there.

Ms Walker wrote, performed, and wrote and sang songs with Gene Autry. Then, she wrote over 50 songs for Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. And she wrote hit songs for Eddy Arnold, Jim Reeves, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, and even Dean Martin. Also, she spent time in Hollywood.

But I like this part of her songwriter story. I found this info online.

“After her stint in Los Angeles she returned to Texas in 1954, living in Mexia in a modest three-bedroom house with her widowed mother, Oree (her mother). Walker’s custom was rising at dawn each day to write songs. She typed her lyrics on a pink-trimmed (pink was her signature color) manual typewriter and Oree helped work out melodies for her daughter’s words. Each year Walker and her mother would operate from an apartment in Nashville for five months or so in order to market the songs.”

My favorite Cindy Walker song is “You Don’t Know Me.” And that song has had some very nice covers. But my favorite is by Kenny Loggins, off his “Celebrate Me Home” album. Of course, it had his signature cool vocals. But there’s a snazzy guitar solo in there. Such a melancholy tune.

There’s no real underlying meaning to why I shared any of this with you. Just found out a lot more about Ms Walker that I’d never heard. And I enjoyed the way so many songwriter stories connected to her.

Anyway…

Enjoy your evening, night, morning, or afternoon with music in your heart. I know I will.

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I remember taking the Boy Scout oath way, way back in the 20th century. It’s kinda like the oath of office you’ll see Trump take in January. It was the one that started out with “on my honor.” It’s WAY different than what you’ll see young boys interested in these days. It says:

“On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country. And to obey the Scout Law: To help other people at all times, To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.”

Sounds like a slice of Americana to a boomer like me. (a very tech savvy boomer, by the way)

But..

I didn’t stay in the Boy Scouts. In fact, I got out very quickly after going on a couple of scouting camping trips. Nothing bad happened. But it just felt weird to me. That’s all I’ll say about it right now.

Yeah, I sorta took an oath of office and then resigned.

Then, I learned what God inspired James to write about oaths. James wrote, “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your Yes be Yes, and your No, No, lest you fall into judgment.”

And especially don’t swear by an oath as you invoke God’s name. Like they did in the old movies where somebody “swears to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me, God. Yeah, don’t do dat. Instead…

Do right, and risk the consequences.
And do right, whatever you do.
Do right, and don’t you stand on fences.
Now whatever you do, with all of your might, Do Right!

You might recognize those as lyrics to my famous song that a guy built his whole radio talk show around.

Just kidding. I found him, on his own late night TV show, back in 1994 or 1995. And I liked what he said. And I like how he ended each show with the words, “Do right and risk the consequences.” So, I composed a song around that catchphrase.

All these years later, you can still hear my song at the end of his recorded radio programs. Plus, other music of mine is on lots of his other materials. Neither one of us took an oath of office to keep all this connection for all this time. It just turned out that way.

He’s now in Heaven.

And he’s enjoying the consequences of all those years of doing right. It’ll be great to see him again one day. Matter of fact it’ll be great to see all the saints who’ll be there. I hope you’re one of them.

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The vast majority of American people sure have a lot of socialist beliefs. And the saddest part of that claim is that most of them would argue that it’s just not true. I’m not gonna say that Wikipedia is a completely trustworthy source of truth. But here’s a snippet of what I found there.

“The United States spends approximately $2.3 trillion on federal and state social programs including cash assistance, health insurance, food assistance, housing subsidies, energy and utilities subsidies, and education and childcare assistance.”

Does that alter your perspective about socialist beliefs in America?

It doesn’t alter mine. Because I’ve been sharing that kind of information for decades. And I’ve mentioned, recently, how silly it is when politicians (and regular peeps, too) vow that America will “never become a socialist country.” Because America already IS a socialist country. And has been almost a hundred years.

And maybe, on some level, even longer than that.

We just went through another election cycle where the major candidates spent a lot of time talking about how much of your money they would take from you to give to other people. Neither candidate stated they’d make sure it wouldn’t happen. It was just a matter of who would take how much.

Thankfully it appears, on the surface anyway, that the candidate who’d take less was elected.

And that’s a good thing. Not great. But hopefully much less despicable than it would’ve been.

Fortunately, my hope and joy and general outlook on life do NOT depend on whose signature is on the multitude of documents congress manufactures every year. And my ultimate Commander-in-chief sits on a white throne. Not behind a desk in an oval office.

I remain optimistic about the future. Not because of an election cycle. But because eventually the future (which will then be the present) will be SO bright, you won’t need a lamp, light bulb, or even the light of the sun. And there’ll be a tree with healing leaves available to everyone there. And not because of any socialist beliefs. But that’s another story.

I hope you’re that hopeful, too.

I want to find the Pure Place…that glitters like gold.
And I need to find the Pure Place…never hot or cold
I’d love to find the Pure Place,
Let the Light shine on my face,
No dreams I’d ever have to chase,
No bad that we could not erase,
I’d love to find…the Pure Place!

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Have you ever heard about a book that wrote itself? Or a website, with tons of pages, that just suddenly popped into existence all by itself? Yeah, no. You haven’t. And we can take that up a few trillion notches. Where was a child ever born without the key ingredients from the mother and father? Nowhere. That’s where. Because information, design, and life are required for anything to exist.

I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s worth repeating. The genetic information contained in each of the trillions of cells in your body is roughly equivalent to about 4000 books. Wrap your mind around that for a minute. 4000 books of information in each of your cells.

All that complex information, design, AND LIFE in trillions of cells.

If you believe all that could simply create itself, you have a lot more faith in dirt, goo, and chance than I do.

Scientists KNOW their experiments always point to intelligence. And that even includes the atheistic and evolutionary scientists. Of course, they’ll go to just about any length to deny that truth.

But why? Why would they prefer the myth of evolution and chance?

Would you believe money plays a huge part? No big shocker if you’ve paid attention over the past few decades. Yeah, the vast majority of “research” scientists are funded by grants from the government, large donors, and other sources. They’re always on the lookout for this funding because their lifestyle and prestige depend on it.

So, ain’t that just dandy? You and I get to fund “scientists” who hate us. And don’t think they don’t.

But you don’t take my word about the evidence for information, design, and life. There’s a Phd from M.I.T. who shares a TON of evidence in an amazing book called “In The Beginning.” I’m not an affiliate for the book. So, I’m not sharing the link to make money. Just so you know.

Verifiable evidence is the elephant in the room.

And sometimes that elephant is a dinosaur. Like when DNA is found in the SOFT tissue of dinosaur bones from 80 million years ago. And even in insects and plants caught inside amber they say is up to 120 million years old.

But those millions of years are chicken feed. Because living bacteria has been found in rocks that are supposedly up to 650 million years old. But hang on. Yeah, I can even beat that number. Italian scientists have recovered 78 different types of dormant, but living, bacteria in two meteorites that are presumed to be 4.5-billion years old.

Maybe it’s just me. But the evidence for information, design, and life thrill me.

They help make every day SonDay.

Because the one, true, living, loving God designed me
In His heart is where I know you’ll always find me.
My eternal DNA is in the Truth, the Life, the Way.
And the lies that rule this world will never blind me.

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It’s up to YOU to comfort each other. Fortunately there are some of us who need less of it than others. And that means the responsibility is more ours than those who might be, let’s say, a little weaker.

My dog made me think of how we should comfort each other.

I wrote about this seven years ago, around this time of year, when he was still alive. His name was Zazzo. And he started to do this thing he did when something was bothering him. He didn’t actually whimper. But he sort of made a breathy sound like he was going to whimper. And he could be a mighty persistent dude. But I was working. So, naturally I couldn’t be bothered. And I snapped my fingers and pointed at him. That usually got him to stop.

But that time, instead of stopping the whimper-less breath sounds, he got up (which was very difficult for him because of his stiff, almost 15 year old bones) and started his way over to me.

Well, I sat the laptop on the coffee table in front me and waited for him to get to me. When he did, he leaned his head against my knee. How could I resist? I stroked his head and neck, which he always enjoyed. And, after a couple of minutes, he turned around and went back to his bed. Then, he lay down with no anxious breathing.

Never underestimate the power of touch.

Your hand on someone’s shoulder. Or lips to someone’s cheek. A simple touch, with care, can be a gift from God. Use your power of touch whenever you can. I’m not talking about that nonsense you see from televangelists where they “heal” people on a large stage by smacking them on the forehead. Definitely NOT that junk food.

Get the living-water-enriched meat of God’s word into your soul and spirit. That’s where strength and wisdom are. And it’s the owner’s manual with instructions on how to comfort each another. Yeah, that’s where true love is.

Dive into those 13 letters Paul wrote, and you’ll see how God’s love is the force behind it all.

A friend of mine wrote about the effects of that love on her. And I converted her words into this song.

I Give You All

You gave my heart
A way to touch you, Lord.
You gave my eyes
A gift to see and recall.
You gave me stars…
To guide me through my lonely fear.
I give you all…I give you all.

You gave me words,
And they can reach the sky.
You gave my soul
Salvation out of the fall.
You gave me dawn,
To savor all you gave me, Lord.
I give you all..

I give you all…my worries and my fear.
Yes,I give you all.
And I can feel you near.
I give you all.
You dry up every tear.
I give you all.
Yes, I give you all.

You gave me nights…
That shine your silver stars.
You gave me time,
To change my ways and stand tall…
You gave me hope,
That in my weakness I am strong.
I give you all.

© Cristina Miller 2009

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Your life is the only one you’re gonna get. And I know that you know it’s not about the skin you’re in. You know it’s the spirit and soul of you. So, I’m preaching to the choir.

But if you’ve lived more than twenty years, I’m sure you’ve thought about your life and what it means. And you’ve realized that somewhere inside you is a tiny voice. Yeah, you’ve learned that you just gotta be still and listen. And that voice will reassure you eternity is real.

And that your life will go on forever in a paradise you can only imagine.

Or that you’ll endure a singularly hopeless existence in a place as far away from paradise as the East is from the West. And that’s in spite of what a so-called “enlightened society” will tell you.

So, that knowledge and wisdom leads to another conclusion. That while you’re in the skin you’re in it’s a good idea to discover as much as you can about truth. Right? Yep, I’ve said it before. Truth is tenable. Maybe even elevenable or twelveable. It seriously matters.

I believe everyone realizes that truth exists. Many squelch that down so far that they’ll deny even the simplest truths just so they can avoid the consequences of that knowledge. Or so they believe. And they’ll say silly things like “question authority.” But when someone tells you to question authority, start with them.

Or when someone tells you truth doesn’t exist, ask them “is that true?”

And when someone tells you the material world is all there is, ask them which material in this world showed them this. You’ve probably used these tactics before. But I just felt as though someone could use a reminder that knowledge and wisdom, that come from God, are the huge advantage in your life.

This Life

Sometimes the silence is too much.
Sometimes I just can’t get my fill.
And then there are times when nothing works right,
But even then I love it still.

This life…holds surprises up its sleeve.
Yes, it really can deceive you if you turn your head.
But this life is the only chance we’ve got,
And it doesn’t take a lot to know the fire must be fed.

The snow reminds us of our youth.
And the leaves remind us of our years.
The sun is everybody’s smile.
And the clouds are everybody’s tears.

This life can be difficult at best.
It can put you to the test with a knowing smile.
But this life doesn’t last so very long.
And we all will move along in just a while.

© 1984

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It’s so cool how fast little kids learn to talk. You’re so young when you start talking that your parents have to tell you about your first words. My mom told me I spoke way before I was a year old. But you know how moms are. And I’m more the strong, silent type. So, I tend to believe I waited till I had valuable information to share before I started spouting anything out.

But mom said, “I could see you learn to talk almost right away.”

And even though that sounds like bragging, it’s true. Because it’s true of all newborns. Kids get all goo-goo gah-gah over letters and sounds because they see and hear adults.

Yeah, you and I learned to talk mostly by watching adults.

It’s amazing when you get right down to it. You’re born with the ability to make sounds. But those sounds don’t mean anything. At least not to the adults who listen to your gibberish. But what if that gibberish is somehow connected to your Designer? Yeah, what if God is still wirelessly connected to you when you’re a newborn. And what if He sends you the code and decode “software” to decode your parents’ language?

And what if you’re then able to re-code that language into your own unique voice?

I’m not saying that’s how it happens. Just that it’s cool to consider.

Now, think about how the English language is basically only twenty-six letters. And think about how we’ve managed to put together thousands and thousands of words from those twenty-six letters.

I love the simplicity in the design. The extra cool thing is, you don’t have to do anything special to an infant to get them to understand us.

No extra hardware or software required.

They’re already “hard-wired” for language. Of course, that’s no surprise to anyone with a Christian worldview. The Designer knows what He’s doing. And so all you gotta do is act naturally.

Ever since I found my I’ve manipulated and formulated letters into words. And words into music. And I still find the whole process fascinating. I’ll never get tired of it or bored with it. What about you? Does language fascinate you? Do you pass that awe and wonder on to the little ones who watch you to learn to talk?

Letters and sounds go together…
They go together and give you a voice.
You couldn’t say a word with no letters and sounds.
Just think about that and rejoice.

With a voice we can talk to each other,
And each other can know what we mean…
When we take time to learn a few letters and sounds
And toss a few smiles in between.

We only need twenty-six letters
Where imagination truly abounds.
It’s so awesome to know they’re inside you, and so
Have fun learning letters and sounds.

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I’ve shared, a few times here on TonyFunderburk.com, how music can be good for your brain. And I’ve also talked about how music is good for heart healing.

Like when I shared this info from a heart healing article:

It said, “a study from Wisconsin evaluated 45 patients who had suffered heart attacks within the previous 72 hours.” I didn’t see a link to that study, but the information I found on the Harvard Medical School website looked legitimate.

Anyway…

The study also said those patients were all stable, and they were “randomly assigned to listen to classical music or simply continue with routine care” for about 20 minutes. And the report said the ones who listened to music almost immediately showed drops in their heart rates and breathing rates. Plus, their hearts didn’t seem to need as much oxygen to function.

Very cool.

Listening to music didn’t seem to lower blood pressure. But the benefits it DID have lasted at least an hour after the patients stopped listening. And they appeared to have less anxiety which heart attack patients typically deal with in spades.

Of course, when something works, you wanna find out how to make the most of it. Right? And those researchers wanted to see if short term benefits of listening to music could last longer. So, they came up with a some other tracking ideas. They chose over 700 patients, who were scheduled for heart catheter surgery, to receive either the standard care or care with some “extras.”

Then, they combined standard care with prayer, or standard care with prayer and music, and standard care and MIT (a combination of music, imaging, and touch therapy), or just MIT.

From what I could tell, they didn’t come up with conclusive data to show long-lasting effects of any of those combinations. But, after six months, they did say the MIT patients experienced less “anxiety and emotional distress.” And they were apparently “65% less likely to die” after surgery. But, of course, they made sure to add, “prayer was not associated with any potential benefit.”

So, did you catch that. They said, “It’s impossible to know if music was the key component.” But they had no problem with a definitive statement about prayer.

But what about your spiritual heart healing?

Sure, listening to music can help increase your blood flow by 26% or more. And that’s great. But that helps your physical heart and health for a little while. And here’s the thing. Even if it extends your life by years, you’re still gonna run out of gas one day. And then what?

Well, that’s where the benefits of prayer kick in. Because good arteries, blood pressure, and heart health won’t get you into Heaven. And Heaven is a much better choice than to exist as a dark, lonely bodiless soul in hell?

I gotta say, when I think of living forever in Heaven I feel my heart healing day after day.

My music heartbeat is the rhythm to my soul.
And it will beat for me forever and a day.
‘Cause my Creator is the healthplan I can trust.
And He’s the song of life I sing along the Way.

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Choices choices. In this so-called “land of the free,” today, the highest office of government comes down to voting for one of two people (at least if you prefer to vote for someone who could actually “win” the election). An immoral moron. And a lukewarm patriot.

Yeah, choices choices.

Here’s an article I wrote, years ago, about where voting has taken our beautiful country.

~ Two choices can lead down a dark tunnel of no return. When you say you’ll choose the “lesser of two evils,” then don’t be surprised, when it’s time to vote again, that the quality of your choices has dropped even further. In fact, that’s the exact process that got America (and much of the world) to the condition it’s in right now.

And if people would only refuse to choose something or someone simply because they “feel” they have no other choice, our world would benefit in ways you might only imagine right now.

Your personal life or your business can benefit from acting with courage and conviction, too. Refuse to accept only two choices when it comes to the decisions you make each day. Be creative. Get wisdom. And courage.

Be the better man or woman your Creator has in mind for you. Ask God to help you trust Him for better choices. Following Him and His advice will never lead into dark places. In fact, following Him will make you a light in dark places.

Ready to shine? Then forget those same ol’ lines.

Learn Those Lines

Back in nineteen seventy-three
I believed the whole world would be
Just as free as the dreams that dwelled inside me.
Maybe I was naive and young.
Maybe life was speaking in tongues.
I would say let the bells of freedom be rung.
But time can temper the freest of souls.
Life has ways of changing our goals.
If we play a part, who hands out the roles?

Learn those lines…everybody…learn those lines.
Let that little green monster tell you what to say.
Learn those lines…everybody…learn those lines.
Just remember what you do comes back to you someday.

Back in nineteen and eighty-four
We thought big brother was right at the door,
But he came in through the TV and stuff at the store.
Maybe I’ve grown older and fat.
Maybe I’m not the virginal cat
Who could sit on a side and be proud where he sat.
Now, we chase the innocuous cause…
Standing for and laying down laws.
Yeah, we walk like the cat, but we don’t have the claws.

Learn those lines…everybody…learn those lines.
Let that little green monster tell you what to do.
Learn those lines…everybody…learn those lines.
Just remember what you do is gonna come back to you.

We can’t go back…and we can’t stay here,
If we can’t throw away the fear
And changes those lines…those lines we learn.

© 1989-2017 ~

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Nope. It’s not fair that the days of your life aren’t perfect. Because what did YOU ever do (or not do) to deserve this mess the world is in? Right?

But even though it’s not fair, here you are.

Living in a world overflowing with hate. Different shades of skin color produce hate. Various religious ideologies produce hate. Genders produce hate. And, as you’ve no doubt witnessed for this whole year, political opinions produce hate.

Nope. You can’t swing a dead cat without offending some hate-filled wackadoo.

But you and I would just like a peaceable life. We’d love to be able to just get up each day, go to work, earn our daily bread, and enjoy the company of loved ones. And wouldn’t you know it, there are billions of people in the world who hate us just for thinking those should be our rights.

So, I guess the thing to do is complain, to whoever’ll listen, about how unfair it is. Yeah, now that I think about it, that’s probably the best imaginable use of social media. Make not just your voice be heard, but also your moans and groans. Especially since they’re so justified.

Wait a second. Hold on! I just remembered something (not really, I planned to mention this all along). None of that complaining, groaning, moaning is God-approved. Oh, man!

Yeah, what I’ve been able to determine, with even a scant skim of the Bible, is that it appears that God has other things He’d like us to consider.

Things that are:

  • true
  • noble
  • just
  • pure
  • lovely
  • of good report
  • virtuous
  • praiseworthy

Wow. That ain’t gonna be easy. I mean, have you SEEN those videos on YouTube? Young people beating up old people. Men attempting rape in broad daylight. And illegal aliens swarming across our borders, and into our communities with no criminal consequences.

Oh Lord. What’s a peace-loving man or woman to do? How could it possibly be possible to NOT moan and groan about all that, and more?

I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna need some serious help focusing on that list of things. Hmm, maybe (and I use the word “maybe” as a figure of speech) God can help me with it. And, come to think of it, His word even shows me how, and who, to properly hate.

So, with God’s word, there’s always a silver lining. And it turns things around when things are…

Not Fair

You’re born to parents you don’t get to choose,
And you just have to trust that they care.
They pick your clothes and your food and your stuff,
And you learn fast that life is not fair.

As you grow up you discover some things
About water and mountains and air.
You think your big brain should earn you rewards,
And you find out that life is not fair.

One day you wake in a place of your own,
Watch the news, and see pain everywhere.
You decide you can’t ignore it away,
And you’ll help because life is not fair.

Then, when you serve others, one day you find
A real joy that, before, wasn’t there.
And living will glow in a whole new light
Even though this old life isn’t fair.

© 2017 Tony Funderburk

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To say I thoroughly appreciate and enjoy digital technology would be like saying Pete Rose was a decent hitter. Or Michael Jordan was a pretty good basketball player. Yeah. Understatement. But I was big time analog before that was even cool. I even wrote an analog man song about a guy who lives his life without modern tech.

Ironically I wrote and produced the analog man song on digital gear.

But there was a time when I did ALL my writing without a computer or typewriter or anything but pen and paper.

In fact, way back then, my writing media of choice were a nineteen cent Bic pen and fifty cent spiral notebooks. And I didn’t realize, then, how writing all that prose and poetry would eventually lead me here. To the land of 0’s and 1’s that turn keystrokes into letters and words.

But, way back then, my “binary system” was pen and paper. And I wrote literally thousands of poems and bunches of short stories. I gave away tons of them. And I’ll probably never see those again. But I still have a bunch of my old spiral notebooks. I guess that helped inspire the analog man song.

Oh yeah, I’d also have a couple more. But one day, when I was at work, my youngest brother sneaked a couple of them out of my foot locker stash. Because he thought he could copy some to get a better grade in his English creative writing class. Then he “misplaced them.” I got a message that they had resurfaced again, years later. But before I could go get them, they disappeared again.

Surprisingly, the brother is still alive despite the fact that the notebooks haven’t been seen since. Oh, by the way, he DID get a better grade. But I’d prefer he got a worse grade and I still had my notebooks. I know. I’m just plain cruel.

These days I rarely put a pen to paper anymore.

And there’s a part of me that misses that feel. Even though I love to type, too. But something about the flow of ink onto the ol’ paper is just a bit more magical.

It’s great to be digital though. Because then I can just copy and paste my work into another format onto another platform. And I can record the words into audio and video. And share those in a variety of ways. Yeah, this analog man is a digital dude.

Maybe none of this means anything to you. And I admit I’m just in a rambling mood this time. But maybe you can relate if you’re of a certain age. An age where your world was anything but digital at the beginning but has gradually morphed into that. If so, maybe you’ll relate to the…

Analog Man

He makes his living in that smoky ol’ dive.
He’s still believin’ that his time will arrive.
He bangs the keys out to the rhythm and horns.
He says that it’s exactly why he was born
Don’t wanna face your facts;
He’ll just keep makin’ tracks
Because he knows that it’s what keeps him alive.

Don’t use no cellphone, and he don’t go online.
Says AM radio will suit him just fine.
Still winds his watch and keeps a pencil and pad.
Ol’ black and white TV, says it ain’t so bad.
Don’t mind a little hiss. He says “that’s soulful bliss.”
And that’s what really makes the music divine.

He’s an analog cat in a digital cage.
He’s an analog letter; not a digital page.
Built his analog house from an analog plan.
Says throw them little digits in the can.
He’s an analog man.

He lights his ciggy with a blue diamond match.
Don’t play no video; he loves to play catch.
He drives a Thunderbird from ‘56.
It uses cheap gas and it’s easy to fix.
Might leak a little oil, but it don’t overboil.
And just like him it was the last of a batch.

Repeat chorus…instrumental…chorus to end

© 2003

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There’s nothing you can do about it. It’s a fact of life. And death. Yeah, you’ll be a short time here on Earth but a long time gone, somewhere else.

Or, maybe you think that a short time here repeats itself.

Hollywood and India buy into that silliness. Reincarnation. Time travel. Fractured space/time continuums. Silliness. Kinda fun to make believe. But silly to actually believe.

Here’s the cold, hard truth. And it’s actually the warm, life-filled Truth.

Have you ever noticed how you never again see your family and friends once they die? They don’t come back as a bug, a bird, or even a dog. And even if they did, how would you know? Well, unless they spoke to you. But, again, talking bugs, birds, and dogs fall into that aforementioned silliness category.

“Well, what’s your point, Tony?” you ask.

I remember an article, I read a few years ago, about how life on Earth is a short time when you put it in actual visual numbers. For example, the article said adults have about 25,000 mornings to wake up to, on average. And that’s not a gigantic number by anyone’s standard. Well, maybe a little kid would think so. But not adults all growed up and stuff.

Especially when you divide 25,000 by 365 days in one year.

So, let’s compare this relatively short time here to, let’s say forever. Time without end once you die. That’s the part I already described as a long time gone.

Consider this.

Your body finally gives out. And you breathe your last breath. Then, you go from this finite life to some sort of infinite existence. Sure, you might be one of those who subscribes to the blackness theory. But I’ll save that issue for later.

OK, place 25,000 days up next to forever. And those 25,000 days are gonna look like our beautiful sun up next to UY Scuti. According to those who measure and track such things, it’s a “variable hypergiant star with a radius around 1,700 times larger than the sun.”

That’s a HUGE difference. But still doesn’t even begin to skim the surface of forever.

Nope, there’s really no comparison. Now, if I’m wrong about where we go when we die, this is all a moot point. And one day (for a short time) I’ll either look like a dork or none of us will exist anymore and it won’t matter to me or anyone else.

But, let’s say, just for the sake of discussion, that I’m right when I say there’s a Heaven and a hell. And let’s just say, for the sake of discussion about your soul, that getting to Heaven is a pretty easy thing to do. All you gotta do is trust in the One who built it for you.

I, for one, don’t wanna even remotely miss out on such an awesome, free gift. But, for most people on the planet, MY worldview is silliness. So, here’s the thing. Both views can’t be right. I stake my life and my soul on being right about this.

What If I’m Right?

You think it’s wrong to talk of only one Way.
Live and let live is something you always say.
How could there be a God who no one can see?
When bad things happen, you say “Where can He be?”

You want some proof; maybe a word or a sign
That our existence could be all by design.
I say the proof is in the feel of a song.
But it’s invisible so you say I’m wrong.

But what if I’m right? What if it’s true
All of these things I’ve been sayin’ to you?
What if you die and it’s not the end?
What if your life is nothing you can defend?
You think I’m wrong and that I don’t walk in the light,
But what if I’m right?

So many people living inside a dream
Making a choice that even God won’t redeem.
I say choose Jesus because this life’s not long.
You say it’s nonsense, and you tell me I’m wrong.

But what if I’m right?

© 2008

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People are doing bad things. Despicable things. On a level that America has never seen before. And you and I have two choices for what to do. Do something. Or do nothing.

In fact, the whole world can do something or do nothing.

It’s not just an American problem. It’s just worse here because we started out on a much better foundation than almost anywhere else. And now the metaphorical gutters are full of people who’d rather claim their sin as their identity than acknowledge they need God’s help.

So, in this time of year, when there’s more talk of peace on Earth than any other time of year, there’s no peace on Earth. For example, just last night (as I write this) there was a “mass shooting” in Orlando, Florida during a “Halloween celebration.” Sounds like a personified oxymoron (now, there’s a silver dollar expression for you).

And most people seem content to do nothing (or do the wrong thing) about such things.

Now, just so you know, I’m not throwing a wet blanket over people having fun. It’s just that the truth is oftentimes harsh. But I don’t want you to think for even a nanosecond there’s no hope. Far from it! There is A hope. There is ONE hope. That hope is the same hope the earth saw in bodily form about 2000 years ago.

Yeah, that’s about the time when Jesus, THE Prince of Peace, came to Earth to…

Do Something

Lightning, thunder. Got this feeling that’s pulling me under.
Magic, voodoo. When it’s got you what can you do?
I feel like I’m not the master of my fate.
I do what I must and everything else can wait.
I’m rolling in and out more often than the tide.
And I don’t wanna be content to let it ride.

I gotta do something
‘Cause doing nothing’s wrong.
I gotta do something
To last my whole life long.
Find balance with the hawk and dove,
Keep living for the perfect love.
I believe my God above will help me,
Help me do something!

Longing, yearning. Got this fire that won’t stop burning.
This existence takes the path of the least resistance.
I don’t wanna waste the time that may remain.
And I wanna get all that I can out of my brain.
I wish that I could always see which way to go.
But it’s up to us to pray. And God to know.

chorus

inst…chorus to end

© 1988

And when you do something, make sure you Do Right.

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As the “hallowed evening” fast approaches, I see souls scatter like startled roaches. Some parts of it are kinda funny. But most are like the “love of money.”

Yeah, Halloween (Neewollah, as its known in Independence, Kansas) sure brings out the people who love to live in the dark.

And I mean that mostly literally. After all, it IS “hallowed evening.”

Most of the “fun” doesn’t happen in bright, sunny daylight hours.

Even without the costumes, you can find an excessive amount of what I call street zombies. People who oftentimes resemble the walking dead. And more and more you’ll see them in the alleys and even front and back yards of regular citizens. Caught on security cameras. And Ring doorbell cameras.

Sadly, this time of year, they basically blend in with the dark side that appears to be growing, exponentially, all around.

But, then again, it’s actually not surprising. Because America, generally speaking, is in a downward spiral. Turning its back on God. And, in the process, it lost its blessed status.

And that’s because most would rather live in the dark and be their own kings (and queens) than  show humility to the one, true King. But here’s the thing.

When you prefer a hallowed evening over God’s light…

You Just Don’t Get It

You want to live the way you want to live
And you want to be your own king
You think you’re wise enough to rule your world
And handle everything
But how much happiness is in your life
How many friends do you know
Who would give up their lives to give you yours
Do you think any would show

Well you idolize with your idle eyes
Your body wants what it wants, and you let it
You identify what you deify
You’ll see the kingdom, but you just don’t get it

You can’t submit to any higher will
You’d rather live in the dark
Well, you can have exactly what you say
Look where you’re making your mark

Chorus

Don’t you think you should think about it
Do you know all there is to know
There’s a choice; you can’t live without it
You can be sure where you’re gonna go…

inst…chorus…repeat to end

© 1997 Tony Funderburk

(You can hear this song, when you subscribe to the The Power of God’s Love Podcast)

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I enjoy listening to Elon Musk. Especially since he bought Twitter, which he now calls X, and allowed free speech on that platform. And he seems to truly love America. So, he’s got that going for him, too. Obviously he’s a highly intelligent and financially successful guy. But I wish he wasn’t so stupid when it comes to human existence.

Here’s a quote, from him, that shows why I say that.

“The universe appears to be, like, 13.8 billion years old. Earth is about 4.5 billion years old. In another half billion years, or so, the sun will expand. And probably evaporate the oceans. And make life impossible on Earth. Which means that if it had taken consciousness 10% longer to evolve, it would never have evolved at all.”

And that shows you why I said he’s so stupid about human existence.

But why would such a smart guy say things so stupid when he clearly has access to tons of data? Data that clearly shows the contrary evidence all around. Elon even wonders how many “dead one civilization planets there are out there.” He figures there are “probably a few.” Plus, he described Earth as “a mode of dust suspended in a beam of sunlight.”

Yeesh. At least he got the “suspended” part correct. And that’s something the Bible said, thousands of years ago, about our little life-filled orb.

I think it’s so sad to see how all of Mr. Musk’s education and achievements have led him to such conclusions. Because they only increase his separation from the Maker of Heaven, Earth, the sun and its beams. And that’s so stupid.

Elon’s worldview, that most people on the planet share, is ultimately one of hopelessness. Imagine believing that you’re just another creature who lived out your life on a mode of dust. In a beam of sunlight from a sun that’s just gonna expand and burn up that mode of dust.

Sounds great. Sign me up!

Consciousness did NOT evolve. And this so-called “mode of dust” is almost three-fourths covered in water. And that sun is at an almost perfectly optimum distance from Earth. It’s burning out one day. But if it had been around billions of years, do you realize how much larger it would have been way back then? Let’s just say our little “mode of dust” would have been burnt to a crisp.

Those are only 3 points of contention and evidence that should lead a thinking person to at least wonder how all of existence could happen accidentally. Design is in the smallest cell. And in the largest system, the universe.

Self-defeating arguments can be found everywhere in this world that does its best to erase God. And they like to do that in the name of so-called intellect and science. But, to shake my spear of intellect a little, therein lies the rub. Because there wouldn’t be any intellect or science without an uncaused First Cause.

In other words, everything did not come from nothing.

Take the Creator of the universe out of the equation and it’s no surprise how dark the future appears.

So, here’s my suggestion.

Take a closer look at THE God of the Bible.

And examine the overwhelming evidence of His existence in all of creation. There are thousands of ancient manuscripts. And archeological discoveries. There are prophecies realized. And there are almost limitless science and statistical probabilities connected to one man named Jesus.

So, it’s definitely not so stupid to “glory in the Lord.”

Because you live on a planet,
And in this day, He has made.
And the planet is not dying.
So you can live unafraid,
Unless you live on a planet,
And in a day, you designed.
‘Cause then you’ll have to pay, yourself,
For what was wrong in your mind.

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As the poet (or some sort of writer or philosopher) said, “time waits for no man.”

The seconds tick in the rhythm of your heart. And your heart beats out the minutes and hours of your days. Then, the days advance like an advancing army into the open arms of each passing year. There’s nothing you can do about it. You can’t turn back the days. And you can’t stop the advance. You just keep moving on down the road.

Yeah, time waits for no man. But what about “the road?”

No, the road doesn’t wait for anybody either. But that’s not the point. The point is, unlike time, the road IS something you can do something about.

You can choose which road. You can choose whether you’ll walk, run, or drive on the road. And, with a map (or map app) you can see where the road goes, ahead of time. You can’t choose which time you’ll travel. Or how fast you’ll go through it. And no one knows the future.

Because the future has NOT happened yet. No matter how much your favorite comic book superhero would like you to believe it has.

Yeah, you and I still have enough freedom to make those road choices. But it’s uncanny how many people seem to prefer to VOTE this country deeper and deeper into tyranny. It’s a cryin’ shame that America, the ultimate symbol of freedom in the history of the world, should find itself on the brink of suicide.

President Abraham Lincoln talked about this in an address to the Young Men’s Lyceum in Springfield, Illinois in 1838.

He said…

“At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it is ever reach us it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”

And, less than 200 years later, about to end it all.

And it hasn’t been a sudden decision to blast our brains out. No. It’s been a long, slow, agonizing death by apathy, the by-product of drugs and gluttony.

For example, it used to be it was only the “thugs and losers and rebellious misfits” who did drugs. But now, if you don’t do drugs, legal or not, you’re the exception. And there used to be a small fraction of Americans who were “overweight.” Or “struggling with their weight.” But now, obesity is so common that grossly fat people convince themselves that large is beautiful, too.

Now, remember, time waits for no man. Psst…it waits for no woman either. So, there WILL be a time limit to this shameful condition America is in.

But that limit probably won’t be before we author our finish.

And I can’t tell you how sad that makes me to even think about it. Thanks to Jesus, America is not the last hope.

Freedom; don’t want to lose my freedom.
I want to make my choice; make my voice be heard.
Freedom; I’m glad I have my freedom.
If all the world could see,
It would have to be the word.
Freedom!  © 1987

(from my 1987 song, Freedom)

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Do you hope inside your heart that there’ll be better times ahead? And maybe, despite that hope you still have a foreboding sense of dread. I’d say those are both legitimate perspectives. And I’d also say you could legitimately feel both ways at the same time.

Because hope inside doesn’t manifest destiny.

Yeah, the reality is you’re still a human being. So you (and I) can’t create or manifest any kind of destiny with just the power of hope inside. Sounds interesting if you’re writing a comic book. But in real life? Not so much.

And that’s why I’ve always found it interesting to see and hear almost all political slogans, speeches, and sound bytes based on sentiment. Actions always trump (sorry, couldn’t help myself) feelings. And the actions politicians take rarely live up to the feelings they conveyed as candidates.

But when no one’s feet are “held to the fire,” what would ever motivate them to change?

Nothing.

So, here we are again. One week before America finds out if, as Kamala says, “we’re not going back” or if, as Donald says, we’ll “make America great again.”

I predict that if Harris is elected, we WILL go back. To more of the same destructive policies the current administration endorses. The policies that WILL lead to the final nail in the coffin for America. And I predict that if Trump is elected, America will still NOT be great again. Because his definition of greatness is based on pocketbooks. Not principles.

And just to be clear, I hope, inside and out, that I’m wrong either way.

So, that’s my political prognostication for now. But keep in mind, I’m no prophet. Just a guy with predictions based on God’s word about human nature. So, if I’m wrong, keep your stones to yourself.

Is there a day you go back to when you think of better times?
Or do you think that day is somewhere up ahead?
But either way it’s a day when all your cares will melt away,
And then your life will be fulfilling dreams instead.

Well, let me say, I’m for living with that hope inside your heart.
I do believe in looking for a better way.
But cares won’t go until you know your Creator loves you so.
That’s how the better times you need begin today. © 2020

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