choose life Archives - Page 4 of 6

Posted on October 28, 2021 by TonyOctober 27, 2024

I don’t live in a safe place. Six years ago, a guy walked down a street, here in Colorado Springs, and randomly murdered people. Yeah, on this the most holiest of days. Halloween. If you heard about it or read about it, you know the story I’m talking about. If you didn’t, go look it up. I don’t wanna waste more space on my website about that murderer.

Oh, by the way, you don’t live in a safe place either.

Because there’s no safe place on Earth. Sure, there ARE safer places than others when it comes to crimes like murder and stealing. But our planet is wicked. In fact, there was only one time in history it was ever wickederer (that’s a typo, on purpose, for effect). And that’s when God was sorry He even made human beings. So, He broke the planet and killed all but 8 people.

And that was really for the sake of only ONE of those people.

And that was because God has a “big picture”perspective of His creation.

Since He has that kind of perspective, it’s vitally important for you to have a better understanding of that big picture. Here’s how it goes. You WILL exist forever somewhere. You can live in the fullness of life with your Creator in paradise. Or you can exist totally separate from Him, forever.

Option 1, God’s Kingdom, is the only safe place.

Option 2, your “kingdom” is not safe. And, in fact, it is eternal torment.

But you get to choose. Because God loves you so much He won’t even force you into paradise if you don’t wanna go there. I hope you consider Option 2.

Safe And Sound

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

We laugh like there’s no tomorrow.
We’re touched by the hand of God.
So what if there’s no new sunrise.
So what if the world won’t spin around.
We’re safe and sound.

Miles have gone by; we dared to go see
The wide open space and seldom we frowned.
Look how our love is safe and sound.
Deep in our hearts and inside our minds
We capture the words and they keep us bound;
Saying our love is safe and sound.

We laugh like there’s no tomorrow.
We’re touched by the hand of God.
So what if there’s no new sunrise.
So what if the world won’t spin around.
We’re safe and sound.

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

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Posted on October 18, 2021 by TonyOctober 19, 2021

Unconstitutional bills especially one that kills

Try this headline on for size. “Justice Department Asks Supreme Court To Block Texas Abortion Ban.” Because they say unconstitutional bills like that take away a “woman’s right to choose.”

Notice the emphasis on “unconstitutional bills.”

And notice how they never (or at least rarely) finish that sentence. Woman’s right to choose…what? Do they simply choose to stop being pregnant? Hmm…I don’t think that’s all there is to it. And by that I really mean I KNOW that’s not all there is to it.

Because, when a woman is pregnant, there’s somebody else involved. And I’m not talking about just the two so-called “consenting adults” who caused the pregnancy. I’m talking about the innocent baby.

(Side note: every human pregnancy involves a baby human being)

So, the so-called “justice department” calling an abortion ban unconstitutional is like the so-called FDA calling a poison ban unconstitutional.

And you know what’s so incredibly sad to me?

The fact that a state (or anybody for that matter) has to come up with an “abortion ban.” Because it should be crystal clear that murder is wrong. Always has been. Always will be. And abortion is the murder of an innocent baby. Not just a woman choosing to not be pregnant anymore.

Yes. Every completed abortion kills at least one person. Sometimes two.

And every abortion seriously damages lives…or destroys them.

I know this is an uncomfortable topic.

Because so many millions and millions of Americans (and people around the world) have experienced the extreme guilt and sadness of “a woman’s right to choose.”

And one state’s “abortion ban” most likely won’t change the hardened hearts of millions of others. So, fools will continue to rage against “unconstitutional bills” with more passion and intensity than most Christians who know right from wrong. Those who should know how God feels about it. Because He said…

“And will you profane Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?”

But who needs God when we have democracy and tolerance and diversity?

In fact, maybe we should just declare God and Jesus and Christianity unconstitutional. Naa…that’ll never happen. But even when it does, remember…

We Win

It should be so easy
To just see we’re not free
As long as the innocent die.

To say that it’s legal
We spit on the eagle
Who stands for what we once held high.

It’s hard when we count up the cost,
And a million more lives have been lost.
True love won’t give up or give in.
Hang in there. It’s worth it. We win.

It’s not law. We got law.
And we saw that each law
Kept taking us further from truth.

When logic and reason
Don’t have their due season,
The lies end up long in the tooth.

So work hard and take time to pray
For lives to be saved every day.
True love won’t give up or give in.
Hang in there. It’s worth it. We win.

Hang in there”we have to see it through.
It’s worth it”watch how it changes you.

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Posted on June 21, 2021 by TonyJune 23, 2021

God is in control - these words sure take their toll

Once again I read a post, by a well-known social media person, who blamed God for bad stuff. And once again, it’s another person who thinks “God is in control” of even something like back problems. This person, like far too many others, falls for the pagan Greek philosophy version of our Creator. And not for the one, true, living, loving, Creator who doesn’t even force you to choose life. No, you can even CHOOSE death. It’s not forced on you.

“God is in control” means you have no options.

And no options mean you’re bound by a control freak’s decree. This is crucial to understand, especially if you’re a Christian, because people can either go to Heaven or hell based on what you tell them.

And when you tell them your back went out on you, and that it must be God trying to slow you down, they’re liable to reject that kind of Creator. I don’t blame them. I would, too. So, a better idea, when your back “goes out” on you, is to remember you live in a broken world. And bad things happen because humans make bad choices.

Never once, in my life, have I ever blamed God for bad stuff. And that’s what you’re doing almost every time you say “God is in control” as an attempt to understand and explain bad stuff.

But don’t take my word for it. I’m another one of those broken humans who makes bad decisions. I recommend you take Jesus’ Word for it, when He tells us He’s not the ruler of this world.

And remember, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days…”

Yes, one day, when God is in control of this world again, every person will know it without a doubt. Till then…

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

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Posted on March 24, 2021 by TonyApril 7, 2021

Issues of society remain the same variety

Different people don’t tend to get along so well. Have you noticed that? And history books denote sections of time, most often, using wars as markers. And almost all of those wars were between different peoples. Although it could be argued that America’s own civil war runs contrary to that assertion. But it doesn’t diminish my point. Which is how the basic issues of society haven’t changed much.

And the mass murders, quickly adding up the first quarter of 2021, are somber examples of our corporate inabilities to address the problems with wisdom.

Instead…politicians, people calling themselves journalists, celebrities of all kinds, and even your garden variety neighbors spend countless hours trying to understand. What kind of animal/monster/person could he have done this? How could someone like this get to this point? Etc. Etc. Etc.

And then, naturally, calls for stricter, more stringent laws go out. And large numbers of so-called “caring individuals” jump on the bandwagon. “We gotta do a better job of educating.” Or “It’s too easy to get your hands on weapons of mass destruction.” Or how about the ubiquitous, “There oughta be a law.”

If the issues of society could be solved with laws…why haven’t they been?

I read an article, from six years ago, that said there are at least 5000 federal laws on the books. And there are somewhere between 10,000 and 300,000 regulations to go with those laws. And those are all just on the federal level. Those numbers don’t include state, county, and local laws.

So, if more laws would do the trick…why haven’t they?

Because they don’t address the root cause for the even the least harmful issues of society. Much less the mass murders epidemic.

And I can hear somebody ask, “OK, Tony…if there’s a so-called root cause for it all, what is it?”

Selfishness. And to put a little more polish on it, rebellious selfishness.

For example, when a despicable human being goes into a grocery store and shoots people he doesn’t even know, who do you think is his top priority? Yeah…self.

And I can say “despicable human being” because that’s the kind of human being who murders. “Good people” don’t murder. And I put quotes around “good people” because no one is good except God. But anyway…when you hate your fellow man, and love only yourself, you can do the worst things.

So, how do so many people get to the point of murder? Sadly, it’s because they’re raised on hate. Yeah, hate is taught in public schools, on TV, and in most major Hollywood movies. Kids are taught, from the earliest ages, that we came from animals. That we humans are just another animal. And what do animals do to survive? The strong ones kill and eat the weak ones.

So, what’s the answer to all this destructive teaching?

What can solve the issues of society, if it’s not new and better laws?

In a word…love. In three words…love AND hate.

What?! Solve the problem of hate with more hate? Yeah. But not the kind of hate you might be picturing in your head. The kind of hate that adds wisdom to love. God inspired Paul to write “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.”

And to abhor means to hate with all your might.

But notice, Paul sandwiched the hate between love and good. Pretty cool, right?

This will sound somewhat counterintuitive. But if you “love your neighbor,” then you’ll hate him when he’s evil. And you’ll tell him (or her) when he’s evil. And you’ll love him enough to tell him he’s on a path to hell. But if you hate him enough, you’ll look for ways to “understand” his motives.

I didn’t come up with this concept. I’m a messenger. The only thing one person needs, in order for us to have love/hate issues, is another person. And when the issues of society include mass murders and judicial confusion, the message is more important than ever.

Accept or reject,
Invite or lose sight,
Draw near or pick fear,
Choose or lose,
Life. Love. Jesus.

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Posted on November 7, 2020 by TonyJune 9, 2023

Embryo connection in the human direction

Life sure is full of weird and wonderful stuff. And I mean stuff you’d probably never make up on your own. At least, not if you don’t let your mind wander off to the dark side all the time. Like for example, through a series of links, for some embryo info, I saw a thumbnail for a horror/sci-fi movie on YouTube. It starred Rock Hudson. And it was called “Embryo.” So, that was weird. Making an embryo connection with a Rock Hudson horror/sci-fi movie. Tell me it’s not just me.

There was also another embryo connection I didn’t know about.

In fact, it’s some sort of organization or company that’s actually called Embryo Connections. Have you heard of them? And if so, what do you think about the info on their website? Here’s what part of it says…

Freedom to choose embryos that are right for you, and help you through the process, perhaps based on physical characteristics, personality, genetics, relationship options, or other important considerations.
Legal support so that you feel confident that those em-babies are yours!
Concierge service to take the burden out of the process. We handle the requirements to move them to your clinic, so that you can use your own trusted docs.
Siblings! Whether there are a few or several in your batch, you store them at your fertility clinic, so that you can implant as many times as embryos, potentially providing genetic siblings for your children.

Wow. When you think of what technology allows us to do these days, it boggles the brain. It’s a little Frankenstein-ish. And it’s also pretty amazing.

But it still only scratches the surface of what’s going on in this complex universe we call home.

Maybe this means nothing to you right now.

Because maybe you’re way more focused on politics and propaganda.

But I think it’s at least a little food for thought on a topic with potential eternal consequences. Consider or disregard at your discretion.

Life is so much more than R’s and D’s.
So, dig a little deeper. Won’t you, please?

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Posted on September 12, 2020 by TonyOctober 7, 2020

Capture life in tiny frames. Remember faces and maybe names.

We try our best to capture life and make time stand still. And we never succeed. No one has ever succeeded. One of the few things the Rolling Stones got right: “Time waits for no one. And it won’t wait for me.”

But still, we take pictures, by the billions every day, to capture life.

And you hold those elusive images in your hands. And think about what just happened. Maybe it’s an important memory you wanna come back to again and again. Or maybe it was just something goofy. And you can always hit the delete button and take more pics.

That’s sort of a window to the soul of mankind.

The ol’ do-over.

And, in this digital age, it’s more evident than ever. Because if you don’t like what you wrote, delete it. Or go through the automated revisions and see which one comes closest to what you want. And if you don’t like that last brush stroke in your drawing, hit control or command Z, and it’s like it never happened.

And if you’re in the recording studio singin’ your heart out, but you miss a note, no problem. A couple of taps in your digital workstation, and you’re right back where you were. Ready to start over or fix with magical recording tools. With no concern about sound quality loss. Because there’s no tape involved anymore. Just data. And data equals do-over heaven.

“Uh-oh, Peggy Sue. He just said the word “heaven.” So, I think he’s pullin’ that conversation switcheroony on us again.

Yeah, you guessed it.

Heaven is your only chance for a bonafide do-over.

Those magic little moments you try to capture in pictures and videos will fade away. No matter how high your camera’s resolution is. Millions, billions, and even trillions of pixels will never equal one second in the presence of the one who loves you enough to offer eternal life. And the best part of it is, those pixels won’t be needed anymore. Because you won’t be worried about how much time you have left. And that’s because time will go on without end.

But there IS a catch. You knew there had to be one, right.

Yeah, that catch is…you gotta make a conscious decision as to whether or not you wanna go to Heaven. And if that whole time without end thing sounds appealing to you, you’re gonna have to do something you might not like. You’re gonna have to humble yourself.

But if you can do that, and if you can admit God exists, and that you’re not Him, you can look forward to a total do-over.

My recommendation? Do it. And don’t put it off till tomorrow. Events like 9/11 and even the horrendous amount of daily murders should tell you tomorrow is not a guarantee to anyone. If you’ve already done it, then I’m glad to call you my brother or sister.

Here we are,
Livin’ life each minute, so glad that we’re in it.
Every day,
And forever after, sharin’ love and laughter
Holdin’ on in every kind of weather.

Here we stand,
While the clock is tickin’ we’re alive and kickin’
Time moves on,
But we must remember, keep a burnin’ ember.
Let’s go out and capture life together.

Here we go
With our hearts on fire, reachin’ ever higher
Days go by,
So we’ll keep a token of the love unspoken
Let’s go out and capture life together.
Yeah, let’s go out and capture life together.

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Posted on October 31, 2019 by TonyMarch 2, 2025

Cholesterol is found in some interesting and tasty places

It’s good to see some updated reports on cholesterol because it’s gotten a pretty scary reputation over the years and decades. There are people who stress out over the mere mention of the so-called “artery-clogging”gooey stuff. But take a quick look at some of the things cholesterol is found in and see if it really deserves its enemy-to-health status. (note: Removed a link to a government page because it’s no longer there)

Cholesterol is found in these? Uh-oh!

Meat, poultry, fish”
Milk and other dairy products”
Plants, and”
YOU

Did you catch that? Cholesterol, in varying levels, is found in just about everything you might choose to eat. And more importantly it’s found in YOU. Even if you somehow managed to avoid eating anything with cholesterol in it, your body would still contain cholesterol. Because your body makes cholesterol. Your liver produces cholesterol in order to balance things like Vitamin D, steroid hormones, and bile acids. When you eat foods that contain cholesterol, your liver produces less. When you eat foods that don’t contain cholesterol, your body produces more. And I’m a living, breathing example of how important this is to know.

Many years back a doctor told me my total cholesterol level of 200 was dangerously high. He gave me a diet guideline sheet that recommended eliminating foods that cholesterol is found in like red meats”in fact most meats, “fatty foods”such as oils, nuts, fried foods, and a host of other items. I did as he recommended. The next couple of years I had no red meats or the other foods on the list. The next time I had my cholesterol checked, it registered 232. Huh? Higher? How could that be?

So, I decided to become a vegetarian.

I cut out the rest of the meats. I still included fish and eggs, but just about any other animal product was off my list. The good news”I love most fruits and vegetables. And I ate them at most every meal. The bad news”my next cholesterol test showed a result of 268. Guess what happened then?

My primary care physician said I’d need to take statin drugs. He prescribed Baycol. And after a month on the drug I noticed a steep decline in my health. My wife said I looked like I was dying. So, I stopped taking the drug, found a chiropractor who was also a naturopath. And you’ll never guess what he told me. Well, maybe you will guess. First”he asked me about the foods my grandparents ate for breakfast. I told him “bacon, eggs, and toast”. He asked, “Why don’t you eat that, too?”And I told him how that stuff was supposed to be bad for me. He asked, “How old were your grandparents when they died?”

“In their 80’s and 90’s,” I replied.

He said”

“Eat some bacon.”

I love bacon. So, I could have hugged him right then, if I was the hugging type. And as soon as I left his office, my wife and I went out for a delicious bacon cheeseburger. I’ve been eating red meat, enjoying coconut oil, real butter, and other “no-no”foods ever since. I’ve enjoyed all kinds of foods that cholesterol is found in. And my cholesterol numbers have gone down significantly.

So here are three things I’d like you to take with you today and always”

Eating cholesterol and saturated fat isn’t the the root cause of higher cholesterol levels in the blood.
High cholesterol in the blood isn’t the cause of heart disease.
Statin drugs don’t save lives in healthy people without heart disease.

And a couple more things about statin drugs. They don’t save the lives of healthy people without heart disease. And they can even take lives. A few months after I stopped taking Baycol, I received a letter informing me I could take part in a class-action suit against the makers of that statin drug. Because it had actually killed some people and made a lot of other people very ill.

Need I say more?

Please note”I’m not a doctor, a naturopath, or a medical practitioner, or health and wellness expert of any kind. And I’m only sharing my story and some information. Inform yourself with more than the typical FDA or governmental “health guidelines.”Then, you’ll discover how cholesterol is found in just about everything. And you’ll realize the wonderful symbiotic design between us and our foods.

And that design is on purpose. Not by accident. You and I were wonderfully made by the one, true, living, loving God of all creation. He wants you to be happy and healthy. But more importantly, He wants you to live forever…with Him, in Heaven. So, it’s even more important to your health to choose life. Sure, eat well and move around more. But choose life. Eternal life. And remember…

There IS a Rhyme and Reason to life because…God made you.

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Tony Funderburk

Your Life Has Rhyme And Reason Because God Made You