Tag Archives: marriage is a good thing

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Someday One Day

Today is a mighty big day here in the FunderBungalow. Elgielene and I celebrate 30 years of marriage. Yes, to each other. I know some of my knucklehead friends who’d scarcely miss a chance to take a jab there. And I’m sharing the lyrics to a song I wrote to Elgielene for our one year anniversary. Rhyme and Reason Podcastlisteners will hear a nearly 30 year old recording of it. Old sounds with much less polyphony. But the gist of it is there. It’s called Someday One Day. [powerpress_player]

Someday One Day

The story behind Someday One Day isn’t what you probably think by reading the lyrics.

But I’m not gonna share the whole story. Because it’s a bit more personal than I’d like to reveal. Elgielene and I know. And that’s all that truly matters. But I will say, it has been an amazingly fast 30 years. I told her how in another 30 we might be reflecting back on it from Heaven. Sounds weird, I know. But it might be true. In spite of the fact that I remain incredibly handsome, I’m sure no one will confuse me with a young dude.

OK…enough about that. I’ll be unavailable today. Because my wife and I are treating ourselves to the proper kind of day to prepare us for the next however many years. So, here are the lyrics..

Someday; I’ll make it all worth your while
For sharing my life and never losing your smile
It’s not that easy, but you tough it out
You keep within what you’re doing without
and I swear…

Someday; I’ll make it all worth the wait
With all you’ve been through, still you harbor no hate
You could be bitter, but you choose to forgive
You take the punches but you live and let live
and I swear…

Someday; I’ll make it easier
One day; I know our world will be fair
Someday; one day…we’ll get there

One day we’ll make them stand up and stare
We’ll laugh at their doubts,
But we’ll remember to care
And for believing, my heart’s in your hand
You take in stride what almost no one can stand
and I swear…

repeat chorus…inst…repeat chorus to end

© 1991 Tony Funderburk

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Relationships take work – oh no, that four-letter word!

On a recent episode of Grant Cardone’s podcast, “The Cardone Zone”, he was talking with his wife, Elena about the holidays. His podcast comes out just about daily, and they share the podcast weekly on what they call “The G&E Show”. Grant asked Elena for her “wish list” for the holidays, and it was easy to hear how difficult it was for him to truly listen to her list. As well as they apparently work together, they definitely have some issues. And that’s because relationships take work…not just your financial providing work. Your actual work ON and IN the relationships. Here’s why I bring it up.

Relationships take work and your will.

The first human relationship God ever created (and yes, He DID create it) was the husband-wife relationship. One man and one woman. Next to the relationship in the Holy Trinity, no other relationship is as important. And no other relationship is as meaningful and fulfilling. Not your relationships with your friends, your kids, your dog…not any others. That’s not to say those aren’t important. They’re just not AS important.

And when I say relationships take work and your will, it couldn’t be more true than for you and your spouse. You might have noticed…men and women are extremely different. And that difference can break a relationship into pieces without an act of your will to love your wife or your husband as you’d like them to love you.

Speaking from the man’s perspective (since that’s what I am), I can tell you there’s nothing more confounding, confusing, or conflicting than a woman. I can also say there’s nothing more refreshing, more relevant, or more rewarding than the love of a woman. But the love doesn’t just magically appear. It takes work. And oftentimes that work requires an act of your will because you don’t feel like doing it.

Your will is a gift from God so look to Him for how to use it.

When you get to Heaven (You ARE going, aren’t you?), God won’t be looking at a ledger showing the vast or meager amounts of wealth you acquired for your family. All the riches of the earth are like tiny grains of dust to Him. No, all you need to do to find out what’s important to God is read His word. You’ll discover His three most important ingredients for healthy relationships: Faith, Hope, and Love. And you’ll see how Love tops the list…and How God wants you to use it.

My hope for Grant Cardone is that he’ll see how his relationships with his wife and kids are far more important than how many more “deals” he can deliver. No amount of money will ever equal the time investment he makes in those relationships. Ironically, he’s always talking about how you have to build trust for those client relationships and those deals. And yet, all those deals are just an exchange of money for products, services, and information. They’re all temporary. But investing lots more time in your loved ones can provide a huge payoff with eternal benefits.

So even though relationships take work (sometimes a ton of it), God wants you to put that work above all else. And He’s written a thorough manual on how to do it. Make it an act of your will to start reading it right away.

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

Be sure to share this with everyone you know. And don’t be surprised if they get mad at you for it.

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

There’s a sentence in 1 Corinthians 7:10-16 that really stands out to me…in a passage where Paul says to keep your marriage vows.

Before I get to that stand-out sentence I’d like to talk about the gist of Paul’s words. If you’re already married, a wife is “not to depart from her husband” and “a husband is not to divorce his wife”. Read that passage and see how Paul calls it a command…but then he says “but even if she does depart…”.

This shows that God commands you to keep your marriage vows

Because He doesn’t want you to live in a constant state of unhealthy sexual behavior. But He allows for divorce. He knows many men and women have a lack of self control and will not keep their vows.

God doesn’t want you to divorce, but He doesn’t want you to be a whipping post for a neglectful, abusive, or unfaithful spouse. Paul writes how this applies even when a believer has married an unbeliever. The vows are still in effect. And I believe the reason Paul writes so much about this is found in the stand-out sentence I mentioned before.

“But God has called us to peace.”

As I look at all the other text, in context, that sentence doesn’t seem to fit in with marriage vows or divorce clauses or whether or not a believer should be married to an unbeliever. But when you think about how much violence occurs in households where vows are forgotten, it makes total sense.

God wants you to have peace.

He wants you to be healthy, happy, and have life…abundantly. If you want peace, give peace. If you want love, give love. And if you want to be cared for in sickness and in health, care for your spouse in sickness and in health.

When you keep your marriage vows, it doesn’t guarantee your husband or wife will too. But if you don’t keep them, it does guarantee you won’t have the peace you’ve been called to by God.

In Faith, Hope, and Love”

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

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Lack Of Self Control

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Is your lack of self control a good enough reason to get married?

Lack Of Self Control is a good reason to marry...but not a commandment.

Maybe.

In 1 Corinthians Paul wrote “it is good for a man not to touch a woman“. At first glance that sounds like you shouldn’t get married. But he’s showing us how we distract one another from a more focused service to God. I’m thankful Paul doesn’t stop there because I can’t imagine not touching a woman. I mean…why would God create such beautiful creatures and not let us touch them.

Paul goes on to say that marriage is a good thing. It keeps us from doing all those sexual things that aren’t good for us. It’s an indicator of God’s approval of sex between a man and a woman…but within the constraints of marriage.

God knows how almost all men have a harmful lack of self control. And God, after all, is the One who invented sex. He could have made it terrible chore, but instead He made it a very pleasurable thing for enjoyment so we would “be fruitful and multiply“.

Paul explains how a man is supposed to have A wife and woman is to have A husband. And you’re not supposed to withhold your affection from one another because that’s how you’ll make sure “Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control”.

We’re not commanded to marry. It’s not a requirement for salvation, grace, or any other thing. Marriage is for your health and abundant life is you have a lack of self-control over your own body. In other words, if you know you burn with passion, find a good woman or man and marry. Then share all the love and affection you have within you, and give your bodies over to one another in passion that springs from that love.

And, of course, if you have self-control in matters of sex, then consider serving God and not getting married because you’ll have a sharper focus on Him without the distractions and needs of a helpmate. But married or not…seek ways you can serve the God who knit you together in the womb. You exist at the hands of the Ultimate Designer, and He knows what it takes for your best health and happiness.

In Faith, Hope, and Love”

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

P.S.  I really appreciate your support here on my website. Here are some other awesome ways you can keep my words and music flowing. Get my ebooks for kids on Amazon.com or Smashwords
Get my Podcast
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