Tag Archives: noise of the world

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There I stood. In between the guitar player’s loud amp and the drummer’s crash cymbal. That’s where my equipment had been placed on a stage in front of business executives. Things had already fallen behind a bit. So, there was no time to rearrange anything. So, that’s where I was for an hour and a half. And take my advice. If you ever get the chance to be in that position, pass it up.

Because a loud amp and crash cymbal are bad for your ears.

And I’m not sure which was worse. The piercing guitar in my right ear. Or the crash cymbal in my left. Maybe it was a tie. Anyway, I can tell you my hearing was damaged, at least a little, from that day on.

But you know what’s worse than having your ears damaged? It’s having your soul damaged by somebody trying to impress you with their fancy skills just because it makes them feel “special.” And a wise man, named Paul, wrote about what happens to anyone who tries to do that. He talked about people who had special gifts from God like being able to predict things and speak other languages.

He said, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”

Yikes. That ain’t good. And as I already showed you, a clanging (crash) cymbal can hurt your ears. So, if and when you’re like that, there’s a good chance you might be hurting more than just ears. Because someone might think you’re just trying to show off. So, they won’t even wanna listen to your noise.

Now, here’s something you gotta understand.

You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for the power of God’s love. Yeah, He loved the world (which is another way of saying you and me and all the people) so much that He put Himself into a human body to be punished for all the bad stuff He did.

Wait a second! Read those last 6 words again.

NO. He wasn’t punished for all the bad stuff HE did. He let people beat Him, make fun of Him, and even put Him to death because of all the bad stuff YOU did. And all the bad stuff everybody did.

So, what He did is WAY more important than any so-called “special gifts” you and I might have. And He did it because of His love. That’s why you don’t wanna be a crash cymbal in this world. But that’s exactly what you’ll be if you go through your day without love. Because…

Without love there’s just no way out
Of all that noise in your head.
So, before you show off and shout,
Try sharing God’s love instead.

And I’d love for you to get encouraging, regular issues of my Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional the easy way. Just add your email address and they’ll come to you and you won’t have to look for them. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, when you do, I’ll send you download links to 2 of my Christian books for kids and 2 songs, right away, that grownups AND kids can enjoy.

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

I’ve always had a place I could go when I needed to drown out the noise of the world.

Music.

And when I was 22, I bought a piano. Not just a another electronic keyboard. Nope. An actual, upright piano. It was a Rudolph Aeolian. Oh man, it was sleek, had a clear, smooth tone, and I was thrilled.

I discovered it in the downstairs section of a used piano shop in, in an old section of Kansas City, Missouri. And I made arrangements with the owner for him to keep it and deliver it once I paid off the $450 it cost me.

So, for several months, I sent him all my “extra” income. And, in fairly short order, I paid it off. And, just as we had agreed, the piano store owner promptly delivered it to me. That was no small thing. Because his guys had to deliver it to a tiny, old trailer home I rented for $75 a month in a little rural, Kansas town. About 45 miles from the store.

And right after the delivery guys left, I started to drown out the noise of the world.

Yeah, once I had my very own piano in my very own place I had my very own escape route. And I could make my escape any time the world and its problems started closing in too much. Fortunately, that was rarely the case. And thankfully, most of the time I just wanted to play, get better, and write songs.

Hundreds of songs. Some of them quite good.

Many of them? Well, as the old saying goes, “Practice, practice, practice.”

And that’s part of the answer to life’s problems. It’s important to understand there’s NO “place” where you’ll be free from the troubles of this world. If that’s your goal, disappointment’s in your future. No, life takes a lot of practice.

But there’s a person, who can help you with that. And He’s WAY better than any place you can imagine. His name is Jesus. And His still small voice can drown out the noise of this world. If and when you choose to stop and listen.

Meditate on this for more than a second or two.

Jesus spoke words and the whole universe exploded into existence. And, here’s something else to wrap your mind around, if you’re ready to explode it into a fireworks display of amazement.

Before you were that little boy or girl born into this world, you were a thought inside the mind of God.

Chew on that, as you try to drown out the noise all around you. And when the bad news gets too loud, turn to your Creator. Don’t do like the person in these lyrics…

Play Sweet Piano

To lie is such a foolish thing,
But I still do.
I try too hard to find a way
To make it true.
I’ll try to stand on the ocean,
If you will.
Let’s take a look at the sky.
I’ll try to be as calm as
I can be,
And keep this look in my eye.
To laugh is such an easy thing.
So why can’t I?
My face is strong, but that’s to hide
My empty lie.
Play sweet piano
And lose me inside you.
I know you will do that for me.
Let’s take a journey,
We’ll fly, and we won’t come back.
We’ll live in a sweet melody.

© 1977

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Hey ladies and gents. Kids of all ages. It’s time to play Beat The Clock and make your mark for all time. And this is the game where the stakes are high, the prizes are free, and losers never get another chance. Are you ready? Let’s Play!  

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But remember Beat The Clock doesn’t mean you’ll Beat The World.

If history teaches you anything, and for most people it doesn’t, it’s that you can’t beat the world. Because the deck is stacked against you. And all the other players are waiting for you to mess up so they can use your head for a springboard to their next move. Yes, it’s an exciting game. But it can be a little vindictive and vicious.

So what. Right?

Just remember to get your points while the gettin’s good.

Don’t look back. Unless it’s to see who you left in the dirt.

Alright! Enough of the pre-game pep talk and list of rules…as if there are any. And now, roll that theme song…

Beat The World (and clock)

Every time you turn your back
There’s somebody there to pick your pockets
And so you see there’s more to life
More than love and rockets
Deal with reality the best that you can
Try to remember there’s a higher plan
That’s the only way to beat the world at its own game

Yeah…every time you make your mark
There’s somebody there to erase it
And people say that’s just the way it is
And boy you’d better face it
But you believe there’s gonna be a better day,
So you pray for strength and better words to say
That’s the only way to beat the world at its own game

C’mon and beat the world, and try to leave a dent
But don’t regret the time that you’ve spent
C’mon and beat the world, and try to leave a bruise
You need to know the life that you choose
Is gonna beat the world…

Every time you see the morning news
They talk about another killing
It’s beyond my power to comprehend
How the taking of life could be thrilling
Banish the dark side; live in God’s light
Rise and shine and you can win this fight
That’s the only way to beat the world at its own game

Oh, can you imagine”if we were all serving the True God,
Would we still be living this way?

Instrumental…repeat chorus to end

© 1996 Tony Funderburk

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Long Story Short
Those words almost always come too late

A friend drops by and starts talking about his or her trip to a clothing store. They go on and on about the sale, the clothes, the new styles. This goes on for about 5 minutes, and then they say…well anyway…to make a long story short, yada yada yada. And then the long story continues to get longer, not shorter. Has that ever happened to you?

In the first place you were right in the middle of your favorite show on TV or listening to your favorite tunes or working on something you enjoy. Secondly, you don’t even like that store, their clothes, or their styles. And finally…if you hear this friend say “to make a long story short” even one more time, you’re gonna explode.

You’re not the only one who feels this way.

We’re all so bombarded with messages everyday we sometimes even tune out our friends when they start to ramble too much. God designed your brain to be able to filter in the key words and filter out the noise. I bet you’d be amazed or surprised to discover how many messages you saw, read, or heard today. And if you were asked to recall one in particular, your mind would immediately go to the short one with the memorable sound-byte or punch line.

Why should it be any other way? After all, the cool stuff today will have a cooler version next week, or next month, or next year. Remember the model name and watch for the upgrades. Simple.

Then your long term memory can focus on the ultimately more important things like:

  • Anniversary dates
  • Birthdays
  • Names to go with faces

 

So, I hope I’ve made this long story short enough to to show you how short messages and being a good listener are vital. Do you agree?

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Do you live your life with thanksgiving? Or do you simply “get through” each day with moaning and groaning?

There’s a vast chasm between living your life and merely trudging through. To live it requires thoughts, joy, and action. “To live” shouldn’t be a passive experience. That’s a result of letting life happen to you rather than thinking about where you came from and allowing joy to work in you with thanksgiving. Do you see the difference?

Life isn’t something to just “get through.” Life is a gift from God. And it CAN be an eternal gift. He’s been working on us humans for 6,000 years to show us how to live more abundantly. With more purpose. And go on forever.

Why do you suppose we’re always so diligent to tune God out? Do you suppose it’s because the noise of the world is so distracting? Or could it be something even more serious? Is there a voice inside your head telling you to “go it alone”? If so, I’d like to suggest to you it isn’t God’s voice. It’s yours.

Consider how much God sacrificed to make sure you have the opportunity to live forever in a glorious life you can only imagine here.

That should motivate you to live your life with Thanksgiving.

My wife and I went on a short pleasure drive yesterday evening. As we crested one hill we saw a flock of turkeys milling around in the middle of the road. I drove up as closely as I could and snapped a picture and took some video. They were funny to watch. We understand why the word “turkey” is used to describe a dufus.

Well, seeing the turkeys reminded me of Thanksgiving, which is coming up in a couple of months. And with Thanksgiving there’s always the family get-togethers, lots of food, and the brisk Autumn temperatures. It’s so important, not just on Thanksgiving but every day of your life, to remember who to be thankful to.

Without your Creator you wouldn’t have life. And without His sacrifice you wouldn’t have hope. So…I hope you’ll consider looking into it today, if you haven’t already given your life to God. Time is running out.

Maybe you don’t know me well enough to buy something from me, yet. Ok, then get to know more about me and my worldview. Join the growing body of believers who’ve signed up for the Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. And enjoy my daily flashes of light from the power of God’s love.

Stay tuned…

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