OK, you’ll enjoy this story much more if you use your best Irish or Scottish accent as you read. Even if you read it to yourself and you don’t read it out loud. You’re already doin’ it. Aren’t ya? Yeah, the way that power of suggestion works is a mystical phenomenon.

Have you ever heard of the Blue Celtic Cloud?

Some say it’s not just a vapor. Not just part of the sky. And some will swear the Blue Celtic Cloud is even more than just a mystical phenomenon. They’ll swear it’s a living, shimmering “entity” that floats above the verdant highlands and rugged coastlines of Eire.

In fact, I heard a story about it. And I’ll share the story with you now. Word for word.

(by the way, your accent is delightful)

Anyway…

Rhiannon, a young druidess, was the guardian of the aforementioned Blue Celtic Cloud. She had inherited this sacred duty from her grandmother, Maeve. And Maeve had whispered tales of the cloud’s power into Rhiannon’s ears ever since she was a child.

Maeve told her the Blue Celtic Cloud was no ordinary puff of vapor. Not at all. Because it contained the dreams and hopes of the Celtic people. And it could transform those dreams and hopes into healing rain to nourish the earth and all who with open hearts to music.

And one crisp morning, during the last few days of Spring, as a mist kissed the heather-covered hills, Rhiannon felt a drop of water on her forehead. The Blue Celtic Cloud was swirling with a luminous energy. Even as the rest of the world was quiet and still.

So, Rhiannon chanted ancient incantations she learned from her grandmother. And the Blue Celtic Cloud descended and surrounded her in a soft, glowing mist.

A gentle rain began to fall. But the strange thing about it was that Rhiannon didn’t get wet. Because the rain fell directly into her heart. Or at least it felt that way. And she could also feel the dreams and hopes of the Celtic people as beautiful music also found its way to her heart. And, without even realizing it, the song made her smile.

It sure was a whimsical, wonderful mystical phenomenon. But sadly, Rhiannon had no one to share the song with. So, she sang it to the Blue Celtic Cloud. And she asked the Cloud to send it to someone, someday, some way, who could and would pass it on to others.

Finally, hundreds of years later, the Cloud found an unsuspecting, but willing, songwriter to write down the words and compose the song.

And that’s how the ninth song on my Lullabye Bye collection of lullaby songs for kids came about. Cross my heart and hope to fly.

Listen to a sample of “Blue Celtic Cloud,” as well as all the other songs in the Lullabye Bye collection here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV4pKjLJWgg)

And it shouldn’t take a mystical phenomenon for you to jump on over to the Rhyme and Reason Bookshop to get your special kids their very own Lullabye Bye coloring, drawing songbook. And did I mention, there’s a link, in the book, to download all the songs?

Well, there is. So, download your Lullabye Bye book in the Rhyme and Reason Bookshop right now.

Stay tuned…

The post Mystical phenomenon, in this song, goes on and on appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

When I was a kid, I’d almost always be the first one to get up. And I’d sneak into the kitchen and pour myself a bowl of cereal. Not every day was a cereal day. Because moms knew growing kids need a variety of nutrients. But a bowl (or two) of that tasty goodness could take you all the way to lunch. Of course, that was back before cereal (and just about all other food) was so manipulated with additives and preservatives. But that’s a whole ‘nother rabbit hole.

Anyway…

And there only the sound of my own crunching on Cheerios, or corn flakes, or whatever was available. And I’d stare out the window. Because I loved to watch the birds and squirrels as they gathered up and ate their food. There was so much hustle and bustle right out in the front yard. But it was also so peaceful and quiet.

Back then, kids weren’t allowed to have coffee. At least not in our household. But  I didn’t mind. Because that “grownup” beverage tasted awful to me. And I never needed that caffeine boost to wake up.

These days the first thing I do, in the morning, is get a drink of water from my ProPur (now Pro One) gravity filter. Then, I pour some more of that wonderful water (with fluoride filtered out and minerals left in) for my coffee. And I enjoy the aroma as the brewing begins. That first cup, with a bit of honey and cream or butter, wakes up the first layer of brain cells where my imagination lives. And as those cells roam around freely inside my head, groups of words start to form.

And on a Saturday morning, 11 years ago, this group of words formed.

Saturday morning breakfast cereal

Saturday morning sunshine prisms

Saturday morning cartoon silliness

Saturday morning breakfast cereal

And that’s just one of about 110 pages of rhymes and drawings you’ll find in my book:  “Ginormous Humongous Tremendous Book of Poems and Short Bedtime Stories For Kids“

But I have to warn you, it might be the most expensive coloring and drawing book of poems and short stories you’ve ever seen. Because there’s more delight packed into this one book than you’re likely to see in another book anywhere. Well, at least until my next one comes out. Anyway…here’s your link, if you dare…

(https://www.amazon.com/Ginormous-Humongous-Tremendous-Bedtime-Stories/dp/1661314422)

Stay tuned,

The post Cereal day so far, far away appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

For a long time I sang for my supper. And breakfast, lunch, and snacks. And I sang for my monthly bills, my gasoline consumption, and even my cool clothes. When you can pay your way as a musician, do you know what they call you? Yeah, somebody who should get a real job. Wait a second! That’s not right. They call you a professional musician. Or professional entertainer. Or something like that.

For 25 years I played just about every kind of venue a professional musician could play. And I’d take all the paid bookings I could fit into my calendar. Sometimes the feast would include 7 nights a week and additional day gigs on the weekend. And sometimes the famine would be a weak weekender.

And I didn’t have to compete with free.

But once every Tammy, Jane, and Mary had a computer with the power to rip music off discs and send it all around the globe for free, the professional musician days were changed forever.

At first I despised what had become of the world of music. And, on certain levels, I still do. But then, technology began to offer ways for singer/songwriters to keep more of their intellectual property. Of course, it’s a pipe dream to think anyone can hold on to all of their intellectual property any more. But when you can at least offer it up in ways that aren’t so easy to rip and steal, you gotta try.

So, in the past few years I started offering my music collections in physical books. I haven’t been actively trying to sell downloads and certainly not discs for a while. And if you’re one of those people who’ve supported my efforts by buying my books, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. And I want you to know YOU are the kind of person who I want to keep on producing music for.

As my circumstances permit, I hope to have more stuff you haven’t heard before. In the meantime, you’ll find my physical music offers in links below. And here’s my ode to the…

The times will come in everyone’s life

© 2019

Use this link (and share it with everybody you know) to jump on the The FunderFlash and get my really refreshing rhymes and reasons delivered to you with no chargeroo.

Stay tuned,

The post Professional musician times before these reasons and rhymes appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I don’t fly the unfriendly skies anymore. Because I don’t wanna be stuck in an unsanitary tube, soaring through the air at 35000 feet up, with a passenger list that includes people who hate each other and God.

But, hey, that’s probably just me.

Anyway…

Here’s why I bring up my aversion to airline travel (the same is true for just about any mass transit).

Whatever happens in this world is temporary. When you know you’re gonna live forever with the one, true, living, loving Creator of heaven and earth, you should be able to trust Him and be of good cheer. One day you’ll leave this world full of hardships and filthiness and live forever in a real paradise. And it won’t be some Hollywood, make-believe, physics-defying world of mystical magic. It’ll be a real place with real human beings and real surroundings.

And most importantly, the real God.

Wait. You ARE going. Right?

Because your ticket has already been paid for and all you gotta do is sign your name, so to speak. Yeah, you definitely need to confirm you wanna make the trip. And all it takes is humility. If you wanna know more about it, I’ll be glad to share whatever I can to help. Because I’d sure like to see you, one day, in that…

I don’t believe

Jesus, Redeemer, Creator of Heaven

You can receive

Jesus, the Savior, and Great Overcomer

Instrumental…

I love the way His promise won’t forsake me.

Jesus, the Lamb, without spot without blemish,

© 2001-2009

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Enjoying my radically rational Rhyme and Reason world? Then, follow the links to even more rooms and regions.

Buy books and music from me:

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The post Passenger list includes you if you want it to appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I remember Ted Kennedy’s shaky voice, during a eulogy for his brother Robert, as he quoted George Bernard Shaw  who said, “Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not.” I’m not sure Ted OR Robert were capable of anything more than why and why not questions. I hope so. But I won’t know until I leave this world. And maybe then it won’t matter. But I DO know that KNOWING why is awesome.

And the biggest why question is the one about our existence. Why are we here? If you don’t KNOW the answer to that, you’re liable to come up with all sorts of foolish stuff. Not the least of which (in fact, maybe the most of which) is how everything came from nothing.

Foolishness. And for one main human reason. And one main supernatural reason.

The human reason is: there’s NO such thing as nothing.

The supernatural reason: something from nothing isn’t natural. It doesn’t happen. So, if it DID happen, it would have to be supernatural. Above that which is natural. Outside of all that is natural. Beyond everything that is natural.

Supernatural!

Uh-oh. That takes us toward a supernatural Designer. Because all of creation is FULL of design. And you can’t logically look at design and say it happened all by itself. You know, automatically, it had a designer. And this highly complex world, solar system, galaxy, and universe we live in is held together by design. Not accidentally.

I pondered that sort of thing, way back in 1987, when I still hadn’t found the love of my life. And I wrote a poem (because, yeah, that’s what real thinking men do) about my questions. A lot of why questions. But I ended the poem with an acknowledgment of my ability to KNOW even when I didn’t have an answer. And here’s how it went/goes…

I pause; I wonder,

I yearn for freedom;

So why can’t I make this happen?

Why don’t things change no matter how I try?

I sit. l listen,

A song; a feeling.

When I’m being optimistic

© 1987 (August 26)

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Your support means more than you know. And in case you’d like to know how you can…

Buy books and music from me:

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The post Knowing why makes me a happy guy appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I think about what she said, more often, these days.

I’m talkin’ about what my Grandmother said, as I sat on her front porch snapping green beans with her. It was during a couple of years when my brother and I lived with our Dad’s parents while he worked on setting up a new home life.

Dad and Mom divorced when I was about four and my brother was two and a half. Since he was given custody of us, he asked our Grandparents to take care of us, most of the time, so he could find another wife and someone who could be the “mother figure” in our lives. This was, of course, before feminism ruined so many households. But that’s another topic for another time.

Anyway…

Back to what my Grandmother said.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Despite the fact that it was decades ago. Grandmother sat on her porch chair, the metal clamshell style, with a large enameled metal bowl, full of green beans from their back yard garden, in her lap. I sat in the other chair with a smaller bowl in my lap. And we snapped green beans. And she talked while I listened.

“Enjoy this peaceful, wonderful day, and don’t take it for granted,” she said. “Because, one of these days, you might be my age and most of, or all of, the people you love will be gone for good.”

I remember thinking to myself, “Why do old people talk this way?” Of course, being a pre-schooler, I couldn’t have seen how Grandmother was speaking from experience. I was too young to grasp the depth of her advice. But, even a young age, I had enough respect for my elders to listen and pay attention.

And for some reason, I enjoyed snapping green beans.

Now, let’s fast forward to THESE days.

I’m about 10 years older than Grandmother was when she gave me that advice. And as of 2021, the fullness of her prediction came true. All those people I loved, except for my brother, are gone for good. In February, it’ll be three years ago already that Mom was the last to go.

But I’m one of the fortunate ones in this world. Because I have the hope of seeing them again. Because my Grandparents AND my parents believed in and trusted Jesus.

I know. At first you thought I was just gonna share a little of my good ol’ Americana story. But then I had to go and spoil it all by saying something about Jesus. (side note: for some reason Frank and Nancy Sinatra popped into my mind)

But here’s the thing.

I would never have any nostalgic stories to share if it wasn’t for Jesus. And neither would you for that matter. Because He created us. For crying out loud, without a Manufacturer, there are NO manufactured goods. Without a Designer, there’s no design. Without a Creator, there’s no creation. You get the idea. Right?

The image of sitting on the porch with my Grandmother came into my head after I read about a Christian brother whose wife died a couple of days ago. And this has recently happened with a couple of my other friends, too. Fortunately, each of them has the hope of seeing their wives again. And that hope is because of their faith in Jesus.

If you’re reading this without that kind of hope, I hope that changes for you very soon.

You don’t know, for certain, you’ll even make it to lunch. And without the hope of life after death, that uncertainty will only lead to torment. And even though most people in the world ignore the solution to that problem, it’s so easy to avoid. But the solution requires humility. The kind of humility that selfish people don’t wanna think about.

Humility that says there IS a God of creation, you’re NOT Him, and He IS the source of faith, hope, and love.

Most people who read what I write or listen to what I say already know this. But if you just happened to land on my website, or someone else sent you this message, maybe you need to hear that your problems DO have a solution. And if it makes sense and you want the problems solved, don’t put it off. Remember…

“Enjoy this peaceful, wonderful day, and don’t take it for granted. Because, one of these days, you might be my age and most of, or all of, the people you love will be gone for good.”

There’s no difference when going first to last.

(from the song of the same name)

By the way I can always use your support to help me keep the nearly 3000 posts I’ve shared on my website available to the world that needs to see and hear about the one, true, living, loving God of creation. So, see if one of my books suits your fancy. Get one for yourself or for someone you love. Here’s a link to check ‘em out:

(https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B008R08LUG/allbooks)

Stay tuned,

The post These days will be gone. Will you go on? appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I can hardly believe it’s already been almost 4 years. But the calendar doesn’t lie. And the metadata in the documents I saved doesn’t either. Yeah, almost 4 years since I produced rough cuts to several new songs. And I have a couple of main reasons why I call them “rough cuts.” One of those songs is called “I Can Do.” And, yes, it’s one of the many songs I’ve written where I swim upstream against current trends. But so be it.

And, no, I don’t get some sort of surreptitious pleasure from going against the grain. In fact, I wish my worldview and songwriting style were more the norm. But that ain’t gonna happen. So I know those opportunities I passed up on, back in the day, for recording deals, are the only ones I’ll ever have.

But I know the One who created me, AND made sure I can live forever, is much more pleased with my choice. And He said the world hated Him before it ever hated me. So, I’m in the best of company.

Anyway…

Back to those songs. There are seven of them. So far. And I have a deep and abiding desire to produce them from rough cuts to smooth. But, to my constant consternation, for six years, respiratory issues have kept me from accomplishing that goal. And my wife and I have moved to two entirely different parts of the country to hopefully help alleviate those issues.

Right now I’m gaining some cautious optimism that maybe I’m making some progress (Your prayers are desired and appreciated). And I hope I can do some recording, soon, and make some tracks. Sadly I’ve had that hope dashed against the rocks a few times in the past six years. But the thing about real hope is, it springs eternal.

So, that being said, here’s a snippet of lyrics from a little song in B flat called…

Outside the lines the grass is greener.

I know the morning sun will shine,

I can do…what I need to. I know it’s so, so I can do!

The rest is reserved for when I fully produce this song and the others. Until then, you can dive into lots of my other songs, AND all kinds of books, when you click or tap this link:

(https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B008R08LUG/allbooks)

Stay tuned,

The post I Can Do. And in B flat, too appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

They’re not scary when you use even a little of the wisdom and discernment your Creator is willing to give you. I’m talking about health headlines. But if you read them without wisdom and discernment, as if they’re actually full-blown facts, you might start feeling like calling up the suicide hotline.

Because the vast majority of news sources would prefer you to stay locked down, inside your house, and in front of your computer or TV with fear in your heart. Of course, I could just be a conspiracy nut. And, in that case, skip the rest of this raving rant. Save yourself some more time for the fear news.

For 50 years I’ve been writing and talking about how this kind of world could and would happen. At first it was innocuous “laws” and policies to simply “provide protection” from accidents. You know. Helmets for motorcycles. And seatbelts for cars. I’m not against those, by the way. But the “laws?” Not so much.

I’m not gonna bore you with some decades long timetable. Because all that data probably wouldn’t change 1 mind out of 10. Probably wouldn’t turn 1 person’s heart, out of 10, toward their Maker.

And that includes health headlines, business headlines, and political headlines. So, I just recommend that you at least scan the headlines and bullet points on major news sites. And don’t be surprised when you see how similar, almost eerily similar, they are to each other. It all reminds me of the lyrics I wrote over 25 years ago. It was a song called Cliché. Here’s a verse…

We want to live in a fat-free environment, and

Cliché, and 12 other songs are included in my Do Right songbook journal. Get yourself a copy on Amazon today. It won’t build your immune system. But it might help you connect with the One who designed that system.

Stay tuned,

The post Health headlines today keep common sense away appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

With all the randomness in the universe, and our cute, little solar system, it’s a wonder that we can predict the moon phases with such accuracy. But we’re so good at it (and by “we” I mean earthlings) that we name the phases. And we know when they’re gonna happen. And we even know the best places to view them.

Nothing short of miraculous.

Well, not with regularity anyway. But here we are. About to enjoy another Buck Supermoon. (Is it just me, or does that sound like the name for a Saturday morning cartoon hero?) Yep, a Supermoon that occurs right around the time the antlers on buck deer are growing. That’s a phase you can hang your hat on.

Anyway…

There’s supposed to be a Buck Moon in full view tonight. July 2, 2023 as I write this. And it’s this year’s first supermoon. Depending on how you do the timing, it’s anywhere from this evening to tomorrow morning.

But, as I said, we can actually pinpoint the moon phases with such accuracy it’s nothing short of uncanny in this random existence in which we find ourselves. Check out this description from a science website:

“The Earth-facing side of the moon will be fully lit by the sun at 6:40 a.m. EDT on Monday, July 3, but it will be best viewed at moonrise the previous evening as it appears in the southeastern sky. It will be in the constellation Sagittarius, and will appear bright and full on the nights of July 2 and 4 as well.”

Like how astronomers know that every month, in the moon’s elliptical orbit of Earth, it has a point of perigee and a point of apogee. Just a fancy way of saying when it’s closest to Earth and when it’s farthest away from Earth. And they know the distance between those points ranges from 225,800 to 251,800 miles. So, knowing all that, they can tell you when supermoons will happen.

By the way, the Buck Supermoon, this month, is gonna be the smallest one this year. So, if you really wanna be impressed, stick around for the two supermoons in August and one in September.

In case you can’t tell, or you don’t know me, NO, I don’t get goosebumps because of the miracles of moon phases. Because there aren’t any such miracles. But I AM thrilled to know how dependable those phases are. And how dependable the rest of our cozy solar system is.

Because that dependability points to a designed system. Not a result of randomness. No, randomness could never, in trillions of years (much less a few billion) have created the precision we can observe. So, when I look up at a moon that looks bigger than usual, I think about Who put it there.

And it reminds me of these words: “Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.” (You can find that in the very first paragraphs of the Bible.)

Which was a 24 hours day, by the way. Not potential eons of time. And that’s a rabbit trail that leads me to a book for kids that talks about the very first six days. Matter of fact, it’s called The Very First 6 Days. What a colossal coincidence. Here’s a clip, from the book, about the very first day…

Before there were created things

He looked down at the waters

Then God divided light and dark,

Get the rest of the book on Amazon. Digital download or paperback.

Stay tuned,

The post Moon phases and my mind glazes appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I don’t know why it is. But fat, old guys seem to be the typical Harley riders. And before you look for the page turn or delete button, I’m not gonna ramble on about fat, old guys on motorcycles. I’m sure you’ve seen your share. And you’d probably like to talk about almost anything else.

And even worse than that, they’re walkin’ down the street naked. Now, that’s not your typical scene. Except, it IS starting to get a whole lot more typical. And it’s happening with the approval of large crowds of men, women, AND children (although I doubt the kids had any choice in the matter).

This past weekend (6/23-6/25) a Bud Light sponsored, so-called “Pride Parade” in Toronto (that’s in Canada, for the geographically challenged) included nudists. It wasn’t the first parade to include them. And I’m sure it won’t be the last. In fact, I suspect they’ll be included in more and more parades as the tolerance and diversity wing of the so-called “justice system” sees nothing and knows nothing.

I’m deeply saddened for my country and continent. Because America was the last ray of hope for morality and respect for God. But that ray is flickering out. It used to be that morally bankrupt people preferred the dark of night because of their despicable behavior. But now, they proudly parade around in the daylight.

I read a report that said, “Another video emerged showing another act that occurred happened in the parade: participants in drag danced with their breasts exposed to the audience.” And the report continued with, “Other videos show a group of naked men playing and rinsing themselves off alongside a fountain surrounded by kids. Meanwhile, a stage, clearly adorned with Bud Light branding, featured scantily clad dancers wearing fishnets, nipple stickers, and strange sock-like masks.”

After all, if I don’t wanna watch, I can just not go. Or change the channel. Yeah, I could just move on with a “nothing to see here” attitude. But there’s one catch. Jesus said to “love your neighbor as yourself.” And I love myself enough to take eternal life where I can find it. So, I want my “neighbors” to experience it, too.

Of course, I won’t even try to force anyone to believe in eternal life AND that it can only be found in Jesus. I couldn’t make them do that even if I DID try. But I’ll never give up recommending it to them. And I’ll never give in and simply tolerate their despicable behavior. They certainly don’t tolerate my Christian faith. And that’s the height, width, and depth of their hypocrisy.

Naturally (and I use that word because it fits perfectly) the tolerance that’s “preached” in “pride parades” has no actual boundaries. So, as more and more sin is accepted, it gets more and more depraved.

Fat old guys (and women, and young ones, too), parading around naked in front of children is bad. But, if that behavior is left unchecked and unpunished, to quote BTO, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

The web page, with the report of this awful news, included some ironically humorous bullet point ads. I copied them and pasted them, verbatim, here:

“Urologist: Enlarged Prostate? Do This Immediately (Genius!)”

“Big Belly? Take This Before Bed And Lose Up To 52 lbs In 10 Days”

So, I guess even naked, fat, old guys (and/or those who cheer them on) have health and vanity issues. One day, if they don’t turn to God for help with their hardened hearts, they’ll wish for the days when they only had belly fat and prostate problems.

I long for the day when I won’t feel compelled to speak out against men and women who prey on, and even murder, little children. And I look forward to an eternal future when none of those people who hate God will ever trouble me, or anyone who loves Him, again.

AND I know that day is coming. Because, even right here in the middle of an overflowing ocean of darkness, the Light of God’s love, shines with inextinguishable power. For anyone who cares to see it.

Worldliness; don’t let your joy turn into heaviness!

Stay tuned,

Be sure to get the Amen Songbook and Journal. The paperback version is on Amazon, so free delivery to Prime members. There’s a link in the book where you can download all the songs in the Amen collection.

https://app.box.com/s/iu1v6wq04ail8ays371zouebsnnanew3

The post Fat old guys out in front of your eyes appeared first on Tony Funderburk.