Healthy habits - They help you discover the rhyme and reason for life

They, whoever they are, say that patience is a virtue. But I’ll let you in on a little secret. I have a lot of room for improvement in that area. How ’bout you? If so, what if I told you God is willing and can help you be patient?

Interested?

First, I bet you don’t always lett God help you be patient with all. Because you’re human. And you fail and fall. Just has all the rest of us do. So, believe me, I’m telling myself this same stuff, too. Because I need to hear it as much as anybody (and more than a lot of people).

Here’s a little rabbit trail sort of on that question.

Colorado legalized pot back in 2014. And I drove on Colorado highways, a lot, for 30 years. But something I noticed, after they legalized pot, was the scent of pot coming through the vents and windows of my pickup just about everywhere I drove. And it wafted through the air during walks through the neighborhoods. And that includes the so-called “nice” neighborhoods.

If you’re a dope smoker, here’s a statistic I’m sure you won’t care about. But it’s still true. When you smoke weed, your reaction time is significantly slower. Sorry to be such a killjoy, but da facts is facts.

And that means the minority of us who don’t smoke pot have to just be patient with those who do. We have to tolerate the nuisance of the smell, the slow reaction times, and every other negative thing that comes with it.

I had to deal with what I call “drifters” as I made my way across town or across the state. I’m talking about drivers who couldn’t seem to be deliberate in their actions. They’d drift into different lanes. Or they seemed to have to make up their mind about turning. And then sort of drift around the corner. And if I added up all the time I waited on those drivers to respond to the changing lights, I could possibly add a few days to my life.

That’s what I mean about me lacking patience. And about needing God’s help.

(side note: those drifters are in every state, even here in “conservative” Florida)

OK, I know there are lots of reasons people resort to smoking pot. They use excuses like pain, depression, or physical “conditions”. And they’ll say a guy like me, who never smoked pot, will never understand. On some level, I suppose that’s correct. But I DO know that inhaling smoke of any kind is not a better answer than real foods, fresh air, sunshine, and plenty of good water.

But if you’re a pothead, you probably won’t. So, I’ll just have to…

“Be patient. Be wary. Sing songs and be merry.

If you’d rather get high on the power of God’s love, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

I share my rhymes and reasons based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Patience is a virtue. But can too much hurt you? appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Just about everywhere you look or go people seem to be mad about something. And a lot of them don’t seem to have any problem letting that anger, inside, out for everyone to see.

People are walking around with chips on their shoulders. That’s what we used to call it anyway. Or you could say they’re carrying grudges in their hearts. And that would be bad enough. But at least it would be invisible to just about everyone. Trouble is, they don’t stop the anger inside from coming out. And a lot of it even leads to escalated physical harm.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret about the root cause. Selfishness.

Yeah, selfishness is at the heart of almost all anger issues. It’s difficult to manage your anger, when all you care about is how he or she or the whole world wronged you.

And you find a way to justify your own anger, when you don’t take responsibility for your actions. I’ve been dealing with this with someone I’ve known for a very, very long time. He believes I’ve wronged him in the past (issues from 20 years ago and beyond). And he has told me I’ve never apologized or shown any remorse.

I’m not gonna share the whole sob story. But I can say with a clear conscience that this person has ripped me off multiple times, left me in the lurch multiple times, and F-bombed Jesus in my house. And, to this day, he’s never once apologized or shown any remorse for his actions. Some say this is narcissism. And I don’t disagree.

The person I’m talking about doesn’t care what God says about anger. But, to quote from Paul’s writing in Ephesians, “be angry and do not sin.” And when Paul wrote that, he was actually quoting from one of King David’s Psalms where it said, “Be angry, and do not sin, Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.”

But people obsess over problems, challenges, and obstacles in everyday life. That makes it easy to form a tunnel vision where the tunnel always leads to SELF.

And that leads to projecting those problems onto others. And that leads to self harm. Physical, mental, and emotional harm. You might not realize the full negative consequences of letting the anger inside out while you’re young and strong. But they’ll show up eventually. And the older you are, the more harmful the consequences.

I’m not saying those studies are absolutely true. But it might be more than coincidence that the rising rate of cancer in the world happens at the same time there are more angry people than ever.

So, what about you? What rules in your life? Anger? Or joy? I wrote this rhyme about it years ago…

If you’re angry, just don’t sin.

If this didn’t make you mad, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

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I’ll start this off with a question. Have you ever seen someone for psychiatric care? I haven’t, but I’ve known people who have. And I’ve certainly seen enough movies and TV shows with people seeking therapy that way. But they never act or talk like it actually works.

Plus, there’s an unavoidable problem when you tell a doctor your deep, dark secrets. Especially a typical psychiatrist who has no healthy relationship with Jesus. Because, when you share your feelings and secrets  with someone who doesn’t love his Creator (and many times even with someone who does), you risk hanging yourself out to dry.

All those notes the doctor takes can be like witnesses against you. If the person taking them ever wanted to turn against you for some dire reason, they have a great reference tool. And if you believe the so-called “doctor-patient confidentiality” thing will protect you, you don’t know human nature.

Years ago I watched an old black and white movie where the main character went to a psychiatrist for some marital or other relationship problems. The star of the movie was only one of a collection of weird characters. And it seemed like they all wanted to be the weirdest one. Funny thing is, I thought they were all successful in their efforts.

Shortly after watching the movie, I heard a story on the evening news about how many people were seeking psychiatric “care.” And not long after that I read an article in the local paper (yeah, we still read newspapers back then) about the same topic.

In all the stories there was never even a tiny mention of God. Far from it.

It’s just not wise to not go to God with your problems? Because He can help you rise above your selfishness. In fact, His words can make you healthy.

God should be your main counsellor. Yes, He does take notes on all of us. But, for those who love Him, He will wipe the slate clean and remembers the notes no more. Why would you ever to tell your story to a note taker who doesn’t do that? Here’s a goofy song I wrote about therapy after seeing the goofy characters in a movie…

I think I’m going crazy.

Therapy…let me tell you all about it.

I guess I’m not so crazy,

© 1989 Tony Funderburk

If you’d rather look for help in God’s word, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Psychiatric care from the Wisdom up there appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

So many so-called pro athletes, movie stars, musicians and other artsy fartsy freakazoids are full of angst and aggression these days.

And I’m not saying they don’t have a good reason.

And I’m talking about the ones who make millions of dollars for just playing with a ball, or memorizing lines, or looking good on a screen, or for recording some lunatic lyrics with a catchy beat. Yeah, ironically, those who make the most money seem to do the loudest complaining about the free enterprise system we have here in America.

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. Sheesh.

Sorry, but they just don’t have a good reason for being so full of dark angst and aggression. And don’t try to tell me they’re just looking out for the little guy, you and me. Puhleez.

I know a lot of those pop icons would call me lame. Or a Bible-thumping-do-gooder. And I know a lot of them like to poke fun at Christians and say they have no grasp on reality. They love to attempt to condescend with statements, like, “Go ahead and pray to your little friend in the sky.“ But I really don’t care.

Because the Christian message is true (an overwhelming amount of evidence says it is). So, I’m already on the winning team. My so-called “little friend” just happens to be the Head Coach of all creation. And He will lead my team to victory over ALL other opposing teams.

The leader of my pack is not only the True Alpha male. He’s also the Omega Man! And that helps me sing and write angst and aggression free. I gotta tell ya, that’s a huge boost to my endorphins and a significant reduction to any potential cortisol issues. In other words, Jesus is the ultimate stress reducer. He’s the cure. And I’m just a supplement. But I’m blessed to even be that.

And here’s what I recommend for your health. Don’t watch the TV or cable news. Filter out the mainstream from all your social media and internet connections. Stick with me, of course. And, by all means, skip, the namby-pamby, ne’er-do-well, yada-yada rants made by privileged celebrities who think they’re all that plus the bag of chips.

Your body, soul, and spirit will thank you. And don’t be surprised if you start smiling more.

When I’m being optimistic

I share it with believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Spend your time reading, listening, and watching good stuff based on the power of God’s love instead of looking for it. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

Stay tuned,

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I’ve been encouraging anybody who would read what I write and listen to what I say to remain optimistic in tough times. But I don’t just say the words. I also share why it’s not just good advice. It’s important to your health down to the marrow of your bones.

The subject came up in my thoughts this morning for a particularly personal reason. Today, April 17, 2026 marks the one year “anniversary” of a stroke that challenged me to follow my own advice. But I believe I can honestly say that, despite challenges, I never dreamed I would face, I have remained optimistic in the tough times of the past year.

I won’t tell you what all the challenges were/are. But they include a left arm and hand that won’t hold things very well without wavering in the air. And a left leg that refuses to take normal steps during a walk. Plus most things on my left side operate with much less efficiency than they did a year ago. That includes my left lung and blood circulation on that side. And probably the weirdest thing that happened was the development of a neurogenic bladder.

Most of the information you’ll find on a neurogenic bladder deals with incontinence, urgency, etc. But what happened to me is something they call an under active bladder. And that means the nerves that alert you to the need to go and allow you to start a stream and go don’t work now. So, I have to insert a catheter four or five times a day, to empty out. Not my idea of a fun time.

And I’ve only shared this personal information with you because I hope it helps somebody understand how crucial it is to remain optimistic, even during rough times like what I described. I know it isn’t always easy. But it’s always necessary. And it’s always doable when you remember that, if you believe and trust in Jesus, one day, sooner than you might imagine, you will see Him…

When we’re born into this world,

Each and every one of us

Face to face with Truth…face to face with Life.

When we leave this world, we’re

Get my Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. Because the flashes of light I share on my website come directly to your inbox. So you can spend your valuable time reading instead of searching. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies.

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Sure, I could’ve (and maybe should’ve) said daily bread instead of daily grain. But that wouldn’t have rhymed with the retrain your brain part. So, I took some poetic license. And there you have it.

Well, I could be talking about anxiety and depression, in which case I might give you a list of cognitive distortions like someone else did on another website. Here’s the list they shared.:

And the number one reason for that is because God tells me not to be. Plus, it’s bad for your brain which makes it much more difficult to retrain. So I recommend living in joy and gratitude. Yeah, we should all be extremely grateful. We’re not getting what we deserve (you’re not getting those wages you actually deserve, right?).

My educated guess is that if you ARE anxious and/or depressed, you’re way too focused on YOU.

But sometimes things happen and you find yourself forced to focus more on YOU. Or at least parts of you. And that’s where I find myself currently. So that’s why I’ve been talking about it more lately.

Brain injuries, or other forms of head trauma, like stroke, are a challenge to the neuroplasticity of your brain and nervous system. And since that’s the boat, I find myself in, at this time, the information I find is fascinating. Here’s the basic gist of it that I found in an article:

Brain cells send messages, which are the neural connections around the brain. However, when an individual experiences a stroke, the stroke damages some of the connections inside the brain in addition to the connection between the brain and the rest of the body. Rehabilitation activities help the brain make new neural connections in the healthy parts of your brain. And more neural connections can improve your brain’s ability to control your body and perform daily activities. Every time you take an extra step, say a new word or do an exercise, it helps the brain make new connections.~

My first gut reaction to all that is:

God is good. God is great.

By the way, I’m also extremely grateful you’re here reading this. I want you to know it’s no small thing to me that you have spent some of your precious, valuable time checking out what I share. I hope it blesses you in some way. And if there’s anything else you’d like me to focus on, don’t hesitate to ask.

Get my Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. Because the flashes of light I share on my website come directly to your inbox. So you can spend your valuable time reading instead of searching. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Retrain your brain with a good daily grain appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Note: the last podcast episode said it was number 995. But it was actually 994. And this episode is actually 995. OK, back to your regularly scheduled whatever it was you were doing before I interrupted you.

Mindfulness is the cognitive skill, usually developed through meditation, of sustaining metacognitive awareness towards the contents of one’s own mind in the present moment.

Because the information you see about mindfulness and self-awareness, all over the place these days, really focuses on that one word: self.

And from what I’ve been able to determine, through a variety of articles, they lead away from God. Here’s an example of what I mean taken from the ultimate internet authority, wikipedia:

~ The term mindfulness derives from the Pali word sati, a significant element of Buddhist traditions, and is based on Ānāpānasati, Chan, and Tibetan meditation techniques. Though definitions and techniques of mindfulness are wide-ranging, Buddhist traditions describe what constitutes mindfulness, such as how perceptions of the past, present and future arise and cease as momentary sense-impressions and mental phenomena. ~

So, what does all that mean?

Two words. Mumbo TRUTH. OK, I’ll add one more word, Dumbo.

If your “perceptions of the past, present and future arise and cease as momentary sense-impressions” (aka feelings), your life ain’t got no foundation. And if you put any kind of trust in mental phenomena, you’re just liable to be tossed “to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine.”

Because meditation, that doesn’t focus on self, can be a very powerful mental and emotional tool.

I recommend that your meditation (or mindfulness) should focus on things that are:

Of course, you already know that, if you’ve been connected with me for even a little while. So this information and recommendation is for the uninitiated, the newbies, and anyone willing to trust truth over feelings and phenomena.

It’s not a rule you have to follow,

This all has even more meaning for me now. Because part of my occupational and physical therapy, for better stroke recovery, includes exercising my brain. It sounds like it would be the easy part, but when parts of your brain are zapped due to a blood clot, you might be surprised how quickly the old think tank can run out of gas.

So, I’m gonna take my own advice right now and trust the Truth to help me.

Get my Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. Because the flashes of light I share on my website come directly to your inbox. That way you can spend your valuable time reading instead of searching. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Mindfulness and awareness: done this way it’s meaningless appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

If this was an article for a health and wellness  client, I couldn’t actually say food is medicine. In order to protect my client from lawsuits and such, I would have to say “food can be medicine.”

Yeah, don’t get too excited. Because that doesn’t mean ALL food is medicine. So, even though I like to joke that vitamin C stands for cookie, you might not see any health benefits from your favorite chocolate chippers. Sorry to boost your bubble. Or should I say crumble your cookie?

Anyway…

So, where do vitamins originally come from? And where does nutrition start? Food. As I said, food is medicine. And I’ve never been able to kick the eating habit. Yeah, I literally feed my habit, you might say (well, you probably wouldn’t say, but I just did) every day. And I don’t even.want to kick the habit. I love food. I’ll be the first (or second) to admit I don’t always eat what’s best for me, but it;s a high priority in my life.

Your body isn’t lacking pharmaceuticals. It needs efficient, sufficient nutrition. But most doctors sit at a computer keyboard, type in data, and wait for software to tell them which meds to prescribe. Just in case you didn’t already know this, that’s not healthcare. In fact that process read to neither health nor care.

So, let’s talk about what can lead to health and care.

And here’s some information about me you’ve ever asked for, but I’m gonna share anyway. I can’t swallow typical vitamins without chewing them. And 99% of vitamins taste horrible. I know for a fact! So, that’s why Elgielene and I focus on…you guessed it…

We made the switch back to basics. Just plain ol’ food. We buy as much organic as we can. But that’s WAY more expensive. Right? Not so fast. Because the money you can save on doctor’s bills can more than pay any difference in price you find.  And here’s something even more important. Food doesn’t tend to overwork your internal organs like processed vitamins. Don’t take my word for it. Look into it. I think you’ll enjoy food a lot more than the alternatives.

All that being said, genetics still play a huge role. And, as I discovered recently, you can eat healthy, nutritious food, get plenty of fresh air and sunshine, and walk 6000 to 10,000 steps a day, and still suffer a stroke.

So, it still comes down to how nobody gets out of this life alive. And that’s why even more than bodily exercise and nutrition, it’s important to have a healthy relationship with your Creator. That way all the rough stuff you go through in this life is temporary, and the joy-filled, glorified life in paradise is forever. So is the unappealing alternative.

Just some Food For Thought on a nice, Spring day…

You know what? You should subscribe to my Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. Because the flashes of light I share on my website come directly to your inbox. So you can spend your valuable time reading instead of searching. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post Food is medicine that doctors don’t get us in appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

No, I haven’t taken up golfing. So, the one stroke I speak of is the kind of stroke you don’t wanna get even once. But on April 17, yeah, just last month, I had one sneak up on me and knock me down pretty hard.

It’s one thing to read about, or watch what someone deals with in a movie, or hear somebody tell a story about relearning how to walk and do simple things like pick something up. But it’s another thing entirely to actually have to do it yourself. And yet that’s where I find myself now.

It all started, as I said, on the evening of April 17th. I had just a few hours to go before I would drive to the airport to pick up Elgielene at the airport. She was getting back home around midnight from a two-week trip to see her sister in Florida. I had just gotten off the phone with her and her sister, after a conversation about flight numbers and times. Then I got up from my desk, walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water, and a weird feeling, came over me. It was something I haven’t felt before, so, being a typical American tough guy, I decided to.” walk it off.”  And I started pacing back-and-forth from room to room.

Unfortunately, the pacing didn’t help. I couldn’t walk it off. Matter of fact, I noticed my left leg started not responding so well and it bumped into things. Then, I started to have suspicions that something dastardly was taking place in my brain. So, I started quoting the first couple of lines from Lincoln’s Gettysburg address to see if my speech was OK. Oddly. enough, my speech was pretty much fine.

But I tried to walk again and my left leg refused to cooperate. It just felt like a heavy weight that I couldn’t even drag. Well, that was enough to get me to dial 911 and put in a call for an ambulance.

In very short order, a couple of very nice female paramedics showed up at my door, came inside, checked my vitals, and recommended that I waste no time getting to the emergency center of a nearby hospital.

The crew in the hospital very quickly diagnosed that I had experienced one stroke, and that I needed to go into the ICU for quick treatment.

I was only able to leave her a voicemail that told her what happened and that I had been taken to the emergency room at this particular hospital. Imagine her surprise when she got off the plane and found that I wouldn’t be there to pick her up at midnight. And not only that, I was also in intensive care at the hospital. How’s that for a wake up call after a long day of connecting flights between Florida and Kansas?

Anyway…

It’s nearly a month since that took place and I just got back home four days ago. And it’s quite a drastic change in the Funderburk lifestyle. Before, I did all the driving because, well, I’m a man, and that’s what real man do. But now I’m not allowed to drive. Elgielene has really stepped up her game. And she’s taking great care of me.What a blessing! She has to do everything she was doing before plus help me do things that I don’t do so well now. My physical and occupational therapists told me they expect what they call “activation” to return to my left side eventually.

So, there’s the word I’m dealing with right now. Eventually.

This is my first message out to anyone who has connected with me online. And I expect to share more updates as my eventual recovery progresses.

There are some people who know about the stroke, and I know there have been a lot of people praying for me. For that I’m eternally grateful. Thank you for including me in your prayers. And thank you for the awesome encouragement and support.

Here’s a rhyme that I wrote way back that needs my personal attention now:

Hey, I’m talkin’ to you man…

Think about what you’re eatin’…

“I’m a healthy happy human

Get my Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. Because the flashes of light I share on my website come directly to your inbox. So you can spend your valuable time reading instead of searching. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

The post One stroke over par is very tough so far appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

So, this catchy tune popped into my head this morning. And I thought, “Hmm, that might go real nice with some lyrics I wrote a few years ago.” Then, I sat down in my vocal booth and fired up the studio mic. And I hummed along with a salsa beat as pictures of avocado bliss danced in my head.

And surely you’d like some avocado bliss on a grass-fed beef burger. If not, maybe you’ll change your mind once you understand how good those green orbs are for you.

Yeah, avocados are actually healthy blessings to your body. Blessings like how they provide:

Your health is your best secret weapon. For staying ahead of the competition. And for living as long as long as you can. When you live a long life, you can be more, do more, and serve others more. More AND better.

So, now that you know what and why, let’s sing…

Avocado and cilantro

(the actual epic song will be in an upcoming issue of the Rhyme and Reason Podcastpodcast.)

Yeah, avocado bliss happens when you toss in those other ingredients. And if you avoid chips because you think they’re unhealthy junk food, no worries. Spoon out some bliss on your burger. Don’t forget your omelette. Maybe even on sweet potato fries for a snazzy surprise. I hear some people boast about eating it on toast.

Whatever you choose, you just can’t lose when you don’t miss some avocado bliss.

And don’t miss any of the encouraging, regular issues of my Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. Leave your email address, below, and it comes directly to your inbox. So you spend your valuable time reading instead of searching. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, 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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Stay tuned,

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