Why is there so much violence, destruction, and death in the world? And relatively so little peace and quiet time? Here’s the short answer. People.

But you probably wouldn’t believe the answer could be so simple. Maybe you’d rather have a highly complicated solution to this complex mess we earthlings find ourselves having to endure. And maybe you wouldn’t even like my answer.

Did you know that most of life’s seemingly unanswerable problems had simple solutions? Take the electric light for example. Maybe you’ve heard how many times Edison failed before he succeeded in getting a light bulb to work. Did you know the solution came down to finding what sort of tiny filament could last? Once he solved that problem, bingo! EMF’s everywhere. Uh, I mean, electric light everywhere.

Anyway…

So, what’s this simple solution to finding peace and quiet time in a world full of war and chaos?

Hey, don’t roll your eyes at me. I’ll roll ’em right back. Because I told you it might not be the answer you’d like. And I told you it might not be one you’d believe. And you can refuse to believe the truth. But that doesn’t make it wrong. And you can refuse to acknowledge a Creator God who came to earth to be one of us and take the punishment for our sins. But that doesn’t mean the story isn’t true.

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” and He also said “the Truth shall make you free”. Why do so many prefer darkness, despair, and going it alone? If you…

…then test the Word of the Bible. It’s the #1 bestselling book of all time for a very good reason. It makes you FREE.

Judge me; I need to be judged.

Show me what I need to see.

And I have to trust that my God is just.

Search me for the deeper things.

Listen to my fervent prayer.

Make me to always understand

If you enjoy God’s joy and peace, 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.

Stay tuned,

The post Peace and quiet time puts reason in the rhyme appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

The fullness of joy most people seek (whether they know it or not) can only be found in a relationship with your Creator. And God IS your Creator even if you don’t believe in Him.

But back to the reason I’m sharing this with you today.

First, a little backstory.

David, who was King of Israel, was a songwriter. Many of his lyrics, known as Psalms, are found in the Bible. And he talked and sang, a lot, about his relationship with God. He wrote, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.“

You won’t find a world of peace, tranquility, and wealth simply because you place your faith in Jesus. You won’t see the troubles of the world fade away when you look to God for answers. In fact, you might even see troubles increase. Well, at least from time to time.

Yeah, but the joy I’m talking about springs from Living Water. And it flows through your spirit. In other words, your joy won’t be based on the things and people of this world. Your joy will be focused on the only One who can (and will) give you eternal life. Your “three score and ten” here on planet earth is a tiny fraction of eternity. And that puts it in perspective.

I’m urging you, today, to consider your eternal potential. As a Christian, I know, without a doubt, there will be an eternity of existence for every human being. Where you’ll spend it depends on the choice you make in the here and now. Choose the Life your Creator wants to give you.

Because you can exist as a bodiless, spiritless, soul forever tormented by the knowledge of “what could have been.” Or you can live in the fullness God has prepared. In a body that won’t grow old and die since you’ll be tapped directly into life.

Please, choose Life and experience the eternal fullness of joy.

I’ll be swallowed up by life

If you prefer that  kind of Life, 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.

Stay tuned,

The post Your Creator that you will see later appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Have you noticed how sometimes it seems impossible to be by yourself in this noisy world? And that’s not good. Because it’s important to occasionally find a place where you can be all alone?

And you really shouldn’t be alone all the time. But there are times when it’s a very good thing for you. It can help you sort out your thoughts. Solitude is where you can understand yourself better. And you need to be able to understand yourself before you can understand anyone else.

Well, in the physical sense anyway. He wanted private conversations with the Father. He said He could do nothing apart from the Father. I believe that’s because as one place in the Bible says…God IS life.” I mean, think about it. If there was no God, there would be no you. No me. No anyone.

God is the source of Life. And even though you might find yourself alone, you’re never really all alone. Unless you prefer a universe of one. I don’t care who you are, that wouldn’t be much of a place to be.

Back in 2011 I wrote a lullaby for kids that showed how you never have to be all alone, even when you’re by yourself. And I used metaphorical sleepwear that I call…

It’s time…to let the daylight fly

So smile…and say a sweet goodnight.

And wear your music pajamas.

Through all the cartoons and dramas…

Night winds…float down from falling stars.

Inside…you’re in a soft cocoon

Get Music Pajamas and a bunch of other western-themed lullabies for your kids and grandkids. It’s the Bedtime Buckaroos collection. Digital and/or paperback:

(https://www.tonyfunderburk.com/bedtime-buckaroos)

Stay tuned,

The post All alone but never lonely when you know the one and only appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

If you’re a human being, I urge you (and challenge you) to use your gifts and talents, and say a prayer for protection, for unborn babies. These days it’s far more dangerous to be an unborn baby in America than it is to be just about anyone else anywhere else. That’s incredibly sad and despicable.

And if you’re a creatively gifted person you have an advantage. Yeah, writers, singers, and artists can do more to change hearts and minds of people than anyone else. I strongly believe that. Pastors and other speakers can do a great job. And many do. But there’s nothing like words and music and pictures to create effective, lasting messages.

America has lost its soul to the god of selfishness. Because we turned away from the God of Creation. So, it’s no surprise that abortion, murder, child abuse, racism, and so many other sins spin out of control. In fact, it’s inevitable.

My hope is that I can write, sing, draw, and produce some effective messages to change hearts. I pray that God will direct my path and bless my efforts. Because I know…

Everyone has a right to life,

(chorus from my song, Right To Life)

If you support the God-given right to life, 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.

Stay tuned,

The post Prayer for protection from a gifted direction appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

If you care about your kids and grandkids, pay attention to this. Way, way back in the twentieth century, I was able to go to college in the rural countryside of Kansas. Have you ever watched the episode of The Waltons about John boy’s first day in college? Well, watching him is practically like watching me show up for my first day. Because the halls of higher learning held that same mystique of hopeful anticipation for me, too.

Unfortunately for me, by the time I was in college, it was nothing like John boy’s experience. Universities had already become institutions for thought control. But thankfully it was happening slower at my college in the rural countryside of Kansas. Because that’s a part of the country where generations had grown up with a Christian conservative worldview.

However…

I noticed classes, like “Western Civilization” and “Sociology I & II, shared one-sided political views. Maybe I was surprised because I was raised with a Christian conservative worldview. And even my public high school had leaned heavily in that direction. No kidding.

But it didn’t take me years of college to figure out the so-called “enlightenment” in the halls of higher learning sounded like George Orwell wrote the script. And it wasn’t even 1984 yet.

The year I first attended college a crucial bill was put to the voters, in Kansas. It was about whether or not motorcyclists would be required to wear helmets. Gasp! Imagine the carnage and chaos of no motorcycle helmets.

My journalism professor gave us an assignment to present a pro or con view on a controversial topic. So, I chose the motorcycle helmet issue on the ballot.

I took the somewhat controversial “no helmets” side of the debate. And I wrote about how it would end up being another small step toward total government control of every corner of our lives. Boy, howdy, was I wrong! NOT!

Thankfully there were still plenty of others, back then, who agreed with my position on the topic. But I was surprised at how “passionate” others could be in their opposing opinions. They actually got mad about it.

Fast forward to now. Thank goodness you can go to college without a motorcycle helmet or big brother watching and/or listening to your every move. Right? Hello?

Uh…

Nowadays people don’t just present “passionate” opinions. Yeah, large groups of people have determined it’s perfectly fine to riot and loot and burn down businesses to “express their views.”

But here’s a key point.

And I predict we won’t vote our way out of it.

So I’ll leave this here for you to ponder…

Passion doesn’t make you right.

If you trust God more than college, 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.

Stay tuned,

The post Go to college unless you care about knowledge appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I enjoy dreaming up metaphors for kids. Plain and simple. Because, when I write, I like to hide the deeper meaning just a little below the surface. Try to get ‘em to think. Not just react.

I love rhymes. But I also love reason. And by “reason,” of course I mean logic. Read my Rhyme and Reason blog posts and so many of my rhymes can seem illogical. On the surface. That’s because I create colorful characters from things you do AND don’t find in life. Then I apply Truth and reality.

Some people take a couple of words like “dazzle candy” and use them to describe drugs or a mind altering experience. So, I’m gonna stake my claim on those same words and use them for doing good. It’s a shame to let colorful, whimsical, and shining words get hijacked for darker purposes.

It won’t give you cavities. It has no calories. And it could actually be good for you. Let me know if you have any side effects when you enjoy some…

When you don’t feel fine and dandy,

‘Cause dazzle candy isn’t bad.

Things that truly come in handy…

Make yourself a heartfelt promise,

If God’s love dazzles you, 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.

Stay tuned,

The post Metaphors for kids are found in rhyme and reason ground appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Did you know the month of August was named after Augustus Caesar (or Caesar Augustus if you prefer) and was lengthened to 31 days by Julius Caesar? And did you know that Caesar never ate a Caesar salad because it wasn’t invented until 1924?

Well…with that information and a smartphone, you can connect to the internet and even make long distance calls.  ha!

I wondered what a month would have to be called if it were named after me. Let’s see, using my nickname, Tony, we might have the month of Tonyary. Or Tonus. Or Tonember. Yeah, I think I like the sound of that last one. Because my birthday is in December. And we could maim two birds with one pickleball racquet with that month. What do you think? Sound good?

Here’s a rhyme about it, decreed by yours truly…

On August 1 2014

So, scientifically speaking, there’s no such thing as a sunrise. But, when you know you were created by the one, true, living, loving, artful God of all of creation, the sun does rise.

A sunrise is a metaphor, an allegory, or even a simile. It’s how your creative mind “sees” things. Either as you’d like them to be, or as they appear to be. In both cases you get a sense of the imagination forged into your spirit. God didn’t have to give you imagination. He could have just designed you to see whatever He wants you to see. And to perceive only things He says are necessary for survival.

Yeah, He could’ve created your mind to work just like animals and bugs.

But God loves to see what you come up with. Not that silly here-today-gone-tomorrow kind of Hollywood luv. His is a real and enduring love. And your imagination is an intangible proof of His love. You can think with logic and reason. But you can also imagine and create worlds of your own. You can soar into the skies, dive into the depths of the oceans, paint rainbows into the leaves of trees, and even rise above whatever physical limitations you have.

So, where will you go…

And it surely will,

If you prefer the God-given gift of imagination over Caesar Augustus, let’s stay connected.

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.

Stay tuned,

The post Caesar Augustus and imagination for just us appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

It’s Saturday as I write this. And I hope you have better things to do today than just go shopping or watch TV. Because it’s important, especially with everything going on in the world, to guard your heart and mind.

In Philippians 4:8-9 Paul shows you that focus is so important.

And I know focus is a buzzword, these days. Because it’s used by motivational speakers, marketing gurus, and so-called influencers. But the focus they talk about almost never helps you to see how the God of peace will be with you.

But first, picture this in your mind’s eye. From the window in your kitchen you see a sunflower in your front yard. Standing there all alone in the middle of rocks and weeds. Bright and beautiful. So you open up your trusty camera app and snap a quick photo you can share with all your social media friends.

But the trouble is they don’t get the full effect. Because they see the rocks and weeds and whatever else shows up in the picture.

Now, imagine you take your camera outside, kneel down, and really focus in on the sunflower. And you capture the bright yellow petals with hues of sunset orange blended into interconnecting spirals.

Focused in like that you can clearly see the fruit and seeds of the flower. And it’ll help you appreciate that you have a camera with enough pixels to do it justice. Now, when you take this snapshot, you’ll have a picture that really shows off the beauty that caught your eyes. And most likely anyone who sees the picture will notice, even if it’s only subconsciously.

And, just like you focused in on the sunflower, you’ll get a much clearer picture of God’s peace when you focus in on better things.

Paul actually used a synonym for “focus” when he wrote a letter to the Philippians. He wrote the word “meditate.” And to meditate on something just means to think deeply and carefully. Then, he shared a focus list. One of the better things you can do today is go over whatever things are:

So, learn to do what you hear and see Paul doing. Because he learned by hearing and seeing what Jesus did. Then, the God of Peace will be with you. That sounds like something I’d like to work on today. How about you?

If you wanna focus more like this, 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.

Stay tuned,

The post Better things to do today to help keep the blues away appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

American kids, in the middle of the 20th century, used to love the sound of the ice cream man’s truck coming down the street. At least all the kids I knew did.

If you’re old enough to remember the 50’s, 60’s, or 70’s (and maybe 80’s), maybe that’s a nice memory for you, too. Yeah, we could hardly wait to flag down the ice cream man in front of our house and get him to open up the back of his truck where the tastebud treats were.

My favorite was the drumstick, a waffle cone filled with vanilla ice cream and frozen chocolate and nuts on top. And my second favorite was the frozen milkshake. It came with its own small wooden spoon. And the cup said, “spoon and dip or thaw and sip.” I never sipped.

You probably already guessed. Yeah, HOMEMADE! Woo-hoo!

Back then mom whisked up some sweet ingredients and gave the creamy, delicious mixture to dad to put in a metal container. Then dad would lower the metal container down into the wooden churning bucket. And he’d lock it in place, surround it with ice, add melting salt on the ice, and start rotating a metal crank. And the (naive) kids got to help.

Wow! Does that, or does that not sound like some magical fun?

But the real magic happened as the crank got harder and harder to turn. When it really wouldn’t turn much at all anymore, dad (and sometimes us kids) would stop and remove the container. We could hardly wait for the lid to be popped off so we could get some of ice cream in our bellies. Yuh-um!

The last week has been a scorcher here on the Emerald Coast (and probably in your area, too). So, I figured I’d just cool you off with some tasty memories and a little…

In the back of the freezer in mom’s refrigerator

Conjure up an ocean of chocolate and strawberries

Look, some rootbeer raindrops and a candy cane straw.

If you believe ice cream is one of God’s blessings, 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.

Stay tuned,

The post Ice cream man was part of the plan appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Nope, the future does not exist. But you can still pretty much take some things for granted. Typical things like the sun rising in the East tomorrow morning. But there’s really no guarantee that everything will be the way it’s always been.

So, there’s no reason to be upset with me for saying this about the future. I just share it to point out how important it is to get as much learning and understanding as you can. Understanding what makes human beings tic is a key to treating each other better. The future, utopian or dystopian, does not exist today.

That’s my point. Matter of fact, I’ll go one giant step further than that.

I believe if human beings would learn to enjoy serving one another instead of stealing from and murdering one another, that description you find in the Revelation, at the end of the Bible, wouldn’t have to come true. Nope. I don’t believe, for a second, that our loving Creator decreed all that before the foundation of the world. Yeah, I believe He would love to see it not come to pass. But, will it? It’s kinda like this…

Will the sun rise in the morning?

Will the songbirds all be singing?

Will some words of wisdom visit?

Will the world go on forever?

I challenge you to read that poem to your kids or grandkids. And when you do, by the time you get to the second verse, you can say well, maybe, and point to them. And don’t be surprised if they say maybe not. It’s just a theory I have. Test it out and see if those little rugrats substantiate my theory.

If you have a blessed hope for the future, 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,

The post The future does not exist and I simply must insist appeared first on Tony Funderburk.