Category Archives: Tony Funderburk

Tony Funderburk is THE Rhyme and Reason author, singer-songwriter. He’s written and published 30+ books for kids and adults in addition to scores of articles. And he’s composed hundreds of songs (and a couple of books) for businesses and loyal listeners.

Tens of thousands of families have enjoyed and supported his recorded music and live performances for many years. Tony believes our existence is a beautiful gift from God to each of us, including our gifts and talents.

So, we should use them to create and serve others. When you tune in to Tony Funderburk’s The Power of God’s Love Podcast, you’ll get rhymes, reasons, and songs delivered to your inbox for free. AND click here to get free songs and a book right away. And Click here to learn more about Tony’s story.

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Yeah, your life is your own, and it’s unique. No one else who ever lived, is living now, or will ever live will have the same life as you. But your life is no different from anybody else’s either. Confused? I’ll explain.

The DNA found in every cell of your body is incredibly complex and singularly yours. The chances of it existing by chance are so small (translate that into nonexistent), you’d be more likely to win the powerball AND get struck by lightning on 3 birthdays in a row.

No, random chance and mutations had nothing to do with the making of you. Your living, loving Creator made you. And He made only one of you. And He put a code inside you that makes sure no one else will be you. Now, I said all that because I want you to know that you can know this is true.

And know that your life is your own. That’s mighty darn special.

But having said that, I gotta also say this.

You’re not special, unique, or one-of-a-kind when it comes to how your life plays out.

Because you’ll experience awesome days and disappointing days. You’ll have to go through pain. And you’ll enjoy wonderful pleasures. You will. And so will billions of other people (unless they live under dictators, evil kings, and terrorists, etc.). So did countless other people throughout history. It’s life.

But, just like everybody else in this life, you’ll come to a major fork in the road where you’ll have to choose a direction, an option, and make a judgment call. And your eternal fate will depend on your decision.

Of course, the fork in the road I’m talking about is Jesus.

He designed you. He formed you in your mother’s womb. And He installed that unique code inside you. He knows what makes you tic. And He’s available 24 hours a day. Every day of your life. And He’s as close as your breath. In fact, He’s closer. He’s the Spirit of Life…yours, mine…everybody’s. Without Him nobody would exist. But how do you get to know Him and discover what His advice might be for that fork in your road? His word.

Your Creator’s word says you can plan your way. And it says He will direct your steps. That means He won’t make your decisions for you. And He didn’t plan your life for you. But when you trust Him, He won’t lead you the wrong way. He’ll lead you the direct way. That means you’ll get where you need to be. It’s kind of like the guy who put in the sidewalk that leads up to the front door of your house. He made the clear, easy way for you. But he can’t or won’t force you to walk on the sidewalk.

So, here’s a challenge for you.

Give up trusting in yourself today. Start reading God’s word…more…especially the writings from Paul in the New Testament. And find out how much more important and dependable actual truth is than your own truth. Sure, your life is your own. But if you want it to be the best, it can possibly be, humble yourself so God can lift you up.

Worldliness; don’t let your joy turn into heaviness!
Worldliness; don’t let it rob you of your righteousness!
Humble yourselves and God will lift you up!
Worldliness won’t put sweet water in your cup!

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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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There’s a real good reason to tell the truth anytime it’s possible. Lies are like quicksand. Because they’re so much harder to remember. Especially when you use them all the time.

Even though lies are like quicksand, sometimes it’s good to lie.

Yeah, I said that.

Oh, you want me to prove it?

OK. How about when people were hiding Jews from Nazis. German troops might bust into the house Of someone hiding Jews and demand to know if there were any Jews there. And it was a good thing when those people answered back, boldly, in their face, with a lie.

Same thing was true when people were hiding slaves during the Civil War. If soldiers asked if there were any slaves there, they could lie and say “no” and not be sinning. It was for the protection of a life.

But if you lie just to get away with things, you’re in danger of hurting yourself and others. And lies usually turn into more lies. And the more lies you have to remember, the more likely you are to forget what you said. That’s why lies are like quicksand, pulling you down and down and down.

It’s despicable how most politicians don’t understand this. And this truth never changes.

So…be truthful. Keep things simple.

I wrote some lyrics about this…almost 30 years ago. These words are about a failing relationship. But the principle still applies…

Tell The Truth

We tiptoe around the trouble spots.
We’re skirting the main issues.
We end up wasting lots of breath
And using lots of tissues.

Why can’t we learn to open up
And say just what we mean?
I think we should all learn to talk
Instead of acting out a scene.

Tell the truth
Why don’t we?
Tell the truth.
We should all
Tell the truth.
Get if off your chest
Tell the truth.
Truth is for the best.

It seems we take turns pacing.
Then we stay in separate rooms.
Then the rooms become our prisons,
And the prisons turn to tombs.

I don’t want to waste a moment
Cause each moment is a day
And each day becomes a lifetime
When our faces turn away.

Tell the truth…  © 1987  TF

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered to your inbox for free.

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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Ape man. That’s a mutually exclusive oxymoron. You can find a man. You can find an ape. But you go ape and never find an ape man. Because there never were any. And there never will be any.

And that claim makes a lot of people go ape.

But it ain’t just my knucklehead opinion. It’s a claim backed by over a hundred years of studies, archaeology, and research. And, for over a century, there have been studies of skulls and teeth by people trying to prove evolution is true. And, at best, they’ve come up with inconclusive interpretations. But those could easily be interpreted other ways. How ‘bout we go ape with some examples?

Have you ever heard of the “Piltdown man?” Even though “he” was in textbooks for over 40 years, it has been proved to be a hoax. How about “Nebraska man?” Did you know “his” story was made up, too? Yep, and it all revolved around a pig’s tooth? Bet you didn’t learn that in any of your schoolbooks. Let’s not leave out “Java man.” Especially since I’m a Java fan.

40 years after discovering “Java man”, Eugene Dubois admitted it was an ape, sorta like a large gibbon. Dubois had held back other thigh bone parts found in the same area. Why don’t these so-called scientists and archaeologists evolve better tactics?

Yeesh. Talk about an actual ape man.

Anyway…

There are some other famous discoveries with the name “man.” And they’ve all been debunked. All. In fact, there’s NO fossil evidence that proves man evolved from ape. And there are no ape man fossils. None. And obviously not for lack of looking. They’re just not there.

I remember listening to a video of a small group of 4 job applicants respond to the question “How did you get here?”  The first one said, “From mom and dad.” The next two said “Hmm…I guess the big bang.” And only one said, “I was created.” So, what does that say about our education system in America? Well, you might think we have a great education system, but as for me…

I’d say it’s nothing to go ape over, man.

Would you like to discover many more reasons why evolution doesn’t explain our existence? I recommend Walt Brown’s book “In The Beginning.” Every homeschooler should have this book. And you should, too.

Why do space, time, and matter…matter?
Is it all just some idle chatter?
No, you’ll be in for certain hurtin’
If you don’t raise the blinding curtain.
You will see the Creator, later.
Put your trust in the Mediator.   © 2020 TF

OK, now take a second and…

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered to your inbox for free.

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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Normal people ain’t cool these days. And that’s too bad. Because they used to be. Here’s an example of what I mean. Quite a few years back, my father-in-law mentioned how he mowed the lawn for “an old lady” down the street. For free. Not as part of business or anything like that. He was already retired. No, he just did it to help her out. Because she didn’t have any children or other family dropping in on her to help. So, my father-in-law just did what “normal people” used to do.

But nope. Normal people ain’t cool no mo, bro.

And I know using the term “bro” isn’t even cool anymore. (I never cared for it anyway, but…)

  • People who just wanna “sit and visit” with neighbors with a glass of lemonade or tea.
  • And people who don’t wanna sit around telling dirty jokes while they “watch the game.”
  • And people who don’t have tattoos from head to toe.

Yeah, those all used to be normal people. But that ain’t cool now.

And there’s only one thing more important than being cool. No wait. There’s nothing more important than being cool. ‘Cause coolness is the ticket to paradise. Right? Coolness gets you in “all the right places.” Seen with “all the right peeps.” So with all your getting, get cool. Nix normal. Normal is so 20th Century. It’s so silver screen, so it ain’t cool. And it’s only for the boring bourgeois. Oops. Bourgeois is probably too normal. So, I might have just revealed my numbskull normalcy (aka normality). If so, so be it. Give me the old norm over the so-called “new norm” any day, week, month, or year.

Does it make me your enemy if my norm doesn’t match yours?

Probably. Because people are so easily offended these day. And they’re so quick to anger. And so slow to wisdom. But guess what? That’s not new. You might believe you’re part of the cream of the cause du jour. But you’re only doing what human beings have done for thousands of years. Rebelling against God.

And I know the “cool peeps” aren’t gonna listen to a knucklehead from the old norm, like me. But your rebellion against God won’t go well for you. So, I urge you to spend a little less time on tattoos and tough talk and a lot more time working on wisdom.

Hey! What was that? Looked like a tiny bee. Oh wait. No, it was my words going in one ear and out the other.

Normal people used to smile and then say hi
When they saw you on the sidewalk passing by.
But nowadays I guess that kind of stuff’s not cool.
If you do it, they’ll all know that you’re old school.
So, remember when you go somewhere today,
There ain’t nothin’ that you need to do or say
To acknowledge anybody you might see.
Just be cool because it’s all you need to be.

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered to your inbox for free.

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.

Daily Devotional

Stay tuned,
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Normal people ain’t cool these days. And that’s too bad. Because they used to be. Here’s an example of what I mean. Quite a few years back, my father-in-law mentioned how he mowed the lawn for “an old lady” down the street. For free. Not as part of business or anything like that. He was already retired. No, he just did it to help her out. Because she didn’t have any children or other family dropping in on her to help. So, my father-in-law just did what “normal people” used to do.

But nope. Normal people ain’t cool no mo, bro.

And I know using the term “bro” isn’t even cool anymore. (I never cared for it anyway, but…)

  • People who just wanna “sit and visit” with neighbors with a glass of lemonade or tea.
  • And people who don’t wanna sit around telling dirty jokes while they “watch the game.”
  • And people who don’t have tattoos from head to toe.

Yeah, those all used to be normal people. But that ain’t cool now.

And there’s only one thing more important than being cool. No wait. There’s nothing more important than being cool. ‘Cause coolness is the ticket to paradise. Right? Coolness gets you in “all the right places.” Seen with “all the right peeps.” So with all your getting, get cool. Nix normal. Normal is so 20th Century. It’s so silver screen, so it ain’t cool. And it’s only for the boring bourgeois. Oops. Bourgeois is probably too normal. So, I might have just revealed my numbskull normalcy (aka normality). If so, so be it. Give me the old norm over the so-called “new norm” any day, week, month, or year.

Does it make me your enemy if my norm doesn’t match yours?

Probably. Because people are so easily offended these day. And they’re so quick to anger. And so slow to wisdom. But guess what? That’s not new. You might believe you’re part of the cream of the cause du jour. But you’re only doing what human beings have done for thousands of years. Rebelling against God.

And I know the “cool peeps” aren’t gonna listen to a knucklehead from the old norm, like me. But your rebellion against God won’t go well for you. So, I urge you to spend a little less time on tattoos and tough talk and a lot more time working on wisdom.

Hey! What was that? Looked like a tiny bee. Oh wait. No, it was my words going in one ear and out the other.

Normal people used to smile and then say hi
When they saw you on the sidewalk passing by.
But nowadays I guess that kind of stuff’s not cool.
If you do it, they’ll all know that you’re old school.
So, remember when you go somewhere today,
There ain’t nothin’ that you need to do or say
To acknowledge anybody you might see.
Just be cool because it’s all you need to be.

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered to your inbox for free.

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.

Daily Devotional

Stay tuned,
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This is the day of the week known in some circles as hump day. So you know what that means. Yeah, Wednesday greetings from your favorite rhyme writer and Bible thumper.

But Wednesday greetings are just the tip of the iceberg.

Because, if you’ve followed along for any time at all, you know I’m gonna talk about something important to your eternal happiness. Or lack thereof, if you happen to be one of those knuckleheads who doesn’t believe that Jesus is the savior of the world.

Anyway… I’ll just dive into what I wanted to share with you. It’s something I shared a few years ago that still applies right now.

When you were a kid, did your dad work hard and still come home and play with you? Or spend some other sort of great quality time with you? Mine did. And there was never a moment, during those times with him, where I had to wait for him to check his messages, or text somebody, or watch a silly video. For one thing, smartphones and other digital devices didn’t exist back then. But even if they had, my Dad would have made sure we spent time together on more important things.

By the way, the more important things in life aren’t “things.”

Ask anybody who truly knows me, and they’ll say, “Yes, he is a techie guy.” In fact, as a pre-teen and teenager, my family called me “technical Tony”. They didn’t always mean it as a term of endearment. But that’s another story for another time. The point is…I enjoy technology.  I’m still fascinated by the latest, greatest mobile device or laptop. I think it’s all so incredibly cool.

But my digital tools aren’t even in the same league with the importance of my relationships. That’s why I say the more important things in life aren’t things. They’re your relationships with loved (and even liked ones). You gotta place an extremely high value on your relationships. You know why? Because here on Earth they don’t last long.

Every thing here is temporary. For example…

Getting back to my Dad. He worked hard. For most of his working life he was a milkman. And this was back in the days when a milkman would deliver dairy products door-to-door. I remember going to work with him on a LOT of Saturdays. So, when I say he worked hard, I know what I’m talking about from personal experience. We got up around 3 a.m. to be at the dairy plant in time to have his truck loaded and on the road by 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. At the dairy plant, I remember hauling a heavily loaded dolly into a cold storage area in his milk truck that was stacked with cases of gallons, half gallons, and quarts of milk, juice, butter, and more.

Dad worked two routes each week. One was his Monday, Wednesday, Friday route. The other was Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. He delivered milk in some neighborhoods in Texas near NASA. In fact (as a side note) several of his customers were some of the first well-known astronauts.

Another side note (and true story) Dad made sure, on one of those Saturdays I was with him, I got to personally hand deliver a half gallon of ice cream to Neil Armstrong. For those of you born in this century…Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon. And little ol’ me handed him a container of Dutch chocolate rocky road ice cream! (I think that’s what it was)

Wow…talk about an astronomical rabbit trail. Anyway. Even on those long Saturdays, when I was helping Dad deliver milk, he spent lots of time with me. Not just telling me what to do, but also having conversations about the more important things in life. Things like what I was learning in math, science, and language classes. Other things like family and where I was going someday when I die. Yeah, even that. Those one-on-one times with my Dad were priceless. And I wouldn’t trade a second of them for all the cool technology in the world.

Dad died when he was only 51.

There were tough times with my Dad, too. He was a strict disciplinarian. And when I failed to do the right thing once in a while, sometimes there were serious consequences. But those times never overshadowed the times Dad spent with me showing me how to use tools and work on lawnmowers, bicycles, and even my first car. Or the times he spent building (yes, building) go-karts for my brother and me to test drive and blast around the block.

Dad even showed us how to fly kites using our saltwater fishing rods and reels. He’d throw the football with us, in the street, during football season. He taught us the finer points of throwing a baseball with either hand. I remember even getting him to play tennis with me when I started up that sport in high school. And I remember it was the first sport where I could beat him. Guys might identify more with me on that…how it feels to beat your dad at anything for the first time. Right?

My Dad was only 20 years older than me. So, he’s now been gone more than half my life. And I still think of him and so many of those special moments almost daily. I always will.

I’m not sure if he knows, right now, how important a role he played in my life. But I AM sure he knows, without a doubt, what the more important things in life are. He was (and is) a Christian. So, I know my Dad is “present with the Lord” right now. And Dad has experienced, firsthand for over 32 years, the ultimate relationship. It’s an awesome and incredible HOPE I have…to know I’ll see him again someday. And to know we’ll be eternal brothers in the presence of the one, true, living, loving Creator.

Interrupt temporary with eternal.

Take a pause as you go through your day today. When you check your texts, instant messages, social media accounts, YouTube and Instagram videos, and even your eCommerce stats. Look up. Look around. Pay attention to the ones you love. Talk to them. Embrace. Laugh. Enjoy the time. They won’t be here forever. You won’t either. Be you’ll all be somewhere forever. Talk about that. And be sure where you’re going. It matters more than any other message you’ll receive from any other source.

Are you good to go? Great. Then I’ll finish these Wednesday greetings with a request.

Be sure to share with your friends, family, and anyone you care about. Don’t keep this good stuff all to yourself. Tell them to…

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered to your inbox for free.

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.

Daily Devotional

Stay tuned,

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I’m gonna share a Tuesday poem with you. But only if you promise to share it with your kids or grandkids. Deal? OK, great.

But I’ve got a couple of things to say before I share the Tuesday poem.

Yeah, you didn’t think I would just write a poem about Tuesday and send you on your merry way, did you? Naw, That just ain’t my way. If you’ve been around here before, you already know that.

Anyway…

As I’ve read the Bible, throughout my several decades of life, I’ve noticed how God expects men and women to show some humility. And, if you’ve been awake (Not woke), you no doubt have noticed that most people don’t really wanna do that.

And that’s a big reason why most people won’t experience eternal paradise. Most!

What a sad and tragic thought that is.

But the human race was infected with selfishness right from the start. Adam and Eve listened to, and acted on, the advice of the most selfish creature in existence. Let’s call him satan. But only because that’s his deserved name. I don’t capitalize his name because he doesn’t deserve it.

And because of selfishness, satan believed he should be number one instead of God. So, he started his plan to usurp God’s authority right there in the garden of Eden, paradise on Earth. Thankfully, God loves us enough to thwart satan‘s plans and offer the Way out of his influence. And I guess, in a way, You could say satan is the “inspiration” for this Tuesday poem. I think you’ll see what I mean…

 First Day of The Week

Tuesday thought he was the first day of the week.
Others waved and smiled, but Tuesday would not speak.
He thought the sun rose just for him
‘Cause he was tall and sleek and slim.
He didn’t know it’s not about a day’s physique.

Tuesday thought the other days had moved away.
He called out and none of them would come to play.
But then the others came to chat.
They said, “Tuesday, you’re such a brat,
And here’s a couple more things we came here to say…

Monday really is the first day of the week,
But without you everything would look so bleak,
‘Cause seven is the right amount.
So, every one of us still count.
Now, Tuesday thinks that being second day is chic.   © 2013 TF

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered to your inbox for free.

I share it with believers who want to focus on the life-changing power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Read, listen to, and watch entertaining 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 today.

Stay tuned,

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It’s true. Tomorrow is a concept. Not a reality.

If someone came to you asking for a ride because their car broke down, would you tell them to come back tomorrow? Probably not. Right? What if they needed to borrow money, and you have plenty you could lend? Would you tell them to wait until tomorrow? Hmm, that’s a little different. Or is it? There’s a place in the Bible where it says if you’re able to help someone, don’t hold back. And don’t wait till tomorrow. Do your good deeds today.

Because tomorrow is a concept.

You never actually get to it. And it might seem like a small detail. But it’s important enough to be included in the Bible.

When you’re able to help your neighbor, that’s a great way to “love your neighbor.” And if you’re a Christian, loving your neighbor is one of the main things God asks you to do. So, why would you wait till tomorrow? What’s gonna be different tomorrow? No, it’s important to live in today. Love in today. Act today. Don’t believe that nonsense that says “no good deeds go unpunished.”

Because this world doesn’t want your good deeds.

So, trust God to be faithful. He knows your heart. And He knows where your true treasures are.

If someone asks you for help today, and if you’re able to give them that help, give it. Today if possible, since tomorrow is a concept. You won’t be able to give them the help tomorrow. And it’s not a matter of doing good deeds for the sake of deeds. It’s a matter of your heart. And it’s a great way to have a healthy heart. So, is your heart healthy toward others? Here’s a rhyme to help you remember…

Give your help to someone who needs.
Have a good heart. It’s love that feeds.
What you do now is planting seeds.
It’s so much more than just good deeds.

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotionaldelivered to your inbox for free.

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.

Daily Devotional

Stay tuned,

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