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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I just scanned two or three dozen social media posts that all sounded almost identical. And they all said something similar to this: On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as America’s flag. So, as of Flag Day 2025, it’s been a symbol of freedom, patriotism, and strength for 248 years.

Wow, Flag Day 2025 marks nearly 2 1/2 centuries of the famous red, white, and blue.

I especially like this quote I found that’s attributed to George Washington. He said:

“We take the stars from heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her & the white stripes shall go down to posterity, representing our liberty.”

American Patriots are using words like liberty, freedom, strength, values, and unity. As for me, I don’t see much of any of those anymore. And in some cases, I see a whole lot more of the opposites. America is definitely not a collection of united states. Lots of our freedoms have disappeared or have been literally taken from us. A quick scan through TV programming or online movie channels will show you how badly our values have tanked. And surely you can’t disagree that the strength of our fat population doesn’t even remotely compare with Americans from previous decades.

I’d still rather be here in America than any other place on earth. Because there are still plenty of Americans who understand what true freedom and liberty are and how much it costs to maintain them. But my ultimate allegiance isn’t something I’ll be celebrating just on Flag Day 2025. No, I celebrate that allegiance every day. To my Creator. After all, without Him there would be no America, no stars and stripes, and definitely no freedom.

Talk Delight

Talk is not as cheap as it used to be.
It can cost so much when the world can see.
And I still gotta say what is right.
It might even bring kings delight.
Think before you speak is still good advice.
Keep in mind the ultimate sacrifice
Many others made for your right.
And speak up for one King’s delight.

© 2020

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.

Now, what’s all this retrain your brain talk?

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.:

  1. Mental Filters: Mental filtering is when we filter out the positives of a situation and only focus on the negative. For example, that student left during my presentation because my presentation was not good.
  2. All-or-Nothing Thinking: Also known as black-and-white or polarized thinking, all-or-nothing thinking is when we believe there is no middle ground—something is perfect or a failure. For example, I missed that one question, so I did poorly on the test.
  3. Overgeneralization: Overgeneralization is when we conclude that, because of one bad experience, all events will have the same negative outcome. For example, I failed that test. This is going to be a horrible term.
  4. Magnification: Also known as catastrophizing, magnification involves exaggerating shortcomings and problems while downplaying positive qualities. For example, I failed that test. What if I flunk out of school?
  5. Jumping to Conclusions: We jump to conclusions when we make a hasty judgment or believe something to be true without considering the facts or initial assumptions. For example, she gave me that funny look. I think she hates me.
  6. Personalization and Blame: This is a cognitive distortion where we take everything personally and compare ourselves (e.g., He made that comment in class to get at me). With blaming, you place full blame on yourself or someone else for a situation that, in reality, was influenced by multiple factors beyond your control. For example, you’re the reason I had a bad day.
  7. Emotional Reasoning: Emotional reasoning is judging yourself or your situation based on emotions, assuming negative feelings reflect reality. For example, I feel guilty. I must be a bad person.
  8. Labeling: Labeling is a cognitive distortion that defines a person by their actions rather than viewing behavior separately from identity. For instance, you might call yourself a failure.
  9. Should Statements: Should statements focus on what you believe you should or must do. They create a constant sense of obligation, leading to anxiety and guilt. This mindset can make you feel like you’re always falling short.
  10. Discounting the Positive: This is a cognitive distortion where you overlook or dismiss the good things that have happened to you. For instance, instead of feeling proud of your achievement from hard work, you credit it to mere luck, disregarding your talent and effort.

But I’m not anxious or depressed.

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:

~The brain rewires itself through neuroplasticity.

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.
He designed with love, not hate.
Each step I take, each word I say
Keeps me connected to the Way.
And so I’m thankful for each hour,
Every sunbeam, every flower,
Each connection in my brain,
And each one that I can retrain. © 2025 TF

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.

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I just saw multiple lists of company websites that were down and not functioning properly. Go down the line of this following list to see how much danger your life is in right this minute. Hurry. Do it now. I’ll wait.

  • Twitch
  • Discord
  • Google Cloud
  • Etsy
  • Google Drive
  • Mailchimp
  • Amazon Web Services
  • OpenAI
  • Cloudflare
  • Anthropic
  • DoorDash
  • Supabase
  • Cursor
  • Google AI

OK, did you go all the way down the line?

Now, can you see why you should be afraid? Why you should be very very afraid? Hmmm?

Or maybe you can see why I’m being very very sarcastic?

Yeah, I’ve got a few years on me. So, I can remember when absolutely none of those names even existed. And the world was not a scarier place. In fact, I believe there are a lot of people who are with me on this who would agree the world was actually a LOT more enjoyable.

Can I get an amen?

Anyway…

Apparently, a lot of the Internet, including down the line of some of the biggest names, was down (or is down). And a lot of people are at a loss for what to do.

I personally don’t have anything to do with any of those companies, currently, so I’m unaffected. And that means I can operate my recording studio, do the audio editing I need to do, and upload files to stay current with my clients and their audiobook projects.

But I can empathize with people who use those services. Because I’ve been affected by similar circumstances. And I know how disruptive it can be to not have access to your regular goods and services. And I bet you can remember how disruptive it can be to just not be able to get paper goods. Right?

So here’s my recommendation to anyone affected by downed services.

Do your best to make sure you have alternatives. Of course nobody can plan for anything and everything. Because, despite what some would have you believe (like everything happens for a reason, or it’s all part of God’s plan), things do happen by chance. And no one can be fully prepared for chance.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Will the sun rise in the morning?
Will the temperature be hot?
And will skies be blue and sunny?
Well, maybe…maybe not.

Will the songbirds all be singing?
Will the breezes blow a lot?
And will leaves lift up their laughter?
Well, maybe…maybe not.

Will some words of wisdom visit?
Will the books all have a plot?
And will we read some happy stories?
Well, maybe…maybe not.

Will the world go on forever?
Will the getting all be got?
And will we all be nice to others?
Well, maybe…maybe not.

© 2022

I know this much for sure, though. I hope to see you down the line and up in heaven forever.

In the meantime, 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. 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.

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Complex molecules make up every little bit of your body. Your DNA is so complex it boggles the mind. And it’s so unique that you’re the only one exactly like you. Well…aren’t you something?!

But there’s no need to get the “big head” from this revelation.

The same is true of every other person on the planet. So “you” means any person who happens to be reading this at right now. Or even later for that matter.

So, it boggles the mind, even the ones unaffected by age and health problems.

And while you ponder that, eyeball this. Your eye. See if you can wrap your retinas around this: if you tried to simulate, on a computer, just 10 milliseconds of the complete processing of a single nerve cell from one retina, here’s what your computer would have to be able to do.

It would have to be able to solve 500 simultaneous nonlinear differential equations 100 times. Remember…that’s every 10 milliseconds…and it’s only one nerve cell in one retina. That would require a super duper supercomputer. And when you consider that there are “10 million or more such cells interacting with each other in complex ways, it would take a minimum of 100 years of [1985] Cray time to simulate what takes place in your eye many times every second.”

And that’s just one eye. Even though that data boggles the mind, you might have noticed, a lot of people have two.

Here’s a couple more little facts about complex molecules and organs.

Just in case that last tidbit didn’t impress you. An adult human brain contains 1014 electrical connections. That’s a hundred thousand billion, and it’s more than all the soldered electrical connections in the whole world.

And that’s one brain.

OK, now, think about your heart. It’s only about 10 ounces. And it’s a pump that keeps pumping on its own for about 75 years. Dude. That’s complex.

But of course, you can still pass this off as serendipitous fate if you prefer. But as I always say, give me God. I’d much rather take my “chance” with Him than silly chance and circumstance.

All Of Creation

All of creation points to the Savior.
We are all here by design.
All the environment and complex behavior…
The Glory of God makes it shine.

All of creation holds information…
Encoded within every cell…
All of the best minds in each generation
Won’t banish what Christians know well…

That all of creation is here by the Word of God.
All of creation mirrors His mind.
All of creation is saved by the Love of God
All of creation…Jesus defined. © 2016

And here’s something else you shouldn’t leave to chance and circumstance:

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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Sleepiness is something I have to deal with a lot more of during my recovery process. Over the course of my life napping didn’t interest me. Because it always felt like a waste of good daylight. But, as it turns out, napping has become a necessity. Yikes!

Because sleepiness has become a frequent, almost relentless visitor.

Here’s a snippet of an article I read that talked about the why and what for of this phenomenon:

~ Many stroke patients report weariness and sleepiness during the early stages of stroke recovery. While the brain generally consumes 20% of total body energy, that number rises in the weeks and months after a stroke. This is because the brain takes additional energy to fix the damage, leaving less energy available for normal processes like remaining attentive. ~

And the article pepper in some benefits from getting enough, or at least more, sleep. Here’s what it added:

~ Getting enough sleep is critical for general health and well-being, particularly for stroke survivors. Adequate and restful sleep may help the body heal and renew and ease stroke symptoms such as excessive drowsiness. Some of the advantages of getting enough sleep after a stroke are as follows:

  • Improved cognitive function: Adequate sleep is necessary for the brain to operate correctly and may enhance cognitive function, memory, and learning.
  • Reduced risk of depression: Sleep difficulties are strongly connected to depression and anxiety, and getting enough sleep may help you avoid acquiring these mental health illnesses.
  • Reduced risk of stroke recurrence: Sleep deprivation has been associated with an increased risk of stroke recurrence. A good night’s sleep may assist in lessening this risk.
  • Improved cardiovascular health: Sleep is essential for maintaining cardiovascular health, and getting enough sleep may help reduce the risk of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. ~

So, I guess I can nap without the guilt of wasting daylight now.

Because napping won’t just be a way to get out of work or other responsibilities. Now it can be a part of my health and wellness and recovery regimen. And when you’re not sleeping, you’re not nearly as sloppy. Hot Diggity! OK maestro, a little (or original) sleep music if you please…

Now I Lay Me Down

I wish the day would never end…
So maybe I will just pretend
I’m going to my secret place
Where darkness won’t conceal my face.
I’m just gonna lay down…lay down and think.

Or maybe if I think real fast
This sleeping time will soon be past.
Then I’ll be free to fly around
And fill the air with happy sound.
I’m just gonna try it…try it and see.

Now I lay…lay me down
Blink and wink, my dreams come and take me.
Now I lay…lay me down
If I’m gone too long, come and wake me.

But I don’t really want to go.
There must be some way, do you know
To stay awake both day and night
Let’s think on it with all our might.
Yeah, we should just lay down…lay down and think.

Chorus

© 2001-2018 Tony Funderburk

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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Molotov cocktails. And my original music. What do they have in common? Boulder, Colorado.

Maybe you already read about that terrorist in Boulder Colorado today.

He actually tossed Molotov cocktails into a crowd and burned people. And if we had an actual justice system in America, he would be put to death early tomorrow morning. But don’t hold your breath for that.

So, let’s not focus on the dark side of this Boulder, Colorado connection. Because I believe you’ll find it much more enjoyable to watch a video of one of my songs.

It’s a song called “Feed Me”. And it was actually played on KBCO, a radio station in Boulder, Colorado. This was way back in 1989 when I lived in Lakewood, Colorado, a suburb of the Denver Metro area. KBCO featured it in a segment they called “Home Grown”. Little did they know what they were playing.  😉 Anyway…hope you get a kick out of it…

The lyrics go by pretty fast in the video. So here they are just in case you wanna follow along:

Feed Me

I don’t wanna leave this moment.
I don’t wanna get to the future.
And I don’t wanna find out I was wrong.
I just wanna be successful.
And I don’t wanna be a failure.
I want more of what can keep me strong.
If I leave it up to you, will you show me what to do.
If I give my total trust, will you wash away the dust, and

Feed me…keep me alive.
Yeah, feed me…give me the drive…feed me.
Feed me…open my eyes
Feed me…conquer the lies…feed me.

I don’t wanna be alone now.
And I don’t wanna live in a dark cloud.
I need to know the light is just ahead.
I don’t wanna be an old man,
But I don’t wanna be a young man.
I just wanna be me till I’m fed.
If I leave it up to you, will you show me what to do.
If I give my total trust, will you wash away the dust, and

Chorus…long instrumental…repeat chorus to end

© 1989 Tony Funderburk

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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A wise man once wrote “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”

Yeah, no amount of bodily exercise can prepare you for that which is to come.

But the good news is that which is to come is WAY better than the best shape you’ll ever be in here on earth. And that’s mainly because the future is forever, but the here and now is SO temporary. When I say temporary, I mean, you’re gonna be thinking blink-of-an-eye warp speed when your life is over.

The events that have taken place, for me, in the past few weeks, have vividly driven home these facts. Even though I was already keenly aware that my life, here on earth, is most likely around 3/4 complete. Thankfully, I’m also keenly aware of the hope I have because of my faith in my Creator. And I have that faith because He actually wrote a book, the best selling book of all time, and included eternal promises to those who choose to love and trust Him. So, I can just read his book and enjoy the blessed comfort of His…

Abounding Grace

If this was the last day of my life…
If this was the last sunrise I’d see…
I’d still thank the Lord for my days
And His abounding Grace to me.

If this was the last thing I could write…
If this was my final poetry…
I’d still thank the Lord for His word
And His abounding Grace to me.

If this was the last time I could pray…
If this had to be my closing plea…
I know I could say, “I love the Lord
And His abounding Grace to me.”
© 2018

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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