Category Archives: Words and Music

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I’ll tell you, right up front, it’s a metaphor for Heaven. And I didn’t come up with the metaphor because I had to. Because if someone told me I had to, I probably would’ve skipped the whole darn thing. Yeah, I guess I’m just one of those hardheaded writers who doesn’t want to be told how or what to write. So, I said all that to explain why I called the song Angel Café.

And I know you can see, right away, how it’s a metaphor for heaven. Right?

After all, I’m sure you realize you can’t hang out at the Angel Café here on earth. So, a place with that name must be a place you’ll only be able to visit after you die.

Uh oh. I just did a quick search, online, and it turns out there IS an Angel Café right here on Earth. But I can tell you, with 99.99% certainty, that it’s not THE Angel Café. And I can say that confidently because first it appears to be in Turkey. And there ain’t no angels in Turkey. Second, it. was created by human beings from Turkey. And human beings are not, and never will be, angels.

Anyway…

THE Angel Café it’s just a pigment of my imagination. And because I thought it was a colorful and creative way to describe putting something off till it’s too late I wrote a song about it. I’ve shared the song here on my website (and on my podcast) before. But with the things that have happened in the past couple of months, and other things I’ve observed in my extended family, I thought it might bear repeating.

Is there something you should tell somebody that you keep putting off?

Is there something you’d like to share with someone? Or maybe there’s something you wish they would tell you? Regardless, here’s the point. In case you never heard this before, you ain’t getting any younger. No one is.

One of these days, when you least expect it, in most cases, it’ll be too late to say what’s on your mind or get those questions answered. Once you breathe your last breath, all opportunities are lost. And that might be forever. Because you might be separated from that certain person forever.

So I encourage you, today (in fact, right now, if you can), to make and take an opportunity to say or ask what needs to be said or asked. Tomorrow will get here and turn into today. But you have absolutely NO guarantee you’ll still be here then. If the last two months have taught me anything, and they have, it’s that drastic changes can happen in the blink of an eye. I like the song says, don’t put off who you should get to today. Because you might not be able to meet up in the…

Angel Café

You’ve already been to the mountain,
And you’ve taken your slice of the pie.
You’ve had your cool dips in the ocean;
Tied the knot with a prominent guy.
You work for and live in the good life,
And you’re blessed with the ol’ Midas’ touch.
But you’re not the girl I remember.
And I miss her so much.

You might recall all the tea and conversation.
We stayed up all night just to start it all again.
But now it’s all such a different situation.
You clocked me out just when you were clocking in.

Well time flies away.
Don’t put off who you should get to today.
Time flies away.
Don’t you wait till we meet in the angel café.
Don’t you wait till we meet in the angel café.

I watched as your world got so busy.
I felt all the edges get rough.
And I know you just want a secure life.
But, I ask, is it ever enough?
Is it worth just what it may cost you?
Are you willing to pay off the fine?
Just be wary of what you neglect here.
That’s my own bottom line.    © 1992

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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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Today I read a few snippets of articles that talked about the value of scripture memorization when it comes to teaching kids about faith in Jesus and His word. That brought back memories of vacation Bible school in a small eastern Kansas town.

The VBS teacher certainly encouraged scripture memorization.

So, being the eager sort of nerd I was to show teachers and other adults how well my brain worked, I decided I would memorize more than the others in my class. Keep in mind vacation Bible school only lasts two weeks in the summer. And that’s not enough time to memorize the entire Bible. So that wasn’t my goal. Just wanted to impress the teacher. (and Linda, the cute girl who sat on the other side of the table from me). Yeah, I don’t remember a time when I didn’t like girls.

Anyway…

I don’t recall the number of Bible verses I memorized. But I do recall memorizing more than the other kids. I also don’t recall all the verses I memorized. But I do recall memorizing them.

Hmm, I see a pattern forming here.

In case you don’t, the pattern is this. I can remember what I DID. And that leads me to why I’m sharing this with you right now. Because I believe that pattern exposes at least a little too much focus on self. And not enough focus on the meat of the message I memorized.

One article I read, about it, said:

“Scripture memorization is the process of committing Bible verses to memory for easier recall and application in daily life. Techniques include repetition, using flashcards, and engaging multiple senses through writing or listening to the verses.”

My technique, or process, of choice was repetition. I have a method, I developed during my school years, that I used to make that more effective. Remind me to tell you how that came in handy in my junior year for an important music test. But that’s another story for another time.

“OK,” you say, “So if scripture memorization is off the table as a way to teach kids about Jesus and His word, then what in the world do you recommend Mister Tony?”

Well, let’s not take it entirely off the table. But there’s a better process of repetition that’s way more effective.

AND fun.

And I won’t make you guess what it is. In a word, it’s rhymes. Yes, I realize that’s a little bit self-serving. Especially since I’ve used the phrase rhyme and reason, for years to describe what I do here on my website and on my podcast. But even if I didn’t, it would still be true that rhymes are powerful. And you can supercharge those rhymes when you songify them. I just made up that word. Don’t you dare steal it and use it anywhere else.

Songs don’t have to use actual Bible verses word for word.

But they should tell about and point to the nature of God’s holiness, righteousness, justice, and love. And be based on the truth of God’s word. Then the rhymes, the beat, and the joyful sounds make it fun to learn about our creator and what He he’s done for us. And, you never can tell (except when you can), you might get some young voices, singing new songs to the Lord.

Speaking of new songs to the Lord, I’ve written quite a few of those in my lifetime. Many of them aren’t all that new anymore. But they might be new to you or a kid you care about. And the only way you’ll know for sure is if you click or tap the link below and check ’em out. How about that? You don’t even have to memorize the link.

(https://www.tonyfunderburk.com/fundersongs/)

If you’re not ready to do that, then 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.

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

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Who cares if you sing truth to a kid? Especially if it’s a very young kid. Because they’re not even gonna know or care if it’s true or not anyway right? They’ll just trust you. Or whatever grown up is in charge.

Bingo! That right there is why you should sing truth to a kid.

Well, at least if singing to, and with, a kid is part of your approach to spending quality time together. But if it’s not, then you can at least talk truth to a kid. Because, no matter, what truth matters. Or maybe I should say THE truth matters.

And here’s the main reason why I say that.

Because THE truth makes them free and gives them hope. But you know what doesn’t do any of that? Being taught that we all just got here by chance. That we all just crawled out of the ocean and started our happy journey toward turning into human beings. That’s right boys and girls. You used to be slime. Then you were a fish. Then you were a monkey. And finally, you were a brilliant human. And everyone lived happily ever after.

The trouble with all that stinkin’ thinkin’ is that it teaches kids to believe they’re just another animal. And you know how animals are. Whatever they feel like doing they do. Including having sex right out in the open. Going to the bathroom wherever they feel like it. And even eating other animals alive.

So I made it a mission of mine to sing truth to kids (from 3 to 103).

Because I want everybody to have hope. It’s good to know that you were made in the image and likeness of God. And it’s mighty nice to realize there’s a paradise waiting for you when your time here on earth is over.

Who knows? Maybe if most people knew that, there wouldn’t be so many dark, apocalyptic movies. Maybe there would be a lot more happy ending movies and TV shows. And maybe, now this is a big maybe, positive respectful language could be the norm. And most F-bombs and other filthy talk would just fade away.

I remember, from several years ago, a couple of people we know using foul language around their kids. And Elgielene asked them why they did that. And the mom said “They’re gonna learn it somewhere.”

That’s probably true. But it doesn’t mean they have to learn it in at home. And certainly not from their own parents. Yeesh

I’d rather help little kids grow up, knowing the one true, living, loving creator of the universe will never leave them nor forsake them. And help them have the hope of a glorious, perfect eternal life. So I write that message. And I sing that message. And I share that message just about every chance I get.

Like I did in this lullaby from my Bedtime Buckaroos  lullaby songs collection:

Music Pajamas

It’s time…to let the daylight fly
Away, but we don’t have to cry
Because…another day will dawn real soon.
So smile…and say a sweet goodnight.
They won’t, if you’ll just slip into this tune.

And wear your music pajamas.
And sing the songs of your mamas
Because they gave you a life of your own.
Through all the cartoons and dramas…
Through all the triumphs and traumas…
Slip on your music pajamas,
And know that God is on His throne.
And you’re never all alone. 

Night winds…float down from falling stars.
Lights blink…from Jupiter and Mars.
They bounce…across the water on the grass.
Inside…you’re in a soft cocoon
Of down…the color of the moon.
Dreams come…when you just let the sandman pass.

Chorus

© 2011 Tony Funderburk

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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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Read the following list of names and see if you can tell me what the common denominator is with them.

– Ferguson’s suicide-by-cop Michael Brown
– Aurora theater murderer James Holmes
– Islamic Boston Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
– Miami cannibal Rudy Eugene
– Trayvon Martin
– Baltimore’s Freddie Gray
– Vegas Strip murderer Lakeisha Holloway
– Planned Parenthood shooter Robert Lewis Dear
– Infamous murderer Jodi Arias
– Devin Kelley murdered 26 at church massacre
– Chattanooga’s Islamic terrorist Muhammad Abdulazeez
– Tucson massacre mass murderer Jared Lee Loughner, and many more including:
– Japan’s pothead legalization activist Satoshi Uematsu killed 19 handicapped people
– England’s Manchester jihadist Salman Abedi killed 22
– France’s Bastille Day jihadist killed 86 at the beach.

Do you know the common denominator?

And for those of you who attended public school in the last 20 years, do you even know what a common denominator is? I’m not asking that question to publicly ridicule you. It’s a legitimate question because public schools don’t tend to teach beyond feelings anymore. Mathematical terms, like common denominator, aren’t common in your everyday feelings and emotions. So, why spend any time teaching something nobody’s gonna use anyway? Right?

Well, let’s get back to that list. Yeah, all the people on that list have something in common. It’s something other than the fact that they murdered people. They all have a substance in common. And that substance is pot. Weed. Wacky tobacky. Now, if you love your smoke, just can’t live without it, and you know you would never murder anybody, you probably would rather I would just move on to and talk about something else. And in fact, I don’t tend to talk about marijuana all that much here on my website or in my newsletter or podcast.

The only reason I brought it up now is because someone recently mentioned how it might help my recovery process from the recent stroke I went through. I suppose their recommendation came from a place of “good intentions.” But, when someone recommends mari jane’s can o’ biscuits or products related to those, I immediately think they just haven’t read enough about it to make a good decision. At least I hope that’s all it is.

I’ve read and watched enough to know that pot ain’t the way to go.

Of course, if you’ve followed me here for a while, you know, I’m not a fan of pharmaceuticals either. But generally speaking, they have more guidelines and monitoring in place for the dosage you get. Plus, you can find all kinds of information about the side effects that come with them. And most people don’t wanna talk about side effects from lighting up those little smoky joysticks. Especially when one of the side effects can be murder.

I don’t like the way the left side of my body feels (or should I say doesn’t feel) at this point. But I’m not willing to sacrifice mental acuity for a false and temporary “warm glow.”

And I’m grateful to God for keeping me on that path throughout my life. That saved me a lot of money. And it also kept me from a potentially destructive lifestyle that could’ve been way worse than a stroke.

If you’d like to know a lot more about how harmful weed can be, let me know. And I’ll send you a link to some excellent peer reviewed information. It’s the same page where I got the list of names above.

See how many drug references you can find in the lyrics to this song I wrote way back in the 80s:

Nothin’s Gonna Happen To You

Well you’re human and it’s hum-drum
So you find yourself in front of a screen
The remote control slowly takes its toll
Then you’re thumbing through a magazine
Years a go you had to know
You had to stand out brave and true
You said, “Don’t wait for nothin’, or
Nothin’s gonna happen to you”.

You were Ghengis Khan and Napoleon
You were king of cool to all your friends
But the juggernaut fell into the pot
And so this is how the story ends
But I have to know what could change you so
I have to see what cut you through
And don’t tell me nothin’, or
Nothin’s gonna happen to you

Why the empty stare…nothin’ nothin’
Tension in the air…nothin’ nothin’
You just can’t admit…you’re too mortal to conquer it
And nothin’s gonna happen to you

Well, it’s so posh how you whitewash
And the truth starts falling through the crack
So your winter scheme is a broken dream

And the pieces stab you in the back
Time gone by can make you cry
And the tears can freeze inside your heart
But don’t obsess in that icy mess
Blow the danger and the pleasure apart
On the inner side it feels like a ride
And you rollercoast into the sky
But the outer side shows the demon lied
Give him anything to keep you high
Years from now they’ll wonder how
How it ever got to you
And I’ll just say “nothin’
Nothin’ ever happened to you.”

Get my Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. Because then the flashes of light I share on my website come directly to your inbox. And that means you can spend your valuable time reading instead of searching. Plus., 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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Yes, miracles are real. And I believe God can manifest one anytime He wants or desires. Are you with me so far? Well, get ready to jump off this train. Because I’m about to make a stop where many, if not most, Christians (and pretty much everybody else) don’t wanna go.

Miracles are real. But God isn’t using them right now.

And that’s mostly because He observed how miracles don’t tend to change hearts. And the most important example of that is the miracle of the resurrection of Jesus. He literally predicted He would rise from the dead in three days, then He did, and there were lots of eyewitnesses. But to this day, 2000 years later, most people in the world don’t wanna believe in a miracle, don’t wanna hear about it, and prefer to mock anyone who does. Jesus also predicted it would be that way:

He said,”If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”

I found this definition of the word miracle in my digital dictionary: a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency: (the miracle of rising from the grave.) It’s interesting how they used the rising from the grave example.

Anyway…

The reason I bring it up is because of my current, and recent handicapped status. I’ve been dealing with it about five or six weeks now. And not once have I prayed for a healing miracle. As I’ve already said, it’s not because I don’t believe miracles are real. And it’s not because I don’t have enough faith that God could heal me.

I still pray the way I did before I had a stroke. Each prayer is a message of thanks for the multitude of blessings. I receive every day. Blessings I receive in spite of my human selfishness.

I do ask God to give me strength.

And I ask Him to help me to lean on His love through each and every step of my recovery process, however long it takes. That kind of prayer focuses on my relationship with Him instead of the wondrous things He can do. And the more I read Paul’s letters, the more I believe those are the kinds of prayers. God prefers from us. The prayers that show we want Him to be with us no matter what. The prayers that acknowledge, just as He told Paul, His grace is sufficient.

So, even if the left side of my body never fully recovers, I’m gonna bask in that grace, knowing that one day I’ll receive a flawless, new, glorified body that will never suffer this kind of stuff again.

And that reminds me of a song I wrote, seven years ago, for a young man who bravely fought a battle against cancer. He lost the battle, but he praised the Lord. So I know he’s in paradise forever. Here are the lyrics:

Jeremiah’s Prayer

I don’t deserve your healing Lord.
But you deserve my praise.
Your great name and your Word
Will lift me up and fill my days.
Oh Lord, please give me strength
So I can fight this battle well”
And courage even satan will
Remember down in hell.

You’re the breath in my lungs.
And you’re the song upon my tongue.
You’re the source of life no doubters can erase.
And through sickness and health,
Lord I consecrate myself
And I just can’t wait to see you face to face.

No one deserves your healing Lord.
But you deserve our praise.
Your great name and your Word
Will lift us up and fill our days,
If we will look to you for strength
And courage to declare
The love and Truth about You
Found in Jeremiah’s prayer.

© 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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1977. I remember that year like it was, well, day before yesterday. But it was almost 50 years ago. Wow. And that’s the year NASA launched Voyager 1 into space. And that little spaceship is still traveling through space. In fact, I just read a cool, short blurb about it. The headline said…

Voyager 1: A Time Capsule Still Exploring The Cosmos

They followed that up with…

Over 15 billion miles from Earth, Voyager 1 runs on 69 KB of memory, an 8-track tape recorder, and code written in FORTRAN. It’s controlled using 50-year-old blueprints and takes 22 hours to receive a single command.

Why it still works?

  • Rugged, radiation-hardened parts
  • Simple, reliable design
  • Backup systems
  • Engineers who think like it’s 1977

And they finished up the blurb with “A true marvel of human ingenuity.”

Then, they showed a rendered picture (because there aren’t photographers snapping shots of it) of Voyager 1 superimposed over a backdrop of the Milky Way.

And as I checked out the picture, I thought about what the “great minds” of aerospace, in their ongoing search for extraterrestrial intelligence, would say if something that simple wandered into Earth’s orbit.

No doubt, they’d be all a-flutter. And they’d rave on about finally finding proof of other intelligent life “out there.”

Because they’re goo goo gaga over a spaceship in the cosmos.

But the cosmos?

Not so much. Naw, it’s just a big bunch of space to explore. Oh sure, they love to bandy their big numbers around. This is 2 trillion light years away from that. And the speed of light is 299,792,458 meters per second. And how the largest black holes in the universe are more than 70-80 billion times bigger than the sun.

But those YUGE numbers are mostly to reinforce their big bang skewed idea that there MUST be other intelligent life “out there.”

And that’s ironic, since the cosmos, itself, is the evidence.

Yeesh.

Little Voyager 1 runs on a fraction of one megabyte of memory. That’s tiny. The whole spaceship wouldn’t even be a fraction of a dimple in God’s smile. But people are amazed at how it can still operate all those miles from Earth. And they’re so impressed with engineers who could design such an amazing thing.

And that awestruck amazement runs through brains that are exponentially more complex. Brains so complex they can run a system of systems, your body, even while you’re asleep and not even consciously aware of it.

But that’s just the start.

Because your body lives on a planet ideally suited for human life. And that planet is part of solar system that runs consistently and dependably through the galaxy.

And the galaxy moves consistently and dependably through the universe. A universe (aka: the cosmos) that is observably stable enough to contain everything in it. A universe that’s the ultimate sign of intelligent life. And design.

Design ALWAYS points to a designer.

I’m not foolish enough to look at the big, beautiful sky, day or night, and say there is no God and that it all happened by chance. Sadly, most people ARE that foolish.

I know just about all my listeners and readers aren’t that foolish. So, I urge you to not give up on those who are. Because their eternal souls depend on us sharing the hope of the power of God’s love. And the power of that love made eternal life available to all.

If you’re like a little Voyager 1, traveling through the vast space of non-believing or skeptical people, remember, you have WAY more than 69 kilobytes of memory to draw from. You can use your incredibly complex brain to tap into the infinite source of Life. So, ask God to help you increase your knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.

Then, remember, you are…

In This World But Not Of It

I’m in this world but not of it.
I like this life but don’t love it.
My Savior rises above it.
I’m in this world but not of it.

This world can beat me up.
But this world is not my home.
I have a finer place where I will forever roam.

This world’s no easy street.
This world is not so nice.
It costs a lot to leave, but my Father paid the price.

So: (Chorus)

This world has lots of love,
But this world is filled with hate.
One day it won’t be so, and so I can hardly wait.

This world has moans and groans.
This world has aches and pain,
But soon even this shall pass, Jesus the King will reign.

Chorus…inst…chorus 3 times

© 2008

And as long as you’re in this world, subscribe to my Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. Because then the flashes of light I share on my website and podcast 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.

Daily Devotional

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