Category Archives: Words and Music

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Last Sunday, Elgielene and I spent some time with my brother. And he told a story about a trip he took to Alaska. And his eyes lit up when he mentioned the boat ride through the blue water of the “inside passage” en route to his destination. Because he saw all sorts of wildlife and marine life, including whales, all sorts of birds, and more.

You won’t find a big blue whale there.

But, according to a travel website, “the Inside Passage winds through fjords, glaciers, and islands along Alaska’s southeast coast. It’s one of the most scenic cruise itineraries in the world. And if you’re lucky, you’ll have humpback whales as your traveling companions.”

So, here’s my guess. Visitors who see the humpback whales probably won’t be disappointed that they didn’t see a big blue whale. Because once you’re up close to a sea creature that big, the largest creature on our planet, I’m sure you’re satisfied with whatever version you get. I know I would be.

Anyway…

My brother wrote a song called Inside Passage. It’s an instrumental, and I don’t have access to it. But his memories and the fact that I’m in the middle of Friday vibes as I write, this brought back my own memories of a song I wrote about island life. Here are the lyrics. And if you’re reading this on Friday, have yourself a big, blue whale of a weekend where each day is an…

Island Day

Over in the mango tree
Toucan looking straight at me
Starfish in the ocean waves
Dolphin, laughin’, misbehaves

Oh, oh, oh, it’s an island day
Oh, oh, oh sail your cares away
Oh, oh, oh, cross the seven seas
Oh, oh, oh, on a clear cool Breeze

Parrot is a private eye
Big Blue whale don’t tell no lie
Swordfish out there watching you
Wonders what you’re gonna do

Chorus

If you want to roam,
Just bring a little note from home.
We’ll chase the rising sun
Never will the fun be done…

King crab with his mighty claw
Claims that he’s from Panama
And he invites Electric eel
On a quick trip to Brazil.   © 2008 TF

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered 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 enjoying the entertaining words and music I share instead of looking for them. 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. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

I just read a very short, very cool article that started out with this: For the first time in human history, scientists witnessed the precise instant human development initiates. What they observed wasn’t biological randomness, it was orchestrated precision.

Of course, the term orchestrated precision piqued my interest.

And since I’m one of those right-wing extremists who says we should abolish all abortion, I thoroughly enjoyed the next sentences immensely:

At fertilization’s exact moment, a coordinated biochemical wave erupts across the egg’s surface. This isn’t gradual activation. It’s an instantaneous “on switch”, a cascading molecular signal that transforms a dormant cell into the blueprint for an entire human being. Time zero. Life’s starting gun.

The next part of the article said that MIT researchers were stunned. Not just by the fact that this happens, but by HOW it happens. Like this:

The activation wave moves in rhythmic, structured patterns following mathematical proportions found throughout nature. The same ratios governing spiral galaxies, nautilus shells, sunflower seed arrangements, and hurricane formations. The Golden Ratio. Fibonacci sequences. Universal mathematical constants appearing at life’s very first moment.

And I love conclusions they were able to arrive at with that information:

This suggests something profound: organization precedes consciousness. Order exists before brain, before nervous system, before any structure capable of creating order. The instructions for building complexity are embedded at the origin point itself.

The article said, “We’ve always known fertilization starts development.” And I thought, “Well, some of us have.” then they shared some more conclusions those MIT researchers drew from the information:

…seeing it reveals life doesn’t “stumble” into existence through chemical accidents gradually organizing. It ignites with purpose, structured signals executing a predetermined biological program with geometric precision. This challenges purely mechanistic views of life’s origins. Random molecular collisions don’t produce mathematical elegance. Yet here it is, visible under microscopes, following patterns woven into the universe’s fabric. Life’s first instant looks less like chance and more like code executing. Time zero isn’t chaos becoming order. It’s order beginning.

I don’t exactly agree with the “time zero” part.

Because I don’t believe that there’s any such thing as time zero. Yes you and I had a physical beginning. But time has always existed. Because God has always existed. So, while the ordered beginning of our physical existence started at fertilization, I believe you and I actually began in the mind of our one true, living, loving Creator. And He’s eternal. So that puts a whole ‘nother spin on it.

And on that note, I’ll sign off for now, wishing you an excellent start to the first full week of 2026. Go do the best you can with the power of God’s love to propel and guide you.

Everyone has a right to life,
A gift from God, before it even starts.
Everyone has a right to life.
Your right is wrong when it stops innocent hearts.

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered 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 enjoying the entertaining flashes of light instead of looking for them. 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. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

I want to share my Spotify stats, for 2025, with you. Because I want to thank you, if you tune into Rhyme and Reason Podcast. Because you helped my podcast, do these things:

  • 575% total audience increase
  • 7% increase in followers
  • 45% increase in listening time
  • Distraction dance while you’re in a trance was the number one podcast episode of 2025
  • The podcast reached 41 countries
  • The top five tuned in countries were the United States, the UK, the Philippines, South Africa, and Australia
  • My podcast is a top 10 show for 15 fans
  • A top five show for 11 fans
  • And the number one show for three fans

And of all the Spotify stats, I think this might be my favorite…

My podcast outpaced 96% of all the other shows on Spotify. And I have to add that. I don’t do anything at all to focus on Spotify. Because I’m actually not a fan of that platform. But Rhyme and Reason Podcast is syndicated to a whole lotta platforms, and that includes some I don’t even pay attention to.

Anyway…

Thank you so much, if you’re a listener. But also a great big 2025 year end thank you to all my readers. Because, according to numbers provided to me by Google, visits to and views of tonyfunderburk.com increased exponentially in the past year. I’d like to think it’s because people appreciate how I show that the power of God’s love isn’t just about a group hug or a superficial kumbaya.

Yeah, I’ve shown how the power of God’s love created the whole universe. And it provided a world we can live in that’s perfectly designed for an enjoyable existence. Fresh air, plenty of water, too many tasty foods to even name, and an ecosystem set up to function in a way we continue to learn from.

But above all the things we can be thankful for is how the power of God’s love made THE way for us to live with him forever in spite of the fact that we deserve infinitely worse. And that way is Jesus.

And it certainly took the power of God’s love to do what He did for us.

He’s the only one, the only way anyone on earth has any hope beyond this life.

Hopefully these most recent Spotify stats and Google Numbers reflect that I’ve connected with an audience who isn’t offended by this “exclusive” message.

Whatever the reason, I’m grateful and blessed to be a servant to the one true, living, loving Creator. The one described in this song that’s not a song…

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…

(Chorus)

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

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered 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. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, when you add your email to the form to connect right away.

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Hey there, Tony here. I hope you’re not suffering from a severe Christmas goodies hangover today, the first day after Christmas 2025. If so, try a little hair of the dog: dark chocolate. And while  you’re waiting for that to kick in, check this out. There’s something the following countries have 1000 percent in common. You probably can’t guess what it is. But feel free to give it a try if you like:

  • Indonesia
  • Ghana
  • United Kingdom
  • Japan
  • Netherlands
  • Singapore
  • Germany

What could that wide variety of countries have 1000 percent in common?

If you said Ramen noodles, give yourself a nice little pat on the head. And say,

“Better luck next time, dude.”

Because even if those countries do have Ramen noodles in common, I doubt it’s 1000 percent. And it’s the wrong answer. In this case, the right answer is ME. Or more specifically I should say my podcast,

The Power of God’s Love.

Yeah, the company that syndicates Rhyme and Reason Podcast just shared the 2025 year end stats with me. And the data showed that listenership in those seven countries has increased by 1000 percent this year. The report didn’t give me actual numbers of listeners. So, granted, it could’ve been one person in each country to start, with an increase to 11 people. But I prefer to think the numbers are better than that. Especially since I’ve had listenership in those places for a while now.

Anyway…

I didn’t share this with you just to brag. I wanted to thank you for being part of an audience who’s helping me stay motivated to share the power of God’s love with anyone who’ll listen (or read in this case and visitors to my website have increased exponentially over the last year). And thanks for helping me gain a lot of traction on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and others.

Just so you know, I thank God for you and your support. It means 1000 percent more to me than I can say.

I Can’t Hide It

Down in my heart; down deep in my heart
Is a place where no one ever goes,
But that’s about to stop; I know it’s gonna stop
‘Cause I’ve been changed by You, and I know it shows.

There’s a smile on my face…
I can’t hide it.
My feet quickened their pace…
I can’t hide it.
You have opened the door
To my poor heart once more,
And it’s You I live for…I can’t hide it.

You listen to me; listen closely to me…
I wanna rise up from ashes of defeat.
I need Your grace; I need all of Your grace
‘Cause I know it’s what makes me feel complete.

chorus…

I had always worked things out inside,
And then I saw my foolish heart had lied.
Now I have my chance; my only chance…
Not make believe; not a shadow dance.

chorus…    © 1999 TF

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered 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 enjoying the entertaining flashes of light instead of looking for them. 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. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

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OK, we’ve only got a few Christmas spirit days left. Then everything gets turned off again for another eight or nine months. Oh sure, there’ll be a few leftovers. But pretty much once December 25th is done, the lights go out, and that sparkly holiday cheer turns into just another year.

Sorry to throw a wet blanket on your Christmas spirit days.

I’m sure they’re probably plenty of good people out there who do their best to make the love lights linger. Cheers to you. And I bet there’s a lot of people who have found ways to keep things going through January. But my guess is it all becomes a distant memory, for most people, by December 26th.

Yeah, I’m a wet blanket all right.

Maybe I can make it up to you with these fun lyrics. And if you tune into Rhyme and Reason Podcast, you might even be able to hear the song…

The Christmas Spirit

Didn’t wanna drive and look at no Christmas lights.
Didn’t wanna have to shovel no Christmas snow.
And I didn’t wanna scream out loud in the middle of a Christmas crowd.
Didn’t wanna have to say why I wouldn’t go.
And I didn’t wanna sing no sappy little Christmas songs.
Didn’t wanna see no perky little Christmas kid.
And I didn’t wanna shop at no mall or spend any money at all.
Didn’t wanna leave my house, but I’m glad I did.

‘Cause I could see it. I could hear it.
I could feel the Christmas Spirit.
Every moment, every minute,
I was thankful I was in it.
Now I savor every second when I’m near it, the Christmas Spirit.

Didn’t wanna get up early on Christmas day.
Didn’t wanna eat no ham or no Christmas pie.
And I didn’t wanna have to get dressed for any sort of Christmas guest.
Didn’t wanna smile, but I changed, and here is why…

‘Cause I could see it. I could hear it.
I could feel the Christmas Spirit.
Every moment, every minute,
I was thankful I was in it.
Now I savor every second when I’m near it, the Christmas Spirit.   © 2011 TF

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional delivered 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 enjoying the entertaining flashes of light instead of looking for them. 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. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Nikola Tesla thought the Magic of Six was its power to make the whole universe work.

In fact, he thought the magic of six was divine.

According to an article I read about his fascination with the number, he said there is a “divine balance between the spiritual and the physical.” The article also said, “He saw this perfect harmony everywhere, from the human body to the vibrations of the universe. He thought every frequency had a harmonic frequency that was six times higher. And he saw this as proof the universe was ordered by God.

Tesla believed the number six was essential to unlock the secrets of the universe. He could see it in the human body, with its six main control chakras that move energy through the body and are linked to different parts of physical and emotional health.

Nikola’s ideas about the magic of six were based on his own observations, experiments, and studies of ancient spiritual traditions, even though they were different from what most people think. His understanding of the universe’s basic balance and harmony is still a source of inspiration. It makes us think about the mysteries of the universe and where we fit in it.”

So, according to the article, Tesla, believed the universe was ordered by God.

But it seems like he put more of a metaphysical spin on it. And I wonder if he realized that six is the number of man. And that’s because God created man on the sixth day of creation. Woman, too.

I think there’s a lot of evidence in the Bible that God loves mathematical precision. And there’s mathematical  and even poetic symmetry found throughout the Bible. Plus, lots of verses use numbers to emphasize and highlight God’s handiwork and love.

And I wrote a song, way back in 1983, to highlight God’s handiwork and love. Then a few years ago, I revised it to give it a little more clarity. And I didn’t change the name. It’s still called…

There’s A Time

You’ll hold on to nothing when you leave.
It’s only you He will receive
And only you that means a thing.
So learn to love the things you are
And though you may not be a star
You still can hear the angels sing.

There’s a time for rejoicing;
Between the sunrise and the sunset.
There’s a time for your heart to be free from pain.
There’s a time for believing;
This is only the beginning.
There’s a time when your spirit can see so plain.
That’s when you’ll know…you’re welcome to go.

You can’t make it to the other side
‘Til you’ve got nothing more to hide
‘Cause you can’t hide it from His eyes.
So try to learn from your mistakes
And try to do just what it takes
To live your life away from lies.  (chorus)

Don’t turn your head.
Don’t turn your head and walk away.
Your time just might be today.  © 1983_2022  TF

Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional, my ongoing Devotional for believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Enjoy the convenience of having these flashes of light delivered, for free, right to your inbox. Then, you can spend your valuable time reading and listening 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. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

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All things are pure. To the pure, at least, they are. And my schoolboy days are a good example of what I’m talking about. I’m sure I’m not the only one who was this way. But mine is the only story I know about. So it’s the one I can talk about.

I didn’t go around thinking all things are pure to the pure.

I was just naïve. And I didn’t know what I didn’t know, when I got into public school (a.k.a.: government indoctrination camps) For example, I was unaware so many kids walked around with a potty mouth. But it became blatantly obvious by the time I was in junior high.

And I didn’t realize, up until about the age of 12, how much kids talked about sexual things. It wasn’t like I didn’t know that stuff existed. I just didn’t know everybody was gonna be talking about it. And that included boys talking to girls and girls talking to boys. It wasn’t just conversation among the guys.

These days the situation is WAY worse. I I bet if you even said “all things are pure to the pure” in just about any typical American social environment, eyes would roll, and listeners would just about unanimously tell you how silly you are to say such a thing.

But guess what? It’s a Biblical thing to say.

In fact, the apostle Paul (you might recall him as the apostle to the Gentiles) wrote a letter to a man named Titus, and said that very thing. “To the pure all things are pure…” 

But he didn’t stop there. He also described the opposite of pure people:

“…but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.” And to defile something, according to the dictionary, means to sully, mar, or spoil it. Yeah, just plain make it dirty.

I wish I didn’t have to happen to anybody. But especially not young kids. Because when you consider how pure they are when they’re born, and how adorable they are because of it, it’s a cryin’ shame that ever has to end.

Sure, I realize it’s an exercise in futility to wish for purity in this world. And that’s probably why, all those years ago, I wrote about my yearning for…

The Pure Place

I clamor for the clean life, and I never quite succeed.
I’m hunting for the high ground that’s higher than the sky.
And I’m looking for the love-life…the kind that we all need.
I’m wishing for the wonder that lives in my mind’s eye.

I want to find the Pure Place…that glitters like gold.
I need to find the Pure Place…never hot or cold.
I’d love to find the Pure Place…
Let the Light shine on my face…
No dreams I’d ever have to chase…
No bad that we could not erase…
I’d love to find…the Pure Place!

I’m searching for the sanctity that I never do quite find.
I’m longing for the living days that never, ever end.
And I’m thinking so theatrically, but at least I use my mind
To quest for the quintessence of my Forever Friend

repeat chorus…inst…repeat chorus and end   © 1998 Get Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional, my ongoing Devotional for believers who want to focus on the power of God’s love and rightly divide the word of truth. Enjoy the convenience of having these flashes of light delivered, for free, right to your inbox. Then, you can spend your valuable time reading and listening 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. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

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