healthy spiritual benefits Archives - Page 2 of 2

Posted on April 16, 2020 by TonyApril 28, 2020

Rising sun essential and it's also providential

Is the rising sun essential?

As I was doing a little research for my daily writing idea, I looked up how essential sunlight is for good health. Keep in mind, I don’t always use keywords the typical way. Because I’m also looking for poetic, creative solutions and ideas. So, I typed in my keyword choice and came up with a “rising sun essential”suggestion, from Google. And, of course, I had to check out some of the results.

Rising sun essential brings up some essential oil businesses.

What are the odds, right? And I did a quick, cursory look at the websites. And, as I figured, they’re sort of on the new age side of it. But I didn’t check “˜em out. Because I wasn’t looking for essential oils. I wanted to talk about sunlight.

Think about this for a second or two. Sunlight connects with a part of the retina in your eyes. And that connection triggers the release of a mood-lifting hormone called serotonin. Now, if you can read that and still believe evolution can sufficiently explain how we got here, you have a whole lot more blind faith than I ever will.

But, back to the point. You and your body need serotonin in order to stay UP. And, as it “just so happens”, the rising sun can help your body manufacture it.

Sounds pretty darn essential to me.

And I think it’s also immensely important to know how everything in our world, and in the universe, came together better than fine Swiss clockwork. By design. Because there’s far too much information in even a single cell for it to be there accidentally.

Good news is…it weren’t no accident.

The entire universe, and every living thing in it, were designed and wound up by THE Designer. And if you don’t believe that right now, then you can just thank yourself for the morning sunlight.

But I promise you…that kind of thinking leads to eternal serotonin depletion.

The sun rose again, today.
And I was here to see.
The bright light lit up the life
Unfolding just for me.
So I soaked it in, and then
I breathed a breath of hope.
It’s beauty and truth, each day,
That help me more than cope
With these daily trials by fire
Brought on by all our sins.
And that’s why it’s crucial to
Make sure each day begins
In love and in thankfulness
For what’s already done.
Give thanks for the rising sun,
And for the Risen Son.

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Posted on April 5, 2020 by TonyApril 13, 2020

Every life is full of ups and downs

I’ve mentioned, before, how I worked hard labor during my teenage summers. No, not in prison. How could you even think that? And I’m looking at YOU when I ask that. You know who you are. Anyway…I hauled hay. In the hot, Kansas sun. Up to 18 hours for five, six, and sometimes seven days a week. It kept me slim and made me strong. But what does that have to do with life’s ups and downs?

As strong as I became, I wasn’t immune to life’s ups and downs.

Continuing on to my 20’s, 30’s, and even into my 40’s I was quite the physical specimen. If I do say so myself, and apparently I just did. Matter of fact, my wife can attest how I used to haul my upright piano around by myself. She’s too small to help when it came to lifting it up into the truck. And anytime we moved (which was a lot) it was nothing for me to carry couches and stuffed chairs by myself.

So, I bragged on myself and shared those “ups” with you to illustrate a point. In my late 30’s I started feeling like my neck was always out of joint, so to speak. I’d go to chiropractors for adjustments. But nothing seemed to help. This went on for a few years. And occasionally I’d pick up something heavy, and my whole back would just seize up on me.

Then, one day in my mid 40’s, after experiencing a numb tingling in my right hand for a while, I decided to go to another doctor. And he sent me to have a CT-scan. And the scan discovered a tumor on my spinal cord. Our primary doctor referred me to a specialist surgeon in Denver, and Elgielene and I went to see him.

After looking at the CT-scan, the specialist surgeon told us we needed to “get your house in order.” He said my choices were to have the operation to remove the tumor, or total paralysis, or death. And those were some attention-getting words.

Elgielene and I left his office not saying anything. And when we got in our van, she looked over at me and said, “Well, can you believe that just happened?” And we laughed…a little. Maybe out of nervousness. But we began taking some things one step at a time.

That was one of life’s downs.

Instead of boring you with all the operation and recovery details, I’ll just say this. I’ve lived a bunch of years since then. And that’s one of life’s ups. More years to be with my beautiful wife. And more time to experience this gift of life from God.

My story is just one of millions of similar stories. But the sad news…the news I know is so much more depressing…is how many people go through similar things with no connection to God. They already don’t have hope of eternal life. And then they find out a lot of hope is swept out from under them in this temporal life, too.

I can’t imagine (and I don’t want to imagine) not having the hope of eternal life.

My hope for you, today, is that you already have that hope. And if not, I hope you’ll latch onto it sooner rather than later. If the current events don’t show you what a vapor this life is, I hate to think what it would take.

Give yourself a break you’ll never regret.
And do it today before you forget.
God can give you ups and cover your downs.
Give up your burdens. Replace them with crowns.

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Posted on February 19, 2020 by TonyMarch 14, 2025

Guacamole Song

I’m singin’ the guacamole song today. Because we bought a batch of avocados, and every one of them were excellent. If you don’t like avocados, or especially if you don’t like guacamole, I have to wonder about you. Elgielene made some excellent guacamole, her recipe. And we’ve been enjoying it on some awesome grass-fed beef. Why am I telling you this? And what does it have to do with Rhyme and Reason? Or words and music? Or anything else I usually talk about?

This little guacamole song is just to show joy and gratitude for blessings.

Avocados are healthy blessings to your body. And here are just a few of those blessings…

Avocados are virtually the only fruit with heart-healthy monounsaturated (good) fat. Blessing!
Vitamin B5: 14% of the DV – Blessing!
And B6: 13% of the DV – Blessing!
Vitamin C: 17% of the DV – Blessing!
Vitamin E: 10% of the DV – Blessing!
Folate: 20% of the DV – Blessing!
Vitamin K: 26% of the daily value – Blessing!
And Potassium: 14% of the DV – Blessing!

But why do I say they’re blessings? You didn’t really just ask me that. Did you? Because each one of those vitamins and minerals (and fat) are essential for your good health. And your health is your best secret weapon. For staying ahead of the competition. And for living as long a life as possible. When you live a long life, you can be more, do more, and serve others more. More and better.

So, now that you know what and why, sing this little guacamole song with me…

Avocado and cilantro
And a hint of lime.
Salsa bueno, words you may know
When you take the time
To dip a chip into this dip
Like a foodie would.
Guacamole isn’t holy,
But, man, it sure is good!

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Posted on February 8, 2020 by TonyAugust 10, 2022

Lazy Gluttons

Uh-oh. Mom! Tony just started calling names! He called some people lazy gluttons. Don’t know what a glutton is, but pretty sure it’s not good. Because it comes after lazy. [powerpress_player]

Why in the world am I talking about lazy gluttons?

Because America (and I’m sure the whole world, too) is full of ’em. But why did this even come up? And why am I writing about it today? Well, it’s partly because of a picture I saw on Twitter this morning (which I wish I could unsee). A woman, apparently named, or going by the name of Lizzo, was photographed walking on the beach in a red bikini.

No big deal, right? Wrong. It was a BIG deal. Because she’s BIG. And by big I mean rolls and billows of bigness from top to bottom. In other words, Lizzo is obese.

And you might think anyone who truly cares about her would be doing whatever they could to help her lose weight. But you’d be wrong. In fact, anyone who even remotely suggests she’s fat is ridiculed for saying so. I read comments in different posts about her. And the vast majority of the comments “supported” her choice to be fat. They called her beautiful. And an inspiration.

That’s how far feelings and emotions will knock the sense right out of logic and reason. If you let them.

And most people choose feelings and emotions over logic and reason. Because feelings and emotions can be manipulated to make you feel good about yourself. And even your bad decisions and choices.

But most people rebel against God. So most people can reject His wisdom even to the point of rejecting what’s healthy. And choosing to be lazy gluttons is unhealthy. Can even lead to an early death.

But who cares, right?

As long as you’ve got a fan base and you can “rock that red bikini” in peace.

Who really cares about you?
People who will say
Give it up and live it up,
You look good that way?
No, they don’t care about you
Or where you will end.
They don’t see your poverty,
And they’re not your friend.
But there’s always One who cares
Right down to your soul.
And if you just ask Him for
Help with self-control,
Wisdom will guide your choices.
What you’re looking for
Can be yours, when Jesus cures
You forevermore.

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Posted on September 30, 2019 by TonyMarch 2, 2025

Fit or Fat? - Change the you you're looking at.

Fit Or Fat
What are you looking at?

Have you had a night where you just couldn’t sleep? So you got up, went into the living room, turned on the TV, laid on the couch, and watched infomercials. Right? I mean; unless you have some premium movie channel (which we don’t because the description is an oxymoron) you won’t get much on TV at 2:00 a.m. Have you ever noticed how many of those infomercials talk about fit or fat products? It’s a gigantimongous industry.

Fit or fat isn’t just in the eyes of the beholder.

People want to look like models, never get sick, and live forever…or at least a really long time. And they want to look the same until they die. As a culture we’re overweight, overfed, undernourished, out of shape, lacking hope, and just plain burnt out. That’s a shame. But the worst part is…we think the solution must be complicated. We think it must be in the right combination of diet products, or vitamins, or exercise gurus.

(obnoxious buzzer sound inserted here) Wrong!

It’s none of those things. And it’s not complicated. Oh sure, you can make it complicated. And if you need to wrap your brain around some big words like phytonutrients or hyluronic or mass-spectrographic-isotonic-double-biothermal-diophonoscope, then let’s get to it. But if you prefer to keep it super simple (the K.I.S.S. formula) I’ve got good news for you. It really is simple.

Here’s what causes 99% of obesity and other overweight conditions. A couple of old-fashioned word describe it…gluttony and slothfulness. I know…I know…it sounds so harsh. But it’s true.

Now, those words just mean you’re putting too much in and you’re not burning enough off.

I’ve got a “super simple” acronym to help you keep your fit or fat dilemma in perspective. I’ll share it with you in just a minute.

But first, I want to also talk about a couple of the other related potential problems. For example, you might not realize how food is only one of the culprits in the battle of the bulges.

That’s right…much of the fluids you put into your body dramatically add to the weight problems. Right about now you’re thinking…OK, he’s gonna tell me to stop drinking colas. Well, actually I’m not. Sure; it would be a great idea for you to stop drinking them altogether, but even if you can reduce your intake, you can see excellent results. However; there’s a ton of evidence that shows how you ought to completely stop drinking diet drinks. Unless you enjoy ingesting the equivalent of rat poison anyway.

Wow…could that possibly be true?

Don’t take my word for it. I’m just a guy who reads about this stuff, and the evidence is startling and massive. Just “Google” the term “diet drinks” or “diet drinks” + health. It only stands to reason when you take something natural, like sugar, and replace it with “flavorings” like aspartame and others, something’s gotta give. And it’s usually the notches in your belt. It can also be lesions on your brain, though, and you really don’t want those.

Well, that’s enough to process right now. Believe me when I tell you, if you’re overweight, in almost every case…it’s your fault. And no “diet” is gonna help without you wrapping your mind around that. And taking responsibility for your own health. In fact, in almost all cases, you don’t need a diet. You need a healthy lifestyle. Of course, I’m not a doctor, and I don’t play one on TV. I’m just a guy who cares about my fellow human beings.

Let’s enjoy the music, art, and other beauty this world has to offer, and here’s how…stay well and live longer. One final point…don’t focus so much on your body that you forget your soul. The apostle Paul wrote, “for bodily exercise profits a little...” No matter how well you treat yourself in this life, you will come to an end. But your soul will go on forever. So “godliness” is more important.

Oh yeah, one more thing. I said I’d give you a simple acronym to help you with the fit or fat dilemma. It’s Y.E.S. M.A.M. And it stands for “you eat sensibly & move around more”

And never forget…there IS a rhyme and reason to life because God made you.

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Posted on September 19, 2018 by TonyMarch 2, 2025

One Day Soon

I remember, when I was about five years old, snapping green beans on the porch with my Grandmother in Oklahoma. She would almost always find a way to talk to me about God, Jesus, and time. On this particular day she was making sure I understood how short this life is. She told me, “Don’t take your parents and grandparents for granted. One day soon you’ll wake up and find ’em gone.” Of course, as a little boy, I wondered why old people talked about those things.

My, how time flies.

If my calculations are correct, Grandmother would have been a few years younger than I am now when she told me those things. That “one day soon” she mentioned is already in my rearview mirror. Out of all my grandparents, step-grandparents, and parents, only my mom remains. Wow. Years fly by like the scenery through the side windows of a speeding car.

Your perspective, whether you think so or not, will change considerably when you can measure your life in multiple decades. Don’t be surprised if you hear yourself telling somebody younger, “Just wait, one day soon you’ll see what I’m talking about.” And that’s why it’s important, like Grandmother said, to not take people or circumstances for granted.

One day soon your circumstances will change.

It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor. Black or white or red or yellow. Man or woman. Old or young. Your circumstances are going to change. And very often for the worse.

I’m not a pessimist. This isn’t about helplessly wringing hands or throwing in the towel. Far from it. I’m talking about reality. Your bank account will never be large enough to protect you from hard times. You won’t be immune from troubles just because you were born a certain color or sex. And young people suffer hardships just as often as the elderly.

That’s all reality. But the good news is…there’s always good news. You’re not an evolving train wreck. And you’re not floating helplessly through space on a meaningless ball of dirt. You were designed. On purpose. And one day soon you’re gonna meet that Designer. And it will be glorious beyond your hopes, dreams, or expectations. Unless…

…you choose not to.

It’s like this. You make choices in this life.

What to wear. Where to work. How to act around other people. When to eat, drink, and sleep. Every day…lots of choices. But none of them are permanent. Only one choice you make in your life has permanent consequences. That choice is whether to believe there’s one, true, living, loving Creator who made you and loves you. Or. To believe everything that happens is just leading to an eventual black hole of nothingness.

One day soon you’ll either find out you were right or you were wrong. If you’re young, it might be decades from now. But trust me, that won’t matter. It’ll still feel so much sooner than you ever imagined. You’re either gonna face a life-threatening illness, or accident, or crime. But whatever it is…you’re gonna face your own end days.

I urge you not to go it alone. And I urge you not to trust your life to your health, your wealth, your friends or family or government. Nothing and no one, here on Earth, can give you the security of eternal life. You can only find that in one person. Jesus. And my hope for you is that one day soon, when you meet Him, it’s with open arms.

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You Were Bought At A Price

Posted on October 17, 2013 by TonyFebruary 27, 2025

When Paul wrote, in 1 Corinthians “all things are lawful for me“, he was talking about Grace…the Grace offered to everyone by Jesus. Jesus paid for the Grace that’s freely offered to you. But Grace and you were bought at a price…the highest price ever paid for anything in the history of the world for anything…His Life.

These days, all around me, I see people of all sizes, colors, ethnicities, and persuasions seeking to become “more enlightened”…more “spiritual”. While you should aspire to regain your spirit (found only in Jesus) I think it’s important to remember that you’re still a physical being. You inhabit a physical body, and you should also seek to hold it in higher regard.

I’m not talking about some new trendy diet or exercise regimen. Although putting good food into your body and taking it out for some fresh air and sunshine is an awesome idea…treating it better, sexually, has healthy spiritual benefits.

Paul admonished us to “flee sexual immorality“. That means run, don’t walk, away from it. He talked about how every other sin “that a man does is outside the body”. But whoever “commits sexual immorality (and don’t fool yourself, you know what that means) sins against his own body”.

In other words, you hurt your own body. Almost everyone has done this, but that’s no excuse. Paul thought this was an issue important enough to include it in his letter to the Corinthians. He told them “for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s”.

If you’re a Christian, maybe it will help to remember that the Holy Spirit dwells in you, and “you are not your own”.

In Faith, Hope, and Love”

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Tony Funderburk

Your Life Has Rhyme And Reason Because God Made You

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