Rhyme and Reason Tony Funderburk

When you take God out of the equation, the question of “right and wrong” is a moot point. It isn’t objective morality at that point. It’s opinion. And guess what? If your opinion differs from mine, all you have to do to win the day is be the stronger one. That’s the “beauty” of natural selection in process.

It’s interesting how often those who reject God have no problem using the word “absolute.” By whose authority would anything be absolutely true or right or acceptable, if not God? Well, the god of “self” of course.

But here’s the trouble with that notion.

It’s either objective morality, or subjective morality of billions of “selfs” on the planet.

That’s a lot of potential for differences of opinion. So whose opinion wins? The more educated? Or the more enlightened? And how about the stronger, more visually appealing of the races?

It’s a rabbit hole with no bottom when you erase the one true, living loving God from the equation. He doesn’t wish that any person should perish (exist apart from Him) forever. But He’s fully aware that the vast majority of humans want no part of Him and His “rewards and punishments” system.

And they don’t want that because it means objective morality doesn’t depend on their opinion.

So, you have your choice between two places where you can go and be forever. One of them is a place where you won’t have to listen to, watch, or read any words from us pesky Christians ever again. And you’ll never have to debate any of us ever again on ideas like objective morality, natural selection, or creationism.

What a relief that’ll be right?

Well, it’ll only be a relief if your atheist worldview is correct.

The other forever destination will also be a place where you won’t have to listen to, watch, or read any words from us pesky Christians ever again. And you’ll never have to debate any of us ever again on ideas like objective morality, natural selection, or creationism. But THAT will be because no one there will disagree on those topics. And not because it’s a place filled with automatons. Far from it. It’ll be paradise. A place where Truth is clearly seen from the apex of Life to the very center core of every cell of creation.

That place will be Heaven. Where you can live forever with the one true, living, loving Creator of us all. Good news is, it’s a free gift. And if even that doesn’t appeal to you, there’s still good news. No one will force you to go there. The choice is entirely yours.

So, my recommendation is to choose wisely. Speaking of wise choices…

You should jump on the Rhyme and Reason Bandwagon and be part of the growing band of ne’er-do-wells who understand that life has Rhyme and Reason because God made us.

Get Wise

Don’t drink the wine of violence

Or eat the bread of hate.

You might just get away with it.

Can you afford to wait?

Don’t push and shove the simple, and

Seek knowledge just like gold.

And in so doing you’ll lay up

Your treasures manifold.

A word to the confounded…

Pour light into your eyes.

If you expect more than neglect,

Get wisdom; yeah get wise.

Get wise to the deceiver.

Don’t harken to his lies.

Keep commanding understanding.

Get wisdom; yeah get wise.

Don’t walk, you, with the wicked.

Beware the scornful tongue.

Let never part your loving heart

And live forever young.

© 1995

Stay tuned…



 

You can’t recycle away stupid. And today I’m gonna share a story you might’ve seen elsewhere. But it bears repeating. Because it shows the increased ignorance in younger people today. And it shows how, typically, the people who shout “don’t judge” the loudest are the most judgmental.

Anyway. Here’s the story I saw. Feel free to recycle away.

A young cashier told an older woman that she should bring her grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.

The  woman apologized to him, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my day.” 

The young clerk said, “Your generation didn’t care enough to save our environment for future generations.”

So, the woman gave him a firm stare and a hard grin and said, “Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles, and beer bottles. And the store sent them back to the plant to be washed sterilized and refilled. That way they could use the same bottles over. Then, they were recycled.

Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags. And we reused them for numerous things. We walked upstairs because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. And we walked to the grocery store. Plus, we didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower  machine every time we had to go two blocks. 

Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers. Because we didn’t have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line in the sunshine. Not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. So, wind and solar power did dry our clothes back in our day. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters. Not always brand-new clothing. 

And back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house.

Not a TV in every room.  By the way, the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief. And not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand. Because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded-up old newspapers to cushion it. And not styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. And we exercised by working. So, we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. 

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. And we refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen. We also replaced the razor blades with a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. 

Back then, people took a bus.

And kids rode their bikes instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. Usually, we had one electrical outlet in a room. Not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles in space to find the nearest burger joint.

But the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have “the green thing.”

The cashier stood there still and quiet as the old lady found her wallet to pay. Then lady turned to leave but stepped back and turned toward the cashier.  She said “You have a world of knowledge in that little device in your hand. Pity you just use it to gossip, take pictures, and waste time. It would do you good to search a bit of history before you embarrass yourself like this again.

I think that’s a slam-dunk. How about you? Did your family recycle away. Or were you part of the use-it-up-and-get-a-new-one group? In my parents’ and grandparents’ house, it was pretty much as the older woman described.

By the way,

I watched Brian Regan, one of the truly best comedians ever, do a bit about comparing anything you do to one of the astronauts who walked on the moon. It’s hilarious. When you get a chance, just do a search for Brian Regan man on the moon on YouTube.

Yeah. How does your best accomplishment compare to being a man on the moon?

Funny stuff. And I love how Brian doesn’t resort to profanity. Plus, his facial expressions are top-notch. And that reminds me of the first time I ever heard of him.

Elgielene and I went to a movie, back in the late 90’s, and they showed comedy clips before the main show. One of those clips was of Brian talking about how he says “you too” at the wrong times. Look that bit up, too.

Anyway.

Let’s get back to the man on the moon.

But let’s don’t talk about some boring moon walk. That’s old hat, old news, and old school. Because of this press release:

Dateline: May 11, 2024 / 12:57 PM CDT – HARLINGEN, Texas – NASA announced it is aiming to build the first railway system on the moon. “We want to build the first lunar railway system, which will provide reliable, autonomous, and efficient payload transport on the Moon,” a post by Ethan Schaler, with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory stated.

Whoa! People get ready! There’s a train a’comin’. That’s gonna leave The Impressions…I mean, an impression. Just imagine. A railway system on THE MOON.

OK, let’s set aside, for the time being, the fact that most cities don’t maintain potholes and bridges properly. And let’s focus on the positive side of this railway system. After all, it’s gonna be reliable, autonomous, and efficient payload transport. So, you won’t have to worry about any man on the Moon. He’ll have excellent transportation at his disposal.

And even better than that? It’s gonna have a cool acronym, aka: name. FLOAT. Ain’t that somethin’? And that stands for “Flexible Levitation on a Track.” Bam! Score! It’s a slam-dunk for the marketing department.

Sure, they’ve got some time to work on it since the “daily operations of a sustainable lunar base” will be in the 2030’s. Plus, they’ll use so-called “artificial intelligence,” which, in this case, will be “unpowered magnetic robots that levitate over a film track.” Hmm, I’m not sure how “unpowered” robots can do that.

But maybe that’s just me.

Now, lest you think your tax dollars will be wasted on such looney, er, lunar activity, here’s something you should know. According to the press release: “The system will transport payloads around the base to and from landing zones and other outposts. The aim is to also transport lunar soil from mining locations to be used for extraction or construction.”

So, rest easy. They’re gonna move moon dirt around and maybe use it to build stuff. So, cool. Right? And obviously, the need is great for reliable “unpowered magnetic robots.” Because “FLOAT will operate autonomously in the dusty, inhospitable lunar environment with minimal site preparation.”

Well, I don’t know about you, but I hope I can hang in there long enough for a trip to that “dusty, inhospitable lunar environment.” If I don’t, there’s always Death Valley National Park. But that’s so twentieth century.

So be it. I’m connected to the twentieth century enough to have enough sense to know Earth is a good place to live and the moon isn’t even a good place to work. And that’s why any man on the moon references I’ll make will be confined to the world of the imagination.

Feel the cool night air

Dancing through your hair.

Laugh right out loud and then watch

I can predict people will still be living on Earth a thousand years from now. And that prediction includes their ability to drink water, eat real food, and breathe fresh air. Yep, that’s right. I can predict the future.

But, just because I can predict the future like that doesn’t mean much.

No, I’m not a prediction savant. And I don’t play one on YouTube. So, just because I can predict the future with confidence still doesn’t mean I think I know it all (and I knew that’s what you were thinking about me just now).

Yeah, I’m what you might call a prognosticating magician. Oh yeah, you know it’s true. Given enough time that’s what you’d call me. At least once you discover some of my secrets of diversion.

Anyway…

Someone, long before me, shared some predictions about how long this planet could last. And, when you consider how accurate that source has been time after time after time, there’s no point in doubting the accuracy of any “future talk.”

So, I’ve shared what I’ve shared, up to this point, to point out how outrageous the end-of-civilization claims are. And in recent years, as they’ve attempted to predict a dystopian future, those claims have gotten increasingly stupid. And they reveal who the control freaks are. Good news is, they’re just clanging brass clowns and provisional, passing puppets. And, in the long run (eternity), their message will vaporize.

But they DO get to have their 15 minutes of fame right now. So, as they slither through their slogan-filled sleepwalk, we can focus on things that are pure and praiseworthy. Because…

We Know

Chicken little, chicken little,

That old, darn sky just won’t fall.

But I guess that doesn’t matter

Long as they can fool us all

Into thinking that the climate

Is an enemy we’ve made

Just by breathing and by living.

It’s a heat wave masquerade.

But discerners don’t believe it.

Yes, we know where Truth is found.

And we know the sky will not fall

And the Earth will spin around

For as long as God determines.

He has made that point quite clear.

So, go spout your hoaxes elsewhere.

Earth will still be fine next year!

© 2023

Make me send you some complimentary fun stuff. Jump on the Rhyme and Reason Bandwagon

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The idea of this post popped into my head during and after a three-mile walk through our neighborhood this morning. Because the many shades of green, the multitude of flowers, and all the birds, bunnies, and squirrels flitting and scattering around under a bright, blue sky stirred up the word, splendor, in my brain.

It’s a word that means “magnificent and splendid appearance; grandeur.” And, also according to the dictionary, it originated in “late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French splendur or Latin splendor, from splendere ‘shine, be bright’.” OK, consider that. And then consider the splendor of the King. Not just any ol’ king. I mean THE King.

So, I’m talkin’ about the splendor of the King who shines brighter than the sun.

King David wrote a mighty complimentary song about this. He said, “One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works.”

So, you could say that was a king who recognized and acknowledged the true King. But you don’t have to. Because I just did. Yeah, David wrote a lot of songs about his Creator. Because David realized, there is only ONE who can speak things that never were into existence.

And I’m confident, as I look at and remember scenes like the ones I saw on our morning walk, that I feel the same awe David felt as he looked closely at this world. Or at least a similar awe.

Anyway…

Once the word popped into my brain, I remembered a sonnet I wrote a couple of years ago as I enjoyed an example of the splendor of the King. Yes, real men write sonnets. And only a light-in-his-loafers luddite would say otherwise. If you’re not included in that group, enjoy this…

Sunset Sonnet

My liberated heart can spread its wings

And consume these smoky sunrays today.

My thirsty eyes soak in all the splendor,

Before this mountain moment fades away,

My mind enters this twilight lucid dream

And pauses to create a déjà vu.

A thousand thankful thoughts rise up to God,

Who helps me write this short story to you.

The words become a precipice to me,

A rocky peak of pictures in my brain.

Reality or not? Now, I wonder

How long I’ll wander through this vast terrain.

Long enough for me to write this sonnet,

While the setting sun’s light is upon it. © 2022

Enjoy the exhilarating feeling of splendor, when you jump on the Rhyme and Reason Bandwagon. Don’t put it off another second. Get some complimentary goodies now: https://www.TonyFunderburk,com

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He’s talked with dead people, personally. He’s talked about dead people as though they were still alive. And he consistently serves up word hash like it’s going out of style or something. You know him. You loathe him. Of course I’m talking about little Joey Biden. Mrs. Biden’s pride and joy.

Mm, mm. Nothin’ like a bowl of homemade word hash.

You no doubt have seen commentaries, of one sort or another, about Joe Biden’s brain fog. His brain fog reminds me of the Peanuts comic strip character, Pig-pen. Because wherever Pig-pen went, his little dirt cloud went with him. Just like JB’s brain fog.

Someone shared, yet again, a “greatest hits” compilation of Joe’s “gaffes” on social media. And as I laughed (even though on a certain level it’s NOT funny), I remembered a word hash I created a couple of years ago. Except my hash only sounds like hash. The words are actually real. Not that blurred, slurred slop that slips out from behind the executive teleprompter.

If you know a kid who enjoys looking up words for their definitions, they should get a real kick out of this remix of words. Every other line ends with a word that rhymes with…

Oosh

The light revealed the interstice,

Through which he would debouch.

This slender, blue homunculus,

Who wore a red tarboosh,

Was undeniably annoyed

As he tied his babouche

And straightened up his sweater

Made of ibex shahtoosh.

He blinked three times and ran to catch

A burgundy barouche.

And once inside he opened up

His journal and cartouche

To write a sonnet of his love

For Rosalinda Ruesch

And her delectable dessert

Of citrus croquembouche.

And now you have enjoyed one tale

Of Lazlo Link Latouche.

© 2022

There’s a lot more fun, goofy stuff kids seem to get a big kick out of in the Kiddin’ Around coloring and drawing songbook. From a green monkey to purple poodles to who knows where, it’s kid friendly through and through. Here’s the link to get a copy for your favorite kid today. And, the big PLUS is that there’s a secret link in the book where all the songs can be downloaded for free.

https://www.amazon.com/Kiddin-Around-Tony-Funderburk/dp/B08BV18T5J

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