the Tony Funderburk FunderCast

Tony Funderburk
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the Tony Funderburk FunderCast

Tony Funderburk shares the power of God's love in each podcast episode. He’s the author and publisher of dozens of books for adults and kids. And he's a songwriter with hundreds of songs to his credit. Get some free songs, a book for kids, and more good stuff when you subscribe to the FunderFlash Journaland focus on faith, hope, and love with me.

  1. 23 MARS

    Crash cymbal is kinda like a crash symbol

    There I stood. In between the guitar player’s loud amp and the drummer’s crash cymbal. That’s where my equipment had been placed on a stage in front of business executives. Things had already fallen behind a bit. So, there was no time to rearrange anything. So, that’s where I was for an hour and a half. And take my advice. If you ever get the chance to be in that position, pass it up. Because a loud amp and crash cymbal are bad for your ears. And I’m not sure which was worse. The piercing guitar in my right ear. Or the crash cymbal in my left. Maybe it was a tie. Anyway, I can tell you my hearing was damaged, at least a little, from that day on. But you know what’s worse than having your ears damaged? It’s having your soul damaged by somebody trying to impress you with their fancy skills just because it makes them feel “special.” And a wise man, named Paul, wrote about what happens to anyone who tries to do that. He talked about people who had special gifts from God like being able to predict things and speak other languages. He said, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.” Yikes. That ain’t good. And as I already showed you, a clanging (crash) cymbal can hurt your ears. So, if and when you’re like that, there’s a good chance you might be hurting more than just ears. Because someone might think you’re just trying to show off. So, they won’t even wanna listen to your noise. Now, here’s something you gotta understand. You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for the power of God’s love. Yeah, He loved the world (which is another way of saying you and me and all the people) so much that He put Himself into a human body to be punished for all the bad stuff He did. Wait a second! Read those last 6 words again. NO. He wasn’t punished for all the bad stuff HE did. He let people beat Him, make fun of Him, and even put Him to death because of all the bad stuff YOU did. And all the bad stuff everybody did. So, what He did is WAY more important than any so-called “special gifts” you and I might have. And He did it because of His love. That’s why you don’t wanna be a crash cymbal in this world. But that’s exactly what you’ll be if you go through your day without love. Because… Without love there’s just no way out Of all that noise in your head. So, before you show off and shout, Try sharing God’s love instead. And I’d love for you to get encouraging, regular issues of my FunderFlash Journal the easy way. Just add your email address and they’ll come to you and you won’t have to look for them. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, when you do, I’ll send you download links to 2 of my Christian books for kids and 2 songs, right away, that grownups AND kids can enjoy. Stay tuned,

    8 min

  2. 14 MARS

    Avocado bliss you don’t wanna miss this

    So, this catchy tune popped into my head this morning. And I thought, “Hmm, that might go real nice with some lyrics I wrote a few years ago.” Then, I sat down in my vocal booth and fired up the studio mic. And I hummed along with a salsa beat as pictures of avocado bliss danced in my head. If you never enjoy avocado bliss, you need a taste buds tuneup. And surely you’d like some avocado bliss on a grass-fed beef burger. If not, maybe you’ll change your mind once you understand how good those green orbs are for you. Yeah, avocados are actually healthy blessings to your body. Blessings like how they provide: * Heart-healthy monounsaturated (good) fat. * Vitamin B5 * Folate * Vitamin B6 * Vitamin C * Potassium * Vitamin E * Vitamin K Your health is your best secret weapon. For staying ahead of the competition. And for living as long as long as you can. 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, let’s sing… The Avocado Song 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! (the actual epic song will be in an upcoming issue of the FunderCast podcast.) Yeah, avocado bliss happens when you toss in those other ingredients. And if you avoid chips because you think they’re unhealthy junk food, no worries. Spoon out some bliss on your burger. Don’t forget your omelette. Maybe even on sweet potato fries for a snazzy surprise. I hear some people boast about eating it on toast. Whatever you choose, you just can’t lose when you don’t miss some avocado bliss. And don’t miss any of the encouraging, regular issues of my FunderFlash Journal. Leave your email address, below, and it comes directly to your inbox. So you 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 2 of my Christian books for kids and 2 songs, right away, that grownups AND kids can enjoy. Stay tuned,

    10 min

  3. 6 MARS

    Each passing year flowers show the Truth here

    This world is getting darker and meaner every day. And there are fewer kids doing wholesome kid stuff with each passing year. But I think you’ll find that the sights and scents of a flower garden can still attract kids almost as much as they attract bees. So, stop what you’re doing and make the most of it. So what if you had an appointment. Be a little late. So what if you’re on the way to work or the kids are on the way to school (which I recommend is in your own home). What you can teach them in a single, precious moment can have eternal benefits. And that trumps the daily routine any time. With each passing year you have fewer chances to make a difference. Here’s the main reason you and the kids should stop and smell the flowers. Because it’s a simple, effective connection you and they can make to your living, loving God who made the flowers. He’s the Creator who spoke words and all the universe exploded into existence. That’s powerful stuff packed into each flower. And right down to the very fragrance that wafts up into your nose. I call it… The Scent of Heaven Take a look at the colors in a flower. They’re as beautiful as anything you’ll see. And God knows just exactly what they all need To bring joy and delight to you and me. Even more than the best and brightest flower God loves you every moment of the day. So the next time you stop and smell a lily Take a minute just to thank the Lord and say… “Lord I love to smell the lilies of the valley And the roses, lavender, and lilacs too. I love to know they come back every springtime. Best of all I know the flowers came from You.”  © 2015 Your email address is all it takes to get encouraging, regular issues of my FunderFlash Journal. It comes directly to your inbox so you 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 2 of my Christian books for kids and 2 songs, right away, that grownups AND kids can enjoy. Stay tuned,

    7 min

  4. 4 MARS

    X marks the spot where I got this thought

    X marks the spot where I read what a homeschool mom said about the idea that homeschooled kids don’t get enough social interaction. She said: Homeschooled kids: * leave their homes, * talk to people, * read books, * play sports, * go to dances, * play instruments, * debate, * create art, * work jobs, * drive cars, * build things, * perform science experiments, and * grow up to live in the real world. And then she finished with this tongue-in-cheek remark: “It’s almost as if they don’t need the public school system at all.” And I said X marks the spot because I read all that on X.com In case you don’t know about that social channel (and it almost seems impossible that you wouldn’t) it used to be Twitter. But Elon Musk bought it. And he likes all his businesses to have some sort of connection to the letter X. Whatever. Anyway… Just imagine. A kid stays home to learn the three R’s from mom and dad, but he can still talk to other people. Wow, that’s explosive news. But that ain’t all. Learning at home also doesn’t stop kids from reading books or drawing and painting. And that woman expects us to believe those same kids can also learn to play musical instruments and even debate?! Plus, those socially deprived kids drive cars, build things, and grow up in and go out into the real world. I can ONLY imagine how difficult it must be for them to order off a burger joint’s menu. Because that’s gonna require skills they surely missed out on in those dastardly home schools. Yeesh. Look. If you’re a kid, and your mom and/or your dad are your teachers, you’re one of the luckiest kids in the whole, wide world. Because you get to learn from people who actually LOVE you and want you live up to the potential God put in you. And speaking of Him, here’s what I recommend… Start learning about the one, living Lord. Put knowledge inside your head, And when you read something He has to say, Go back and read what you read. As you get older you’ll see what I mean… Go add and subtract and spell. Then learn all about the one, living Lord. He made you and loves you well. Plus, He died on a “cross.” And that X marks the spot where Grace was paid for, forever. Your email address is all it takes to get encouraging, regular issues of my FunderFlash Journal. It comes directly to your inbox so you 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 2 of my Christian books for kids and 2 songs, right away, that grownups AND kids can enjoy. Stay tuned,

    7 min

  5. 25 FÉVR.

    Out there everyday so stay in the Way

    There are lots of bad guys (and that includes the female part of “guys” too) out there everyday. You can’t swing a metal jump rope without hittin’ at least one. In fact, I could tell you a story, three stories in fact, that happened one after another on three consecutive nights way back in the 20th century. Well, I’ll just share the short version of the first one. I was beaten by a motorcycle gang. Yep. True story. A group of them arrived at a place where I worked, and I had been advised to let them know they wouldn’t be allowed in. The establishment had a dress code. And, as you might imagine, the bikers didn’t come close to meeting the standard. They didn’t like being told to leave. And they started to, let’s say, “raise some cane.” One thing led to another, and I found myself locked outside with no other workmates. And the biker dudes threw me on the hood of a VW and commenced to pound the daylights out of me. I knew I couldn’t take them on, so I just rolled onto my belly and protected my face and head as much as possible. After what felt like too long, I heard sirens, and they hopped on their hawgs and took off. Workers opened the front door after hearing the sirens and motorcycle engines. And they found me lying on the sidewalk. Of course, the management saw the huge swollen spots on my face and rushed me to a nearby hospital to be checked out. Fortunately I ended up with only minor cuts, bruises, and a concussion. That was just the first night. Remind me to tell you what happened the next two nights. But bad stuff ain’t all. There’s something else out there everyday, too. The Way to be alert and aware. The Way to be prepared to avoid all, or at least most, of the baddies out there everyday. And the Way to get wiser and not just smarter. Since too many good guys don’t have a clue how to properly handle bad guys, it’s a good idea for YOU to learn how to discern. And that’s just a fancy word that means figger some things out. But never worry. Never fear. Because, as I said, your Way is here. Or at least the Way is a close as your bookshelf, table, or even your phone. That’s where I go when I need or want to know more about how to handle bad guy stuff. Here’s how it works: When you wear the full armor of God, You’ll be ready when the enemies attack. You can’t see ’em, but beware, they are out there everywhere. But with God’s help you can always fight them back. Take a second and join the growing body of believers who’ve already signed up for the FunderFlash Journal. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to 2 of my books and 2 songs, right away, that grownups AND kids can enjoy. Then, I’ll do my best to encourage you to sing a new song with the power of God’s love. Stay tuned,

    4 min

  6. 21 FÉVR.

    BB gun wasn’t fun when the exploring was done

    Maybe you think of “A Christmas Story” when I share the term, BB gun. Or maybe you remember wanting one yourself once upon a time. Hopefully you’re not a scaredy cat who’s triggered (pun definitely intended) by any use of the word gun. Whatever you think of, I’ve got a funny story about a goofy BB gun. Once or twice upon a time Dad brought home a pellet rifle, he’d found during his workday, and gave it to my younger brother and me. OK, you probably think, “Tony, you’re supposed to be telling a BB gun story. What’s that got to do with a pellet rifle?” Gosh, aren’t you the little detective? Sure, I know the two guns aren’t the same. But they are the same KIND. Because they both use air to fire off the ammo. Anyway… Dad had to work on the little rifle’s pump and trigger to get it to work well enough to use. And he did a great job because the gun worked just right after he finished. He even bought us a box of pellets. And we had some target practice for a few days till the pellets ran out. Then, my brother and I took a quick bike trip to the sporting goods store nearby to get some more. But we discovered something extremely important. BB’s were a lot cheaper than pellets. And we figured since an air rifle can shoot either one, we’d go for the BB’s. And the only problem would be how to aim and shoot. As long as we aimed at something straight across or up no problem. But we couldn’t shoot at anything that was down. Because, after loading a single BB in the barrel, it would just roll back out if it was pointed down. Kinda silly. Right? Yeah, but hey. We saved who knows how many pennies by buying BB’s. So, it was totally worth it. And for a lot of the shooting we did, we could make do. One time, during a bike and hike journey into the wilderness, we took the BB gun to get some practice shooting at bugs and limbs and other stuff. The wilderness was just some land that followed the path of a bayou down in South Texas. We had plenty of BB’s. And a couple of our buddies came with us. We all had a blast. And we were probably out there for a few hours. But, as young boys often do, we all got hungry and knew it was time to go home. My brother discovered his bike had a flat. I told him I’d watch it for him, after one of our friends offered to give him a ride home to get a tire patching kit. So, he jumped on the bike with his buddy and they rode across the trail. When they were about 75 yards away, I got a crazy notion to just aim the BB gun in the air and shoot in their direction. In my young mind of mush I had pictured the BB landing in the dirt somewhere just to spook ’em. But wouldn’t you know? (I sure wouldn’t.) The BB fell out of the air and hit my brother on his neck. It wasn’t flying fast enough to break his skin. But I know it stung. Because he flew off the bike, turned around and saw me, and started running back at me yelling bloody murder. If you were ever an older brother, or if you’re one now, you know how hard it would be to not laugh. Darn near impossible. But if you were ever the younger brother, or you’re one now, you can probably remember the frustration (and pain) of dealing with an older, bigger brother. Ah, good times. OK, the morals of this story are: * Don’t turn a pellet rifle into a BB gun * Make sure you have a bike tire patch kit, especially if you’re a younger brother * Never fire any kind of gun in the direction of someone you don’t intend to hurt * Make sure your loved ones know you love them (because crazy things happen in life) Well, there you go. An epic story of adventure from back when epic stories of adventure happened daily. Hope you enjoyed it. If you say no,

    6 min

  7. 20 FÉVR.

    Leadership skills that true love instills

    Do these sound like masculine traits? Decisiveness, assertiveness, and confidence? I think they certainly SHOULD sound like masculine traits. And I believe those traits can be instilled into boys in ways that help them develop leadership skills. Let me ask you this? Do you think that’s happening in America these days? I don’t. At least not as a rule. Only as the exception. The general rule has turned to females in charge of little boys. And a majority of those little boys have turned into pasty-faced, video-playing mama’s boys who act way too feminine. And that brings me back to why a boy needs to develop leadership skills? Well, here’s some reasoning I read in a bullet list somewhere online. It said, “Boys who are taught to lead with integrity and respect can become leaders in their communities, workplaces, and families, promoting positive change and setting examples for others.” Yeah, OK. Nothing particularly wrong about that. But it uses two overused clichés. “Promoting positive change.” And “setting examples for others.” And I exiled those two phrases to cliché status because they don’t actually say anything. For example, what one person might call “positive change” another person might say is too crazy to even consider. And what kinds of examples should be set for others? Who gets to determine what they should be? I’ll tell you who, here in the FunderSphere, gets to say what positive change is and what kinds of examples should be set. Mister Tony. That’s who. Uh-oh. Did I just put myself in charge of what’s right and wrong? You bet I did. But before you go ballistic, berserk, and bonkers on me for doing something so unthinkable, let me use some of my hard-earned leadership skills and ‘splain it just a step or two further. Because no one is good but God. And since that includes me, I look for real truth. I found real Truth when I was only 13. And every time I’ve zig-zagged away from that Truth, I knew it was me who moved. Not Truth. So, when I want to share actual, man-building truth with kids (at least the male kids), I go to the Manufacturer’s manual. And I look for the solid answers there that are always right. Always on target. And always based in God’s love for anyone who loves Him. Then, I take those answers I find, in the manual, and I convert them into easy-to-understand nuggets of knowledge and insert them into Christian books for kids, rhymes, songs, and videos. Here’s a short, to-the-point example: There’s a life inside of you, and it comes from God, And He wants you to live and to always enjoy And remember He made you the person you are, Yes, a girl is girl and a boy is a boy. And that ain’t never gonna change no matter how much haters try to change it. Now, take a second and join the growing body of believers who’ve already signed up for the FunderFlash Journal. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to 2 of my books and 2 songs, right away, that grownups AND kids can enjoy. Then, I’ll do my best to encourage you to sing a new song with the power of God’s love. Stay tuned,

    4 min

  8. 9 FÉVR.

    Faith over fear makes it bearable here

    Faith over fear. Make that your motto. Your creed. Or the sticky note you put on your computer. Whatever works. Here’s one reason, I found in an article, about why it’s a good idea: Because faith over fear Promotes Positive Action Over Paralysis Hmm…sounds a little psychoanalytical. But here’s the rest of what they said: “Faith encourages proactive behavior and resilience. When people have faith, whether in themselves, others, or in a higher power, they are more likely to take action despite uncertainties. And this can lead to personal growth, innovation, and community building. But fear often leads to inaction or defensive behaviors. And those can stagnate personal and collective progress. Faith inspires one to move forward. But fear might keep one stuck or retreating.” OK. That’s a big nay-nay from over here in FunderWorld. The article also said this about faith over fear: “It Enhances Mental and Emotional Well-being.” Well, I see nothing wrong with doing that. So, how did they illustrate this? “Faith provides a sense of peace, hope, and security. And it can act as a psychological buffer against stress and anxiety. Plus, it comforts in times of uncertainty or hardship. Studies have shown that faith or spiritual beliefs can correlate with better mental health outcomes. And that includes lower levels of depression and anxiety. But fear can contribute to chronic stress, anxiety disorders, and a host of other mental health issues. Because it comes from negative anticipation and worry.” Yeah, that gets a big, fat goose egg on the Tone-O-Meter. So, let’s see how they did with their final reason to choose faith instead of fear: “Faith Fosters Connection and Community: Faith often leads to communal bonds through shared beliefs, rituals, or goals. This can create supportive networks where individuals feel part of something larger than themselves. And that fosters a sense of belonging and mutual support. So, these connections can be invaluable in times of personal or societal crisis. But even though fear can unite people in emergencies it more often isolates individuals. Because fear responses can be individualistic and survival-focused. And that can potentially lead to division rather than unity.” And that completes the NO THANK YOU trifecta. Because not once did any of that information mention God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit. Nope. It was all selfish mankind focus. And it attempted to make it sound inclusive and thoughtful and intelligent. But that kind of thinking makes you foolish. Because here’s the real reason faith over fear is superior. God says it is. In fact, it appears that there are 365 times, in the Bible where God says not to fear. Once for every day of the year. And since He knows, better than you and me, how things work, I have faith in that. Well, your dead-end dreams left you lacking laughter And you lived your life in a smile-free shade. And you found no faith in an ever after, From the floor to rafter Your foundation laid.  © 2015 & 2024 Take a second and join the growing body of believers who’ve already signed up for the FunderFlash Journal. When you do, I’ll send you links to 2 songs and 2 books that adults AND kids enjoy right away. Then, I’ll send you flashes of light from the power of God’s love. Stay tuned,

    9 min
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    Tony Funderburk shares the power of God's love in each podcast episode. He’s the author and publisher of dozens of books for adults and kids. And he's a songwriter with hundreds of songs to his credit. Get some free songs, a book for kids, and more good stuff when you subscribe to the FunderFlash Journaland focus on faith, hope, and love with me.

    Informations

    • Création
      Tony Funderburk
    • Années d’activité
      2013 - 2025
    • Épisodes
      699
    • Classification
      Tous publics
    • Copyright
      © Tony Funderburk 2000-2025
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      the Tony Funderburk FunderCast

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