life is beautiful Archives - Tony Funderburk

Imagine a journey into one of the trillions of cells inside your body. One of the first things you’d notice is how many chemicals there are. Lots of those chemicals are acidic. And many others are known as base or alkaline. But guess what happens if some of the wrong chemicals get mixed up! Dangerous chemical reactions. And you don’t want that to happen down deep in your cells. So, wha...

It’s the only family that will last forever. So, there’s that. But there’s so much more to it that it’s difficult to even wrap your mind around it. And that’s pretty cool because as a child of God, the one, true, living, loving Creator of the universe, you’ll get to spend eternity discovering more and more about your original Father. Many, if not most (or all in...

Just about everywhere you look or go people seem to be mad about something. And a lot of them don’t seem to have any problem letting that anger, inside, out for everyone to see. But when the anger inside comes out, so does the ugliness of sin. People are walking around with chips on their shoulders. That’s what we used to call it anyway. Or you could say they’re carrying grudges...

I’ve been encouraging anybody who would read what I write and listen to what I say to remain optimistic in tough times. But I don’t just say the words. I also share why it’s not just good advice. It’s important to your health down to the marrow of your bones. Remain optimistic in tough times because the alternative should be unthinkable. The subject came up in my thoughts t...

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&#821...

Regardless of what happens today, this weekend, or ever, hold on to the Truth. And just in case you didn’t catch it (but I bet you did), I capitalized the word, Truth. And I just did it again. Because I’m not talking about the truth that can be so manipulated in this world filled with lies and AI’s. It’s crucial to hold on to THE Truth, now, more than ever. Because now, more than ever, that Truth...

Imagine yourself walking up to two big doors one cold morning in January. The door on the left is pure craftsmanship. It’s a rich, cobalt blue with pure silver handles and hinges. There’s a leaded crystal, mirrored window just high enough that you can only see the top of your head. The door on the right appears to be made of old, cracked, and peeling barn wood. The hardware is rusted,...

Anyone who truly knows me might tell you, if cornered, that I’m definitely anti touchy feely ushy-gushy stuff. So, I make it a point to write books for kids with a good balance of love AND strength. And I believe that’s the example you can see in the bestselling life manual of all time. Yeah, God overflows with both love and strength. And I’m confident I’ll be at my best wh...

A while back I shared some hillbilly ideology I found online. And it got some funny additional comments and feedback. Recently somebody asked if I would share it again. So, yeah, I’m glad to oblige. And the picture that went along with the text is a big part of what made me read through. Because it was an old guy with long and gray hair. He sat on a tree stump and held a large, single-shot r...

Nations and empires fall because of it. Governments become tyrannical and then crumble because of it. And families are torn to shreds because of it. And it’s something you can’t detect with your five senses. But you WILL still suffer because of it. And the “IT” I’m talking about is selfishness. The cruel selfishness that leads some people to want to steal, lie, cheat,...

OK kiddos from 3 to 103. I’ll just let you know, right up front, that I’m here for you. Because I know that you fit into one of these categories. You are the: Cream of the crop Top of the heap Bee’s knees Cat’s meow Best thing since sliced bread And maybe you’ve even come up with something else you think describes your effervescent and irresistible personality. If so, good for yo...

Here’s a list of words, found in a thesaurus, you can exchange for one other widely used word. I bet you can guess the word: develop , progress , advance , move forward , make headway , mature , grow , open out , unfold , unroll , expand , enlarge , spread , extend ; alter , change , transform , adapt , metamorphose , differentiate – Did you guess evolve? Yeah, evolve is the word of th...

There’s always tomorrow. Which is weird. Because tomorrow never comes. In the big picture, those two sentences aren’t mutually exclusive. So, “ride the wind” when it’s windy. Drink up when it rains. Sunbathe when others complain of the heat. Your days here on earth are very, very short. Don’t take yourself so seriously that you can’t sieze the moment with...

I saw a silly question this morning. And I’m sure you’ve seen one like it at least once or twice. It said, “‘Mass Extinction: What Happened 65 Million Years Ago?” Of course, the correct answer is “Nothing.” Well, another correct answer would be, “Ask God. He was the only one around.” But nothing on Earth happened 65 million years ago. Because E...

He built a small log cabin on the bank of a small creek, in Kansas, in the early 1830s. Then, the U.S. government built some other lodges in the area. And one of those lodges was for Tonganoxie. But who in the world was Tonganoxie? And why does it matter? Well, I’ll answer both those questions. But you should know ahead of time that you might not be satisfied with my answers. If you’re...

Slim and None. Those are the probable answers to the question. But, naturally, that begs the question. And at least one version of the question would be, “What are the odds that everything happens for a reason?” And I’d say chances are also slim and none that people who believe everything happens for a reason would agree with Jesus on that. Uh-oh. I done went and done it that tim...

Here in America, we still enjoy a certain amount of “free speech.” During the 20th century this country participated in two world wars. And many men and women fought and died to get rid of evil dictators and despicable governments. The ultimate sacrifice for God-given rights. Thomas Jefferson sort of acknowledged where our rights originate when he composed the Declaration of Independen...

So. There’s this little protoplanet named “Vesta.” And, as it churns out, little Vesta might have some clues as to how life on Earth might have formed? Yeah, scientists discovered some areas of impact on the “minor planet” that seem to show “collisions with carbon rich asteroids.” And of course, they emphasize that carbon is the essential building block to all life on earth...

America has gone from one end of the spectrum to the other when it comes to what is revered. I was born into a country that, while it was already very messed up, still placed a high value on Christian principles. But now there’s sacred places, sacred idols, and sacred geometry. But no respect for THE sacred God. Uh-oh. Them there’s fightin’ words. How dare I emphasize THE and use...

I certainly appreciate the most important things in life. I’m sure you can relate. Great computer, phone, and tablet. Several devices to watch videos and stream content. Internet access to a world so vast I’ll never see or hear it all. As a pre-teen and teenager, my family called me “technical Tony.” They didn’t always mean it as a term of endearment. But let’s not go there...

Well, you can call me Tony Splendorburk. Because I meet the criteria for that title. And it took me a long time to earn it. So I’m gonna own it. That means this post is gonna contain a lot of me me me talk. But it’s really not about me. Really. First, a little back story. I’ve already lived over six decades. And I’ve got the silver/gray hair and the extra lines in my face to prove it....

How much grass have you eaten lately. NO, I didn’t ask how much you smoked, you knucklehead. And I’m not an advocate of grazing out in your yard. But I bring it up because there are apparently some chlorophyll benefits to eating grass. Well, to eating greens, that is. And when I mention chlorophyll, I mean that green pigment, present in all green plants and in cyanobacteria. The stuff...

I just want you to know I’m wishing you all the best today. Because I know you’re going through a lot. And I know it can sometimes feel like you’re being tested every day. So, yeah. I’m wishing you all the best. Doesn’t it make you feel a whole lot better when someone’s tells you that? And don’t all your cares and troubles seem to magically fade away or disappear? Yeah. Words are truly powerful. (...

It’s a weird and wicked world. And all the worldly dots are connected. And I arrived at this thought due to following along some of those dots just now. One leap led me to discover what a vitriolic sphere is. Check out this description I found: “You point at a place within range, and a glowing 1-foot ball of emerald acid streaks there and explodes in a 20-foot radius. Each creature in...

If you’re old enough to remember back to the 60’s, or maybe even 50’s, you know full well that life is short. Right? I mean, how could it already have been this many years since then? If your memory goes back that far, you probably remember life being a lot simpler. And nicer. And sensibler (I know that’s not a word, but I wanted to make it fit in. So there.) But if you&#82...