Rhyme and Reason

OK, let’s be positive and assume the worst That sounds like a good plan. Right? “Uh, no, Tony. It sounds negative. Not positive. And why would anybody automatically assume the worst?” Well, I’m glad you asked. Because I’m gonna toss this boomerang and see if it comes back to me.   When you assume the worst in people, first, it’s safer. How many spy movies and su...

Ah yes. If wishes were fishes… If you do a Google search for that phrase “if wishes were fishes”you’ll probably find a lot of different people adding a lot of different endings. Some of them make measly attempts at rhymes and fall short. Like “we’d all swim in riches.”Please don’t say I have to tell you why that’s a measly attempt at a rhyme.  ...

Money is the root… So, if money is the root of all evil, why aren’t more people willing to give all theirs away? And I mean ALL of it. Because why would you want even a little possibility of evil in your pockets? Or bank accounts? Or city, state, or nation? After all, if you wanna get rid of a weed, you gotta get rid of the root.   (Quick side note: sadly, too many people ARE willing t...

Relax. It’s gonna be alright. I’m a big fan of the old black and white movies. Especially from the 1940’s and 50’s. And I remember a scene from an Alfred Hitchcock movie called “Strangers on a Train” where a guy tells one of the main stars, Robert Walker, to relax. And Walker’s character snaps back, “I don’t wanna relax!” I won’t gi...

What’s my reason for being? It’s another form of the age old question. “Why am I here?” And I think it’s more than mildly ironic how logic is so coveted in a world filled with feelers. Because if whatever is right in your own mind is right, then there might not be a reason for being. You might just be happy, little cosmic accident. But if you’re NOT the ultimate...

Are you bored to death? I can’t say I’ve never been bored to death. Of course, it’s a figure of speech. So naturally it’s never happened to me. Otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. Because I wouldn’t be writing it. But…back to the point…   While I have breath I won’t be bored to death. There’s still too darn much to do in life. And I&#...

This is better than performance enhancing drugs When you wanna make your workout even better, skip the performance enhancing drugs. Because they can wreak havoc with your body. And why deal with all those negative side effects when you enjoy the positive side effects of amygdala hugs? That even sounds more funner. Right?   And, to me, just saying “performance enhancing drugs” sounds da...

A praise and worship leader should follow THE Leader Maybe you already know this. But contemporary music, in church, started in the charismatic movement. And now it can be found in just about every kind of modern church in the world. More and more churches, regardless of their theology, seem to prefer praise and worship music that sounds like music of today. So that’s what a typical praise a...

Day in day out…here we go again Looney Tunes. I don’t have to say any more than that. And baby boomers all over America can immediately see their favorite cartoon characters. One of my Dad’s favorites was Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. It was easy to watch that cartoon and imagine a coyote clocking in to work each morning. And his whole job was to chase the roadrunner. Day in...

Music is for the soul Now, this doesn’t apply to stuff trying to pass itself off as music. Like that heavy beat stuff played inside vehicles and rattles the windows of other vehicles and houses on the street. And that screaming stuff that sounds like spoiled brats throwing temper tantrums. No, only real music is for the soul.   And I’m not trying to be the dictator of which music is fo...

So, things happen for a reason, eh? Why? Seriously. If things happen for a reason, why is that? Why in the world would that always be true? And I ask because I hear or read that sort of nonsense all the time. But why do I say it’s nonsense?   Yeah, if things happen for a reason, why do I oppose that idea? I mean, c’mon, there must be a reason why I’d say it’s nonsense. So,...

Are you wishing your life away and you don’t even know it? Maybe it wasn’t today. But maybe it was yesterday. And you got up still feeling sleepy. And before you even finished your first cup of sunshine you said “Boy, I’ll be glad when this day is over.” Sound familiar? Because if it does, it’s a form of wishing your life away. And I’m guessing you don&#82...

Ah, it’s a brand new day After all my fun talk about how awesome it is to have a balloon sinuplasty surgery, I figured it’s a good time to change the pace. Because it’s a brand new day. And with each new sunrise comes new hope. New horizons. And a fresh new outlook. Right? [powerpress} Every brand new day represents opportunity. Back when I was a full time live performing musicia...

So, Tony…was the balloon sinuplasty fun? Oh yeah. If you’re looking for something to do on your next vacation, let me suggest taking a nice balloon sinuplasty ride. Because it’ll be a vacation you’ll never forget.   Balloon sinuplasty has a fun ring to it, right? Yeah, about as fun as kissing your mother-in-law on the lips. But seriously, considering the surgery involves a...

This is the day Well, I’ve mentioned this on the The Power of God’s Love Podcast. And I’ve talked about it a little, here on the website. And this is the day it happens. When I have steel instruments and a balloon shoved into my face. What?!   Yeah, this is the day I have a balloon sinuplasty procedure performed on me. And I’m hopeful and confident this will help me get ove...

Monday is here. Did you notice? It seems like, in this day and age, there wouldn’t be as much dread about it. But when I was searching for something this morning, I noticed the phrase, Monday is here, was a popular search term on Google. So, I clicked it to see why.   It seems like people still don’t like when Monday is here. About three fourths of the posts and images I saw for that s...

It’s a new day So what! Big deal. A new day comes around every twenty-four hours. So, what makes this one any more special than all the others? And why do so many people try to pump you up with all this rise-and-shine nonsense?   A new day means you’re alive. And you’re able to do something about your life. Even if it’s not much. You’re able to do something. Because y...

Rhymes without reason in church Have you noticed how many rhymes without reason there are in church songs these day? And I say church songs because so many of them aren’t worship songs. And they don’t even rhyme all that well. Am I biased about this? Of course. But I’m also right. Rhymes without reason are almost like treason. Not treason against “the state.” But trea...

Guess who needs a manly Bible study Men. Guys. And every person who was born a male. I think that covers it. And why do I say men need a manly Bible study? Because most men, at least most of them in typical churches in America, are getting that.   Wanna know a great source for a quick manly Bible study? Try Psalm 18 . It’s not gonna give you an in-depth look at theology. Or epistemology. Or...

A star is born – no, not that one I believe I’ve seen three out of four versions of the movie, A Star Is Born. I know I’ve seen first one from 1937 starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. And I’m pretty sure I saw the second one with Judy Garland and James Mason. And I know I saw the third one, in 1976 starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson (didn’t like tha...

Life got you down? Count your blessings. I’d like to encourage you, today, to count your blessings. But I don’t want you to spend the whole day on it. And you certainly could. Because you have way more than you might first think. Yeah…even you.   When you count your blessings, something cool happens. You start to see how your whole life is a blessing. And, if you’re honest...

Here’s why running is bad for you. And good. Just read a couple of articles from a couple of different sources on why running is bad for you. Mostly it’s because of things like an improved cardiovascular system, stronger heart, greater blood volume, and improved resistance to infection. Oh wait…I think I got that wrong.   OK, now I’ve got it. Here’s why running is bad...

Life flows like a river Unless you’re a fictitious superhero, you’ll never be able to travel back and forth through time. Because life flows like a river. Always in the direction of the gravitational pull. Time isn’t a fabric to be folded and manipulated and traveled through. It’s a byproduct of Life. Since life flows like a river, I’m glad I have a great boat. I reme...

Everybody has selfish desires Yeah, it’s a fact. An unflattering fact. But a fact nevertheless. You have selfish desires. And I do, too. But they don’t have to rule over you. Trouble is…most people in the world allow that to happen. In fact, they prefer it that way. So, what’s a “good person” to do? First, acknowledge that you’re not a “good person&#...

Have you noticed how bad news travels fast? How does that happen? Short answer, of course, is…people. Because people tend to have itching ears. And dark hearts. And bad news travels fast from hearts to ears and back to hearts. It’s a vicious cycle. Fortunately it’s far from a hopeless situation. At least for some people.   Good news is even gooder when bad news travels fast. And,...