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Blogging Driving Geography History Travel

Charles F. Weigle House Museum & Gift Shop

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. Last week I wrote about my discovery of the Sebring Historical Society on a cloudy and drizzly Wednesday morning in February of 2021. Last week was my 5TH anniversary with the organization.

This week I’m writing about our museum – the Charles F. Weigle House Museum & Gift Shop. (“Weigle” is pronounced “WHY-gull”.) It’s located lakeside in downtown Sebring at 1989 Lakeview Drive. If you know where the Sebring Public Library is – then we’re across the parking lot from them in the yellow house. (Remember – that’s how I discovered the museum 5 years ago.) You can either park in the library’s parking lot and walk over, or you can park in our parking lot directly in front of our house. We’re open 4 days a week – Wednesdays to Saturdays – from 10 AM to 3 PM. Your docents are Mardie on Wednesdays, Elaine on Thursdays, and Gordon on Fridays and Saturdays. (I served as a docent on Tuesdays for much of 2024, but we – Board Of Directors – decided early in 2025 to scale back and stay closed on Tuesdays due to a lack of visitors on that day.)

As you enter our historic 1922 house you’ll walk into our Weigle Living Room. It’s the original living room of Dr. and Mrs. Charles F. Weigle for over 40 years from when the house was brand-new until the mid-1960s. (Dr. and Mrs. Weigle lived in the house year-round from 1922 to 1951, and then when they moved to Chattanooga Tennessee in 1951 it became their lakeside vacation home.) There’s an antique piano in the living room, but it’s not the original piano that Dr. Weigle sat, prayed, and wrote and performed hymns at while facing the lake (Jackson) out back. Today – our docent Elaine plays that piano on Thursdays in-between visitors.

Next to our Weigle Living Room is our Sebring Dining Room. It’s the dining room that overlooked Mr. and Mrs. George E. Sebring’s house. The Sebring Public Library and its parking lot sits where the Sebring house stood until the mid-1960s. The Sebrings and the Weigles were next-door neighbors and best friends. Dr. Weigle had his house built next door at Mr. Sebring’s request. Mr. Sebring died unexpectedly of acute indigestion in January 1927. Dr. Weigle fell into a deep depression after that. (He had also lost his first wife to the glitz and glamor of Hollywood California. She no longer wanted to be the wife of an Evangelist.)

Our docents will share these stories with you in their own personal unique ways as you tour our historic house. You can also visit our Military & Racing Room saluting Major Thomas Buchanan “Mickey” McGuire Jr. – our World War II Medal Of Honor recipient – Sebring High School Class Of 1938. Also – two former bedrooms. One is our Grayce McCoy Room. (Wait until you find out about her. She was quite the Sebring Socialite !) The other former bedroom now serves as our Gift Shop where you can buy unique gifts not found anywhere else.

We are 1 of 11 museums here in Highlands County Florida. The next time you visit the area as a tourist – come check us out for a look back at the early decades of Sebring Florida history. If you’re a local – then come see what you’re missing – whether it’s our museum or another 1 of the 10.

As the Social Media Director of the Sebring Historical Society – I invite you to check-out our Facebook page. (Search for Sebring Historical Society.) I usually post early in the morning – one post per day – every Tuesday to Saturday. That’s where you’ll find the latest (and most accurate) news and information regarding our historic house museum and all of our activities and events there and elsewhere.

Next #TravelThursday – I’m going on a Publix run. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 471

Every Monday I post my all-new Top 10 Christian hit music chart based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from the previous week. It’s the continuation of a weekly hobby that goes back almost 50 years. Here’s this week’s chart – for the week ending Sunday February 22ND 2026 – the 471ST week of this current era that began on Presidents’ Day Weekend of 2017:

TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 6 Where Would I Be
[4TH week @ # 1]		 Peter Burton
2 2 6 Finished Caleb & John
3 5 6 Homesick For Heaven Phil Wickham
4 3 19 How Good It Is Chris Tomlin
5 4 30 Can’t Steal My Joy Josiah Queen X Brandon Lake
6 6 8 Heaven On My Mind TobyMac X Forrest Frank
7 8 5 The Love I Have For You Colton Dixon
8 7 20 Dusty Bibles Josiah Queen
9 9 4 Make It Well MercyMe
10 10 3 Good Matthew West

# 1 This Week In:
2025 – “In The Name Of Jesus” – JWLKRS Worship Ft. Maverick City Music
2024 – “Strong” – Anne Wilson
2023 – “My Story Your Glory” – Matthew West
2022 – “Weary Traveler” – Jordan St. Cyr
2021 – “Every Step Of The Way” – Cade Thompson
2020 – “Almost Home” – MercyMe
2019 – “Maybe It’s OK” – We Are Messengers
2018 – “Gracefully Broken” – Matt Redman Ft. Tasha C. Leonard
2017 – “Love Broke Thru” – TobyMac

STAYIN ALIVE – I’ve been humming and singing Bee Gees songs for the past week. I saw the Canadian-based Bee Gees tribute band Stayin Alive last Tuesday afternoon LIVE in concert here in Avon Park Florida. Once again – they were fantastic. They performed 23 Bee Gees hits from 1967 to 1979. They sort of look like Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, and they definitely sound like them as well (except when they talk – as Canadians). I was singing along to every single song, and I probably brought down the average age in the arena simply by being almost 59. I appreciated the 95 minutes of music that I grew up with during the first 12 years of my life. I previously enjoyed the band 4 years ago in Coral Springs Florida, and I’ll see them again the next time they return to Florida.

ONE-HIT WONDER – It’s hard to believe that Mr. Jason Crabb is a one-hit wonder on my chart, but he is. His “Good Morning Mercy” is currently my 34TH biggest hit over the past 9 years. It spent 6 weeks at # 1 and 20 weeks on my chart from August to December 2022. It was my # 3 hit of the entire year. Such a great song that year !

SPOTIFY – You can hear “My Top 10 Hits” anytime by accessing my CountUp playlist on Spotify. All 10 hits are there from top to bottom. You can hear them in order from # 1 to # 10, or you can shuffle them. My playlist will be updated every weekend (usually before the actual chart is presented here on Mondays). You can link to it here.

Your likes, follows, and comments are always appreciated. Thank You for being part of my online ministry to share God’s Good News and win souls for Christ through His music. God used loud music on the radio in South Florida to reach me in August of 2006. I’ve been testifying about Him ever since.

Be blessed my friends !  May our God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday February 22ND 2026, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

Last week was Anniversary Week here on my blog, and I observed it with #SundayScripture, #MusicMonday, and #TravelThursday. I’ve got one more anniversary to share with you today. This is the 8TH anniversary of #SundayScripture. It started 8 years ago on the final Sunday of February of 2018. This is also the 400TH edition of #SundayScripture.

But the origins of #SundayScripture actually go back to 2007 – when I previously wrote about my journey in Christ and my Sunday morning church experiences on MySpace, WordPress (this blog), Twitter, and Facebook.

And I’ll continue to do just that as I enter my 9TH year and into the 400s of #SundayScripture.

I was recently asked “what religion are you ?”. The quick and simple answer is that I am of no religion. I am not religious. I do not follow a set of manmade rules, regulations, and rituals to get to Heaven. Instead – I have a personal relationship with my Lord + Savior Jesus Christ that began 20 years ago in 2006. That’s when I called on His name to rescue me, save me, and come into my heart. That’s when I was born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. My new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal living word of God. (1 Peter 1:23)

Going to church will not get you to Heaven. Being nice to people will not get you to Heaven.

Jesus told Nicodemus – a Pharisee – this:
“I tell you the truth – unless you are born again – you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

Are you born again ? Have you been saved ? Do you know what that means ? I’ll continue to share in the weeks and months to come.

My testimony is featured each week here on #SundayScripture – whether it’s part of a sermon, a testimony, or just me writing about the events of the past week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord – and get closer to Him with each new day.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know – then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Blogging Driving Travel History Geography

Sebring Historical Society

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. Anniversary Week continues here on my blog. Last week I wrote about my first visit to the historic Avon Park Depot Museum – operated by the Avon Park Historical Society. It was a disappointment, as it was unexpectedly closed due to COVID. (That was exactly 5 years ago this week.)

I immediately got back in my car on that cloudy and drizzly Wednesday morning in February of 2021, and I drove southward to downtown Sebring. I went to the city pier on Lake Jackson – a place I had visited before – to sightsee and determine my next move. (I had planned to visit the Military Sea Services Museum a few miles away, but they wouldn’t open until 12 Noon.)

As I was walking off the pier – I saw a sign nearby and a canopy over an entrance that read Sebring Historical Society. I was intrigued. I knew about the Avon Park Historical Society (because of their Internet presence), but I had no idea of the Sebring Historical Society. I walked up to the door to open it, and it was locked shut with no lights on inside even though they were supposed to be open based on the operating hours posted on the door. Well – the disappointment of the morning continued.

I wasn’t about to give up so quickly. I actually drove around the building, parked my car again, and noticed an entrance on the 2ND floor of that same building (from the parking lot on the hill). I walked-in, and within about 10 seconds I realized that I had unknowingly walked-in to the Sebring Public Library. #LOL

I looked around the library for a little while – pretending I was interested in what I was looking at. (I wasn’t.) After a few minutes of that I walked up to the front counter, and I inquired about the museum downstairs. The librarian actually called downstairs for me to find out if (or when) they would be open. I didn’t hear the other end of the conversation, but after the librarian got off the phone she told me that YES – they were open – but head for the “yellow house” (across the parking lot) instead, and walk-in. I thanked the librarian for going out of her way in doing that, and I headed for the “yellow house”.

A nice older woman greeted me at the front door as I walked-in, and she gave me an extensive guided tour of the historic house that less than 2 months earlier became a public museum after restoration. I loved every minute of her tour which lasted perhaps 45 minutes (if that). For the next 45 minutes we just chatted back-and-forth as if we knew each other for years. She lived much of her life in Miami-Dade County, and then she retired to Sebring where she served as a docent for the Sebring Historical Society. It sounded like an interesting plan. It sounded like a potential vision for my own future. She urged me to return to that first place that I tried to enter earlier but encountered a locked door. She said that I should talk to the guy that was working in there at that moment. He was a Director at the Sebring Historical Society. I did just that, and we talked for almost 90 minutes. (I also got to tour the premises which serves as a library of historical archives for the city and region.)

I was pretty sure what I was going to do once I moved up to Sebring a couple of years later (in 2023). I was going to be an active volunteer – physically serving and financially supporting the Sebring Historical Society.

I felt rejuvenated after that unexpected 3-hour experience. It was the highlight of my entire 5-day / 624-mile road-trip vacation. That was on Wednesday February 17TH 2021. This week marks my 5-year relationship with the Sebring Historical Society.

I kept my promise. I became a dues-paying member a month before I actually moved to Sebring in 2023. I immediately began actively participating and volunteering in various scheduled events. During most of 2024 I served as the Tuesday docent of that “yellow house” – now officially known as the Charles F. Weigle House Museum & Gift Shop. Later in 2024 I became the Social Media Director – in charge of our Facebook page. It’s now one of the most consistent and interactive Facebook pages in all of Highlands County. I was also nominated into our Board Of Directors where I’m currently serving a 3-year term.

Next #TravelThursday – I’ll write about our historic house that is the Charles F. Weigle House Museum & Gift Shop. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp