Month: July 2021

Categories
1970s Blogging Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1976

Every Friday I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 15, 25, 30, or 35 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 5TH Friday of the month, so it’s a special, as I go back 45 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday August 01ST 1976:

  1. “Kiss And Say Goodbye” – The Manhattans
  2. “Love Is Alive” – Gary Wright
  3. “Moonlight Feels Right” – Starbuck
  4. “Afternoon Delight” – Starland Vocal Band
  5. “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” – Elton John & Kiki Dee

2 of the songs above are actually in heavy rotation on my iPod Shuffles that play at my desk at my workplace, and that would be “Love Is Alive” and “Afternoon Delight”. I like “Moonlight Feels Right” a lot, and I’ve just added it to my iTunes Wish List to purchase in a few days. (YES – I actually buy singles online legally.)

If you go to the moonlightfeelsright web site you can play the Starbuck song in its entirety. #Moonlight #FeelsRight #MarimbaSolo

Incidentally the # 6 hit that week – “Get Closer” from Seals & Crofts – is also in heavy rotation.

I remember all of these great songs playing on the radio back in the day during the patriotic Summer of 1976. I was a 9-year-old getting ready to enter the 4TH grade at Magnolia Elementary School (“The Pride Of P.G.”) in my neighborhood in Lanham Maryland. I listened to all the hits all the time on WPGC – “AM & FM Morningside”. Back then it was the Washington D.C. area’s # 1 Top 40 radio station.

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 15 years ago to August 2006.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
Blogging Driving Military Nature Travel

Iceland

Following a fun 7-part Thursday blog series on my recent 77-hour / (4-day / 3-night) / 472-mile road-trip to and from Florida’s Treasure Coast – I plan to continue these travel-themed Thursday blog posts indefinitely.

This week #TravelThursday leaves Florida and the United States to check-out the intriguing island nation of Iceland. We’re technically not leaving North America to visit Iceland, as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which separates North America and Europe in this region runs right through the center of Iceland. Geologically speaking the north and west part of the island is part of the North American plate, and the south and east part of the island is part of the European plate. You can actually walk right along the narrow valley / rift that is in the middle of the ridge and look-up at both North America and Europe on either side.

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the longest continuous mountain range on earth – extending from the Arctic Ocean in the north to nearly Antarctica in the south. Most of it is submerged under water, but there are a few islands in the middle of the ocean that are part of the ridge – to include the biggest one – Iceland. There’s an excellent article on the Amusing Planet web site that explains the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Iceland.

I’ve never been to Iceland; although, I once had the chance to do so when I lived in the United Kingdom for 2 years from 1985 to 1987. Back then Keflavik NAS (at the SW corner of the island) was a joint-use Icelandic / American military base, and the base that I was stationed at in England – which itself was a forward operating location for stateside KC-135 aircraft – sent some of those aircraft to Keflavik for a few months at a time to support the mission there.

One of my favorite Twitter accounts is @dorisig (Iceland Photos). The name of the guy who runs it is Halldor. He’s got over 5,100 followers. He lives in Iceland (Reykjavik), and he’s a tourist guide. Once or twice per day (usually during the work week only) he drives somewhere with his dashcam on, and he posts a 30 to 40 second video of his drive along with the time and temperature. He includes noteworthy comments with his tweets – some of them quite amusing. I love his tweets and videos. I look forward to my daily drive around town with Halldor. Some of his videos have been shown on TV worldwide – including here in the U.S. This is probably the best thing Iceland has going for it online right now. He’s promoting the beauty that is Iceland every day. My interest in visiting Iceland during a future summertime has increased immensely !

#TravelThursday continues next Thursday. Where shall I visit virtually next ?

All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 232

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 40+ years. Here’s this week’s chart:

COUNTUP MINISTRIES FOR THE WEEK ENDING SUNDAY JULY 25TH 2021 WEEK 232
TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 9 Be Alright
[3RD week @ # 1]		 Evan Craft X Danny Gokey X Redimi2
2 2 12 Yes He Can Cain
3 6 16 Gospel Song Rhett Walker
4 4 8 Until Grace Tauren Wells Ft. Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts
5 3 9 When We Fall Apart Ryan Stevenson Ft. Vince Gill & Amy Grant
6 7 2 Into The Wild Josh Baldwin
7 8 2 What If Matthew West
8 5 27 Fires Jordan St. Cyr
9 9 3 My Jesus Anne Wilson
10 10 4 Sunday Morning Feeling Apollo LTD Ft. Ryan Stevenson

# 1 This Week In:
2020 – “No Impossible With You” – I AM THEY
2019 – “Raise A Hallelujah” – Bethel Music
2018 – “Grace Got You” – MercyMe
2017 – “Wonder” – Hillsong United

SLOW CLIMBER AT # 3 – Rhett Walker continues his amazing climb up my chart to enter the Top 3 this week in his 16TH week. “Gospel Song” is also a slow climber nationally at U.S. Christian radio. It just reached the Top 5 in its 19TH week at big market stations, and in its 18TH week at small market stations. It’s his biggest hit ever, and it’s his follow-up to his previous biggest hit ever – “Believer” – which hit # 4 on my chart in December 2019.

Here’s the official music video for “Gospel Song”:

CHART BUSTING just outside of my Top 10 this week is a cool-sounding tune from a 19-year-old by the name of Coby James. When I first heard “Brand New” on K-LOVE – I had to look it up to see who was singing the gem that brought back memories of mid-1980s British smooth pop that I danced to when I was 19-years-old. It’s a “Brand New” song, but it sounds RETRO. It reminds us that each morning is the start of a “Brand New” day to live for Christ. It’s like rising-up from the water. It’s living in the light You’ve called me into. #Hallelujah

This blog is # 74 worldwide on the Top 80 Christian Music Blogs and Websites in 2021 chart. Thank You for including us Feedspot !

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again this upcoming weekend – with 4 new entries on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday. I don’t blog on Saturdays. That’s my day of rest.

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. I’m also on Twitter and Flickr.

Be blessed my friends !  May the 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) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

So true. You can substitute the word “fishing” with “football” (especially with football season coming up), or even “work”. If you’re at church on a Sunday morning, but you’re only there because someone dragged you there, or you think that you have to be there in order to get to Heaven – then you’re there for the wrong reasons.

I’ve seen it often – church attenders who are physically there, but are not mentally there. Their mind is elsewhere. It is on what they did yesterday, or what they plan to do tomorrow. They are not taking-in God’s Truth. They are not giving-out God’s love.

I’ve also seen people at church who show up, but don’t even attend any services. They are merely there because their friends are there. Larger churches with younger demographics have this problem. They have a nice modern café as part of their main entrance or lobby or atrium, and it’s a hangout joint on Sunday mornings for some who just want to drink coffee and be with their friends. But then when their friends enter the sanctuary or worship center – they leave the premises and go somewhere else.

“Oh I need to go to church to be seen.” – That’s being religious. Going to church doesn’t impress God. Going to church won’t change your life forever. Going to church won’t get you into Heaven.

On the other hand – if you’re constantly thinking about your Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, and talking to Him, and thanking Him for all that He has done for you – and all that He will do for you – then that’s a true relationship with God. It doesn’t matter when it is. It doesn’t matter where it is. If God is in the center of your heart in everything you do and everywhere you go – then that will change your life forever, for you will be alive forever with God in your heart here on earth, and God up in Heaven once your journey here in this temporary place is done.

That relationship with God is being the church all day every day. It’s bringing the church with you on Sunday mornings to meet with your brothers and sisters of your church family in community – to praise God, to worship God, to celebrate God, to talk to God, to learn more about God, and to get closer to God.

If you’re a believer and follower of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ then I hope that you are an integral part of a Bible-believing, Gospel-preaching, and Jesus-loving church family. If you’re seeking a church to belong to then don’t look for the nicest and biggest church in town with the most programs and features. Look for the church body who are closest to God by their talk and their walk, for that’s a family that will strengthen your personal and communal relationship with God.

So encourage each other and build each other up – just as you are already doing.
(1 Thessalonians 5:11)

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) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries