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Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday July 11TH 2021, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.

This day – July 11TH – was not such a good day in my professional career history. It was the start of a new era of my USAF career on this day in 1994. When I went in to work on the morning of that day I had no idea what would happen to me just an hour later. I was completely blindsided. It forever changed my career – temporarily for the worst (for 13 years), but then for the best (for the next 14 years and continuing today).

I truly believe that if it weren’t for the career-changing event of the morning of Monday July 11TH 1994 – I wouldn’t know Christ today. I was in a valley for 13 years. There were occasional ripples and bubbles and mounds and slopes along the valley floor that was my career (and life), but it was mostly a 13-year abyss. A little more than a month after the start of the 13TH year my LORD lifted me out of the pit of despair – out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground, and steadied me as I walked along. (Psalm 40:2)

I don’t know where my USAF career could have or would have gone if it weren’t for my July 11TH 1994. I don’t need to know – because I know what happened early on the week of August 20TH 2006. Less than a year later by the end of July of 2007 – I was in a much better place at work – and at home. The abyss met its demise.

My next sermon that I’ll preach to my church family will be all about the start of my “Salvation & Hope”. It’ll mark the start of my extended message series from the two letters of Peter. Later this year I may post an entire sermon (in multiple parts) here on Sunday Scripture. I’m currently working on a new sermon that follows-up “Salvation & Hope” titled “Holy & Redeemed”.

Here’s an excerpt of that new sermon:

… Let’s jump-in to Scripture – starting with the Apostle Peter’s first letter – the first chapter and verse 13:

So think clearly, and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.

When I last spoke from Peter’s first letter – it was about “Salvation & Hope”. Without God’s salvation – there is no hope, for hope comes from God. And so this message picks-up where that message left-off.

You know once God rescues and saves us from the darkness that we came from – we can’t think like we used to think – back before we had “Salvation & Hope” – back before we were “Holy & Redeemed”. We used to think and act differently when the world owned and operated us – before we knew God. But now our God is in control. We believe Him. We follow Him. We trust Him. He’s within us. And so the Bible says “think clearly” – “prepare your minds for action”. The King James Version puts it this way – “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind”

A little “behind-the-scenes” information here. I usually write each Sunday Scripture on the Friday night or Saturday morning before it’s published online at 3 AM (U.S. East Coast time) on Sunday. I spend much of the day each Saturday reading, studying, and learning from the Bible. I write sermons, and I prepare material for Sunday morning service. I generally stay inside and off social media on Saturdays. (That’s why I don’t blog on Saturdays.)

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

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1990s Blogging Movies Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1996

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 2ND Friday of the month, so I go back 25 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday July 14TH 1996:

  1. “Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand” – Primitive Radio Gods
  2. “Ooh Aah … Just A Little Bit” – Gina G
  3. “C’Mon N’ Ride It (The Train) – Quad City DJs
  4. “The Crossroads” – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
  5. “Follow You Down” – Gin Blossoms

I never saw “The Cable Guy” in the movie theatres in June and July 1996. It made over $60 million at the box office here in North America, but it was considered a box office disappointment because it didn’t make as much money as Jim Carrey’s previous movies. It just didn’t seem appealing to me to go to the movie theatre to see it. I saw the movie after-the-fact on either VHS or DVD. Fun Fact:  From 2005 to 2010 I was a member of the original Netflix subscription service – receiving, watching, and returning DVDs via the mail and their red envelopes.

I mention “The Cable Guy” because my # 1 smash 25 years ago (and a surprise North American rock and pop smash) broke-out from that movie. It’s got a quirky title that has nothing to do with the quirky song that heavily samples a B.B. King track from 32 years earlier (in 1964) – “How Blue Can You Get (Downhearted)”.

“Standing Outside …” actually went straight-in at # 1 on my chart – a rare feat. Back in 1996 I was compiling and publishing online a Top 30 hit music chart each week. “Standing Outside …” has stood the test of time. I still enjoying hearing it today. It’s in medium rotation on my iPod Shuffles that play at my desk at my workplace with 417 plays over the past 13 years.

Incidentally – at the movie theatre I saw Eddie Murphy’s “The Nutty Professor” on July 20TH 1996.

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 30 years ago to July 1991.

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

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Blogging Driving Food Nature Photography Travel Weather

My Summer Vacation 2021 Road-Trip

It’s Part 5 of my multi-part Thursday blog series on my recent 77-hour / (4-day / 3-night) / 472-mile road-trip spanning Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties (in that order). It was my first extended visit ever along Florida’s Treasure Coast. While there I was always within about 5 miles of the Atlantic Ocean and the adjacent Indian River.

Last Thursday we left off at the St. Lucie County Regional History Center. (It’s their county museum.) I was actually planning to visit the small aquarium next door (about 500 feet away), but it looked like they were packed, so I proceeded over to the historical museum to start there, and then make my way back. That turned out to be a treasure that greatly exceeded my expectations. No time for the aquarium. Maybe on my next visit.

I ate #LuDinner (late-Lunch / early-Dinner – think 3 PM) at a highly-recommended (by friends) place called 12A Buoy – just across the bridge (inland) from the museum. As their web site states – it’s a “rustic dive” with “exceptional eats”. I concur. I enjoyed their Crispy Dolphin Reuben. #Yum

Let’s head for the beach. It’s on to the other side of the inlet to Fort Pierce Inlet State Park. It’s the only place on this entire road-trip that I’ve actually visited before. I was last there on April 24TH 2010. It was the northern-most extent of a weekend road-trip when I mostly explored Jupiter and West Palm Beach; although, I attended a Sunday morning church service in Stuart. You can actually read all about that road-trip right here on my blog. Just use the calendar down near the bottom of this blog to go back in history by 11 years and read all about it. (OK – I’ll make it easier for you with these 2 links – April 27TH 2010 / APRIL 29TH 2010.)

My 2ND visit to this beach owned and operated by Florida State Parks was fun. I like this beach a lot. It’s clean and well-maintained. There weren’t that many people on the beach on that Thursday afternoon. I imagine that it could be quite busy on many weekends and holidays.

After about an hour I decided to head out of Fort Pierce along Florida’s State Road A1A, and return back to “home base” for this road-trip – Vero Beach. But since the previous night’s visit to the beach in Vero Beach was a bust – I’d head up to the other popular beach – Humiston Beach Park. It’s a city-owned beach with a short boardwalk overlooking it. The lifeguard stand is part of the boardwalk. There are also a bunch of souvenir stores, restaurants, bars, and hotels within walking distance of the park. I enjoyed a nice cup of ice cream at Kilwins. The later you go there – the busier they get.

Day 2 of my road-trip is now complete. I drove 48.4 miles on this day. That brings the total thus far to 251.5 miles.

Next Thursday I’ll continue this road-trip recap with Part 6 and my final full day on Florida’s Treasure Coast. I spent most of it within the city limits of Vero Beach; although, I did take a side trip even further north along U.S. 1 and A1A to the southern edge of Sebastian Inlet State Park. I’ll share Day 3 with you next Thursday, and that won’t end this story. There will be a Part 7 as well the following Thursday after next.

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

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Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 229

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 04TH 2021 WEEK 229
TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 9 Yes He Can
[3RD week @ # 1]
Cain
2 3 24 Fires Jordan St. Cyr
3 6 6 Be Alright Evan Craft X Danny Gokey X Redimi2
4 4 5 Until Grace Tauren Wells Ft. Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts
5 5 6 When We Fall Apart Ryan Stevenson Ft. Vince Gill & Amy Grant
6 2 17 Help Is On The Way (Maybe Midnight) TobyMac
7 7 13 Gospel Song Rhett Walker
8 8 4 Rattle ! Elevation Worship
9 10 3 Believe For It CeCe Winans
10 1 Sunday Morning Feeling Apollo LTD Ft. Ryan Stevenson

# 1 This Week In:
2020 – “Keep Me In The Moment” – Jeremy Camp
2019 – “Church (Take Me Back)” – Cochren & Co.
2018 – “Do It Again” – Elevation Worship
2017 – “The Comeback” – Danny Gokey

Logan, Madison, and Taylor Cain remain atop my chart for a 3RD week in a row with “Yes He Can”. It’s currently # 7 at U.S. Christian radio (both large market and small market). Cain are currently on a nationwide tour that continues until Thanksgiving here in the U.S. Later this week they are in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio. Strangely there are no Florida dates on the tour. Come on Cain. Florida is nice in December. Come down before Christmas. Bring Zach Williams and We The Kingdom with you.

BRAND NEW at # 10 is the debut hit from Apollo LTD – a Nashville Tennessee based duo. They’ve had a couple of hits at U.S. Christian radio over the past few years – mostly at stations that serve a younger demographic. This appears to be their breakthrough hit nationwide at all formats, and chart veteran Ryan Stevenson helps them out with “Sunday Morning Feeling”. It serves as Ryan’s 7TH hit on my chart.

CHART BUSTING just outside of my Top 10 this week is the debut hit from 19-year-old Anne Wilson. She sings all about her Jesus. It also serves as a dedication to her older brother Jacob Kent Wilson who tragically died in a vehicular accident in Lexington Kentucky 4 years ago at the age of 23. Here’s the official music video for “My Jesus”:

This blog is # 42 worldwide on the Top 60 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