Month: October 2021

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Bible Blogging Christian Church Driving God Ministry Music Radio Scripture Travel

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday October 24TH 2021, 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.

I’ve returned home from another Florida road-trip. It was a short one – spanning less than 50 hours, but 563 miles on the road. I’ll write about that trip coming-up this #TravelThursday, but for this #SundayScripture it’s the reason for the trip.

I attended 2 LIVE concerts in a row on Thursday and Friday nights.

In Tampa on Thursday I saw MercyMe for the 4TH time – and for the 3RD year in a row. They were amazing as always. They are my # 2 artist overall during this current era of my weekly hit music chart with more weeks at # 1 – 22 – than any other artist. They performed 20 of their hits – including a few new ones off their new album – “inhale (exhale)”. And YES – we ended with the “Happy Dance” under a heavy shower of confetti. Opening for MercyMe were Micah Tyler and Sam Wesley. I saw Micah for the 2ND time – both times in Tampa – and both times opening for MercyMe. Micah is currently my # 8 artist of this current era with 2 # 1 hits. Sam Wesley is actually Sam Wesley Millard – Bart Millard’s 19-year-son. (I’ll have more on Bart and his son Sam tomorrow on #Top10Monday.)

In Estero (Southwest Florida) on Friday I saw Casting Crowns for the 2ND time. I saw them for the 1ST time in November 2019, and 2 months later I decided that I wanted to see them again, so I got my ticket for their April 2020 show. Well you know what happened then. We were all in COVID-19 lockdown. It was rescheduled for October 2020, and then it was postponed again to nearly a year (51 weeks) later. So I waited 21 months for this show, and it lived-up to its long wait. It was good to see Pastor Mark Hall again lead his band. I think the entire band are worship leaders at various churches around the Atlanta Georgia area. Mark’s messages as Pastor become Casting Crowns songs. They are my # 15 artist of this current era with 3 # 1 hits spending a combined 18 weeks atop my weekly hit music chart.

Opening for Casting Crowns is my # 1 artist of this current era – the amusing, energetic, and talented Matthew West. It was my 1ST concert of his, and there will be more. He’s got a catalog of no less than 30 big radio hits over the past nearly 20 years, and he performed 10 of them for us. He also performed his funny COVID-19 pandemic anthem – “Quarantine Life”. Matthew returned near the end of Casting Crowns’ set to perform “Nobody (But Jesus)” with the band. (That’s my # 1 hit of this current era – out of 229 hits over the past 245 weeks.)

I didn’t know any of these artists up until February 2017 when I “turned the dial” on the radio in my car (for a 2ND time), and I discovered K-LOVE. The 1ST time I did that was in August 2006 when I discovered The Call – a local Miami Florida-based Christian rock, pop, and hip hop station. That discovery led to my salvation in Christ. I was born again.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. Tomorrow it’s #Top10Monday, as I present my personal Top 10 hits this week that honor our God Almighty on the radio.

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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1980s Blogging Music Radio Television

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1986

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 4TH Friday of the month, so I go back 35 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday October 26TH 1986:

  1. “Heartache All Over The World” – Elton John
  2. “Whole New World” – It Bites
  3. “Take My Breath Away” – Berlin
  4. “You’re Everything To Me” – Boris Gardiner
  5. “Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble” – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

Elton John may not like that song. In fact he may hate it – as well as the album that it came from (“Leather Jackets”). But I loved it back then, and I still love it today. It’s actually one of my favorite Elton John songs ever. It was the perfect HI-NRG pop sound for the Autumn of 1986.

35 years ago this week I had so much spare time on my hands living and working in the U.K. that I was able to compile and publish (on notebook paper) a personal Top 50 chart – twice per week. On that inaugural Top 50 chart (expanded from a Top 40) I had 25 hits moving up, 14 hits moving down, 5 non-movers, and 6 new entries from The Mission, Icicle Works, Jackson Browne, Boston, Kenny Loggins, and The Cutting Crew.

Nick Berry was at # 1 on the BBC-Gallup Top 40 with “Every Loser Wins”. He was one of the stars of the # 1 TV programme at the time – “EastEnders” – and he performed that song (in character as “Wicksy”) many times on the show back then.

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 Career Military Music Photography Scripture Sports Travel

Tampa Florida

#TravelThursday continues, and in this edition we visit Tampa Florida.

Tampa is the actual big city – approaching 400,000 residents. It’s the 3RD biggest city in Florida after Jacksonville and Miami. Tampa Bay is the body of water adjacent to Tampa. The Greater Tampa Bay area is the metro area surrounding Tampa and Tampa Bay. Over 3 million residents live in the area, and that number surges past 4 million when outlying areas are included.

The Greater Tampa Bay area is home to the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the repeating Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning, and the World Series Runner-Up (last year) Tampa Bay Rays. #TitleTown

I like Tampa a lot. It’s my favorite big city in Florida. I like the way it looks (the downtown skyline), and I like all of the activities that can be done in and around Tampa – at both land and sea.

Last #TravelThursday I revealed that I embarked on the Carnival Miracle for a fun 7-day cruise out of Port Tampa Bay exactly 15 years ago. It’ll likely be my future port-of-choice after I retire and move closer to the Tampa Bay area.

I once lived in Tampa – for about 7 months from August 1993 to March 1994 – when I worked at MacDill Air Force Base. That was after Hurricane Andrew destroyed my previous workplace at Homestead Air Force Base as well as much of the surrounding region. For a few months at the beginning of that time-frame it appeared that I’d be living and working in Tampa for years to come, but then political decisions were made to rebuild and reopen the airbase at Homestead, and in March 1994 I moved back. I’ve been here ever since. I like to say that I’ve been here in Homestead for almost 34 years – except for those 19 months right after Hurricane Andrew.

Had the airbase at Homestead not been rebuilt and reopened I wonder how long I would have stayed living and working in Tampa, and would I still be there today. What would I be doing ?

I actually haven’t visited Tampa too many times since I left 27½ years ago. I mostly visit nowadays to attend music concerts and sporting events at the downtown arena (now known as the Amalie Arena). Very near the arena is The Florida Aquarium – the 8TH largest aquarium in the U.S. You can spend all day there enjoying that impressive facility. I was last there in May 2019.

On March 21ST and 22ND of 2003 me and my little brother stumbled onto (OK maybe it was a little bit intentional) the Spring Break scene on Clearwater Beach where we had a hotel room overlooking the Gulf Of Mexico. That was a couple of days after the Iraq War began. College kids were blaring the Outkast song “B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)” up and down South Gulfview Boulevard. Those 2 fun nights on the beach were part of a 5-day / 4-night vacation in the Tampa Bay area.

Join me next #TravelThursday as we remain in Tampa, and then venture southward along the Tamiami Trail.

They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble. You can go to bed without fear. You will lie down and sleep soundly. You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the LORD is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap. (Proverbs 3:23-26 NLT)

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

Categories
Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 244

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 OCTOBER 17TH 2021 WEEK 244
TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 14 What If
[3RD week @ # 1]		 Matthew West
2 2 3 Promised Land TobyMac
3 5 12 House Of The Lord Phil Wickham
4 3 8 Promises Maverick City Music
5 4 10 Thank You Lord Chris Tomlin Ft. Thomas Rhett & Florida Georgia Line
6 – 1 When You Speak Jeremy Camp
7 – 1 My God Is Still The Same Sanctus Real
8 8 4 Relate for King & Country
9 9 3 Stand In Faith Danny Gokey
10 10 2 Come What May We Are Messengers

# 1 This Week In:
2020 – “Rise Up (Lazarus)” – Cain
2019 – “Fear No More” – Building 429
2018 – “Only Jesus” – Casting Crowns
2017 – “The Gospel” – Ryan Stevenson

JEREMY’S 6TH – Jeremy Camp scores his 6TH hit on my chart since 2017, as “When You Speak” finally enters after a long delay. It’s been playing on the radio every day for the past 3 months, but (honesty alert here) – I didn’t really like it all that much. I thought it paled in comparison with his previous 3 long-lasting hits – “Dead Man Walking” (25 weeks on my chart), “Keep Me In The Moment” (20 weeks), and “Out Of My Hands” (18 weeks). The former 2 were # 1 hits, and the latter peaked at # 2 for 3 weeks. “When You Speak” likely won’t last that long or peak that high, but the fact that I like it enough now for it to debut at # 6 is impressive. We’ll see how it goes.

ON THE RADIO – With K-LOVE in seasonal pledge drive mode this past week I sampled more of WGTS out of the Washington D.C. area (sounds good), and I also added The Message on SiriusXM. They play more new music and fewer recurrents on The Message. (The new Sanctus Real song at # 7 is currently in heavy rotation on The Message.) This upcoming week I’ll be checking-out The Joy FM.

This blog is # 37 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