Year: 2022

Sunday Scripture

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date June 26, 2022

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday June 26TH 2022, 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.

Last month here on #SundayScripture I began transcribing one of my recent sermons that I preached to my church family at the end of February – “Stones & Stumbles”. It’s the follow-up to “Holy & Redeemed” which I presented on here in December and January. “Stones & Stumbles” covers 1 Peter 1:23-2:9.

Last week I concluded what turned out to be a 5-part series here online. I actually anticipated it to be a 6-part series, but I somehow got it done in 5. You can click on these links to look back at any of the 5 parts (or all of them from the beginning) – Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5.

If you’re wondering – for now this is the only way you’ll be able to experience one of my sermons (if not LIVE and in-person here in Homestead Florida). I’m part of a small and low-budget church. We don’t have sophisticated (or any) cameras like the big churches have. We generally don’t record our sermons. We’ve experimented via personal iPhone and iPad, but both did not live up to expectations. We’ve even put a few of our sermons on Facebook (particularly during the peak of the COVID pandemic in 2020), but sound quality was not good at all. I’ve thought about (voice) recording my sermons via iPad, but I’m not that technologically savvy to do it right. I also don’t do a podcast of my sermons (or other editions of my blog) because I have no idea how to do so. I’m not really interested in learning how to do any of that. I’d rather just keep it simple for now – read the Bible, absorb and understand what I’ve read, pray about it, and then write a sermon about it so that I can share the God I know with others.

I get to preach my sermons to my church family about 8 to 10 times per year. (I’ve done so 5 times in 2022 thus far.) I’m coming-up on my 50TH sermon in 6 years later this year.

My last 3 sermons (during 3 Sundays in a row in May) were non-traditional and spontaneous in nature. I essentially had no idea what I would say until I actually said it. That can be dangerous (if you know me), so I try to be very careful when I venture out and try something new and different like that. (I don’t think I offended anyone during those 3 sermons.)

But then again – I’m of the belief that if you don’t offend someone when you’re preaching the Gospel – then you’re not trying hard enough.

My next sermon is a traditional (written and rehearsed) “behind-the-pulpit” sermon titled “Honor & Respect”, and it’s the follow-up to “Stones & Stumbles”. It’s also my 4TH sermon of my 1 Peter message series that I started last September. This too will be transcribed and presented on here – starting the Sunday after I preach it to my church family. It’ll cover 1 Peter 2:10-2:25 – including this gem:

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.

Tags Bible, Blog, Christ, Christian, Church, God, Jesus, Message, Minister, Ministry, Pastor, Preacher, Reverend, Scripture, Sermon, Sunday

1980s Blogging Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1987

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date June 24, 2022

Hello again retro music fans. 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 June 28TH 1987:

“Star Trekkin'” – The Firm
“Let’s Dance” – Chris Rea
“Don’t Dream It’s Over” – Crowded House
“When Smokey Sings” – ABC
“It’s A Sin” – Pet Shop Boys

Has it really been 35 years since this 20-year-old teenybopper danced like a maniac in his dorm room to “Star Trekkin'” (across the universe – on the Starship Enterprise under Captain Kirk !)

What a corny song that was, but it was a # 1 smash on my chart – # 1 nationwide in the United Kingdom, and it was also huge at the record stores on the European continent and also in Australia and New Zealand. Dr. Demento made it a cult favorite here stateside as well.

But allow me to share more on my # 2 hit exactly 35 years ago. It’s Chris Rea. You may remember him for his Summer of 1978 radio hit “Fool (If You Think It’s Over)”. It was his biggest hit here stateside. But it wasn’t his biggest hit worldwide. That would be “Let’s Dance”. I took an instant liking to “Let’s Dance” as soon as I heard it for the first time in late-May 1987. The very fast-paced song (175 BPM) spent 11 weeks on my chart – peaking at # 2 for 3 weeks in a row. To this day I still hear this song almost daily via my iPod Shuffles that play at my desk at my workplace. I consider it to be one of the greatest pop songs ever made, and it’s part of the amazing soundtrack of the greatest summer that I’ve ever seen – the Summer of 1987 – living and working in Gloucestershire England.

Next #RetroFriday I’ll go back 15 years ago to the start of July 2007. It’s the week that a hard rock band was in my Top 5, and they showed me how I can my rock face off to my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.

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 !

Tags 1987, BBC, England, Gloucestershire, Music, Radio

Blogging Driving Home Travel

Avon Park Depot Museum

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date June 23, 2022

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. Last week I wrote all about my recent 2-day visit to my future retirement area – Highlands County Florida – located about 3 hours from my current home of nearly 35 years.

I plan to visit the area on a fairly-regular and increasingly-frequent basis going forth, and every time I visit I’ll think about my upcoming purchase in my future gated neighborhood less than 3 miles south of Avon Park, (but with a Sebring address). I’ll also visit some of my favorite places that I’d like to volunteer at during my retirement life.

One such place is the historic Avon Park Depot Museum – operated by the Avon Park Historical Society. It’s located about 4½ miles from my future neighborhood. I actually visited the museum on a previous trip to the area in February 2021. I arrived at the museum. I took a couple of exterior photos. I walked-up to the front door, and it was locked shut. #COVID

What a disappointment. I immediately returned southward to Sebring. That disappointment actually led me to a big “reveal” with the Sebring Historical Society that will lead to additional volunteer opportunities. I’ll write about that experience next week.

So I finally entered the main door of the Avon Park Depot Museum. I and 2 other guests who arrived just before me were greeted together by a friendly volunteer docent. She stopped everything she was doing, and she went out of her way to give the 3 of us an extensive tour of all of the rooms of the museum. She knew her material, and I was eager to absorb it all as she was telling the history of the once-bustling Avon Park train station from the late-1920s through the mid-1970s. (It’s been operating as a museum since 1981.)

She even gave us a bonus exclusive behind-the-scenes tour inside this railroad dining car (acquired in 1986) that last saw action as part of Amtrak’s Auto Train. It’s now used for special catered dining events by groups of 16 to 36 (by reservation only).

After the tour, and after the other 2 guests went on their way I stayed behind just to talk with our docent – Elaine. (She’s the Museum Curator.) I thanked her for the wonderful job that she’s doing. She made history come alive inside that historic building. She was a model docent that I’ll use as an example in my future docent opportunities. I told her that I’m interested in serving at the museum once I move up to the local area next year. I believe that I can help the museum out and contribute in many different ways. I’ll definitely visit again the next time (and probably every time) I visit the area. I told her that I’m a blogger (which she didn’t really understand), and that I’d be writing about the museum (and her) on a future blog post. Next time I visit I’ll share this blog post with her.

Next #TravelThursday I’ll share my unexpected experiences with the Sebring Historical Society – both in February 2021 as well as this most recent visit to the area. Looks like I’ll be very busy working inside Historical Society museums during my upcoming retirement life. Let’s keep traveling together.

Tags Avon Park, Depot, Florida, Heartland, Highlands, Museum, Railroad, Sebring, Train

Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 279

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 nearly 45 years. Here’s this week’s chart – for the week ending Sunday June 19TH 2022 – the 279TH week of this current era that began on Presidents’ Day Weekend of 2017:

TW	LW	WKS	SONG TITLE	ARTIST / SITE
1	1	19	Sunday Sermons [4TH week @ # 1]	Anne Wilson
2	3	7	Me On Your Mind	Matthew West
3	2	13	Fill My Cup	Andrew Ripp
4	4	15	Egypt	Cory Asbury
5	8	4	Love Is Everything We Need	Unspoken
6	5	5	I Will Carry You	Ellie Holcomb
7	6	21	See Me Through It	Brandon Heath
8	7	21	Brighter Days	Blessing Offor
9	–	1	Hold You Tight	Dan Bremnes
10	–	1	Getting Started	Jeremy Camp

# 1 This Week In:
2021 – “Yes He Can” – Cain
2020 – “I Will Fear No More” – The Afters
2019 – “Church (Take Me Back)” – Cochren & Co.
2018 – “Do It Again” – Elevation Worship
2017 – “Home” – Chris Tomlin

499TH # 1 – No new # 1 this week. Anne Wilson is still at the top with her “Sunday Sermons” that sounds so good on the radio. Am I the only one who uses both hands to mimic the pressing of the keys of the organ ?

DAN BREMNES – He’s back with his 3RD hit. It’s his follow-up to “Wherever I Go” (# 5 in 2018) and “Up Again” (# 4 in 2019). “Hold You Tight” was released as a single this past February. It’s on Dan’s new album – “Into The Wild” – which dropped at retail this past Friday. It’s an infectious pop track that was written during the peak of the pandemic. When the future was bleak. When we had no idea what to expect at the end of it all – our God was there to comfort us – to love us – in the middle of it. He was lighting up the dark. He was turning chaos into art.

The LORD is like a Father to His children – tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. (Psalm 103:13 NLT)

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again this upcoming weekend – with 4 new entries – known as #TravelThursday, #RetroFriday, #SundayScripture, and #Top10Monday.

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.