Month: April 2023

Sunday Scripture

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date April 16, 2023

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday April 16TH 2023, 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.

If you read #TravelThursday 3 days ago then you’ll know that I was in the Fort Myers Florida area this past Thursday (with a scenic drive out of the area early the next morning). So what was I doing there on Thursday ?

I went to my favorite mid-size sports and entertainment arena in Estero – Hertz Arena – to attend the Casting Crowns concert !

One of my favorite Christian pop bands brought “The Healer Tour” to Southwest Florida. It was my 3RD time seeing them LIVE in concert. (My 2ND time was in October 2021 at the same arena when Matthew West opened for him.)

For this tour Ben Fuller opened the show. He sang his heart out, and he preached his amazing testimony. God rescued and saved him from a young life of sex, drugs, and alcohol about 3½ years ago, and now he’s all in for Christ. That’s who he is. (His song “Who I Am” was a # 1 smash nationwide on the Christian pop charts last year.)

My favorite Irishman – Darren Mulligan – was up next with his band – We Are Messengers. I’ve been a big fan of their music since this current era of my pop chart began 6 years and 2 months ago. They’ve scored with 7 hits so far. Darren always leads an awesome set on stage, and the church family in the arena was singing, clapping, and dancing along with him.

Darren was wearing a cool Psalm 23 white tee-shirt.

The Lord is my shepherd. I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows. He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths – bringing honor to His name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley – I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me. (Psalm 23:1-4 NLT)

Casting Crowns took the stage after a short fundraiser and intermission. They plowed through almost 20 of their greatest hits over the past 20 years, and most of us on the floor section were constantly standing for each new track down memory lane. I didn’t know who they were until 2017, but now they are one of my favorite bands. Other than MercyMe and Matthew West – no other artist has spent more weeks at # 1 on my pop chart since 2017. They debut on my chart tomorrow with their latest hit – “Desert Road”.

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

2000s Blogging Christian Church God Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 2008

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date April 14, 2023

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, 20, 25, or 35 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

Last Friday I observed Good Friday, and so #RetroFriday was preempted. It’s the 2ND Friday of the month, and this is the edition I would’ve presented last week. I go back 15 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday April 13TH 2008:

“Face Down” – Family Force 5
“Friend Like That” – Hawk Nelson
“The Flame In All Of Us” – Thousand Foot Krutch
“Apathy For Apologies” – Everyday Sunday
“Southern Weather” – The Almost

Family Force 5 (#FF5) made quite the presence on my pop chart back during the infancy of my salvation in Christ. They were on with 6 hits from 2006 to 2009 – including “Love Addict” – which was one of the first songs I ever heard in August 2006 – right after God rescued and saved me and showed me His love. “Love Addict” was their first # 1 smash. It was also my 2ND # 1 smash during my Salvation Era. “Face Down” was their 2ND # 1 smash, and it was at the top of my chart for 3 weeks in a row starting exactly 15 years ago this week.

There was no music video made for “Face Down”, but #FF5 uploaded this to YouTube about 10 years ago for your listening pleasure. Take a listen to what my chart sounded like on this day 15 years ago:

Next #RetroFriday I’ll go back 25 years ago to April 1998. It’s when – it’s when – um – I – I can’t remember. I may suffer from long-term memory loss.

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 2008, Family Force 5, FF5, Music, Radio

Blogging Driving Geography History Nature Travel

Florida State Road 29

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date April 13, 2023

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. There’s a road that runs in a general north-south direction in inland Southwest Florida between U.S. 27 at the north-end and U.S. 41 at the south-end. It’s a rural historic intercounty state highway that I’ll be driving a short 14-mile stretch of frequently in the future – including tomorrow morning. It’s how I’ll get to and from the Fort Myers area to and from my new home in the Sebring area.

At the base of this 14-mile stretch of Florida State Road 29 is the historic city of LaBelle – just inside Hendry County from Glades County (to the north). It’s the county seat of Hendry County and its 2ND-largest city (after Clewiston). LaBelle has a population of right around 5,000. Its origins go back to the late-1880s along the banks of the Caloosahatchee River. LaBelle has a couple of nicknames – “The Belle Of The Caloosahatchee”, and “The City Under The Oaks”.

I’ve only driven through LaBelle a handful of times over the past few years. I’ve never actually gotten out of my car to walk around and explore the historic downtown district along the river. I’d like to do that during a future drive-through.

The remainder of the 14-mile stretch of Florida State Road 29 traverses Glades County farmland and raw unspoiled nature. It’s a beautiful scenic drive en route to and from U.S. 27.

I’ll be enjoying that beauty early tomorrow morning as I head home from the Fort Myers area. What am I doing there today and tonight ? Stay tuned. I’ll reveal that this #SundayScripture.

Next #TravelThursday I’ll share a couple of beautiful photos of the lake in my new neighborhood. Let’s keep traveling together.

Tags Caloosahatchee, Florida, LaBelle

Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 321

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date April 10, 2023

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 April 09TH 2023 – the 321ST week of this current era that began on Presidents’ Day Weekend of 2017:

TW	LW	WKS	SONG TITLE	ARTIST / SITE
1	1	12	The Lord’s Prayer (It’s Yours) [7TH week @ # 1]	Matt Maher
2	3	19	I See Grace	Micah Tyler
3	4	17	My Story Your Glory	Matthew West
4	5	10	I Believe It (The Life Of Jesus)	Jon Reddick
5	2	8	Running Home	Cochren & Co.
6	6	6	This Is Our God	Phil Wickham
7	8	2	Easy To Praise	Patrick Mayberry
8	7	2	Fingerprints	Dan Bremnes
9	9	4	Believe	Blessing Offor
10	10	2	Cornerstone	TobyMac Ft. Zach Williams

# 1 This Week In:
2022 – “Brighter Days” – Blessing Offor
2021 – “Good God Almighty” – Crowder
2020 – “Almost Home” – MercyMe
2019 – “Confidence” – Sanctus Real
2018 – “Freedom Hymn” – Austin French
2017 – “I Have This Hope” – Tenth Avenue North

“THE LORD’S PRAYER”– Matt Maher is still at # 1 on my chart for the 7TH week in a row. I led Praise & Worship yesterday at our church service for Resurrection Sunday. I do Praise & Worship a little bit different when I lead. I play 3 music videos (mostly official lyric videos) at the top of the service. The first one is a “cold open” – which means right at 11 AM (the start time of our service) I start the first video with no introduction. Yesterday it was Phil Wickham’s “This Is Amazing Grace”. The first video is always an uplifting one – to get everyone’s attention and to set the mood for the service. I then greet my church family, and that leads-in to the second video. Yesterday it was Cochren & Co.’s “Thank God For Sunday Morning”. That was so relevant for Resurrection Sunday. I concluded the 3-video set with Chris Tomlin’s “Resurrection Power”. Every so often I get the chance to close with a 4TH video at the end of the service. It’s usually one that I’ve never played before. Yesterday it was Matt Maher’s “The Lord’s Prayer”. It sounded so good playing so loudly all throughout the sound system within our church sanctuary. I think that most of our church family appreciated it as a perfect “going back out into the world to celebrate” song.

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again with the new weekend – and 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 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.