Author: Chris M. Day

I'm almost 59 years old. I've been online for 33 years - starting with my own dial-up bulletin board system in 1993 - and continuing with AOL, my own dot.com web site, Myspace, WordPress, Twitter / X, Flickr, and Facebook.

Categories
1980s Blogging Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1988

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).

It’s the 4TH Friday of the month, so I go back 35 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday May 01ST 1988:

  1. “I Should Be So Lucky” – Kylie Minogue
  2. “Always On My Mind” – Pet Shop Boys
  3. “Together Forever” – Rick Astley
  4. “You Don’t Know” – Scarlett And Black
  5. “Shattered Dreams” – Johnny Hates Jazz

At the very end of 1987 – exactly 6 weeks after I left The United Kingdom after living and working there for 2 years as an 18, 19, and 20-year-old – an unsuspecting HI-NRG pop song entered the U.K. pop charts way down near the bottom of it. By late-February of 1988 – “I Should Be So Lucky” was a # 1 smash, and it stayed there for 5 weeks. It became one of the best-selling singles in the U.K. in 1988. Its success continued on pop charts worldwide including here stateside, and it kicked-off the music career of Ms. Kylie Minogue – which continues to this day. Kylie was 19 when she recorded and released the single, and I admit it – I had a crush on her back then when I was 20 and 21.

“I Should Be So Lucky” (and Rick Astley’s “Together Forever”) were products of the #SAW (Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman) hit music factory of the mid-to-late-1980s and into the early-1990s. They wrote and produced over 100 U.K. Top 40 hits during that era. They created Eurodance before we even knew what Eurodance was. I was a big fan of their sound, and I still enjoy it to this day.

Next #RetroFriday I’ll go back 15 years ago to the start of May 2008. It’s when Sonny was addicted.

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) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Blogging Driving Geography Home Travel

Venus Florida

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. This morning I’m returning to my new home in my new neighborhood in my new part of Florida – near Sebring. I don’t live within the city limits of Sebring. I live in unincorporated Highlands County. I actually live real close to where the Avon Park zip code and addresses begin (just a few thousand feet to the north). I live a little closer to downtown Avon Park than downtown Sebring.

Both Sebring and Avon Park are located in the northwestern part of Highlands County, and much of the population of the county lives in this area. The “south county” is much more rural; although anyone traveling from any of the big cities along either coast would think that the entire region is “out in the middle of nowhere”.

Way down near the southeast end of the county – about 35 to 40 miles from the Sebring / Avon Park population center – is the community of Venus. It’s located entirely west of U.S. 27 – and right up against it. Its small Post Office (Zip Code 33960) faces the main highway.

There’s a fun web page with reader interactions that you can link to that explores Venus and Old Venus. It’s referred to as a ghost town in the article, but I don’t think that’s really an appropriate term for the area. To me – a ghost town is the remnants of what used to be – with no existing life. There’s life in Venus, and I bet that it’s a peaceful and relaxing life there. It appears that there are anywhere from about 700 to 1,000 people who live in the area.

Next #TravelThursday I’ll present an update on my Flickr site. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 323

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 23RD 2023 – the 323RD week of this current era that began on Presidents’ Day Weekend of 2017:

TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 14 The Lord’s Prayer (It’s Yours)
[9TH week @ # 1]		 Matt Maher
2 2 12 I Believe It (The Life Of Jesus) Jon Reddick
3 3 19 My Story Your Glory Matthew West
4 4 21 I See Grace Micah Tyler
5 6 8 This Is Our God Phil Wickham
6 7 4 Easy To Praise Patrick Mayberry
7 8 4 Fingerprints Dan Bremnes
8 9 2 Desert Road Casting Crowns
9 10 4 Cornerstone TobyMac Ft. Zach Williams
10 – 1 Thank God I Do Lauren Daigle

# 1 This Week In:
2022 – “See Me Through It” – Brandon Heath
2021 – “Fires” – Jordan St. Cyr
2020 – “Almost Home” – MercyMe
2019 – “Greatness Of Our God” – Newsboys
2018 – “Freedom Hymn” – Austin French
2017 – “Even If” – MercyMe

DAN BREMNES – My #PickHitOfTheWeek is the one song that I’d like to hear more on the radio, as once I do – the song should climb into the top tier of my chart. I’d like to hear “Fingerprints” more on K-LOVE and The JOY-FM. It’s got a cool quirky upbeat sound to it, and its lyrics glorify our God. I like its chorus:

When you see love – leave a mark
Healin’ broken hearts
You see chains fall apart
You see hope rise from the dark
It’s so much more than ordinary
It’s nothing less than extraordinary
It’s the fingerprints of God

3 weeks ago – I featured its official lyric video. Since then – Dan has released the official music video. Check it out, and sing along to God:

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.

All rights reserved (c) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church Driving God Ministry Scripture Travel

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday April 23RD 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.

I’ll be back with my church family in Homestead Florida this morning. I’ll be driving in from my new home 3½ hours away. You know I don’t really get excited about returning to Homestead anymore now that I’ve established a new homestead in Sebring Florida, but I do look forward to celebrating my Lord + Savior Jesus Christ with my church family in Homestead.

Last Sunday morning I was with my new church family here in Sebring where Pastor Ben preached on “Living As A Sacrifice” from Romans 12.

Back in Homestead – Pastor Bob preached 2 sermons – including 1 specifically for Facebook. On this edition of #SundayScripture I’m featuring my Pastor and his Facebook sermon.

(I tried to embed the Facebook Watch video here in this space, but I couldn’t get it to work, so here’s the link to it. It’s about 27 minutes. It’s pretty good. I hope that you’ll watch it from start to finish.)

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.

All rights reserved (c) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp