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
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday May 22ND 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.

Starting with this #SundayScripture – and running through the end of June – I’ll be 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.

Here’s Part 1 of my sermon:

Today I want to continue my journey – our journey – since we’re in this together – as a church family – just like we saw in that last song – doing what we can – to expand God’s Kingdom – in our own unique ways – in everything we do, and everywhere we go.

I want to continue our journey through The First Letter Of Peter. This is my 3RD message – out of the past 4 – that I’m preaching from First Peter. I’ve preached on “Salvation & Hope”, and I’ve preached on being “Holy & Redeemed”.

Last time I preached from First Peter I left off with my existence statement. It’s why I exist today. 1 Peter 1:23. And I like to personalize it by changing the pronouns:

For (I) have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. (My) new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal living word of God.

That’s why I exist today. Right there. Right there. Born again. New life. Last forever. Living word. Of God.

Read that verse right there often – and personalize it for yourself – to remind you of why you exist today.

So the first chapter of First Peter ends like this:

As the Scriptures say – “People are like grass. Their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the Word of the Lord remains forever.” And that Word is the Good News that was preached to you.

That’s from the Apostle Peter – and it’s also from the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet for more than 50 years in Jerusalem during the times of King Uzziah, and King Jotham. (I preached on those two good kings of Judah in my last message.) Isaiah continued as Prophet under two more kings after Uzziah and Jotham, and that was Ahaz and Hezekiah. Ahaz was a bad king. He was evil – unlike his father and his son. His father was Jotham – good king. His son was Hezekiah – good king. The prophet Isaiah – well he had his hands full dealing with King Ahaz. That’s a message all on its own right there – “Ahaz & Isaiah” – coming later this year.

So God gave the Prophet Isaiah a vision during those times of trouble for the Kingdom of Judah. Isaiah’s message was consistent through the years, and that message to the Kings (good and bad) – and to God’s people – was this – God is dependable. Trust only in God. That was more than 700 years before Christ.

You know The Book Of Isaiah is like a mini-Bible in its own – by itself. In fact – consider this:  There are 66 books in the Bible, and there are 66 chapters in Isaiah. And each chapter of Isaiah correlates in some way (or even in many ways) to the same book of the modern bible in numerical sequence. For example – Isaiah 1 has references to Genesis (the 1ST book of the Bible). Isaiah 2 is to Exodus (the 2ND book of the Bible). Isaiah 3 is to Leviticus (Pastor Bob’s favorite book). Isaiah 19 is to Psalms. Isaiah 40 is to Matthew – the 40TH book of the Bible, and the start of the New Testament. Isaiah 66 is to Revelation – the final book of the Bible.

Now get this:  The first 39 chapters of Isaiah mostly deal with the Jewish people, and the law, and rebellion, and God’s judgement. Sounds like the Old Testament.

The last 27 chapters of Isaiah mostly deal with God’s comfort, and His forgiveness, and the coming of the Messiah. Sounds like the New Testament.

Check it out for yourself. It’s an interesting study of the Bible through one book – Isaiah – the mini-Bible.

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) 2022 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
1990s Blogging Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1992

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 3RD Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday May 24TH 1992:

  1. “Jump” – Kris Kross
  2. “Live And Learn” – Joe Public
  3. “Good For Me” – Amy Grant
  4. “To Be With You” – Mr. Big
  5. “Tears In Heaven” – Eric Clapton

Amy Grant was on a hot streak for a couple of years at the start of the 1990s. Her “Heart In Motion” album dropped in March 1991, and it went on to become a quintuple-platinum seller. It spawned 7 singles (out of 11 on the album). 6 of the 7 were hits at U.S. Christian Radio, and 5 of the 7 were hits at U.S. Mainstream Pop Radio.

The one single that failed to make an impact at U.S. Christian Radio was perhaps her hardest-sounding track – “Good For Me”. There were several versions / mixes of “Good For Me” at the time – a slower version for U.S. Adult Contemporary and Hot Adult Contemporary radio stations, and an edgier and more rock-sounding “Good For You” mix that was perfect for U.S. Top 40 radio stations. There were even dance remixes for weekend radio mix shows after dark and even dance clubs.

“Good For Me” was a bit over the edge for U.S. Christian Radio, but secular radio ran with it with excellent results through much of 1992. It was not a hit anywhere else in the world – just stateside.

On a final note – Eric Clapton’s “Tears In Heaven” continues in heavy rotation on my iPod Shuffles that play at my desk at my workplace. Every time it plays I sing along – and my eyes get wet.

Next #RetroFriday I’ll go back 35 years ago to the end of May 1987. It’s the week that a U.K. # 1 smash / U.S. Top 10 smash from 1965 – hit # 1 on my chart. How unusual.

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) 2022 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Blogging Computers Driving Internet Travel

Melbourne Florida

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. 29 years ago I lived in Melbourne Florida. It was my home from March 1993 to March 1994. I lived in a cozy low-rent studio efficiency on South Oak Street – at first full-time and unemployed, and then part-time and fully-employed.

When I got my honorable discharge from the USAF I moved to Melbourne Florida (from the Washington D.C. area). This was in the aftermath of the destruction of my former home at Homestead Air Force Base. In hindsight – I should have relocated to Melbourne directly after Hurricane Andrew instead of the #DMV (where I grew up as a kid). Had I gone to Patrick Air Force Base while still on USAF Active Duty my life of the next 30 years may have turned out completely different – perhaps for the better – maybe for the worse.

My first 5 months in Melbourne were crazy – and a lot of fun – as I looked for a job in the local area. It was probably the most fun 5 months of my entire life. It was during those 5 months that I learned how to use a modern Windows 3.1 / DOS 6.0-based personal computer for the first time ever. I also discovered an early form of social media known as the BBS (bulletin board system). My friend was running a popular BBS at the time where people would dial-in (via modem) to his computer and participate in message boards and live chat. I was so fascinated by that. I decided to create my own BBS – MANx CAT BBS. It went online during the early-morning hours of Friday May 21ST 1993. It continued for over 4 years.

MANx CAT BBS spawned MANx On The Net – which was the World Wide Web spinoff of the BBS. MANx On The Net evolved into MASSIVESMASH.COM in 1998 – my music-based web site, and it in turn became this blog in 2007.

Original Masthead (1998-2007)

So this weekend marks 29 years of online activity for me – starting with that first BBS – created in Melbourne Florida. And on that BBS we talked about travel and music – among other topics.

Since I moved away in March 1994 I’ve only visited Melbourne a few times. I don’t know anyone there anymore. My old rundown apartment complex was bulldozed to the ground years ago. The city has grown a lot over the past 30 years. So has the metro area (essentially all of Brevard County / Florida’s Space Coast). Over 600,000 call the area home nowadays. 30 years ago that number was right around 400,000. It was congested back then. I know it’s worse today. It’s a nice scenic area with the rivers and the beaches, but I wouldn’t want to live there.

Next #TravelThursday we’ll visit Kings Dominion in Virginia. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2022 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Career Holidays Military

Happy Armed Forces Week

It’s Wednesday May 18TH 2022, and National Military Appreciation Month continues with Armed Forces Week (all this week), and that culminates this Saturday with Armed Forces Day. Unlike Memorial Day (this year on May 30TH) and Veterans Day (November 11TH) this is an opportunity for us to honor everyone who currently serves within our military.

I’m a few weeks away from celebrating my 37TH anniversary within the United States Air Force. I actually committed to 4 years of active duty service about a month into my Senior year in high school in 1984. 6 days after graduating from high school in June 1985 I was on my way to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio Texas for 6½ weeks of Basic Military Training.

I’ve been living in or near Homestead Florida since the end of 1987, so that’s 34½ out of my 37 years in the Air Force. I work at Homestead ARB (formerly AFB prior to Hurricane Andrew). During the 19 months immediately after Hurricane Andrew – as the city and the base was being cleaned-up and rebuilt – I served at Andrews AFB Maryland and MacDill AFB in Tampa Florida.

My 37 years in the Air Force includes 29 years as a civilian. Prior to that I served 8 years on active duty and 6 years as a reservist (overlapping with the early years of my civil service).

Up until about the age of 16 I was supposed to go to college after high school and emerge with a degree in either Meteorology or Communications (radio and television). That didn’t happen, but here I am 37 years into an Air Force career at 55 years old. The Air Force determined that I was great at math, so they made me an analyst / statistician.

In the Air Force I’ve had some great years, some good years, some bad years, and some horrible years. There’s an entire 13-year era that was the worst of my career (and life). Thankfully I’ve followed that up with the best 15-year era of my career (and life) – where I am now. I’m ending this career on a high, and I’ve got about 1½ more years to go before I can retire and move away from here.

To all of my fellow military service members – whether you are currently on active duty, a reservist, a civil servant, or a contractor working alongside all of the above – I thank you for all that you do with each new duty day.

All rights reserved (c) 2022 Christopher M. Day, CountUp