Categories
Blogging Driving Travel

12,000 Miles

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. I hit a milestone on my car a couple of Tuesday mornings ago less than a mile away from my home. I hit 12,000 miles on my odometer, and I did so on my 607TH day of owning it. That’s right – it took me almost 20 months to drive 12,000 miles. The national average for driving here in the U.S. used to be 12,000 miles per year, but a recent study by the Federal Highway Administration states that the average American now drives 14,263 miles per year. They actually break it down by state. Here in Florida we drive an average of 14,557 miles per year, or just slightly above the national average.

I obviously help to bring our average down a little bit. Last year (2021) I drove 8,672 miles, and that was up from the 6,395 miles that I drove in 2020. Pre-COVID I drove an average of 10,244 miles per year from 2015 to 2019. My 12-year average from 2003 to 2015 was 9,854 miles per year.

How do I know all of this ? Well I have a spreadsheet that tracks it all.

Since 2015 my most-driven month is September (by far). I’ve driven to and from North Texas twice in September. My least-driven month is May – with August as a close-second. My most-driven day of the week is Friday, and least-driven – Wednesday.

Incidentally it took me 40 days to drive the 1,000 miles from 11,000 to 12,000 on my odometer. It took me 72 days to drive from 10,000 to 11,000. I think it will take (at least) 72 days to make it to 13,000.

We’ll see what happens between now and June. I’ll keep you updated here on #TravelThursday. Let’s keep traveling together.

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

Categories
Blogging Christian God Ministry Movies Music Radio Television

My Top 10 Hits – Week 270

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:

#TOP10MONDAY WEEK ENDING – SUNDAY APRIL 17TH 2022 WEEK 270
TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 2 12 See Me Through It
[1ST week @ # 1]
Brandon Heath
2 1 12 Brighter Days Blessing Offor
3 4 4 Wonder Working All Creatures
4 5 4 Fill My Cup Andrew Ripp
5 3 12 Holy Spirit Come Patrick Mayberry
6 6 10 Sunday Sermons Anne Wilson
7 10 6 Egypt Cory Asbury
8 9 2 Desesperado Evan Craft
9 8 5 Fake It Tauren Wells
10 1 The Healing Blanca Ft. Dante Bowe

# 1 This Week In:
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

NEW # 1 – After 4 out of the past 5 weeks at # 2 Brandon Heath finally ascends to my top spot with his peppy “See Me Through It”. It’s about turning to God when times get tough – when the road gets rough. In the trial and the pain – fire and the rain. With a full-scale attack – devil on my back. I know You’re gonna see me through it.

NEW # 1 NATIONWIDE – Jordan Feliz rises to # 1 nationwide with the most played song (by far) at U.S. Christian radio – “Jesus Is Coming Back”. It also spent 2 weeks at # 1 on my chart 6 and 7 weeks ago. It’s Jordan’s first # 1 song nationwide since his gold-certified debut smash in 2015 – “The River”.

FATHER STU – I saw “Father Stu” at a local movie theatre last Tuesday afternoon (first showing nationwide). It stars Mark Wahlberg as boxer-turned-priest Stuart Long (1963-2014). Mel Gibson plays his dad, and Jacki Weaver plays his mom. It was written and directed by Rosalind Ross – Mel Gibson’s partner. It’s touted by the media as a faith-based film, but I wouldn’t describe it that way. I think it’s more of a movie about a guy who turned to God. There’s a difference between a big-budget Hollywood movie about God and an independent faith-based film made far away from Hollywood and funded entirely by born-again Christians. Sometimes Hollywood gets it right, and sometimes not so much. I have mixed feelings about “Father Stu”. It was a good story, but I was turned-off by its extreme profanity, and heavy drinking and smoking throughout. (It’s Rated-R as a result.)

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.

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

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday April 17TH 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.

Today I observe and celebrate my 16TH Easter Sunday with my brothers and sisters of my church family. Before salvation Easter was just another day of the year. Now it’s the most important day of the year – and the reason why I live today.

As the Bible says in the Gospel According to Mark – Chapter 16 (1-7):

Saturday evening – when the Sabbath ended – Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning – just at sunrise – they went to the tomb. On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb ?” But as they arrived – they looked up and saw that the stone – which was very large – had already been rolled aside.

When they entered the tomb – they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said – “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth – who was crucified. He isn’t here !  He is risen from the dead !  Look – this is where they laid His body. Now go and tell His disciples – including Peter – that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see Him there – just as He told you before He died.”

HE IS RISEN !  HE IS RISEN – INDEED !  The Lord has really risen !  He appeared to Peter. (Luke 24:34). He was seen by the Twelve, and the more than 500 of His followers at the time, and by James (the half-brother of Jesus), and by all the apostles, and by Paul. (1 Corinthians 15:5-8)

Today we join our brothers and sisters in Christ – God’s children – all across this great nation of ours – and all around the world – as we observe and celebrate the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ – our Lord and Savior.

We join our brothers and sisters of this global church family on this Resurrection Sunday, but we know that every waking moment of every new day is a renewed celebration of Christ conquering the grave, and rising from the dead, and giving us life.

HE IS RISEN !  HE IS RISEN – INDEED !  And since He is risen – we have risen from where we once were.

See Jesus keeps His promises – then and now. He does what He says He is going to do. He is who He says He is. He is risen. He is risen – indeed. He is alive. He sits on the throne of Heaven. He is the King of Kings. He is the Lord of Lords. He gives us life. He breathes life onto our dry bones. Breath of God – breathe on us !  He makes all things new. He gives us hope. He gives us purpose. He makes us vessels of vibrant living waters.

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
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Holidays Ministry Scripture

Good Friday

1521298022_909_good-friday-quotes-2018-download-free-good-friday-quotes

Jesus knew that His mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture He said – “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to His lips. When Jesus had tasted it He said – “It is finished !” Then He bowed His head and released His Spirit. (John 19:28-30 NLT)

It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming !

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