Category: Blogging

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1986

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date January 22, 2021

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 January 26TH 1986:

“It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back)” – Eurythmics
“Suspicious Minds” – Fine Young Cannibals
“How Will I Know” – Whitney Houston
“You Little Thief” – Feargal Sharkey
“Wrap Her Up” – Elton John & George Michael

David A. Stewart had a very good week atop my pop chart exactly 35 years ago. He was one-half of Eurythmics (with Annie Lennox), and he also produced Feargal Sharkey’s hit.

Surprisingly “It’s Alright” flopped here in the U.S. (after 8 previous Top 40 hits). Check out its official music video below or here. It was quite unique and futuristic for 1985:

Oh man – that song – with its eerie sound and feeling – triggers vivid memories of that specific time-period in my mind. I remember buying an “International” (NTSC / PAL / SECAM) TV set at the Base Exchange (military department store) on base a few weeks earlier so that I could watch TV in my own dorm room. I soon realized that while it was convenient to do so I had abandoned my new friends in the “day room” (community recreation room). I felt lonely in my dorm room watching TV solo, so I went back to the day room to hang out with my friends there – even if I couldn’t watch what I wanted to watch. It was more important to be with others, laugh, eat, drink, and play Uno. Ah – the life and times of 18½-year-old me in the south of England.

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 1986, British, England, Music, Radio

Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Movies

Small Group The Movie

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date January 21, 2021

Welcome to a fresh new weekend of good old-fashioned blogging here at #CountUp – where weekends always start on Thursdays !

This past Monday I streamed a wonderful movie via Amazon Video. It’s called “Small Group The Movie”. It’s about a guy and his wife who join a small group within a large church, but all is not what it seems. I won’t reveal much more about this movie, but it is full of laughs (a lot of insider church humor), drama, even action (some of it scary), and most importantly – God’s Grace, Mercy, and Truth. There are a lot of twists and turns in this movie, and I was attentive – even riveted at times – all throughout it.

As a member of various small groups for about 8 years at my first large church – it brought back fond memories of that experience. I could relate to the tongue-in-cheek humor of it all. I was also reminded of its importance as part of this fantastic journey.

I started receiving sponsored / targeted ads on Facebook for this movie a few days ago, and my interest in it was immediately piqued. I had never heard of it before the ads, but as it turns out this movie was actually in a few select theaters way back in October 2018 ! Now it’s available digitally or via DVD. (I actually rented it via Amazon for $4.99.)

You can check out more about this movie – and watch the trailer as well as a half-dozen movie clips – at their web site – http://www.smallgroupmovie.com. You can also check them out on Facebook.

Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 205

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date January 18, 2021

Every Monday I post my all-new Top 10 Christian hit music chart based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay. It’s the continuation of a weekly hobby that goes back 40+ years. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday January 17TH 2021:

TW	LW	WKS	SONG TITLE	ARTIST / SITE
1	1	8	Every Step Of The Way	Cade Thompson
2	2	15	Truth Be Told	Matthew West
3	3	10	Out Of My Hands	Jeremy Camp
4	7	8	Sparrows	Cory Asbury
5	8	4	Another In The Fire	Hillsong United
6	6	6	Man Of Your Word	Maverick City Music
7	5	21	Rise Up (Lazarus)	Cain
8	4	10	Image Of God	We Are Messengers
9	–	1	Say I Won’t	MercyMe
10	–	1	Who Can	Cochren & Co.

# 1 This Week In:
2020 – “Holy Water” – We The Kingdom
2019 – “Nobody Loves Me Like You” – Chris Tomlin
2018 – “Lions” – Skillet

On this 3RD weekend of January I’ve got my first 2 new entries of 2021. MercyMe is back with their 5TH hit “Say I Won’t”. They’ve been very consistent since my chart was resurrected in 2017:

– “Even If” spent 19 weeks on my chart and 2 weeks at # 1 in 2017
– “Grace Got You” spent 24 weeks on my chart and 2 weeks at # 1 in 2018
– “Best News Ever” spent 12 weeks on my chart and 2 weeks at # 2 in 2019
– “Almost Home” spent 24 weeks on my chart and 12 weeks at # 1 in 2020

Now they’ve got their emerging hit in 2021. Here’s the official music video for their new hit “Say I Won’t”. It’s one of the most added new songs this week at U.S. Christian radio. Check it out below or here.

Exactly 3 years ago this blog was resurrected here on WordPress after a 7-year hiatus. 3 years ago I presented Week 48 of my chart. It was just a simple no-frills chart back then. It’s evolved and been enhanced over these past 3 years to become the Monday feature that it is today. I’ll keep enhancing it to highlight and promote what’s popular at Christian music radio. It’s how I share God’s Good News through His music.

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again this upcoming weekend – with 4 new entries on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday. I don’t blog on Saturdays. That’s my day of rest.

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.

Tags Blog, Christian, KLOVE, Music, Radio

Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date January 17, 2021

Greetings my friends ! On this 3RD Sunday of January of 2021 I observe 14 years as part of a church family. I walked-in to my first church almost exactly 5 months after salvation began. I realized that I could not go much further on this journey without being part of a church family. It was only a matter of a few weeks when I determined that I would be with that church family for the rest of my life.

That didn’t work out. I left after 8 years and 2 months, and I really left about a year to a year-and-a-half too late. I don’t need to get in to the details as to why I left. It’s not because of a single person or a single reason. It’s also not important. Let me just add this: When you’re stalling on this journey, and you’re no longer moving forward towards God as fast as you were previously – then it’s time to move on to a place where you can resume forward momentum. Sometimes that place is in a different role where you already are. Sometimes that place is a different place.

I’ve been with my current church family for almost 6 years now. Thanks to my Lead Pastor and my Praise & Worship Pastor I’ve been blessed with endless opportunities to expand my ministry on Sunday mornings and beyond, and I’ve claimed those opportunities to glorify God and expand His Kingdom here on earth.

As it looks right now I’ll be with my current church family for about 3 more years – until I retire from my full-time job and move about 3 hours away. I’ll be part of a new church family in my future retirement town.

As I look back at these past 14 years one thing has been missing since the very beginning. It’s not for a lack of trying. I’ve been trying since the very beginning – perhaps trying just a bit too hard at the start, and then easing off in the later years. I’m not giving up.

I’m looking for a brother in Christ who I can learn from – and who can learn from me. A brother who I can brainstorm with and bounce ideas off of over meals. A brother who I can do ministries with to change the world. A brother who I can pray with. A brother who I can write sermons with. A brother who’s been where I’ve been – unsaved and of the world – for more years than rescued, saved, and of God’s Kingdom. A brother who I can depend on at any moment of any day to be there for me, and I would want to be that same brother for him as well. A brother who I can trust more than any other. I haven’t found that close brother yet. A few have come close. I’ll keep praying about it. Pray for me too.

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls – the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise – two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone ? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)