Category: Blogging

I Want To See America After I Retire

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

If all goes right I plan to retire from U.S. Federal Civil Service in less than 3 years from now. By that time I will have served for over 38½ years (military and civilian time combined). I’m ready to retire.

I have multiple plans on staying busy on a day-to-day basis in the next part of my life. They include full-time ministry with a local church, working indoors or outdoors at a Florida State Park, working as a docent at a local museum, and if that’s not enough then perhaps working at Publix – where shopping is a pleasure. #LOL

I also want to travel more. For many years I’ve talked about (and even blogged about) taking a 100-day / 10,000-mile road-trip completely around the circumference of the continental United States (clockwise) averaging about 100 miles per day, and mostly driving along the roads less traveled – our old U.S. highways. I don’t really talk about doing that anymore. I don’t mind driving around and exploring the backroads of Florida (and maybe even nearby states like Alabama and Georgia), but I can’t really see myself driving all around the country. Driving is less fun now than it used to be. As I get older the aches and pains while driving increase. I also experience anxiety attacks while driving. Also – most other drivers annoy me substantially.

I’ve recently been eyeing (and doing research on) a new way to see America after I retire – by rail and coach. A couple of years before my Dad passed away from Lou Gehrig’s Disease in 2010 he was planning one final family trip for the 5 of us (Himself, Mom, Brother, Sister-In-Law, & I). In fact he planned it all and even booked the nearly 2-week trip. It was a combination train and bus tour of several of our great National Parks out west (in the Rocky Mountains). I think the tour commenced in Bozeman Montana and concluded on the Las Vegas Strip. I was really excited about the trip. Unfortunately my Dad soon canceled the trip when his conditions deteriorated further from the disease.

(Side Note: Tomorrow – the 23RD of April – would have been my Mom and Dad’s 55TH wedding anniversary.)

In memory of my Dad I really want to take that trip that he wanted to go on with his family – perhaps not necessarily that same exact trip via that same exact travel agency, but a similar one to it. I know that they are quite expensive. I saw one for $4,320 per person for 14 days, and that includes all hotel accommodations, and a meal a day. $4,320 probably means well over $5,000 (possibly even closer to $6,000) with taxes, fees, and other charges included. I have at least a couple of years to do extensive research and price comparisons for this trip of a lifetime.

For the past 30 years I’ve seen and experienced the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Pacific via 22 cruises (138 nights at sea). I actually have my 23RD cruise booked. As I retire from my career on land I may very well retire from my vacations at sea. As the title of this blog post states – I want to see America after I retire.

Tags America

Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 218

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date April 19, 2021

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:

COUNTUP MINISTRIES	FOR THE WEEK ENDING SUNDAY APRIL 18TH 2021	WEEK 218

TW	LW	WKS	SONG TITLE	ARTIST / SITE
1	1	9	Good God Almighty [2ND week @ # 1]	Crowder
2	3	13	Fires	Jordan St. Cyr
3	2	4	Child Of Love	We The Kingdom Ft. Bear Rinehart
4	8	2	God Of Revival	Brian & Jenn Johnson
5	6	6	Help Is On The Way (Maybe Midnight)	TobyMac
6	5	21	Every Step Of The Way	Cade Thompson
7	4	14	Say I Won’t	MercyMe
8	7	5	God Who Listens	Chris Tomlin Ft. Thomas Rhett
9	9	2	Gospel Song	Rhett Walker
10	10	2	No Hopeless Soul	Stephen Stanley

# 1 This Week In:
2020 – “Almost Home” – MercyMe
2019 – “Greatness Of Our God” – Newsboys
2018 – “Freedom Hymn” – Austin French
2017 – “Even If” – MercyMe

David Crowder and his band stick around at the top of my chart with their 3RD # 1 smash “Good God Almighty”. Nationally it’s # 4 at Christian radio (both large market and small market). It registered the “most increased plays” at large market radio stations this past week.

Moving up another notch to # 2 this week is the durable singalong “Fires” from newcomer Jordan St. Cyr out of Manitoba Canada. I say “newcomer” because this is his breakthrough smash at U.S. Christian Radio, but he’s been praising and worshipping Christ (and leading worship at his church) since he was a young teenager in the 1990s. Here’s his official music video to “Fires” – on the verge of hitting # 1.

This blog is now # 52 worldwide on the Top 90 Christian Music Blogs, Websites, & Influencers in 2021 chart. Thank You for including us Feedspot !

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 April 18, 2021

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday April 18TH 2021, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate Christ on this glorious new day !

This past Friday night I finished writing my next sermon titled “Denials & Restoration”. As I wrote last Sunday in this space it’ll be about Simon Peter’s 3 denials on the night before Christ was crucified as told by John’s Gospel in Chapter 18 – as well as his restoration from those denials after Christ was resurrected and before He ascended to Heaven (John 21:15-23). I’ll also be summarizing John’s Gospel – starting with the last 2 verses (John 21:24-25), and then returning to the beginning with the first 18 verses of John 1. The start of John’s Gospel resembles the start of the Book of Genesis.

Now that I’ve got this sermon written I’ll await my opportunity to preach it to my church family. In the meantime I’ll begin writing my next sermon after that. I’m not sure if I want to jump right in to my next planned study series on Peter’s two letters, or if I want to write a special Old Testament sermon. I haven’t done one of those since last Summer when I wrote and preached about Malachi.

Yesterday – the 17TH of April – was and is a special day for me. On that day in 2007 I boldly walked-in to a small Christian bookstore in the downtown district of my city during my Lunch hour from work, and I picked-out and purchased my very first Bible with the assistance of the lady that was working there at the time. I remember that I was still learning about all of the various translations of the Bible. I had “NLT” handwritten on a small post-it stickie, as that’s what my Pastor used on Sunday mornings. I actually showed it to the lady at the store, and she directed me to the “NLT” section of the store. It was multiple shelves of “NLT” Bibles for all ages and in different sizes. Eventually I picked-out the one that looked the most appealing to me. It was the “New Believer’s Bible” – “First Steps For New Christians”. I took it home. I finally owned a traditional Bible near the start of my 9TH month of salvation.

From my very first Bible – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT):

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way – fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.

Want to get closer to God ? Read His Word. Start anywhere. Pick a page at random (if you’re not on a reading plan) and just start reading. Read slowly. Read comprehensively. Read to remember. Read to be able to learn from God. Read to be able to talk to Him.

Tags Bible, Blog, Christ, Christian, Church, God, Jesus, Minister, Ministry, Salvation, Scripture, Sermon

1990s Blogging Career Home Military Music Radio Travel

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1991

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date April 16, 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 3RD Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday April 21ST 1991:

“Here We Go (Let’s Rock & Roll)” – C + C Music Factory Presents Freedom Williams & Zelma Davis
“Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” – C + C Music Factory Ft. Freedom Williams
“I Touch Myself” – The Divinyls
“Voices That Care” – Voices That Care
“Joyride” – Roxette

Written by David Foster, David’s future (and now ex) wife Linda Thompson, and Peter Cetera – this charity single for Operation Desert Storm warriors was released a few days after I left Al Kharj AB Saudi Arabia and returned home stateside. It was a hit at Top 40 and Hot Adult Contemporary radio during the Spring of 1991. I bought the cassette single during my rest and recuperation leave up in Northern Virginia (my home-of-record before I joined the United States Air Force). I wore out that cassette by playing it over and over again over the next several years. I still have it today. I’d love to buy the original version digitally, but it’s not commercially available today. The song always made me feel good, and it reminds me of a totally different U.S.A. that existed 30 years ago that we really haven’t experienced since.

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 35 years ago to April 1986.

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 1991, Music, Radio