Category: Blogging

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Blogging Driving Geography History Nature Travel

Pioneer Daze 2024

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. Pioneer Daze was an overwhelming success for us last Saturday at the Alan Jay Arena at the Highlands County Fairgrounds in downtown Sebring Florida. We planned for it slowly but steadily since nearly the start of the year, and everything just came together for us last Saturday. It was great to see the estimated 500 to 750 volunteers, vendors, participants, and performers bring life to that arena and the exterior grounds. It was often a bit tough to get through the crowds of people down the vendor aisles, but that’s a good problem to have. We at the Sebring Historical Society (#SHS) greatly appreciate it all. We hope to do it again next October !

I’m the Social Media Director of the #SHS. For the locals in the area (as well as our winter residents): To stay in touch with all that we’ve got to offer – check-out our Facebook page. Search for Sebring Historical Society (or link here). Like us, and like and share our posts as you see fit. You can also check out our web site at sebringhistoricalsociety.info.

There are a couple of historical places here in Highlands County that I learned more about at Pioneer Daze. The Edna Pearce Lockett Estate is located on the county line with Okeechobee County on the banks of the Kissimmee River. They host an annual 2-day Heritage Festival. I missed this year’s event in April, as it occurred during my 18-day retirement road-trip to and from North Texas. And Archbold Biological Station is located between Lake Placid and Venus in the south-end of our County. It’s on the National Register Of Historic Places. I’ve driven by it so many times along U.S. 27. On a nice and cool day this winter I hope to stop by and visit the nature preserve to walk the trails and check-out the Learning Center.

A couple of days ago I reached a milestone for the 2ND year in a row. I’ll write about it – next – #TravelThursday. Let’s keep traveling together.

#CountUp & #TravelThursday is on Facebook. I usually post there on Mondays and Thursdays.

All rights reserved (c) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 401

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 over 45 years. Here’s this week’s chart – for the week ending Sunday October 20TH 2024 – the 401ST week of this current era that began on Presidents’ Day Weekend of 2017:

TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 9 Up + Up
[6TH week @ # 1]		 Colton Dixon
2 3 5 Worship Through It Tasha Layton Ft. Chris Brown
3 2 11 Count ‘Em Brandon Lake
4 8 10 Do It Again Steven Curtis Chapman
5 – 1 Place In This World for King + Country Ft. Michael W. Smith
6 4 24 Beautiful Life Pat Barrett
7 5 26 Somebody Like Me Caleb & John Ft. Cain
8 10 6 That’s Who I Praise Brandon Lake
9 9 3 Love’s Got A Way Andrew Ripp
10 – 1 If I Got Jesus Ben Fuller

# 1 This Week In:
2023 – “Praise The Lord” – Micah Tyler
2022 – “Good Morning Mercy” – Jason Crabb
2021 – “What If” – Matthew West
2020 – “Rise Up (Lazarus)” – Cain
2019 – “Fear No More” – Building 429
2018 – “Only Jesus” – Casting Crowns
2017 – “Word Of Life” – Jeremy Camp

PLACE IN THIS WORLD – Michael W. Smith is back with a hit that was huge here on my chart 33 years ago during the Summer Of 1991 – back when I was 24, and I didn’t know God. But it was a mainstream pop smash. It was my # 13 hit of the summer overall. Amy Grant cowrote it with Michael as well as Wayne Kirkpatrick. for King + Country take the lead on the new version of the song that was part of their “Unsung Hero” movie from earlier this year, and Michael W. Smith lends his voice to the redux. It’s straight-in to my chart this week into the Top 5. Could this be a future # 1 smash ?

SPOTIFY – You can hear “My Top 10 Hits” anytime by accessing my CountUp playlist on Spotify. All 10 hits are there from top to bottom. You can hear them in order from # 1 to # 10, or you can shuffle them. My playlist will be updated every weekend (usually before the actual chart is presented here on Mondays). You can link to it here.

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. God used loud music on the radio to reach me in August of 2006. I’ve been testifying about Him ever since.

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) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday October 20TH 2024, 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.

It’s been an interesting past 2 weeks for me – starting with the build-up and widespread panic-buying and mass hysteria leading-up to Hurricane Milton. It made landfall early in the evening of Wednesday October 09TH 2024. I live between Sebring and Avon Park in northwestern Highlands County Florida. After making landfall as a Category-3 on Siesta Key near Sarasota (about 80 miles away) – it crossed the state in a general ENE direction. It passed about 30 miles to the northwest of here in southwestern Polk County (very near Fort Meade and Homeland – which I wrote about on a recent #TravelThursday).

Here in my neighborhood – we received maximum sustained winds of Tropical Storm force (45-60 MPH) with a few wind gusts approaching but probably not quite reaching Category-1 Hurricane force. We only received about 2 inches of rain here. We had scattered leaves, twigs, and small branches on our main ring road. Little to no structural damage was noted. Our neighborhood was built tough almost 40 years ago during the mid-1980s, and it has endured much worse than Hurricane Milton (such as a freak April 04TH 2022 hailstorm).

Many other parts of Florida in all different directions did not fare as well – with dozens of tornadoes, ferocious winds, and torrential rains (up to 20 inches in many locations along the Gulf Coast). A lot of Floridians lost everything from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Thank God for the good work of Samaritan’s Purse.

The biggest issue here in the local area were power outages. Highlands County was about 97% in the dark after the storm had passed. A portion of my neighborhood had its power restored on Friday morning. A majority of my neighborhood was out until Saturday afternoon. My power was restored after 63 hours and 34 minutes in the dark. That has inspired a sermon that I’m praying about and will soon be writing titled “63 & 34”. It was a very unique and quite peaceful “63 & 34” as I used God’s daylight to guide and direct me. I grew spiritually during that time – more so than any other time recently. I’ll share how so in my upcoming sermon. I really need to experience more “63 & 34” time – without the assistance of a power outage. I’m going to work towards that.

Psalm 107:29-31 (NLT):
He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.
What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor !
Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.

My testimony is featured each week here on #SundayScripture – whether it’s part of a sermon, or just me writing about the events of the past week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord, and get closer to Him with each new day.

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) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Blogging Driving Food Geography History Military Travel Weather

Pioneer Daze 2024

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. As you may know – I’m an active member of the Sebring Historical Society. I’ve written about us many times on here. And here I go again.

This Saturday October 19TH 2024 it’s our big event in downtown Sebring Florida. It’s our biggest event of the year. It’s our 2ND Annual Pioneer Daze, and it should be a great fun day at the Alan Jay Arena (inside and outside) at the Highlands County Fairgrounds.

If you’re coming in off the Circle – then take South Commerce. Make a right on McClain, and then make a left on Magnolia. Free parking will be in the open field on your left.

If you’re coming in off Sebring Parkway – then turn onto South Commerce. Make the first left on McClain.

I’ll be outside in charge of the parking area. For those that need it – I believe that we will have a few golf carts with drivers to take you from your vehicle over to near the main entrance of our festival where you’ll find outside vendors, food trucks, and a large children’s area.

I hope to take a few opportunities to walk the event inside and check out all of our vendors and entertainment. That way – I’ll have something to write about – next – #TravelThursday. Let’s keep traveling together.

#CountUp & #TravelThursday is on Facebook. I also run the Sebring Historical Society Facebook page.

All rights reserved (c) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp