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Animals Church Driving Food Nature Photography Travel

Weekend Kickoff Mini-Thoughts

Let’s try this again – a rapid-fire session of thoughts on my mind right this minute:

  • I went on a short weekend getaway last weekend.
  • I left at dawn last Friday, and I returned late this past Monday morning.
  • It was a 76-hour vacation away from home.
  • I drove about 140 miles away from home, so not too far.
  • Once upon a time I’d announce my vacations away from home on social media.
  • I’m much smarter nowadays, as I now reveal vacations after-the-fact.
  • So I drove to Fort Myers Florida on Friday.
  • I ate Breakfast at Perkins along the way in Naples.
  • I like Perkins. I wish we had those here at home.
  • I enjoyed a late Lunch / early Dinner at Outback Steakhouse.
  • I can’t remember the last time I ate there (maybe over 10 years ?)
  • We don’t have one close to home, but we have Longhorn & Texas here.
  • I love to eat steak !
  • I saw longtime comedian Brian Regan LIVE in concert that night.
  • He packed-in a lot of laughs in 55 minutes.
  • I wish he had performed for 90 minutes.
  • He left us wanting more, so he did his job as a comedian.
  • He had an opening act too – a comedian that made us laugh for 15 minutes.
  • The next morning I headed over to Fort Myers Beach.
  • I visited “The Island” (as the natives refer to it) 7 times from 2011 to 2015.
  • It was love at first sight at the end of April of 2011.
  • I thought I had found my future retirement town.
  • On subsequent visits I discovered the “seedier” side of town.
  • I decided not to retire there.
  • I decided to stop visiting there.
  • So this was my 8TH visit, but 1ST visit in a little over 4 years.
  • It’s still a fun place to visit.
  • I’ll visit for a 9TH time sooner rather than later.
  • I did considerable research on churches on the island beforehand.
  • There are a lot of churches along its narrow 7-mile length.
  • A friend suggested a specific church to visit.
  • I watched the previous Sunday sermon from the Pastor.
  • I didn’t care for his style. He was too Jimmy Buffett-like.
  • He acted too silly for me.
  • His use of Scripture was mighty thin too.
  • I like a Pastor with a sense of humor, but this dude was over-the-top.
  • I ended-up watching a LIVE Facebook feed of my own Pastor back home.
  • I like his style.
  • Later on Sunday night I took a fun 3-hour boat cruise that I pre-booked.
  • It was billed as a “Dolphin & Shelling Sunset Cruise“.
  • There were 38 of us including the Captain & Skipper.
  • Both narrated portions of the cruise.
  • We saw lots of birds at play on the various islands.
  • Dolphins jumped all around us at the rear of the boat.
  • Those dolphins know how to get from Point A to Point B quicker.
  • They simply ride the waves created by the boat.
  • I didn’t get any pictures of the dolphins because there were lots of kids too.
  • They blocked my view, but it’s all good.
  • The sunset was beautiful too, but again my line-of-sight was blocked.
  • I did manage to get one reasonably good photo of the sunset.

Sunset (Cruise)

  • You’re lookin’ good Fort Myers Beach !

All rights reserved (c) 2019 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

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Bible Books Christian Church God Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Today was another beautiful day with my church family at Living Waters. We had a special guest speaker this week, and he brought God’s Good News to us in an awesome way.

He preached on all 21 verses of Daniel Chapter 1 – which begins in 605 B.C. – the 3RD year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah. Jehoiakim was the oldest son of Josiah who I’ve been studying for the past month or so, and it’s actually become my next two sermons that I hope to preach to my church family. My first sermon covers the entire 31-year reign of King Josiah. My second sermon covers the crumbling of the Kingdom of Judah immediately after Josiah’s untimely death.

During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah – King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The LORD gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah, and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. (Daniel 1:1-2)

Today’s sermon went a long way in helping me to understand the fall of the “Southern Kingdom” to Babylon.

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became King, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother was Zebidah – the daughter of Pedaiah from Rumah. He did what was evil in the LORD’s sight – just as his ancestors had done. (2 Kings 23:36-37)

Our Special Guest Speaker this week was Jeff Carter – Author of “I Can Prove God Exists: Only God Could Be An Atheist” – available on Amazon.

All rights reserved (c) 2019 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
Bible Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

This morning I did what I’ve done for pretty much every Sunday morning over the past 12½ years (since Sunday January 21ST 2007), and that is – hang out with my church family. I don’t “go to church”. I don’t “come from church”. That would be religious, and I am not religious. I am the church. I represent God and His church with every new moment of my new life.

It’s the highlight – the pinnacle – of every week for me – those 4 hours every Sunday that I get to hang out with those who believe and follow and love our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ as much as I do. They are my closest brothers and sisters of my church family, and they know more about me than anyone else in the entire world – more than my blood family – more than my coworkers – more than anyone on social media. I’ve shared my life with my (current) church family now for the past 4 years and 4 months. We walk together on this fantastic journey.

From First Corinthians Chapter 12 Verses 27 to 31 in the New Living Translation, and as the Bible says:

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.
Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:

– first are apostles
– second are prophets
– third are teachers
– then those who do miracles
– those who have the gift of healing
– those who can help others
– those who have the gift of leadership
– those who speak in unknown languages

Are we all apostles ?  Are we all prophets ?  Are we all teachers ?  Do we all have the power to do miracles ?  Do we all have the gift of healing ?  Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages ?  Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages ?  Of course not !  So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.
But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

All rights reserved (c) 2019 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

Categories
Bible Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

It was another glorious Sunday with my Living Waters church family. Our Lead Pastor continued his message series on moving mountains out of the way. Today he told the story of Isaac. God promised Abraham a son, and Isaac was that son. God tested Abraham’s faith by telling him to sacrifice Isaac. He did as he was told. God intervened, and He provided a sacrificial ram in Isaac’s place.

“Take your son – your only son – yes – Isaac – whom you love so much – and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains – which I will show you.” (Genesis 22:2)

Our Pastor then showed us how Isaac was a type of Jesus !  #TypesAndShadows

Post-Sermon I led Communion with the story of Freedom – our nation’s freedom – and our own freedom in Christ.

Freedom In Christ

But when the right time came – God sent His Son – born of a woman – subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because we are His children – God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts – prompting us to call out, “Abba – Father !” (Galatians 4:4-6)

All rights reserved (c) 2019 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries