Category: Driving

Sunday Scripture

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date August 16, 2020

A couple of days ago I walked in to my local neighborhood Honda dealership with the intention of discussing my various options in the next 4 months regarding the end of the 3-year lease of my 2018 Honda Civic. (It was a prescheduled informal appointment with my assigned sales consultant.)

In the couple of weeks after scheduling the appointment and leading-up to the actual day there was that thought in the back of my mind that there was a slight possibility that I would turn-in my lease and start a new lease or even buy a new car on that day. (After all most of you know what usually happens when you walk in to the sales department of any given automobile dealership.)

I ended-up driving an above-average 34 miles on that day (halfway to Miami and back) leading-up to my arrival at the dealership, and I thought to myself that these could be my final miles ever driven in this car.

And it was. Less than 3½ hours after arriving at the dealership I drove away in a brand new 2020 Honda Civic. I told my sales consultant that I didn’t walk in here to buy a new car. I just wanted facts and figures to do a few months worth of research and contemplation. But I liked everything I heard and saw, and I got a good deal. There was no need to procrastinate for a few more months.

Some of the most fun moments on this fantastic journey are the ones that are unplanned, unrehearsed, and unscripted. I mean that’s how this journey began for me 14 years ago this upcoming work week.

“For I know the plans I have for you” – says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster – to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray – I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly – you will find Me. I will be found by you.” – says the LORD.” (Jeremiah 29:11-14a)

As a mostly organized and prepared person I essentially live on a schedule that I maintain for the next 15 days at any given time. It’s a list of things that I need to do, I want to do, and I should do. It even reminds me to blog my 4 posts per weekend. Incidentally – “BUY NEW CAR” – was not on my list of things to do a couple of days ago. Also not on my schedule 14 years ago this upcoming work week – “GET SAVED BY GOD”.

God did that on his own. While my salvation started during this upcoming week of August of 2006 I really didn’t figure much of it out until several weeks and even a few months later. It took me that long to understand what salvation was. See up until 14 years ago I knew of God, but I didn’t know about Him. I didn’t know who He was. He knew me, but I didn’t know Him. Salvation changed all of that.

Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call on Him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that He may have mercy on them. Yes – turn to our God, for He will forgive generously. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts” – says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:6-9)

Our God invites you to salvation if you’re not already on the journey that He created uniquely for you. It’s an open invitation for as long as you’re still alive and breathing here on the earth. Are you ready today ? How about tomorrow ? Next week ? Next month ? Next year ? Or will you be like me, and not plan for it to happen but just let it happen. Will you respond to God when He rescues you out of the pit of despair – out of the mud and the mire – and saves you forever ? Or will you turn away from Him, and return to doing what the world tells you to do ?

You will have infinite opportunities to believe, follow, trust, and love the LORD in your lifetime. Don’t let the final opportunity that He grants you be the one that you reject. I’ve heard it said that hell is not full of people that God rejected, for God rejects nobody. Hell is full of people that rejected God.

You have no idea what awaits you when you accept God and you allow Him to lead you forth away from the darkness and towards His light.

Tags Bible, Blog, Christian, God, Salvation, Scripture

2000s Driving Movies Music Radio Travel Weather Wrestling

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 2005

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date August 14, 2020

Every 2ND, 3RD, and 4TH Friday of the month 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, 20, or 30 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 2ND Friday of the month, so I go back 15 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday August 14TH 2005:

“Get It Poppin'” – Fat Joe Ft. Nelly
“Switch” – Will Smith
“Baby I’m Back” – Baby Bash
“How To Deal” – Frankie J
“La Tortura” – Shakira Ft. Alejandro Sanz

The forgettable year of 2005 continues. I don’t remember a single one of these songs. I don’t remember what they sound like at all. I’d have to go to YouTube and watch the music videos of these songs to remind me of how I liked them 15 years ago this week. I don’t really feel like doing that. Why bring back memories of a “down” year ?

Over at a movie theatre near Walt Disney World I saw “Red Eye” and “Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo” with my brother. I guess we both liked “Red Eye”. We rated it a perfect 4 stars back then. We spent 5 days in the Orlando area (with a brief visit to Tampa) right after Hurricane Katrina had made landfall in northern Miami-Dade County and moved erratically through the region. We attended two WWE events (one house show and one televised nationally). That was a fun trip !

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 2005, Music, Radio

Driving Food Nature Photography Shopping Travel

Fort Myers Beach

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date July 30, 2020

Surprise ! I’ve returned home from vacation again. Just 23 days after returning home from my 9-day / 2-state / 1,690-mile road-trip vacation I embarked on a much shorter road-trip vacation to a beach that’s much closer to home.

This trip was not quite 50 hours and just 271 miles from start to finish. I visited Fort Myers Beach for the 9TH time in 9 years. It was 135½ miles up – and 135½ miles back. I drove up there right after my church service on Sunday. Once I arrived at my hotel I parked my car, and it stayed parked until I departed on Tuesday morning.

I first discovered “The Island” (as the locals call it) of Fort Myers Beach at the end of April 2011. I spent 3 nights there, and I fell in love with what I saw. I also visited in October 2011, March 2012, June 2012, June 2013, October 2013, June 2015, and July 2019. So I visited 6 times during the first 2½ years, and then I skipped a year before my 7TH visit, and then I skipped 4 years before my 8TH visit. This year’s visit was exactly a year to the day after last year’s visit.

I did the same thing that I’ve done on previous visits. I walked the beach several times near my hotel. I took the trolley to the other end of the island and back. I visited the 560-foot-long pier. I walked the downtown shopping district. I enjoyed big meals at some of their unique restaurants. I took lots of photos everywhere I went to remind me forever of the good times I enjoyed.

I love viewing my photos of all of my previous visits to the island – both the “best of the best” photos that made it onto my Flickr site, as well as those that weren’t as good. Even the bland photos remind me of good times at my favorite beach town in Southwest Florida. You can check out my Fort Myers Beach album on Flickr here.

None of the photos from this newest trip are on there yet, but some of them will be soon. In the meantime here are 3 from this 9TH visit to “The Island”:

Tags Fort Myers Beach

1990s Bible Career Christian Driving God Life Military Ministry Music Radio Scripture Travel Weather

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1990

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date July 24, 2020

It’s the 4TH Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday July 22ND 1990:

“Don’t Go Away Mad … Just Go Away” – Motley Crue
“The Cradle Of Love” – Billy Idol
“Possession” – Bad English
“She Ain’t Worth It” – Glenn Medeiros With Bobby Brown
“King Of Wishful Thinking” – Go West

30 years ago this past week I completed a 2-week TDY. In military lingo a TDY is a temporary duty assignment that’s physically located somewhere away from your home station – usually for the purpose of training or deployment. I spent 2 weeks at Tyndall AFB near Panama City Florida. It was the wildest and craziest 2 weeks of the active duty portion of my military career.

I arrived on Saturday July 07TH 1990. 2 weeks / 10 days of training (related to my job) began on Monday July 09TH 1990 and ended on Friday July 20TH 1990. I returned home on Saturday July 21ST 1990. I drove a total of 1,687 miles from start to finish in my red 1989 Geo Spectrum. (Even back then I kept track of road-trip mileage.)

Me and one of my classmates (same age) discovered and explored (for the first time) Panama City Beach during the weekend break. We partied hard like it was 1990 and we were 23 years young. We hit up Spinnaker and Club La Vela. They were the hottest nightclubs on the beach for many years – located right next to each other. We went there both days / nights that weekend.

It was a rockin’ and rowdy weekend that I looked back at fondly for many years – until salvation began 16 summers later in 2006. That’s when I stopped celebrating it. That’s when I started repenting it.

But that wasn’t enough. I returned to Panama City Beach for 2 days and 2 nights leading up to Christmas Eve in 2010. The beach was cold and deserted. I was bundled up. I was back at the scene of the crimes. I walked the beach alone. I admired God’s beauty. I repented of my sins and I asked for forgiveness as I paced back-and-forth. I listened for God’s voice. Once I departed the beach on the morning of Christmas Eve I felt that I had finally closed that chapter of my life.

Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and He will again send you Jesus – your appointed Messiah. For He must remain in Heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through His holy prophets. (Acts 3:19-21 NLT)

I observe that weekend in July of 1990, but I don’t celebrate it anymore. I thank God for rescuing and saving me from destruction some 16 years later. That’s what I celebrate nowadays – especially each summertime. Next month I’ll celebrate 14 years of salvation.

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 !