Greetings my friends. It’s Thursday August 20TH 2020, and it’s the start of another fresh new weekend of blogging. On this day I observe my 14TH anniversary on this fantastic journey. My salvation in Christ began on this date in 2006. This blog was created about 9 months later on Myspace. I wish I still had access to those old blog posts on Myspace. I wrote some good stuff about God’s Good News during those 6 months before WordPress.
This weekend is the 28TH anniversary of the short (2-day) lead-up and instant destruction of my city and surrounding area caused by Hurricane Andrew. It changed my life and career forever, but it also brought me back here to Homestead 19 months later. I don’t like talking or writing about Hurricane Andrew. It was the scariest night of my life. I’d rather not relive it again.
Labor Day is our next holiday here in the U.S. It’s 2½ weeks away. It’s the unofficial end of summer. I’m looking forward to seeing what Autumn has in store. I know that Football season begins soon after Labor Day. It’ll be weird watching football games on TV without anyone in the stands. It’ll also be weird cheering-on my Washington Football Team.
September is traditionally my 2ND-favorite month of the year – because of the start of the NFL season – and also because I get to visit my family in North Texas !
Last weekend I received notice that my upcoming Casting Crowns / Matthew West concert – originally scheduled for April 09TH 2020 – and then rescheduled for October 29TH 2020 – has been rescheduled yet again for March 25TH 2021. It’s on my calendar of events !
Hopefully we return to a more normal world in 2021.
All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries
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 August 16TH 2020:
It’s a bit of an inactive chart this week with 6 non-movers. American Idol 2012 Finalist Colton Dixon takes the biggest leap up my chart with his now Top 3 smash all about God’s “Miracles”. The We The Kingdom Family sing my sole new entry this week with their latest “God So Loved”. It’s their follow-up to their debut # 1 smash “Holy Water”.
Check out the official lyric video for it, and sing along.
For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.(John 3:16-17)
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.
All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries
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.
All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries
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 August 09TH 2020:
It took 182 weeks to reach my 50TH # 1 smash during this current era of my chart, and it’s from one of my favorite singers – Mr. Zach Williams – with his 2ND chart-topper in a row this year. It’s also # 1 at small-market Christian radio, and # 3 at big-market Christian radio. The legendary Dolly Parton sounds great duetting with Zach. At age 74 she’s been singing professionally and releasing singles since she was a young teen in the late-1950s !
I had the audacity to sing that song (from start to finish – both parts of it) this past Sunday morning as I led my church family in Praise & Worship. I’m not a professional singer – far from it – but when you sing to God He listens to your heart and soul – not your voice. When we praise and worship our Lord & Savior we sing for Him and Him alone. He is our audience of One. I encouraged my brothers and sisters of my church family to sing for Him out there – meaning outside of the church building. Sing for Him in everything we do and everywhere we go.
I also sang Matt Maher’s “Alive & Breathing” for Praise & Worship. I love that song. Even after 5 months of hearing it on the radio multiple times per day I still love to sing along to it, and if I’m standing up then I’m dancing along to it. I sing and dance for Christ !
♫ Don’t stop dancing and dreaming
There’s still Good News worth repeating
So lift your head and keep singing
Praise the Lord ! ♫
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.
All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries
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