Category: Life

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Sunday Scripture

This past Friday – late in the morning – I was sitting at my booth at Buffalo Wild Wings awaiting the arrival of my traditional wings (with sweet BBQ sauce) and wedges, and I was listening to the random hits that were being played loudly on the sound system. (They have a really nice sound system in there.)

Suddenly – out of nowhere – “Child Of Love” from We The Kingdom began playing !

I let out a big smile. I even laughed a little bit. It’s a hit from my own chart earlier this year that spent 14 weeks in my Top 10, 8 weeks in my Top 5, and 6 weeks in my Top 3. I thought to myself, “How on earth did this song end up on Buffalo Wild Wings’ playlist ? !”

It hasn’t crossed-over to the (secular) pop charts (yet). Their debut hit – “Holy Water” – actually did cross-over early-on in 2020. It peaked at # 106.

Buffalo Wild Wings was fairly empty at the time (during the 11 AM hour), and perhaps I was the only one in the restaurant who recognized, acknowledged, and appreciated that song being played loudly. (I don’t think I’ve ever heard it played so loud before.)

“Child Of Love” tells the life-changing story of salvation. It tells my story from exactly 15 years ago:

♫ I was walking the wayside
Lost on a lonely road
I was chasing the high life
Tryna satisfy my soul

All the lies I believed in
Left me crying like the rain
Then I saw lightning from Heaven
And I’ve never been the same

I’m gonna climb a mountain
I’m gonna shout about it
I am a child of love
I found a world of freedom
I found a friend in Jesus
I am a child of love

I’ve felt the sting of the fire
But I saw You in the flames
Just when I thought it was over
You broke me out of the grave ♫

You know salvation can begin unexpectedly for anyone at anytime in anyplace. Most of us who are saved by our God’s great grace didn’t see it coming. For me salvation began on a dark 2-lane street in my city early in the morning as the first hint of daylight was appearing in the eastern sky. God used hit music to save me. Our God is powerful. He’ll even use Buffalo Wild Wings to save another lost soul.

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair – out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground, and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing – a hymn of praise to our God. (Psalm 40:1-3a NLT)

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) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

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Bible Blogging Christian Church God Life Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

I was rescued and saved by my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ 15 years ago this week. I’ve observed and celebrated this week in August as my “Salvation Week” every year since 2007. It’s the anniversary of when my life unexpectedly changed forever.

I love this word cloud meme that I recently found on social media. It’s based on the first chapter of the first letter of Peter. There are a lot of good words listed. I can stare at it and look at each one of those words over and over again. It’s the story of my salvation – which continues to this day.

1 Peter 1 ends with these 5 verses:

Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because He raised Christ from the dead and gave Him great glory.

You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.

For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal living word of God. As the Scriptures say:

“People are like grass.
Their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
But the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

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) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

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Blogging Life Military

My 54TH Birthday

This Saturday June 05TH 2021 is my 54TH birthday ! I was born at 10:13 PM CDT in Room 340 at Selma Baptist Hospital in Selma Alabama. My Dad was stationed at nearby Craig Air Force Base at the time. We were there until early in 1969, and then my Dad left the USAF to begin a new career in life insurance. We moved to Greenbelt Maryland (just outside of Washington D.C.). That’s where my Dad was born and raised (D.C. and adjacent Prince Georges County Maryland). He lived there for the first 22 years of his life. After graduating from Bladensburg High School (Class Of 1959) he attended 4 years at the University Of Maryland in College Park. He joined the USAF in 1963.

Fast forward to June 05TH 1971 (also a Saturday), and here’s the scene with me – 50 years ago:

All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

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Blogging Career Driving Life Nature Photography Travel

I Want To See America After I Retire

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.

All rights reserved (c) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries