Category: Military

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Blogging Career Home Life Military

Anniversaries

It’s Thursday June 11TH 2020, and weekends begin on Thursdays here at #CountUp. This is the start of another weekend of blogging for me. Tomorrow (Friday) it’s RETRO, and I’ll check-out my life and times via music from this weekend 15 years ago in 2005.

I’m observing a series of personal anniversaries during this first-half of June. I graduated from high school 35 years ago last weekend. I attended all 4 years (1981-1985) at Langley High School. YES – That’s the same Langley that is also the home of the Central Intelligence Agency. Many of my classmates were sons and daughters of CIA agents, and many others were sons and daughters of senators and congresspersons. I was an odd one out there. I wasn’t rich. I wasn’t cool. Nobody remembers me from high school – aside from perhaps my Spanish 1 teacher from 1981-1982. I actually follow him on Facebook, and he sends me “Happy Birthday” greetings each year. I wonder if he really remembers me ?

35 years ago tomorrow is my official 35TH Anniversary in the United States Air Force. It’s the day that I left home for a new life and adventure. It unexpectedly became my career. It’s been a pretty good career. There were some bad years including a 13-year pit of despair (1994-2007). But that’s been followed by a 13-year peak (2007-2020) that I hope continues on until the day that I retire and move away from here.

Speaking of moving away from here – I moved in to my current home 25 years ago this Saturday (June 13TH). It’s the longest I’ve ever lived in a single home in my entire life, and it’s not even close. I previously lived in the same home for 5 years and 9 months (1975-1980) as a kid in Lanham Maryland. I moved in to my current home as a 28-year-old who had never set foot in or even knew of this neighborhood’s existence until a few days before I actually moved in. A local Real Estate agent showed me this home, and she didn’t have to show me any other. I accepted it. It’s one of the best decisions of my life. I rented it for 6 years, and then I bought it.

So that’s where I am during this 2ND week of June of 2020. I hope that you’re having a better June than was your March, April, and May. We’re getting back to normal after an unexpected season in hibernation. Let’s root for each other. Let’s cheer each other on. Let’s be nice to each other. Let’s love our neighbor.

All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

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Bible Career Christian Church God Life Military Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

On this 31ST and final day of May of 2020 my church family – the children of the lady – met corporately in our sanctuary for the first time in 77 days – since 11 Sundays ago.

Our Lead Pastor Bob welcomed us and addressed us, and then the Praise, Worship, and Celebration began – led by our Worship Pastor Ben and our sister Shirley. After the first song I greeted my church body with help from the start of the 122ND Psalm:

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” And now here we are …

We continued to sing to our LORD, and then Pastor Bob preached his timely sermon on “The Church Under Attack”.

Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed. Yes – truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked. The LORD looked and was displeased to find there was no justice. He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. So He Himself stepped in to save them with His strong arm, and His justice sustained him. (Isaiah 59:14-16 NLT)

That Scripture sounds a lot like Sunday May 31ST 2020.

Following service I went to my other family at the workplace. We became an instant church family this afternoon, as we mourned and then celebrated the life of our beloved coworker who suddenly lost his life early this past Saturday morning while driving himself to the local hospital. I preached to my brothers and sisters – my coworkers – on this afternoon – barely keeping it together with sweat and tears covering my face.

God has our brother now. He will take great care of him. And our brother will root us on from up above, as we continue to fix the base and clean it up.

MORRIS ‘THE CAT’ MAXWELL – 29 February 1956 – 30 May 2020

All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

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Career Driving Life Military Travel

My Final 3½ Years Of My Air Force Career

I am currently in my final 3½ years of my Air Force career (hence the title above). In 2 weeks I’ll observe my 35TH anniversary as an Air Force employee. After 5 years, and 10 years, and 15 years, and even 20 years – I never imagined making this my career. Even in 2007 after 22 years I was on the verge of moving on. But then the greatest 13 years of my career began, and it continues to this day.

According to my plans – which are always superseded by God’s plans (I wrote and preached an entire sermon on that) – I’ll be retiring sometime in December 2023 at the age of 56½ (my minimum retirement age). I plan to move about 3 hours north of where I am now – up into the central part of the state of Florida along the Lake Wales Ridge – the spine of the peninsular part of Florida. A long long time ago when present-day Florida was submerged underwater – only the spine existed as a narrow series of small islands (much like the Keys exist today). The sandy ground of the region are remants of when beaches existed there.

There’s a 54-mile stretch of U.S. 27 that rides high atop the Lakes Wales Ridge from State Road 70 to the south to State Road 60 to the north. It includes the historic small towns of Lake Placid, Sebring, Avon Park, and Lake Wales. That’s my retirement destination – with Sebring being Ground Zero.

I’ve already selected a few neighborhoods (online) that I’d like to check-out for future living possibilities. At some of them you have to be 55 years of age or older. OK – I’ll see you all in 2022.

Sebring Pier over Lake Jackson looking back towards downtown

During my retirement years I hope to work part-time somewhere (maybe Publix), and volunteer hours at various places such as a local military museum and a large state park. I also hope to go in to full-time ministry with a local church. I’ll be very busy during my upcoming retirement years, but I’ll also make time to travel more – especially right here stateside – where I’ve only set foot in a little more than half of our 50 states.

It’ll be a brave new world that I’ll enter into in about 3½ years, but I’ll be ready for it.

All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

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Bible Holidays Military Scripture

Memorial Day

2008 Memorial Day Poster #3.

It’s Memorial Day here in the U.S.A. It’s not appropriate to say “Happy Memorial Day”, for this is a truly solemn holiday. It’s the day each year that we honor our fallen heroes – those military personnel who served their country in a time of war – and who gave the ultimate sacrifice to keep our freedom strong. They gave their life.

This is not a day for those like me who once served in the U.S. Armed Forces, for I am still alive. My day is Veterans Day on November 11TH. It is not a day for those who are currently serving in the military. That day is Armed Forces Day – the 3RD Saturday of May.

On this day I remember our fallen heroes. I will never forget.

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13)

All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries