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Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts

I. #Introduction – Surprise. I’ve brought back an old favorite of this blog, but just for a single return appearance. This won’t become a regular weekly feature again. This was once the flagship of this blog. It started in 2007 on Myspace – inspired by fellow bloggers of the era. It continued here on WordPress for 129 well-read editions. This is the first edition on WordPress in over 11 years. I brought it back briefly on Facebook after that. This is essentially my instant “brain dump” online. It’s what’s on my mind – right here – right now. I have no idea what I’ll write – until my fingers hit the keyboard. Once it’s done it gets posted immediately. I wanted to do something different to observe 2,000 blog posts here on WordPress, and this is what I came up with. #Blogging101

II. #Lunch – I’ve written about Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, and Red Lobster many times before here on my #GrabBag. Back in 2008 and 2009 they were being built and opened in my city right next to each other just 3 miles away from my home. Longhorn and Olive Garden continue to thrive with delicious food, great service, and an abundance of customers all day every day. Red Lobster is struggling. I don’t go there very often anymore, and when I do there aren’t that many people there – both customers and employees. They appear to be poorly managed at this time. As a church group we’ve dropped the place from our regular rotation due to poor service. I went back today solo on a reconnaissance mission to see if they have improved. They failed. They were closed 18 minutes after they were supposed to be open at 11 AM. I went back to Longhorn – the place that I’ve been to more than any other restaurant in my city. My favorite waitress served me. She was fantastic, and my meal was delicious. #CaseClosed

III. #ManOnTheMoon – 52 years ago today on July 20TH 1969 (a Sunday) man walked on the moon for the first time ever. It was one small step for man – one giant leap for mankind. I actually remember watching it as a 2-year-old toddler in our cozy Greenbelt Maryland apartment on our giant (25-inch) living room TV set that was essentially heavy furniture that weighed several hundred pounds. I smiled when R.E.M.‘s “Man On The Moon” played on my iPod Shuffle at my desk at work this morning. #Appropriate

IV. #WeatherOnTheFours – Today we had a lot of quick-moving heavy showers around the area, but we also had a lot of hot sunshine. Sometimes the sun was shining bright while the rain was pouring down. Sounds like a typical “rainy season” day. We started-off this morning right around 78°F / 26°C, and we managed to reach 90°F / 32°C. Slightly drier and hotter days are headed this way – along with some Saharan dust. #Gesundheit

V. #FamilyPhotoOn5 – I stumbled across this photo recently. It’s from a long time ago – the Summer of 1977 (I believe). It could be ’78. I’m 10 (or 11). My little brother is 2 (or 3). We’re definitely in Ocean City Maryland with our neighbor friends. I went fishing for the first time ever in my life, and look what I caught !  Please excuse my outfit. I didn’t dress myself back then. #CutenessOverload

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again this upcoming weekend (which starts very soon) – 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) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

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Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 231

Every Monday I post my all-new Top 10 Christian hit music chart based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from the previous week. It’s the continuation of a weekly hobby that goes back 40+ years. Here’s this week’s chart:

COUNTUP MINISTRIES FOR THE WEEK ENDING SUNDAY JULY 18TH 2021 WEEK 231
TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 8 Be Alright
[2ND week @ # 1]
Evan Craft X Danny Gokey X Redimi2
2 2 11 Yes He Can Cain
3 5 8 When We Fall Apart Ryan Stevenson Ft. Vince Gill & Amy Grant
4 4 7 Until Grace Tauren Wells Ft. Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts
5 3 26 Fires Jordan St. Cyr
6 6 15 Gospel Song Rhett Walker
7 1 Into The Wild Josh Baldwin
8 1 What If Matthew West
9 10 2 My Jesus Anne Wilson
10 9 3 Sunday Morning Feeling Apollo LTD Ft. Ryan Stevenson

# 1 This Week In:
2020 – “No Impossible With You” – I AM THEY
2019 – “Prize Worth Fighting For” – Jamie Kimmett
2018 – “Grace Got You” – MercyMe
2017 – “Wonder” – Hillsong United

STILL AT # 1 – Evan Craft remains at the top of my chart this week, as “Be Alright” continues to gain momentum at U.S. Christian Radio. This past week it was the most added song, and it registered the most increased plays at big market stations. It’s approaching the Top 10 from coast to coast.

SURPRISE AT # 7 – This was unexpected. Bethel Music Pastor, Singer, & Songwriter Josh Baldwin is back with his 4TH hit on my chart – following-up “Stand In Your Love” (2018), “Let The Redeemed” (2020), and “Evidence” (2020). “Into The Wild” is his new song, and it’s from his “Evidence” album. “Into The Wild” is about letting go and leaving your past behind, following Christ’s heart, trusting Him for who He is, and dreaming like a child again – “Into The Wild”.

Check out the official music video for “Into The Wild”:

This blog is # 45 worldwide on the Top 60 Christian Music Blogs and Websites in 2021 chart. Thank You for including us Feedspot !

It may be Monday, but my weekend of blogging is not yet complete. I’ve got one more post for you tomorrow – Tuesday, and it will be posted late in the day – even early Wednesday for those of you reading in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. If you’re a longtime fan of my blog then tomorrow night’s blog will be extra special, as it will be a trip down memory lane. I hope that you’ll check back in again to read it.

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

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1990s Blogging Career Home Military Music Radio Travel

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1991

Every Friday 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, 25, 30, or 35 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 3RD Friday of the month, so I go back 30 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday July 21ST 1991:

  1. “Unbelievable” – EMF
  2. “Hard To Handle” – The Black Crowes
  3. “A Couple Days Off” – Huey Lewis And The News
  4. “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” – C + C Music Factory Ft. Freedom Williams
  5. “Here We Go (Let’s Rock & Roll)” – C + C Music Factory Presents Freedom Williams & Zelma Davis

The Black Crowes scored a surprise # 2 hit on my chart with “Hard To Handle”. I say “surprise” because it received very little radio airplay here in South Florida while it was a hit on the radio in other parts of the U.S. some 8 months earlier in November and December of 1990. It received tremendous airplay in my tent at “Tent City” at Al Kharj Air Base in Saudi Arabia during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I didn’t play it. One of my tentmates played it over and over again – loudly. It became a de facto anthem of the war. I bought it on cassette single after returning home stateside, and I played it over and over again myself in my dorm room – loudly. I consider it to be one of the greatest rock songs ever made.

Next Friday on RETRO I’ll go back 35 years ago to July 1986 – when I lived on the edge of the Cotswolds of Gloucestershire England.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday with 3 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

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

Categories
Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 230

Every Monday I post my all-new Top 10 Christian hit music chart based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from the previous week. It’s the continuation of a weekly hobby that goes back 40+ years. Here’s this week’s chart:

COUNTUP MINISTRIES FOR THE WEEK ENDING SUNDAY JULY 11TH 2021 WEEK 230
TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 3 7 Be Alright
[1ST week @ # 1]
Evan Craft X Danny Gokey X Redimi2
2 1 10 Yes He Can Cain
3 2 25 Fires Jordan St. Cyr
4 4 6 Until Grace Tauren Wells Ft. Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts
5 5 7 When We Fall Apart Ryan Stevenson Ft. Vince Gill & Amy Grant
6 7 14 Gospel Song Rhett Walker
7 8 5 Rattle ! Elevation Worship
8 6 18 Help Is On The Way (Maybe Midnight) TobyMac
9 10 2 Sunday Morning Feeling Apollo LTD Ft. Ryan Stevenson
10 1 My Jesus Anne Wilson

# 1 This Week In:
2020 – “Keep Me In The Moment” – Jeremy Camp
2019 – “Prize Worth Fighting For” – Jamie Kimmett
2018 – “Do It Again” – Elevation Worship
2017 – “The Comeback” – Danny Gokey

SURPRISE at # 1, as debut artist Evan Craft rises to the top of my chart, and he returns Danny Gokey to the top spot for the first time since his debut hit “The Comeback” (which was # 1 on my chart exactly 4 years ago). “Be Alright” is my 486TH # 1 smash overall since 1985, 62ND # 1 smash of this current era since 2017, and 7TH # 1 smash of 2021. Thank You Evan for this catchy track that I can’t get out of my mind – because – ♫ He’s got the whole world in His hands – He’s got the whole world in His hands – He’s got the whole wide world in His hands. ♫

CHART BUSTING just outside of my Top 10 this week is the next big hit from my # 1 artist overall since 2017 – Matthew West. His first 5 hits have a spent a combined 109 weeks on my chart – more than any other artist. “What If” will be his 6TH big hit. It should still be on my chart 15 weeks from now when I’m singing it – with him – in front of him – LIVE in concert.

This blog is # 45 worldwide on the Top 60 Christian Music Blogs and Websites in 2021 chart. Thank You for including us Feedspot !

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again this upcoming weekend – with 5 new entries on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, Monday, and a special presentation on Tuesday July 20TH. 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) 2021 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries