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1980s Blogging Career Driving Life Military Music Radio Travel

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1985

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 1ST Friday of the month, so it’s a special. Back in 1985 I was an 18-year-old USAF Airman Basic living in a dorm at Chanute AFB near Rantoul Illinois. In September I was in my 2ND month of technical school – learning how to do my future job. We were approaching the halfway point of our 12-week class. For the first 6 weeks class started early in the morning, and it continued until the middle of the afternoon. For the remaining 6 weeks we went to a “swing shift” schedule – starting in the middle of the afternoon, and continuing until late at night. That got us accustomed to the various schedules that we could face while working our job at our first permanent duty station.

I’m still having fun over on Facebook at the Chanute AFB Veterans page – enjoying the classic photos and reminiscing about my short time there on that base surrounded by cornfields. I wish I had photos to share, but sadly I didn’t own a camera or take pictures back then. I had a lot of fun though with my classmates and dormmates !

These were the hottest hits in the land exactly 35 years ago this weekend – for the week ending Sunday September 08TH 1985:

  1. “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)” – John Paar
  2. “The Power Of Love” – Huey Lewis And The News
  3. “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)” – Tina Turner
  4. “Freeway Of Love” – Aretha Franklin
  5. “Summer Of ’69” – Bryan Adams

Good solid pop / light-rock music set back then. That’s what played on my static-filled AM radio in my 1980 Chevy Citation (my first car). #MusicRadioWLSChicago

Next week on RETRO it’s back to my regularly-scheduled program. I’ll go back 15 years to the 2ND week of September of 2005.

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) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries

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Bible Blogging Career Christian Church God Military Ministry Music Scripture Travel

Sunday Scripture

After observing the 14TH anniversary of God’s fantastic journey for me I’m now into my 15TH year. I believe that this 15TH year will be greater than the 14TH year, for He is greater, and He keeps life exciting with each new day.

It took me exactly 5 months to enter a church building after the start of my salvation. I walked in to Life Pointe Church in Homestead Florida on a Saturday night in January of 2007 for a rock concert. The next morning I went to our new local movie theatre in town for their Sunday morning church service. (They were no longer holding services at their original church building.)

I’ve been part of a church body now ever since that Saturday night rock concert. It was the first time I walked in to a church building as a saved man.

Growing up in the 1970s my family was Catholic. We attended Sunday service every week in Seabrook Maryland (near Washington D.C.). I actually attended Catholic School 5 days a week during my first and second grades (1973-1975). In 1975 my parents pulled me out of Catholic School and placed me into the local public school system. I attended traditional public schools for the next 10 years (1975-1985).

During the Summer of 1985 (at age 18) I actually attended a couple of Sunday morning Catholic church services on Lackland AFB near San Antonio Texas. I was in Basic Military Training at the time, and it was a convenient way to get away from reality for an hour or two. I didn’t really pay attention during the service. I was just there to get out of the heat, get away from the yelling and screaming, and hang out with some of my dorm brothers.

During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in January and February of 1991 I attended a couple of Sunday morning Catholic church services in a big tent in the middle of the Saudi Arabian desert. Again – it was a convenient way to get away from reality – a diversion from war. I wasn’t spiritual at all. I didn’t know who God was at the time.

I didn’t get to know God The Father, God The Son, and God The Spirit until exactly 14 years ago. A few months later I realized that I would not be fully on the journey until I became part of a Bible-believing church body.

Christ died for us so that we may be saved, and since He saved us we must commit to Him. He told us to love Him. He told us to love others – those who believe – and those who do not yet believe.

He commanded us believers to meet regularly to praise and worship Him, and to encourage and motivate our brothers and sisters in Him. In these last days we must be a strong church that Christ recognizes – one that honors Him above all. When we meet together in corporate worship we practice for what we must do away from the church building, and that is to encourage and motivate and love our neighbor – each creation that we come in contact with on a daily basis.

See God is coming back for His church. He’s not coming back for the manmade buildings or meeting places. He’s coming back for His church body – His creation – committed to Him.

We must be the church in everything we do, and everywhere we go.

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

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Blogging Christian Football God Holidays Home Music Sports Television Travel Weather

Calendar Of Events

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

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2000s Driving Movies Music Radio Travel Weather Wrestling

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 2005

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:

  1. “Get It Poppin'” – Fat Joe Ft. Nelly
  2. “Switch” – Will Smith
  3. “Baby I’m Back” – Baby Bash
  4. “How To Deal” – Frankie J
  5. “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 !

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