Categories
Blogging Geography Travel Weather

El Niño Winter

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. I was previously planning to write about “The Cars Of Sebring” as a continuation of last Thursday’s fascinating post on “The Birds Of Sebring”, but I decided to change the script and write about the weather instead. (It’s always an easy subject to write about for me.) Don’t worry – those cars will be reported on next Thursday (unless I call another audible).

It’s been a cold week so far here in the Heartland of Florida. (As a refresher – the Heartland is that mostly rural inland region of South-Central Florida that’s southeast of Tampa and southwest of Orlando.)

Due to a plunging jet stream and trough in the east with several strong cold fronts sweeping through – December and January-like temperatures invaded the Heartland (and all of Florida). The 50s actually made it all the way south to the Everglades in South Florida, and the 40s (even mid-40s) poured into the northern suburbs of the Tampa Bay area. We actually set some record low daytime high temperatures this past Monday and Tuesday – with the low-70s – or about 15°F below normal. (Our normal high for this time of the year is still the mid-80s, and our normal low is still the low-70s here in Sebring.)

We dipped down to 52°F here in my part of Sebring with wind chills around 48°F on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at dawn. It felt good and weird – like we suddenly plunged into winter after 5 months of a hotter and dryer than normal summer. I had to dig-in to my limited winter clothing collection.

Our rainy season has ended. September 30TH is generally the unofficial end of the rainy season here in the Heartland. (It’s October 15TH in South Florida.) We’re now in our 7-to-8-month dry season when we get just 30% of our annual rainfall.

But it’s an El Niño Winter, so that means cooler and wetter than normal for Florida (all regions). So far – it’s living up to its reputation. This is (already) our strongest El Niño since the Winter of 2015-2016, and that was one of the strongest ever recorded. (This one likely won’t be as strong.)

Unfortunately – El Niño Winters also bring severe weather to Florida, as the leading edge of this early winter weather arrived after a confirmed 6 tornados (EF0 to EF2) in the Tampa Bay area last week.

Fun Fact: That strong El Niño Winter of 2015-2016 ? I recorded an unprecedented 13 days in Homestead Florida that we did not reach 70°F. (Normal is 6.)

Want to learn more about El Niño (and La Niña) ? The NOAA does a very good job of explaining it here.

So – it should be a very interesting winter season here in Florida. I’ll keep watching and studying it just like I’ve done for the past 45 years, and I’ll even post pictures of it occasionally.

Next #TravelThursday – I’ll tell you all about the cars of Sebring – unless I change my mind again. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 348

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 over 45 years. Here’s this week’s chart – for the week ending Sunday October 15TH 2023 – the 348TH week of this current era that began on Presidents’ Day Weekend of 2017:

TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 2 10 Praise The Lord
[1ST week @ # 1]		 Micah Tyler
2 1 13 Praise You Anywhere Brandon Lake
3 3 9 Hallelujah Feeling Caleb & John
4 4 11 Heaven Changes Everything Big Daddy Weave
5 5 15 To Not Worship You MercyMe
6 7 10 Jesus Does We The Kingdom
7 6 5 What Are We Waiting For ? for King + Country
8 8 7 Parking Lot Cochren & Co.
9 10 2 Firm Foundation (He Won’t) Cody Carnes
10 9 3 Loved By You Riley Clemmons

# 1 This Week In:
2022 – “Good Morning Mercy” – Jason Crabb
2021 – “What If” – Matthew West
2020 – “Rise Up (Lazarus)” – Cain
2019 – “Fear No More” – Building 429
2018 – “Only Jesus” – Casting Crowns
2017 – “The Gospel” – Ryan Stevenson

MICAH – Mr. Tyler’s 7TH hit in 6½ years is now his 3RD # 1 smash atop my chart, as “Praise The Lord” ascends to the top – replacing the 7-week chart-topper “Praise You Anywhere”. Micah could be at # 1 for many weeks unless a surprise emerges. He’s about to kickoff a tour with my favorite singer – Mr. Matthew West.

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again with the new weekend – and 3 new entries – known as #TravelThursday, #SundayScripture, and #MusicMonday.

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 X and Flickr.

Be blessed my friends !  May our 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) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Internet Ministry Music Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday October 15TH 2023, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

Once upon a time several church families ago I hosted (was the emcee for) a “Night Of Worship”. If you’re not familiar with the concept it’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a night (a couple of hours) of worship to and for God – mostly music – from the in-house Praise & Worship duo, group, or band. Sometimes other churches participate with their respective musicians. It’s essentially the church’s version of a concert.

Way back when – we had “Night Of Worship” where our house band performed, and they were accompanied by several other bands from local area churches. As I recall I loved the first-time experience, but I thought that it was lacking a few things – most notably organization and a host / emcee to keep it flowing and put it all together from start to finish. I thought that it lacked a proper opening and closing, and that there was a lack of continuity in the form of prayer and testimony in-between each of the bands and sets. So I volunteered to host the next one on the schedule, and I was granted that opportunity. That second show (a month or two later) was glorious, and I still remember much of it to this day. I thought that it would be the start of a big monthly or quarterly event that would gain momentum with each new show. I started planning for the next one.

That’s not what actually happened though. That event quietly fizzled out in the subsequent months to follow.

Fast forward a decade, and last night we hosted “Night Of Worship”. It was my first one with my new church family here in Sebring Florida. I didn’t host. I observed. I experienced. I celebrated. God’s Glory was at work last night !

Our Praise & Worship band opened and closed the service, and in-between a local band – Crimson Cure – performed. Our Pastor Tim also preached a short sermon based on Psalm 40:1-3 (a favorite and oft-used Scripture of mine).

I like this Scripture too:

Shout for joy to the LORD – all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before Him with joyful songs.
(Psalm 100:1-2 NIV)

My testimony is featured here each week on #SundayScripture whether it’s part of a sermon, or just me writing about the events of the past week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord, and get closer to Him with each new day.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

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) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Blogging Driving Geography Travel

The Birds Of Sebring

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. I’ve been a resident of Sebring Florida for a few days shy of 7 months. Actually – the main entrance to my neighborhood is about a mile north of the city limits of Sebring, but that’s close enough. I’m not quite a full-timer yet – more like a 75%-timer, but that’s close enough.

As a new resident of Sebring – I’ve learned how to speak Sebring. Those of us who live here year-round are known as “survivors” or “warriors” – because we’ve survived the long hot summer and any tropical systems that came this way. Everyone else is a “snowbird” – whether they are here for a couple of months, or up to 6 months out of the year. (We’ve already had some snowbirds return from the great white north. The license plate colors are changing.)

U.S. 27 (or “Highway 27”, or simply “27”) is our main thoroughfare through the commercial (western) part of the city. The survivors believe that the snowbirds cause all of the accidents along 27, but the fact of the matter is that we have accidents every day of every month – even in the dead of summer. If anything – the snowbirds actually slow down the speeding traffic up and down 27. As a speed limit obeyer – I appreciate them.

So far – no day here in Sebring have I encountered traffic as heavy as any day down south in Homestead. The survivors frequently complain about the traffic on 27. I don’t know what they are complaining about.

So we have some unique neighborhoods here in Sebring. If one says that they live in “The Fish Streets” – then they live in the neighborhood right behind my neighborhood up in North Sebring. All of the streets are named after types of fish. We also have “The Indian Streets”, “The Tree Streets”, “The Irish Streets”, “The African Streets”, and “The A Streets”. Two of the largest neighborhoods are adjacent to each other west of 27 – “The Car Streets”, and “The Bird Streets”. Everyone in Sebring knows what you mean when you say – “I live in the bird streets.”

These are the birds of Sebring (in alphabetical order): Barn Owl, Brant, Cardinal, Caspian Tern, Chickadee, Condor, Crane, Darter, Dove, Duckling, Dunlin, Eagle, Egret, Grosbeak, Heron, Hummingbird, Ibis, Jay, Kite, Lark, Limpkin, Loon, Macaw, Meadowlark, Mockingbird, Nightingale, Oriole, Parakeet, Parrot, Partridge, Peacock, Pelican, Pheasant, Pigeon, Puffin, Quail, Rail, Raven, Road Runner, Robin, Sandpiper, Scrub Jay, Sparrow, Spotted Owl, Starling, Sunbird, Swallow, Swift, Tanager, Tern, Thrush, Vireo, Woodpecker, Wren

Those are “The Bird Streets” – collectively known as Sebring Hills. The elevation of this neighborhood ranges between 160 and 170 feet above sea level – higher than much of the rest of Sebring to the east.

Next #TravelThursday – I’ll tell you all about the cars of Sebring. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp