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Blogging Driving Geography Military Nature Photography Travel Weather

Biscayne Bay Tourist Attractions

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. We’re in the dry season now here in South Florida. It started during the middle of last month, and it continues until the middle of May. It’s our 7-month “nice” season here – marked by abundant sunshine, not much rain, cooler temperatures, and lower humidity. We actually experienced a near-record cold day last month on the 19TH of October when a polar-origin cold front slammed through the area and dumped our temperatures down into the lower-60s with wind chills in the 50s from the early-afternoon through the next morning. It was also cloudy, gloomy, and drizzly for the entire day. It very much resembled one of those weird dark, cold, and raw January days that we get once or twice a year (if at all). It was quite the phenomenon to get it so early in the season on the 19TH of October !

So since it’s nice out, and my days remaining here in South Florida are limited – I need to visit some tourist attractions this season and write about them here on #TravelThursday.

I just read a very nice write-up on Biscayne National Park and some renovation work they have recently completed on one of their main walkways to the sea. I haven’t been out there – just 8½ miles away from my home – since May 2016. It’s time to visit again. It’s a nice place to relax and enjoy the scenery of the sea.

It’s been 3½ years since I’ve visited the Charles Deering Estate – also along Biscayne Bay. That’s a fun 2-to-3-hour visit. They do ranger-led boat tours of Biscayne National Park that leave from and return to the Deering Estate. That’s what I did 3½ years ago. I’d like to do it again.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is also along Biscayne Bay, and I haven’t been there since February 2018. As a U.S. military veteran – I get free admission year-round, so I respect that. I need to drive up the road (about 25 miles from home) and check it out again. There’s a lot of great photo opportunities there.

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens is also along Biscayne Bay, and it’s been 10½ years since my last visit there. I get in for free there too anytime I want. It’s just another 7 miles up the road from Fairchild, so maybe I can visit both Fairchild and Vizcaya on the same day – like maybe during the week when they are less crowded.

Next #TravelThursday we’ll trek across the sea over to England. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2022 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Bible Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio Scripture

My Top 10 Hits – Week 298

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 nearly 45 years. Here’s this week’s chart – for the week ending Sunday October 30TH 2022 – the 298TH week of this current era that began on Presidents’ Day Weekend of 2017:

TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 2 11 New Creation
[1ST week @ # 1]		 Mac Powell
2 1 12 Good Morning Mercy Jason Crabb
3 4 5 Ain’t Nobody Cody Carnes
4 5 2 Who I Am Ben Fuller
5 3 19 Thank God For Sunday Morning Cochren & Co.
6 6 5 Love Me Like I Am for King & Country Ft. Jordin Sparks
7 9 2 Same God Elevation Worship
8 10 2 Then Christ Came MercyMe
9 7 10 Build A Boat Colton Dixon
10 8 8 Miracle Power We The Kingdom

# 1 This Week In:
2021 – “Promised Land” – TobyMac
2020 – “Rise Up (Lazarus)” – Cain
2019 – “Fear No More” – Building 429
2018 – “Only Jesus” – Casting Crowns
2017 – “Word Of Life” – Jeremy Camp

NEW CREATION – After spending 5 out of the past 6 weeks of waiting at # 2 – “New Creation” ascends to the top to become my new # 1 smash. It’s my 13TH # 1 smash of 2022. It’s Mac Powell’s 2ND hit on my chart this year. His “River Of Life” peaked at # 2. Both tracks are from his “New Creation” album.

Therefore – if anyone is in Christ – he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold. The new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again with the new weekend – and 4 new entries – known as #TravelThursday, #RetroFriday, #SundayScripture, and #Top10Monday.

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 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) 2022 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday October 30TH 2022, 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.

Last Sunday morning I preached my sermon – “Give & Take” – to my brothers and sisters of my church family. It was about seeking that perfect balance of giving (out) and taking (in) on this day-to-day journey. I struggled with that during my first 8 years on this journey.

Near the end of my sermon I played the official lyric video for Casting Crowns’ “Praise You In This Storm”. I really like the lyrics that read – “I’ll raise my hands, and praise the God – who gives and takes away.” That’s our God. He gives us what we need. He takes away from us what we don’t need. We must take from Him what He is giving to us. Our God has a lot to give to us. He’s given us a lot already, but there’s so much more to come. The best is yet to come. Are you ready to take what’s He’s giving you ? Do not miss out on His gifts to you. He’s got miracles for you.

This morning I get to sit down and take in God’s Good News as preached by my Pastor, and I preached about that last Sunday morning. I always enjoy preaching for my church family, but I definitely look forward those Sunday mornings when I can rest, listen, and absorb the Gospel. We’ll be showing our appreciation for our Pastor this morning in observance of Pastor Appreciation Month (every October).

Here on #SundayScripture I continue presenting my September 18TH 2022 sermon – “Good & Evil” – in its original written form. It’s based on 1 Peter 3:8-4:8, and it effectively wraps-up my First Peter message series which I began in 2021. Here’s Part 4:

You know it’s good to read – and sing – from the Book of Psalms. Put your own melody to the words. The Apostles quoted the Psalms. Our Lord Jesus quoted the Psalms. They lived out of them. We should live out of them. The Psalms are God’s inspired and given word. The Psalms are just as relevant today as they were a thousand years before Christ.

Early on in my journey I realized that while much of Scripture delivers words from God to man – the Psalms – they provide man with words to say and sing to God.

Can’t think of the right words at the time to say to God for what you need from Him ? Well to that I’d say that you’re trying too hard. “But Chris you don’t understand. When I talk to God it makes no sense.” Don’t worry about what makes sense or not. What makes no sense to you makes perfect sense to our all-knowing God. Just talk to him using normal words. You don’t need fancy words to talk to God. He knows what you’re saying. He knows what you’re thinking. He knows what you need. Tell Him. He loves to hear your voice.

Praise & Worship to our God must not just be a Sunday morning routine. It must be a daily routine – morning, afternoon, and evening. Talk to Him. Read verses of a Psalm to Him. Sing to Him. He must be first and center with each new day that He gives you on this journey.

Early on in my journey I realized that although I may be alone (no other people around) – I’m never lonely, for I’ve got our God right there with me. I’ve got the Holy Spirit within me. If you believe. If you follow. If you trust. If you love. Our God is with you always and forever.

(End of Part 4)

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) 2022 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
1980s Blogging Music Radio

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1987

Hello again retro music fans. 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, 20, 25, or 35 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 4TH Friday of the month, so I go back 35 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday November 01ST 1987:

  1. “Love In The First Degree” – Bananarama
  2. “Got My Mind Set On You” – George Harrison
  3. “You Win Again” – Bee Gees
  4. “Come On Let’s Go” – Los Lobos
  5. “Crazy Crazy Nights” – KISS

The end was near. I was in my final couple of weeks of living and working in the south of England in the Cotswolds of Gloucestershire. I was there for 2 years and 1 week, and I made the most of it by immersing myself into British culture as an 18, 19, and 20-year-old. It was the greatest 2 years of my life at the time. I vowed to return to the United Kingdom when I left 35 years ago. I haven’t been back since. Someday though it may happen.

Among the highlights of my Top 5 – Bananarama spent a 2ND week at the top with their Stock Aitken Waterman produced pop-dance smash – “Love In The First Degree”. George Harrison scored a comeback smash with what turned out to be his biggest smash since his debut solo smash in 1970 – “My Sweet Lord”. It was a long-lasting hit on my chart, as it straddled the end of my British-based pop chart and the start of my American-based pop chart. Many songs did that. What was big in the U.K. in 1987 was big in the U.S. in 1988, and my chart continued on. You’ll see that as #RetroFriday continues on the 4TH Friday of the month from 35 years ago.

Next #RetroFriday I’ll go back 15 years ago to November 2007. It’s when a young man from the east side of Columbus Ohio was cashing in.

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) 2022 Christopher M. Day, CountUp