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Texas

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. 4 days ago – I returned home from Texas. Back in mid-July I got a really good deal on American Airlines for round-trip airfare from Sarasota-Bradenton (#SRQ) to Dallas-Fort Worth (#DFW) and back. It cost less than $225 – taxes and fees included. I flew out on Wednesday August 28TH, and I returned on Sunday September 01ST. (There’s only one flight daily between the two airports.)

Fun Fact: I sat in a window seat on the 32ND row out of #SRQ, and I sat in an aisle seat on the 33RD and last row out of #DFW. I guess when you pay the bottom-of-the-barrel cost for airfare – you’re placed at the very back of the aircraft. (I could have paid extra to sit closer to the front, but why bother ?)

The inbound flight on that Wednesday afternoon flew a bunch of circles off the Florida coast northwest of the Tampa Bay area, and then it was diverted over to Jacksonville (#JAX) due to heavy thunderstorms over Sarasota at the time. It refueled there, and then it continued its flight to Sarasota. I got in to #DFW about 2½ hours late. Better late than not at all.

Me and my brother packed a lot of activities into our 3 full days together.

On Thursday I experienced a couple of firsts. A bunch of outdoor scenes were filmed for an upcoming movie that I’ll be appearing in. I’ll be an extra with about 20 others, and I do have a speaking role. I’ll be appearing (with the others) as a protestor. (Dress code = all black.) More on that (perhaps) sometime next year when the movie premieres. Later that same day – I attended a high school football game for the first time in my life. My oldest niece is in high school now, and she’s a cheerleader for the junior varsity football team. We watched her, and we cheered on the Raiders. (They won.) #DUBEAST

On Friday we drove up to Wichita Falls to visit our Uncle and Cousin. At their home – a dog (Lacey) and a cat (Gracie) loved me dearly. We enjoyed reminiscing about our extended family, and we also enjoyed a nice Mexican buffet lunch at El Mejicano.

On Saturday we rested and stayed at home for much of the day, and we enjoyed WWE Bash In Berlin (LIVE from Germany). We also watched one of my favorite recent movies – Thelma.

On Sunday it was the return flight back to Florida. It departed early. It arrived early. Thunderstorms were approaching the Sarasota area from inland, so the pilot wanted to get up, get over, get down, and then get back up again before the storm clouds descended.

It was a fun 3 days and 4 nights in Texas with family. I’m looking forward to my next visit in a couple of months. I’ve already got my flights reserved.

#CountUp & #TravelThursday is on Facebook.

Next #TravelThursday – I’ll tell you all about a historic hotel in Avon Park Florida. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Summer Of 2024

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. Today it’s a special chart of my Top 10 hits of this past Summer. Here’s this Summer’s chart:

RK PK WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 15 Somebody Like Me Caleb & John Ft. Cain
2 1 15 Beautiful Life Pat Barrett
3 1 13 Take You At Your Word Cody Carnes
4 2 10 Good Day Forrest Frank
5 2 9 Lead On Good Shepherd Patrick Mayberry
6 3 9 Nothin’ Sweeter TobyMac
7 1 5 Counting My Blessings Seph Schlueter
8 3 6 Strongholds Chris Tomlin
9 4 9 Miracle Child Brandon Lake
10 3 6 You’ve Already Won Shane & Shane

# 1 Summer Of:
2023 – “Big God” – Terrian
2022 – “Love Is Everything We Need” – Unspoken
2021 – “Yes He Can” – Cain
2020 – “No Impossible With You” – I AM THEY
2019 – “Raise A Hallelujah” – Bethel Music
2018 – “Do It Again” – Elevation Worship
2017 – “Wonder” – Hillsong UNITED

WHAT A SUMMER ! – 15 weekly hit music charts and 21 positive and encouraging hits (2 less than the last 2 Summers) have created this cumulative hit music chart of my Top 10 hits of the Summer Of 2024 based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay. This past Summer season is defined as U.S. Memorial Day Weekend (last Sunday of May) to U.S. Labor Day Weekend (first Sunday of September). This chart is an End-Of-Summer tradition for me.

NO SOLO AT THE TOP – After last Summer’s anomaly with a solo artist (Terrian) atop my chart – a band / group returns to # 1 for the Summer. Bands / groups have now led my chart for 7 out of 8 Summers. This year it’s Caleb and John and Taylor and Madison and Logan. They scored my # 1 smash of the Summer with “Somebody Like Me”. It’s 1 of 2 songs to spend all 15 weeks of the Summer on my chart – including 6 weeks at # 1. Male solo artists dominated my chart this Summer with 8 out of my Top 10 hits. In fact – Taylor and Madison Cain are the only female artists on my chart.

PAT BARRETT – His 4TH hit is the biggest hit of his career on my chart. “Beautiful Life” also spent all 15 weeks of the Summer on my chart – including 4 weeks at # 1. Next week it will enter “My Top 40 Hits – 400 Weeks” – a special chart that I’ll present the day after my 400TH chart of this current era (since February 2017).

JOSIAH QUEEN – His debut hit “The Prodigal” spent 15 non-consecutive weeks on my chart, but only 7 of them were in the Summer. He peaked at # 4 (twice), and he barely missed out on my Top 10 for the Summer – finishing at # 11.

2024 – Get ready for the final 17 weeks of 2024, and after it’s all over – I’ll #CountUp my Top 24 Of 2024.

All rights reserved (c) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Blogging Christian God Ministry Music Radio

My Top 10 Hits – Week 394

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 September 01ST 2024 – the 394TH week of this current era that began on Presidents’ Day Weekend of 2017:

TW LW WKS SONG TITLE ARTIST / SITE
1 1 13 Take You At Your Word
[3RD week @ # 1]		 Cody Carnes
2 3 4 Count ‘Em Brandon Lake
3 2 10 Good Day Forrest Frank
4 5 17 Beautiful Life Pat Barrett
5 4 19 Somebody Like Me Caleb & John Ft. Cain
6 10 2 Up + Up Colton Dixon
7 9 4 Do It Again Steven Curtis Chapman
8 6 8 Take It All Back Tauren Wells
9 7 9 Nothin’ Sweeter TobyMac
10 8 3 Just As You Are Ryan Stevenson

# 1 This Week In:
2023 – “Praise You Anywhere” – Brandon Lake
2022 – “Hold You Tight” – Dan Bremnes
2021 – “Into The Wild” – Josh Baldwin
2020 – “Miracles” – Colton Dixon
2019 – “Nobody (But Jesus)” – Casting Crowns Ft. Matthew West
2018 – “Who You Say I Am” – Hillsong Worship
2017 – “Broken Things” – Matthew West

THE FORGE – Good to see North America seeing this wonderful movie at the theatres. After 11 days – it’s made over $16 million at the box office, and it actually increased its theatre count for this holiday weekend – up to 1,921. (That’s a rarity nowadays.) If it’s playing near you then I highly recommend you seeing it if you haven’t done so already. Box office receipts such as these should encourage movie makers to make more about our Glorious God. It should also encourage theatre owners to include these movies at their venues.

SUMMER OF 2024 – It’s the final week of our 15-week Summer (starting with Memorial Day Weekend and ending with Labor Day Weekend here in the U.S.A.). As is tradition here on #CountUp – I’ll present “My Top 10 Hits” of the Summer. In fact – I’m working on it now. It’ll publish tomorrow – Wednesday September 04TH 2024. Come back here to see my hottest Christian hits of the Summer.

SPOTIFY – You can hear “My Top 10 Hits” anytime by accessing my CountUp playlist on Spotify. All 10 hits are there from top to bottom. You can hear them in order from # 1 to # 10, or you can shuffle them. My playlist will be updated every weekend (usually before the actual chart is presented here on Mondays). You can link to it here.

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. God used loud music on the radio to reach me in August of 2006. I’ve been testifying about Him ever since.

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) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Categories
Astronomy Blogging Holidays

Labor Day

It’s #LaborDay here in the U.S.A. (and also in Canada) – a day set aside to honor all working Americans / Canadians. If you work for a living – then this day is for you.

It’s also the unofficial end of Summer and the start of Fall; although, astronomically Fall is still 20 days away. (This year’s Autumnal Equinox occurs on September 22ND 2024 at 8:43 AM EDT.)

Enjoy this day off (for many of us), and get ready to go back to work tomorrow. (Not me. I’m retired now.)

#MusicMonday is taking the day off today. My Top 10 Hits will be presented tomorrow – Tuesday. And then on Wednesday – I’ll present My Top 10 Hits of the Summer Of 2024 !

All rights reserved (c) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp