Thank you Jesus. Thank God. Thank you Lord! These are the only words that Bermuda residents should be speaking for the next year, as we shudder to think about how blessed we are, in the wake of Hurricane Igor. We dodged yet another bullet family! I don't think people realise how blessed we are. I saw the power and might of Igor, watching as waves crashed from the sea onto the shore. Winds took down traffic lights and did cause some damage. But by all accounts we got off lucky, with no loss of life and no major damage to property. Igor was mighty as a Category 1 hurricane! Can you imagine if he had continued as a Category 3? For this we should be eternally grateful. More on this after the top 20.

Taking up permanent residence in the top spot is 'California Gurls' by Katy Perry, featuring Snoop Dogg, one of the hottest pop songs around these days! Up to #2 is 'Find your Love' by Drake, another popular track by the new hip hop/R&B stud.

Tumbling to #3 is 'Palance' by JW and Blaze, a popular soca track this year. Improving to #4 is 'I Love The Way You Lie' by Eminem featuring Rihanna. Falling to #5 is 'OMG' by Usher featuring Will I AM; a big tune that is quite catchy and has a popping beat.

Improving to #6 is 'Rockstar 10', another hit by Rihanna. Slipping to #7 is 'L'il Freak' by Usher featuring Nicki Minaj. Improving to #8 is 'Dynamite' by Taio Cruz. Up to # 9 is 'I like it' by Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull. Climbing to #10 is 'Ride' by Ciara featuring Ludacris. Falling slightly to #11 is 'Nothing On You' by BoB featuring Bruno Mars.

Tumbling to #12 is 'Unthinkable' by Alicia Keys. Making huge gains up to #13 is 'Hello, Good Morning' by Diddy, the hottest hip hop song around! Everybody is singing it, dudes are using it as a pick up line for honeys, its all over the radio. Plus the track bangs.

Improving and soaring to #14 is 'Teenage Dream' by Katy Perry, last week's essential new track. Falling to #15 is the soca/dance hit entitled 'Party Hard' by Donee'o. Slipping to #16 is 'I'm Not A Superstar' by Remady, a dance anthem earlier this year which was more popular on the east side of the pond than on the west. In other words, the Europeans loved it and the Americans were cool with it.

On the way down into the #17 spot this week is 'Break Your Heart' by Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris. 'Over', by Drake, falls to number 18.

Now some new tracks. In at # 19 is this week's must have new song, 'Just The Way You Are' by Bruno Mars. Entering at #20 is 'DJ Got Us Falling In Love' by Usher featuring Pitbull.

Now back to this week's word – Hurricane Igor and thanking God. We have to firstly and secondly thank God, but we are really getting good at hurricane preparedness. I have to commend team Bermuda for properly preparing for this event. I noticed that people were diligently going about their preparations, neighbours helping each other, families working together, the whole community was getting it done.

Then we have to give the hardware stores props for ordering lots of supplies, although the Island ran out of lumber on the Friday before the storm, and we must keep in mind that companies are in business to make a profit. They can try to sell me the line about helping the community all they want; that is not the main reason they are in business. They are first and foremost in business to make money. If they can assist people while they make money then that's cool, but they wouldn't be assisting people if they couldn't make a profit whilst helping people.

But we better start counting our blessings and more of us should be getting down on our knees. I'm reminded of a Christian song that says, "Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord". People are funny. We all get busy, do our own thing, and then when we're in trouble we call on the name of the Lord. 'God please help me' are the words that come from the mouths of 'so-called' atheists when they are in the depths of adversity, misfortune, calamity or other type of disaster, either man made, self inflicted or other.

The point I'm making here is that we don't have to wait until adversity threatens us to talk to God. He wants to hear from us early and often. He wants us to pray every day and ask him for guidance, wisdom and understanding. He wants us to give thanks for blessings large and small. A wise person once advised me that I should in all things give thanks.

Some people think that you have to be perfect or to get right before you can to come to Church or to come before God. Not so. You can't get right until you come to God! The other funny and illogical theory is those who say that you don't have to go to Church to be a Christian. Technically they are correct, but have you ever met a good golfer who didn't play golf several times a week and go early and often to the golf course? No, you haven't and you never will.

Have you ever met a great football or cricket player who didn't eat, drink and sleep the game, in addition to practicing daily and playing often? I think not.

Then what makes people think that they can be a good, genuine and effective Christian without going to Church? It can't work.

Well that's my rant for the week, but in closing, on behalf of the Island I thank God for sparing Bermuda from Hurricane Igor. Hopefully we will be spared the remainder of hurricane season and may God continue to bless Bermuda! In the words of the late Betty Grant, a great lady, dear friend and mother of my good buddies, "To God be the Glory" ... DJLT.