Today, we celebrate PTLIF – Praise the Lord, It’s Friday!
We are getting close to the official start of fall (9/23). In order to help you get the season started off right we found a fall cleaning checklist.
Click HERE for more information.

While doing that cleaning, you might wonder how to keep the kids accountable for their chores. We shared how to create a chore chart that works.
Click HERE for an example.

There is an exciting event coming to Mount Vernon High School on Saturday night!

We also shared our Morning Thing Fave Five.

The first day of Fall is Wednesday, September 23^rd!
Here is our list of our favorite things about fall!

1. Jenna loves pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin donuts, etc, etc. She basically LOVES pumpkins!
2. Aubrey loves that a lot of bands release CDs in the fall. She especially loves NEW Christmas CDs (which will release in October)!
3. Wesley loves the fall weather. He loves the clear blue skies, the temperature is not hot or cold, it is just right. He also loves that his birthday is in the fall – October 30.
4. Marcy loves Homecoming! For colleges and universities, it is a fun time of reminiscing and connecting with friends. For high schools, it is a time to make memories with a special night shared with friends, a great dinner, fun pictures and really awesome clothes!
5. We all like the FUN that Fall brings – festivals, apple bobbing, hayrides, bonfires, corn mazes, pumpkin carving and asking for candy (for those who are OK with trick or treating).

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is hosting a stop on the Pray4America National Bus Tour from 10:00am to 2:00pm today (9/17/15). The bus will park near the Chapel North parking lot, and there will be tents around campus for the Knox County and MVNU community to meet and pray with tour representatives. The Morning Thing had a chance to chat with Dion Elmore today about this exciting Tour. Click HERE to hear the conversation.
For more information, click HERE 

This morning, The Morning Thing also kicked off a contest for Sonfest tickets.

WHERE in the WORLD is COLTON DIXON?
WNZR is giving you a chance to win TWO tickets to SONFEST 2015 at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Colton Dixon will take the stage along with Leeland, I am They, Da Mac, Wyndsor, Amena Brown & DJ Opdiggy and Take the Name.

 HOW can you win tickets? Tune in each weekday morning to The Morning Thing from
6-9 a.m. on WNZR. The hosts will share 3 hints on “where” to find Colton Dixon. (Actually where to find the Colton Dixon bobble head). BONUS hints will be shared on WNZR’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram between 10am and 4pm. Make sure to check all 3 social media sites, because we will not be repeating hints.

Then, listen to The Afternoon Drive from 4- 6 p.m. for your chance to tell us WHERE in the WORLD is COLTON DIXON. Joe, Jessica and Faith will open up the phones at 4:30 p.m. for guesses. The first person to correctly guess wins TWO free tickets to Sonfest.

(This is VERY important – this is a VIRTUAL scavenger hunt, so you don’t actually have to go to the location to find Colton’s bobble head. You just have to name the location to the WNZR DJs over the phone.)
Click HERE to find out more!
Click HERE for ticket information for Sonfest 2015!

We also shared a list cleaning tasks that take 5 minutes or less. Cleaning doesn’t have to take all day! Click HERE to see what a difference 5 minutes can make for you and your household.

Need a snack? Something hot for breakfast? You will be amazed at what you can make with a mug and a microwave. Check out this LIST of delicious mug meals!

Life can be discouraging sometimes. We all have moments where we find ourselves in ruts or where we find ourselves discouraged. We wonder how we got where we are; when was the moment things turned south… In those times you might not know what to do or where to go. That’s why this morning we shared 7 Secrets for Finding the Life You Were Created to Live. These are some good suggestions for moving forward and getting to where we should be, written from a faith perspective. After all, since we were created for something we should definitely use techniques that are in line with the words and will of the One of did the creating.

We also took a look at the 5 Keys to Shaping the Faith of a Child. It is crucial to help kids develop their relationship with God from a young age. As Proverbs 22:6 says, “Start your children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” This article has some incredible encouraging thoughts on how to lead your children in a godly manner and get them started on that “way they should go.”

Ever hear the saying “don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today?” Today, The Morning Thing shared a list of simple things you can do tonight for a better tomorrow. Click HERE to see the list.

We also shared some ways to get you out of a bad mood. Click HERE to see the list. Go ahead and try one of these ideas the next time you get frustrated or find yourself in a bad mood. (Try the Puppy Therapy!)

We also told you about how 1 Dad is making a difference with a unique organization called The Crayon Initiative.

Click HERE to read this amazing story.

Remember that The Morning Thing is here for YOU every weekday morning from 6am – 9am.
It is a GREAT way to start your day!

Do you ever have trouble getting good reception on your cell phone? Today, we shared tips on how to improve your cell service. Click HERE for some quick easy fixes for the battle of good cell phone service.

We also talked about how to build a positive home. Click HERE for some tips for kids and parents. Everyone in the household needs to know that home is a safe placed where love can always be found.

We also celebrated another crazy holiday- National Cream Filled Donut Day. It is always celebrate on September 14th. The most popular cream filled donuts are chocolate cream and vanilla cream. What do YOU like?

The Morning Thing team of Marcy, Aubrey, Jenna and Wesley wish you a Happy Monday!

There is nothing quite like a grandparent, is there? They are a special set of people and they definitely deserve recognition. That’s why the Morning Thing is choosing to support Grandparents’ Day, which is this Sunday the 13th. If you want to learn about the history of the special day or the organizations involved with it, you can check out the official website- grandparentsday.org.

In honor of Grandparents’ Day we decided to make our Fave Five about our favorite memories of our grandparents.

-Guest host Jessica Wells loved how her grandma would take her out on one-on-one dates to things such as movies and build-a-bear and she always enjoyed those times.

-Jenna Potts can’t pick just one specific memory. From family vacations, Christmases, birthdays, in her graduation her grandparents have always been there for her. Their love and guidance is something she has always treasured. No matter what is going on in her life her grandparents are there to give her a hug and encourage her. She loves hearing stories of their mischievous childhood and young adult years. They inspire her in everything they do.

-Wesley has many good memories of all his grandparents: spending the night at their house, eating cookies, trips to the zoo… But his favorite memory was a time when he was old enough to know that his grandparents wouldn’t always be around and so in an attempt to get to know them as well as possible he asked them how they met. Hearing the story of a blind date and laughing at their fun adventures is something he cherishes.

-Marcy has lost both sets of grandparents, so it is hard for her to pick just one memory. What she does remember, and will always remember, is the incredible spiritual heritage that she received from Grandma and Grandpa Street and Grandma and Grandpa Miller. Whenever she would visit their houses they would spend time reading the Bible and praying together as a family. Her grandpa Miller had four generations that he prayed for every single day. He would pray for his children, their children, their children, etc. She truly believes that she knows Jesus today because of her grandparents and their decision to follow Him in their lives.

In addition to celebrating Grandparents’ Day this weekend you will also have the chance to watch the annual Night of Joy concert live from Disney World! Here’s all the information you’ll need to watch a webcast of bands like MercyMe, For King and Country, and more:

Watch Night of Joy 205 Live on StageHop.com!

StageHop is excited to present Night of Joy 2015, one of the biggest annual events in contemporary Christian music, LIVE September 11-12 from Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida! Featuring today’s top Christian music artists, we’ll give you the best seat in the house for all 3 stages over both nights of the event.

* Entertainment subject to change or cancellation without notice

Get Your Free Live Webcast Pass Today!

Dates: September 11-12, 2015
Time: Stay tuned to StageHop.com for details
Live Webcast Cost: Free
Live from Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort

The world is a strange place. It is full of oddities and today on the Morning Thing we decided to take a look at some of these. So if you are feeling like the world is a place in terrible shape, read these stories and feel encouraged knowing that there are people out there with a sense of humor…

Story 1: #DeadRaccoonTO

I’ve always heard that Canadians are a nice lot, and the touching story of DeadRaccoonTO proves it. What began as a dead raccoon on the sidewalk that was not being picked up by animal services turned into a memorial fit for a king, with passers-by leaving flowers and notes in loving memory of the poor animal. Yes, there is a hashtag. And yes, DeadRaccoonTO has his own Twitter account. You can check out the entire story through a hilarious series of tweets right HERE.

Story 2: The Chocolate Lobster.

I don’t mean just any chocolate lobster. I mean a 418.1 Pound, 90.5 inch, world record breaking chocolate lobster. In honor of their 100th anniversary Haven’s Candies of Maine decided to take on a rather large feat. You can see “Shelby” on display until October 22. You can find the whole story HERE.

Story 3: The Dessert Competition…. For a House.

That’s right, a Californian woman is holding a dessert competition and the winner receives her house. This is no small shack either- it’s a 1906, restored, 2267 square foot, four bedroom, two bathroom home valued at $390,000. Unfortunately the deadline for entering has passed, but we can still eagerly await the results. You can check out the story HERE.

Bonus: The Brilliant PTA Letter

Helping your child in school with those PTA fundraisers is never easy. Who has time to bake three dozen cookies, or make t-shirts, or hit up friends and neighbors to buy wrapping paper? Fortunately, one PTA caught on to this and sent students home with the most brilliant fundraising letter ever. Check it out!

Dishwashers. They make life so convenient. I remember when I was young and I had to help wash and dry the dishes… Such labor! Then came that glorious day when we got a dishwasher and my hands no longer had to be wrinkled with dish water anymore. Glorious day!

Okay, Not quite. As it turns out you can’t retire the dish-washing sponge once you have a dishwasher. There are actually several things that you should never put in the dishwasher. As it turns out, you might even have to use a special cleaning mixture to properly take care of it. You can check out the entire list of what NOT to put in the dishwasher HERE.

We also talked about the latest news from the stamp world- Charlie Brown is getting not one, not two, but ten stamps! That’s right, The Peanuts Gang is getting recognition in honor of the 50th anniversary of the beloved animated special “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” You can see the stamps HERE, as well as learn about the other events being held in honor of the beloved classic.

It is International Literacy Day.

We talked with retired teacher Nancy Short about her recent donation of children’s books to the MVNU library. Click HERE to hear our conversation.

We also shared some wonderful quotes about life from children’s books. Click HERE to be inspired.

We also found 10 ways for parents to help struggling readers. Click HERE to read these amazing tips.

Grab a book today and celebrate International Literacy Day with The Morning Thing.

Happy Labor Day from The Morning Thing!
This morning, we shared some history behind this holiday.
Click HERE to read more about why we celebrate this holiday.

It is also a BIG day for Ohio State University football fans.
The Buckeyes kick off their season tonight. They play at Virginia Tech tonight at 8pm.
We share the Girl’s Guide to football. Ladies – you no longer have to stay on the sidelines!
Click HERE for a great football glossary.
You can learn football “lingo” and be ready to be part of the conversation tonight.
Click HERE for a handy guide to really understanding the game – from scoring to how the clock works.

We also shared some BIG news for a local actress.
Luna Moreland is participating in a contest to play the American Girl, Julie Albright, in a movie! Click HERE to hear a conversation about how Luna got involved with this contest.
To vote, click HERE. The deadline is Noon on Tuesday, 9/8/15. You will need to click on the picture of JULIE and then create an account on Tongal. It is free! Luna says “thank you” for your vote.
Here is a link to Luna’s video audition.