Author: themorningthing

Want to save money? Check out these tips!

We are all looking to save money and stretch our family budget. All You Magazine (October 19, 2012 issue) shared 5 surprising ways to live on less. These ideas are “outside-the-box” strategies. Please let us know if you try any of these!

1. Freeze your funds. Put the brakes on unnecessary spending. The key to success? Have clear rules to keep you on track until you reach your financial goal.
You can make it work with these steps:
a) Track your spending – review your most recent credit card statements and checking account activity. www.mint.com is a great tool. On a sheet of paper, create two columns – Needs and Wants. Needs are essentials such as gas and utilities. Wants – the extras, the new shoes, toys, etc.
b) Schedule an end date. Seeing a light at the end of the tunnel makes following a financial diet easier. Start by scrimping for a weekend, then a full week.
c) Enlist support. Pair up with a friend and encourage each other. ask friends to refrain from inviting you to pricey outings.
d) Increase the fun factor. Think like a child – come up with fun, free family activities.
GREAT websites that can SAVE you money!
Food – www.myfridge.com You can prepare meals based on what you already have in your cupboards.
Transportation – www.erideshare.com Sign up for a carpool near you and save money on gas.
Home Repair – www.sharesomesugar.com Sign up to borrow tools from people nearby.
Child Care – www.babysitterexchange.com Trade babysitting with other parents by starting a sharing group.

2. Give your trash a second life. Don’t let your money go down the drain or in the trash can.
You can make it work with these steps:
a) Don’t toss vegetable scraps from cooking. Save them in a covered container in the fridge and use them to make soup stock.
b) Sell old electronics. www.buymytronics.com can help you sell old and even broken electronics.
c) Old kids clothing – recycle it by doing a free clothing swap. www.thredup.com

3. Shop and Cook once a month (to feed the family for the entire month). On average, consumers buy 60% more than they planned every time they shop for groceries.
You can make it work with these steps:
a) Plan your meals. Sit down with store circulars and plan your family’s meal calendar based on what items are on sale.
b) Take inventory. Prevent duplicate purchases by knowing what you have in the cupboards.
c) Schedule a cooking day. Designate a Saturday or Sunday to cook all your meals. Recruit help from your spouse or kids.
d) Store smartly. Make meals easy to identify by putting them in transparent containers or freezer bags. Make sure to label the front side.

4. Rent out your stuff. You could earn bonus cash with the stuff you aren’t using.
You can make it work with these steps:
a) Rent out your extra car at www.relayrides.com
b) You can rent out a parking space at your house www.parkatmyhouse.com
c) Have extra storage space? www.sharemystorage.com
d) Have tools or other small goods? Cameras? Tennis rackets? www.us.zilok.com
e) Have skills that people need? Rent out your talent. www.taskrabbit.com

5. Spend like your grandparents. It is no surprise that credit cards can cost you. The habit of swiping plastic can lead to impulse purchases and mindless spending. Take a tip from an older generation and stick to cash.
You can make it work with these steps:
a) Create a list. Write down all of your expenses. Which ones can you pay with cash? Create a designated envelope for each expense.
b) Dole out the cash. Withdraw the money you need for each expense (in a no cost ATM) and put the cash in each designated envelope. You can only spend that money on the designated expense (and nothing else).
c) Track other bills. There will be expenses that you can’t pay in cash – like your mortgage and credit card bill. Keep a visual reminder of these expenses by your cash envelopes.

Try one of these tips and start saving money today! Good luck!

 

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Are you one day away from burnout?

Is your life crazy busy?  Do you feel like you are just one day away from complete burnout? Many of us are on the path to burnout and may not know it. We found an insightful article that can help us recognize the signs and symptoms of burnout. Check it out. http://www.helpguide.org/mental/burnout_signs_symptoms.htm

As you read through this article and evaluate your own life, remember that God calls us to a life of joy, purpose and promise, which we find in Him. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31.

Preventing Burnout (excerpts from www.helpguide.org)

Signs, Symptoms, Causes, and Coping Strategies

If constant stress has you feeling disillusioned, helpless, and completely worn out, you may be suffering from burnout. When you’re burned out, problems seem insurmountable, everything looks bleak, and it’s difficult to muster up the energy to care—let alone do something about your situation. The unhappiness and detachment burnout causes can threaten your job, your relationships, and your health. But burnout can be healed. You can regain your balance by reassessing priorities, making time for yourself, and seeking support.

You may be on the road to burnout if:

  • Everyday is a bad day.
  • Caring about your work or home life seems like a total waste of energy.
  • You’re exhausted all the time.
  • The majority of your day is spent on tasks you find either mind-numbingly dull or overwhelming.
  • You feel like nothing you do makes a difference or is appreciated.

The negative effects of burnout spill over into every area of life – including your home and social life. Burnout can also cause long-term changes to your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. Because of its many consequences, it’s important to deal with burnout right away.

Dealing with Burnout: The “Three R” Approach

  • Recognize– Watch for the warning signs of burnout
  • Reverse – Undo the damage by managing stress and seeking support
  • Resilience – Build your resilience to stress by taking care of your physical and emotional health

The difference between stress and burnout

Burnout may be the result of unrelenting stress, but it isn’t the same as too much stress. Stress, by and large, involves too much: too many pressures that demand too much of you physically and psychologically. Stressed people can still imagine, though, that if they can just get everything under control, they’ll feel better.

Burnout, on the other hand, is about not enough. Being burned out means feeling empty, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People experiencing burnout often don’t see any hope of positive change in their situations. If excessive stress is like drowning in responsibilities, burnout is being all dried up. One other difference between stress and burnout: While you’re usually aware of being under a lot of stress, you don’t always notice burnout when it happens.

Stress vs. Burnout
Stress
Burnout

Characterized by overengagement

Characterized by disengagement

Emotions are overreactive

Emotions are blunted

Produces urgency and hyperactivity

Produces helplessness and hopelessness

Loss of energy

Loss of motivation, ideals, and hope

Leads to anxiety disorders

Leads to detachment and depression

Primary damage is physical

Primary damage is emotional

May kill you prematurely

May make life seem not worth living

Source:Stress and Burnout in Ministry

 

Causes of burnout

There are many causes of burnout. In many cases, burnout stems from your job. But anyone who feels overworked and undervalued is at risk for burnout – from the hardworking office worker who hasn’t had a vacation or a raise in two years to the frazzled stay-at-home mom struggling with the heavy responsibility of taking care of three kids, the housework, and her aging father.

But burnout is not caused solely by stressful work or too many responsibilities. Other factors contribute to burnout, including your lifestyle and certain personality traits. What you do in your downtime and how you look at the world can play just as big of a role in causing burnout as work or home demands.         

Work-related causes of burnout

  • Feeling like you have little or no control over your work
  • Lack of recognition or rewards for good work
  • Unclear or overly demanding job expectations
  • Doing work that’s monotonous or unchallenging
  • Working in a chaotic or high-pressure environment

Lifestyle causes of burnout

  • Working too much, without enough time for relaxing and socializing
  • Being expected to be too many things to too many people
  • Taking on too many responsibilities, without enough help from others
  • Not getting enough sleep
  • Lack of close, supportive relationships

Personality traits can contribute to burnout

  • Perfectionistic tendencies; nothing is ever good enough
  • Pessimistic view of yourself and the world
  • The need to be in control; reluctance to delegate to others
  • High-achieving, Type A personality

Warning signs and symptoms of burnout

Burnout is a gradual process that occurs over an extended period of time. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it can creep up on you if you’re not paying attention to the warning signals. The signs and symptoms of burnout are subtle at first, but they get worse and worse as time goes on.

Think of the early symptoms of burnout as warning signs or red flags that something is wrong that needs to be addressed. If you pay attention to these early warning signs, you can prevent a major breakdown. If you ignore them, you’ll eventually burn out.

Physical signs and symptoms of burnout

  • Feeling tired and drained most of the time
  • Lowered immunity, feeling sick a lot
  • Frequent headaches, back pain, muscle aches
  • Change in appetite or sleep habits

Emotional signs and symptoms of burnout

  • Sense of failure and self-doubt
  • Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated
  • Detachment, feeling alone in the world
  • Loss of motivation
  • Increasingly cynical and negative outlook
  • Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment

Behavioral signs and symptoms of burnout

  • Withdrawing from responsibilities
  • Isolating yourself from others
  • Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done

Preventing burnout

If you recognize the warning signs of impending burnout in yourself, remember that it will only get worse if you leave it alone. But if you take steps to get your life back into balance, you can prevent burnout from becoming a full-blown breakdown.

Burnout prevention tips

  • Start the day with a relaxing ritual. Rather jumping out of bed as soon as you wake up, spend at least fifteen minutes meditating, writing in your journal, doing gentle stretches, or reading something that inspires you.
  • Adopt healthy eating, exercising, and sleeping habits. When you eat right, engage in regular physical activity, and get plenty of rest, you have the energy and resilience to deal with life’s hassles and demands.
  • Set boundaries.Don’t overextend yourself. Learn how to say “no” to requests on your time. If you find this difficult, remind yourself that saying “no” allows you to say “yes” to the things that you truly want to do.
  • Take a daily break from technology.Set a time each day when you completely disconnect. Put away your laptop, turn off your phone, and stop checking email.
  • Nourish your creative side.Creativity is a powerful antidote to burnout. Try something new, start a fun project, or resume a favorite hobby. Choose activities that have nothing to do with work.
  • Learn how to manage stress. When you’re on the road to burnout, you may feel helpless. But you have a lot more control over stress than you may think. Learning how to manage stress can help you regain your balance.

Read the entire article.  http://www.helpguide.org/mental/burnout_signs_symptoms.htm
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The Morning Thing talks about “talking”. Parents – please read this!

School is back in session. One of the biggest challenges for parents is keeping the line of communication open with your kids. The Morning Thing team shared some conversation starters from www.imom.com. You can learn how to ask the right questions to get your kids talking.

Here are some ideas for talking “before school”.
What class will be the hardest today?  Why?
This is day is going to be great because_____________________.
How many people do you think you can make smile today?
Check out more here http://imom.com/tools/conversation-starters/before-school-talk/

After school is also a good time to talk with kids. Try asking these questions.
Who did you sit by at lunch today?
Who is the friendliest person in your class?
What is the best thing about being in grade ____________?
Check out more here http://imom.com/tools/conversation-starters/after-school-talk/

We think that the key to good communication is just being there for your kids. As parents, we need to make listening our top priority.  When kids feel that it is safe to share their feelings, they will start to open up and true connections can be made.
Good luck!  Let’s start talking TODAY!

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Please pray for former Morning Thing co-host James Mummert and his wife Emily

Our hearts are breaking for the Mummerts.  James was a co-host on The Morning Thing in 2007-2008. Please pray for James and his wife Emily.  They lost their son Harrison.
Please read this blog and join us in praying for our precious friends.
Marcy and Joe Rinehart
http://harrisonjamesmummert.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/the-lord-giveth-and-the-lord-taketh/

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………….rest………….

It’s a simple term, and it’s often overlooked. Sometimes life gets busy…..actually, life is busy all of the time, but a little rest can go a long way.

We have all heard the verse about having a day of rest. God rested after creation as an example to us. It’s one of the first things we learn from the Bible, yet it’s always the first thing to go out the window when we get busy. Sometimes its unavoidable and we have to skip that afternoon nap or lose a couple hours of sleep at night going over that presentation for work the next morning. These things happen but when they do, don’t forget to find a few moments to rest in God. When I take the time to read a few verses on my smart phone over my lunch break or spend 10 minutes in prayer before I leave in the morning, I find myself more rested and at peace. This is no replacement for daily devotions, but it does give you a quick pick-me-up throughout a busy day.

Matthew 11:28. ” “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ” God is calling us to find rest in Him when life gets tough. It’s a simple concept that we forget all of the time! If we just seek Him and ask for help to get through our day, He will give us rest.

The band Downhere recently released an awesome song about this. The lyrics read:    

Come to me, you tired and heavy-laden
Come to me with all your weariness
Here with me is where you’ll find your haven
And I will give you rest
Yes, I will give you rest
Remember that when life gets busy and you feel tired and heavy-laden, ask that He will give you rest.
You can hear the song by Downhere at the link below.
-Jayme
 
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Meet Steve King – new co-host of The Morning Thing

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(Steve King and Jayme McMillan at the 2011 Food For The Hungry Drive)

I’m Steve King!  You’re new co-host on the Morning Thing!  I’m from a little town in New York called Owego.  I’m a senior this year, and I plan on graduating in May.  I figure, since we’re going to be hanging out a couple mornings a week, we might as well get to know each other!  Here’s my story…

It’s funny, actually, when I think back to where I was just three years ago, a freshman year music major here at MVNU.  Not once did I ever consider that I would be a co-host on the Morning Thing!  I went from a music education major, to youth ministry, to business, until I finally found my home in Radio/Video Broadcasting, late my sophomore year.  From there it all seemed to fall into place so easily.  I started like any other student would, with practice shifts upon practice shifts in the hope to get the chance to actually DJ on the FM!  I did get my chance on FM, and I enjoyed doing shifts on weekdays as well as weekends. 

When Marcy announced this past Fall semester that there would be an opening on the Morning Thing, I jumped at the opportunity!  Lo and behold, here I am!  It’s only been a couple mornings thus far, but I’m learning quickly and it’s going great!  The only real difficulty I have is being up at 6am, being the night owl I am!  Thank you so much for welcoming me in so kindly, and I look forward to a great rest of the year!

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25 reasons you should attend WNZR’s 25th Anniversary concert this Friday!

1. You only celebrate a 25th anniversary ONCE.  Don’t miss this special time to celebrate 25 years of WNZR’s radio ministry.
2. AMAZING MUSIC!  Building 429, Leeland and Royal Tailor are all great bands.  We’ll have a night full of great music and ministry.
3. Glory Defined, You Carried Me, Always, Listen to the Sound – hear all of these Building 429 songs LIVE at the concert. 
4. You’ll also hear some NEW songs from Building 429’s latest album “Listen to the Sound”.
5. Tears of the Saints, Sound of Melodies, Follow You, The Great Awakening – hear all of these Leeland songs LIVE at the concert.
6. Leeland also has a new album called “The Great Awakening”.  You’ll hear brand new songs from this new praise and worship project. 
7. Royal Tailor is one of the hottest new bands in Christian music.  Their song Hold Me Together climbed to #13 on the charts! (That’s great for a band new band).
8. Jason Roys (lead singer of Building 429) says that Tauren Wells (lead singer of Royal Tailor) dances and moves like Michael Jackson.  Jason says that you will LOVE watching this band perform.
9. There are 3 sibilings now performing in Leeland. Lead singer Leeland Mooring and brother Jack Mooring are now joined by their 18-year-old,  younger sister Shelly.
10. Students get in for just $5.00! (pre-concert price AND at the door)
11. Bring the entire family and get a group rate, just $7.00 for groups of 10 or more (that’s pre-concert price, group tickets go up to $10.00 for a group of 10 at the door).
12. Adult tickets are just $10.00 pre-concert, $15.00 at the door.  So for the price of pizza, you can see 3 amazing bands!
13. You can see WNZR’s scapbooks with pictures highlighting the last 25 years.
14. You can also watch WNZR’s 25th Anniversary documentary featuring stories from listeners, MVNU professors and administrators and staff  members.
15. You can also see a display of WNZR t-shirts and promotional items from the past 25 years.
16. You’ll get to experience 3 different musical styles – contemporary with Building 429, modern praise & worship with Leeland and pop/dance with Royal Tailor.
17. You’ll make a great memory with your family and friends.
18. There will be confetti at the show! 🙂 (We’ll gladly welcome volunteers to help us in clean-up after the show)
19. The National Food for the Hungry organization will be there.  You’ll find out how to fight hunger around the world.
20. You can bring canned food to support our local, Knox County Food for the Hungry drive.  MVNU’s goal is to feed 620 families this year.  Your donation can help.
21.You can get a ticket for a special VIP after concert party.  Tickets will be available at the Building 429 merch table.  Details will be given out at the concert.
22. You’ll get a chance to meet current and past staff members of WNZR.  (We hope to see a lot of former DJs at MVNU’s Homecoming)!
23. You’ll get to see pictures of WNZR’s 25th Anniversary cake!  Thanks to everyone who voted at October’s First Friday in downtown Mount Vernon.
24. You can share your memory about WNZR.  Stop by the WNZR table and get your voice recorded for some special 25th Anniversary messages that will air in December. 
25. Mount Vernon is one of the last stops of the “Sounds of Hope” tour, so don’t miss your chance to see Building 429, Leeland and Royal Tailor THIS Friday at 8pm.  Doors open at 7pm.

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Courageous blogs from Marcy

By Cheryl S. Splain,  Mount Vernon News
June 4, 2010 10:37 am EDT

MOUNT VERNON — A Mount Vernon couple will soon get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into making a movie.
Joe and Marcy Rinehart, along with their daughter, Rachel, will be flying to Albany, Ga., later this month to visit the set of the movie “Courageous,” set to be released in 2011. The all-expense-paid, three-day trip is courtesy of Sherwood Pictures/Provident Films.

“I signed up with Provident Films to receive updates about the ‘Courageous’ film,” explained Marcy, station manager for WNZR, a ministry of Mount Vernon Nazarene University. “I also registered to receive a widget for the WNZR Web site. I was very surprised when I opened the e-mail saying that I had won an all-expense paid trip to visit the movie set.

“We’ve been told that the Provident marketing team will have a fun-filled schedule set up to let us experience and enjoy the making of ‘Courageous,’” she added.

The movie, the fourth release of Sherwood Pictures, focuses on four law enforcement officers who, day after day, meet the challenges of their profession. But, as fathers, they find themselves increasingly challenged as their children begin to drift away.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010 (Marcy wrote)
We are here! Praise the Lord, after two flights we have arrived in Albany to visit the set of “Courageous” — the new movie from Sherwood Pictures. We arrived at the Albany airport to smiling faces holding Courageous signs directing us to a big air-conditioned bus. (Thank goodness, because it’s 92 degrees.)

We are part of a group of media partners and action squad leaders from across the country. We are headed out to dinner at a local barbeque place to meet each other and some of the movie cast and crew. We each have a set pass and will get to see the action tomorrow.

At the airport, we got a chance to meet Ken Bevel, who played Lt. Michael Simmons in “Fireproof.” He was the firefighter that challenged his best friend (Kirk Cameron) to stay true to his marriage vows. Ken is back for “Courgeous” playing Nathan Hayes, a sheriff’s officer with three children: a teenage daughter, a son in grade school, and a toddler, who is played by Ken’s real son.

“Courageous” will challenge fathers to rise up to be the leaders God calls them to be. Sherwood Church hopes that “Courageous” will do for fathers what Fireproof did for marriages.

Join us and become a fan of “Courageous” at facebook.com/courageousthemovie. You can also follow the movie on twitter twitter.com/courageousmovie.

Tonight after an incredible meal at Albany’s RiverFront BBQ, we had a chance to visit with several of the cast and crew involved in “Courageous.” Just for the record, we had never had a sweet potato turnover until tonight, and it was awesome. Southern hospitality at its best.

Everyone we talked to is excited about the theme of this film, how it is developing, and how it will challenge fathers to, as Alex Kendrick (writer/director/actor) says, “Man up” and lead their families, getting engaged in the lives of their children.

“That single word title,” said Sherwood Baptist Senior Pastor Michael Catt, “echoes God’s call for men to rise with courage in their homes and as leaders. More than a third of children live away from their biological fathers. For more than a year, we’ve prayed to be sure that we’re pursuing God’s idea and not our own. With action, drama and humor, this film will embrace God’s promise in the Bible to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.”

Alex briefly outlined the plot for us: four fathers, all in law enforcement — who protect and serve together — go through a terrible tragedy. They begin looking at their role as fathers and begin challenging one another to fulfill God’s intention for fathers.

Marcy interviewed some of the folks, Joe shot video of the interviews, and we’ll be posting clips on the Facebook page during and after the trip, so stay tuned.

Today we head to the set after breakfast at the hotel. The cameras start rolling at 9 a.m. All we know is that it’s a scene in “the evidence room,” which got Marcy, the CSI fan, geeked up. More to come! Thanks for reading.

Thursday, June 10, 2010 (Marcy wrote)
We are wrapping up Day 2 of our visit to Albany, Ga. The people here are just amazing. We have felt right at home and made some wonderful friends.

We started the morning by heading to the day’s crew call at 9 a.m. Today’s filming took place at the Sherwood Production House. This building is actually the old Albany library and sits right behind the Sherwood church building. The church recently purchased the building and has plans to renovate it into a youth center for teens. For this summer, it has been turned into a production house, where all indoor shots are filmed for “Courageous.”

The day started with devotions and prayer — an important part of the Sherwood routine. We noticed small groups gathering for prayer throughout the day. These crew members, many of whom are church members volunteering their time and service, pray over the actors before a scene is shot. There were also set hosts available to reach out to the guests (including the Rineharts). They served us lunch, snacks and spent time praying for each of us.

A movie set is an interesting place. There is so much action with numerous people doing very specific jobs. The day’s call sheet lists every actor that is needed and when they need to report to set. It also lists any props that are needed for the scenes, the sunrise, sunset, weather and times for lunch and dinner. We found out that the Sherwood Call sheet is a little different from the typical one found in Hollywood. It includes a scripture for the day. Today’s verse is Phillipians 4:8.

The director will spend a good amount of time setting up the shot — getting the right lighting and angle. Then he will try numerous different shots to make the editing process a little easier. Today, the work focused on two short scenes in the movie (about 30 seconds each) and the shooting took over six hours. I was amazed at how many different looks you could get with two guys talking in the evidence room.

Here is some movie set lingo we all learned today.

Video Village — the “guest area” where people are watching the movie shoot.

Still — everyone on set and in video village must be completely still and not move.

Shut it down — all noise has to stop and everyone must be still.

Rolling — the cameras are on and recording.

Action — the scene starts

Cut — cameras stop and everyone can move and talk again.

We had a chance to meet with Stephen Kendrick this morning — the producer and co-writer of the movie. And, he showed us some scenes. WOW! You are going to love this movie. Even though we were seeing very raw production, our entire group was moved to tears. This ensemble cast of actors really brings the storyline to life and everyone can relate to at least one character. The passion behind this project is to reach out to fathers from all kinds of backgrounds and show them how to be a father with purpose.

Check out the pictures on our Facebook photo album called “Rinehart trip to Courageous.”

Next, we are headed to see Sherwood’s 82-acre sports complex, which is used for community outreach. We also get to see a scene with all five fathers featured in the movie before we head home.

Today was shoot day 24 of 35. Don’t forget to check out www.courageousthemovie.com for video updates from each day of shooting.

Saturday, June 12, 2010 (Marcy wrote)
What a day we had Friday! We were really able to get a close look at the “Courageous” movie set. They were shooting just outside of Albany at an old plantation. The house and property were gorgeous! The resolution ceremony was filmed today featuring all five father characters. Each character made a resolution to be a godly father to his family.

The scene was shot outside, so we were able to see how everything works together — acting, directing, lighting, sound, cameras, makeup and (my new favorite people) the art department. These women were amazing — taking care of any prop that needed to be on set. Friday they were dealing with food for the post-ceremony party. The table spread had a southern flare including southern fruit lemonade, fruit kabobs, mini cakes and, of course, fresh cut flowers. The sad part was that no one could eat the food because it had to sit out in the heat for four hours while they were filming.

We took some amazing pictures; check them out in our Georgia trip photo album.

We were also able to get a tour of the new 82-acre sports park being developed by Sherwood Baptist Church. This complex includes baseball/softball fields, soccer fields, horseback riding, a pavilion that seats 1,500 plus nature trails and pecan trees. It is beautiful! A majority of the funding for the sports park has been made possible by the box office received from “Facing the Giants” and “Fireproof.” The church is building this complex to reach out to families in the Albany area. They do not charge to use the facilities and their prayer is that families will have a place to go to spend quality time together.

We all want to say thank you to Provident Films, Sherwood Baptist Church and Lovell-Fairchild Marketing for being incredible hosts. We were blessed to be a part of this trip. Stay tuned to WNZR (90.9FM) for more information about “Courageous” … and check our Facebook page for video interviews.

An added note — if you ever run into problems or delays when you travel, take a deep breath and tell yourself, there might be a reason this is happening to me. Friday, our first plane leaving from Albany (going to Atlanta) was delayed by over an hour because of thunderstorms. The entire flight was filled with people who had been in Albany to visit the “Courageous” set. It was kind of funny (now) because one gentleman had Internet access on his phone and people were yelling out their connector flight numbers to see if their next flight was delayed. Most of us missed our flights and had to make other arrangements.

The Rineharts, despite running through what seemed like a million gates, missed our flight to Columbus by three minutes! So … we waited and waited … and waited for the next flight. Well, here is the morale of the story.

On our flight, Joe was able to help a Spanish-speaking mother get her ticket and find her seat because none of the Delta workers on or off the flight could speak Spanish. Upon arriving, we saw her meet up with some very excited family members. I was able to spend the flight talking to a young mother of two who was visiting Columbus because her husband is taking a new job. The conversation started with me telling her why I was on the flight — coming back from visiting a movie set, etc., etc., and then opened up to a much deeper level. She was holding her 3-month-old baby girl, while her husband sat across the row holding their 2-year-old son.

She opened up about her fears of finding a home, a church and a good place to raise her family. WOW! I realized in that moment that God put me in that seat to reassure this woman by giving her some information and encouragement. I also helped changed a dirty diaper in an airplane! Have you even done that before???!!!

I will be praying for this family as they embark on their journey. I gave her my business card and told her to contact me. I hope she does. In fact, if you can help me offer any information about good housing and friendly churches in Columbus, give me a call.

We finally arrived home about 1:15 a.m. As we drove through downtown Mount Vernon, I couldn’t help but think about the message of “Courageous” — honor begins at home. I know that there are many fathers in Knox County who need to step up and take the responsibility of being a strong role model for their families. I pray that this three-day trip will allow the Rineharts to reach out to some of those fathers.

I know one mother who has already received the message and today is courageously looking toward the future. And this mom knows that nothing happens by accident — a delayed flight or entering a widget contest!

 

 

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There was an earthquake yesterday?

The Morning Thing has been taking calls all morning, asking where you were when the earthquake happened in Mt. Vernon. We’ve had tons of calls ranging from people feeling small vibrations to all out shaking of tables and chairs. In fact, one listener’s grandson thought the shaking was a herd of elephants stampeding down the street. The strange thing is………we didn’t feel it. Neither Marcy or myself felt the shaking yesterday and that may be an even stranger feeling than the earthquake itself. How could so many people feel the shaking, and we didn’t feel anything? I thought the answer was simple…….the earthquake obviously wasn’t felt on my side of town…..right?

WRONG.   A listener  who felt it called in, and she was a only few hundred yards down the road. So what is wrong with me? The blame falls on a little television show called Star Trek.

There I was sitting on my couch, eating cheese puffs, while the whole town felt an earthquake. I knew that I had a hard time focusing on much else while watching my show but missing an earthquake proves how oblivious TV can make me.

Marcy on the other hand was out shopping for some back to school supplies and she felt nothing either. So for her, the urge to save some money with back to school sales made her oblivous as well. So our new question is “What were you doing when you didn’t feel the earthquake?”  You can leave your answer in the comments section : )  

-Jayme and Marcy

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Couponing = Saving Money!

If you are like us, you are always looking for a way to save money.  Have you heard about couponing?  It really works!  We found some great advice from www.discountqueens.com

We also want to share some advice from Tressa Daley – a local MV coupon queen!  Thanks Tressa for sharing your insight with us.
Let us know the tricks that you use.  Email them to us, wnzr@mvnu.edu

Tressa’s Coupon Tips:

1. Where to obtain coupons’
      a. Buy Sunday big city newspapers.
      (Example:  Columbus, Mansfield)
      b. Print from online free sources.
      (Example:  smartsource.com, coupons.com, redplum.com)
      c. Purchase from online sources.
       (Example:  couponsandforms.com, thecouponclippers.com, ebay.com)
      d. Look for displays in stores.
      e. Watch for coupons that print out at the store cash register.
      f. Ask friends/family to save any coupons they obtain and won’t use.  Then trade your leftover coupons with them.

 2. What coupons to save
Only cut out coupons you will use.  If nobody in your family colors their hair or eats canned chili, then don’t cut out coupons for those products.  That’s a waste of your time.  I shop for my household, my inlaws, snacks to keep in my office for students, and items I can donate to Interchurch.  If I can’t use the coupon for any of those purposes, I pass it on to my friends.

 3. How to organize the coupons
      a. Container
           i. Pouch – a good started system is to use a coupon pouch that looks like wallet.  Those hold enough coupons for a beginner.
           ii. Binder – some people prefer a newer binder method.  Purchase a nice 3-ring school binder and plastic baseball card holder sheets.
          iii. Plastic container – I use an old Huggies baby wipe container.  It holds more than the pouch but isn’t as bulky as a binder.  You could also purchase a large recipe box or 4 x 6 card box.  Look for one that snaps or latches.  I still use a large rubberband around mine as a back up closure.  I don’t want to drop mine and have to run around the parking lot picking up coupons.
     b. Dividers
          i. Categories – I organize my coupons by category (and then alphabetically).  I have about 25 categories such as: baking needs, beauty needs, dairy, meats, medicines, snacks, etc.
          ii. Alphabetical – Some people choose to file alphabetically by brand name.
         iii.  Aisles – People who only shop at one store may choose to file coupons according to the store aisles.
         iv.  Extra – I also keep an envelope for each store where I shop.  Any coupons that are only good at that store go in that envelope.
    c. Review
         i.  Near the end of each month, review your coupons to determine if there are any that are about to expire that you really want to make sure you use.
        ii.  At the beginning of each month, review your file and dispose of expired coupons.

 4. How to get the best use of the coupons
      a. Purchase only what you will use or donate.  Don’t waste money on an item that you won’t use just because you have a coupon for it.
       b. Watch sale ads.  You get the best deal when you use a coupon on an item already on sale.
       c. Know store policies.
            i. Double coupons – Some stores will double the value of the coupon.  Kroger, Neff’s, Meijer, and Giant Eagle all double coupons up to and including 99¢.  Walmart, Kmart, CVS, and Rite Aid do not double coupons.
           ii.  Limits – Some stores limit the number of coupons you can use and/or double.  Most of the stores that double will only allow 2 – 4 of the same coupon to be doubled at the same time.  Any more than that amount will be taken at the face value.  A few stores limit the overall number of coupons you can use at one time, but that’s not as common.
         iii. Price matching – Meijer and Walmart will price match other store ads.  For example, if you see something on sale in a Meijer, Giant Eagle, or Target ad and can’t get there, you can take the ad to Walmart and get the same price and still use your coupons.  I prefer to price match at Meijer if I happen to be there because my coupon will double there and it won’t at Walmart  As a matter of fact, if something is on sale at Walmart, but I’m going to Meijer anyway, I’ll price match and purchase the item at Meijer because it will end up being even cheaper with the double coupon.
          iv.  Internet coupons – Some stores will take coupons printed off the internet and some won’t.  Some will only take them up to a certain dollar amount.
      d. Know store prices.
           i. Check around as you shop different stores so you know the regular price on items you buy frequently.  Then you’ll know when a sale price is advertised somewhere whether it really is a good deal. 
          ii. Sometimes it can also be cheaper to buy an item at one store without a coupon or without doubling the coupon if their price is low enough.

 5. Coupon Etiquette
      a. Only use a coupon on the item it is intended to be used on.  Any other use constitutes fraud.
      b. Leave products for other shoppers.  Just because you have enough coupons to buy every can of chicken noodle soup the store has, please don’t.  You wouldn’t like it if someone else did that right before you got to the store, so give others the same consideration.  Just visit the store several times during the sale days and spread your purchases out over those several visits.  Then everyone has a chance to find the same good deals.

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