Today is National Nothing Day. It is a day to take a break from activities. For our Friday Favorites, we celebrate this special day. The Morning Thing hosts share their favorite ways to unplug and relax! We hope you have some time today to do nothing!
Click HERE to hear from Marcy, Eric, Josiah and Xander. Or click the link below.
Captain Christine Moretz of The Salvation Army in Mount Vernon is excited to share news about a long-awaited project that’s finally becoming a reality — the brand-new Learning Lighthouse.
She spoke to WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart about what started back in 2017 as a vision to better serve the community and expand social services has now grown into a place designed to meet one of Mount Vernon’s biggest needs: quality childcare.
Click HERE to hear the full conversation!
The Learning Lighthouse reflects the same mission as The Salvation Army itself: “to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in His name, without discrimination, upholding the dignity of all people.” Simply put, this new space allows that mission to continue in a very practical way. The Lighthouse will provide a safe, nurturing environment for children from as young as six weeks old through 5th grade, offering both childcare and opportunities to learn about Christ.
Captain Moretz walked through the journey of bringing the Lighthouse to life, from early planning to construction and staffing. Ground was broken in 2024, and the building is now in its final stages, with just a few finishing touches left. The official opening will be Monday, January 26, with a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for Sunday, January 18 at 2 p.m., followed immediately by a dedication service.
Once open, the Learning Lighthouse will serve up to 112 children, offering not only childcare but also meaningful programs that support families and help children grow in a loving, faith-centered environment. Captain Moretz shared how this project has shaped her personally, especially in learning more about childcare, trusting God fully, and depending on Him through every phase of the process.
She also spoke warmly about her team, expressing gratitude for their dedication and support. While challenges came along the way, she credits the strength of the team and her faith for helping her stay focused on doing good and not growing weary.
Thanks to incredible community support, $5.4 million has already been raised toward the project’s just-over-$6-million total cost. The team even came in under budget, though they are still working to raise the remaining $649,000 needed to fully complete the project. Captain Moretz continues to ask for prayers and community support as they move toward the finish line.
She extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has helped make the Learning Lighthouse possible and looks forward to thanking supporters in person during Sunday’s dedication ceremony. The community is warmly invited to attend and celebrate this milestone together.
Click HERE to stay connect on Facebook!
Click HERE to visit their website!
It is a question and decision that we all have to face daily – What’s for dinner?
We are here to help! We found a list of 15 Casseroles for your 9×13 Pan – those recipes that are just like Mom used to make. These are the yummy comfort food recipes that are perfect for a cold winter night. So try 1 or 2 and enjoy some time around the dinner table with your family!
Click HERE to find the full list of recipes from AllRecipes.com
Here are the recipes that Marcy shared today on the show.
Buffalo Chicken and Roasted Potato Casserole
Awesome Broccoli-Cheese Casserole
Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
Today on The Morning Thing, Josiah and Xander shared some fun fact that we thought you should know about life! You can use these to improve your life or just get a good laugh.
Here’s the list!
1. Your shoes are the first thing people subconsciously notice about you. Wear nice shoes.
2. If you sit for more than 11 hours a day, there’s a 50% chance you’ll die within the next 3 years.
3. There are at least 6 people in the world who look exactly like you. There’s a 9% chance that you’ll meet one of them in your lifetime.
4. Sleeping without a pillow reduces back pain and keeps your spine stronger.
5. A person’s height is determined by their father, and their weight is determined by their mother.
6. If a part of your body “falls asleep”, You can almost always “wake it up” by shaking your head.
7. There are three things the human brain cannot resist noticing – food, attractive people and danger.
8. Right-handed people tend to chew food on their right side.
9. Putting dry tea bags in gym bags or smelly shoes will absorb the unpleasant odor.
10. According to Albert Einstein, if honey bees were to disappear from earth, humans would be dead within 4 years.
11. There are so many kinds of apples, that if you ate a new one every day, it would take over 20 years to try them all.
12. You can survive without eating for weeks, but you will only live 11 days without sleeping.
13. People who laugh a lot are healthier than those who don’t.
14. Laziness and inactivity kills just as many people as smoking.
15. A human brain has a capacity to store 5 times as much information as Wikipedia.
16. Our brain uses the same amount of power as a 10-watt light bulb!!
17. Our body gives enough heat in 30 minutes to boil 1.5 liters of water!!
19. Stomach acid (conc. HCl) is strong enough to dissolve razor blades!!
20. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day & while you walk, SMILE. It is the ultimate antidepressant.
21. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
22. When you wake up in the morning, pray to ask God’s guidance for your purpose today.
23. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
24. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, broccoli, and almonds.
25. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
26. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts and things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
27. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
28. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
29. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Forgive them for everything.
30. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
31. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
32. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
33. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
34. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
35. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will this matter?’
36. Help the needy, Be generous! Be a ‘Giver’ not a ‘Taker’
37. What other people think of you is none of your business.
38. Time heals everything, except grief. Grief is a sign of Love.
39. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
40. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. Each night before you go to bed, pray to God and be thankful for what you accomplished, today. What if you woke up this morning and only had what you thanked God for yesterday? DON’T FORGET TO THANK GOD FOR EVERYTHING.
43. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
We hope you enjoy these!
As Mount Vernon Nazarene University prepares to welcome students back for spring semester, MVNU President Dr. Carson Castleman recently sat down with WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart to share updates, reflections, and a look ahead at what’s shaping up to be an exciting season for the University.
Click HERE for the full conversation!
Dr. Castleman kicked things off with a lighthearted moment, sharing a funny story from Christmas celebrations with his family. That warm, personal touch set the tone for a conversation filled with optimism, gratitude, and big-picture vision.
Looking back on the fall semester and ahead to 2025 and beyond, Dr. Castleman shared encouraging enrollment news. As MVNU moves toward spring semester and into 2026, applications, acceptances, and deposits are up 30% from the highest numbers seen in the past seven years. It’s a strong sign of momentum and confidence in the University’s mission and direction.
The conversation also highlighted two important leadership transitions at MVNU. Dr. Michaelia Black has been hired as Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer. She will serve part-time over the next few months and transition to a full-time role in May 2026. Additionally, Dr. Joshua Black has joined MVNU as the new Executive Director of Human Resources and Training & Development. This revised role reflects the University’s growing emphasis on training and development across campus, and the position now serves on the President’s Cabinet, ensuring that MVNU’s “Chief People Officer” has a seat at the table.
Academically, MVNU continues to grow and evolve across both CAPS (College of Adults and Professional Studies) and the traditional College of Arts and Sciences. CAPS is launching two new programs—a Master’s in Speech Language Pathology and a Doctorate of Business Administration—with accreditors scheduled to visit campus in February. CAPS enrollment has seen remarkable growth, expanding from 487 students in October 2023 to 900 students in January 2026.
On the traditional side, program evaluations are underway, with decisions expected throughout the semester. Encouraging growth is also being seen among incoming freshmen, particularly in Nursing and Engineering programs.
Dr. Castleman also highlighted several events on MVNU’s 2026 calendar, including athletic competitions in Ariel Arena, Spring Break ministry trips, and an upcoming Pastors Training Event. His upcoming travel schedule includes trips to Dallas, Texas, Florida, and Virginia as he continues building relationships and representing MVNU.
As students prepare to return from Christmas break, Dr. Castleman shared a special message of encouragement, along with appreciation for faculty and staff. He challenged the MVNU community to embrace 2026 as the “Year of Opportunity.”
Looking ahead, Dr. Castleman outlined his key priorities for the year: securing accreditation for the new CAPS programs, increasing enrollment, and focusing on organizational growth through new revenue streams and business opportunities. He also shared plans to work closely with the Board of Trustees on a 2027 strategic plan that will guide the University through the next five years.
The conversation closed with a heartfelt request for prayer—for MVNU’s continued growth and for Dr. Castleman and his family throughout the month of January. As spring semester begins, the message is clear: MVNU is moving forward with purpose, faith, and confidence in what lies ahead.
Click HERE to find out more about MVNU!
Today on The Morning Thing, we wanted to share some warm ideas as the cold season ramps up! So these are some simple and tasty soup recipes for you and your family!
Our hosts favorite:
Black Bean and Salsa Soup
Ingredients:
Directions:
Click HERE to view the rest of the soup ideas and how to make them!
January is National Soup Month, and to celebrate we wanted to give you some different soup recipes that you can try out. For our Friday Favorites, The Morning Thing hosts share their favorite soup recipes.
Click HERE to hear from the hosts or click the link below.
Today on The Morning Thing, we focused on open communication within your family! We shared 5 questions to ask your kids that are simple but important and will hopefully get them talking.
They come from Super Bowl winning Head Coach Tony Dungy! He knows a thing or two about communicating and cultivating people’s lives and he is trying to share that knowledge with you.
Out favorite question:
Click HERE to check out the questions!
Today on The Morning Thing, we shared some amazing and simple ideas for your New Year’s Resolutions! These are ways you can better yourself and others in 2026.
While they are hard to keep all year long, the pursuit of them is an accomplishment in itself.
Some of our favorites:
Click HERE to see and read the rest of the ideas!
Today, The Morning Thing shared some encouragement to help you start the first full week of 2026.
Here are some great ideas from imom.com to help your family stay strong and stay connected in the new year. Click HERE to see the full article from Author, Nancy Jergins.
Nancy Jergins – Educator and journalist Nancy Jergins is the author of Wise Words Mom: What to Say to Raise Kids Who Feel Accepted, Confident and Loved, an Amazon Top New Release in Motherhood, and an Amazon Top 50 Selection in One-Hour Reads. Nancy also worked on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and spent many years as a TV news reporter and anchor.
12 Family Goals for the New Year
Choose one goal for every month. You can keep it simple and just put up a list with the goals, or you can have a family celebration at the start of each month to kick off that month’s goal and get input from your kids. Here are 12 family goals to achieve together this year.
1. Cooking
Most moms want their kids to learn how to cook before they move out so they’re able to take care of themselves when they’re on their own. For this goal, assign each child a meal to prepare for the family. For younger kids, it can be breakfast or lunch. Older kids can cook dinner.
2. Service
Meet as a family to come up with a way to help others. Let the kids have a say in where you give your time. You can spur them along by asking who in the neighborhood, at church, or in the community needs a helping hand.
You can use our share, save, spend printable to kick off this month’s goal. For older kids, consider explaining the financial basics of running a family. You can use beans to show how much goes into each category—housing, cars, food, insurance. It might finally make sense why you keep yelling for them to turn off the lights when they leave the room. This is a family goal that you could continue for more than a month, as your kids will love to see their wallets, savings, and giving funds grow.
4. Poetry
Don’t laugh! Poetry can enhance your family life by showing how words can help us express emotions. You can make this fun and funny. Have your husband read a love poem by Emily Dickenson or look up some quirky poems by Shel Silverstein for your kids.
5. A Fast
Fasting isn’t just about food, although you could try that, too. Consider what has a little too much presence in your family’s life. Electronics after dinner? Going out to eat? Sweets? Go without it for a month and see how the fast frees up time, makes you feel healthier, or helps your budget.
6. Kindness
Make your family goal to say one kind thing to each other every day. At first, it will feel hokey. But pretty soon, you’ll see that it really does encourage more kindness.
7. Reading
If you can get your kids to read for an hour a day, studies show their vocabulary and comprehension will be off the charts. That’s the science behind this family goal, but it can be fun, too. Choose one book to read aloud as a family, or have your kids read independently, and then meet at the end of the week to talk about the chapters they read. Entice them to read by eating foods related to the book when you have your mini book club gathering.
8. Movement
This month, focus your family goal on moving. Go for a walk as a family after dinner or on the weekends. Play doubles tennis (there are large tennis balls that slow down play for younger kids) or make a circle and do jumping jacks facing each other.
9. Faith
Explore faith if it’s not already a part of your life. Since studies show that attending faith services strengthens families, visit a church. If your family already practices a faith, add another element like daily reading or nightly prayer. Unsure about how to shape your family’s faith? These ideas can help.
10. Thankfulness
Research shows that when we show thanks to others, it improves our overall happiness. This is a great skill to teach children. They can use this to help themselves through tough times when they’re out on their own. A fun family goal would be to write one thank you note per day and pop it in the mail. Take turns writing the note. (This doesn’t have to be all on you, Mom!)
11. Online Awareness
It would be easy to make this month about turning off all the devices. Instead, use it to teach your family about being aware of how much time they spend looking at screens. You can have everyone keep track of their screen use for a day or a week. Don’t be afraid to try a no-electronics day or two.
12. A New Skill
What will it be? Knitting? Juggling? Shooting 10 free throws in a row? Everyone chooses a skill and works on it throughout the month. At the end of the month, you can have a skills showcase.
Rise and Shine 