Category: family

Flying Horse Farms Offers Life-Changing Camp Experience for Children with Serious Illnesses

For many kids, summer camp means swimming, boating, archery, and making lifelong memories with new friends. At Flying Horse Farms in Mount Gilead, those same camp traditions are made possible for children living with serious illnesses.

WNZR’s Eric Brown recently spoke with Liv Malmsten about the organization’s unique medical specialty camp and the impact it has on children and families.

Click HERE to hear the full conversation!

Flying Horse Farms provides a traditional camp experience—complete with activities like swimming, boating, archery, and arts and crafts—while also ensuring campers are supported in a medically and emotionally safe environment. The goal is simple: give kids the chance to just be kids while still receiving the care they need.

A key part of that support is the camp’s on-site Wellness Center. The facility is staffed by medical and psychosocial professionals who help meet campers’ physical, emotional, and behavioral needs. With that level of care available, children can safely enjoy the full camp experience even while managing serious health conditions.

During the conversation, Malmsten explained that the camp carefully adapts activities so every child can participate. Whether it’s modifying equipment or adjusting how an activity is run, the staff works to ensure each camper can join in and experience the fun alongside their peers.

Looking ahead to the upcoming summer season, Flying Horse Farms is encouraging families to apply soon. The priority application deadline is March 16, although applications will still be accepted after that date as space allows.

The camp is also currently seeking adult volunteers who want to help support campers throughout the summer. Volunteers play an important role in creating a welcoming and encouraging environment for children and their families.

Click HERE to learn more about the camp, apply, or explore volunteer opportunities!

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Looking for something FUN to do with your small group or for your next family gathering?

The Morning Thing is here to help! We found a list of 75 FUN Icebreaker Games to try at your next party!

Thanks to women.lifeway.com for compiling a list of great ideas to break the ice. These are fun games that will get your group laughing and connecting.

Click HERE to see the full list.

They are separated into these categories:
– Quick Icebreaker Games
– Just for Laughs
– Conversation Prompts
– Active and Movement Games
– Team Challenges
– Encouraging & Uplifting
– Quick & Easy Time Fillers

Let us know if you try one of these ideas. We would love to hear your story! Send us an email and a picture – wnzr@themorningthing

75 Fun Icebreaker Games for Your Small Group
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Taking Steps Toward Hope: How The Winter Sanctuary Is Changing Lives in Mount Vernon

Recently, Joe Springer, Executive Director of The Winter Sanctuary, sat down with WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart to talk about something close to his heart — serving our homeless neighbors and inviting the community to get involved.

Click HERE to hear the full conversation!

Joe has been the Executive Director for just over a year, but his connection with The Winter Sanctuary runs much deeper. He’s been serving there for a decade. The Sanctuary is a seasonal emergency homeless shelter and advocacy program — and notably, it’s the only homeless shelter within 25 minutes of Mount Vernon. During the coldest months of the year, it becomes a lifeline for individuals who would otherwise be facing the brutal Ohio winter alone.

One of the biggest ways the community can support this mission is through the Coldest Night of the Year event, happening February 28th. This meaningful 5K walk (you can run or walk!) begins and ends at Gay Street United Methodist Church, located at 18 North Gay Street. The event kicks off at 4:00 PM, with walkers stepping off at 5:00 PM — and yes, there will be food afterward!

The event isn’t just about logging miles. It’s about awareness. It’s about stepping outside — literally — to experience just a glimpse of what winter can feel like for someone without shelter. Joe shared how many people don’t realize what it’s like to live outside in the woods during freezing temperatures. The walk is meant to build empathy while raising the funds needed to keep the shelter open and fully staffed.

Participants form teams and raise funds — $150 per adult and $75 per child — to support the mission. If you’d like to donate or start a team, visit CONY.com. You can also learn more through their website, thewintersanctuary.com, which links directly to the event page.

Although the shelter operates seasonally and closes at the end of April, their advocacy program runs year-round, helping guests move toward independence and stability. And right now, they need volunteers — people willing to lend their time and hands to make a difference.

Joe even brought along one of the event’s signature knit hats that participants receive — a simple but powerful symbol of warmth and solidarity.

Beyond donations and participation, Joe has one more request: prayer. Pray for the fundraiser. Pray for the volunteers. Pray especially for those currently experiencing homelessness. And pray as The Winter Sanctuary works toward securing a permanent location to continue expanding its impact.

If you’re looking for a tangible way to make a difference this winter, this is it. Bundle up. Show up. Walk in solidarity.

Click HERE to find out more about The Winter Sanctuary!

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You can have fun celebrating Valentine’s Day as a family

Valentine’s Day is coming soon – this Saturday! Do you have special plans? How about creating a new tradition for the entire family? These are fun ideas that involve everyone, including the kids!

Click HERE to see the complete list and details for each activity from sugarspiceandglitter.com

Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day as a Family

1. Special Valentine’s Breakfast or Meal Together. 

2. Take Family Pictures.

3. Valentine’s Scavenger Hunt. 

4. Random Acts of Kindness.

5. Balloon Surprise!

6. Make a Special Treat Together. 

7. What I Love About You! Spend some time showering your family with words of affirmation and taking turns telling each other all of the things you love about each other.

8. Visit or Acknowledge a Departed Loved One. 

9. Watch a Timeless Classic.

10. Engage in a Family Past time.

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The Morning Thing Friday Favorites – We love a HOT Breakfast!

February is National Hot Breakfast Month. Today for our Friday Favorites, The Morning Thing hosts shared their favorite hot breakfast selections. This month, you are encouraged to take a little extra time to eat a hot breakfast with your family and friends. It is a perfect way to warm up in the winter weather.

Click HERE or the link below to hear what The Morning Thing hosts enjoy for breakfast.

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What Mount Vernon City Schools Is Planning Next — and Why a May Levy Is Part of the Conversation

Mount Vernon City Schools Superintendent Bill Seder recently sat down with WNZR’s Eric Brown to walk through the district’s long-term facilities plan and a proposed 1-percent earned income tax levy expected to appear on the May 2026 ballot.

Click HERE for the full conversation!

According to Seder, the proposal is the result of more than a year of planning, community input, and financial analysis aimed at addressing aging buildings, outdated learning spaces, rising maintenance costs, safety concerns, and limited accommodations for students with special needs.

Seder explained that the district’s master facilities plan includes building three new elementary schools, renovating the high school, and adding a new auditorium to better support growing participation in arts and extracurricular programs. The total estimated cost of the project is $118 million, reflecting current construction prices. About $38 million would come from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, with the remaining costs covered locally under strict state guidelines. While renovations were explored, Seder said rebuilding most elementary schools proved more cost-effective under Ohio’s two-thirds funding rule.

The proposed levy would be a 1-percent earned income tax, which Seder said was chosen to create a more balanced and sustainable funding model while protecting residents on fixed incomes. Property tax revenue is capped by state law, making income-based funding a more reliable long-term option. He also noted the district delayed placing the levy on the November ballot due to uncertainty surrounding the state budget and property tax changes, later determining May would provide more clarity.

Acknowledging the emotional and generational ties families have to existing school buildings, Seder emphasized the district’s desire to honor that history. Elements from older schools could be incorporated into new designs, blending tradition with modern learning environments. Plans also call for four elementary schools strategically placed across the city to meet safety, transportation, and site-size requirements.

If approved, the project would follow a multi-year timeline, beginning with design and planning before construction starts. If the levy does not pass, Seder said there would be no immediate cuts since this is a capital project, but the district would continue maintaining current buildings and consider future options. Residents will have multiple opportunities to learn more through district resources, building tours, and a citizen-led levy committee.

Click HERE to visit the Mount Vernon City School District

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Family Fun Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

In a world filled with busy schedules and endless screens, meaningful family time often feels harder to create than it should be. But sometimes, the most memorable moments come from the simplest ideas.

Inspired by a list from Ordinary and Happy, families can turn ordinary evenings into something special with easy, creative activities at home—like movie nights, blanket forts, craft projects, storytelling games, baking together, mini competitions, virtual tours, and treasure hunts.

These ideas don’t require expensive supplies or elaborate planning—just presence, creativity, and a willingness to have fun together.

Whether it’s laughter in the kitchen, imagination in the living room, or shared stories around the table, small moments can become lifelong memories when families choose connection over distraction.

Click HERE to check out more from Ordinary and Happy’s website.

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Getting Older Isn’t Easy!

You know, nobody ever wakes up one morning and says, “Well, today I feel officially older.”
It sneaks up on you. On the Morning Thing Thursday, WNZR’s Eric Brown talks about the fact he is getting older (He turns the BIG 5-0 this year) and how to embrace the fact its actually happening.

It’s the moment you stand up and make a noise without realizing it. Or when you hear a song on the radio and think, “That’s still new,” only to realize it came out 20 years ago.

Getting older doesn’t arrive with flashing lights or an announcement. It shows up quietly—in routines, in habits, in the way your calendar fills up faster than it used to.

And the strange thing is, inside, you don’t feel all that different. You still feel like you. The same thoughts, the same humor, the same dreams. But the mirror tells a slightly different story, and so does the calendar.

Aging sneaks up on you because life keeps moving while you’re busy living it. And maybe that’s not a flaw—it’s a gift. Because if we were constantly aware of time passing, we’d never enjoy the moments we’re in.

Sometimes the quiet arrival of age reminds us to pause, take stock, and be thankful we’ve been given the time to even notice it at all.

Click HERE for more information from Focus on the Family!

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Would you like a NEW Marriage for the NEW Year?

Today, The Morning Thing shared some insight from Brooke Wilson – content writer, editor, and digital designer for FamilyLife.

She shared to view your marriage as a ministry. Here is a link to the full article.

Are you ready for a new year, new marriage, and new ministry? Here are three ways to get you started thinking about the impact your marriage can have.

1. Pray about it with your spouse.

2. Prioritize time as a couple.

3. Consider leading a small group.

Click HERE to read more from Brooke Wilson. We hope these 3 ideas challenge you to work on your marriage in 2026.

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