If you are ready to make the most of the fall season, Ordinary & Happy has the perfect resource – a Fall Bucket List! It is packed with 100 fun ideas to help you soak up everything autumn has to offer.
Check it out and have some FALL FUN this week!
Today on The Morning Thing, we shared 20 different ways to spend some quality time together as a family. This list of great ideas comes from Crosswalk.com
Click HERE to see the full list.
Here are some of our favorites:
Everybody loves family movie night. Typically, there is a theme like all the movies in a series or even a certain genre.
Cook a cozy, comforting meal together. We all know that family dinner time is important, so make it more special by preparing a meal together. Think meatloaf and mashed potatoes, cozy casseroles, and comforting soups. You could even try a recipe or two that you’ve never made before to shake things up. It can be as extravagant or as simple as you wish.
Get a whiteboard or bulletin board and hang it where everyone in the family can see it. Buy either dry-erase markers or post-it notes and push pins. Each week, have everyone write what they are thankful for so everyone can see it. Then on Friday nights at dinner, talk about your week and the things you are grateful for.
Breakfast is not only the most important meal of the day, it’s also cheaper than going out to lunch or dinner. Get up early on a Saturday morning and head to your favorite breakfast joint. Don’t forget to keep an eye out online, in your email, and also your snail mail for coupons. You can also go directly to the website and see if there are any specials going on as well. Enjoy the restaurant’s fall specials, like pumpkin pancakes or pumpkin spice coffee.
Do some research and see if there are any fall festivals in your town or neighboring towns. If so, spend the day together as a family. There will be lots of things to see and do, and it will do you good to be out in the crisp, fall air.
S’mores are a staple in the fall, so fire up the bonfire or fire pit and gather ‘round. However, you don’t always have to make the traditional graham cracker, marshmallow, and Hershey bar kind. There are tons of variations online.
I have seen s’mores made with horizontal slices of granny smith apples with caramel melted in the middle. Chocolate chip cookies with marshmallows and a chocolate bar melted in the middle. And s’mores made with chocolate graham crackers, peppermint patties, and marshmallows in the middle. There are lots of delicious variations, so have fun. You could even make several kinds and have friends over to enjoy after family dinner.
Pitch a tent or two and sleep under the stars one night as a family. Sit around the fire pit and talk, admire the moon and the stars, and thank God for his creation. Slow down and enjoy the surrounding nature.
Thanks to the author for these great ideas!
Carrie Lowrance is a freelance writer and author. She has had her work featured on Crosswalk, iBelieve, Huffington Post, and the Penny Hoarder. She is also the author of three children’s books, three clean romance books, one romance novella, three books of poetry, and one non-fiction book. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and baking, reading, and hanging out with her husband, and sweet cat, Cupcake. You can find out more about Carrie and her writing at www.carrielowrance.com.
WNZR talked with Kristin Hankins who is the 7th-12th Grade Supervisor at the Chapel Hill Christian Academy! She tells us all about their church and their fall fest that is coming up this Sunday. There will be music, games, activities and a bunch of candy!
Today, on The Morning Thing, we shared some amazing fall activity ideas for families!
It is finally starting to feel like Fall here in Mount Vernon and we think that is reason to celebrate! These are ways you can take advantage of the Fall weather before it turns to winter. They may be for kids but the whole family can find stuff in this list for the whole family!
Some of our favorites:
To view the full list click HERE!
One of WNZR’s Founding Fathers, Bill Bridges who was a part of the original Mount Vernon Nazarene College Staff in 1968, stopped by to celebrate the 39th anniversary of WNZR!
Click HERE to hear the entire conversation with Bill and Station Manager, Marcy Rinehart!
Bill helped found the Speech and Communications Department. Bill says that Founders Hall wasn’t ready, so they met in October in various places throughout Mount Vernon.
Bill said that the dream of having a radio station started around 1978. He said that they interviewed Dr. Henry Smith (who was one of Marcy’s professors) and he joined the staff.
Bill said he taught a radio class before they even had a radio station. He says WMVO in Mount Vernon gave them an old sound board, so they were able to have radio classes. They would broadcast to those in the breezeway between Founders and Faculty Halls.
Bill says that he and Dr. Smith started researching what it would take to start a “real” radio station. Bill stayed until 1980 and passed the department to Dr. Smith while he returned to the ministry.
Bill says the staff at WNZR is living out his dream. He talks about what he thinks that God has done to make his dream come true. He says the current ministry of WNZR is more than just a radio station. It is a Lifeline. WNZR does more than just play good Christian music and read the news, but what kind of impact it has on the community.
Bill gives some wisdom to WNZR staff members, “Don’t be afraid to experiment. Don’t be afraid to try. Don’t be afraid of failing. You never truly succeed unless you really try and take chances. He says trust God and trust your fellow workers.”
Click HERE to check out WNZR’s awesome website and learn more about our ministry!
Today, The Morning Thing shared some small ways to make life simpler. These tips are from The Positivity Blog. They remind us that life does NOT have to be so hard.
See the full list of 23 small ways to make life simpler HERE.
Here are some of our favorites:
When stressed, lost in a problem (or a mistake) or the past or future in your mind breathe with your belly for two minutes and just focus on the air going in and out.
These deep breaths will calm your body down and bring your mind back into the present moment again.
You’ll get better results and feel better and less stressed while doing those things.
Use your mind for better things than remembering what to do. And the mind is often like a leaky bucket.
So write down all your great ideas, insights and thoughts before they go missing somewhere and add what you need to do to a to-do list.
It will only get you stuck and drain your self-esteem.
Go for good enough instead and when you are there you are done. Get things all the way to done this way and then move on to the next thing.
Then you don’t have to get stressed out by that in morning and you are less likely to forget something.
Questions like:
If everything has its own place then it is whole lot easier to keep your home reasonably ordered and decluttered from day to day.
This also helps you with your inner stillness as the outer environment affects how you feel on the inside.
I tend to write emails containing only a few sentences, usually between one and five. If you focus on keeping it short and focused then you’ll probably discover that this is a good solution in most cases.
Reading minds is hard. So, instead ask questions and communicate.
This will help you to minimize unnecessary conflicts, misunderstandings, negativity and waste of time and energy.
I check my email inboxes, blog statistics, my online earnings, Twitter and Facebook just once a day.
I combine all that checking into one small daily ritual at the end of my workday so I don’t slip and go checking it more during the day and waste my energy and attention.
The Morning Thing shared some exciting news about one of our local ministries. Jessica Reynolds joined us to share the new name and mission for TouchPointe Community Resources. Jessica serves as the Executive Director. She shared stories of how God is moving through their ministry, along with information on programs that they offer and goals for the rest of 2025.
Click HERE to hear the full conversation.
TouchPointe provides Christ-centered mentoring and practical assistance that equips neighbors to heal relationships, create thriving families, and develop employment readiness.
To find out more, go to their website – https://touchpointe.org/
Today on The Morning Thing, we highlighted Fall! We shared some of the best fall festivities from Knox, Richland, and Ashland counties. All of these are great for spending time with the family!
Not only are these fun ideas, but the list shares specific events that you and your family can attend this fall!
To view the full list click HERE!
There is an adage, “The Family that Prays Together, Stays Together.”
On the Morning Thing Wednesday, we shared 7 morning prayers for your family to start your day.
Experts from Crosswalk.org say by starting the day with prayer it helps your family find hope and encouragement with our most powerful tool – prayer.
Click HERE for the 7 prayers from Crosswalk.org.
Today on The Morning Thing, we celebrated Happiness Happens Month! This is a month that highlights the things that make you happy on a day-to-day basis.
We shared some daily, monthly, and even yearly habits that are geared towards making you happier! With a little time and practice, you’ll be able to figure out which habits are good for your lifestyle.
To learn more about Happiness Happens Month, click HERE!
For the full list of habits, click HERE!
Rise and Shine 