Today on The Morning Thing, Marcy shared a list of 7 things to tell God every morning.
This is a great way to start your morning prayer time.
We pray that this list of powerful thoughts encourage you today.
Today on The Morning Thing, we talked about the different types of Self-Care. Check out this list. You can find some tips for your daily life and some ways to answer YES to that question.
We often think of generosity as something that benefits other people—and it absolutely does—but what’s fascinating is what it does to us. Neuroscience shows that when we give, our brains release powerful “feel-good” chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. These neurotransmitters boost happiness, reduce stress, and deepen our sense of connection. Even more compelling, acts of generosity activate the brain’s reward center, the ventral striatum—the same area that lights up when we experience pleasure ourselves. In other words, we’re actually wired to give. It’s no accident that generosity feels good; it’s part of our design.
From a biblical perspective, this makes perfect sense. Scripture reminds us in Acts of the Apostles 20:35 that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and passages like 2 Corinthians 9:7 emphasize giving from a cheerful heart. Generosity isn’t about obligation—it’s about partnership with God. When we give intentionally and joyfully, we align ourselves with His design, strengthening trust, community, and spiritual fulfillment. Generosity transforms not only the lives of those we bless, but also our own hearts and minds in the process.
On the Morning Thing Wednesday, Marcy gave some of the Top 15 ways you can bless others including:
Click HERE to read the full article from Dr. Michelle Bengston!
We celebrated National Random Acts of Kindness Day on The Morning Thing!
Marcy and Xander shared some of the best and most simple ways to spread kindness to those that you encounter. This not only helps others but it also helps you, and it makes God happy!
Some of our favorite ways to spread kindness:
You never know whos day you can make!
To learn more about National Random Acts of Kindness Day click HERE!
Click HERE for the full list of kind acts!
Chris Tomlin is headlining the 2026 WinterJam Tour. WNZR’s Ethan Hershberger talked with Chris about joining this tour for the first time in his career. They also talked about the songs he is bringing to the stage. Chris is excited to lead worship with the younger generation of Christian Music fans.
Chris also shared how humbling it is to see how God has used his songs to give people a voice to worship. He is amazed at what God has done through his music.
Chris also shares about his new album “The King is Still The King” and how he stays in God’s word daily.
Click HERE to enjoy the full conversation or click the link below.
Click HERE for all the details about WinterJam 2026.
Important NEWS about WinterJam’s stop in Columbus on Saturday, 1/24/26.
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.
WNZR shared the amazing totals of the 2025 Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Collection. Thanks to everyone that packed a shoebox. The goals for Knox County and the Central Ohio Team have been met this year!
Xander got to have a sit down with Coach Mark Richt! Coach Richt is a former college football coach and player that spoke at the Tragedy Into Triumph event last night on MVNU’s campus. Coach tells us about his football career and his testimony on how he came to know Jesus!
Tragedy Into Triumph will happen again tonight and tomorrow with more amazing speakers! Doors open at 6pm and the event starts at 7pm.
For more info on Tragedy Into Triumph click HERE!
Many of us love The Chosen but now it’s time for The Chosen Adventures! This is a new animated series based on bible stories.
Ryan Swanson, the writer for both The Chosen and The Chosen Adventures, joined us to tell us about his story and how these projects came to life! He also gives us insight into the new animated endeavor and when we can see it!
Click HERE to learn more about The Chosen Adventures!
Rise and Shine 