Today, we’re continuing Winter Jam week! Remember, the big show is coming to Columbus THIS Saturday, 1/18!
Every day this week, we will share conversations with artists that will be hitting the stage on Saturday.
Click the link below to hear our chat with Trevor of Thousand Foot Krutch!
Trevor: https://soundcloud.com/wnzr/winter-jam-2014-rachel-held
Today, we’re kicking off Winter Jam week! Believe it or not, the big show is coming to Columbus THIS Saturday, 1/18!
Every day this week, we will share conversations with artists that will be hitting the stage on Saturday.
Click the links below to hear our discussions with Colton Dixon as well as Billy Goodwin of NewSong!
Colton Dixon: https://soundcloud.com/wnzr/wesley-boston-and-annabelle
Billy Goodwin: https://soundcloud.com/wnzr/zach-roys-talk-with-billy-from
Happy Thanksgiving!
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Today, we have been thinking of all the things that we are thankful for:
– Family
– Friends
– A Christian Heritage
– A fun and active ministry to be involved in (Yeah! Big Blue Crew!)
– A warm, comfortable home to live in
– Food to eat
– A great community that is growing and thriving
– Opportunities to serve the Lord!
It is easy to overlook the true meaning of Thanksgiving and why we really celebrate the Holiday. We can become absorbed with making sure the house is cleaned, or that the food will be ready by the time everyone gets there. It is important to be reminded of all the reasons we have to be thankful in our lives. Celebrate Thanksgiving the way it was meant to be celebrated. Praise God for all of His blessings in not only your own life but the lives of your loved ones today.
We thank the Lord for these and many other blessings. As you celebrate Thanksgiving today, we pray that you will find time to Praise the Lord for the blessings He has given to you! We thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your life, and you are TRULY someone we are thankful for this Holiday.
The Morning Thing started a new feature today (11/4/13). Each weekday morning at 8:40am, we will feature a conversation with members of the Food For The Hungry Committee. We will talk about the many wonderful events happening to support the fight against hunger in our community. We hope you tune in and check back to this blog as we share the exciting news of what is happening in 2013!
Food For The Hungry – Working Together to Care for our Neighbors!
The Kenyon Empty Bowls Soup Supper and Art Auction is this Friday, November 8.
This annual Soup Supper and Art Auction raises hunger awareness and funds for families in need.
On Friday, Nov. 8. Kenyon’s Craft Center, in cooperation with The Kenyon Review, will be hosting the 7th annual Empty Bowls Soup Supper and Auction at Kenyon’s Peirce Hall from 5 to 7 p.m.
A humble and Spartan meal of soup and bread will be served to remind attendees of the many in Knox County who have little to eat, due to current economic hardships. Guests will have the opportunity to buy or bid on pottery bowls created by students, faculty, staff, and community members in earlier workshops at the Craft Center and Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Donations for the meal will be added to the bowls and art sales and presented to Knox County’s Food For The Hungry campaign.
Suggested donations for the supper are $5.00 for children and students, $8.00 for adults. Art and bowls will be offered by silent auction and bidding will close at 7:30 p.m. For more information please contact Lacey FIlkins at 740-427-5447.
Please take a minute and listen to a conversation about Kenyon’s Empty Bowls. http://soundcloud.com/wnzr/sets/kenyon-college-hosts-empty
For a look at the complete 2013 calendar, go to www.FoodForTheHungryCares.org
11/1/13 was the official kick-off for the annual Food For The Hungry drive. This campaign collects food and funds to support Interchurch Social Services and the Salvation Army in Knox County. This year marks the 32nd year that our local community has partnered together to fight hunger! WNZR is proud to partner with this effort every year. We hope that you will be thinking and praying about how YOU and your family can get involved. Your involvement WILL make a difference.
On Friday, 11/1/13, The Morning Thing dedicated our show to the Food For The Hungry kick-off. We talked with Sandy Rhoton, Food For The Hungry Coordinator; Joy Harris, Executive Director of Knox County Interchurch Social Services and Captain Jon Jackson of the Mount Vernon Salvation Army. Take a moment to listen in! You’ll hear some eye-opening stats about hunger in our community. You’ll hear some amazing stories of how gifts are making a difference. You’ll also hear about some exciting events where you can make a donation. We also want you to check out www.foodforthehungrycares.org for all the details about this year’s drive. Join the Big Blue Crew this year – support Food For The Hungry. http://soundcloud.com/wnzr/sets/food-for-the-hungry-2013-kick
WNZR hosted the premiere of VeggieTales “Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas” on Saturday.
Thanks to the many families that attended. We collected 53 shoeboxes and $42 (in extra donations) for Operation Christmas Child.
We wanted to share the story of one of those families. Thank you for taking a moment to read these thoughts from Kassandra Miller.
Tonight we went to WNZR’s VeggieTales premiere of Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas with our kids. It was hilarious and heartwarming. Si Robertson voiced an okra who was the narrator of the story. Admission to these premieres usually entails purchasing cheap tickets to get in. The videos are family friendly and faith-based so I love going because it is an inexpensive, good event for me and my kiddos.
However, tonight, admission was donating a shoebox full of gifts for Operation Christmas Child. The shoe boxes are filled, donated to Samaritan’s Purse, and then shipped to children all over the world for Christmas. You can choose the age group and gender of the child for which you would like to fill the box. Since my mom chose to do a boy aged 5-9, I thought we would do a girl 10-14, figuring lots of people probably pick the younger kids for their boxes.
Surely, I could have just gone to Wal-Mart and picked out some girly things quickly and filled the box in no time with no hassles, fighting or even re-directing. In fact, I have to be honest that I would have preferred to do so. With young children, it is an understatement of the century to say that trips to the store turn into whining sessions, where one (or all) of my children beg for items, grab things off of shelves and put them in the cart at some point, and generally make life frustrating in the aisles. This reason and others (conserving time, money, etc) were tempting for me to just leave all kids at home. However, my spirit wouldn’t allow that to happen.
Let me back up a couple of years…or decades. You see when I was very young – in fact, as far back as I am able to remember – we were quite poor. My mom was a single mother and she worked as hard as she could to provide as much as she could, but money was super tight. (Living now in a home with two of us caring and providing, I can say I have no idea how she did it and she just might be a superhero in disguise!) There were many things we had to do without over my childhood, but I believe I am now stronger for it.
My mom always tried to make Christmas special, though. Knowing we may not get much on birthdays, other holidays, or really any other time for that fact, she tried to make Christmas something in which we could look forward to in great anticipation. (She still made it center around Jesus’ birth even in the midst of presents and all, though, and for that I am grateful and most happy about).
The earliest Christmas I can remember was going to be a bleak one. I was about 5 years old and we lived in the Villas of Geneva apartments. Mom worked as a teacher at Head Start, but back then (and perhaps even still today), it didn’t pay more than minimum wage. To say that we struggled those years would have been an understatement. But by God’s grace and a great church family, our immediate needs were pretty much always covered…albeit barely at times, but God sustained us! Nevertheless, that Christmas we woke up, and with wonder and amazement, found gifts under the tree on Christmas morning. It was a blessing – a true Christmas miracle for our family. Mom was still mom, though, and we weren’t allowed to listen to Non-Christian music so my heart sank when I had to give back my NKOTB cassette tape I had received (haha). I was confused at 5, thinking “Sandy Claus” (how my mom signed her Christmas gifts) had gotten it for me, so why would she take it back?
Well, fast forward 13 years. I am a senior in high school and in charge of my Spanish 5 class’ adopted family for Christmas. Teens brought in some canned foods, gently used clothing, and a handful of $1s to donate. My job was to take the less than $15 and purchase a gift card at a grocery store for the family to buy the perishable items needed for the Christmas dinner. Duly noted…I can handle that! I was a high schooler so it never crossed my mind that $15 wouldn’t buy a decent turkey let alone the fixin’s. I just thought, go and do it and bring it back.
So I set out to do just that. However, when I told my mom that I was going to the store, she looked at me like my head was screwed on wrong when I answered her that I had about $15. “Fifteen bucks?! That’s not near enough! Here.” And she handed me a wad of cash. Huh? This was supposed to be my class doing it, and we aren’t poor anymore, but we aren’t exactly rolling in the dough, either (I mean, after all, I babysat so I could pay for my own toiletries, clothes, events, etc because mom couldn’t always do that). And I think secretly (as generous as I was taught to be and usually was) I wondered how much of this money would then be deducted from my Christmas that year. Selfish, right?! I mean mom always got me at least some presents so why was I worried? And Christmas isn’t about presents anyway, right? I mean it is CHRIST-MAS…the celebration of Christ’s birth.
My mom sensed my hesitation and (probably) the weird look on my face gave it away, too. So instead of just brushing me off and telling me to quit being a dumb teenager (which she most certainly would have been justified in doing), she explained to me something I never knew. The reason that the Christmas 13 years earlier happened and that the initials CSM (or something like that) were on some of the gifts (like the water bottles, shirts, etc) was because a company adopted our family for Christmas that year. Suddenly it all made sense. That cassette tape was bought by someone else who, out of their generosity, just aimed to give something to a little girl that she would like…not knowing that the little girl’s mama would be strict enough to say “no teenage stuff for my 5 year old” (and good for her to stick to her convictions!).
Through tears, mom expressed what I imagine many who are blessed to be adopted for Christmas would: gratitude. She was thankful to God for using people to be generous, thankful that people were obedient and generous, and thankful for the system that was in place to help a struggling single mom who just wanted to have a good Christmas for her 5 year old and 16 year old daughters. I am sure my brother was there as well (on college break), but forgive me because I only remember Jolanda being there.
I got it. I understood. And I was immediately convicted. But that conviction seeped through to my spirit and allowed me to find so much more joy in going to Giant Eagle and purchasing that gift card. When I took the gift card back to class the next day, Senora King called me to her desk. This usually was not a good sign. I figured I screwed it up and got the wrong thing, or, completely unrelated to that, I was in trouble for talking or not doing an assignment correctly. She looked quite serious, but to my surprise asked how I could have gotten such a large amount on a gift card. She said she knew there wasn’t much in that envelope that I could have gotten that much on the gift card and purchased all the grocery items that I brought in that day. She was shocked that a parent would give that much, but told me to make sure and thank my mom for her generosity.
It was in those moments that I realized what true generosity was, not just at Christmas, but all year long. You see, my mom would give the shirt off of her own back if it would help you. She is the most compassionate, generous, helpful soul I know. Scripture says you reap what you sow. My mom has sown generosity like it is going out of style. And she has reaped it. When we have been most in need, our needs were always met. Just like the woman in the parable, many times my mom has given all that she had in her possession, and God has blessed it and multiplied it in miraculous ways.
Back, FINALLY, to today. Like I said MANY paragraphs earlier (sorry so long), I could have been free from stress and went to the store kid-free today. But the Spirit would not let me. He prodded for me to take my eldest son with me. So at the last moment, I urged him to get his clothes and shoes on so we could get to the store and back on time for the premiere. On the way to Wal-Mart, Dallas (almost 5 years old) and I had a heart to heart. We discussed the many reasons why we give. I wondered if he even got it or understood it at all, but felt like something on the topic would stick. We got inside, and much to my surprise and sheer delight, he excitedly took the lead. He picked out the pretty hair things for our OCC girl. He chose the sunglasses and the journal. He took delight in helping me to find matching pens to the journal cover. And it hit me when we got back in the van that not once during the whole visit did he whine, grumble, ask for anything for himself, or complain. He got it. He understood. His tender heart to know and live Truth sees the True Light that is Christmas…JESUS! And that’s a fact, Jack!
What are you doing this Saturday? I hope you will consider attending WNZR’s premiere of the NEW VeggieTales adventure, “Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas”.
CHRISTMAS??? WHAT???
Yes – I know it is only mid-October, but it is NEVER too early to think about giving to others.
This event on Saturday is special. We will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary for both VeggieTales and Operation Christmas Child. OCC has been delivering shoeboxes to needy children around the world for 20 years! That is amazing!
On Saturday, we are kicking off the collection in Knox County. There are NO tickets for this VeggieTales premiere. We are asking each family to pack a shoebox with gifts and bring $7.00 to cover shipping and handling. Packing the shoebox will give you a wonderful opportunity to talk to your kids about giving to others – the message of the new VeggieTales video (see below).
OK – here are the details:
WHEN? – We have 2 showings planned for this Saturday, 10/19 – 4:30pm and 7pm.
WHERE? – Thorne Performance Hall, located inside the Chapel at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, 800 Martinsburg Road, Mount Vernon, OH
WHAT do I pack in the shoebox? Bob and Larry will show you what to do. (Click on the link and watch the video from VeggieTales). http://www.wnzr.fm/index.php
In “Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas”, Bob and Larry are going all out to make it the best Christmas ever at the Spring Valley Mall. With music, decorations and a light show like no other, it’s an all-out spectacle to outshine the competition! But a little girl with a big heart changes everything when she shows them all what Christmas is really about. “Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas” also features Si Robertson from Duck Commander as ‘Silas’ the Narrator!
Check out this special message from Si! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZwwwz5eZDQ
Free shoeboxes, packing instructions and boy/girl labels are available at Gospel Supply Shop, (117 South Main St., Mount Vernon).
The National Collection for Operation Christmas Child is November 18 – 25. Knox County’s local drop-off site is at Brandon Baptist Church, 13513 Sycamore Rd, Mount Vernon. WNZR has set a goal to collect 200 shoeboxes at the VeggieTales premiere this Saturday to give Knox County a good start for this year’s collection. Shoeboxes should be packed for either a boy or a girl in one of 3 age categories: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. The $7.00 donation for each shoebox will cover shipping and other project costs. Checks should be made payable to Samaritan’s Purse with “OCC” written on the memo line.
Now one more question – WHY? Why should we pack shoeboxes? I would like to introduce you to Livia Satterfield – a life that was changed through the gift of a shoebox. Livia was a 12-year-old orphan living in Romania. She felt unloved, unwanted and all alone. She shared her story with me. I hope you take just a few minutes and listen to how Livia’s life was forever changed because someone took the time to lovingly pack a shoebox. http://soundcloud.com/wnzr/sets/marcy-rinehart-talks-with
See you Saturday!
Marcy Rinehart
WNZR Station Manager
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is the place to be this Saturday.
Sonfest 2013 brings a full lineup of incredible bands to 2 stages!
**Make sure to stop by Big Blue at Sonfest on Saturday! We are giving away TWO Boogie Boards autographed by ALL Sonfest 2013 artists. Sign up to WIN!**
*PLUS – the first 50 people to visit WNZR at Sonfest get a FREE flashing LED glow bracelet!*
Tickets are $15.00 per person, $12.00 for groups of 15 or more. Groups get 2 FREE tickets with their order! Tickets purchased at the gate will be $20.
*PRE-SALE tickets can be purchased through THIS Friday at 5pm!!*
Sonfest Stage Lineup (Tentative – times could change)
12:45 Satellites and Sirens – MAIN stage
1:10 Wyndsor – SIDE stage
1:50 Capital Kings – MAIN stage
2:15 The Orphan and the Poet – SIDE stage
2:55 Wolves at the Gate – MAIN stage
3:20 Last of the Wildmen – SIDE stage
4:00 Andy Mineo – MAIN stage
4:30 Josh Wilson – SIDE stage
5:15 Plumb – MAIN stage
5:45 Compassion International slot – MAIN stage
6:10 Mikeschair – SIDE stage
6:50 Red Jumpsuit Apparatus – MAIN stage
7:35 Come Wind – SIDE stage
8:20 Thousand Foot Krutch – MAIN stage
For more information and to see videos of the artists go to www.mvnu.edu/sonfest
Get to know our Sonfest artists better! Click here to hear interviews from Josh Wilson, Plumb, Capital Kings and many more artists that will hit the Sonfest stage this Saturday.
http://soundcloud.com/wnzr
Focus on the Family created a back-to-school checklist for families. Thanks to www.ThrivingFamily.com for these wonderful ideas to make the transition more successful.
Elementary Grades by Andrea Gutierrez
Get Started
❍ Make sure your child is enrolled and all registration paperwork is complete.
❍ Find out when the semester starts and what time to arrive.
❍ Obtain school policies and review them with your child before school begins
(school closures, disciplinary action, procedures, etc.)
❍ Determine which preparations for the school day are best accomplished in the
evenings and which should be part of the morning routine.
Medical Requirements
❍ Ask your family physician if your child is up-to-date on immunizations. (You can
obtain a list of required immunizations from the school district.)
❍ Inform the school of your child’s medical needs, allergies or medications (if any)
that will require special attention.
❍ Schedule a physical exam if it’s required for PE or extracurricular sports
participation.
To and From School
❍ If your child will ride the bus, become familiar with the pick-up and drop-off times
and locations.
❍ If you will be driving your child to school, find out the school’s policy on pick-up
and drop-off times and locations.
❍ Inquire about carpooling groups if you’re interested in making arrangements with
other families.
❍ If your child will walk to and from school, determine the safest route, and find
out if there are crossing guards at busy intersections. Walk the route with your
child. Practice crossing the street at designated crosswalks and review
pedestrian safety.
Meals and Snacks
❍ Inventory your pantry to determine which items you’ll need to purchase for sack
lunches and snacks. Make a shopping list.
❍ Have quick breakfast options available for your child. Determine if the school has
a breakfast program, if you’re interested.
❍ Find out if your family qualifies for free lunches or reduced pricing based on
household income.
❍ Find out the cost of breakfast and lunch menu items and the method of payment.
❍ Make note of whether your child will be required to bring his own healthy snack
each day or if the teacher wants students to contribute to a shared snack cabinet.
❍ Inform the teacher of your child’s food allergies (if any).
School Clothes
❍ If your child’s school has a dress code or guidelines for gym class attire, shop for
needed apparel.
❍ Involve your kids in purging closets of outgrown clothes, shoes and coats. Donate
items to charity.
❍ Organize wardrobe and determine items that need to be purchased. Write out a
shopping list of needed items.
School Supplies
❍ Search the school’s website or call the office for a supply list.
❍ Go through your school supplies from last year to see what can be reused.
❍ Follow back-to-school sales to get the best price on each school supply.
❍ Buy extra supplies to keep at home for homework assignments. Keep them in
a central location.
❍ Label your child’s supplies, as well as his coat and lunchbox, with his first and
last name.
Teacher and Classroom
❍ Find out who your child’s teacher is and where the classroom is located. Tour
common areas such as the nearest restrooms, the library, the cafeteria and
the gymnasium.
❍ Ask your child’s teacher how he or she prefers to communicate with parents.
Obtain the teacher’s and principal’s phone number and email address.
❍ Ask the teacher for the scope and sequence of what your child will be learning in
this grade level.
❍ Update your calendar with scheduled parent-teacher conferences, fundraising
events, volunteer opportunities, etc.
After-School Schedule
❍ Establish a consistent routine for homework, snack time, playtime and bedtime.
❍ Set limits on screen time for the TV, computer and video games.
❍ Limit the number of organized activities that they will be involved in during
the semester.
❍ Decide which school activities your family will participate in.
Kindergarten by Katrina Cassel
Use the following guidelines to assess your child’s readiness for kindergarten:
To enroll your child in school, you’ll likely need to provide the following:
❍ documentation of a physical exam by your pediatrician
❍ record of up-to-date immunizations
❍ your child’s Social Security number (preferred but often not required)
❍ birth certificate
❍ proof of residency in the school district
Motor Skills
Can your child . . .
❍ throw a ball?
❍ walk in a straight line?
❍ color, draw, use a pencil and scissors?
Social Skills
Can your child . . .
❍ share with others?
❍ play alone?
❍ focus on schoolwork around
other kids?
❍ stick to a single task for
several minutes?
Academics
Can your child . . .
❍ tell a short story in sequence?
❍ count to 10?
❍ recognize basic shapes and colors?
❍ spell her name?
Personal Skills
Can your child . . .
❍ use the restroom?
❍ fasten her pants?
❍ wash her hands?
❍ put on her coat?
Adventures in Odyssey is hosting a summer Promotion called ACTS. These letters stand for “A Call To Serve”. One of the goals of the promotion is to document over 50,000 hours of service by kids across the U.S. Find out more about this wonderful promotion at http://www.whitsend.org/FeaturesView/ACTS.aspx
The letters A-C-T-S can also remind us to pray. Check out this hand activity from Adventures in Odyssey. What a GREAT way to teach your kids about praying for others!
Rise and Shine 