Tag: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is 1 week away! Are you ready?

Today, The Morning Thing shared some great advice on how to prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Here are some great tips that we found online to help you plan ahead and be ready to enjoy this special holiday.

🛒 1. Plan and Shop

  • Finalize your menu. Decide exactly what dishes you’ll serve (and what guests might bring).
  • Make a detailed grocery list. Include all ingredients, drinks, and supplies like foil, plastic wrap, and napkins.
  • Do your big grocery run. Get non-perishables, frozen items, and anything that can store well for a week. (Avoid the last-minute rush!)
  • Order your turkey. If you haven’t yet, make sure it’s purchased or reserved.

🦃 2. Prep the Turkey

  • If you bought a frozen turkey, move it to the fridge to thaw — it can take up to 4–5 days depending on the size.
  • Check you have a roasting pan, thermometer, and carving knife.

🍽️ 3. Get Your Kitchen Ready

  • Clean out the fridge to make space for ingredients and leftovers.
  • Sharpen knives and clean cookware, baking sheets, and serving dishes.
  • Label serving platters or sticky-note them (“mashed potatoes here,” “stuffing here”) to stay organized.

🏡 4. Prepare Your Home

  • Clean main areas (kitchen, dining room, bathrooms, entryway).
  • Plan table seating and décor. Make sure you have enough chairs, plates, glasses, and utensils.
  • Set aside time to decorate — candles, fall centerpieces, or a festive tablecloth go a long way.

🕒 5. Plan the Timeline

  • Create a cooking schedule for the week and Thanksgiving Day. (e.g., pies the day before, casseroles in the morning, turkey in at noon.)
  • Make a to-do list for each day leading up to the holiday.

👪 6. Coordinate with Guests

  • Confirm who’s coming and what time they’ll arrive.
  • Double-check who’s bringing what dishes or drinks.
  • Plan for any dietary needs (vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.).

🍰 7. Start Early Prep

  • Make and freeze pie dough, casseroles, or rolls if possible.
  • Chop veggies ahead of time and store them in labeled containers.
  • Prepare any make-ahead dishes like cranberry sauce or gravy base.
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Byron Saunders Foundation Helps Give Thanksgiving Meals to Families in Need

Ginny Williams talked with WNZR’s Eric Brown about the Byron Saunders Foundation and some of it’s history.

Click HERE to hear the full conversation!

It started in 2003 with only 20 meals and its grown so much. It started with the idea of just helping families have meals and it’s grown to be such a large part of Thanksgiving. It just started with people checking on neighbors and now it gone beyond that to a widespread to reach families and have a meal on Thanksgiving.

Ginny talks about how families can get a meal for Thanksgiving. All you have to do is either call or text to get a full boxed meal and certificate to get meats for Thanksgiving by calling 740-324-9503 to help get signed up.

The last pickup for the year is this Saturday, November 22nd at their new facility at Habitat for Humanity in Mount Vernon.

She also talks about ways you can help support their work through donations and volunteering. The Knox County community has been very supportive, and they’ve been so blessed with smaller groups who’ve done food drives with a small list of things they need for their meal boxes. They sell tickets at the Knox County Fair and she explains how the community helps with that as well as other fundraisers run to help them as well as the Food for the hungry who helps support them as well as so many others.

She also thanks Habitat for Humanity and their help by giving them a permanent location and they’re so thankful for having a location and not having to go from place to place to try to keep working all year. She’s so thankful for the community support to keep this foundation working.

She talks about the goals for the community to end the season, they need volunteers for the ticket booth at the Knox County fairgrounds. If you see something for their foundation, put some nonperishable food in there like cans, or call their number.

They have food that needs to be delivered for them if you have time to help them and helping people who can’t go to get their turkey.

Click HERE to find out more about the Byron Saunders Foundation.

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Thanksgiving Thoughts with the Big Blue Crew

Happy Thanksgiving from WNZR.
Here are some thoughts about this special holiday for our WNZR Staff. You will hear from our Administrative Staff (Joe, Marcy and Sue), hosts of The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive, Student Leadership Team members and NEW students taking Intro to Radio at MVNU.
Click HERE to hear the conversation or click on the link below.
We hope you enjoy them sharing about traditions, favorite foods and what they are thankful for this year.
Happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for YOU!

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Are you feeling grateful today?

For some of us, it might be difficult to say yes to that question.
As we approach Thanksgiving next week, The Morning Thing is spending time to focus on gratitude.
Crosswalk.com has a list of 5 scriptures to help guide our gratitude this Thanksgiving.

Click HERE to read the full article.

From Crosswalk Author, Whitney Hopler

Thanksgiving invites you to reflect on God’s goodness and give thanks for the blessings in your life. It’s more than just a holiday; it’s a spiritual discipline to give thanks. The Bible repeatedly encourages you to give thanks – not only when in good circumstances, but in all situations. Practicing gratitude is a powerful act of faith, reminding you that God is present, faithful, and good. Here are 5 scriptures from the Bible to guide your Thanksgiving gratitude. They can inspire you to give thanks not just on Thanksgiving, but on every day that God gives you to enjoy.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Colossians 3:17

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” – Colossians 3:17

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

James 1:17

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1:17

Hebrews 12:28

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” – Hebrews 12:28

Click HERE to read Whitney’s valuable insight on each bible verse.

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Have you tried gratitude journaling?

Thanksgiving is coming soon and it is important to take time every day to be thankful for things in your life. Today on The Morning Thing, we talked about journaling to build a life of thankfulness. We shared some prompts from Crosswalk to start the conversation in person and on paper.

Click HERE to read the full article – 15 Journal Prompts to Build a Life of Thankfulness

Here are some of our favorites:

1. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Take a moment to sit quietly before the Lord, and then, through your journaling, explore what it means to serve a God who allows us to have a personal relationship with him. How does this stir up gratitude in your heart?

2. Reflect on Lamentations 3:22-23 and how God’s mercies are new every morning. Write about what this means for you in your life and why you’re thankful for this good news.

3. Think about the people who are closest to you. Write about why you’re thankful for each of them. Thank God for bringing them into your life.

4. If you’re able, get outside for a moment or look out a window. Journal about God’s creation. What about the outdoors reminds you most of God’s creativity? Thank him for allowing us to enjoy his handiwork.

5. Think of a time when someone did something unexpected for you that you deeply appreciated. Thank God for that person and the unexpected joy they brought to your life.

8. Reflect on a time when the Lord answered a specific prayer. Thank him for caring about your life’s details and hearing you when you cry out.

13. Reflect on a book you’ve recently read, a song you enjoy, or an artist you appreciate. Thank God for gifting us with creativity and for allowing the gifts of others to enrich our lives.

14. What is your favorite food? Write about how it looks, smells, and tastes. Thank God for the enjoyment of our food. For giving us variety and allowing our food to nourish our bodies.

15. Consider your life here on earth, the good and the bad. Write about your gratitude to God for preparing you a new home with him. Thank him for the promise of eternal life.

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The Morning Thing is celebrating National Gratitude Month. What are you grateful for today?

We have turned the calendar to new month! November is a special month on our calendar as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving.
You don’t have to wait until 11/28 to be thankful. You can show gratitude today!

National Gratitude Month began in 2015, thanks to Stacey Grewal, an author and inspirational speaker. She wanted a dedicated time to focus on gratitude, which led to the month-long celebration every November. Click HERE to read more about how this special emphasis started.

DaysoftheYear.com shares some ideas on to celebrate.

How to Celebrate National Gratitude Month

Start a Gratitude Journal

Grab a notebook and start jotting down three things you appreciate every day. It can be anything from your cozy slippers to a delicious slice of pie.

Flipping through these notes later will remind you of all the wonderful moments you’ve had.

Send Thank-You Notes

Handwrite thank-you notes to friends, family, or colleagues. Imagine the surprise when they find a heartfelt note in their mailbox!

This small gesture can brighten someone’s day and strengthen your connections.

Create a Gratitude Jar

Find an empty jar and decorate it with stickers and ribbons. Every day, write down something you’re thankful for on a slip of paper and drop it in. At the end of the month, read all the slips and relive the joy.

Host a Gratitude Party

Invite friends over for a gratitude-themed party. Ask everyone to share something they’re grateful for. Add fun activities like making gratitude crafts or sharing thank-you cards.

This party will leave everyone feeling appreciated and uplifted.

Volunteer in Your Community

Spare some time to volunteer at a local charity or community center. Helping others can boost your gratitude.

Whether it’s serving meals, cleaning up a park, or mentoring kids, your efforts will make a difference.

How will you celebrate gratitude today? Let us know at wnzr@mvnu.edu

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Who is overlooked that needs thanked this Thanksgiving?

Our Morning Thing hosts today shared about those who might go overlooked this thanksgiving that actually have quite the impact on our everyday life. Crosswalk.com encourages us to show appreciation to those who might go overlooked this Thanksgiving! Here are some of the folks we want to remember this season! For a complete list of where can start to reflect, click HERE

1. Teachers

Our teachers do so much for us and our children and deserve our appreciation.

2. Daycare/Preschool Teachers

Although this job is fun and fulfilling, it is also not an easy one. We have to play various roles during our day, like teacher, surrogate parent, disciplinarian, server, psychologist, friend, etc. Teachers at this level aren’t appreciated for doing so much in teaching the littlest of minds. In addition, if you see the director or co-director, cleaning staff, or cook, thank them too.

3. School Bus Drivers

Bus drivers are out in the sun, wind, rain, fog, and snow, getting our kids to school safely. They are a very important part of our day.

4. Barista

When ordering your favorite cup of coffee at your favorite shop, thank the barista who made it.

5. Fast Food Workers

It’s so easy to get caught up in the daily hustle and bustle of life, but thank the cashier and crew at your favorite fast-food restaurant the next time you go in or go through a drive-thru. Often, all they hear is the negative, so they will appreciate a positive word.

Do you have one worker who is always pleasant or always gets your order right? Then do something special to show your appreciation.

This season, let’s make an effort to reflect on how we can better appreciate those who have such an awesome impact on our lives!

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The Morning Thing loves a holiday weekend!

The Morning Thing Friday Favorites 11/25/22

For our Friday Favorites this week, The Morning Thing hosts shared their favorite family activities to do during the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend.
We are ready for some fun! How about you?

Click HERE to hear from Marcy, Allison and Wesley.

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