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Driving Notes

The Official Blog of WNZR's Afternoon Drive

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Celebrating those who make things happen!

So today’s show is a celebration of two big things:

  • the 2021 Knox County Food For The Hungry drive
  • people who GET THINGS DONE (Cat Herders)

Make sure you check out our recap of FFTH 2021 by clicking this link. Our total is just over $249,000 and still growing!

Now onto the herders…have you heard (no pun intended) this before? From DaysoftheYear.com:

“You don’t have to be a cat lover to celebrate Cat Herders’ day, you only have to be someone attempting to complete a seemingly impossible task or working in a job that is a continual up-hill battle, tall-order, hard-work, or in short, some activity that is like ‘herding cats.’ Have you ever seen a cowboy or cowgirl herding cats? Didn’t think so – that’s because if we ever attempted to it would take us longer than an infinite monkey to type the complete works of Shakespeare.

You’ve probably heard the saying that something is as impossible as “herding cats”, used in reference to a seemingly futile or difficult task. Granted, if you have actually attempted to literally herd a bunch of cats for some reason or the other, you would know exactly how impossible this task actually is.

What we can say is that the phrase is pretty suitable for what it describes. And while cats are independent, solitary, and easily distracted, many humans also share the same characteristics.”

– I was born December 15, 1832 in Dijon, France
– I was a French Engineer, and started with building bridges 
– I helped design the Statue of Liberty 
– My most known work is the signature landmark in Paris
– After retiring from my company, I went on to do important work in meteorology and aerodynamics 
– I died on December 27th, 1923 while listening to Beethoven’s 5thsymphony, in my mansion in Paris

I am…Gustave Eiffel. Congratulations to Charla from Utica, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup.

Jenn from Danville and Pat from Mount Vernon – congratulations!

– Joe and Dylan

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CeCe Winans and Christmas Concerts

Someone we’ve talked about many times for Artist Newsdays returns to the show! It’s none other that CeCe Winans!!

CeCe Winans has experienced quite an amazing year. She has helped spread love, hope and encouragement for the past 18 months. Her album Believe For It became an instant hit. It received a ton of recognitions including being in the Billboard’s top 10 Gospel Labels. Here is what Jeff Moseley, Founder/President Fair Trade Services had to say about Winans, “We had high hopes and dreams for our partnership with CeCe and have been overjoyed with the success that we’ve experienced. It’s an honor to partner with an icon like CeCe.”

The year-end Billboard Charts listed Winans as Top Gospel Female Artist of the year with the single, “Believe For It” dominating the Gospel Digital Song Sales Chart and holding the #1 slot for 18 weeks.  The influence of Winans and Believe For It continued to shine brightly when the 2022 Grammy nominations were recently announced adding three more nods to her list of 28 nominations: Best Gospel Performance/Song, “Never Lost;” Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song, “Believe For It” (Dwan Hill, Kyle Lee, CeCe Winans & Mitch Wong, songwriters) and Best Gospel Album, Believe For It. Winans also received four Dove Awards! Here is what Winans had to say on the success, “I’m feeling really blessed right now! Thankful for people’s lives being uplifted by Believe For It. God is good.”

“Believe For It” continues to have success on the radio. The song is currently at #4 on the Billboard Gospel Airplay Chart. Winans is also in the Top 5 Christian Female Artist of the Year. Winans also has plans for a tour across the US in 2022.

For King & Country are in Columbus THIS FRIDAY for their Drummer Boy Christmas Tour at the Schottenstein Center! The concert will start at 7pm and tickets can be found here!

Also, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra will be at Nationwide Arena in Columbus Sunday, December 26th! They will have a matinee showing at 3pm and an evening showing at 8pm. Tickets can be found here!

Lyrics: There’s a tree in the Grand Hotel, one in the park as well
It’s the sturdy kind that doesn’t mind the snow.

Answer: ???

This song was a stumper! We’ll bring it back next week for TWO $5 gift cards to Everlasting Cup!

Thanks for listening!

Jonathon and Dylan

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Christmas for everyone!

Today’s Monday Motivation reflections about Christmas remind us that Christmas is an invitation for everyone.

Lisa Samra shares ‘Joy to the World’ here:

Every Christmas we decorate our home with nativity scenes from around the world. We have a German nativity pyramid, a manger scene fashioned out of olive wood from Bethlehem, and a brightly colored Mexican folk version. Our family favorite is a whimsical entry from Africa. Instead of the more traditional sheep and camels, a hippopotamus gazes contently at the baby Jesus.

The unique cultural perspective brought to life in these nativity scenes warms my heart as I ponder each beautiful reminder that Jesus’ birth was not just for one nation or culture. It’s good news for the whole earth, a reason for people from every country and ethnicity to rejoice.

The little baby depicted in each of our nativity scenes revealed this truth of God’s heart for the entire world. As John wrote in relation to Christ’s conversation with an inquisitive Pharisee named Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

The gift of Jesus is good news for everyone. No matter where on earth you call home, Jesus’ birth is God’s offer of love and peace to you. And all who find new life in Christ, “from every tribe and language and people and nation” will one day celebrate God’s glory forever and ever (Revelation 5:9).

—

Amy Boucher Pye shares ‘Welcomed Into God’s Family’

We were singles and couples and a family with children, together celebrating Jesus’ birth on Christmas Eve. The conversation flowed, the food tasted scrumptious, and we even had fun washing up the dishes. Between courses we read through the Christmas story from Luke’s gospel, marveling over the greatest gift of the season, Jesus. Because of Christ, we who previously had been a ragtag bunch of strangers were now sisters and brothers.

Jesus always welcomed the stranger. Even as at His birth God beckoned the shepherds to come and worship the newborn baby: “The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (LUKE 2:11). Curious, the humble shepherds hurried Bethlehem. And after they saw the baby, they went and spread the good news about Jesus the Savior, and “all who to heard the shepherds’ story were astonished” (v.18).

As Messiah, Jesus the baby grew up to be the Man who died on the cross, the perfect sacrifice who wipes away the sins of those who follow Him. Jesus, the Son who is God, humbled Himself to be born in a stable and then willingly sacrificed His life for us.

When we bow before Him in worship, even as the shepherds did as they glorified and praised God for all they had seen and heard (v. 20), He makes us part of His family. Jesus welcomes us into His worldwide community of those God uses to spread His love and light.

Name the top two desserts people eat a lot of at Christmastime:
1- cookies (54 votes)
2- pie (12)
3- pudding (7)
4- fruitcake (6)
5- fudge (5)
6- candy/candy canes (4)
7- gingerbread (2)

Congratulations to Danelle of Fredericktown, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!

Amy from Howard
Jeff from Mount Vernon

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Jonathon

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“Through The Tears”

Today on the show we read the last two Christmas Devotionals from Our Daily Bread. We also had our weekly Bible trivia where one lucky person has a chance to win a $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup.

Here are the two Christmas Devotionals from Our Daily Bread:

Through The Tears

I dreaded facing another Christmas hundreds of miles away from family. Loneliness and disappointment stirred into discontent, spewing out of my mouth as complaints when my husband suggested we unpack the holiday decorations. How could I be joyful when my heart ached?

Sipping a cup of hot chocolate, I glanced at the glass-front cabinet in our dining room. An overhead light shone on the nativity set I display year-round. A figurine of porcelain with Isaiah 9:6 carved on the front sits next to a wooden shepherd. “Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace.” As I whispered each name, I grew more and more confident that my tear-filled season could never smother the joy of knowing my Savior.

The prophet Isaiah announced the coming of the Messiah more than seven hundred years before Christ’s birth in Bethlehem (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus is Wonderful Counselor—trustworthy and able to guide us. He is Mighty God, who always was and always will be the one true God with limitless power. He is Everlasting Father, the eternal Maker of time. He is Prince of Peace, the one who restored man’s relationship with the Father.

Though believers in Jesus can’t avoid the darkness of this world, we can fix our eyes on Him—the greatest light of the world. We can rejoice in knowing Christ even through the tears.

By: Xochitl E. Dixon

O Come Emmanuel

It seems we seldom go beyond the first or second verses of our beloved Christmas carols. But, buried deep in the lyrics of one Christmas hymn—in verse seven!—are words that seem uniquely in tune with our times. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” written in the twelfth century, pleads:

O Come, O King of nations, bind

In one the hearts of all mankind.

Bid all our sad divisions cease

And be yourself our King of Peace.

I can’t imagine a more appropriate prayer for our fractious, splintered generation. With the tone of public debate and private disagreement at what seems to be an all-time high for anger and aggression, how desperately we need the King of Peace to come to our help. The “sad divisions” we exhibit in our communities, churches, workplaces, relationships, and families can only be overcome with the help of the One who came to forgive, heal, and restore. No wonder Isaiah anticipated the coming Jesus by calling Him “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

The apostle Paul urged us to put this into practice. “Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts; he wrote. “For as members of one body you are called to live in peace” (Colossians 3:15). As we allow this peaceful Prince to restore our relationships, we ourselves become agents of His peace.

By: Bill Crowder

Question: Before Jesus started preaching, what was his job?
Answer: Carpenter

Congratulations to Rachel of Gambier for guessing the correct answer! She wins a $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!

Thanks for listening!

-Dylan and Jonathon

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The Park District and Millwood Church of Christ make it happen!

Today our focus is on the Knox County Park District and the Millwood Church of Christ, who have teamed again to bring a new activity to the popular Fire and Ice event that benefits Food For The Hungry.   Fire and Ice 2021 will be held as two drive-through events, one at Wolf Run Park and one at Millwood Church of Christ. The drive-through events are scheduled for Saturday, December 11 from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at both locations.

Luminaria will magically guide you through the Wolf Run Regional Park parking lot located at 17621 Yauger Road in Mount Vernon. There, Park District staff will be on hand to retrieve boxed and canned food items from your vehicle and accept monetary donations for Food For The Hungry. No need to park and leave your car as the drive-through luminaria will guide you to the drop-off point in the parking lot. 

Across the county, the Millwood Church of Christ located at 10900 Millersburg Road in Howard also has luminaria to guide you through the church parking lot at a drive-through event. At this location church personnel and volunteers will be on-hand to accept canned and boxed food items and monetary donations for Food For The Hungry.

Click this SoundCloud link to hear Marcy Rinehart’s conversation with Lori Totman of the Knox County Park District!

Click this SoundCloud link to hear Wesley Boston’s conversation with Pastor Dave Jones at Millwood Church of Christ!

–          I was born December 8, 1925 in New York City
–          My parents were vaudeville dancers and I started dancing as a child
–          I was drafted into the US Army in 1943 and put on performances for troops
–          My father, godfather and I made up the Will Mastin Trio
–          In 1956 I starred in the Broadway musical, Mr. Wonderful
–          I became part of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack in 1959 and starred in Ocean’s 11
–          I died of throat cancer in 1990

I am…Sammy Davis, Jr.

Congratulations to Bob from Howard, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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One Night Only!

Artist Newsday brings good news for Tasha Layton who celebrates a huge milestone with “Look What You’ve Done!” Maverick City Music is also in the news once again with a special one night experience!

Tasha Layton’s song “Look What You’ve Done,” landed in the top spot on the Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart last week. This is her first time having a #1 hit.

This song became popular from the time it was released. When it debuted, it became one of the most added songs to Christian radio and has become a mantle of encouragement for fans around the world.

Here is what Tyson Paoletti, senior director of marketing and sales at BEC Recordings had to say about the success. “It has been such an honor to support Tasha and watch ‘Look What You’ve Done’ connect with listeners in deep and powerful ways,” he said. “As we celebrate her first #1 hit on the heels of last year’s massive radio success with ‘Into The Sea (It’s Gonna Be Ok),’ some amazing doors continue to open for Tasha, and I’m excited to see what God has in store for her next.”

The chart success of “Look What You’ve Done” caps a momentous year for Layton. This fall she was featured on ABC’s GMA3: What You Need To Know, discussing how past struggles have shaped her life and inspired her music; and she also served as co-host of the 52nd GMA Dove Awards. She also just released an album titled “This Is Christmas” which features Christmas classics along with some new music done by Layton. She was also named One of Billboard’s Top 5 female Christian artists of 2020.  A little interesting fact is that she was on American Idol before she started her music career. She was also a back-up vocalist to Katy Perry for four years.

Check out the original article for Tasha Layton HERE!

Also, THIS SATURDAY!! Maverick City Music is hosting a special, one-night-only Christmas performance at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis! Gates will open at 5:30pm with the concert starting at 7pm.

Tickets can be found HERE!

O Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King

That was Casting Crowns’ hit song “While You Were Sleeping”!

Congratulations to Faith of Howard for correctly guessing our first Christmas edition of Song Poetry. She wins a $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!

Thanks for listening!

Jonathon & Dylan

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More Christmas motivation!

Today we shared from the Our Daily Bread Christmas devotional book, ‘Celebrating Jesus.’

Jonathon shared ‘Mary Knew’ from Dave Branon:

Four-year-old Kaitlyn was oblivious to everything else in the room. There were no thoughts of stockings hung and wrapped presents. She was simply content to play with our manger scene and its nativity characters. What piqued my interest was something else she was doing as she moved Mary, Joseph, and the Babe around: She was singing “Mary, did you know?” over and over-words she had heard sung by others. As she held Mary, she poignantly asked her if she knew who her precious baby boy was.
Kaitlyn’s question for Mary is the vital one everyone needs to answer. Do we know that Jesus is the One predicted in Genesis 3 to strike Satan’s heel (v. 15)-to gain victory over Satan, sin, and death by His death on the cross? Do we know that He’s the Messiah promised in Isaiah 53 and the One Micah prophesied would be born in Bethlehem hundreds of years later? (5:2).
We know that His name-Jesus-means that He will save His people from their sins (MATTHEW 1:21). We also know that Mary’s baby grew up and chose to die on the cross as the Savior of the world (LUKE 1:31; 2:30-32).
The “Son of the Most High” (1:32) has invited us to know Him and be loved by Him. May we choose to know Jesus, our precious Savior, more and more each day!

Joe shared ‘Captain of a Motley Crew’ from Glenn Packham:

As a child, I always found Christmas Eve one of the most A exciting days of the year. I knew there would be presents in the morning, a feast that night, and a candlelight service at church. But it was also exciting because I never knew who was going to end up at our house for dinner. My parents loved inviting people who were alone or had nowhere to go to come share a meal with us. Folks from church, from their places of work, our friends from school-it was always a motley crew.
David was on the run from King Saul and in need of good friends to surround him (1 SAMUEL 22:1-2). He needed the right community to help him in his crisis. Instead, what he found were hundreds of men who were also in trouble-those “in trouble or in debt or… discontented” (v. 2). Yet, David became captain over the motley crew and they trusted him.
Jesus-the true and better David-is exactly the kind of person who gathered those around Him that society had discarded. Throughout the gospels, it’s often the sick and the disabled, the outcast, and the sinner who find belonging and healing in Jesus. The church is meant to be a kind of cave of Adullam (v. 1). It’s not a perfect community, but a ragtag group in need of a loving, healing Captain.

Name a place that’s open on Christmas Day:
1. Grocery store/Walmart/Kroger (23 votes)
2. Gas stations (20)
3. Fast Food restaurants (19)
4. Waffle House/Denny’s (12)
5. Movie theaters (8)
6. Airports (5)
7. Hospitals (3)
8. Hotels (2)

Congratulations to Tysha from Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Jonathon

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Christmas NZ Top 10 for 12/3/21

This week we are bringing you (in no particular order) 10 of the top NEW Christmas songs for 2021! Click the songs for links to lyric videos and audio.

10. We The Kingdom – Still Can’t Sleep on Christmas Eve
9. Anne Wilson – I Still Believe in Christmas
8. Zach Williams – I Don’t Want Christmas to End
7. Cade Thompson – Angels We Have Heard on High
6. Cochren and Co. – Christmas (What the World Needs)
5. Newsboys – The Christmas Song
4. Ryan Stevenson – Heart and Soul of Christmas
3. Jordan Feliz – Feliz Navidad
2. Jordan St. Cyr – Rejoice
1. Tasha Layton – Giving Christmas Away

for NEW MUSIC FRIDAY, we added to the list!

Mac Powell – Jesus Christ is Born

Love and the Outcome – Christmas Lights

For King and Country – Heavenly Hosts

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Zoe

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“The True Gift Of Christmas”

Today on the show we read some Christmas devotionals from Our Daily Bread. We also had our weekly Bible trivia where one lucky person has a chance to win a $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup.

Here are the two Christmas devotionals that we read today.

THE TRUE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS

“Sometimes I feel lonely, and it makes me wonder how lonely they must get out here.”

That was spoken by Asteria, director of a faith-based community group who brought Christmas to El Campamento, a makeshift tent city where many drug-addicted people live. She noted how the holidays can be difficult for those on the street. So she decided to embody Christ’s love by setting up a Christmas tree among the discarded needles; by bringing them gifts, warm drinks, and food; and by leading the singing of Christmas carols. The response was heartening, she said, with many of the homeless voicing their desire to be forgiven by their family and asking for prayer.

In serving the people of El Campamento, Asteria and her team illustrate the true message of Christmas-the gift of God coming to meet us through His Son Jesus. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, “God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law” (GALATIANS 4:4-5). Even though we all do wrong, God invites us to become His heirs and children (v.7). He calls those who live on the streets and those who live in mansions to accept His gift of saving grace.

Through Jesus, God gives us the true gift of Christmas right where we are. May we receive and share this gift of love.

By AMY BOUCHER PYE

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

It was just a few days before Christmas and my wife, Cari, was standing in the checkout line at the market. The young mother in front of her was carefully assessing the contents of her cart and slowly setting aside items one by one. Cari’s initial impatience turned to compassion as she surveyed the growing pile of items that had been removed and realized the woman didn’t have enough money to purchase them.

“I’d like to pay for those,” she told the checker. The young mother turned with a surprised look on her face: “That’s too much!” she said. Cari, prompted by God’s love and remembering how a stranger, miles away, had bought our own daughter’s groceries in a difficult time, smiled and responded, “Merry Christmas.” They both left the store with tears in their eyes.

Christmas came early to our home with a fresh awareness of God’s kindness and generosity to us through His Son. Solomon wrote in Proverbs of those who are generous: “Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” (11:25). In the following days we were refreshed by a renewed understanding of how God had met our greatest need of all-our need for a Savior-and how His love can unexpectedly overflow from our hearts to others in need.

Kindness is contagious! Because of what Jesus has done for us, may God give us grace to make a generous, practical difference in others’ lives.

By JAMES BANKS

Question: In Genesis, what catastrophe did Joseph predict by interpreting the Pharaoh’s dream?

Answer: A seven-year famine.

Congratulations to Karen of Mount Vernon for guessing the correct answer! She wins a $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!

Thanks for listening!

-Dylan and Jonathon

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