Search

Driving Notes

The Official Blog of WNZR's Afternoon Drive

Open Search
Category

Mystery Monday

Maybe it’s okay…

Our family continues to join many others in mourning loss this week. Our friend Jessica, from Florida, died unexpectedly the last week of February. She leaves behind a husband and four kids. We’ve had some pretty transparent texts and calls with our daughter, who considered Jess to be like a big sister to her.

I keep thinking of this song…because maybe it’s okay, if I’m not okay…

Praising God in the good times and the bad times…we know what it’s like to broken and are thankful for His restoring power.

Name a popular candy bar!
1 – Hershey’s Chocolate bar (27 votes)
2 – Reese’s peanut butter cups (22)
3 – Snickers (21)
4 – KitKat (17)
5 – Twix (13)

Congratulations to Isabella from Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

0

Is spring really on its way?

I sure hope so!!! Enough with the polar vortexes 🙂 I like winter, but this one has me craving the 40’s (temperature). Today it’s starting to feel like spring. Let’s celebrate with Andrew Ripp’s great song, “Love’s Got a Way…”

‘Cause love’s got a way
Of bringing healing to a heart in pain
Making beauty from the ashes
Breaking chains one after another
Putting old lies to shame
Love’s got a way

Name something you might find in your garage:

1 – a car or truck
2 – a lawn mower or tractor
3 – a motorcycle
4 – a washer or dryer
5 – tools

Congratulations to Holly from Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

0

Monday Motivation

Today’s Monday Motivation comes from Brandon Lake and his latest song, ‘Hard Fought Hallelujah.’ This is what I call a visceral song. It comes from the gut. It describes the battle that many of us face when we know we need to keep focused and keep praising God in the middle of trials or struggles. Watch this lyric video to see how these lyrics line up with I Peter 1:7:

“These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Name a fruit or vegetable that is orange other than an actual orange.

  1. Pumpkin (29)
  2. Sweet potato (27)
  3. Carrot (25)
  4. Cantaloupe (10)
  5. Apricots (9)

Congratulations to Jennifer from Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

0

There’s no such thing…

As perfect people. Today, I was teaching about servant leadership and we started talking about the leadership habits of Jesus from the book, “Lead Like Jesus…”
They are:

  • solitude
  • prayer
  • study and application of scripture
  • accepting and responding to God’s unconditional love
  • involvement in supportive relationships

    …as we talked and discussed the decision to accept and embrace God’s love, I was reminded of this song by Natalie Grant…

Our winners today –
4pm: Kim from Mount Vernon wins a gift basket from Starting Point Pregnancy and Family Resource Center
5pm: Jackie from Howard wins a $10 gift card to Happy Bean Coffee Shop

Other than their beds, name somewhere people fall asleep.

  1. On an airplane (27 votes)
  2. On the way home from work on a bus or train (24)
  3. At their desks at work (23)
  4. On the couch or chair (19)
  5. On the floor (7)

Congratulations to Pam from Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

0

Spread the Love starts up!

Cody Carnes ‘Firm Foundation’ leads our Monday Motivation today. “When everything around me is shaken, I’ve never been more glad, that I put my faith in Jesus. He’s never let me down.”

Spread the Love started today! Congratulations to our winners!
4pm hour: Lisa from Mount Vernon won a Valentine’s Bag from Starting Point Pregnancy and Family Resource Center
5pm hour: Haley from Mount Vernon won a $10 gift card to Buffalo Wild Wings!

Other than breakfast eggs and omelets, name something made with eggs.

  1. Cakes (31)
  2. Cookies (26)
  3. Pies (21)
  4. Easter eggs (12)
  5. Quiche (10)

Congratulations to Stacy from Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

0

Praying Peace Over Us

Today’s Monday Motivation songs include Hope Darst’s ‘Peace Be Still,’ which includes the lyric, “peace over me.”

Hope says part of this inspiration came from her co-writer, Mia Fieldes, who was going through a life moment where she felt things were falling apart. Hope shares, “Her (Mia’s) vulnerability opened the door for me to share the anxiety and fear I was feeling in that same season. Neither of us felt peaceful that day, but we knew God promises us peace. So we chose to prophetically sing God’s promise of peace over our lives, our hearts, and our minds that day.” 

Name something you might find on a bulletin board.

  1. Thumbtacks or pushpins (30 votes)
  2. Calendars or schedules (25)
  3. Photos (18)
  4. Maps (14)
  5. Sticky notes or index cards or other notes (13)

Congratulations to Dawn from Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

0

The simplicity of claiming this: God is Good.

I probably need Monday Motivation as much as anyone today. My week has started well, but to be honest, I’m just tired of bad news. Maybe you’re feeling it, too. 2025 has not started as any of us expected. New Orleans, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, the snow, the cold, family and friends dealing with health struggles. So today (and every day) I’m claiming this truth and this song from Francesca Battistelli: God is Good.

Joy comes, tears fall
I’m learning there is beauty in it all
It’s not hard to find it, you just have to look
Oh, God is good

I’ve said Hellos and goodbyes
and I’ve held my friends while they’ve cried
Tasted bitter and sweet
Those moments between
Oh, He’s had his hand on everything

Other than chocolate chip, name a popular cookie:
1 – Oreo (51 votes)
2- Oatmeal (22)
T2 – Sugar cookies (22)
4 – Peanut butter
5 – Girl Scout cookies

Congratulations to Lisa from Mount Vernon, who guessed the top two answers and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Brandon from Mount Vernon!

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

0

Beauty? On a day like today?

On a snowy Monday coming out of the New Year, it might be really tough to think of beauty. Cold, snow, ice, slush, mixed with plows, cars, trucks and snow blowers might not be our idea of beautiful…so today’s Monday Motivation comes from artist Dan Bremnes and his song ‘Beautiful,’ which has nothing to do with external beauty, but the beauty that comes from a life renewed in Christ.

Dan cites the inspiration for the song from one of his favorite verses, 2 Corinthians 5:17 which says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” He shares: “I wrote this song a few years ago when I came back to God as a prodigal. I was a wounded and a broken person and God really took my life and changed it. He made something new out of it. I hope when people hear this song that their reminded of the work God has started in their life and the work that God continually does.”

Name something that you might associate with a bookstore other than books.

  1. Magazines (23)
  2. Greeting cards (21)
  3. DVDs, records or CD’s (20)
  4. Coffee (19)
  5. Chairs or reading areas (17)

Congratulations to Regina from Mount Vernon, who guessed the top two answers correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

0

The ‘label’ that matters most

I’m not a big ‘New Year’s Resolution’ guy. Yes, I care about self-reflection and getting better, but I feel like I do this throughout the year, not just at the end of one year and the beginning of the next. One of the sermons I heard recently that really caught my attention was our MVNU Chaplain, Rev. Dave Mills, sharing about the Christmas concept we hear about all season, “good tidings of great joy.” Dave challenged us to embrace that phrase by identifying and pushing back against what steals our joy.

One ‘joy stealer’ Dave mentioned was the labeling we allow to define us. The things people say about us that we allow to define us. Honestly, one label I’ve been wrestling with this year is ‘old.’ I turned 56 this year and it’s amazing the sub-labels that start flying your way when you hit that 55+ mark. It becomes even more difficult when you’re surrounded by 18-23 year-olds all the time! I realize that I need to draw closer to the Holy Spirit so I can find joy in my years and my experiences and also focus on the only label that really matters – child of the one true King!!

Dave reminded us that our calling is TOO GREAT to live in these joy-stealing areas! Here’s a song to lead you there – Megan Woods, “The Truth.”

Name a household chore that no one likes to do!
1- cleaning the bathroom (45 votes)
2- washing dishes (25)
3- vacuuming (20)
4- doing laundry (10)

Congratulations to Lori of Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑