Here we go with wall-to-wall Christmas music!
Here are a couple of great Christmas songs we played today:
Name a Christmas Carol.
Congratulations to Melinda from Utica who answered correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica.
Thanks for listening!
– Joe
Today we shared a few Thanksgiving fact checks…quick, clear, and commonly misunderstood points:
✅ Fact Check #1: Did the Pilgrims call it “Thanksgiving”?
False.
The 1621 harvest gathering was not called “Thanksgiving” by the Pilgrims. That term was used for religious days of fasting and prayer, not feasting.
✅ Fact Check #2: Was turkey definitely served at the first Thanksgiving?
Probably false.
The only foods confirmed by historical accounts are venison, corn, and some type of fowl (which could have been duck, goose, or even swan). Turkey is possible but not verified.
✅ Fact Check #3: Did the Pilgrims wear black clothes and big buckled hats?
False.
That is a myth from later art. Pilgrims wore a variety of colors—earth tones, blues, greens—and buckles were not common until decades later.
✅ Fact Check #4: Did Abraham Lincoln make Thanksgiving a national holiday?
True.
In 1863, Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day, largely due to the advocacy of writer Sarah Josepha Hale.
✅ Fact Check #5: Was Thanksgiving always on the fourth Thursday of November?
False.
For many decades it was the last Thursday of November.
Franklin D. Roosevelt moved it to the fourth Thursday in 1941 to lengthen the Christmas shopping season.
✅ Fact Check #6: Are cranberries native to North America?
True.
Cranberries originated in North America, and both Native peoples and early colonists used them long before the modern sauce.
✅ Fact Check #7: Does the President really “pardon” a turkey?
True (but ceremonial).
The turkey pardon is a light-hearted tradition that became an official annual practice during the George H. W. Bush administration in 1989.
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We also heard some final totals for the 2025 Operation Christmas Child collection here in Knox County. Jill Haught shared with WNZR that we surpassed our goal by 272 boxes, collecting 5,930 boxes!
Congratulations to Jennifer of Fredericktown, who guessed correctly that our Who Am I? artist was Tina Turner! Jennifer wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!
Thanks for listening!
– Joe
On this Monday Motivation we talked about some inspirational strictures for you and Thanksgiving in a Christian point of view! We also took a look at some encouraging and uplifting songs during The Afternoon Drive! Here’s what we talked about:
Gabriella’s Monday Motivation was Build a Boat by Colton Dixon– Faith and obedience: faith requires action, just as Noah built the ark before any rain came. Preparation for the future: preparing for tough times and “storms” that may come in life, even if you don’t see them yet. Trust in divine guidance: God will help you navigate the “currents underneath”. Perseverance: stand up for your beliefs and do “whatever it takes,” even when others think it’s “lunacy”. Hope: The song provides a message of hope that even in a “desert place,” God’s promises will be fulfilled.
Joe’s Monday Motivation was Thank You by The Katinas– With Thanksgiving coming up this week it’s important to understand what God has done for YOU. We should be more thankful for the GIVER than the GIFT! 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”.
WNZR is getting ready for the holidays and that includes getting Christmas Music ready for you! We are currently playing some special songs for Thanksgiving and debuting some new songs for Christmas. Then join us for WNZR’s Holly Jolly 25 from December 1st through Christmas Day! 25 straight days with ALL Christmas Songs!
The leaves that Joe raked over the weekend 🙂 (Below)
Name something the cook might stress about on Thanksgiving.
Congratulations to Linda of Mount Vernon for guessing the top two answers correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!
Tune in Tomorrow for Artist Newsday and Gametime Tuesday with Ethan and Joe!
Thanks for listening!
– Gabriella and Joe
What a week! We have a few new placements on the Top 10! Here is this week’s countdown:
10. Leanna Crawford – Honest
09. Elevation Worship & Brandon Lake – I Know A Name
08. Lauren Daigle – Let It Be A Hallelujah
07. Seph Schlueter – Won’t Start Now
06. Hope Darst – Mighty Name Of Jesus
05. Phil Wickham – What An Awesome God
04. Crowder – STILL
03. Jeremy Camp – No Survivors
02. Jamie MacDonald – Left It In The River
01. Josiah Queen & Brandon Lake – Can’t Steal My Joy (4th week at #1)
New Music This Week:
Danny Gokey – The Moment The Whole World Changed
Sanctus Real & Sarah Kroger – Hope Begins
Jason Gray & Point of Grace – Comfort and Joy
Jason and Point of Grace are coming to Ohio with this song as the headline for their tour! They will be at the Sinclair Community College, on Centerville Campus, in Dayton, Ohio on Sunday, December 14th!
Ticket information for their Comfort & Joy Tour can be found here!
This is the last regular NZ Top 10 of the year! The Holly ’25 starts December 1st when WNZR goes to full Christmas music until the December 25th!
Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan
Today, I was in studio while Marcy and Ethan were On The Road With Big Blue at the Knox County Career Center annual First Chance Application and Open House night!
Find out more about KCCC and opportunities for students at this link!
I shared some online inspiration today from former MLB Mets great and all-star Darryl Strawberry, who I had the chance to meet a few years ago when he was here for NCO Camp Meeting! Darryl posted this today:
“To all the Men who are searching out there, it takes Real Guts and Courage to truly follow the Lord. I’ve had every worldly success—money, cars, homes, women, trophies, and rings—but nothing compared to the true salvation I have now. Knowing that when I die, I will see Jesus for real changes everything. Wealth and fame might make people think you’re set for heaven, but the Bible teaches us otherwise. It’s about living right for God while there’s still time. This life isn’t about black or white or any color—Jesus Christ is coming back for Holy and Righteous people. Stand strong, live bold, and keep your eyes on symbol of the Cross.
Remember, brothers, the world’s treasures are temporary, but the grace of God is eternal. It’s easy to be distracted by the flash and the fame, but true strength is found in humility, faith, and obedience to God’s Word. The journey isn’t always easy—it takes sacrifice and sometimes standing alone—but the reward is beyond anything money or status can buy. Keep your heart focused on Jesus, live with integrity, and encourage one another in this walk. We’re not defined by our past or our skin color, but by the love and righteousness we carry through Christ. The battle is real, but victory is certain for those who remain faithful. Stay courageous, men. The best is yet to come. Love y’all!”
Today’s song: Chris Tomlin – At The Cross (Love Ran Red)
Congratulations to Barb from Fredericktown who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!
TOMORROW is the drawing for the Totally Tasty Tom Turkey Hunt!!
Thanks for listening!
– Joe
Who Knew – National Play Monopoly Day – A day celebrating one of the world’s most famous board games. It’s about playing the game and appreciating its role in bringing people together and offering a fun way to learn valuable life skills.
Who Knew fact checks: Sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins — up to 40 minutes by slowing their heart rate.
The 25th Annual WNZR Totally Tasty Tom Turkey Hunt is back! Listen for Tom’s “Gobble” and be caller #5 to be REGISTERED to win a turkey thanks to Smithhisler Meats of Mount Vernon! The drawing will be this Friday during The Morning Thing, announcing FIVE winners.
Who am I?
I am… Roy Campanella! Congratulations to Dave of Mount Vernon for guessing correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!
Tune in tomorrow for Praise Thursday with Ethan and Joe!
Thanks for listening!
– Gabriella 🙂
Buckle in! We have a lot to talk about on Artist News Day! Here is all we talked about on The Afternoon Drive today!
Brandon Lake continues to add more awards to his repertoire! The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) declared Brandon won 2 awards on November 10th.
Brandon was awarded Christian Music Songwriter of the Year and Christian Music Song of the Year, which was Praise, a song that rose to #1 for 31 weeks, co-written by Brandon Lake and Pat Barrett. With these 2 new additions, Brandon Lake now holds around fifteen ASCAP awards!
Further information can be found here!
We’re not the only ones starting to get into the Christmas spirit! Blessing Offor is joining the party with a new EP titled To All A Good Night!
This EP includes some new Christmas originals, like To All A Good Night and God With Us. He also is throwing in his special twists on *NSYNC’s Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Otis Redding’s Merry Christmas, Baby.
Here’s the full list of songs on Blessing’s EP:
1. To All A Good Night (Blessing Offor & Nathan Wallace)
2. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays
3. God With Us (Blessing Offor & Andrew Skib)
4. Merry Christmas, Baby
5. Wonderful Christmastime
6. Snow Globe (Blessing Offor, John Thomas Roach,
Steven Colyer)
7. Like A Child (Blessing Offor)
8. Little Drummer Boy
Further information can be found here!
Do you ever wonder how much work goes into the writing of a song? Well, for some artists, it’s a lot more than you think!
We’ve discovered Jon Reddick, an artist with hits like God Turn It Around, I Believe It, and his recent #1 hit No Fear, paints his own album covers! That’s right, the one you see above you, and every album you see from Jon, are hand painted by Jon himself!
After knowing this, you can’t unsee it! More info about Jon’s heart behind his paintings can be found here!
If you love Gospel music and football, you have a special treat awaiting for you! CeCe Winans will be performing the National Anthem at the Detroit Lion vs the Green Bay Packers game on Thursday, November 27th, which is the day of Thanksgiving!
This game will be the Detroit Lions’ 86th Annual Thanksgiving Day Classic! You can watch CeCe perform at this huge event on FOX at 1PM EST!
Did you know TobyMac had a conversation on Focus On The Family?
Toby talks in this conversation about losing his son, trusting that help is on the way, and holding on to hope in all circumstances.
You can watch and listen to the entire conversation on their YouTube channel:
Here were this week’s Song Poetry lyrics:
Cloud by day, fire by night
Guide my way, oh, move me right
Break the chains, set me free
Make a way like I ain’t never seen
This week’s lyrics were a stumper! See if you can figure out the artist and song title from these lyrics, and check back in next Tuesday for a chance to win two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!
Tune in on Wednesday with Joe Rinehart and Gabriella Stanley for Who Knew Wednesday and a game of Who Am I?.
Thank you for listening!
– Xander and Ethan
We love getting to start our week off with some Monday Motivation for you! We took a look at some encouraging and uplifting songs during The Afternoon Drive! Here’s what we talked about:
Gabriella’s Monday Motivation was Psalm 34:18- “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” The song is a testament to finding God’s goodness even amid grief and hardship, specifically in the aftermath of TobyMac’s son’s death.
Joes Monday Motivation was about finding strength in faith during hardships. It’s important to not rely on your own understanding and power. The song’s message is that when your own strength runs out, you can turn to God for the power to overcome challenges. Isaiah 41:10- “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”
The 25th Annual WNZR Totally Tasty Tom Turkey Hunt is back! Listen for Tom’s “Gobble” and be caller #5 to be REGISTERED to win a turkey thanks to Smithhisler Meats of Mount Vernon! The drawing will be this Friday during The Morning Thing, announcing FIVE winners.
Name something people do after Thanksgiving dinner.
Congratulations to Karen of Mount Vernon for guessing our top two answers correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!
Tune in Tomorrow for Artist Newsday and Gametime Tuesday!
Thanks for listening!
– Gabriella and Joe
Here’s some new Christmas music debuting this week on WNZR!
Katy Nichole & Matt Maher – Our King Has Come
Evan Craft – Christ Is Born (Happy Birthday)
Matthew West – Dysfunctional Family Christmas
We’d love to know what you think of this song! Comment on this post and let us know if you love it or dislike it! Be completely honest! We’d love to hear your feedback on this song.
Give us an email: wnzr@mvnu.edu
We’ll have your NZ Top 10 next week! Thank you for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger
Driving Notes 