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Driving Notes

The Official Blog of WNZR's Afternoon Drive

New Giveaways!!

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 “Revelation song”:  To provide a glimpse into heaven’s worship and inspire believers to focus on God’s glory, even amid worldly struggles.

Don’t miss our NEW Contest – The Afternoon Drive has Sing for Rend Collective! Each day NEXT WEEK, you will have a chance to sing a Rend Collective song to win a pair of Deluxe Experience Tickets to The Rend Collective Folk! Fall Tour at MVNU on 11/14!  These Deluxe tickets are valued at $75 each!

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!

Name one word associated with pilgrims:

  1. Mayflower
  2. Bonnets/hats
  3. Buckles
  4. Native American
  5. Religious

Congratulations to Jean of Fredericktown to 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!

Thanks for listening!

– Gabriella and Joe

NZ Top 10 for 11/7/25

Here is your top 10 countdown for the first full week of November!

10. Lauren Daigle – Let It Be A Hallelujah

09. Elevation Worship & Brandon Lake – I Know A Name

08. Seph Schlueter – Won’t Start Now

07. Emerson Day – Get Behind Me

06. Jamie MacDonald – Left It In The River

05. Hope Darst – Mighty Name Of Jesus

04. Crowder – STILL

03. Jeremy Camp – No Survivors

02. Phil Wickham – What An Awesome God

01. Josiah Queen & Brandon Lake – Can’t Steal My Joy (2nd week @ #1)

New Music This Week:

Hope Darst – Be Born In Me

Natalie Grant – God’s Gift To Us

We are adding FIVE Thanksgiving/November themed songs to our rotation which will remain until the 28th.

Matthew West – Gobble Gobble (2020)

Crowder – Thanks Giver (2022)

Brandon Heath – The Day After Thanksgiving (2013)

Ben Rector – The Thanksgiving Song (2020)

JJ Heller – Thanksgiving Song (2023)

Thank you for listening!

– Gabriella

It Takes TWO!!

For this Praise Thursday, we shared inspiring worship music, gave devotions, shared updates, and played a fun game of NTT! Check out our website wnzr.fm!

James 4:8 (NIV): “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” It takes two people to have a relationship with God. You have to put in effort in that relationship to get an income. The best thing you can do is talk to God.

Psalm 46:10 (NIV): Be still, and know that I am God.” One of the most basic laws of physics tells us that “objects in motion tend to stay in motion.” So shifting from constant motion, activity, and obligation isn’t easy because it involves letting the momentum of our activity come to rest. Our activities and overall pace are like that “object in motion.” So give yourself plenty of space and grace as you sit before God and rest in Him. It may take some time for the waves of your spiritual “wake” to wash past you, to settle into being quiet before Him. Click HERE to read more!

Don’t miss our Contest – Ring for Rend Collective. Listen to The last chance to win this GIVEAWAY is TOMORROW!! Listen for the short clip of the song Hallelujah Anyway and be Caller #3. You can win a pair of General Admission Tickets to The Rend Collective Folk! Fall Tour at MVNU on 11/14!  Tickets are valued at $26 each! Congratulations to Arlesa of Mount Vernon for being caller #3!!

Our Name That Tune was For King & Country “Love Me Like I am”! Congratulations to Bob of Howard for guessing our Name That Tune correctly and taking home TWO $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in tomorrow for the NZ top 10 with Joe!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Gabriella 🙂

Stressed?- Get Donuts!!!

Who Knew – National Donut Day. Started in 1938 in June to honor the women who served donuts to soldiers during World War I. 

Who Knew fact checks: Turkeys are born to be wild! Yes, they are not mean to be domesticated. They have characteristics that are made for survival.

Who Knew fact checks: National Stress Awareness Day. Started in 1998 by the international stress management association to increase public awareness about the effects of stress and promote healthy ways to manage it. 

Who knew

Don’t miss our Contest – Ring for Rend Collective. Listen to The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive this week! Listen for the short clip of the song Hallelujah Anyway and be Caller #3. You can win a pair of General Admission Tickets to The Rend Collective Folk! Fall Tour at MVNU on 11/14!  Tickets are valued at $26 each! Congratulations to Richard of Fredericktown for being caller #3!

 

 Who am I?

  1. I was born today, November 5th, 1960 in London, England. 
  1. I attended the prestigious West Heath Girls’ School (alongside Princess Diana) and later graduated from the University of Cambridge with a degree in Social and Political Sciences
  1. I began my acting career with the Royal Shakespeare Company before getting recognized in movies. 
  1. Some of my most notable acting roles are Orlando in the 1992 movie Orlando, Eva Khatchadourian in We Need To Talk About Kevin, The Ancient One in Doctor Strange, and Jadis, the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia
  1. I won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2008 for my performance as Karen Crowder in Michael Clayton alongside George Clooney. 

I am… Tilda Swinton! Congratulations to Brandon of Croton for guessing correctly and taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in tomorrow for Praise Thursday with Ethan and Gabriella!

Thanks for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

The Winter Jam 2026 Tour Lineup is Announced!!

Today on Artist Newsday and Gametime Tuesday we talked about Rend Collectives tour and our giveaway along with the Winter Jam 2026 tour lineup!

Saturday, January 24th – in Columbus. Saturday, February 21st – in Cincinnati. Friday. March 27th – in Cleveland (Specific venues and times coming soon). The Winter Jam 2026 Tour Lineup: Chris Tomlin, Matthew West, Katy Nichole, Emerson Day, Hulvey, Disciple, and Newsong. At the Pre-Jam Party: Jeremy Rosado, Heath Brothers, and Cliff Preston. Plus speaker: Zane Black.

Go to www.jamtour.com for information on tickets, Jam Nation – the fan experience and the Winter Jam app!

Don’t miss our NEW Contest – Ring for Rend Collective. Listen to The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive this week! Listen for the short clip of the song Hallelujah Anyway and be Caller #3. You can win a pair of General Admission Tickets to The Rend Collective Folk! Fall Tour at MVNU on 11/14!  Tickets are valued at $26 each! Congratulations to Alana of Mount Vernon for being caller #3 and taking home a pair of tickets to Rend collective!

Watch the animation for “Gobble Gobble” by Matthew West! It was released yesterday and is so much fun!

Here were this week’s lyrics for Song Poetry!

The truth of its nature
It’s always give and never take
It flows with that freedom
Surrendering itself away
Carves canyons through stone
Tells the rivers to run home

This week’s Song Poetry was a stumper! If you think you know the song title and artist of these lyrics, tune in next week for a chance to win THREE $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Thank you for listening!
– Gabriella Stanley

Endless Stream of Goodness!!

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 Cochren & Co. with Running Home. The song conveys that instead of facing anger and punishment, a person who returns to God will find an open, welcoming embrace and unconditional love. It speaks to overcoming a past filled with mistakes and finding redemption, peace, and freedom by “running home” to faith. 

Joe’s Monday Motivation was Matt Redman’s Ten Thousand Reasons. When you feel like there’s no reason to be blessed, this song shows there’s many reasons to be blessed. Even Matt said “ten thousand reasons to be blessed is an understatement.”

Don’t miss our NEW Contest – Ring for Rend Collective. Listen to The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive this week! Listen for the short clip of the song Hallelujah Anyway and be Caller #3. You can win a pair of General Admission Tickets to The Rend Collective Folk! Fall Tour at MVNU on 11/14!  Tickets are valued at $26 each! Congratulations to Rhonda of Fredericktown for being caller #3!

What superhero would you never hire as a babysitter? 

  1. Incredible Hulk (38 votes)
  1. Wolverine (25 votes) 
  1. Spiderman (21 votes) 
  1. Iron Man (8 votes) 
  1. Batman (8 votes) 

Congratulations to Bob of Howard 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 Game Time Tuesday with Ethan and Xander!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

NZ Top 10 for 10/31/2025

Here is your top 10 countdown for this final week of October!

10. Lauren Daigle – Let It Be A Hallelujah
9. Seph Schlueter – Won’t Start Now
8. Elevation Worship f/Brandon Lake – I Know A Name
7. Emerson Day – Get Behind Me
6. Jeremy Camp – No Survivors
5. Hope Darst – Mighty Name Of Jesus
4. Jamie MacDonald – Left It In The River
3. Crowder – STILL
2. Phil Wickham – What An Awesome God (previously #1 for 12 weeks)
1. Josiah Queen f/Brandon Lake – Can’t Steal My Joy

New Music This Week:

Phil Wickham Homesick For Heaven

Brook Abella & Citizen Way – Zion

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

Live with Full Faith!?!

On this beautiful Praise Thursday, we shared inspiring worship music, gave devotions, shared updates, and played a fun game of NTT! Check out our website wnzr.fm!

It’s important for your relationship with Christ to understand yourself. You can’t have any type of long lasting relationship when you don’t put effort in to make it work. It’s important to know that go one can be Christ but we can do our best to be Christ-like. Some people may hold a Christ-like character than others, but that’s why we are Christians, to help and accept others as Christ did for us. Put your full faith in God in his ability to help.

You never know what someone is going through and even the little things matter. Complimenting someone on the sidewalk or in the hallways go a long way. Joel Smallbone, a member of For King & Country, gave a lady a bus ticket and he found out that she only had $30 to her name. Do what you can for people. We all are creations in Christ no matter our separate opinions we are not called to judge. We are called to serve.

This week’s Name That Tune was a stumper, BUT come back next week for a chance to win TWO $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in tomorrow for the NZ top 10 with Ethan and Joe!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Ethan and Gabriella 🙂

The Prince of Peace!?!

Who Knew Fact Check: National Oatmeal Day! You can celebrate by eating oatmeal in new and creative ways, like trying a savory recipe with cheese, making overnight oats, or baking oatmeal cookies. Try an oatmeal face mask for skin rejuvenation!

Who Knew Fact Check: National Cat Day! You can spend quality time with your own cat by playing or grooming, give treats and new toys, or support cats in need by donating to a local shelter or becoming a foster. You can also share photos and stories of cats online, learn more about cat welfare, or adopt a cat if you’re ready!

Who Knew Fact Check: A snail can sleep for three years? Yes! Some snails can sleep for up to three years by entering a state of dormancy called estivation (to survive heat/drought) or hibernation (to survive cold). They seal themselves inside their shells with a mucus layer to stay moist and protected, slowing their metabolism to survive harsh conditions.

October is almost over, BUT there’s still time to show your pastor appreciation. This Friday during the morning thing is the last drawing along with our GRAND drawing. Go to wnzr.fm to nominate your pastor for Clergy Appreciation Month!

Who am I?  

  1. I was born Oct. 29th, 1942, in Daytona Beach, Florida 
  1. I had a PBS television show, “The Joy of Painting”, which aired in 1983-1994
  1. I am known for my soothing voice, gentle personality, and calm demeanor 
  1. I served our country in 1961 for 20 years in the U.S. Air Force 
  1. My most expensive painting is “A Walk in the Woods,” which is valued at $9.85 million

I am… Bob Ross! Congratulations to Kari 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 Gabriella!

Thanks for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

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