Don’t forget you have just under a week to be part of the Sweet Seats ticket contest to see Amy Grant at the Knox Memorial on April 7th. Find the details here!
– I was born March 30, 1940 in Middletown, Ohio – I started developing memory games for myself when I was 9 years of age – My high school basketball team won 76 straight games at one point – I attended Ohio State and won a national championship in 1960 – I also won a gold medal at the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics – I suffered a major injury in my senior year at OSU, but still played in the NBA – I won an NBA title with the New York Knicks in 1973
I am Hall of Famer…Jerry Lucas. Congratulations to Matt from Mount Vernon, who wins the WNZR drawstring backpack and a copy of Our Daily Bread!
Today on the show I shared a little bit of history about Ash Wednesday. I also talked about ways the Nazarene Church is helping in Ukraine.
Here is the history behind Ash Wednesday:
Ash Wednesday, the Wednesday six weeks before Easter Sunday – March 2, 2022, – is a Christian holy day of fasting, sacrifice, and prayer. Followers of Jesus, of several sects and denominations, often forgo a regular meal schedule, instead eating only one normal-sized meal and two very small ones over the course of a given 24-hour period, especially on Good Friday.
The custom of ashes on the head is a little more recent, being attributed to Pope Gregory I the Great (circa 540-604 A.D.) who accompanied the ceremonious symbolism with a verse that loosely translates to, “Remember that you come from dust and that to dust you will return.” In the 20th century it became more common for a priest to intone, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” The main thrust overall is that when the faithful set aside certain bodily comforts, they may settle into an attitude of penitence, recognizing their past sins and the sacrifice that Jesus made to cleanse them of those sins. The physical expression of the day, administered by priests and pastors, is palm ashes on the head, either sprinkled onto the scalp or smudged in crucifix form onto the forehead.
· I was born on March 2nd, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts · I attended Dartmouth College and was a graduate student at Lincoln College where I got my famous name. · I left Oxford in 1927 to begin my career as an illustrator and cartoonist for Vanity Fair and Life. · I worked in animation and film department for the United States Army during WWII. · Some of my famous books include The Lorax (1971), Green Eggs and Ham (1960), and Oh, The Places You’ll Go (1990) · I died on September 24th, 1991, in San Diego California at the age of 87.
I am Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)
Congratulations to Joy of Bellville for guessing the correct answer! She wins a 50 day devotional book written by Pastor Bob Weaver!
STUMPER! – I was born February 1, 1966 in Santa Clara, California – I grew up near Seattle and was a three-time high school All-American in soccer – I attended the University of Central Florida and won the Hermann Trophy in 1988 – I scored the first goal in the history of the US women’s national soccer team in 1985 – I scored 10 goals in the 1991 women’s World Cup and was awarded the Golden Shoe – I also played for the US in the 1996 Olympics and the 1999 World Cup – I retired in 2000, and currently serve as an assistant coach with the Orlando Pride
Congratulations to Dave from Butler, who guessed correctly and wins a WNZR drawstring backpack and a Phil Wickham CD.
Today is National Spouses Day, so Joe shared a few ways you can pray for your husband or wife each day. These apply to every area of life, so use them whenever and wherever you can! Here are a few examples:
pray overall for their day – their safety, their work and that they will be fulfilled in their work
pray for their health
pray for their relationships, both with family and work
pray scripture over them, inserting their name when you can – one example is Proverbs 3:5-6
pray for spiritual strength and their fears
pray for their obedience to God and their decision-making
pray for the presence of Christ in your marriage
Dylan shared some fun facts about peanut brittle – some argue that its origins lie in a mistake. That a woman in 1890 accidentally added baking soda instead of cream of tartar to her taffy, resulting in a peanut bark.
Celts also may have some influence in the invention of brittle, making it around holiday celebrations.
Today on the show we talked about how today is National Still Need To Do Day.
Here is the article about the National Holiday:
Still Need to Do Day comes at a lull time in the holiday season, before New Year’s festivities. Children are still out of school, and maybe you have some time off of work. With only a few days left in the year, you may start reflecting on what you have accomplished during the last trip around the sun, and what things were left undone. Today is for tying up some of the loose ends of the year, and getting things done before the calendar changes. Completing tasks give people a sense of accomplishment, and doing some now will lay a foundation to start the new year off strong. Thomas and Ruth Roy of Wellcat Holidays started the day, and while they put it on December 29 to illustrate the opportunity to finish things before the end of the year, they also said you have “the rest of your life” to do them, meaning that it’s okay if it takes longer than just today to finish them. They point out that procrastination does not move one forward, and that “it’s time to start pursuing the dream,” implying that not only small tasks need to be focused on, but large life goals as well.
How to Observe Still Need to Do Day
Celebrate the day by making a list of things that you wish to accomplish yet this year, and a second list outlining things that you hope to start focusing on during the upcoming year ahead—this second list may be part of your New Year’s resolutions. Then spend the day working to check off things on your first list and see if you can complete them. Maybe there is something broke in your house that you’ve been meaning to fix all year. Today is the day to do it! Is there something you have been meaning to buy all year to simplify your life, but you’ve been putting it off? Go out and get it today and start the new year fresh! Do you have children and they are off of school? If so, have them make lists too, and see what they can accomplish today as well.
· I was born on December 29th, 1808 in Raleigh, North Carolina · I was born into poverty and never went to school · I was elected into the House of Representatives in 1843, where I served five two-year terms. · I was also the Governor of Tennessee for four years, and was elected by the legislature to the Senate in 1857 · I became the 17th President of the United States following the assassination of then President Abraham Lincoln I died on July 31st, 1875 due to a stroke
Answer: Andrew Johnson
Congratulations to Karolyn of Mount Vernon for guessing the correct answer! She wins a $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!
Today we shared a couple of ‘who knews?’ about the origins of a couple of Christmas song classics:
Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s ‘Christmas Eve Sarajevo’ is consistently among the top songs in music surveys. TSO’s Paul O’Neill told the story behind the rock/orchestra song in an interview with Christianity Today:
We heard about this cello player born in Sarajevo many years ago who left when he was fairly young to go on to become a well-respected musician, playing with various symphonies throughout Europe. Many decades later, he returned to Sarajevo as an elderly man—at the height of the Bosnian War, only to find his city in complete ruins.
I think what most broke this man’s heart was that the destruction was not done by some outside invader or natural disaster—it was done by his own people. At that time, Serbs were shelling Sarajevo every night. Rather than head for the bomb shelters like his family and neighbors, this man went to the town square, climbed onto a pile of rubble that had once been the fountain, took out his cello, and played Mozart and Beethoven as the city was bombed.
He came every night and began playing Christmas Carols from that same spot. It was just such a powerful image—a white-haired man silhouetted against the cannon fire, playing timeless melodies to both sides of the conflict amid the rubble and devastation of the city he loves. Some time later, a reporter traced him down to ask why he did this insanely stupid thing. The old man said that it was his way of proving that despite all evidence to the contrary, the spirit of humanity was still alive in that place.
The song basically wrapped itself around him. We used some of the oldest Christmas melodies we could find, like “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Carol of the Bells” part of the medley (which is from Ukraine, near that region). The orchestra represents one side, the rock band the other, and single cello represents that single individual, that spark of hope.”
Here’s the story behind the book…and the song…‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer:’
As the holiday season of 1938 came to Chicago, Bob May wasn’t feeling much comfort or joy. A 34-year-old ad writer for Montgomery Ward, May was exhausted and nearly broke. His wife, Evelyn, was bedridden, on the losing end of a two-year battle with cancer. This left Bob to look after their four-year old-daughter, Barbara.
One night, Barbara asked her father, “Why isn’t my mommy like everybody else’s mommy?” As he struggled to answer his daughter’s question, Bob remembered the pain of his own childhood. A small, sickly boy, he was constantly picked on and called names. But he wanted to give his daughter hope, and show her that being different was nothing to be ashamed of. More than that, he wanted her to know that he loved her and would always take care of her.
So he began to spin a tale about a reindeer with a bright red nose who found a special place on Santa’s team. Barbara loved the story so much that she made her father tell it every night before bedtime. As he did, it grew more elaborate. Because he couldn’t afford to buy his daughter a gift for Christmas, Bob decided to turn the story into a homemade picture book.
In early December, Bob’s wife died. Though he was heartbroken, he kept working on the book for his daughter. A few days before Christmas, he reluctantly attended a company party at Montgomery Ward. His co-workers encouraged him to share the story he’d written. After he read it, there was a standing ovation. Everyone wanted copies of their own. Montgomery Ward bought the rights to the book from their debt-ridden employee.
Over the next six years, at Christmas, they gave away six million copies of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to shoppers. Every major publishing house in the country was making offers to obtain the book. In an incredible display of good will, the head of the department store returned all rights to Bob May. Four years later, Rudolph had made him into a millionaire.
Now remarried with a growing family, May felt blessed by his good fortune. But there was more to come. His brother-in-law, a successful songwriter named Johnny Marks, set the uplifting story to music. The song was pitched to artists from Bing Crosby on down. They all passed. Finally, Marks approached Gene Autry. The cowboy star had scored a holiday hit with “Here Comes Santa Claus” a few years before.
Like the others, Autry wasn’t impressed with the song about the misfit reindeer. Marks begged him to give it a second listen. Autry played it for his wife, Ina. She was so touched by the line “They wouldn’t let poor Rudolph play in any reindeer games” that she insisted her husband record the tune.
Within a few years, it had become the second best-selling Christmas song ever, right behind “White Christmas.” Since then, Rudolph has come to life in TV specials, cartoons, movies, toys, games, coloring books, greeting cards and even a Ringling Bros. circus act. The little red-nosed reindeer dreamed up by Bob May and immortalized in song by Johnny Marks and Gene Autry has come to hold a special place in children’s hearts all over the world!
– We were born 35 minutes apart on December 22, 1949 in Douglas on the Isle of Man – Our dad was a drummer so we caught the music bug – We performed for the first time with our older brother, Barry, in 1957 at a local theater – Our family moved to Australia in 1958 and continued singing – Our band name was a spelled out acronym – We are best known for songs like “Staying Alive” and “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?”
We are Maurice and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees! Congratulations to Amanda of Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup.
Lisa from Mount Vernon and Renee from Howard
Here’s the article and recipe about the holiday yule log that Dylan shared…
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!
Top collecting schools in two categories will once again be awarded the traveling plaque as provided by COTC to recognize each school’s accomplishment.
The Central Knox County Award will go to either Mount Vernon or the Knox County Career Center. And The Greater Knox County Award will go to one of the following schools: Centerburg, Danville, East Knox, or Fredericktown. Each year, the winning school’s name is added to the traveling plaque.
Representatives from each school will be invited to participate in the Food For The Hungry broadcast from the Memorial Theater at the Knox Memorial on Friday, Dec. 10.
For more information about the High School Food Drive Competition, schools and students can contact Shawn Dugan through email by using shawndugan@windstream.net, to help coordinate their collections or answer questions.
Here are the 2021 collection dates for Knox County High Schools:
* Fredericktown High School: 11/15 – 11/19 – just wrapped up
* Centerburg High School: 11/16 – 12/1
* The Knox County Career Center: 11/29 – 12/9
* Mount Vernon High School: 11/30 – 12/7
* Danville High School: 11/30 – 12/7
– I was born November 24, 1938 in Charlotte, Tennessee – I was Indiana’s Mr. Basketball in 1956 – I was a three-time player of the year and all-American at he University of Cincinnati – I co-captained the US gold medal basketball Team in the 1960 Olympics – I became the first player to average a triple-double in 1962 – I won an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971 – I retired as the NBA’s all-time assist leader; and am now 7th all-time – I’m in the college and pro basketball halls of fame
I am…OSCAR ROBERTSON! Congratulations to Dave from Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup.
Today we launch a series of “Who Knews” about the 2021 Knox County Food For The Hungry drive!
The 2021 Psi Iota Xi Knox County Elementary School Drive is underway. All donations benefit the 40th annual FFTH drive.
Mount Vernon area classrooms along with Centerburg, Danville, East Knox, and Fredericktown elementary schools will join the sorority’s collection efforts. Psi Iota Xi also supplies schools with collection boxes. Students and families can make donations through this Friday, November 19.
– I was born on November 17, 1930 in California – My high school track coach encouraged me to take up the decathlon – I made the Olympics the summer after I graduated from high school – I was the youngest gold medalist in track and field at 17 – I attended Stanford, played in a Rose Bowl and spent two years in the Marines – I repeated as gold medalist in 1952 – I served four terms in the US House of Representatives
I am…Bob Mathias. Congratulations to Joshua from Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup.
Congratulations to Debbie and Janell from Mount Vernon for getting registered!
Driving Notes 