You hear it all the time: Shop local! But why should you? It’s so much easier to sit in bed with the world of retail at your fingertips. You never have to worry about running into anyone you know, or take time to drive to a store and go in. You can shop ’til you drop all by yourself without ever touching a product or talking to a human.

While online shopping seems to be the ticket for ease and convenience, shoppers need to think twice about dissing the local stores in their community. There are detrimental, long-term consequences to the massive growing, online shopping mentality.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by te moments that take our breath away.  —unknown

What do you expect a miracle to look like? Does it have to be dramatic, like a person on their death bed suddenly showing no signs of illness, or can it merely be a fourth-grader going back to her first grade teacher’s class and reading to them? I’ll never forget the day when my now 21-year-old daughter and I shared one of those lasting moments, teaching me to see the small miracles that are in our lives everyday. In fact, this one started unfolding in my car while taking my daughter, Jacie, to school 12 years ago...

Is it possible the most wonderful time of the year is here already?
It’s true; the hurry-days—I mean holidays—are here,
and let me be amongst the first to ask if you’re ready—such a silly question we greet each other with during this time of the year?

What happens if you’re not ready? Are they asking if I have cleaned, decorated inside and out, mailed Christmas cards, collected Christmas lists, made my own list, gift shopped, grocery shopped, wrapped (with bows), cooked and baked and am just sitting around with the only thing to do is open the door dujour on the Advent calendar? Of course I’m not ready. If I was, you wouldn’t see me at Wal-Mart buying more strings of white lights!

Another thing I think the question refers to: Are you ready to spend time with relatives—your own relatives, to be exact?

When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.  —Willie Nelson

Ground Zero is the center of origin of rapid intense change. It is also the beginning—square one. Three years ago I found myself at Ground Zero, and learned how it became a blessing in disguise.

In the fall of 2016, everything normal in my life changed—rapidly and intensely. First, I became an empty nester. Some of you may think “Thank God,” but I was newly separated from a 24-year marriage, trying to hang on, and I found myself lost and lonely.

Three remote controls, a Google Home and a cell phone. That is the equipment needed to turn on the one television in my home. I have to wonder if anyone truly knows how to turn on the television anymore? If your answer is yes, does that mean you have the know how to get a picture and sound at the same time, or did you just luck into it? And, even in your triumph, are you not terrified you may push the wrong button and never find the Hallmark Channel again?

To put things into perspective, there are automobiles that can practically drive themselves to Alaska, and they only need one key. And, in many cases, the key only needs to be somewhat near you. The car turns on without ever having to actually touch the key. Yet, when it comes to watching TV, it takes an arsenal of remote controls and a smart ass seven-year-old to turn it on.