A human voice is much warmer than a text!

It’s so easy to rip off a couple words and  add an emoji.

This escape route away from human conversation is overused.

And the result is that our relationships become shallow and we lose touch with one another.

I particularly think we need to talk with our loved ones more.

What do you think about texting?

This saying, of course, was the signature of the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

And it really applies to all of us today.

There is a lot of breaking news.

Some of it good.

Some of it not so good.

Through it all, we must maintain a positive attitude for the sake of ourselves and others.

I think each of us can do that if we practice the values we believe in such as honesty, loyalty and compassion.

Adhering to a lifelong value system is our source for peace of mind!

Your lifelong habit can bring joy to those who didn’t have good role models growing up or who are mired in depression or have given up.

Keep Hope Alive!

If not today, when?

We all make decisions based on the facts.

Well, are they facts or something else?

Could they be a rumor or even part of a hidden agenda?

Unfortunately, many of us constantly like to have the latest news.

So, we get in the habit of using our favorite sources.

But, today we have liberal and conservative news sources.

These opposing sources slant the same news story to support their point of view.

With repeated exposure, their point of view becomes yours.

There are so many news sources coming at you.

I suggest that you step back and take a hard look at your values.

Are your values and your favorite news sources opposed or in sync?

If not today, when?

It’s not easy to slow down because everyone is going too fast.

Also, we don’t need all the INSTANT news being thrown at us 24/7.

Do we need to know the details of every shooting episode?

How can you be an effective problem solver if you can’t examine the pros and cons of a decision?

The fewer outside negative influences, the better your home life will be.

And a predictable home life with some structure is what you and your kids need.

Their school life is chaotic!

They must cope with an unstable daily environment that can leave them rattled.

Your home could be their sanctuary if all of you were less addicted to cellphone over usage.

You, the parent could begin by using your phone as a phone.

Cellphones and social media are blocking personal face-to-face relationships.

Your family can come closer together if cellphones are set aside each evening.

If not today, when?

She’s not just a dispenser of pills.

It seems like she’s at her post in the drug store every day.

I went into the store yesterday, which was a Sunday, and there she was.

I was picking up a new prescription and she wanted to be sure that I knew the side effects and how to take the new medicine.

With all the orders coming into her department, she is very busy, of course, filling those orders.

Yet, she takes the time from her busy responsibilities to make sure all my questions are answered.

I’ve always admired people who go over and above the mere routines of their lives.

Now, because I had the proper instructions before leaving the store, I am beginning to feel better already.

I always thank her profusely for her concern about each of her customers.

Behind that counter, she makes the world a better place.

You can do that too, anytime in your own life.

If not today, when?

As inflation continues on a slow and steady descent, consumer sentiment is climbing back up out of a trough hit last year.

The University of Michigan’s closely watched consumer sentiment index jumped to 64.6 in the preliminary January survey, according to data released Friday.

That’s up 8.2% from December’s 59.7 reading, but 3.9% below where it was 12 months earlier.

Economists were anticipating the index to measure 60.5, according to consensus estimates on Refinitiv.

The survey also showed that consumers’ inflation expectations for this year and five years out were 4% and 3%, respectively.

The year-ahead inflation expectations reading is at its lowest since April 2021.

Inflation expectations are key data points for the Federal Reserve. (CNN)

Everything gets better with a positive outlook!

We can’t live in the past or the future.

So, the best approach is to make the most of today!

How do we make the most of today?

By having some goals that you can accomplish today.

I have a suggestion:

Be sure that your important relationships are in good order!

If you address those first, you can go through your day with much more confidence.

If an apology or forgiveness is necessary, DO IT!

If not today, when?

It is not even a year since Jaylen Smith was learning the power of the youth vote as a student government leader at his high school in Arkansas.

Now the pioneering teenager is about to put his knowledge into practice as the youngest elected Black mayor anywhere in the US.

On Tuesday, as the Georgia Senate runoff was capturing the attention of the nation, Smith, 18, was steadily amassing the votes he needed to become the next leader of the small city of Earle, population 1,785.

“You have to start somewhere, you really do,” Smith, who graduated from Earle high school last summer after three years as Student Government Association president, told the Washington Post.

“I didn’t want to be 30 or 40 and become a mayor when I could be one right now.”

He wants to expand the police force and get a grocery store for the town.

Everyone calls him, “Mr. Mayor.”

California has gone from extreme drought to extreme flooding in a matter of days.

On Monday, 90% of the state’s population was under a flood watch as another round of storms rolled through.

Yet, it was just last week when several counties in the state were experiencing the exact opposite – exceptional drought.

California’s parade of ultra-wet storms has not completely reversed the deeply rooted drought.

And scientists warn that it has a long way to go to erase years of unfavorable precipitation trends and water supply overuse.

But the abrupt shift from drought warnings to flood warnings highlights the dilemma California faces:

How do you manage an overwhelming amount of rain in a water-scarce state?

And is it possible to harness that water so it’s available in the dry summer months? (CNN)

As strange as it sounds, the Detroit Lions beat the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay.

The final score was 20-16.

It was the last NFL game to be played in the regular season.

The lions usually don’t win in Green Bay where it is very cold this time of year.

But, they won anyway.

I think we can take the inspiration from that victory and apply it to our own lives.

Maybe we can accomplish something that has been difficult.

We don’t always know until we try!

If not today, when?