Happy holidays! Merry Christmas! Furaha Kwanzaa! Hanukkah Sameach!

However you choose to celebrate, the holidays are on us in full force. And I have to say, I couldn’t be happier. I absolutely love this time of year. It seems like people slow down a bit to enjoy one another more. And there’s Christmas trees and presents. But mostly it’s about the time with family and friends.

In this issue, we bring you some holiday joy. We asked our readers to nominate some local men as our Three Wise Men, and there were lots of nominations. The three we’ve featured here are wonderful men and you’ll love reading their stories. Be sure to check out the list of all the other nominees. They are every bit as awesome — and wise.

We are also featuring Georgia Southern University women’s basketball head Coach Anita Howard. What a great lady and what an incredible standard she is setting for herself and for her team. We know you’ll love getting to know her a bit more.

We also are featuring an article on up and coming local country artist Drew Wiggins. His story is not just about music, but about what inspires him and drives him in his life in general.

Enjoy this issue, and enjoy this wonderful season. This year has truly felt like one really long terrible, awful, no good day. Don’t let that ruin your holidays. Let’s celebrate what we have – we’re all really blessed!