Ashlie Miller

By Ashlie Miller

Beautiful routines have been developing in my home with my best friend. We occasionally meet on the front porch together, often with our books in hand, to read separately or to observe the environment. We may or may not interrupt each other with conversation, but mostly, we end up in the same place, sharing space and presence.

Towards the end of 2020, my husband and I looked for ways to spend time together since we could not get away from home for many dates. We developed a new weekly routine of late-night tea time. Sure, we enjoy the little treats we would not usually indulge in, and tea is quite comforting. Still, more than that, it is simply having that uninterrupted time together. Sometimes the time includes reflections on the day, but the goal is to focus on each other, not even the tea.

Lately, now that we have teenagers who can manage, we sneak away once a week in the early mornings for coffee (for him) and tea (for me). These usually have an intentional purpose of looking at our calendar for the week, looking for ways to be productive, and talking about matters of importance.

These frequent, regular meetings did not occur with the expressed purpose of strengthening our relationship. They naturally happened because we enjoy each other’s company and can’t get enough of each other. There are times we seek each other for company and different times of intentional scheduling. Our focus is not on the words we will share; it is on shared time and communion, enjoying each other’s presence, and growing closer together. Making time for each other grows organically because we genuinely enjoy time together.

In the book “A Praying Life,” Paul Miller (no relation) compares our prayer life to a family meal – time together, no rush, enjoying each other’s company with laughter and discussions. We often approach our prayer time, if we even have one, as a duty, a daily checklist, or a Christian discipline. But, as Miller points out by sharing Revelation 3:20, God wants something more wonderful for us than that: “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Yes, he wants a relationship, but the God of Heaven also wants to feast with us! He is not waiting for us to approach with a perfect prayer framework, although those can be helpful. He simply sets the table and opens the door for us to spend time with Him.

Prayer is one of the most neglected works of the Christian, maybe because we look at it as work. In modern, hurried times where eating a meal is just a duty and necessity, we do not know what it is like to feast with a friend, slowing down, relishing the moment and the company.

All great, big things begin with a small step. What would happen if you took a small step to slow down, lean in, and find a small moment to talk to the King and Creator today? It may start with spending time with a close, earthly friend and tasting what that type of relationship is like. As I said, beautiful routines have taken shape in my home with my best friend, actually, two of them – my husband and my Lord!

Ashlie Miller and her husband, Chad, live in Concord, NC. You can contact her on ashliemiller.com.

By Ashlie Miller

Decimals – little marks that make a huge difference in answers. I’ve been helping my daughter work through decimals recently in mathematics. I introduced her to the concept of multiplying or dividing by 10s, 100s, or 1000s, which simply means how far over you move the tiny little point (.). She got it and enjoyed that that was the extent of the lesson.

It reminded me of when I was first introduced to them myself. How could anyone recall something so trivial? Well, it was the circumstance in which I was taught. I was attending a local Christian school at the time, which included elementary through high school. My 4th-grade teacher was married to a junior high school teacher. One day, she came to me during recess and asked me to come with her for something. Maybe she told me why, but being a compliant child who made good grades and didn’t get into trouble, I heard nothing about the details after she called me to come with her. That was usually a sign of trouble (or bad news). I was already shy, and now I was pretty frightened. However, we made it to the trailer classroom where a math lesson was already in session. I was brought to the front of the room by the chalkboard, with my teacher by my side. Her husband began explaining decimals and their placement when multiplying or dividing. After the brief lesson, he handed me a piece of chalk and asked me to demonstrate where to place the decimal in the equation. As an adult, I probably would have thought it a trick question, but at the time, it was easy to just quietly but confidently answer. I looked at my teacher, who smiled down on me, her husband thanked me for the answer, and I left with my teacher. Although uncertain of what took place when I left, I imagine he must have then said to his students something along the lines of, “See, it really is simpler than you are making it.”

This is not so much a story about one’s self-confidence as it is about the confidence others have in us. I am grateful for teachers in my past and friends in my life today who have seen strengths where I see weaknesses or press me on to do just a bit more than I think I would be comfortable with. I’ve been spurred to lead students of various ages, speak in front of others, get into running, get into writing, consider homeschooling, and many more things that have challenged and enriched my life. I wonder at times how long it would otherwise have taken me to embrace each of these things on my own.

While there are several passages in the Bible about stirring up and rekindling flames already within us, there are likewise several that prompt us to encourage others toward love and good works. For many of us, we need someone else who can see what we are capable of and hand us the chalk. Church leadership refers to this as the ICNU (“I see in you…”) principle. Often, when we let people know that we need them to use their gift for the sake of someone else, they will step up even if it is reluctantly. But reluctance can lead to confidence and growth! And particularly in the kingdom of God, it can lead to building up a whole body of believers.

When is the last time you encouraged a friend, peer, or student towards something you knew would enrich their lives as well as the lives of others? When is the last time you reluctantly accepted a challenge that a friend or leader knew would be good for you to help others? Are you ready to take that next step?

Ashlie Miller attended Christian elementary school in Salisbury, NC. She currently lives in Concord. You can email her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

By Ashlie Miller

February can be a dreary month. To brighten things, each February, my children set out small, tin mailboxes in hopes that some cheer will greet them each morning leading up to Valentine’s Day. Often it’s a small note, an edible treat, or maybe a token of a gift. Little Debbie heart-shaped snacks are always a welcome treat, particularly after the coveted Christmas tree cakes.

After picking up a box recently from a local grocery store, I came home, opened the box, and emptied the contents. To my surprise, out came 4 packets of Great Value grits (not even the same house-brand as this store!) and three packets of fruit snacks. I was so confused, I looked again at the front of the box as the contents were making their way out. This was followed by suspicion – had someone returned this box? This led to creating narratives – was this a result of a prank? Or maybe the giver thought grits and fruit snacks would speak greater volumes of love to someone who doesn’t actually like the snack cakes.

Not being able to let anything just be, my mind thought of the lesson to learn from this odd illustration. Valentine’s Day marketing has done love a disservice in many ways. The expectation is that love is sweet, rich, decadent….impractical. While I don’t suggest that a husband buy his wife a vacuum or most other household appliances as a Valentine’s Day gift, acts of service really can speak volumes of love, sometimes more loudly than another box of chocolates. As children grow into independent adults, they often no longer have a long list of things they want but rather are truly delighted by thoughtful gifts of provision and care. Gifts that sustain and nourish us (like grits instead of snack cakes) can often forge deeper intimacy than those that only momentarily satisfy.

Sometimes God works this way, too. He loves too deeply to settle for only providing us momentary happiness. That is not to say that He NEVER grants us small, trivial delights. But more often than not, because He sees what we cannot and even knows us better than we admit to know about ourselves, His gifts more completely nourish and sustain us. He quenches our thirst; He fills our hunger. Sometimes what He gives us doesn’t match our expectations of His love – If He really loves me, why did He allow ___________ in my life? Sometimes our disappointment is so profound that we fail to appreciate what is before us and only lament what we did not receive.

As an imperfect parent, I can sometimes focus on finding gifts that tickle their fancy or that I think they will like. It is easy to forget that showing love through practical, nourishing gifts can express a great deal of love, which hopefully will be well-received.

I did not keep this false box of snack cakes. I wanted to provide something I knew my kids would enjoy (although they do like grits that I make and enjoy an occasional fruit snack). There is definitely a time and season for a frivolous sort of love. But hopefully I won’t forget the lesson that the most nourishing love does not always come in the most attractive packaging.

Ashlie Miller is blessed by several little valentines and her main Valentine in Concord, NC. You can email her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

By Ashlie Miller

What do you get when you borrow three snow shovels and bring out your gas-powered leaf blower (aka a red-neck snow blower)? Well, when the conditions are right, you get a block party!

Normally, our family observes Sundays as the Sabbath. We gather for worship with our church, enjoy a lunch at home, and then rest and refresh before another busy week. Work completed on this day is that which displays care for others or an “ox in the ditch” situation (see Luke 14:5). While we own no oxen nor do we have ditches as part of our landscape, the snowpocalypse that greeted us on Saturday left many of our neighbors, particularly those with shaded, steep driveways, in a fix.

While one of my sons and I were making our way back from a long winter walk, we saw several neighbors out, making the most of the sunshine while clearing driveways of the fluffy white stuff, thankful that most of it was not yet compact and hardened (icy!). One set of neighbors had three of the most beautiful things (well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the right setting) – three glorious snow shovels! What a novelty in the South, where dirt spades work only marginally better at snow removal on a driveway than the garden shovels adorning most garages and tool sheds. Our neighbors down the street had borrowed snow shovels from their next-door neighbors, who, in turn, loaned them to us.

At 2 p.m., something glorious occurred in our cul-de-sac –  as other neighbors came out to thaw and began making the most of their garden shovels, a gathering of sorts appeared. Children came out to run around, make giant snow bases for snowmen with some of the adults, or to help shovel a neighbor’s driveway, even if only for five minutes. Teens had a chance to flex their muscles by shoveling in record time (thanks to the lightness of the snow!) and use their brains by repurposing the gas-powered leaf blower to clear out paths. Adults connected with some neighbors for the first time, while others reconnected. Babies were held and made over, and even the pups relished the freedom of socializing. All the hustle, bustle, and movement helped stamp down much of the cul-de-sac in a more delightful way than a snowplow!

After almost two hours of work, play, and socializing, neighbors returned the shared shovels, shook hands, and offered thanks – not just for the tools and muscles, but also the impromptu block-party that was much needed. After all, we are Southerners, not accustomed to consecutive weekends of isolation (at least, not the sort we don’t choose for ourselves).

Sometimes, the burdens we can lighten as acts of Sabbath mercy and care are piles of snow on driveways. And sometimes hospitality is shown less through soups and sweet treats (which I’m all for, and receive gratefully!) and more through snow shovels and leaf blowers being shared in the cul-de-sac.

By Ashlie Miller

Before bed last Saturday night, my youngest son was preparing for the worst, which would have been an ideal scenario in his little mind. Visions of a house lit by candles or lanterns, board games adorning the tables, perhaps a pop-up tent in the living room by the fireplace. We had prepped him for no snow, just ice, and he seemed okay with that. Needless to say, he (and I) were delighted to see enough snow to cover our roads, trace amounts on the yard, and enough in the backyard that it is still hanging around waiting for another snow, as the old wives’ tale goes. We did not lose power, much to his dismay, but there were still plenty of adventures and treasures that awaited us on Sunday.

Early Sunday morning, before I could tell them to double-layer, my youngest ones were out with plastic sleds to ride in our backyard. We have a small collection of barely-used sleds, like any NC flatlander may have acquired from yard sales of downsizing households in our area. Thus, we are set to be the heroes of the neighborhood, at least among the youngest neighborlings. They quickly set off toward one of the better hills, and as I trudged through the icy-covered snow, I noticed a gathering of neighbors we already knew as well as some we had been neighbors with for years, but never met. Neighbors shared sleds, hot cocoa from a thermos, and some electric hand warmers – each family contributing in some way to group fun.

We opened our household to welcome families for more cocoa, treats, soup, and conversation as little tykes (and big ones!) continued sledding in the backyard. Eventually, as families returned to their respective homes, I noticed a couple of teens and a tween missing from my brood. After touching base with the neighbors about the kids, we realized that some of mine were missing in action. It’s an easy thing to do, to get caught up in something as novel as our rare winter storms in search of the perfect hill, and join in with another adventurous family you know. Because many were in Sabbath mode, the idea of carrying mobile phones around the neighborhood did not seem necessary to either my teens or other neighbor adults enjoying the day. As a result, I, along with two other mothers, set out to find my wayward children. After searching all the cul-de-sacs and good hills, we learned we had just missed them, and sure enough, they were in the care of one of the best neighborhood families that we know and love. All was well. The worry that could have absorbed me had I trekked alone, looking over hill and street, was assuaged because I didn’t have to walk alone, consumed with catastrophizing thoughts.

The treasure of the weekend was not a thick layer of fluffy snow or even (at least in my son’s eyes) getting to survive a power outage. We did not get to gather in person with our church family. Yet, we did find other treasures – Bible study together, forging new relationships, and strengthening other bonds with friends and neighbors. Sometimes treasures are waiting in the midst of storms – even the icy ones. 

By Ashlie Miller

Does the weekend weather have you bundled and boarded up for maybe the next few days? It may be the perfect time to recalibrate a slow restart for 2026 and embrace your “Granny Era.” In case you haven’t heard the term on TikTok or from GenZers the last few years, it is embracing the crafts and hobbies of our grandmothers – think crocheting, painting, making things you could easily buy (like candles and soaps), and completing puzzles (hence, last week’s piece I wrote).

I embarked on an embroidery journey last year thanks to a Facebook stitch-along called Abide Embroidery and some sampler sets I found on Amazon. I continue to write in a journal with an ink pen instead of an iPhone app and began copying parts of the Bible in my handwriting. Time will tell if I prioritize and stick with these projects, but they have done a lot for my daily disposition as I incorporate my day with these slow endeavors.

Why are so many embracing handicrafts and hobbies of yesteryear? One need not be enlightened to realize why, when everything is fast (fashion, food, and even answers and counterfeit relationships). We crave stillness, rest, being fully present and undistracted, and dare I say a chance to develop patience and steadfastness. There is much to learn in the deliberate and steady acts that accompany the crafts and activities my grandmothers embraced.

Winter presents us with its occasional gifts of long, quiet evenings. I do believe each week in January has had at least 10 days in it! While the trees and plants are in their dormant state, not resisting their rest, we can ask: how are those around me affected when I resist seasons of rest, refreshment, and renewal? Do I journey through the rest of the year with a depleted disposition?

I consider Jesus during His time on earth: He walked everywhere, would withdraw from crowds after a gathering to spend time in conversation with His Father, but would be fully present when the crowds gathered, or the individual sought Him. He was at least a second-generation carpenter. He may not have had to take the time to measure twice and cut once, but surely He did not rush the process. Though we read the word “immediately” often in the New Testament, especially in the gospel of Mark, to convey the sense of urgency and limitations of time of Christ’s time on earth, it is clear that He was deliberate with His time.

In our highly productive world, there is the ever-present pressure to focus on multitasking towards many accomplishments. What if we turned our attention to being, well, attentive? Noticing things. Training our mind and perhaps even our fingers to be intentional in not laziness and idleness, but in activities that invite our full presence and solidarity of focus on a simple task. To breathe, enjoy, rest, and allow quiet growth.

Maybe this weekend of the unknown weather results, some canceled plans, and possibly being homebound will provide us all with opportunities to embrace our own “Granny era” and maybe invite a young person finding their own into our circle.

Now, where did I set that pin cushion?

By Ashlie Miller

I have a fondness for puzzles; maybe you do, too. Five years ago, puzzle and board game sales increased as people found themselves housebound for weeks and months on end. My oldest son bought me a 1000-piece puzzle this Christmas. I smiled and brought out a different 1000-piece puzzle later in the day that I knew he would enjoy (a Van Gogh-inspired one) and said, “Let’s get to work!”

I especially enjoy puzzles in the winter. Christmas busyness has passed, and productivity is stalled for a bit, yielding to opportunities to just be present. There is a beautiful quietness as one sorts edge pieces, those with words or unique patterns, and then the rest of the pieces. Isn’t it interesting that we see our desire for structure in life in something as simple as completing a puzzle? Usually, we try to get the frame – the edges – in place to help us understand scope and context. Some pieces seem very ordinary, nothing special – all those black pieces with no variation in shading. But, just like life, some parts are not meant to be showstoppers; they just exist to support the greater whole of what we see and experience.

In my most recent puzzle, I became frustrated at repeating patterns, even though they were patterns from art I enjoy. While unique patterns made some parts easier, a repetition of a background or color scheme could throw us off and stall our process. Discernment is key to getting things into the right alignment, both in puzzles and in life.

The daily ritual and resoluteness for completing the larger puzzles remind me of the importance of just doing the next thing. It may not be flashy, progress may seem minuscule, but learning to faithfully show up patiently and dutifully is a lesson that is rarely learned through something so lovely.

Then, we come to the last piece of the puzzle – the most sacred of pieces. Everyone jokes about how they will sweep in and put in the last piece – usually the ones who have only helped place four of the pieces and then abandon the project for more exciting things. I was very honored when one son, who stuck with me the longest on this journey, quietly held the last couple of pieces and then handed me the last one – the keystone – to place in the last hole. No ceremony or regalia, just a knowing look that we stuck it out. Things we could not see as we worked through the jigsawed pieces now became visible and obvious. “Why did that piece not really fit there? How did I miss placing this one here?!” There is a quiet emotion resonating through me as we look at the whole picture. A bit like our lives, a whisper calls to our hearts of longing for wholeness and searching our entire lives for it.

At last, it is time to consider when it is appropriate to tear apart the puzzle and put it away. I have heard nasty rumors of families who, upon completing, have a family member who rips the puzzle off the table in a grand gesture. I guess that is like ripping off the band-aid. I suppose the lesson for those of us who do not glue and frame our puzzles is that we can be okay when meaningful things are taken apart. It does not mean our time has been wasted. We have learned something long-lasting in the process.

Time start a new puzzle…

Ashlie Miller gets lost in puzzles in Concord, NC. You may email her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

By Ashlie Miller

We live in a time where every day on the calendar seems to be a “National ________ Day.” Many restaurants capitalize on the idea to sell more products: “Come get your deal on donuts on National Donut Day!” It should come as no surprise that there is a “National Quitters’ Day.” In case you missed it, you may have inadvertently celebrated it anyway. This year, it was Friday, January 9th, and it marked the time when many people have already given up on their New Year’s Resolution. To be fair, it does feel like we are already in spring, so maybe you feel like you are doing a better job keeping resolutions than you actually are.

According to Strava, a fitness app that tracks data of its users, a huge majority of people slow or halt their fitness goals by the second Friday of January. Motivation has gone out the window with the empty Krispy Kreme box.

While teaching my children science lessons recently, we were discussing the First Law of Thermodynamics (Conservation) – energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. The amount of energy is just there existing. We cannot get more out of it than what exists.

Unfortunately, this is true of motivation, as well. If we go into a plan or goal with a certain amount of energy and enthusiasm, it eventually runs out if we aren’t adding to it. That leads to exhaustion and eventually collapse (evidently in most cases by the second Friday of January).

What can sustain us? How do we continue doing what we should and quit the things that aren’t good for us?

Well, first, we can consider the difference between giving up on something because we are tired and turning away from things because we are being transformed. Transformation comes from repentance. Humans have never been great at self-help. It is an always-striving sort of position. We are miserable at transforming ourselves, because we only have so much energy. But our Creator is above and beyond us. He knows what makes us tick and what wears us down. He knows that the weight of sin is often the ball and chain that is keeping us burdened and incapable of saying “no” to things that ruin us. Repentance offers hope that the change we need is in the hands of someone better, working things for our good. The Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out, but there is more!

Secondly, we can rejoice that God promises Christians new, daily mercy. We are going to fail because we live in a fallen world. As we make efforts to change and submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit, new mercies await us daily (see Lamentations 3:22-23). While we are instantly justified from an old man to a new man, the sanctifying transformation is a continuing journey of mercy and grace. When our will-power pops but then fizzles, mercy covers our faults, and grace brings us where we need to be but haven’t earned. Our grit is gone, but grace remains.

So, whether you choose freshly squeezed juice or strawberry ice cream (both share a national day) on January 15, and you get to the gym or binge on the couch, for the Christian, our hope remains in the perfect plan of God, the completed work of Christ, and the dwelling of the Holy Spirit all meeting us with new mercies each day.

Ashlie Miller resides in Concord, NC. You may email her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

By Ashlie Miller

2025 is barely in our rearview mirror, and I am pondering the phrase, “objects in mirror may be closer than they appear.” Events that seem like distant memories were really not that long ago. For some, they still feel very fresh. I consider a family acquaintance who lost everything they had over the summer – every necessity and luxury, as well as years of memories (handmade items from children, awards the parents earned in school, cherished ornaments, years of collecting rare and treasured books). All taken in a moment.

Then, during a milestone birthday celebration of a friend this year, I learned that one of her quirks (or maybe it should be called a strength) is letting go of greeting cards every year. Each year, she tosses all her cards when she receives a new one from the sender, freeing her of unnecessary clutter. The sentiment has been received and cherished, now onto the next year!

I, on the other hand, am a bit sentimental. I am certain that much of it has to do with losing a parent at a young age, as well as other relatives and friends in my childhood and young adult life. I sense that life is fleeting, that we should number not only our days, but the days we have with others. Gifts, cards, and token sentiments have always felt like tangible bits of that person. Losing things hurts me profoundly. Things getting tossed by others as they help to clean up around the house can set me on edge. Making decisions of when it’s ok to let go of an article of clothing or even a piece of folded paper and an envelope can be difficult. Yet, two ladies I know either had things taken or chose to toss the unnecessary and still experience God’s grace and sustenance.

So, the week after Christmas, I began in my closet, where so many of those paper reminders sit in boxes, and I tossed more than I kept. Truth be told, I had not revisited those cards, even the ones coming from those who mean the most. Of those that were tossed, the hardest were photo cards. It feels like throwing away someone’s existence! But with social media, it has become easier, because with a couple of clicks, I can access many of those photos through friends. Heartbreak met me, however, on the floor of the closet as I came across more than half a dozen families who are no longer together. Divorce, separation, death – all touched many families who will never again look like what I see in the photo.

Unlike the photos frozen in time, life has moved on. God has been faithful to hold them through the heartache. I encountered a lesson as I made more room on my closet shelves: can I trust that God is keeping every moment, every relationship I cherish, and even all my tears safely in His hand? The old Sunday school song echoes in my head, “He’s got the whole world in His hands!” Psalm 56:8 calls to my heart about God keeping count of my tossing and preserving my tears in a bottle, and like my own journal of memories, keeps a record of all these things.

So, yes, I can let go of some of these things, because He keeps them all more securely. Happy decluttering (and it’s ok to keep some of those things you haven’t looked at in ages).

Ashlie Miller lives in Concord, NC. You can email her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

By Ashlie Miller

Looking back at a year can be bittersweet, holding regrets and disappointment. We enter January with anticipation of a new start, a list of goals, and maybe even a punch list. Twelve months later, these goals are buried deep in our smartphone notes and reminders or literally under piles of papers. Where did I put that notebook I bought to keep a list and manage goals?

We did not schedule something with those friends we saw during the holidays of 2024 and longed to reconnect with this year. The project(s) around the house that we knew would increase the resale value or improve our daily life were neglected or too expensive because other things popped up. The decluttering plan we had, along with the new organizers for the closet or attic, was abandoned and (let’s be honest) is also probably buried under more clutter. Other life-giving goals for our health are still on a checklist to schedule, for maybe the 4th year in a row, and we know we aren’t getting any younger. The new hobby we wanted to attempt was trickier than we thought, and scrolling on the phone was far easier. All things that did not happen. It is enough to make one think, “Did another wasted year go by?”

But, for your consideration, what things did not happen in your life that actually contributed to a better year? What things did you fear, catastrophize, and become anxious about that did not end up nearly as you anticipated – an encounter, a confrontation, an interview? Were there events that you missed, sadly, because of sickness or other cancellations, that either gave you some much-needed rest time or enabled you to enjoy something else? Did any relationships change as perhaps children move out, friends move away, or even the passing of a loved one that caused you to reinvest in family or friendships differently?

Then there are things that took us down different journeys or kept us from other endeavors. Maybe you went to the doctor for one thing, but it led to a discovery that otherwise would not have been immediately recognized. You did not want bad news; you wanted good health, but this discovery is helping you get to that path of wellness. Or perhaps you remember the day you just couldn’t get it all together before you headed out the door to your destination. One thing after another was going wrong; things were misplaced, you spilled hot coffee, and the baby, of course, had a blowout as you were putting him into his car seat. But as you hit the highway or made your way across the intersection, you looked to the side of the road and saw the car that could have easily been yours smashed and ruined. Maybe you passionately longed for a reassignment at your job because the other option looked like it checked all the boxes, but you were passed over for it. Come to find out, that option would have been the wrong option for you. God’s “no” was for your good.

Yes, counting our blessings is a wonderful way to cap off the year. Maybe we get stuck on finding positives. When we struggle to think of the things we are thankful for in a difficult year, maybe a lean year, we can likely look back at the things that did not happen. They were not losses. They were not necessarily negatives. They were withholdings that brought peace, stillness, refocus, contentment, protection, and wellness. Glory be to God!

Ashlie Miller lives in Concord, NC with her biggest blessings. You may share yours with her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.