I need to be very careful here. I have this tendency to get religious and to pretend that I’m better than I am. But with all of the humility I can muster, I really am better. I’m not sure where it came from, but I don’t write as many caustic letters as I used to write. I’m not nearly as angry as I once was. I think less lustful, prideful and bitter thoughts than I once did. Quite frankly, I pray better, live better, and serve more faithfully and joyfully than I ever did before.

This morning I walked my boys to their first day of school for the 2016/17 school year. I all but skipped the whole way; my step was full of spring, theirs was a bit more shuffled. Yes, I am glad that school is back in session. But before you cast me that oh-great-another-ungrateful-mom-is-happy-that-she’s-rid-of-her-kids side-ways glare or mumble under your breath that I should be more grateful for the miracles and blessings that are my children, let me assure you: I am in fact very grateful for their lives and do see them as the blessings they are, so much so that I’ve set my occupational aspirations to super slo-mo to serve them to the best I can.

Just this morning I awakened to the news that two more police officers had been shot…this time in my own city. As I scrolled through my Twitter feed, I read other accounts of political corruption at the highest levels of government, and terror attacks around the world.

If you’re like me (and I hope you’re not) you may be rolling your eyes right now, thinking, “Oh great! Another blog about the story of the Prodigal! Haven’t we read and heard enough about this story already?” If that’s you, I empathize with you.

We Christians seem to think the world's problem is a behavioral one. And if the problem is bad behavior, then the solution must be good behavior. And, while we're sinners too, we know the truth. So, we think we should all get together—there’s a…

Those aren’t the words a person trying to keep it all together ever wants to hear.