Last night a sad thing happened.

The place where I work was broken into and thousands of dollars of damage was done. Nearly every window on the inside doors was broken, eggs were thrown at walls, an iPad was obliterated, profane things written on boards and mirrors, and a pack of gum was stolen.

Yes, you read that right; a pack of gum was stolen.

A pack of gum and NOTHING else.

As I mull over the motivation that might cause someone to act in such a way, I can’t help but wonder who these people are and what has led to this moment in their lives.

Of course, there is no real way to answer that question. Still I wonder, could it be helped, or more importantly, could it be changed.

I know that people CAN change. It’s what I teach every day. It’s what I believe.

With the right principles and boundaries applied consistently, anyone can change. Regardless of their current situation.

Since I also work with dogs, I believe the same about them.

For whatever reason- heredity, upbringing, environment – dogs sometimes misbehave. They break things, destroy things, chew things, etc. We know these dogs and often just chalk it up to “bad dog.”

But bad dogs can change with the right boundaries and principles consistently applied.

There’s so much more to life than a pack of gum!

While I sometimes mourn the state of our world, there is HOPE!

Change is real.