I'm not sure how old I was when I was taught to say prayers. Still, I imagine that I must have been about three or four—or, as child theorists suggest, two or three. However old I was, I can assume my mother was the first to teach me to pray. Like most other children...

Let me let you in on one of my secrets: I hate to make promises. Over the years, I have learned that sometimes I failed to fulfill promises because I either forgot or was blocked by unforeseen circumstances. For some, that’s par for the course for everybody. After...