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The most sincere thing we can desire for somebody else is their happiness. It's usually the thing parents want the most for their children. They want their children to be happy. In this entry we'll look at the 4 rules for a happy life.

The first of a 3 part series examining the qualities that promote harmony, joy, and intimacy in family settings.

There is nothing more joyful than watching our children "grow" in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord. This thought leads me to wonder if children receive the same joy and encouragement from seeing their parents "grow".

As a Christian parent, my prayer has always been that my children come to Christ as soon as possible. This they have all done and I am thankful, but as I review my own journey of faith, I recognize that there are certain advantages for those (such as myself) who were converted as adults:

Last minute Christmas sales and talk of the "fiscal cliff" were brutally replaced by headlines reporting that twenty children and six adults were murdered in a Connecticut elementary school last week.

"Bad company corrupts good morals" (1 Cor. 15:33), has always been the parent's most reliable come back to their children's lack of judgment in choosing friends. It's Biblical, easy to remember, and so to the point.

The new millennium has reminded us of the many ways we are vulnerable. It began with the New Year's Eve meltdown scare in 2000 and has continued with successive onslaughts like the 9/11 attack, financial scandals, a wave of child abductions across the country, and an imminent war with Iraq. Each one of these reminds us that our nation, our wealth, even our children are not safe in their own beds!

I wonder just how much children really enjoy their parents' presence at their games. I sat among a group of moms and dads recently who had turned out to cheer on their kids at a school baseball tournament.

This week I had the great joy of baptizing my youngest daughter, Emilie. She is the last of my children to obey the gospel and with her baptism the circle of salvation is complete around our family.

Each child has specific needs and, as a father who knows his children, I often pray for God to bless them in particular ways.

"Dear Lord, I know why these things happen and that they happen even to us, your children. We are always in your hands and for better or worse, we continue to trust in you."

I remember Christmas disappointments; left-winger equipment instead of goalie equipment; toboggan instead of pool table... Anybody remember theirs? The problem many times as children is that we are not clear on what was promised.

During the weeks preceding Christmas, I watched my children as they counted down the days, hours and minutes until that special moment when the “gifts” were opened. For days they could think of nothing else, everything was secondary to the big event.