By Barry Buzza

I am the beneficiary of my great-grandfather's Bible. His name was Edward Buzza. The inscription in my great-grandfather's Bible simply reads: "Edward Buzza, Owen Sound, 1904". Great-grandpa was just about forty years old when he purchased this Bible. He and his family moved, around that time, from Ontario to British Columbia. It was a short time after their arrival, that he personally donated the land for and helped build Beaconsfield Presbyterian Church in Vancouver.

I've always marked my Bible. Verses on almost every page have been underlined. I've coloured certain themes with pencil crayons, used symbols to notate verses on family, money or leadership, made plenty of notes and circled key words and names. I've also marked the dates and places when and where events happened. It surprises me whenever I see a Bible, like my great-grandpa Edward's, where there are not any markings.

But as I flipped through the pages of my century-old treasure, I did find one verse in the entire Bible which had been carefully underlined. My heart leapt as I read the King James Version of the one scripture my great-grandfather chose to mark. That verse, a quote from Jesus himself, is the key to unlocking the theme of this book.

Give and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.

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"Thank you, great-grandpa Edward, for revealing to me the secret of happiness. I will be sure to pass it onto my children, grandchildren and friends."

I have just received back from the printer a few thousand copies of my new book, The Secret of Happiness. Although I have never met my great-grandfather, I felt like I owed him a debt of thanks, so as a response to his gift to me I have written this book. This is what the back cover promises: In a recent survey of youth and young adults, well over two-thirds cited their priority in life as feeling happy. How many times have we heard it, or said for ourselves, "I just want to be happy?"

Everyone wants to be happy, but relatively few of us attain to feelings of happiness over the long haul. What many of us fail to understand is that happiness is as near as our hand. Every one of us, rich and poor, old and young, men and women, has available to us right now--the secret of happiness.

This book could very well change your life forever--better than that, what you learn here can positively influence the lives of everyone around you. Read each chapter slowly and thoughtfully. Keep your eyes open as you practice these simple principles, and watch for a bountiful harvest just around the corner.

Over the next few weeks, I'll write excerpts from my book, as articles. I hope you gain as much from this principle as I have.

Barry Buzza, a veteran pastor, is the president of the The Foursquare Gospel Church of Canada. www.foursquare.ca

December 31/2008