According to our nation's Declaration of Independence, “the pursuit of happiness” is one of our fundamental rights. But the right to pursue happiness is no guarantee that we'll find it.

Have you ever stared in frustration at the blinking cursor on a screen while you tried to remember your password? You type in one and then another and then another, but none of them lets you in. When it comes to happiness, we keep entering different passwords that we hope will let us in.

“Marriage,” we type. “If I was just married.

”“Children—if God would give me a child. ”“A raise—that’s what I need.

”“Health," we type, thinking, "If I just felt better, I’d be happier. ”We try out one after another, but we remain locked out of real and lasting happiness.

In one of his most famous lessons, Jesus declared certain people "blessed" and explained why. “Blessed are the poor in spirit ….

Blessed are the meek …. Blessed are the peacemakers.

” For centuries, these eight statements have been called the "Beatitudes. "Why did Jesus promise that true happiness could only be experienced by such people? And how can we apply his lessons to our own lives? This little book can help.

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