Since my daily radio broadcast, books and weekly newspaper column penetrate prison walls, I frequently receive letters from prisoners.  One of these was so moving it has remained unforgettable.

The writer, a twenty-seven-year-old convict, told of spending many years behind bars for a variety of offenses.  He was writing from solitary confinement because of trouble he had caused in the prison and admitted he had read one of my books only because there was nothing else available.  His story was a heartbreaker.

Like many chronic offenders, this troubled young writer had grown up the child of alcoholic parents.  By the time he reached the seventh grade, he was hooked on alcohol and other drugs, causing him to drop out of school.

Legal trouble began early for my confined correspondent.  When he was fifteen, he had his first brush with the law and at the time he wrote to me had spent more time in prison than out.  One line in his letter revealed the key to his misery: ???I??™ve never committed a crime while sober.???  Thousands of prison inmates could join him in this common confession. Alcohol use accounts for more than half of all crime that sends people to prison.

Sharing experiences from his tragic past, this sad, shortchanged, son in solitary wrote: ???My mom and dad really had bad drinking problems.  In 1971, mom shot dad point blank in the chest; that was the last time I cried.??? His tearless cry for help still haunts me.  And, during this season when we hunt gifts for our children, forces me to consider the importance of giving gifts that will enrich their lives.

Let??™s give our children memories of faith instead of fighting.

???How many hours do you expect to spend fighting???? I asked the prospective bride and groom sitting across the desk from me?

Surprised, they laughed.

A young wife and member of a couple??™s class I was teaching said, ???My husband and I were about to begin another argument when I remembered that fighting is a waste of time.???  She had learned the lesson well that I had taught a few weeks earlier.  Our children need examples of trusting God in tough times, instead of blaming each other when things go wrong.  Kindness, not conflict, builds faith among family members.

We find peace with God through faith (Romans 5:1) and that same faith can produce peace in our homes, a wonderful heritage for our children.

Let??™s give our children memories of affection instead of anger. 

According to the Bible, the love climate of every marriage should illustrate the love of God for us.  Our children should be able to learn about God??™s love for them by seeing the affection of their parents for each other (Ephesians 5).  This year, I have officiated at the weddings of two of my grandsons and warned them of the enemies of a good marriage: anger, alcohol and adultery.  Anger destroys love.  Affection expressed often amplifies it.

Let??™s give our children memories of praise instead of put-downs.  

I once heard a friend of my father tell him he was going to ruin me by his frequent praise of my work on the farm.  But Dad was no dummy.  He knew the more praise I received the harder I worked.  Family members who build one another up are continually creating memories that make the past pleasant and fill the future with possibilities.

This Christmas, why not give the best gifts of all?

Roger Campbell