“At the center of the universe is a loving heart that continues to beat and that wants the best for every person. Anything we can do to help foster the intellect and spirit and emotional growth of our fellow human beings, that is our job. Those of us who have this particular vision must continue against all odds. Life is for service.”
These are the profound and loving words of the late Fred Rogers who taught many of us growing up to serve and love others. As we reflect on the words of Mr. Rogers we must express that our greatest happiness and joy has come when we are in the service of our God, our family, our friends, and our brothers and sisters around the world. We, too, believe that life is for service—life is about changing lives for the better and saving lives from physical, emotional, and spiritual bondage. This is our mission statement and our hope for a better, more righteous and loving world to live in. This is what Jesus taught when he walked the earth—to love and serve God with all our hearts, might, minds, and strength and to love and serve one another.
With love and service as the keystone of our life, it is our honor, privilege, and blessing to dedicate this book first to our God, who has given us life and the reasons to serve; second to our children, Adam, Ashley, Andrew, and Alex, our son-in-law Matthew, and our grandchild CharLee, who teach us through their kindness, love, and example; third to our friend Mr. Rogers and his great example of service to children of all ages; and finally to those children and adults who have felt the pain, despair, and hopelessness of obesity. May this book be an olive leaf of hope and healing.
May our service begin first with selfless acts of love for others and then, and only then, our physical, emotional, and spiritual healing begin to take place in us, followed by healing in our families, next in our communities, then in our nations, and finally in our world.