2012 in Reflection

Our Christmas letter this year:

Dear Friends & Family,

You are all so very dear to us, and we are blessed beyond measure to have you in our lives. Although many of us are apart this Christmas, we cherish your role in our lives and are praying for you continually. As we enter this new year, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on all that 2012 held:

*January We launched a home school group, reading and discussing the works of the Inklings, great British authors like C.S. Lewis, Chesterton, Sayers, and Williams.

*February Lent began.

*March We hosted a 24 Hour Famine with our church’s youth group, fasting from food and media, and participating in a food drive to collect food for the community.

*April We celebrated Easter! I accompanied Clint and his class to the LA Cathedral, and lead a tour for our Inklings students at the Norton Simon Museum.

*May I started a Book Club with a group of friends where we met to catch up and discuss our book of the month.

*June We had a bittersweet time moving out of our first place. Clint finished teaching for the school year and then flew to Notre Dame for six weeks to continue working on his Masters degree in Church History, and I moved into the Becher’s house (a fun and generous family we met through friends at our church).

*July We spent the 4^th apart, but both of us found a dear friend with whom to celebrate. I worked the Compassion International booth at Fish Fest and was overjoyed to see dozens of children sponsored! The highlight of our summer was celebrating our first anniversary in Chicago, complete with an art museum tour, four-course meal atop the John Hancock, and a river cruise with fireworks! Clint certainly outdid himself in planning this romantic day! The next day we drove across the border into Indiana where we spent the week at Notre Dame, then returned to Chicago and enjoyed sharing some sweet time with his parents. At the end of the month I was delighted to welcome Clint home and to rejoice in his hard work.

*August Clint was named the Youth Director at our church (St Matthew’s Church in Newport Beach) and we had a bonfire with the students at Huntington Beach. The Dallas Cowboys training camp was in Oxnard, so we traveled up to see the team. On the 31^st we moved into our beautiful new apartment in Orange, which we affectionately call “Perry-dise” (a pun on “Paradise” thanks to Coldplay).

*September We spent the month getting settled, shopping for furniture and planting my herb garden, and Clint started his second year at Saddleback Valley Christian School where he teaches honors Bible classes, called “religious studies,” in which he reads great books with his students and discusses them in a seminar style, classical education model. We celebrated our Epic Event Weekend with the youth group which included pizza and hot dogs, bowling and an Angels’ game. Additionally, we were delighted to visit Clint’s mom at her work conference in San Diego.

*October I was accepted into the MBA program at Concordia University in Irvine and started my first course, Financial Accounting, while continuing to work full-time as a Quality Control Specialist at ECCU.

*November I had the joy of co-hosting a jungle-themed baby shower for my sister, who is due with their first in January. Clint and I are super excited to become Uncle and Auntie very soon! The following weekend Clint’s family flew out for a delightful visit of “super fun,” visiting the beach, touring a museum, and lots of shopping!

*December We are observing Advent by serving in an Operation Christmas Child service project with the youth group at the beginning of the month. Later we will celebrate Clint’s 28^th birthday, see some of the new movies that we have been eagerly awaiting all year (anyone else exited about Les Miserables and The Hobbit??) and spend a merry Christmas with my family in Ridgecrest.

“Walking Briskly”

A poem by Tori Perry 

Running through the grocery store,

Well, “walking briskly” is much more

Accurate to describe the feeling:

Appearance of decorum, concealing

The stress and exhaustion that lies

Under this festive, glittering guise.

For cookies to bake, gifts to buy,

Parties to plan and bows to tie

Leave little time for me to muse,

To wonder at that glorious news

Declared by angel choirs bright

On that anything but silent night

The humble virgin did give birth,

Glory to God and peace on earth,

When divinity in manger lay –

Resplendent heaven in the hay.

Perry Reflections - Advent

Many times the weeks leading up to Christmas are hectic and exhausting with festivities galore, but we pray that it will be a time of preparation for us all, that we might sit in wonder at the glory and mystery of Christ’s coming and His promise to return again.

This past Sunday (Dec 2^nd) our church inaugurated the beginning of a new Christian year with the season of Advent, even as we see Christmas on the horizon with all its festivities. One of the prayers from the service captures the heart of Advent:

ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

May the Lord bless you during this season and fill you with hope as we await with expectation the coming of Christ at Christmas. Peace be with you!

Clint & Tori Perry & Shiloh ; )

Statement of Intent

That's right. Four years after graduating college, I am hoping to go back in order to pursue my MBA. I am currently in the process of applying to Concordia University, and as with all graduate school applications, I was asked to provide a statement of intent – “Why do you want to attend school at Concordia? What do you plan to do with your advanced degree? Explain how this new academic program will contribute to your career goals.” Thus, I began a journey of prayer, Bible reading, and silence, as I asked God to direct my path, to show me if this is what He has for me, and to gain a vision of my vocation. He met me in this place of searching just as He promises in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

Last Friday I sat on a bench in the courtyard at the San Juan Capistrano Mission, reflecting on the lifework of those courageous priests. Thinking of the Christians who have faithfully served the Lord for the past two millennia and further back into our Jewish heritage, I asked to be given a vision of what it means to be a Christian woman and a business woman. In His loving kindness He brought Proverbs 31 to mind (you should pause to read it if it has been awhile: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2031:10-31&version=ESV ). I was captured by the beauty of this image and how it brought together the competing viewpoints that I was entertaining of a Christian woman as gentle and kind while a business woman was strong and assertive. In these verses I found my calling: I long to be a virtuous woman - a woman who tenderly cares for your family, works diligently and wisely, generously gives to the poor, and seeks to honor the Lord in all that she does.

Well, without giving too much more away, here is my statement of intent for your reading pleasure (safely under the 500 word count maximum at a smooth 494):

The Lord has given me a passion to see the Kingdom of God grow, both through the ministry of the church and in the marketplace. Since graduating from Biola University four years ago, I have gained experience at ECCU (Evangelical Christian Credit Union in Brea, CA) working with churches, Christian schools, and non-profit ministries through banking operations and loan servicing. It is my desire to continually grow in effectiveness, as I pursue excellence coupled with efficiency in my current position as a Quality Control Specialist. In the days ahead I would like to move into a management position where I could seek continued enhancements to my unit, and be able to invest in staff, mentoring them to maximize their potential. Eventually it is my dream to work for a non-profit, particularly because they do so much good, but have so few resources. I currently volunteer as a child advocate for Compassion International, so I would love to help shape the future of that ministry. Additionally, I have a passion for museums, so it would be exciting to work as a business consultant for a struggling museum, striving to increase their effectiveness and sustainability. Finally, it is a dream of mine to partner with my husband, who is a high school teacher, in order to start a classical Christian school at our church in Newport Beach. Wherever the Lord leads, I want to be equipped for the journey.

During a recent informational meeting I was impressed by the caliber of professors and students who are drawn to this university, and I would love to be a part of what God is doing in the business community of Orange County through this school and its alumni. I have a few years of business experience now and with a proven track record, I will continue to grow and progress over time, but the MBA program at Concordia University would equip me with unique tools to be more effective, as I seek to grow in knowledge and experience beyond my present capacity. At Concordia I would be challenged and given the opportunity to explore aspects of business like marketing and financing that I do not encounter every day, and to embrace my calling as a business woman. I am particularly fascinated by the Public Policy emphasis, as it would unite my passion for history, fascination with government, and exposure to regulations, federal legislation, and legal documentation in the banking industry.

Ultimately, it is my desire to be a woman of virtue, as described in Proverbs 31 – a woman who tenderly cares for her family, works diligently and wisely, generously gives to the poor, and seeks to honor the Lord in all that she does. For the past few years I have debated and prayed, asking the Lord to direct my path. I genuinely believe that the MBA program at Concordia University is my next step on this journey to grow in grace and truth both professionally and personally.

I appreciate your prayers as I prepare for classes to begin and more fully embrace my calling. May the Lord bless you and direct your steps as you seek His face.

One Year Later...Our First Anniversary

Last Monday we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. Wow! While engaged it seemed like the wedding day would never come, and now it has come and gone, and here we are a year later, hand in hand.

It has been quite a year! When I look at what we did just in 2011, I laugh to think that we had no idea what we were really getting ourselves into, and then I smile at the delightful surprise and precious gift that God has given to me in my dear Clint.

Our first place was a cute, but sometimes cramped, studio apartment in Anaheim. It proved to be our testing grounds for this first year, as well as our little abode, our hiding place. In reflection, I think the biggest lessons of this first year for me have been about communication, vulnerability, and trust.

"An Ode to Our First Place"

To you, small box of the dull white walls,

To the metal handles that always fall off

To the jet engine fan in the bathroom

And the angry wasps on the patio eves

I will not miss you on the summer nights

When the room was stifling hot

Until the whirling air condition clicked

Turning it into a freezing ice box

Moving: Clinging to God's Promises

Moving. Ugh. It happens to all of us – some more often than others. Growing up my dad was in the Navy, so we moved every three to five years. We were the “lucky” ones who lived mostly on the same coast, but no matter the distance or the noble cause, it is hard for a second grader to understand the goodness of leaving her home, best friends, church, school, and all that she knows because Dad has to report to a new boss. Perhaps I still have some unresolved issues from my childhood trauma, but I encourage you to honor the servicemen and women you know, for they and their families have sacrificed quite a bit for the freedom that we all enjoy in this land.

I joined the fight against poverty: Clemence and Compassion International

“I joined the fight against poverty!” the white-lettered t-shirt seemed to shout from its black canvas, as I pulled it out of the cardboard box, careful not to dump the packing popcorn all over the floor. I had been waiting for this package to arrive for weeks, and it was finally here!

It all began long ago, but in the spring of 2009, I finally took action. I was looking ahead to my one year review at work, my first full-time, "I’m an adult now," job, and I wanted to do something special to celebrate my adulthood and God’s provision for me. That's when it hit me - I was, for the first time in my life, financially stable, generally independent, and actually able to sponsor a child through Compassion International! I had grown up watching the commercials on TV of children in need, their empty eyes yearning for food, for hope. I had even spent a couple summers with the Continental Singers raising sponsors for the organization. I had always wished that I could do something for the poor children of the world, but I hadn’t had a steady income. Now I did! Now I could do something about it!  Now I could change the life of a child!

Banana Nut Bread Disaster: Learning to Laugh at Yourself

Okay.  I will be the first one to admit that I am easily embarrassed.  I am a reserved person, preferring to put my best foot forward and make a good impression, so I naturally tend to keep to myself, especially those things which are weaknesses or flaws.  Marriage, however, is helping me, well, my dear Clint, is helping me to admit my failings, apologize if necessary, and even to laugh at myself if the occasion calls for it.  He certainly finds some of the things that I find to be embarrassing or mildly traumatic to be cute and funny – like this morning.

Let’s just say that I am not a baker.  I mastered baking the turtle fudge brownie box mix after many bake sales for theatre, but I am a failure with most everything else.  Okay, I'll admit that I even have a hard time with boxed cookie mixes.  In my defense, there is a big difference between nine and eleven minutes in the oven! 

The Love of My Life

We glided across the dance floor, my wedding gown swishing and his silver tie shimmering.  Having just been introduced as Mr. and Mrs. Perry, we had excitedly taken the floor and now danced to “Green Eyes,” our first dance as husband and wife.  The candles glowed and the lights overhead glimmered.  With a twinkle in his eyes, he lifted his arm, signaling a spin.  I smoothly twirled away from him, but in an instant our eyes met, and entranced I stepped back into his arms.  Laughter and smiles sparkled effervescently, dancing our Rumba box step, as we floated under the twinkling lights.

Just a couple hours before I had been waiting in the foyer of our church, eager and giddy, veiled and on my father’s arm.  I thought of the pure bliss in his eyes, as the doors slowly opened and I first entered the church, the organist playing my “subtly majestic” anthem.  Tears twinkled and a smile spread across the face of my beloved, while he watched me slowly approach the altar – approach him.

A Hospital Visit

The walls were white, the tile a dingy grey, and the hallway smelled like sterilizing cleanser and urine. Slowly I trudged up the stairs. I knew that I was obligated to go see her, but everything within me wanted to run, to escape, for I was wracked with guilt. What would she say? Would she even look at me? Did I even want her to look at me? I was convinced that her eyes would bore holes through my chest.

It was a gloomy March Sunday morning, overcast and cloudy, not raining at the moment, but it looked as though it could begin again any minute. More significantly, it was the day after the accident.

Since freshmen year, we had all been great friends, The Five of Us, as we referred to ourselves. That sunny Saturday had been our long-awaited study break – a day at Disneyland! We had talked about it for months, and finally the day came. We had experienced the wonder of Fantasy Land, adventured with Indiana Jones through snake-filled caves, screamed our way down the Tower of Terror, and been transported into the future together. It was a wonderful day! After eating fajitas and kettle corn, and watching the magical fireworks display, we loaded into my green station wagon, Tommy the Taurus, and headed back to campus around midnight. We were all exhausted, but it was a smooth ride.

Noontime Nachos

Delightedly munching on another cheesy chip, fingers covered in nacho sauce, I reached for a sip of my ice cold Dr. Pepper. It was Friday and that meant that my mom had given me a respite from ham sandwiches and carrots; instead, giving me two dollars and fifty cents with which to purchase my lunch. I don't know what she expected me to buy. Perhaps she envisioned a cafeteria-made lunch such as meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas, but those little white trays always looked gross, and the smell in the cafeteria often kept me from desiring to enter it. From time to time I would enjoy the French bread pizza or burritos that they kept stocked under the heat lamps, and I loved it when McDonald’s came to campus, but that was usually on Thursdays when I would walk by some of my peers standing in line for those coveted yellow wrapped burgers, while the rest of us walked by with our brown paper bags. Today, however, was Friday.

It's a Wonderful Life: 2011 in Summary

Even without a novel to write, it appears that December has flown by.  Mind you, we had multiple parties and outings this month, but it always surprises me to see another month, especially another year, come to a close.  It is that sentimental feeling, remembering the great times that I have had this year, accompanied by both a pang of sadness that those days are over, and that sense of excitement, imagining the unknown that awaits, the glorious joys that will fill the pages of 2012.

When the year began I had no idea what it would hold, but in reflection, here is what I see -

2011 in Summary
*In January I rang in the New Year with my boyfriend in San Francisco and celebrated my 25th birthday with my first surprise party.
*In February my charming Clinton Perry proposed to me with our dear families witnessing at Crystal Cove and I bought my wedding dress.

My Little Sister's Wedding: A Toast

So three months after my wedding, I was delighted to serve as the Matron of Honor in my sister's wedding.  Katie and Iseah dated for three years and have had quite the journey, so it was a joy to celebrate with them on this very special day!  I'm afraid that with all the wedding events, however, I have failed to write any new posts and I have some news (coming soon) which will probably limit my entries for the month of November, but I thought that I would share my Matron of Honor Toast, dated October 21, 2011:

Good evening!  For those of you I have not met, my name is Tori and I’m Katie’s big sister, and on behalf of the Wade family I’d like to welcome you all, and thank you for coming to celebrate with us on this very special occasion!  

As we all know, in this world there are leaders and there are followers.  Although some prefer to wait in the wings, Katie has always been one of those pioneering people who led from her passions.  She was always on the cusp of trends, setting the bar and leading the way.  From shopping to school, she has never been a conformist or apologetic for who she is.  Rather, she steps out and embraces life, especially through seeking to help those in need. 

Katie has been an inspiration to me for her courage and relentless pursuit of social justice.  She has demonstrated her courage from youth, when she served on a missions team to Panama as a junior higher: raising money, traveling to a distant land, and joining a team when she didn’t know anyone else who would be there, and then spending another entire summer working with the homeless in Houston: distributing food and clothing, playing with the children, and even giving some pedicures.  Over the years she has shared stories of some of the troubled youth with whom she has interacted, and it is remarkable to see how she connects with them, gains their respect, and is able to help them.  Even in the face of flying objects, runaway children, and outright defiance, Katie is able to keep her head and deal with the situation.  With her fiery personality and her drive, Katie makes the best sort of advocate, as well as a great friend.

You see, in elementary school Katie and I were close friends, moving often and clinging to each other, that is until, like most siblings, we began to define ourselves by what made us each unique.  We highlighted our differences and had our own friends and ambitions.  Particularly since leaving the nest, however, we have both come to realize that although we are markedly different, we also share some very foundational values – church, family, helping those in need, and enjoying life.

Katie has been there for me in the very times when I needed her most with a sympathetic ear, understanding my perspective and providing her support and encouragement – even canceling her own wedding planning weekend back in July to bring sanity and aid me with mine.  She has been there when others were unable or unwilling, driving out to meet up for sushi or to just remind me with her presence that I am not alone.  She is the kind of person who will drop everything to be there for you when you need her.

Iseah, you are truly a lucky man to have won my sister’s heart.  What a joy it has been to see you and Katie fall in love, and for us Wades to welcome you into the family and to share some wonderful memories these last three years.  You two are such a dynamic and loving couple.  We pray the Lord’s very best for you, our beloved Mr. & Mrs. Angkiangco, as you begin this new and exciting journey of marriage. 

So if you all will join me and raise your glass, I offer a toast to courage, to friendship, and to love…To Katie & Iseah!  Cheers!

~I love you, lil sis!

Groundhog Day: Living for What Truly Matters

Phil: What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?
Ralph: That about sums it up for me.

You are probably familiar with the storyline, but let me recap it for you:  Phil, an arrogant weatherman, travels to a small town to do a feature on the groundhog’s shadow, gets stuck in the town for the night due to a blizzard that he failed to predict, and goes to bed, only to discover that when he awakens in the morning, it is once again February 2^nd.  He is made to relive the same day over and over again, giving him the torture, the license, and finally the freedom to live life however he pleases with no repercussions to follow in the future.  He is arrested, attempts to seduce his producer, Rita, and even tries to kill himself on multiple occasions, but no matter what he does during the day, he once again awakens to his alarm on February 2^nd. 

After having pursued selfish pleasures that failed to satisfy, Phil gradually begins to seek to help those in the small town, especially a homeless man, and in the process discovers that he has fallen in love with Rita. He lives with charity and kindness for those around him.  In the end Rita falls in love with him too, and he awakens to the joy of his alarm on February 3^rd.

Clint and I have been discussing showing the movie to his high school Bible classes to lay the framework for the year, posing the questions: “What is virtue?” and “What is happiness?”  We see in Groundhog Day that Phil discovers the meaninglessness and futility of pursuing his selfish passions.  He can have whatever he wants and do anything, regardless of the law, but he does not find true satisfaction in any of these pursuits.  It is only when he puts the needs and desires of others above his own, that he finds true happiness and a way of escape from the endless repetition of February 2^nd.

Though you have not been forced to relive the same day over and over again, but perhaps every day seems to blend into the next.  Perhaps you feel without purpose or direction.  Perhaps it all seems pointless and monotonous, an unending journey to nowhere.  Or maybe it is not that extreme, but you feel stuck or you are just plain tired.  This film pushes the viewer to consider what truly matters in life.  For what are you living?  Why do you get up every morning?  Are you rolling out of bed simply desiring to fulfill your own pleasures and get your way, or do you rise seeking to love others, pursue the truth, and delight in beauty? 

I think most of us would reply with the latter when the choices are so clearly stated, but what about the little things of life?  What about in the daily grind when you must decide between relaxing for a few more minutes in front of the tv or spending time in prayer?  What about giving a half-hearted effort on that project you have been putting off or devoting all your time and talent to its completion?  What about simply sitting in the pew at church or getting up an hour early and volunteering to serve in the children’s ministry?

Life is composed of these little decisions, the seemingly harmless laziness or the snide remark made under your breath.  It is of these seemingly harmless choices our habits are formed.  How we spend our minutes and hours each day, and what we prioritize will come to define us in the end.

May we choose to pursue virtue and true happiness in the everyday things of life.  May the Lord give us grace each morning that we might honor His name and serve Him faithfully.

"Beep, Beep!"

The last two weeks I have been working on a side project at work for an upcoming staff meeting in which all my co-workers were asked, among other things, “Who was your favorite cartoon character as a child?”  It has been fun to read the results, and has led me to ponder what it is about these characters that make children drawn to them. 

My favorite character as a child was The Road Runner.  I liked him predominantly for his speed (I ran track in elementary school), as well as his intelligence, his pretty purple feathers, and that classic “Beep, Beep!”  No matter how hard Wile E. Coyote tried every day to dupe the bird with wild contraptions and complex plans, with but a little common sense and speed (okay and inconsistent rules of the cartoon universe), Road Runner was always successful at escaping, leaving Wile E. to experience the pain of the trap himself.

In our evening Bible readings over the past few days, Clint and I have been contemplating the story of Esther, the beautiful Jewess who first wins the king’s hand in marriage and then saves her people from destruction.  Her greatest qualities perhaps were her beauty, her courage, and her humility.  She obediently followed the advice of her uncle, Mordecai, and was willing to lose her life in an effort to save her people.  Perhaps the most famously quoted verse in the book is: “For such a time as this,” referring to the Providential appointment of Esther as queen in order to rescue the Jewish nation. 

As the story unwinds, Haman, a high ranking official, parades through the city and is sorely offended when Mordecai refuses to bow to him, stating that he bows to God alone.  After complex schemes and shady dealings, Haman is invited to an exclusive feast with the king and queen.  Overjoyed with the VIP treatment, Haman decides to make his move.  In the end, however, Haman who had been planning revenge on Mordecai, ends up, similarly to Wile E., with a death sentence, hanging from the very gallows he meant for Mordecai.  And we discover in the following chapter that his 10 sons have the same fate, while the Jewish people are saved.

What an inspiration Esther is of a woman who bravely faces her calling and steps into the role that God has given her to play!  Being named the most beautiful and desirable woman in the land does not go to her head.  Rather, Esther humbly submits to Mordecai and continues to identify with and protect her people.  Oh to have the courage to step into the court of the king, facing certain death, and instead to find life and joy.  The God of Israel protects her and in turn protects her entire nation through her.

May we too be found faithful in the calling that God has placed on our lives and may we walk with courage into the unknown.

Reflection:  Based on their cartoon character choices, others in the office appear to admire a good sense of humor, bravery, the defense of the innocent, as well as general cuteness.  Who was your favorite cartoon character and what did you admire about him or her?

Breakin' a Sweat

My sweaty hands grip the metal and all I can do is keep chanting, “Just a little further.  Just a little further...”

28:00.  The treadmill beeps and my first run at the gym in, oh probably 5 years, is finally over.

“Push the cool down button,” Clint instructs, reaching across the machine to show me where the little blue button is.

“Phew!  I’m gonna be sore tomorrow!  It’s not exactly a walk in the park!”

You see I like to think of myself as a lover of nature, an outdoor exerciser, not a gym rat.  I prefer going for an afternoon stroll in the park or playing ultimate Frisbee with friends, but I must admit that I have not been disciplined in exercise for at least the last 6 months.  I like to think that I can muster enough motivation and accountability on my own to maintain an exercise routine; however, when I am honest with myself, I realize that I’d much rather chill on a Monday evening than do aerobic activity.  The motivation will usually come in spurts, but without a buddy to keep me accountable and motivated, I’m much more likely to daintily sit and read at Starbucks for the evening, than to spend an hour sweating at the gym.

For the past few weeks, however, Clint has been talking to me about a gym membership.  We have discussed the need for good health and that regular exercise is a major component of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  Additionally, having been married for just over 2 weeks, we are seeking to establish good patterns and create habits that will keep us healthy and happy for years to come.  Together we will work to reach our goals and to maintain consistency.  So we’re still a little idealistic about the whole gym thing now, but the real test will come in October or November when the school year is underway and our calendar is filling up.  That’s why we need to start now and we need to be disciplined and make our health a priority.  By the grace of God and each other’s encouragement, we can do it!

Thus, with a 7-day guest pass on the clipboard, I found myself panting and sweating at our local Bally’s on Monday evening, and honestly I kind of liked it.  I mean I certainly did not want to go to the gym after a long day at the office, but once I was jogging and watching the calories burn, I actually starting feeling pretty good.  Maybe breaking a sweat at the gym isn’t so bad after all!  I think I might be able to get used to this.  Of course, lucky for me, I have a gym partner, my husband, and together we will find the motivation, and hopefully the joy, of exercising and being healthy. 

So say a prayer for us and the next time you see us, ask when we were last at the gym.  Of course, since we care about your health too, we just might return the favor…