Not the best of weeks...and then...

Sorry that I have been out of it for the last week. The death of our 14-year-old dog hit me harder than I expected and I went downhill with my eating quickly. It took me a few days to get back on track but I still just want to eat. I haven't had this kind of desire since before I started this journey in January. I'm praying that God will take this desire to stuff myself away. This ride has gone too far to give it all back!

And in the midst of my self-indulgence, God sends an encouragement.

The morning show is going with Compassion International to Brazil in just over a week. In addition to your passport, you need a visa to enter the country and that requires two new passport-style photos. This morning I got the passport back with the visa stamp and saw my passport photo taken last July and the new visa photo side-by-side.

It is amazing! It is one of the first times that I can really SEE the difference.

It is still not the best looking picture I've ever taken but I really needed it. God will let us go and see how we handle ourselves but has promised that he will never let us fall away if we reach out for Him. There will be tough times but He will send the Dove with a branch to let you know that there is an end to your trial coming.

You will make it through. I will make it through. We will continue on the right path!

Let me take a moment to thank everyone who has left me comments or sent emails about the loss of Jazz. It helped. And thanks for the continued prayer support.

Live Well, Live Healthy!

Mike

PS - If you noticed, I didn't weigh in. I hope that you give me a pass this week. I'll jump back on the scale this Friday.

Eating away the pain

I am finding that I am not as in control of myself as I would like to believe.

We made the very difficult decision to have Jazz, our dog of 14 years, put down on Saturday. She had been battling some health issues and had really been going downhill during the last two months. After some indications this past week, we knew it was time. I have never had to do this before and was holding it together until I watched her drift away.

It hurt so bad.

I came home and started eating and eating. I had an appearance for the station at RVR and all the time that I am smiling and so many people are telling me that I look great and what a wonderful job I'm doing - All I could think about was eating....I wanted funnel cake, ice cream, pudding (BTW, who sells pudding at an extremely hot, outdoor event?), fries, soda, lemonade and even cotton candy. And I don't like cotton candy.

Now, I can tell you that I was able to keep myself to a pit ham sandwich, one buffalo burger and some sweet potato fries. However, on the way home we stopped to get some water and I shoved Nutter-butters, a fig newton and some chocolate milk down before we got home.

I'm not sure if I am sad or angry or both. I'm angry that anyone has to make decisions like this. Sad that my "furry" kid won't be licking my face. It is the way things are. It is Life.

Now I just have to figure out how to deal with this wave of emotion without eating myself into oblivion. Prayers are welcome.

Mike

Jazz Alley 1994-2008