By Craig Shorey

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I read your latest post and I wish it made no sense to me but instead it’s as if my inner thoughts had a meeting and wrote me a letter.

I’m sinkin’.  I can’t seem to get and stay on the right weight/eating path. I do well for a little while and then something will trigger (I hate that word) a full out relapse.  My wife had a tooth pulled and for a few days I had to take care of the kids and get my own meals. I did fine – great even but then Sunday came. We had a fast food burger & fries due to no food plan. Then like thunder follows lighting…

W H A M!

A three day binge and with stuff I don’t even like.

I know this battle is mine. I know I need to change. I know what I am doing is not working. I know I’ll feel better if I change. I even know if I don’t change I’ll die. I don’t mean like feel bad or be ashamed of the weight. I don’t mean hurt inside because I can’t fit in something or somewhere. DIE! Actually have my spirit taken from this body that battles me and my body laid in the ground before it is time.

Men in my family who take care of themselves have lived to 85, men who have not have died before 65, 60 and some before 50. As you know my dad died early, too early. You know the details, and it doesn’t matter if we like it or not he died when he did and how he did because of how he dealt with stress, or rather how he didn’t deal with it. I’m fully confident that he died at least 12 years premature, maybe even as many as 25 years before his time. (Don’t even try to go theological on me about that, cause I’ll whip out my sword and cut you up with it on this one).

Dad’s been gone over eight years now, still at least more years I should have had. In the eight years he has been gone two of his three children got married, me included. At both weddings there was an empty chair. He has had 7 grandchildren and one on the way that will never know him for themselves. My mom has lived alone and had way too many experiences where he was absent. (I know lots of people lose a loved one prematurely but to know the loved one could have lived has a little extra twist).

I DON’T WANT TO BE AN EMPTY
CHAIR AT MY CHILDREN’S WEDDING!

Yet, I change not. I’ve told anybody really but I’m pissed… at my dad, PISSED for leaving while we still needed him. For having to explain to my daughters why they have not met him and so on.

I know you relate to all that. So, here is our $1,000,000.00 ($40K times 25 years = 1 Million) what do we do about it? I don’t know for sure. Here is what I do know. Grandfather was an alcoholic and my dad was not. I have never had one day on my life that alcohol was an issue. Thus, I’m thinking if I can kick this addiction (hate that word as well) to food than just maybe I can give that victory to my kids. Maybe just we can do that.

Dale, I don’t know what we can do to change our weight. But I’ll commit to doing it with you. I know we have to put ourselves in a place to be successful. We have to rally get our minds in the place that we are at war here. War means taking drastic measures sometimes. Does that mean nothing in the house, not even for kids that we will go off on? Maybe. Does it mean we have to have certain things under lock and key? Maybe.

I know two things:

1. If my sister becomes a widow and your children have no father because you wouldn’t get the weight off – I’ll… I’ll… I’ll spit on your grave and put dog feces on it.
2. You and I are in a battle for our lives and if we lose, we are not the real “Biggest Losers” – our children and family are.

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Craig has been in ministry his entire life, most of which has been spent in Senior Pastor roles.  He has pastored in the North (Maine), the South (Florida), the East (Tennisee) and the West (Washington State); truly taking the Gospel to the four corners of the country!  Currently he pastors a church in Missouri.  Craig is more than a Brother-In-Law to me – he has at times been my adviser, my minister, my counselor – and at all times he has been my friend.