Well, I hate to be a downer. I really do but sometimes I just gotta vent.

I know I will probably tempt many of you to write replies that start out with "I'm so sorry" and "things will get better" and I appreciate it. I really am not writing this thread for that but to express my feelings.

February - Our 14 year old Russian Blue cat 'Ariel" was put to sleep. She was not eating and had a cancer we never diagnosed. She got very skinny and we knew it was time.

September - Our beloved black lab "Hunter" was put to sleep. You all know this as it was recent.

Three weeks ago - my DW decided we needed to separate and take a break from marriage because she was not happy. She came home 6 days later and swore she would work in it if I did. Well, I did work on it, I did all I could, even sending flowers to her at work last Friday to celebrate her first full day of the new job.

Today - During our second session of marriage counseling she told me she was not in love with me and there was no hope to fix our marriage. She is moving back out and in with her mother tomorrow. She said she would not file any papers for 6 months. She also said she was going to continue counseling on her own. She knows she needs therapy.

Tonight - My Senior Pastor (SP) calls to inquire on how things are going. I told him she was moving out and he relayed how sorry he is to hear that. He then asks me to take my information off our church website and to take a sebatical from the church. So- I lost my position with the church, after all, I am the family/ counseling pastor who can't keep his own marriage together? I guess he is right.

So, this has been the worst year. I started the year with a cat, dog, wife and position at the church I loved, now *poof* it's ALL GONE.

I really wish I could just go somewhere and crawl under a log. Sometimes life just ain't worth it.

** don't worry, I am way to religious to do anything stupid to myself