I am sorry to report that my brother-in-law's marriage is in dire straights. They've been living apart for some time now, and a couple of weeks ago, his wife left their daughter with him and went on a two-week vacation with a new friend. He was expecting her to come home yesterday, but she has informed him that she is not interested in working things out with him and that in her opinion, the marriage is over.

My brother-in-law is, understandably, devastated and wondering what he could have done to prevent this. From what little I've been told, it sounds as though his wife succumbed to depression and is dealing with it by bar-hopping and other similar activities with her new pals. Her own parents have said they hardly recognize her these days and they hope that my brother-in-law will get full custody of the little girl, who is only three years old. Whatever is going on -- whether it's alcoholism or some other form of substance abuse or a chemical imbalance caused by the depression or something else -- Heidi is not acting rationally. She told my brother-in-law she's not even sure she believes in God any more.

I am convinced she is in spiritual and personal crisis, and I hope any of you out there will remember Heidi in your prayers, as well as my brother-in-law and his little girl. There is so much emotional turmoil and dealing with that is difficult enough, but there are the added complications of legal stuff. Heidi's parents have urged my brother-in-law to seek custody immediately because they fear for his daughter's safety due to Heidi's current lifestyle. An attorney has suggested taking similar action, the sooner the better.

The whole thing is just awful. I'm praying every kind of prayer I can think of and calling on the help of as many saints as come to mind. But even as I say them, I wonder how far this will go...how much hurt will be caused...how much will the child suffer and will she ever be able to recover?

--Sparki