Jan

God and Ed's Excellent Adventure...Part Deux

Fri Jan 20th 2012 @ 4:10 pm

I wrote last week about what I call The Wake Effect…the turbulence caused by our words, our actions and sometimes by our mere presence…to which we are generally unaware. As we make our way through life, we leave in our wakes a trail of reactions: some positive, others not so much.

Let’s take a hypothetical: you come to work one day with an upset stomach. It’s nothing serious but you’re feeling as if you might throw up. So you hurry to your office without speaking to anyone. You’re in a hurry to get to the Pepto-Bismol. Nothing ominous there, right? Wrong. Without knowing it, you’ve launched the chain reaction I call the Wake Effect. Already, the receptionist you walked silently past, with that sickly look on your face, has told one of the salespeople to “Watch out for the Boss! He’s really upset about something.” That salesmen then says to another salesman, “The Boss is really upset; it must be our about sales numbers,” who then tells another salesman, “We’re in big trouble, the company is going broke!” Meanwhile, you’ve taken the Pepto and you feel fine…you just don’t understand why all your employees seem so down in the dumps. I guess the moral of this story is: If your stomach is upset, go somewhere and throw up before you get the office, then enter smiling!

Okay, maybe this example seems a bit frivolous, but there is nothing frivolous about the Wake Effect. It can really have a negative impact on businesses, churches and organizations. And as serious as it can be in those settings, it can absolutely devastate a family.

I have been pretty open about my past. Yes, I was a drunk. Yes, I was a heavy gambler. Yes, I hung out with bookies, gamblers and mobsters. Worst of all, I was a womanizer. I cheated on my wife.

What I have not been open about is my family and the devastation my Wake Effect caused in their lives. My wife was a terrific lady: beautiful, kind and a great mother to my kids. We got married when we were only nineteen and had our first son a year later (Much too young for both…we were still kids ourselves.) I would say we had a good marriage for a long time. Then the advertising company I had worked so hard to build really took off. Money came pouring in and at the same time, my daily television show hit the airwaves. Wow! People started praising me for my business skills and suddenly, women started coming on to me because of the TV thing. Pretty heady stuff. I accepted all the accolades and praise and fell in love…with myself. And with the “high life.” Ego,Pride and Party Time were in full gallop.

As I embraced this new, seemingly exciting lifestyle, I fixed my sight on doing the things that felt good instead of the right things. My family sort of receded into the background. And that’s when the Wake Effect swept over them. The time I was giving to these “fun” things was taken directly from the time I should have spent with family. The kids didn’t know why Dad was never there for them…he just wasn’t. Missed ballgames, dance recitals and school plays became a part of their lives. Constant disappointment and broken promises. For my wife, the turbulence was even worse: since I was a well known guy because of the TV show, the rumors about my drunken parties and infidelity were circulating all over town. Inevitably, many of those rumors washed over her. When she asked, I denied. And she chose to give me the benefit of the doubt. I didn’t deserve it. I broke her heart and damaged my kids. All the while I continued on my way, oblivious to the wreckage I was leaving in my wake. The Wake Effect. It can be devastating.

These revelations are very painful for me to talk about…much less to put down in black and white for everyone to read. Even after becoming a Christian and receiving His redemptive grace, my ex-wife’s forgiveness and reconciliation with my kids, it took years for me to forgive myself. I still wonder how I could have been so stupid. So why did I decide to go ahead and share all this? Because I’m hoping that it will cause at least one of you to stop and look over your shoulder. What’s going on in your wake? Are you going merrily on your way, oblivious to family, friends, employees or co-workers who are drowning in your wake. It doesn’t matter what you’re chasing…it won’t be worth the price. The Wake Effect. It can be devastating.

Epilogue

Bart Starr, former quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, was describing to a group of businessmen how his coach, Vince Lombardi, approached life. He stated that, as you entered Vince's office, you noticed a huge mahogany desk with an impressive organization chart behind it on the wall. The chart had a small block at the top in which was printed: "Vince Lombardi, Head Coach and General Manager." A line came down from it to a very large block in which was printed: "Everybody Else!"

Thought for the Day

The problem with political jokes is they get elected. Will Rogers

Turn the radio on

Listen to God & Ed’s Excellent Adventure on the Radio. Monday through Friday at 4pm on “The Word,” 98.5/99.3 FM. Or listen on-line at KLGO.net. It’s the place for Christians of all varieties to hang out and be loved, entertained and uplifted.

Semi-interesting fact

Alaska is the northernmost, westernmost, and easternmost state in the U.S. It is easy to see that it is the northernmost and westernmost. BUT how can it be easternmost state as well? The long line of the Aleutian Islands extend past the 180 degree line of longitude. This places some islands in the Eastern Hemisphere. Thus Alaska is the westernmost and easternmost US state.

Forward…Mail!!

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Joke du Jour

A minister who was very fond of pure, hot horseradish always kept a bottle of it on his dining room table. He offered some to a guest, who took a big spoonful.

When the guest finally was able to speak, he gasped, "I’ve heard many ministers preach hellfire, but you are the first one I’ve met who passed out a sample of it."

Cool Music

We’ve added more cool songs you’ve never heard on radio. Check the player on the upper right, click and brighten your day.

Questions I ask myself:

How is it that we put a man on the moon before we figured out that wheels on luggage would be a good idea?

Really?? Actual News Stories

Ain't that a kick in the pants Iraq wants Saddam's buttock back The Iraqi government is demanding that an ex-SAS man return a buttock he seized from Saddam Hussein's statue.

Nigel 'Spud' Ely, 52, was guarding a camera crew in April 2003 as they filmed Iraqis pulling down the giant statue in Baghdad. Nigel picked up a 2ft lump of bronze that had formed part of the tyrant's backside and brought it back to the UK. The Iraqi government now claims the metal chunk is a piece of the country's "cultural antiquity" and is demanding he return it or face possible theft charges. Ely, from Derby, has been interviewed by local police after the Iraqi embassy made a complaint. He has turned the buttock into an artwork and says that makes him its legal owner. Mr Ely said: "When I got it, it was just a piece of scrap metal. I am only doing this to raise money for military charities."If the Iraqis want to split the proceeds to give some to Iraqi charities, I am happy to listen."

Half of Churchgoers Say Their Lives Aren't Affected by Time in Pews A new survey shows that almost half of churchgoing Americans say their time spent at church has not caused any changes in their lives, the Religion News Service reports. Barna Group, an evangelical company based in California, found that 46 percent reported no change from attending church. About 25 percent said their lives were greatly affected by church attendance and another 25 percent said it was somewhat influential. Two-thirds of respondents said they had felt "a real and personal connection" with God while at church. Among weekly church attendees, 44 percent said they felt God's presence every week and 18 percent said they had that experience once a month. Additionally, three out of five church attendees said they did not walk away from their last church visit with any significant new understandings or insights.

Happy Feet The St. Louis Zoo

announced the birth of a 7-ounce king penguin at its Penguin & Puffin Coast exhibit. The zoo says on its Web site the chick, born Jan. 8, is being reared by parents Francine and Kaiju at the exhibit, but the youngster may not be visible to visitors for a few weeks because king penguin chicks are kept warm under their parents' belly flaps for the first 30-40 days of their lives. Zoo officials said they do not yet know if the chick is a male or a female.

Virgin Mary in a gay Burger Joint?

Some say the Virgin Mary has made an appearance on the wall of a Tampa area restaurant, appropriately named Hamburger Mary's. The sacred likeness, in the form of streaks on a stainless steel wall, was first noticed on Sunday and even brought one woman to tears. The restaurant, known for its popular drag-queen shows and gay karaoke nights, has embraced the Blessed Virgin sighting and even offered all-you-can-drink Bloody Mary’s for Sunday brunch -- which apparently spawned further visions As for whether or not the image has boosted business, restaurant staff just said no tour buses have pulled up yet.

Are you kidding me???

The entire Bible divided into chapters and verses first appeared in the Geneva Bible of 1560.

Groaner

What Do You Get When You Cross a Snowman With a Vampire? Frostbite.

Point to Ponder
From an unknown source comes an article titled, "How To Be Miserable." It says, "Think about yourself. Talk about yourself. Use "I" as often as possible. Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others. Listen greedily to what people say about you. Expect to be appreciated. Be suspicious. Be jealous and envious. Be sensitive to slights. Never forgive a criticism. Trust nobody but yourself. Insist on consideration and respect. Demand agreement with your own views on everything. Sulk if people are not grateful to you for favors shown them. Never forget a service you have rendered. Shirk your duties if you can. Do as little as possible for others."

Remember, Christianity is more about walking than about talking