Feb

Smart enough to be stupid enough...

Fri Feb 24th 2012 @ 4:25 am

Having given my life to Christ, the transformation that took place in me was both stunning and instantaneous. I was filled with joy (or was it happiness) and couldn’t wait to share the news with my friends. I just knew that once they understood how great this new Jesus thing was and how easy it was to get in on it…they’d jump right in. Or at the very least, cheer me on. Wrong and wrong. They didn’t jump in and they didn’t cheer me on.

My drinking buddies simply disappeared: nothing drags a party down like hanging around with a teetotaler. To them, I had become a buzz kill. Not only that, I was no longer picking up bar tabs. I was now, of all things…a Party Pooper! And the only way to deal with that was to just stay away. Besides which, since I wasn’t buying their drinks anymore, what was the point?

The rest of my friends fell pretty much into one of two camps:

1 This is just a phase Ed’s going through…he’ll snap out of it. And,

2 Ed’s gone nuts.

The friends who thought I was just going through some sort of phase in my life, had good reason to think that. After all, they had watched me jump into a lot of stuff over the previous few years. I had built companies and bought companies. I became a radio talk host, a television personality, a newspaper columnist and an editorial cartoonist, while also becoming a high stakes gambler, an associate of gangsters, a boozer and a party hound. And each time I jumped into something new, it was with great passion and zeal. Then, out of the blue, I’m coming at them all fired up and going on and on about Jesus. No wonder they thought it was just another one of my phases! Their reaction, not unlike the elderly church lady I wrote about earlier, was to smile, pat me on the head and say, “Here he goes again. Don’t worry; he’ll get over it.” Unlike the church lady, no one said anything about me being cute.

And then there were the friends who thought I’d gone nuts. Again, I guess they had good reason to believe that. These friends had seen me at my best and they’d seen me at my worst; at NO time had they ever seen me even remotely interested in religion. Now, suddenly, I’m a Jesus Freak? What other explanation could there be? Ed’s gone nuts. Among those who were convinced that I’d lost it were my business partners. Sure, they were aware that my drinking was becoming a problem, and yes, they had hoped I would sober up; but this…this was way beyond anything they had imagined or wanted. After all, I was the rainmaker, the guy who brought in the new clients. To be a rainmaker you have to wine, dine and party with the prospects, and how can you do that when (their words, not mine) “All Ed does is sit in his office and read the bible.” They went so far as to have a meeting with my then wife to discuss getting some “professional help” for me. That’s code for: they REALLY thought I’d gone crazy. As for my wife, I had gone way, way beyond what she had hoped for: she wanted a nice, sober Christian husband…just not THIS Christian! She was overwhelmed and somewhat frightened: she thought maybe I had flipped out, too.

Ironically, I had decided that my partners were right: not that I’d gone nuts but that I couldn’t continue to make my living seducing clients with alcohol, women and parties. So I gave them my share of the company...and walked away. Now they KNEW I was crazy! Nobody walks away from that kind of money. In a last ditch effort to persuade me that I was making a horrible mistake, one of the partners said to me: “Ed, this is a stupid decision; religion is for losers. You’re too smart for this.” I thought for a moment, and then said:

“John, when it comes to how I want to spend the rest of my life, I need to be smart enough to be stupid enough to be smart.”

And then I left.

Epilogue

Some people only change when they are forced to do so. They're like the guy who was always in trouble with the law. He went to confession and told the priest,
"I'm changing my ways, father."

The priest said, "Have you finally seen the light, my son?"

"No father. I have felt the heat."

There are 2 reasons why people change--they either feel the heat or see the light. Feeling the heat forces us to change. Seeing the light inspires us to change.

Thought for the Day

I do not understand the mystery of grace—only that it meets us where we are, but does not leave us where it found us.—Anne Lamott

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

Arnold Schwarzenegger's middle name (Alois), really does mean "Famous Warrior" in German...Hence Arnold Schwarzenegger's middle name is "Famous Warrior"

Forward…Mail!!

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Joke du Jour

Things You Never Hear in Church
• Hey! It's my turn to sit in the front pew.
• I was so enthralled; I never noticed your sermon went 25 minutes over time.
• Personally I find witnessing much more enjoyable than golf.
• I've decided to give our church the $500 a month I used to send to TV evangelists.
• I volunteer to be the permanent teacher for the junior high Sunday school class.
• Forget the denominational minimum salary; let's pay our pastor so he can live like we do.
• I love it when we sing hymns I've never heard before!
• Since we're all here, let' s start the service early.
• Pastor, we'd like to send you to this Bible seminar in the Bahamas.
• Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship campaign!

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

If the funeral procession is at night, do folks drive with their headlights off?

Really?? Actual News

Burning New Jersey Flag Protesting Whitney Houston Tribute?

A Michigan man whose son died in Iraq has burned the state flag of New Jersey after New Jersey flew its flags at half-staff in memory of Whitney Houston last week. "They're watering down the term of what a true hero is these days," John Burri said "I thought it was offensive to every family's fallen solider out there, and it cheapens the meaning of lowering the flag." The 60-year-old's decision to torch the New Jersey flag on his patio grill came after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ordered flags flown at half-staff to honor the singer Whitney Houston, a Garden State native who was buried in her home state on Sunday. Burri believes flags should only be lowered for those who died serving their country. "My intention was not to hurt anyone, especially the residents of New Jersey," said Burri. "My intention was to show Gov. Christie how offensive it was." The governor has defended his decision, calling Houston a "cultural icon."

'OMG' In an unconventional move, a pastor of an Australian Church has placed two signs reading "OMG" (Oh My God) on the outside of his Church, attracting the attention of the local community and sparking an Internet frenzy. The Rev. Howard

Langmead of St Paul's Anglican Church in Caulfield North, Australia, said that the church chose to post two billboards with the phrase around its premises to "catch attention and be unexpected." "People forget what they are actually saying when they say 'OMG'," the Rev. Langmead says. The term "OMG" is used in popular culture as an abbreviation for the exclamation "Oh My God," which many Christians traditionally see as offensive, as it uses the Lord's name in vain. "We're reclaiming 'oh my God' for the church," he added. Langmead contends that the church has received a large amount of attention since the two billboards were erected, saying that he has seen people stop and snap photos of the signs.

This rope was meant for walking Nik Wallenda has been granted rare permission to tightrope walk across Niagara Falls this summer. I

t has long been illegal to carry out such stunts at the Falls because so many people have died trying. Canadian officials originally blocked his proposal but relented, saying it would pay tribute to the history of daredevil acts at the site. Mr Wallenda, 33, was born into a family of circus performers and has been tightrope-walking since he was two-years-old. "My dream is to walk into the mist, disappear, and walk out the other end," he said. "Contrary to popular belief, it's very peaceful when I'm on the wire. It's just me and the wire. It's relaxing." Mr Wallenda will not be wearing a harness and his rope will be strung directly above the falls. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of Jean Francois Gravelet - known as Charles Blondin - who was the first person to to make the tightrope walk on 30 June 1859. Blondin went on to tackle the Falls on several occasions, once on a bicycle, another time blindfolded, while one attempt involved him cooking an omelette in the middle of his walk.

Boom! Electronic cigarettes are supposed

to be better for your health than the tobacco kind. But that wasn't the case for a Florida man when an electronic smoke blew up in his face Monday, knocking out his teeth and leaving him with severe burns and other injuries. Vietnam vet Tom Holloway has been trying to kick the nasty habit for about two years. His wife rushed to his study when she heard a noise "like a firecracker," according to a neighbor. Holloway's electronic cigarette had exploded, sending red-hot debris around the room that melted everything it touched. Holloway was treated at a burn centre after the blast "knocked out all his teeth and part of his tongue," according to a neighbor. Fire chief Butch Parker speculated the cigarette's battery may have ignited. "It was basically like him holding a bottle rocket in his mouth," he said.

Getting high with coffee…8,000 feet high We've all heard of drive-through coffee shops. But now Starbucks has opened the first ski-through store at the Squaw Valley Ski Resort in, where else, California. T

he mountaintop Starbucks allows skiers to grab a latte without removing skis, at an altitude of almost 8,000 feet, as they traverse the area made famous by hosting the 1960 Winter Olympics. "Nowhere else in the world can skiers enjoy a delicious Starbucks coffee without missing a beat on the slopes," Squaw Valley president and CEO Andy Wirth says. The ski-in, ski-out location will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the winter season. Non-skiers can grab some high-altitude brew by using the ski-lift gondola.

Are you kidding me???

The Bible devotes some 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but over 2000 verses on money and posessions.

Groaner

What’s the difference between a Harley and a Hoover? The location of the dirt bag.

Point to Ponder

George Foreman was a two-time heavyweight boxing champion of the world. At age 45, he became the oldest man in the world to win the title. In his book, God in My Corner, he writes: When I climbed in the ring during my comeback, the announcers often introduced me as “the former heavyweight champion of the world.” As they introduced me, I’d mumble to myself, “And the next heavyweight champion of the world.” How could I ever win the title if I didn’t believe that I could? If you have a great dream you are attempting to fulfill in your life, you’ve got to believe it can happen before you can actually do it. I wasn’t trying to be proud. I simply believed what God had promised me—that I would regain the title.

Remember, Christianity is more about walking than about talking