Long Voyage of Mad Dog Yep, that was me, Mad Dog. That is Mad Dog 20-20 wine.

Oh, if old, empty, wine bottles could talk. Well, there is one that did talk. No, I'm not hearing things. I was the one who made it talk, by way of letter I penned and put in it. Sometimes our past gives us all a glimpse of just how far we have come. Most of you know I was an alcoholic. That's right, WAS. When God sobers you, cleans you up and makes you His child, through His Son, Jesus. You are no longer who you used to be. I had a God encounter with Jesus Christ in 1977 and my life was radically changed to this day. Now, let's get the Mad Dog story... While I was in the US Coast Guard, stationed in Key West, FL (1977) . I used to hide bottles of Rum and Mad Dog 20 -20 wine bottles on the ship for our sea voyages. Don't remember most of those evenings, but this one I do. One night after after duty (evening watch in the engine room), I pulled out a full bottle of Mad Dog 20 - 20 and downed it. I was really disgusted with my life at that time. I wrote a letter of how I hated life and wish it would end. Put the note (more like a letter) in the wine bottle. Sealed it up with some teon tape and threw it overboard, off the coast of San Salvador Island in 1977. I had moved on and my life had dramatically changed for the good. Then a voice from my past arrived. Has that ever happened to you? A phone call, letter or a person you meet from your past, that you rather not go there. I got a response from some school children in France a couple of years later (1979). My wine bottle traveled 5,000 miles across the ocean to France. My letter was found, my guts were spilled out to total strangers, school children to boot. What was I to expect? It was all good. They hoped I was still alive and had not killed or hurt myself. All that they wrote was encouraging and uplifting. I was able to correspond with them about how my life had changed. That I no longer drank or wanted to die. Life in jesus is worth the living! That I was blessed and doing great. How I was now married and we were expecting our rst child. This went on for a couple of months. Chrisrtine, my wife was working at the St. Petersburg Times and mentioned it to someone in her department. A reporter from the Evening Independent (St. Petersburg Times evening paper) showed up at the US Coast Guard base in Saint Petersburg where I was stationed. He interviewed me, took a few pictures and left. The article was accepted and published. It got posted on the AP (Associated Press) wire and I was getting calls from all over. The tabloid newspaper called The Star, entitled their article; "Tipsy Sailor Gets Response From Bottle." I have not yet been able to nd that article online. Well, it generated some bad press for the Coast Guard at that time. We were not suppose to drink while at sea. Especially, not to get drunk and write a letter about it. I was told by my superior ofcers, not to conduct any further interviews or I would face charges. Then it all kind of faded away. Until. I did a recent internet search, to see if any of the Newspaper articles existed about my Mad Dog 20-20 escapade. I found several of them. Most of which I never even knew about. As we do from time to time, we reect back on our past, to see how far we have come. Wow, have I come along way and still have a way to go yet. As the Bible says; "With God all things are possible." I have had the blessing to experience this verse, over and over in my life. Without fail, Jesus has come through every time. He can do so for you. I have added some of the newspaper articles I found, if any of you would like to see them. Maybe you need to look back today and see how far you have come or need to go. Blessed day to all, Mark