Saturday, April 19, 2003

Ah...what a glorious day... Easter is tomorrow...and the Spurs open their playoff series today...life is good.
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Went out to the church this morning to cut some of the grass. I thought I could get away with not doing that until I saw it last night...Too raggedly looking for Easter. It was a nice way to start the day until part of the lawnmower fell off. Not the blade or anything, the little plastic thing that holds part of the handle on disappeared along with the screw it holds in place. I found the screw, but I ended up on my own version of an Easter egg hunt, walking over every area that I had mowed looking for that little plastic part. Luckily I had about finished mowing the critical areas. I found it eventually, actually just as I was leaving, about 10 feet from where I first noticed it fell off... Didn't find any Easter eggs... but I harbor no ill will toward the Easter Bunny
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EGO ALERT: Last night I discovered I had finally made it...onto Google. I admit I occasionally "egosurf", trying to find out if my name or web page will come up in search engines. Most of the time it doesn't. However last night a search for Michael Main radio produced an immediate hit for my website. Even this blog comes up in Google now, with a little effort.

After that happened I realized how quickly my head could swell knowing that I was now among the elite 560 billion websites listed by Google, so I quickly took steps to humble myself. This morning I installed a little "web counter" at the bottom of this blog. It's very reassuring to know that I''m still the only one who reads my prose.
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While working this morning I listened to the hugely popular Darryl Worley song "Have you forgotten". It's aimed at folks who question the necessity of war and is very moving. However I was still thinking about last night's very moving Good Friday service. Amy sang, and the story of the night Jesus died was retold. We retell it because too many of us have forgotten that.

posted by Michael
©The Main Point by Michael Main 4/19/2003 10:27:00 AM  

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Friday, April 18, 2003

Today as I walked I thought about birds. For many years, when I chose to ignore the sound of God calling me I tried to convince myself God didn't exist, but birds got in the way. I could rationalize much of nature but never birds. Their vast varieties. Their seemingly nonsensical mix of colors.

Birds always seemed like deliberate creations, even when my eyes were most jaded by cynicism.

Today I thought about birds as I hurried to get in my Lent inspired walk before the Good Friday service at our little church. The thoughts were initially prompted by a grackle I saw perched on a rooftop. It seemed odd. Several blocks away there was another grackle, a black bird that could be mistaken for a crow, perched on the apex of another roof. Then just as Amy and I walked out of the house to head to tonight's service, there across the street at the peak of the neighbor's roof was yet another black grackle.

I couldn't help but think of the words I would hear tonight:.

Matthew 26:34
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."

It's odd now that it seems so long ago that I started to open my heart to God because of what I saw in birds. I still see the majesty of God in those small creations, but I also see God in so many other creations...even people...their vast varieties and seemingly nonsensical mix.
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I guess I can give God credit for using birds to reach me....it certainly appears in some cases like THIS it's reciprocal.




posted by Michael
©The Main Point by Michael Main 4/18/2003 07:10:00 PM  

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Thursday, April 17, 2003

I was stuffing Easter eggs last night at church...sampled too much candy along the way. I even ate a "peep". We've actually had a box of "peeps" sitting around our house for a year, they some how dodged last year's Easter baskets (yes, Easter baskets for grown kids...Easter includes some weird traditions in our home...including Easter Emus and Armadillos).
The year old peeps aren't the ones I ate, although I tend to think "peeps" have a pretty long shelf life...like forever .
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A new Pew research project concludes more than 40 percent of Americans say they don't use the Internet...and most of them don't think they will. Of course they'll be forever in the dark about "peephenge". Their loss.
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Psalm 84:11
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

I am thankful to God today. I'm thankful everyday, but more aware of God's blessings on this day. A dear friend, a fellow Deacon at my church, underwent surgery this morning. It was a major operation and I don't think I have ever been as apprehensive about anyone's surgery besides Amy's.. JoAnn embodies that quiet peace of God's grace as does every member of her family. I know of no better witnesses for Christ. They make a statement for God by the way they live their lives.

Thank you God.

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War Update: Anthony "Scottie" Miller was buried today in San Antonio. Full military honors. The first, and hopefully only, military casualty from San Antonio in Iraq. He graduated Jay High school and according to his mom, "Wanted to save lives". He was only 19.

Thank you Scottie.



posted by Michael
©The Main Point by Michael Main 4/17/2003 01:18:00 PM  

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Wednesday, April 16, 2003

Ahhh..the tranquility of "yellow". The "Orange Terror Alert" status has been lowered. I still feel silly saying, "Orange Alert" on the radio. It's like saying, "Watermelon Warning" or something. Orange Terror Alert sounds like a bad takeoff on an even worse MOVIE.

I think all warnings designed to inspire fear in us should use military jargon: "DEFCON 6!" Now that would make me sit up and pay attention. A "Yellow Alert" just doesn't do much for me....Yellow is not a color that invokes my defenses....

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Just met one of the new neighbors. I had met her husband and her three sons, but not her... She seems very pleasant. She's determined to get their yard looking nice. That's always threatening. The neighbor on the other side of us has employees who maintain his yard and the guy across the street has already set a new standard for "lawn maintenance". If these new folks start making their yard look pristine, I'm in trouble.

That's something I should receive warnings about, "Your neighbors are going to highlight your shabby landscaping".
DEAD BROWN AND DECAYING ALERT



posted by Michael
©The Main Point by Michael Main 4/16/2003 11:24:00 AM  

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Tuesday, April 15, 2003

Nappus Interuptus....some teen peddling something came "pounding" on the door and ringing the bell simultaneously this afternoon. I woke with a start, fearing the dogs were out or the house was on fire....I have actually been trained to sleep thru one ring of the doorbell in a pseudo haze as a result of reverse Pavlovian conditioning....I hear one ring of the bell and unlike Pavlov's dog, I don't react at all or at least try not to. The credit for this ability goes to the intensive post (high school) graduate work of "the UPS guy", who drops his packages on the porch, rings and leaves before I can even get to the door so I no longer try...
Perhaps I could qualify for some federal research grant to study Pavlovian Interrupted Sleep Syndromes. I know it sounds silly but THIS GUY gets grant money for heading the "Neuro Fuzzy Optical System Team". His name is Pavlov too.

Anyway if you bang on my door and ring the bell, I am going to get up...I'm not going to be nice. This kid was already starting round two of banging and ringing by the time I got some clothes on and made it to the door.... "Hello Sir, how are you today?"..... I'm half dressed, my hair is matted, I have remnants of drool and pillow wrinkles on my face, no glasses on, the dogs (completely unaware of Pavlov and presumably the Neuro Fuzzy Team) are barking/howling and I'm scowling.... We won't need a study to determine if this teen sales-whiz is psychic.

I communicated that I was not interested in purchasing anything at this time, though I don't believe I used that exact wording.
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Speaking of dogs, my co-worker has shared a tale of his dog, Molly. Molly is an "outdoor" dog, meaning she is banished for life from ever setting foot inside their home. She has her own "dog house" and in the winter months she's allowed as close as she'll ever get to the Master's home, the garage. I'm not sure why people have "outdoor dogs", admittedly I've never had one, but it seems like owning a pet that you don't pet. "If you look out the window you can see our dog...see her....over there...we don't touch her, but isn't she pretty". I also have this creepy feeling about it, like it's some way to hang onto the "Plantation owner" stage of humanity, with the dog being banished to the slave quarters..

Anyway, while Molly was living the good life at her winter place, the garage, she made a friend. Someone, actually something, that also is not allowed in the Master's home...the lawnmower. Molly has developed an attachment to the family lawnmower. The bond is so strong that when it's cold, Molly takes her blankets and carefully wraps them each night around the lawnmower. It's gotten to the point where Molly is quite obviously unhappy when she and the lawnmower are separated so when Molly leaves the warm and loving surroundings of the garage and is put in her pen, the mower goes with her. The family can now look out the window to see their pet, and determine if it's been chilly that night by whether "Snapper the lawnmower" is wrapped in Molly's blankets. Molly does not sleep in her dog house....because the lawnmower won't fit inside with her.

I love this story....and I hope it's made into a movie, although I see the obvious title IS ALREADY TAKEN.

What I find most interesting in this tale is that my coworker is buying a new lawnmower because he can't handle taking Molly's friend away from her to mow the Plantation.

Wag the dog...Pavlov style.

posted by Michael
©The Main Point by Michael Main 4/15/2003 04:07:00 PM  

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Monday, April 14, 2003

Does not man have hard service on earth?
Are not his days like those of a hired man?

Been thinking about service and committment for several days. I enjoy service work, yet for some reason I become frustrated that I'm not joined by a throng of others sharing my enthusiasm. I consider such work worship yet some part of me wants to 'require' it of other people? How is that different from forced prayer? Maybe I should move to Iraq and let someone more sensible take my job...
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I have to confess for many years off and on since high school I watched "All My Children". It was the only soap opera I ever followed. It's been a couple of years since I've seen a full episode, I read THIS STORY and I think I've not been missing much. I would love to believe the purpose of a show dealing with "teen lesbian love" is to further the cause of understanding in our world, but admittedly I have a cynical nature. The people I see truly doing the work of God rarely send out press releases to tout their generous work on behalf of humanity

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On the desk in front of me is a rejected check from one of Amy's clients. Each time I sit here I see it. It's a significant amount of money, more than 500 bucks. We could use it no doubt and the fact that we counted on that money has cost us. The effort Amy has put in to collecting it has cost us too.
In college, my best friend and I shared a house with several guys and for several months I had to "carry" my friend on the rent. My buddy couldn't pay me- the money became an "issue" and it nearly cost me a friendship...Just before I let it consume me I realized what money was worth. Now, I don't remember if he ever did pay me back. I don't even remember how much money was involved. I don't care. I do know he's still my friend. I couldn't put a price on that.
Don't get me wrong. I'd like this headcase to pay Amy, but the pursuit of money often comes at too high a price for me. Learning that lesson early in life was priceless.

That attitude sounds noble, but it's probably what spawned the professional bill collection industry.
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On the warfront: Newsweek has an article detailing some of our war tactics in Iraq. It's fascinating to realize that despite all our high tech weaponry -when push comes to shove, we really haven't advanced too far beyond the schoolyard days when it comes to war:

...young Arab toughs cannot tolerate insults to their manhood. So, as American armored columns pushed down the road to Baghdad, 400-watt loudspeakers mounted on Humvees would, from time to time, blare out in Arabic that Iraqi men are impotent. The Fedayeen, the fierce but undisciplined and untrained Iraqi irregulars, could not bear to be taunted. Whether they took the bait or saw an opportunity to attack, many Iraqis stormed out of their concealed or dug-in positions, pushing aside their human shields in some cases?to be?slaughtered by American tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles..


If the war had gone on much longer we might have been forced to pull out the big guns and start yelling, "Your mother wears Army boots".


posted by Michael
©The Main Point by Michael Main 4/14/2003 03:13:00 PM  

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Sunday, April 13, 2003

Sleep schedule is screwy again....always happens as I try to adjust to daylight saving time, and fail. I've gotten better over the years of simply accepting that I will not be able to have the tight reign on my sleep patterns that I desire. That at least eliminates the anger that has followed many of those fitful nights of no sleep. .
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On the war front: Our 7 known POW's have been found.. alive. That was a wonderful way to start the day.
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This is really crude humor.
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Holy week, which means the end of Lent is nearing. The bread and cheese fast resulted in a net weight loss of zero, which is okay and probably to be expected since I allowed "pasta" to fall into its own category (otherwise I'd starve or Amy would have strangled me trying to figure out what I was going to be able to eat). I think I've been faithful to my vow to walk for 40 minutes every day, although I still have to meet today's committment. I plan to keep walking after Lent. I must admit that I expected to have to walk in the rain a lot more over the past 7 weeks. It seemed until I made a vow to walk, rain or shine that it rained every other day . I can' t think of one day during this Lenten season that hasn't been simply wonderful weather for walking. Never really too hot...or soggy.

Like my sleep pattern, I had no control over that. When I let go of that desire to control- life still works out. I should remember that more.

posted by Michael
©The Main Point by Michael Main 4/13/2003 05:46:00 PM  

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