The Main Point by Michael Main

GO TO H***. IT WOULD BE COOLER

It's predicted to be 106 degrees here today. It won't get that high but it'll probably reach 100, not that you can really tell the difference between 100 and 106. Suffice it to say it's too dang hot for May. I forced myself to get in a walk and get the yard mowed before it got too bad. That at least will justify my planned activities for the rest of the day. I'm thinking "nap".

Live in San Antonio long enough and you will find the wisdom of "siesta".
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Most of our baby swallows are gone. They've flown away. There is only one left. He (I'm assuming it's a male for some reason) seems a little sickly and occasionally moves to the edge of the nest, but no further

Today the Mama bird is guarding him

Last night both the Mom and Pop were squawking up a storm, urging the other babies to fly away. Apparently there is little tolerance in the swallow world for slackers. Maybe soon the last one will fly off, or join his dad on the top of our flagpole

I like to think the little straggler is the smartest bird in the bunch. He's not leaving yet. It's too hot.

GODLY GRAFFITI

I did a radio feature recently about the phenomena of "war chalking", the growing practice among computer hackers who find open wireless computer networks in urban areas and then leave chalk marks on sidewalks or buildings to let others know there is a network nearby that can be tapped into.

War chalking is actually a term that dates back to the depression era, when hobos would leave marks with chalk or coal to pass on information to fellow "road travelers" about an area or its residents. For example, the marks might indicate if a homeowner was a soft touch for a free meal, or if the occupants were hostile to "Knights of the Road".

What if Christians had a similar system? I'm not talking about putting an Icthus "fish" on the back of your car. What if we were honest about what we might find inside our houses of God? What sign would we find scrawled outside our temples of worship?

$ ?

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Our most successful outreach tool at our church is our sign. It's not fancy. It sits near the street. It doesn't have clever God puns on it that are changed weekly. It's not shaped like a cross. It says the name of our church and the time of worship. I wonder though how many people pass by our church because our sign doesn't tell them what they need to know most: not to fear what they will find inside.
We are not salvation salesmen, but fellow weary travelers seeking sustenance and healing. We've just made the choice to journey together. We do not claim to be "Holy" so much as we are trying to become "whole".

I wish we could "God chalk".
We too are beggars... but we're willing to share our bread.

POMP POMP FIZZ FIZZ

Oh what a relief it is!

Lisa has made it, and made us all proud. A top ten graduate and soon to be a "Baylor Bear". It was an emotional night.

We have high hopes for her future.

WE'RE GONNA PARTY LIKE IT'S 1999

1999- Tiffany graduates high school...Spurs win NBA Championship
2003- Lisa graduates high school..... we're in the finals.

Bring on New Jersey!!

A wonderful night...proud accomplishments of a fine young woman...and a fine team of men.

God is good....and apparently a Spurs fan.

COME ON KIDS

As Lisa graces the stage tonight in her cap & gown, the Spurs will be duking it out with Dallas. Hopefully the Spurs will make their free throws tonight. This kid makes his.

If the Spurs win...San Antonio will go into a major frenzy. That's the difference between San Antonio and Dallas. The fans in Dallas "like" the Mavericks. San Antonio "LOVES" the Spurs. They are heroes of the community. Speaking of heroes...You have to think this guy is a hero to fat old men everywhere.

GRADUATION AND BEYOND

Tonight's the night. Lisa will walk the stage and get her high school diploma (or a reasonable facsimile that can be traded in for the real thing later). She's tenth in her class. Quite an accomplishment. The end of era and closure for what just weeks ago seemed like a never ending series of graduation related events. No more banquets. I'm tempted to break into a rendition of burp and circumstance.

Lisa has decided to go to Baylor. She's been offered some nice scholarships and it's an excellent school. She never really asked for my sage advice that she consider some other options, but she rejected it willingly. Any wonder she's graduating among the top ten?

BELIEFS OF DISBELIEF

I learn something new about Jesus every day. This story though was a real eye opener. The "homoerotic narratives of the New Testament"? I'm growing increasingly tired of this trend to use Jesus to advance political, philosophical, nutritional, and now sexual agendas.
We started with "What Would Jesus Do", and now we have "What Would Jesus Eat", "What Would Jesus Drive", "What Would Jesus Wear", etc.

I suspect this author will come out with his own slogan along those lines too.

The one I thought of is too blasphemous to post....no matter how in style that seems to be these days.

MOUNTAINS TO CLIMB

This is the 50th anniversary of the Sir Edmund Hilary's trek to the top of Mt. Everest. Now it seems like everybody and their Sherpa is doing it. What compels these folks to attempt such a feat?

Last night our church Deacons talked about trying to accommodate the wishes of a church member who has become irritated by some of our church traditions. Some of what she is upset about are things that I think make our church special, so it's a difficult dance. I hope we can find a way to be understanding.

I guess some folks just need to climb mountains, even if they're of their own making.

GOING COMMANDO

Well, so much for superstitions. I should have known revealing my undercover attempts to help the Spurs would jinx it. The Spurs lost...they deserved to lose. Hopefully they'll remember how to play defense in the 4th quarter tomorrow night.

Meanwhile Amy is happy...not that the Spurs lost.... that my "lucky" underwear won't be included in our Spurs Shrine.

COVERING THE UNDER AND OVER

There appear to be some problems with Blogger today, so I'm dashing this out assuming it may not post until later, or not post at all.

First off the Spurs will hopefully wrap it up tonight. I have everything in place including my lucky underwear. I am now publicly admitting that each time the Spurs have won I have been wearing my black Spurs shirt and my black boxer/briefs with the silver-grey waistband.

I will be doing my part for the team tonight...both overtly and undercover. Yes, I've washed them....occasionally.

If the Spurs win the NBA championship the boxer/briefs will have to be added to my Spurs shrine. I believe my confession of the underwear superstitution so far has not resulted in Amy questioning her Spurs allegiance. She long ago stopped questioning my sanity.

Asked and answered.

YOUR GROUND COVER IS BLOWN

Speaking of sanity.. I saw a man stealing the other day. It was during my walk around the neighborhood. He was stealing dirt.

The homebuilding giant converging on our area occasionally has a truck come through that dumps topsoil at various locations where it will be needed. As I was walking I saw a man coming from a few houses down with a wheel barrow to one of the newly constructed homes nearby. At first I thought he was dumping rocks and stuff from his yard into the lot, but then I saw he was actually taking dirt. He looked at me sheepishly as he waddled up the hill with a load of topsoil taken from an empty lot.

I have actually priced dirt. It's about 200 bucks for a truckload of topsoil. I don't know how many wheel barrows full this guy was taking. I didn't turn him in...I didn't think the police would make it a priority call, "Hello, I just saw a robbery in progress...a guy was taking dirt".

In any case, he's stealing from his neighbors before they even move in...and he's stealing dirt. I'm sure he won't get caught, but I wonder if come Judgement Day this poor guy will be greeted by someone saying, "Hi, welcome to Hell. Whatcha in for?" Damn embarrassing...literally.

CONGRATULATIONS

The person who reads this message next, besides me, is the 500th visitor to this blog. There's a web counter at the very bottom of the page. Why I have a web counter or a comments section I have no idea.

Lucky number 500 your prize is....... Um...isn't my wisdom prize enough?

Better be. You get what you pay for...

MORNING RAMBLINGS

The memory of the righteous will be a blessing

Memorial day...which for most folks means...barbecues. I have nothing against good food (I have the gut to prove it) but I hope I can spend at least a few moments this day thinking about the folks who have lost their lives protecting my freedom.

James Keihl was one of those men. He was baptized in Kuwait. He died in Iraq.
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Amy mentions in her blog how a couple visited our church yesterday with their son. Their child's name is Everett Joseph, the same name as the son John and Denise laid to rest on Saturday.
I don't know how to explain or interpret that... "It's a God thing".
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I'm at "work" this morning, but about 75 percent of what I normally do is not required today, which means I've "finished" my work and in about 40 minutes I'll go home. It's nice to get out of work early, and I did get to sleep in...until about 2:30.
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The Spurs are one game away from the NBA finals. The Mavericks have played inspired basketball even without Dirk Nowitski, who is down to one leg . I'm hoping after tomorrow night the Mavs will have time to rest and heal. I have some suggested summer reading for Dirk:"Bury me at wounded knee"

A DEBRIS OF OPTIMISM

At church today I spoke with my friend Claud about his daughter, Claire. Claire has been a teenager in trouble. Serious trouble that frightened everyone around her. We prayed for the best, but feared and expected the worst. Claire was in a very bad place not long ago, and seemingly intent on finding even worse destinations.

At church today I watched my friend Jim. Less than one year ago Jim was in a military prison while his wife and two children literally scrambled to determine how they would survive. His mistakes, and the draconian system of military justice, were costing them their home, their medical and retirement benefits (one child is autistic) and all of their planned hopes for the "future".

At church today I walked an area of land we have cleared in preparation for another small building. Cedar, scrub brush, and cactus indelicately shoved aside to make way for the dreams of our community of faith. From a distance I looked at the piles of debris...dead stuff. Ripped from its roots. Beyond redemption.

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One week from today, Claire will graduate high school. She will deliver the commencement address as Salutatorian having made straight A's for the past two years.
This morning Jim stood before our congregation taking prayer requests and then led us in an extremely moving, heartfelt prayer of hope, praise and thanksgiving. His family sat nearby. Content, whole and healthy.
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At church today I went back outside to look closer at that pile of debris.

The cacti are re-growing amid the rubble.

After church today Amy and I shared a meal with John and Denise. We shared more of the agony they've been through; how in the past 4 days their lives, their plans for the future, their dreams, had been ripped from their roots.
Their pain is alive with searing intensity...but their family's hopes still live too.

Psalm 31:24
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord

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