Tip of the Day 5/22/12

Be a good neighbor on the beach. One of the most frustrating things that can happen during a visit to the beach is others imposing themselves into your experience. This can happen in several ways, you are settled into the perfect spot and a group comes along and parks themselves within inches of you. Not a big deal so far. Next they pull out the music and crank it up, then they have endless conversations on the phone at full volume, next they grab the football and start throwing it over your head while cursing loudly. I think you get the picture of not real neighborly conduct. Being considerate of others is such an easy thing to do. If you see a family with small children and your group plans to behave like I have exampled, pick a spot on the beach somewhere else. Better yet, don't behave obnoxiously. If you want to throw a football move away from the crowd to do so. If you want to have a phone conversation, try to do it at a lower volume. No one else wants to hear your gossip. The beach can be a wonderful experience for everyone when we all respect our neighbors.

Word for Today, Popcorn: I heard a pastor mention the concept of a popcorn mentality and it really resonated with me. We live in a society that continually dips it's hand in the bucket and puts meaningless stuff into our minds. Many homes have the TV on from the time everyone wakes up until the last person falls asleep, others go to the movies every week to see the latest block buster, or bust, just because, others spend hours lost in video games. It isn't always the content that affects us negatively, it is often the volume. Popcorn isn't a bad snack (unless you douse it with butter and add Snocaps to it like I do), but if you mindlessly eat an entire bucket of it every day you will not be very healthy. When you buy that bucket of popcorn at the theater you don't think about it as you eat your way to the bottom. There is so much in this life that we mindlessly indulge in. We need to be purposeful in our choices. This is not to say I think people should never watch a movie, or TV, or play video games. We all need "down time", but mindlessness cannot be our steady diet if we want to live a healthy life physically and spiritually. "Let this mind be in you that is also in Christ Jesus."