Observations From Hadleyville: INTEGRITY

Friday, November 18, 2011

INTEGRITY

As a sometime carpenter, I can’t help wondering how Jesus must have felt when he went into his shop and found that someone had “borrowed” a tool without asking. Oh sure, being God in the flesh he was probably above such petty annoyances. I wonder if his reaction would have been different had he known that a Priest or Rabbi had removed the implement in question?

In seminary, I walked into class one day to hear sad news. Our professor informed us that a book reserved for our class had disappeared from the library. Afterward, He simply prayed and dismissed class saying that no grade was worth the price of our integrity. The next day the book "miraculously" appeared on the library front steps. Over coffee, several of us reflected on the necessity for absolute honesty in our personal lives, not to mention our ministries. Later that semester the book disappeared from the library for good.

How would you feel about preparing a message on the Sermon on the Mount or the Ten Commandments using a hot commentary? Someone is.

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Don the Baptist considers himself to be both intellectually deep and extremely humorous. Don the Baptist assumes no responsibility for blog browsers who cannot tell the difference between the two. Blog browsers are advised to consider any "Observations from Hadleyville" content that makes no sense to be the result of a lack of intellect or sense of humor on the part of the blog browser and not that of the blogger. Don the Baptist is a non profit guy so don't bother suing Don the Baptist as it would be a waste of time and resources.

WORDS OF WISDOM FOR WRITERS

The secret of becoming a writer is that you have to write. You have to write a lot. You also have to finish what you write, even though no one wants it yet. If you don't learn to finish your work, no one will ever want to see it. The biggest mistake new writers make is carrying around copies of unfinished work to inflict on their friends.

I am sure it has been done with less, but you should be prepared to write and throw away a million words of finished material. By finished, I mean completed, done, ready to submit, and written as well as you know how at the time you wrote it.
-Jerry Pournelle

WHAT'S THIS HADLEYVILLE THING?

Those of you familiar with Mark Twain’s works might recognize my blog title. As Samuel Clemons grew older, he became increasingly disillusioned with humanity. Towards the end he began referring to the Damned Human Race; employing the secular and religious epithet at one stroke.

I find I’ve not reached that level of despair myself. I still believe in redemption and I still see signs of nobility even among we fallen, damned creatures. So, I could not bring myself to call this blog “On the Damned Human Race.” I do however, resonate with another of Clemmons stories; “The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg.” And viola, there you have it. “Observations From Hadleyville.”