It’s good to allow students to have creative experiments, but be sure that the ingredients of the experiment are properly disposed. A school in Waldoboro, Maine allowed such a student experiment to allow dirt to be baked to measure post-incineration plant growth. I’m not sure how the experiment turned out but somehow the baked dirt reappeared at a community supper and served as a dessert. The high school quickly distanced itself from the incident trying to say that it was a total accident and certainly was not done as a prank. I’m glad I didn’t try that dessert. Words and actions can accidentally go to the wrong places—don’t have any words or actions that you would be ashamed if they accidentally reappear.

A Texas man drove his Tesla Cybertruck into a lake to see if it would really float. He wanted to test it. He abandoned the half-submerged vehicle and was charged by the local police. The charges included boating without a license. The police said that it was foolish to test such an advertising principle and “we wouldn’t encourage willingly driving your vehicle into the water.” Some things need to be tested, and others don’t need to be tested. Wise people can discern between the differences. Please don’t decide to test whether or not there is a judgment when your life is over. I guarantee you that what the Bible teaches will be true. The Bible has passed that test! I hope you pass it too.

Your reputation is a reflection of your character. Most people want a good reputation but it’s not something you can buy—it’s something you have to work at every day of your life. It’s not something you build quickly—it’s done little by little. Every time you do something good or positive, it goes into your positive reputation account. It may take years to build that account. The tragedy is that ruining your reputation can be done in just a moment. You can do something wrong that will cause you to spend everything out of the account of all the good things that you have done. Build a strong reputation—one that you would be proud to be remembered by. The more you put into your positive accounts, the better your reputation will be. Don’t get tempted by something that would cause you to ruin it.