Infertility

ByHal Hammons

Infertility is an inherited trait, according to a recent study.  I am going to let you read that again at your own pace.  Take it in.  I’ll wait.

Procedures such as in vitro fertilization have made it more possible for people to conceive.  But, turns out, a potential father’s inability to “take care of business” the conventional way is often because of low sperm count.  And a son who manages to be born despite such circumstances is likely to have the same difficulties in adulthood.

A cynical writer would take the opportunity to suggest that God is trying to eliminate certain swimmers from the human gene pool.  I will simply wade into the shallow waters of application and observe that the traits we pass on to our children are not always the ones we admire in ourselves.  Sometimes you don’t have a choice, like with height or skin tone.  Sometimes you can work on yourself your life and your genetic code remains unaltered, like with hair color or bad teeth.  And sometimes it’s just behavioral.  Nothing genetic about it.

We will be dealing with parenting a good bit today. As you consider the Bible’s words on the subject, consider what sort of traits you are passing on to the next generation.  Is it a legacy of strength, faith and grace (2 Timothy 2:1-2)?  Or is it that of Eli, a legacy of shallow talk (1 Samuel 2:23-25) and inaction (1 Samuel 3:13-14).

The good news, is, you get to choose.  So choose wisely. 

Similar Posts

Thanks

ByHal Hammons

This year I am giving thanks for some different sorts of things.  After all, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reads, “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  If the Holy Spirit had meant to tell Paul to write, “in every good thing,” I’m sure that’s what Paul would have written.  So here goes.

Dumplings

ByHal Hammons

I frustrated Tracie for years over chicken and dumplings — a high-carb dish that, sadly, no longer occupies a place at the top of my requests list.  (Don’t let that deter you, ladies of the church; I will break whatever dietary rules I must at your respective houses.  It’s just the kind of guy I am.)

Tracie’s dumplings, you see, never suited. And she tried everything.

Hipsters

ByHal Hammons

All hipsters look alike.  This was the assertion recently written in one of those magazines that publishes those sort of articles.  Hipsters, as it turns out, don’t like to be pigeonholed like that any more than lawyers, ethnic minorities, or SEC football fans.  One actually wrote a threatening letter, accusing the magazine of using a photograph of him without his permission and disparaging him personally.

Turns out, it wasn’t him in the picture after all.  He just looked like the hipster in question.  Ah, irony.

Scores

ByHal Hammons

You may have seen the reports about actresses Lori Laughlin (“Full House”) and Felicity Huffman (“Desperate Housewives”) being caught up in a standardized test scandal.  At the time of this writing, Huffman had actually been arrested.  It seems (and as much as I criticize those who leap to conclusions in this space, I hasten to add — innocent until proven guilty) some people were paying for special consideration so their children could get good grades on their ACT or SAT.

Freezing

ByMark Watson

A young woman attended a concert last week in Milwaukee, and then an afterparty.  She was wearing shorts, fishnet stockings, and a tank top.  Good party clothing, I suppose, if you don’t care about modesty or giving boys the wrong (right?) idea.  But not so great for winter in Wisconsin.  By the time she left…