pregnancy – La Vista Church of Christ

Space to Recover

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:10:44 +0000

by Zeke Flores

"... and she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, whether a male or a female" (Leviticus 12:7).

Leviticus 12 deals with purification after childbirth. It’s not saying childbirth is sinful; it’s recognizing that life in a broken world affects us physically and spiritually. God wasn’t shaming mothers; He was giving them space. Time. A rhythm of rest and recovery.

In a culture that often pushes people to bounce back instantly, this chapter reminds us that God understands human limits. He built rest into the process. He gave mothers time to heal and reconnect with Him.

We all need rhythms like that. Time to slow down. Time to reset. Time to let God restore what life has drained. You don’t have to push through everything. You don’t have to pretend you’re fine. God invites you to rest so He can renew you.

If you’ve been running nonstop, take a breath. Let God give you space to recover. Rest isn’t weakness, it’s wisdom.

A Sense of Shame

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 00:28:32 +0000

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/A-Sense-of-Shame.mp3

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton

Text: Jeremiah 6:10-17

I. On June 18, 2008, Time released a story about 17, now 18, girls in Gloucester High School on the outskirts of Massachusetts.

A. (Read the story)

B. What would cause a bunch of girls to purposely set out to get pregnant?

C. The report gave these reasons:

1. It’s not real. It’s just a fluke that all these girls just happened to get pregnant at the same time.

a. (Normally there are four pregnancies each year in this high school.)

2. Recent movies have glamorized being an unwed mother, and these girls are imitating them.

3. The religious culture in the neighborhood is preventing access to birth control.

a. A person has to go 20 miles to get free contraceptives.

b. Free contraceptives aren’t offered in this school

4. They are from poor families.

5. They’re looking for unconditional love

6. The school does such a good job supporting unwed mothers that there is no social consequences to becoming pregnant

a. Free on-site daycare

b. Advertised at the freshmen level sex education courses

D. Another news story said that these girls lacked self-esteem and love in their lives.

1. They were just wanting and needing affection

2. There was also a question whether anyone would go after the guys as all the girls are under 16, the age of consent.

E. But a third one, I believe, came the closest to facing the truth

1. (Read the story)

2. We lost a sense of shame

3. Kids are being taught by peers, schools, movies, and other forms of culture that it is acceptable to get pregnant at a young age

4. Broken homes are not able to instill values. Too little parental involvement in children’s lives results in popular culture raising children.

II. What happened to shame?

A. Because of stubbornness, people prefer to act shamefully - Hosea 4:16-18

B. They refuse to be ashamed of their actions - Jeremiah 3:1-3

C. They’ve done it for so long, they have forgotten how to blush - Jeremiah 6:15

D. They have been deceived. They constantly return to sin. They don’t repent. They think they are smart. They are greedy - Jeremiah 8:5-13

III. Shame has a purpose

A. A part of knowing good and evil is shame - Genesis 3:10

B. You can’t forget that you’ve done wrong - Psalm 51:3

C. God uses shame as a wake-up call - Psalm 44:13-15

D. Shame ought to keep us away from sin. It ought to remind us that we are vulnerable to Satan’s schemes - Jeremiah 3:25

IV. Even when it is denied, the fact remains that sin is shameful. But why don’t people feel ashamed?

A. The problem is that repeated sin can make us calloused - I Timothy 4:1-2

B. Self-serving lusts - Jude 12-13

C. Worldly minded, glorying in their shame - Philippians 3:18-19

D. The unjust know no shame - Zephaniah 3:5

E. Pride brings shame because the prideful cannot believe they are wrong - Proverbs 11:2

F. Shame comes to those who cannot be corrected - Proverbs 13:18

G. For that reason, undisciplined children act shamefully - Proverbs 29:15

V. Our desire should be to avoid shame

A. Not because we do not recognize shameful situations

B. The solution is to walk the old paths - Jeremiah 6:15-16

C. Then we will be without shame because we are not doing anything shameful - Psalm 71:1-8

Is having a child by artificial insemination without being married acceptable to God?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 19:54:19 +0000

Question:

Hi!

I know someone who wants to have a child but doesn't want to marry. She is planning to have artificial insemination instead to keep her reproductive organ healthy by bearing a child at least once in her life. She considers adopting too, soon, if she still can. She just prefers having a child first from her womb before adopting. As to finding a husband, she told me that she doesn't want a guy just for the sake of having a baby and, eventually, unable to fulfill her duty as a wife because of the absence of love or affection. Regarding the raising of the child, she was sure about the people and relatives she has that will help her through this. But she's still undecided and wants to consult the Bible if God allows such kind of pregnancy. She wanted a verse and, unfortunately, I can't find an exact and appropriate text in the Bible to help her decide.

Thank you in advance!

Answer:

Since artificial insemination was invented roughly 1900 years after the Bible was completed, you are not going to find a passage specifically on the topic.

Notice the traits your friend displays. She wants a child but it is basically for selfish reasons (she believes it will keep her healthier). She doesn't want to marry because she has decided in advance that she will love any man. If she ever married, it would only be to have a baby. These two characteristics are not good qualities in a mother. Older women are to "encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored" (Titus 2:4-5). Your friend doesn't want most of these and so she isn't bringing honor to the teachings of God.

An adoption is an unselfish act. It is taking on burdens to give another person a better life. While she states she wants to adopt later, it is at odds with what she currently plans to do.

God knows what He was doing when He designed men and women to marry and raise a family (Genesis 2:24). Seek to honor God's design.

Response:

Thank you so much, brother. This platform has been very helpful. God bless you and the church's efforts!

I want to date a Christian boy but I’m suspect that I’m pregnant by my former boyfriend

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 18:57:50 +0000

Question:

I am 24 years old, I've slept with ten men already since I turned 20. I've never wanted to live such a life but I have let my emotions take control of me.

Presently, I'm in a critical condition. I suspect that I'm pregnant by a guy I recently met. I ended the relationship with him. I really want to turn away from sin but I keep falling into the same mess. Before meeting this boy, I had a boyfriend. We have dated for about two years, but he doesn't go to church. I broke off with him because he often claimed he was so busy that he couldn't even text or call me -- even after days. I decided to put an end to it, but after we talked I decided to accept him back while observing him.

At church, there's a Christian boy who asked me out. I accepted it just to observe him and see if we are compatible. I would love to date a Christian boy. Then we could have things in common like worshipping God. But now I'm confused.

I need help!

Answer:

There is a difference between calling yourself a Christian and being a Christian. "Christian" means to be a follower of Christ, but it appears you follow whatever makes you feel good at the moment. Thus, if you want to gain a Christian husband then you need to decide to be a Christian.

The Lord's apostles taught that having sex without being married is a sin. "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God" (I Corinthians 6:9-10). Therefore, it doesn't matter how much you want something, you must first consider whether it is right or not.

If you are pregnant, it is not the child's fault. You made choices that led to a child being conceived, so it is your responsibility to see that the child is properly raised. If you are not able to do so, then you should consider having the child adopted.

In regards to dating, it appears to me that you are dating mostly for fun. Whether someone would make a good husband is almost an afterthought. Even then, you are not really thinking in terms of living with a man for the rest of your life as his wife. The boy who barely talks to you will not get better if you marry him. Nor is this boy going to help you raise your children as Christians.

Instead of looking for a guy who makes you feel sexy, start thinking long-term. You want a man who is faithful and consistent. You want a guy who loves God and treats you like a lady.

I committed fornication. Will our marriage be pure?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 21:35:19 +0000

Question:

Please help me. I have committed fornication with my boyfriend. We want to get married. Will our marriage still be pure?

The boyfriend I committed fornication with is a married man. We both love God and don't want to depart from His ways, yet we have sinned. Currently, I am pregnant. He wants to divorce his wife and marry me. I feel bad because the Bible says that what God joined no man can separate.

Please guide me.

Answer:

The Bible also says that having sex when you are not married is a sin. To claim that you love God while you are involved in sin is not compatible. "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15).

You have committed adultery because you had sex with a married man. Since he has broken his marriage vows, he is not allowed to leave his marriage to marry someone else. "But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery" (Matthew 5:32). If his wife divorces him because of his adultery, he has to remain unmarried until his wife passes away (Romans 7:2-3). If he marries anyway, that relationship is considered to be adulterous because he is still bound by his covenant to his first wife. Just because he wants to leave his wife, it doesn't mean God agrees or approves of his sins.

As a Christian, you cannot marry this man. You'll have to find someone else. Meanwhile, you need to make preparations to raise your child or arrange an adoption for the baby.

Are surrogacy and invitro-fertilization sinful?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 20:29:20 +0000

Question:

Good morning sir,

I want to ask about the biblical principle on surrogacy and IVF. To me, since it involves the termination of an embryo, it seems wrong and more like a scientific abortion. I’ll be glad if you can shed more light on this, sir.

Thank you.

Answer:

Like many things, surrogacy and invitro-fertilization are things that can be used both in good ways and bad ways.

Some couples are infertile, but they want a child. If the problem is the mother's egg reaching the uterus, then eggs can be surgically harvested and combined with the father's sperm. Since the procedure is expensive and not guaranteed success, extra eggs are fertilized and then frozen to be available later. A few are planted into the mother's womb and if successful, a child or two develop. If unsuccessful, another attempt can be made with the extra eggs. The downside to this is that there may be leftover fertilized eggs that won't get used.

Other couples are unable to produce viable fertilized eggs. They can choose to adopt the unused eggs of another couple in an attempt to become pregnant. Fertilized eggs are children. Therefore, couples adopting children through surrogacy are preventing the death of a child.

Another form of surrogacy is where a woman allows her womb to be used to raise a child from fertilized egg to birth. The child is then raised by the parents or the adoptive parents. The surrogate mother is paid for her time and expenses.

Where things go wrong is when eggs are fertilized and then destroyed or where surrogacy is used to bypass God's intended family structure.

Is it a sin to continue having sex with my girlfriend, who already has a baby with me?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 22:47:43 +0000

Question:

Please, ... uhm ... is it a sin to continue having sex with my girlfriend, who already has a baby with me?

Answer:

Let me ask you a question as well: Would it be all right to continue stealing from your neighbor because you stole from him before? I would hope the answer would be, "No!" Just because a sin was committed in the past, it doesn't cease to be a sin.

In the same way, having sex with anyone when you are not married is a sin. "Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge" (Hebrews 13:4). The fact that a child was conceived by your past sins doesn't change the fact that having sex outside of marriage is a sin.

Thus, an important question for you: Clearly you plan to continue this relationship, so why are you not getting married? Then there would be no question whether having sex with her would be wrong when she is your wife.

Response:

Wow! Thanks! Thanks a lot for this information. I'm so very grateful.

Is getting pregnant by artificial insemination when you are not married a sin?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 02:10:00 +0000

Question:

When I was in my thirties and no man would marry me, I had twins by sperm donation. There wasn't any sexual sin involved in the conception, if that matters. I personally don't think it does, but you would know better than me.

Anyway, I know that isn't what the Bible says is the unpardonable sin, but I feel like God will never forgive me for that. My son is severely autistic, violent with me and caregivers, and acts more animal than human most of the time.

I work 80+ hours a week at a horribly stressful job that sends me home in tears more often than not, and I still don't make enough money to support us. I only do this job because the three of us need the money, it is not a job or career that I want, and I really want to be a stay-at-home mom with a husband. That's all I ever wanted.

We live without heat in the winter, and I only eat one meal a day, so the kids can have food. All our clothes and shoes are too small and have holes in them because we can't afford to replace anything. And even with that, we're living paycheck to paycheck and depending on my parents for emergency medical expenses and things like that. It's a matter of time before we're homeless.

I think about suicide constantly. I don't have any friends and can't even think about marriage because with those work hours and my son behaving like that, who would want to marry me? Especially when no one did before? I feel like I have nothing to offer anyone.

I joined a new church a year and a half ago and just told them I was widowed, even though it wasn't true, because I knew they'd reject me if I told them the truth. The only joy I have in my week is the hour or so I spend in service singing to the Lord with other people and pretending and hoping against hope He still loves me, even though all the evidence says He threw me away long ago. But really I feel like God has already rejected me.

I've asked Him, begged Him, for forgiveness so many times but there's only silence. I love my daughter more than anything in the world and she's the only reason I haven't committed suicide yet, but I still feel like her birth was wrong and a sin against God. I feel like He will never forgive me and has condemned me to live in Hell now in this world and probably in the next for going against His will that I wasn't fit to be a mother. I feel like the only reason this isn't listed as the unpardonable sin in the Bible is because it was written at time when single mother sperm donation wasn't a possibility.

I don't know why I'm writing to you. I don't expect you to answer. Maybe I am an example to other women. If God doesn't give you a husband then you aren't supposed to be a mother. Don't go against His will. I'm sorry.

Thank you for reading.

Answer:

What you tried to do was circumvent God's order. You wanted children, but gave up trying to find a husband, so you took matters into your own hands. It didn't work out as you planned because being a mother without a father is a hard life. Your son just adds to the difficulty because he was born with autism and because of your financial situation, you can't afford the help that he needs to learn to cope with autism.

But you are making a mistake assuming that these hardships are due to God punishing you. Yes, you are having difficulty, but that is because you took a path that God warned against. While they did not have artificial insemination back in the Bible days, your circumstance is no different than a woman who decides to get pregnant by some guy she doesn't want to marry. The mistake was made and the consequences have come about, but that doesn't mean you need to continue beating yourself up for a bad choice that you made years ago. You can't undo that choice, but you can move forward in godliness.

Suicide is clearly not the answer. While you are seeking an escape, murdering yourself won't bring you happiness; it would just send you to eternal punishment. Nor will it make your children's lives better.

Telling lies about your past also doesn't help. You could have just said you were a single mother. There are, unfortunately, many women in the same situation for a variety of reasons. If someone asks about the father, you just have to say, "He's never been a part of our lives." These are true statements that don't require details. The reason you told people you are a widow is due to pride and a desire to have the sympathy of others. You have enough real struggles without throwing imaginary ones into the mix.

I don't know what you are expecting from God. He promised forgiveness to His people (Acts 2:38; I John 1:9). God never breaks His word. It does not require communication or a sign from God to know that you are saved.

If you are not making enough to cover your expenses, then go apply for assistance from your local county. Let people know that you are having financial problems so that they will know what you need. Again, don't let your personal pride get in the way of accepting help from others. Allow them to do their duty as Christians.

It is shameful to scare people into thinking that dry humping can lead to pregnancy

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 01 May 2018 01:51:00 +0000

Question:

I'd just like to point out that your article on dry humping was completely dishonest. It is shameful to scare people into thinking that dry humping leads to pregnancy, especially through clothes. Instilling fear in people so that they will follow your agenda is wrong, and it's not Christian whatsoever.

Answer:

"Put them in fear, O LORD; let the nations know that they are but men" (Psalms 9:20).

"Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD" (Psalms 34:11).

In the article, Is "dry humping" considered fornication?, several points were made as to why dry humping is sinful. In addition, I discussed that one motivation was an attempt to have sex while avoiding the consequence of pregnancy. While the chance is slim, I pointed out that clothing is not a barrier to sperm and that the odds of pregnancy are not zero.

In "Can You Get Pregnant from Dry Humping?", published by New Kids-Center, after several statements, like, "Dry humping pregnancy is most likely not to happen if you have your clothes on," the author makes this admission: "There have been a few cases of "virgin pregnancy" that changed that way of thinking. This is because there is a rare chance that body fluids can be exchanged even if the penis does not go into the vagina. Chances are slim though." [http://www.newkidscenter.com/Dry-Humping-and-Pregnancy.html].
"Potentially, most worrying for frisky teens: women can get pregnant from 'dry humping,' when a man and woman grind against each other without penetration, even if they're wearing underwear. It's not common, but possible. If semen gets around the entrance of the vagina then it can result in conception even if there has been no intercourse. "If semen came into contact with your vagina then there is a risk of pregnancy," explains Family Planning NSW, Australia's national reproductive and sexual health services provider. Semen can even soak through underwear and you can, although it is rare, get pregnant from that too." ["Dry-humping can get you pregnant ... even with your clothes on," EveWoman].
"It's possible for you to get pregnant without having sexual intercourse if, for example:
- sperm get into your vagina – for example, if you or your partner have semen or pre-ejaculate on your fingers and touch your vagina
- your partner ejaculates near your vagina
- your partner's erect penis comes into contact with your body near your vagina
The risk of getting pregnant in this way is very low because sperm can only live for a short time outside of the body. However, if you're not planning a pregnancy, it's important to know that it's possible to get pregnant in this way." ["Can I get pregnant if I have sex without penetration?", NHS Choices]
"There is very little chance of conception, particularly in fully clothed partners. The chances, although still slim, go up slightly when you grind while in underwear and even more so if you grind while nude." ["Can You Get Pregnant With Precum?", American Pregnancy Association].

Given that the evidence exists that pregnancies without penetration have happened in the past, it is necessary to lay out the truth so that people do not deceive themselves into thinking that it can never happen to them.

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life" (Galatians 6:7-8).

"... and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness" (II Thessalonians 2:10-12).

"Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil" (Proverbs 3:7).

Is avoiding getting your wife pregnant a sin?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 03:27:00 +0000

Question:

If I am married, and I am having sex with my wife, is pulling out a sin? Judah's son pulled out when performing his brotherly duties and was struck dead by God. I know that it was because he robbed Tamar of her right to a child, but Deuteronomy and Leviticus speak of the spilling semen as being unclean. Do you think that the Lord views it as wrong to waste a possible conception because we are not letting Him take control of when He wants us to get pregnant, or is it personal conviction?

Answer:

People commonly focus on physical actions instead of noticing the spiritual problems behind the actions. For instance, when Jesus' condemned the Jews: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery'; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28). The Jews were congratulating themselves for following God's law because they weren't committing the act of adultery, but they were allowing the attitudes that lead up to adultery. Jesus said the attitude was just as bad as the act.

Onan

"Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD killed him. And Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother." But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD; therefore He killed him also" (Genesis 38:6-10).

Onan was practicing a form of contraception that we commonly call the "withdrawal method." To understand why God killed Onan, we need to consider extra information. Under ancient common law, if a man died before producing any heirs, his wife was given to the next nearest relative as a wife. The first child produced by this couple would then be considered the child of the dead man with full inheritance rights. Another law that comes into play here is that when a man dies, his estate is divided among his living children. You count the number of children that a man had, add one, and then divide the estate that many ways. The eldest child would receive two portions and the rest would receive one portion each. Judah had three children; hence, before Er died, his estate would be divided into four parts. Let's assume Judah had $600,000. If Judah had died first, Er would have inherited $300,000 and Onan and Shelah would have inherited $150,000 each. When Er died, there were only two sons and Onan was the eldest. Thus, Onan's potential inheritance would be $400,000 and Shelah would get $200,000. However, if Onan got Tamar pregnant, then the child would be Er's heir. With one pregnancy Onan stood to lose $250,000. "But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother" (Genesis 38:9). Onan's sin was not that his semen was spilled on the ground, but the reason why he withdrew before ejaculating. Onan's sin was greed and not an imagined "right" of Tamar to a child.

Spilling Semen

"If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall wash all his body in water, and be unclean until evening. And any garment and any leather on which there is semen, it shall be washed with water, and be unclean until evening. Also, when a woman lies with a man, and there is an emission of semen, they shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening" (Leviticus 15:16-18).

"Whatever man of the descendants of Aaron, who is a leper or has a discharge, shall not eat the holy offerings until he is clean. And whoever touches anything made unclean by a corpse, or a man who has had an emission of semen, or whoever touches any creeping thing by which he would be made unclean, or any person by whom he would become unclean, whatever his uncleanness may be - the person who has touched any such thing shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat the holy offerings unless he washes his body with water" (Leviticus 22:4-6).

"If there is among you any man who is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he must go outside the camp; he may not reenter the camp. But it shall be when evening approaches, he shall bathe himself with water, and at sundown he may reenter the camp" (Deuteronomy 23:10-11).

Just as a woman was considered unclean under the Old Law during her monthly menstruation (Leviticus 15:19-25), a man was considered unclean for one day after he ejaculated. The uncleanness did not mean the woman or man had done something wrong or sinful. Breaking God's laws were sinful, but most unclean events were not sinful in and of themselves. For example, a pig is not sinful, but it was unclean and it was sinful to eat pork under the Old Law. Yet, today this rule does not exist for Christians (Acts 11:6-9; I Timothy 4:4-5). The uncleanness was by rule and not because of some innate property in the unclean thing. Many of the things called unclean under the Mosaical Law are recognized as reasonable health practices today. A woman's blood flow can be a potential breeding ground for diseases, as can a man's semen.

The rules covered semen being released during sexual intercourse (Leviticus 15:18). But semen can be released for other reasons and Leviticus 15:16-17 cover the cases that don't deal with intercourse. Deuteronomy 23:10 specifically mentions nocturnal emission (or "night wetting"). The male reproductive system constantly produces both sperm and semen. Nocturnal emission is one method God has built into men to handle the problem of excess semen. To put it bluntly, when there is excess semen, the body instinctively pleasures itself to orgasm to release the excess. Masturbation also produces an emission of semen, so it also would be covered by these laws.

Preventing God from Controlling when a Child is Conceived

"The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD" (Proverbs 16:1).

"The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9).

"The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD" (Proverbs 16:33).

A frequent point made in the Scriptures is that man cannot hinder God's will. God allows us free choice, but in the things that God wants to accomplish, these will come about. As God declared, "Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it" (Isaiah 46:11). The very idea that a mere mortal can stand in God's way is laughable.

God directs our lives (Proverbs 16:9), but we are left to choose our mates, or even if we don't marry at all (I Corinthians 7:1,5, 8-9, 26-28). The decision to marry ultimately determines if a child is born since one must be married before engaging in sexual intercourse. Besides God approves of a man planning for his future (Acts 19:21; 20:3, 16; Romans 1:13; II Corinthians 9:7). When we plan, we should take care that our plans are in harmony with God's will. We should always be aware that some things are simply out of our control (James 4:13-15). Yet, this does not mean we do not plan for the things God has left in our control.