 What resources on biblical counseling do you recommend for women in a general sense who want to grow in being there for other sisters? There are some good resources out there. The counseling ministry that I'm certified with used to be called the National Association of New Thetic Counselors. It's now ACBC, which is the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. For the most part, I would trust any of the authors that write for ACBC. John MacArthur has some great books on biblical counseling. Jay Adams has some very good books on biblical counseling. Anything that Stuart Scott writes. Martha Pease has some things. Wayne Mack has some things on biblical counseling. Keith Lambert, who is now the director of ACBC, has a great book on pornography called Finally Free. That is probably the best book I've read on helping people who have a pornography, a sin of looking at pornography. So that's good. Some of the things you just need to really be, I would only just caution some of the things. Just make sure when you're reading, you know, read through the lens of Scripture in the sense that some of the books they're called, I think, biblical references for counseling. Just be careful. Make sure that the Scripture's in context, because what I found when I read through some of that was that the Scripture that they're trying to use to help people with anxiety, worry, depression, sexual things, they're not in the context. And so just make sure when you do that. But pretty much you can trust those authors that are with ACBC. I will say this. I'm not going to publicly say this, but there are some that I'm very concerned about that are getting involved in the hyper-grace movement that are now using vulgarity in their teaching and doing other things that are not appropriate. So I would not recommend those authors, period. They would take that verse, shall we sin that grace may abound, and they say, yes, we should. And God says, no. So I have issue with that. But that's another whole thing. How are you able to disciple so many women? Do conferences serve and have a family? Specifically, how do you do it all strategically? God and His providence put me in a family with two parents that are extremely disciplined. And I mean extreme. When I met my husband, he's like, your parents' house looks like an army barracks. I mean, nope, you know, everything was organized and everything was in its place at all times in my upbringing. There were seven of us children. And so in God's providence, he put me in a home where two parents were extremely disciplined. And I mean disciplined in their exercise, their diet, their work ethic and everything. And so I was brought up in that environment. So therefore, all seven of us are very organized, were very disciplined. I don't like to waste time, I don't like to be entertained, I'm not much into entertainment or I really like it. And I also am blessed to have a husband who wants me to use my gifts. And so that is a blessing. My children are not at home, they're grown, they have their own children. So it's just me and my husband. And so that also lends, when the children were growing up, I did not do what I'm doing now. I did not have, I taught, you know, I discipled a little bit. But I did not do public teaching or writing or anything until after they were well into high school. So I believe that my calling was to raise my children to the glory of God and to invest in them. They were the ones I was to disciple. So I'm just not a big time waster. I also, my husband is diabetic and many times he retires early, and I mean early. Like sometimes we have dinner and at 6.30 he goes, I'm going to bed. I'm like, what? It's 6.30. What are you talking about? So that leaves me three or four hours in the evening and sometimes I'll do discipling in the evening. I'll do phone discipling. I Skype with a lady in India. We disciple via Skype. And so that is Lynn's time. The women that I disciple, I don't meet with every week. I usually meet with every other week. And so that also is a big thing. I pretty much my days are filled with discipling and a little bit of counseling, but mainly discipling and study of God's word. And I'm also a pastor's wife. So I'm very hands on in our church in ministering there. I teach the ladies in our church and I serve in the church and other aspects as well. So I don't know, really I would say to answer this question, it's only by God's grace. I'm just a body and however he wants to use me, I want to be used. And so really it's him in me just using me. And so I don't know, but I am blessed to have a lot of energy. I do have a lot of energy. It's kind of crazy actually. I think I was supposed to be a twin that mutated because most of you know, I have two stomachs that function. I also have double roots and canals in my teeth. And so, you know, Doug's always saying, I must be a polygamist. You must have been, you know, supposed to have been two women that got mutated. So I don't know. I guess when God birthed me, you know, we're fearfully and wonderfully made. And I do have double parts of bodies. I don't know why, but I think he gave me double energy too. So I do have a lot of energy. I do make sure I get plenty of rest, try to eat properly. I don't always get to on these trips, you know, especially when Nikki's daughter sends me home at the hotel with a pan of brownies, this thick that are just gooey. I'm like, are you serious? So yesterday I bequeathed them to somebody else. But I do try to, it's not that easy. But I make sure, my home is my priority. It is my priority and I make sure my home is intact and meals are on the table and that if that's not happening, then the other won't happen. That's a first priority, my husband and my home. And I do still, I try to see all my grandchildren at least every two or three months. So one lives in Kentucky and the other lives in Kansas. So I still try to make time for them and spend time with them too. In fact, today my daughter turned 35, so I called her at the break. She was, what are you doing, Mom? I said, I'm in Florida. And so anyway, today's her birthday. Okay, are you planning on writing a book geared towards ladies who are unconverted but want to know the Lord in an evangelistic book? Not necessarily. A lot of people said, you need to write a book on discipline. You need to write a book on this. My love is really just to write books on books of the Bible, expository. That is my love. If these other books come out of it, like the four other little ones I've written, that would be great. But I don't really, you know, my sister wants me to write a book about my dad, because I went and saw him the last three years of his life every week. And she goes, I think you need to write a book about daddy. Well, I have time to write all those books. So, but if it's in the text and it deals with this subject of a person who's not converted, then it'll be there. But right now, no, I have no plans for that. Biblically, I know the Lord does not permit a woman to have authority over man. What is the biblical position on female teachers, college professors, women as managers, CEOs in the secular world? I don't really see a biblical position on that. I would say as an unbeliever, you know, you really can't come in and say thou shalt not. I think as a Christian woman, we need to be careful if God is placing you in those kind of positions. We do have biblical precedence in the sense that Deborah, remember, was a judge, but it also was a weak time in the land of Israel when everyone was doing right in their own eyes. And so it seems like there was a vacuum of male leadership. We also have an interesting passage in Isaiah that talks about in the last days that a woman is going to encompass a man. In other words, women are going to be in authority over men in all kinds of positions. And we are seeing that. I mean, we probably for the first time, and we might next year have a female president who knows. And so we're we're seeing more and more of this. There's more females in government, more female just everywhere. We're now having women being ordained as pastors in circles that I would have never thought would start doing that. And so we as a Christian who is devoted to the truth of God's word, I want to make sure as a woman that anything I do, I'm under the authority of my husband and I'm under the authority of the elders in my church. The ministry with the master ministries is not my ministry. It's under the umbrella of my church. It comes under the umbrella of Grace Community Church in Tulsa. So, you know, women, God's gifted women with brains and there's nothing wrong with you being a teacher, a female teacher, a college professor, a manager, anything like that. But I would just make sure that you're not neglecting your God-given responsibility to be a keeper at home and to rear your children to the glory of God. Make sure your husband is giving you his blessing on that. That would be my short version. And if I don't answer your question completely to your satisfaction, please email me or whatever and we can talk about it. What are some practical ways we can train our children to stand for the faith in the midst of persecution? I think, first of all, you have to live it. If you're not willing to suffer for Christ, they're not going to be willing. If they don't see you as a mom standing strong in the day of adversity, they're not going to stand strong because they say, mom's faith doesn't mean that much to her or she'd be standing for it, so I'm out of here. Also, if they're not a believer, I don't think they're going to stand, okay? So if they don't know Christ, if they've not made that core commitment to him, then they're not going to stand. But I also would get them memorizing scripture. Children have a wonderful ability to memorize, much better than we do. I would have them memorize 1 Peter. I would have them memorize the book of James. I would have them memorize Psalm 1. I would have them read good books, like Fox's book of martyrs. I'd have them read, there's a book of prayers written by the martyrs. As they were dying, I'd have them read that. I had them read J.C. Riles book, Light of Old Times, and it goes into detail about the men that were martyred for their faith. But again, I think the biggest thing is for you to live it out and teach them not to be afraid. Have them memorize Psalms maybe that have to do with fear. Psalm 34, Psalm 37, some of those. But I think it will be harder for children. They don't understand as well as we do. I mean, we've lived a little bit longer and maybe they hold on to this life a little more than we do. So I'd make sure that they understand you are gonna protect them, but there's somebody greater that is there. And if God takes them, then it's better anyway, right? It's better to depart, right? To be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord. So in what ways can one rejoice during a trial besides in prayer? Well, you have to remember the rejoicing there, and I failed to say this in our session in 1 Peter. The rejoicing there, and James talks about that too, and he says we're to rejoice in trials or to have joy. It's an inward calmness that you have. It doesn't mean that you force a smile or necessarily, but it's that inward joy that you know that God is doing something that he's in control. I think another way to rejoice during trials is quit licking your wounds, and get out and do something for someone else. Start serving, stop complaining, stop murmuring about your trial because if you complain about it, if you, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. So if you rehearse, I just hate this, I can't believe God's doing this to me, and you start murmuring, draw your friends, and that's what's gonna come out. And start looking. In fact, as the psalmist says, why are you cast down on my soul, put your trust in God, quit listening to yourself, start talking to yourself. Say, Susan, joy, heck, stop this. Start thinking biblically. So that's why I'm a big advocate of scripture memorization. I'll help you think differently. Also, I would say continue to fellowship with other believers as you're going through trials. Don't isolate yourself. The Bible says a man who isolates himself brings himself to destruction. And the Bible says as we see the day approaching, we're gonna be together more and more and more. So as you go through trials, surround yourself with godly men and women that love Christ and that will encourage you along the way. So those are some things you can do besides pray. What advice or encouragement do you have for Christian women who are anxious, fearful about impending persecution? I would have them again memorize, Philippians four, four through eight. That's that passage, rejoice and Lord always, and again I say rejoice, let your moderation be known to all men and lords at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And then it goes on to say what you should be thinking, finally, brethren, whatever things are true, lovely, just, pure, you know, if there are any virtue or any praise, think on these things. And so you need to retrain your mind on how to think. So I would definitely memorize that Psalm 34, Psalm 37, Psalm 23, a simple one we probably all know. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, you know, and I will fear no evil for thou art with me. And again, don't isolate yourself. If you're fearful about the coming persecution that could happen to us, don't isolate. Get in a church that is strong, that is committed to the word, that is putting things, you know, I hope in your constitution you have in your bylaws something that about same-sex marriage, otherwise you will be, your pastor will end up in jail pretty quick, quicker than others. But be in a church that's strong, that's committed to sufficiency of scripture, authority of scripture, and be around other Christians. Don't isolate yourself and be around those that will exhort you and help you. You know, I just don't know. I mean, I don't know what's coming, but it doesn't look so good in the physical realm, and the spiritual realm, it looks really good because God's in control, but this is just the beginning. I mean, the things that I read are just sobering. They're very sobering to think about where we might be heading. Then the last question, we're not to retaliate, however, are we to defend ourselves? Yes, it says this person goes on in cases of being physically attacked, verbal too, maybe run. You know, you have precedent in Old Testament where God ordained war, and so we have that. Also, we have in Luke, very interesting passage in Luke 22, Jesus warns the disciples of coming conflict that's gonna come, and he says, you know, he says, but now he who has a purse, let him take it and his bags, and he that has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. Buy a sword, get a sword. So my husband and I each have a gun. We know how to shoot it. I pray I never have to, but if someone were coming into my home and attacking me or him or my children or my grandchildren, I pray to God I would never have to do that, but I do believe the Bible gives presence for defending yourself, especially for protection of someone else. So it seems that, in fact, it goes on to say, Lord, behold, here are two swords, and Jesus says it's enough. That's enough, two swords is enough. So maybe I'll get two guns, one on each side, but I pray that would just, I would never, I'd probably be so scared I couldn't do it anyway, so, but anyway, I do think we should be prepared. I don't think we should give him way to hysterical fear. I don't think we should go run off and hide in a mountain or a cave or anything like that, but there is something where Jesus says, when you see these things begin to come to pass, see that is in the city, let him flee to the mountains. I don't know what your eschatology is, and I'm not really here to prove an eschatological system, but the Olivet discourse seems to have some instructions there for times of persecution and suffering, so you might read that, the Olivet discourse, the end of Matthew, that would be helpful. And I know there's lots of differences on that. People might beg to differ with me that we shouldn't do that or defend ourselves, but if that's your conviction, I would say this, don't violate your conscience. If you don't agree with that answer, don't violate your conscience. You don't ever want to violate your conscience, so you want to have a sensitive conscience. All right, we're going to get right into this because I know that we just have a couple, now are we having dessert right after this or after the last session? After this, okay. All right, that's the most important thing, right? What is it? Is it those decadent brownies your daughter made? Okay. Well, I haven't even had lunch yet, so I better not do sugar. No, it's good. It's better if I don't teach. You know, when you have two stomachs and if you eat, you know, you belch out, it's really bad. So, and it's really bad when I get sick and have to, you know, that, that's really bad. I throw up more than the average person, so it's better, believe me. But I'll eat all the way home on the plane, so.