Interview with Elizabeth Johnston (The Activist Mommy) - Raising Children in a Culture of Death

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:05.799 I Am Yours, I am yours, I am yours s and me, 2 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:10.669 Lord, I am your. Welcome to the Gospel Center pro life podcast and 3 00:00:10.789 --> 00:00:14.470 this episode we're going to talk with Elizabeth Johnston, the activist Mommy, about 4 00:00:14.470 --> 00:00:17.870 how to raise children in the culture of death. Hope you're blessed as you 5 00:00:17.949 --> 00:00:29.059 listen to this episode. Stay tuned. I felt show passis touch your heart. 6 00:00:31.460 --> 00:00:38.009 Use me well. Welcome to the Gospel Center pro life podcast. I 7 00:00:38.090 --> 00:00:43.649 had with me today the activist Mommy, Elizabeth Johnston, and she's going to 8 00:00:43.689 --> 00:00:48.609 share her heart about raising your children in the culture of death. We talked 9 00:00:48.609 --> 00:00:51.359 about the culture of death. You know, primarily this is a this is 10 00:00:51.399 --> 00:00:55.039 a prolife podcast. We're talking about the issue of abortion in light of the 11 00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:59.079 Gospels. We're going to focus on that issue and her heart is, you 12 00:00:59.159 --> 00:01:03.200 know, toward that issue, saving babies and proclaiming the Gospel, but also 13 00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:07.670 might touch on even some other larger cultural issues, because we live in a 14 00:01:07.790 --> 00:01:11.030 culture of deaths or when it get into some of the nitty gritty of that. 15 00:01:11.109 --> 00:01:14.549 But introduce yourself just real quick on your people probably know you. They've 16 00:01:14.590 --> 00:01:18.310 heard the activist Mommy thing and they've seen some of your your information or some 17 00:01:18.390 --> 00:01:21.420 of your social media stuff out there. But introduce yourself and, yeah, 18 00:01:21.700 --> 00:01:26.700 my name is Elizabeth Johnston and I've been married for twenty years and my husband 19 00:01:26.739 --> 00:01:30.540 and I have been blessed us to give birth to actually sixteen children. Six 20 00:01:30.659 --> 00:01:34.250 have gone on to be with the Lord or miscarried and we have ten living 21 00:01:34.290 --> 00:01:40.450 children, okay, and we have really raised our children on the front lines 22 00:01:40.530 --> 00:01:44.450 of abortion clinics, long before I was ever the activist Mommy, okay, 23 00:01:44.530 --> 00:01:48.879 we've been taking our children to abortion clinics ever since I've been married, yeah, 24 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:52.959 and going and praying and offering help and hope to the women, men 25 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:57.840 and women going in and honestly, it's one of the greatest things we could 26 00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:02.069 have ever done as a family to teach our children the difference between right and 27 00:02:02.189 --> 00:02:08.270 wrong, teach our children what's important in life, show our children what happens 28 00:02:08.310 --> 00:02:13.150 when you live a broken and sinful life, how sin, yeah, leads 29 00:02:13.189 --> 00:02:16.699 to brokenness and how you want to avoid that in your life. Teaching our 30 00:02:16.699 --> 00:02:23.819 children to become passionate toward those who are in broken situations and hard situations. 31 00:02:23.500 --> 00:02:30.530 Honestly, so much of that has been learned on the sidewalks outside abortion clinics 32 00:02:30.569 --> 00:02:32.610 these last twenty years. It's not something you can just teach with a book. 33 00:02:32.810 --> 00:02:36.969 Yeah, you know, you have to show and not just tell. 34 00:02:37.330 --> 00:02:40.449 Yeah, and that's one of the greatest ways parents today can be involved in 35 00:02:40.490 --> 00:02:45.360 a life changing ministry and at the same time be changing the lives of their 36 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:50.840 children probably eternity. Yeah, so, I mean you sort of jumped right 37 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:53.520 in there talking about bringing your kids. You have ten kids and you're bringing 38 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:58.710 these ten kids out to an abortion clinic and some people think you know. 39 00:02:59.229 --> 00:03:01.909 No problem to me. My kids been raising from an abortion clinic to but 40 00:03:02.430 --> 00:03:06.909 some people who are listening might think you know and that's that's that's a little 41 00:03:06.949 --> 00:03:08.990 extreme. You know, we teach our kids you bet abortions bad, but 42 00:03:09.150 --> 00:03:13.419 take them out to an abortion clinic. That's sort of like, you know, 43 00:03:13.620 --> 00:03:15.419 that's taking it to the next level. What would you say to people 44 00:03:15.419 --> 00:03:17.780 who sort of that's that's a barrier for them, like I'm not going to 45 00:03:17.819 --> 00:03:23.379 take my kids to an abortion clinic? Well, abortion clinics are the darkest 46 00:03:23.460 --> 00:03:28.650 place, yeah, any city, and they need the light of the Gospel 47 00:03:29.050 --> 00:03:34.250 more than any place in the city. And so I think it's a wonderful 48 00:03:34.289 --> 00:03:38.530 opportunity to have your children. They are learning how to Minister Hope and Minister 49 00:03:38.650 --> 00:03:42.479 The Gospel to people. You know, we named our ten child after a 50 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:47.800 woman named Eva Adol okay who survived a concentration camp as a child and now 51 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:53.159 she's in hers and she's actually been arrested many times for her pro life work 52 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:59.349 here in again America, once she had moved here. But Eva talks about 53 00:03:59.629 --> 00:04:03.710 how she wishes so much that when she was suffering in a concentration camp, 54 00:04:03.830 --> 00:04:08.789 and a brutal, brutal suffering. Yeah, Kenny, wouldn't even be able 55 00:04:08.789 --> 00:04:12.939 to discuss the suffering here on your podcast. She talks about how she wishes 56 00:04:13.060 --> 00:04:16.660 so much that Christians, not a couple of Christians, but Christians by the 57 00:04:16.819 --> 00:04:23.899 thousands, had laid their bodies on the train tracks that were harding people made 58 00:04:23.939 --> 00:04:27.529 in the image of God, you off to these concentration camps. How she 59 00:04:27.649 --> 00:04:30.769 wished that they had sacrifice because you know, the the authorities wouldn't of a 60 00:04:30.889 --> 00:04:34.050 cared if it had been two people laying on the tracks, but if thousands 61 00:04:34.449 --> 00:04:40.279 had had come to their aid in unity as the body of Christ, so 62 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:43.600 many lives would have been saved and so you know, I don't want my 63 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:46.720 children to ask me twenty years from now, when abortion is outlawed, just 64 00:04:46.839 --> 00:04:50.839 like slavery is outlawed now, and and they ask me, mom, Dad, 65 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:54.910 what did you do? Yeah, you know, they were, they 66 00:04:55.069 --> 00:05:00.389 really killing babies on main street. Yeah, they were actually doing the imagine. 67 00:05:00.430 --> 00:05:03.110 Imagine it's outlawed twenty years from now and it's unthinkable. We can't even 68 00:05:03.149 --> 00:05:08.259 fathom that this is happening, just like we can't fathom, you know, 69 00:05:08.620 --> 00:05:13.459 kidnapping people and and, you know, putting chains around their necks and their 70 00:05:13.500 --> 00:05:15.420 feet. Right now we can't fathom this. There's going to be a day, 71 00:05:15.740 --> 00:05:18.699 Lord Willing, that we're going to have the same victory over a board. 72 00:05:18.740 --> 00:05:21.810 Yeah, Amen, when our children asked us, what were you doing 73 00:05:23.490 --> 00:05:26.009 when they were killing babies, and all you can say is, well, 74 00:05:26.009 --> 00:05:29.329 I was going to work every day and I was voting Republican and I was 75 00:05:29.529 --> 00:05:32.009 going to chanse on Sunday. I mean, don't we want to be able 76 00:05:32.129 --> 00:05:35.680 to say that we did more than that, that we were willing to risk 77 00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:41.399 a little something for the sake of these people made in the image of God? 78 00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:45.240 And that's what these babies are inside their mother's wombs, and so you 79 00:05:45.319 --> 00:05:47.560 know, I'm it's not any more dangerous than any other ministry. You do 80 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:53.910 outside really to to peep bol regardless of what it is, and you know 81 00:05:54.149 --> 00:05:58.910 you have a constitutional right to stand on the sidewalk and exercise your free speech 82 00:05:58.949 --> 00:06:01.910 rights and you don't have to be aggressive. Again, you can just come 83 00:06:01.949 --> 00:06:05.899 and pray. You'll be amazed if you just show up and make yourself available. 84 00:06:06.459 --> 00:06:12.300 How you know? Possibly within hours you could have a woman talking you, 85 00:06:12.459 --> 00:06:15.220 telling you that her pimp brought her here to get an abortion and she 86 00:06:15.300 --> 00:06:16.819 wants help and she wants out and she doesn't want to kill her baby. 87 00:06:17.060 --> 00:06:23.329 It's incredible the situations you'll find ourselves. The statement just show up is a 88 00:06:23.410 --> 00:06:27.970 very relevant statement when it comes to being at an abortion clinic. So sort 89 00:06:28.009 --> 00:06:30.889 of what I hear you saying is and a lot of Christian parents, I 90 00:06:30.930 --> 00:06:32.959 mean, listen, as Christian parents we need to be teaching our kids the 91 00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:36.040 word of God right. We need to be teaching our kids what Jesus taught 92 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:40.439 and Jesus law, which is the law of Love, Love God and love 93 00:06:40.519 --> 00:06:44.319 your neighbor. But what I hear you saying is as that as Christian parents, 94 00:06:44.360 --> 00:06:46.310 we don't just need to teach our kids that from the Bible. We 95 00:06:46.509 --> 00:06:51.110 do, but we need to show them that where other people need to be 96 00:06:51.269 --> 00:06:55.509 loved. Right, we talk about love, we talk about our desire and 97 00:06:55.589 --> 00:06:58.870 our need to love our neighbor, but where our neighbors are being killed, 98 00:06:58.910 --> 00:07:01.819 let's go love them. They're absolutely faith without works is dead. Yeah, 99 00:07:02.180 --> 00:07:06.060 and so how impressive is your faith to your children when they don't see works 100 00:07:06.180 --> 00:07:11.019 accompanying it? Yeah, and and honestly, in order to be salt and 101 00:07:11.060 --> 00:07:13.540 light, you got to get out of your house. Yeah, how are 102 00:07:13.579 --> 00:07:15.810 the how are you salt in life? You're never out of your house. 103 00:07:15.209 --> 00:07:17.730 And you know, I'm a part of the homeschool community. I have homes 104 00:07:17.930 --> 00:07:21.050 gold every one of my children, all the way from the beginning. Yeah, 105 00:07:21.329 --> 00:07:25.129 and we've, you know, gone to homeschool conferences and I'm speaking at 106 00:07:25.129 --> 00:07:29.209 homeschool conferences, and this is actually when you probably have homeschoolers listening to your 107 00:07:29.290 --> 00:07:31.199 podcast. Yeah, this is one of the witnesses, I would say, 108 00:07:31.319 --> 00:07:35.439 in the homeschool community. Is that the salt is in the Shaker. Yeah, 109 00:07:35.480 --> 00:07:38.639 and it's not all. I like that. Like you bring that point 110 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:43.199 up, because you're right. It's like we homeschool to shield our kids. 111 00:07:43.319 --> 00:07:46.029 And you know, listen, people talk about helicopter MOMS and dad's and shielding 112 00:07:46.069 --> 00:07:48.589 our kids. We need to shield our out of it, to shield our 113 00:07:48.589 --> 00:07:51.870 kids from sin. No Shame, course. Yeah, but it doesn't mean 114 00:07:51.910 --> 00:07:55.389 that we're not. They're going to be exposed to sin, it's just in 115 00:07:55.430 --> 00:07:58.069 the proper context. Yes, so I like that you brought up. In 116 00:07:58.110 --> 00:08:01.899 the homeschool movement people want to shield their kids. Yes, and as people 117 00:08:03.060 --> 00:08:05.620 people ask me, you bring your kids to an abortion clinic and people are 118 00:08:05.699 --> 00:08:07.500 cussing and yelling and on it. It's like this. My kids are going 119 00:08:07.500 --> 00:08:11.339 to hear cussing. It's better for me that they heard in that contest and 120 00:08:11.420 --> 00:08:15.129 they heard in some other contexts, because they at least can see the distinction 121 00:08:15.209 --> 00:08:18.329 between light and darkness. You kind of get that same let them hear it 122 00:08:18.370 --> 00:08:22.610 in the context of Mommy and daddy reproving it of yeah, and daddy shedding 123 00:08:22.610 --> 00:08:26.569 light on the situation and bringing the truth to the person. Absolutely my kids 124 00:08:26.610 --> 00:08:30.240 have been exposed to all kinds of things, all kinds of arguments, whether 125 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:35.279 it be arguments for sexual anarchy, arguments for abortion, arguments for evolution, 126 00:08:35.159 --> 00:08:39.519 we love our children to be exposed to those things. We're not threatened or 127 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:43.110 intimidated by that at all. Let it be in the context of you being 128 00:08:43.190 --> 00:08:46.990 right there with them on the front lines of the right issues. And those 129 00:08:46.029 --> 00:08:52.710 things have just shaped my children into really warriors. You know, my kids, 130 00:08:52.909 --> 00:08:58.059 my older kids, they are passionate about this. They're not like uninterested 131 00:08:58.179 --> 00:09:01.500 bystanders. You know, mom's dragging me out of the clinic. Oh No, 132 00:09:01.659 --> 00:09:05.940 no, no, no, let me explain. They are waking me 133 00:09:05.139 --> 00:09:07.779 up to go to the abortion clinic. They are saying mom, get, 134 00:09:07.940 --> 00:09:11.730 get your mom out of bed. Yeah, let's get out there and rescue 135 00:09:11.769 --> 00:09:18.210 children. Yeah, because you know they've they've felt that feeling that calms when 136 00:09:18.330 --> 00:09:22.210 you save a child from abortion. Yeah, I mean it's addictive. There's 137 00:09:22.250 --> 00:09:26.120 nothing like that feeling about those saving a life. And would you rather your 138 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:30.799 kids to be addicted to fortnight or or love that feeling so much they get 139 00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:35.039 when they see a child saved from from abortion? My kids love it and 140 00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:39.029 and they're not into video games and stuff, because frontlines ministry is exciting. 141 00:09:39.269 --> 00:09:43.429 You know, there's nothing, nothing better than that, and I would I 142 00:09:43.549 --> 00:09:50.269 would like to say that as parents, are our duty is to God first 143 00:09:50.429 --> 00:09:54.860 and our marriage is super important and we need to be willing to put our 144 00:09:54.940 --> 00:10:01.299 children first and and very important ways and be weird in the culture if necessary. 145 00:10:03.259 --> 00:10:07.570 For the I've only been the activist mommy for like three years, okay, 146 00:10:07.570 --> 00:10:13.250 as far as that title in that platform or whatever. Before that I 147 00:10:13.409 --> 00:10:16.129 never intended on being a public figure in any way. I was just a 148 00:10:16.289 --> 00:10:22.519 diaper bag carrying homeschool mom who poured everything into my children and my husband and 149 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:26.840 their giftings and their passions. Yeah, and I want to say to the 150 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:31.120 young mother's listening right now that that is super important and you have to say 151 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:37.309 no to a lot of things if you want a godly successful family. You 152 00:10:37.590 --> 00:10:41.909 have to say no to a lot of things that are going to pull at 153 00:10:41.990 --> 00:10:46.429 you in this culture, in ministry, in Church, you're going to be 154 00:10:46.470 --> 00:10:48.549 asked to volunteer, to do this and that and the other, and I've 155 00:10:48.590 --> 00:10:54.019 seen so many moms like segregate themselves from their children because the moms are doing 156 00:10:54.059 --> 00:11:01.059 all of these wonderful ministry activities but they're not spending the time that it absolutely 157 00:11:01.139 --> 00:11:05.049 takes to nurture your children in the Lord, to train them in the word 158 00:11:05.169 --> 00:11:09.129 to discipline them, to teach them to be, you know, Amazing Warriors 159 00:11:09.210 --> 00:11:13.370 for God, you've got to say no, you got to be willing to 160 00:11:13.409 --> 00:11:16.370 be weird if necessary. Maybe your kids aren't going to necessarily go to the 161 00:11:16.690 --> 00:11:20.200 youth group or the Sunday school class and you're had to make hard decisions that 162 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:24.799 your children won't always understand in order for you to do what you believe is 163 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:28.519 best for their their souls and best for their upbringing. And so I just 164 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:33.549 want to say to the younger mom's listening that don't feel guilty that you're not 165 00:11:33.669 --> 00:11:35.309 doing all the stuff that I'm doing right now. I'm in a different season 166 00:11:35.389 --> 00:11:39.070 of life where I've got all these older children who are helping me. I 167 00:11:39.269 --> 00:11:41.669 would have never done, I repeat, I would have never done and what 168 00:11:41.789 --> 00:11:46.789 I'm doing right now if I just had four or five little stairstep young children. 169 00:11:46.830 --> 00:11:50.700 Yeah, I poured everything into those young children and it has everything to 170 00:11:50.740 --> 00:11:54.139 do with where I am right now as a parent and how we're all now 171 00:11:54.179 --> 00:11:58.220 working together in in ministry. It has everything to do with any success that 172 00:11:58.340 --> 00:12:01.769 I have had. And and don't feel guilty. Don't don't go out and 173 00:12:01.929 --> 00:12:07.330 save the world and lose your children. Your children have to be before the 174 00:12:07.450 --> 00:12:09.330 world. Yeah, yes, one of the things that we make sure with 175 00:12:09.409 --> 00:12:13.610 our volunteers. We do have some homeschool moms that are volunteers and some young 176 00:12:13.730 --> 00:12:18.000 moms and and some dads too, and we make sure, hey, listen, 177 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:20.840 your first ministry is to your family. If you have the neglect that 178 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:22.679 to come out here, then you're not you shouldn't be out here right. 179 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:26.440 And so you know, that's that's a good word, getting good encouragement. 180 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:30.000 But this, you know, this battle, you know, not just in 181 00:12:30.110 --> 00:12:33.149 front of the abortion clinic, because you're involved in more than that. You're 182 00:12:33.190 --> 00:12:35.909 doing stuff nationally, you're speaking nationally. You did the day of morning. 183 00:12:35.909 --> 00:12:39.710 I did want to bring the day of morning thing up in New York, 184 00:12:39.750 --> 00:12:43.500 when the governor and the the legislature there past some of those radical pro abortion 185 00:12:43.539 --> 00:12:48.460 legislation. Ever, speak a little bit about your burden with that, that 186 00:12:48.220 --> 00:12:52.980 event, the day of morning thing, and just you know, a little 187 00:12:52.980 --> 00:12:56.779 bit of how the Lord Progress that thing, because that was that was an 188 00:12:56.820 --> 00:13:03.370 amazing movement. It was a pivotal moment in our nation. I think that 189 00:13:03.409 --> 00:13:09.009 a sleeping church suddenly woke up. Yeah, it shouldn't have taken that we 190 00:13:09.049 --> 00:13:13.879 should be just as outraged at a five week old in the uterus being murdered 191 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:18.600 as a forty week old baby. Ye, murdered. But unfortunately, because 192 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:20.960 of the lethargy and the compromise in the church, this is what it took. 193 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:26.440 And so when governor Cuomo signed that outrageous piece of infantaside legislation, and 194 00:13:26.759 --> 00:13:31.350 all, a probortion legislation is outrageous, I should add this, this particularly 195 00:13:31.389 --> 00:13:37.830 upset the sensibilities of Americans and of believers, and so there was a huge 196 00:13:37.830 --> 00:13:43.379 outcry and there was there was a huge cry even to me individually, Elizabeth, 197 00:13:43.460 --> 00:13:45.940 what are we going to do about this? Yeah, from people who 198 00:13:45.980 --> 00:13:48.980 follow what I do and and we prayed about it and I got a team 199 00:13:50.019 --> 00:13:52.820 together and said, you know, what is our response to this? What 200 00:13:52.259 --> 00:13:58.009 should God's people response be to this? And we just said, you know, 201 00:13:58.289 --> 00:14:05.210 second chronicle, fourteen, morning morning, repenting sackcloth and ashes and apologizing 202 00:14:05.289 --> 00:14:07.210 to the Lord for what we've done. If my people, who are called 203 00:14:07.210 --> 00:14:11.320 by my name, will homma themselves and pray and seat my face and turn 204 00:14:11.480 --> 00:14:15.679 from their weeked ways, then, and only then, well, I hear 205 00:14:15.759 --> 00:14:20.519 from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land, and we all know 206 00:14:20.679 --> 00:14:24.789 that we desperately need healing in our land, and so that was our response. 207 00:14:24.950 --> 00:14:30.429 We called for the entire nation to fast and pray on that day in 208 00:14:30.830 --> 00:14:35.870 February and we also held a large service in all beny, New York, 209 00:14:35.870 --> 00:14:39.139 right in the belly of the beast there where the legislation was signed at the 210 00:14:39.179 --> 00:14:41.820 State House. And Wow, Daniel, I know you watched to be a 211 00:14:41.860 --> 00:14:46.620 live stream here, what a powerful anointed time and the way the Holy Spirit 212 00:14:46.340 --> 00:14:48.940 was with us as we cried out to God. And we've seen a lot 213 00:14:50.139 --> 00:14:54.450 of legislation and and a lot of pushback came after that and a lot of 214 00:14:54.570 --> 00:15:00.049 people going out onto the front lines to pray and to offer help to men 215 00:15:00.090 --> 00:15:01.970 and women as a result of the day of mourning. And what happy I 216 00:15:03.049 --> 00:15:11.200 think you somebody said that in that legislation and then the other several pieces of 217 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:16.519 pro, radical pro abortion legislation that came out like the devil overplayed his hand. 218 00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:20.279 Yeah, God's people got stirred up. Of course, our prayers that 219 00:15:20.590 --> 00:15:24.990 continues, not just a onetime thing. Yeah, we've had we've seen an 220 00:15:24.029 --> 00:15:28.350 influx and people who are want to be involved with us as a ministry. 221 00:15:28.830 --> 00:15:31.029 And I think, Nashally, we've seen the tension. I'm sure you've gotten 222 00:15:31.070 --> 00:15:37.139 some some feedback on your facebook and social media all that, from people who 223 00:15:37.220 --> 00:15:39.419 just stirred up and there. You know, they've been in the dark, 224 00:15:39.460 --> 00:15:41.899 or not in the dark maybe, but just been asleep for a while. 225 00:15:43.220 --> 00:15:46.620 Yeah, and they're just waking up to these to these things. And during 226 00:15:46.620 --> 00:15:50.690 the day of morning, we work together on a website called, yes, 227 00:15:50.769 --> 00:15:54.250 sidewalks for life, yeah, calm, with the number for sidewalks for lifecom 228 00:15:56.169 --> 00:15:58.649 and plug in there, yeah, and which we're trying to provide resources in 229 00:15:58.769 --> 00:16:02.649 training, even video training, that we have there on the website. And 230 00:16:02.730 --> 00:16:06.440 you help. We work together on that because we we realize, you know, 231 00:16:06.519 --> 00:16:07.879 what are we going to do with all these people? Like Friday, 232 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:11.919 four thousand people came calling you to action, but we don't have an actually 233 00:16:11.960 --> 00:16:14.559 for yeah, to the all of New York, day of morning and Fortyzero, 234 00:16:14.840 --> 00:16:17.679 we're watching be a live stream all one time. And like, what 235 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:21.590 do we do with all these people who are ready to do something and put 236 00:16:22.509 --> 00:16:27.309 feet to their their prayers? Yeah, of repentance and and so sidewalks for 237 00:16:27.429 --> 00:16:32.509 livecom is a great resource for your podcast listeners to go to and get some 238 00:16:32.669 --> 00:16:36.139 training and even what to say and what not to say when you're out there. 239 00:16:36.740 --> 00:16:38.659 It's a great resource and help you feel a little more comfortable if you've 240 00:16:38.659 --> 00:16:42.500 never been out to an abortion clinic before. Yeah, so I think we've 241 00:16:42.580 --> 00:16:47.929 touched on the activist part a lot and I think we could probably touch on 242 00:16:48.009 --> 00:16:51.649 a lot more of that. You know, talking about the LGBTQ, X 243 00:16:51.730 --> 00:16:55.090 Y Z three Po Agenda and how you how you fought that sort of thing. 244 00:16:56.409 --> 00:16:59.169 But I want to talk about the mommy part. You mentioned some of 245 00:16:59.250 --> 00:17:03.640 that and with that just awesome encouragement for MOMS to do the main thing. 246 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:11.240 But what does it look like on a daytoday basis for an activists mommy from 247 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:15.480 for a mother like many Christian moms, like every Christian mom, who's passionate 248 00:17:15.559 --> 00:17:19.349 about the stuff that Jesus is passionate about, yeah, and is passionately opposed 249 00:17:19.390 --> 00:17:22.509 to the things the devil's trying to push. But but really, day today 250 00:17:22.589 --> 00:17:26.230 they've got kids that they've got a they've got a ten too, and they've 251 00:17:26.269 --> 00:17:30.140 got a train and they've got a teach and that's their first ministry. What 252 00:17:30.259 --> 00:17:32.740 does it look like on a daytoday? Base Im, and I'm not talking 253 00:17:32.779 --> 00:17:34.700 about break down your day and what serially eat in the morning that, but 254 00:17:34.859 --> 00:17:37.180 just, you know, just kind of nets and bolts. You know, 255 00:17:37.299 --> 00:17:42.180 MOMS are amazing. MOMS are multitaskers. Nobody can multitask like a mom. 256 00:17:42.380 --> 00:17:48.690 Yeah, and honestly, I can change a diaper, Cook up some Bacon 257 00:17:48.730 --> 00:17:52.130 and organize a drag Queen Story. Are protest faster and most men can probably 258 00:17:52.130 --> 00:17:56.250 read one email. Probably. I don't mean for that to come across the 259 00:17:56.289 --> 00:18:02.440 wrong way, but there's something about MOMS that they really do have a knack 260 00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:06.559 for multitasking, and so that's what the activist Mommy is doing. Yeah, 261 00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:11.160 is cooking for children in the kitchen, reading emails, sitting down on the 262 00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:17.150 couch. I am working with my young ones, who can't read real fluently 263 00:18:17.190 --> 00:18:21.430 yet, so we're still working on phonics and we're adding and subtracting with their 264 00:18:21.470 --> 00:18:23.630 school books, and while I'm doing that, I may be taking a couple 265 00:18:23.750 --> 00:18:26.539 phone calls and then, you know what, come twelve o'clock, I may 266 00:18:26.579 --> 00:18:30.180 be telling my seventeen year old we watch the children, I have a quick 267 00:18:30.220 --> 00:18:33.819 interview and I run into the bathroom and hide and I do a quick interview 268 00:18:33.900 --> 00:18:37.539 with fifteen minutes. Then I come back out and you know, we're continuing 269 00:18:37.700 --> 00:18:42.970 on with our day. I personally make sure that my homeschooling functions without me, 270 00:18:44.250 --> 00:18:48.289 mostly, yeah, that the children work very independently on their schooling. 271 00:18:48.329 --> 00:18:52.569 I pick things that do not require a lot of me because of this season 272 00:18:52.730 --> 00:18:56.640 that I'm in, whereas used to and the in the first ten, fifteen 273 00:18:56.680 --> 00:19:00.359 years of home schooling, you know, my homeschool day might have lasted most 274 00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:03.640 of the day and till to a clock or something, whereas now the only 275 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:08.079 ones that need me are like the the five year old and a seven year 276 00:19:08.119 --> 00:19:11.470 old, and the rest of them are all doing all of their school independently. 277 00:19:11.910 --> 00:19:15.829 It's amazing, yeah, how easy it is to make your home school 278 00:19:15.869 --> 00:19:18.869 work that way. Yeah, and you know, you don't have to grade 279 00:19:18.910 --> 00:19:22.670 papers every day. It's something you can do once a week, once a 280 00:19:22.789 --> 00:19:26.140 month. You can utilize programs that do the grating themselves, so you don't 281 00:19:26.140 --> 00:19:30.180 have to do that. There's so many amazing resources out there where you can 282 00:19:30.259 --> 00:19:34.420 have your children at home, you can be training them in the nurture and 283 00:19:34.420 --> 00:19:41.289 admonition of the Lord. You can be protecting them from the absolute evil insanity 284 00:19:41.410 --> 00:19:45.170 that they're getting exposed to in the public schools. You can be doing all 285 00:19:45.210 --> 00:19:48.450 of that and at the same time, you know, you could be maybe 286 00:19:48.529 --> 00:19:52.920 going to your school board meeting that evening to fight the transgender bathroom policy in 287 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:56.079 your in your school. And you can do it as a family, and 288 00:19:56.160 --> 00:20:00.240 I highly encourage you take your kids to do these things with you. That 289 00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:03.440 is I don't know why parents think they have to go do these things without 290 00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:07.789 their children. Know you want your kids and toe. These experiences are life 291 00:20:07.829 --> 00:20:11.309 changing. They will never forget seeing their MOMS stand up at the at the 292 00:20:11.349 --> 00:20:15.869 school board meeting and and fight for truth. You know, don't miss those 293 00:20:15.910 --> 00:20:19.309 life changing moments. Take them with you. There's so many things you could 294 00:20:19.309 --> 00:20:22.500 do and I would just say do what it is that God is laid on 295 00:20:22.619 --> 00:20:26.579 your heart. We are all a different part of the body of Christ. 296 00:20:26.660 --> 00:20:30.460 Someone's the Pinkies, someone's the you know, the nose, and do what 297 00:20:30.619 --> 00:20:33.940 he's laid on your heart. Maybe you need to run for school board, 298 00:20:34.019 --> 00:20:37.170 maybe you need to deal with an issue with the city council, maybe you 299 00:20:37.289 --> 00:20:41.410 need to be at the soup kitchen. Whatever it is that God has put 300 00:20:41.529 --> 00:20:45.809 on your heart. Be Obedient in that thing. Don't fear and be obedient. 301 00:20:45.930 --> 00:20:48.289 And and it's like David when he when he slayed the lion and the 302 00:20:48.369 --> 00:20:52.799 bear, you know, with his bare hands and and he used his faith 303 00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:56.400 and courage in God to do those things. And then God said, all 304 00:20:56.400 --> 00:21:00.839 right, I'm gonna give you Goliath. You know, if you'll be obedient 305 00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:06.509 in those little things, you might be amazed in just a few short years, 306 00:21:06.750 --> 00:21:08.589 which is what I have seen happen to me, not asking for this 307 00:21:08.710 --> 00:21:14.549 to APP and how God might bring giants to slay your way if you'll just 308 00:21:14.670 --> 00:21:18.380 be faithful. He's looking for faithfulness. I mean be faithful in the nursing, 309 00:21:18.460 --> 00:21:22.220 the midnight nursing and the diaper changes. There's not one diaper change you 310 00:21:22.299 --> 00:21:29.059 do that God isn't seeing. He's seeing every bit of Your Mundane, Boring 311 00:21:29.819 --> 00:21:33.849 faithfulness around the house or whatever. Maybe you're a working woman, whatever the 312 00:21:33.930 --> 00:21:38.690 situation is, He sees your faithfulness. Be Courageous when he gives gives you 313 00:21:38.809 --> 00:21:44.289 something. You something's burning on your heart and man, you know you better 314 00:21:44.369 --> 00:21:48.039 watch out because God's about to do great things. Man. So I hear 315 00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:52.920 you say in you know, find out where God has called you and you 316 00:21:52.039 --> 00:21:56.000 create. Me If I'm wrong about this, but bring your kids along. 317 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:59.680 Yeah, US always, I think in our society, you know, even 318 00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:03.789 the church, the church probably is one of the most segregated entities on the 319 00:22:03.829 --> 00:22:07.710 face of the planet. We segregate based on race, we segregate, even 320 00:22:07.750 --> 00:22:11.470 if within our programs, based on your male and female and age group and 321 00:22:11.509 --> 00:22:15.500 all that stuff. Excuse me. Some of that stuff, I guess, 322 00:22:15.539 --> 00:22:18.140 can be appropriate and there can be appropriate times to have, you know, 323 00:22:18.220 --> 00:22:22.339 men's Bible studies or whatever, but for the most part it seems to me 324 00:22:22.660 --> 00:22:26.539 that we need to be serving together and doing stuff together. And when you 325 00:22:26.619 --> 00:22:32.170 have a mom who you know, sometimes the husband, listen, sometimes men 326 00:22:32.250 --> 00:22:34.490 have to work nine to five and it just can't be there and involved in 327 00:22:34.529 --> 00:22:37.089 all those things. But right when I see you guys and I see you 328 00:22:37.250 --> 00:22:41.009 family doing stuff on a regular basis, it's like you take everybody you can 329 00:22:41.130 --> 00:22:45.440 and everybody's inteen passenger. Vani pull off. That's right, because this is 330 00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:51.079 like we're serving God together as a family. So sort of, if you 331 00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:55.200 can speak to that mentality and how to sort of because it, because it 332 00:22:55.319 --> 00:22:57.869 is you know, we live in a culture of death and I wanted to 333 00:22:57.950 --> 00:23:00.750 kind of get to that point. We're talking about a culture of death. 334 00:23:00.789 --> 00:23:04.670 We're talking about a culture who basically sees children as a burden, yeah, 335 00:23:04.750 --> 00:23:10.829 and sees, you know, pregnancy as a disease. How do we? 336 00:23:11.109 --> 00:23:14.420 Even in the church, people have embraced this mentality. How do you? 337 00:23:14.579 --> 00:23:18.859 How do you cast that mentality off and say, you know what, I 338 00:23:18.220 --> 00:23:22.259 think having ten children is a blessing, not a burden. Yes, how 339 00:23:22.299 --> 00:23:26.140 do you throw that thing off and just walking what God's Word says? Children 340 00:23:26.140 --> 00:23:29.970 are blessing from the Lord? Yes, and embrace, I think, a 341 00:23:30.049 --> 00:23:33.089 biblical mentality that we need to be serving as a family and children aren't asset 342 00:23:33.170 --> 00:23:37.170 rather than a hinderance? It takes effort, yeah, it takes energy, 343 00:23:37.769 --> 00:23:42.599 because what it is is completely swimming against the current to do this. Yeah, 344 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:48.359 even in Christians Society, Christians circles I'm talking about. If you are 345 00:23:48.440 --> 00:23:53.680 not willing to swim against the current, even in the church, you this, 346 00:23:55.119 --> 00:23:56.750 this is one way where you'll just be like everyone else. Yeah, 347 00:23:57.029 --> 00:24:03.029 and so definitely as a family, pretty much, if we haven't been able 348 00:24:03.069 --> 00:24:07.789 to do something as a family over the first twenty years of of our parenting 349 00:24:07.950 --> 00:24:12.460 we haven't done it. Yeah, we have chosen to do ministry related activities 350 00:24:12.779 --> 00:24:17.579 that we can bring our children along and even when my husband's had to travel 351 00:24:17.619 --> 00:24:19.460 arrive, I've had to travel, we always try to take at least one 352 00:24:19.500 --> 00:24:22.819 child. If it's an expensive plane ticket or something, try to take one 353 00:24:22.859 --> 00:24:26.609 child with it and, yeah, with us and let it be a time 354 00:24:26.690 --> 00:24:33.609 of, you know, bonding. But this is something that was challenging for 355 00:24:33.730 --> 00:24:37.799 us the first twenty years and thank God we stood our ground and we stayed 356 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:44.599 the course on this, because the Lord was really speaking to us about this 357 00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:48.640 that we didn't want our children necessarily to be pawned off to the children situation 358 00:24:48.720 --> 00:24:52.349 or the youth group. We wanted them to experience the big boy and big 359 00:24:52.430 --> 00:24:56.349 girl anointing in mom and dad's service. Yeah, and I think that that 360 00:24:56.430 --> 00:25:02.470 has an impact on on our children. And so we were always weird like 361 00:25:02.750 --> 00:25:07.420 we our kids didn't go to children's church, they didn't go to youth group 362 00:25:07.579 --> 00:25:11.099 because not because we didn't think that the teachers were awesome. The teachers were 363 00:25:11.140 --> 00:25:15.579 awesome, they were amazing, but there is something to be said for a 364 00:25:15.660 --> 00:25:19.500 lot of interactions that take place between peers, when parents are not their supervising 365 00:25:19.579 --> 00:25:25.170 and when you are assuming that everything is okay. Everything's not always okay. 366 00:25:25.210 --> 00:25:29.569 Yeah, even at Church, oftentimes your children are being exposed to things and 367 00:25:29.730 --> 00:25:33.410 they don't you never hear about it, you will never know what they were 368 00:25:33.410 --> 00:25:36.640 exposed to, and so you're not able to counter it, you're not able 369 00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:40.319 to shed truth into that situation because you're not going to come to you and 370 00:25:40.440 --> 00:25:42.720 tell you about things that are that are uncomfortable, that they were exposed to, 371 00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:45.200 because then they feel like they're part of the problem, they're guilty of 372 00:25:45.319 --> 00:25:49.470 doing something wrong. And so we always had our children with us and we 373 00:25:49.549 --> 00:25:53.109 were weird, yeah, because to the church, at the church, you'll 374 00:25:53.109 --> 00:25:57.109 be greeted by greaders telling you right where to take your children, and we 375 00:25:57.190 --> 00:26:00.750 would always, with a big small on our face plight was say okay, 376 00:26:00.829 --> 00:26:03.549 thank you very much, and then we marked our children right there and with 377 00:26:03.710 --> 00:26:07.940 US two services. I can remember very distinctly being a part of a small 378 00:26:07.940 --> 00:26:11.700 group. You know, churches have home groups, yes, small groups throughout 379 00:26:11.700 --> 00:26:14.660 the week, and we always tried to be a part of a small group 380 00:26:14.660 --> 00:26:18.809 if a church offered that. Being a part of these small groups where we 381 00:26:18.930 --> 00:26:22.130 would go with our children and how, even if that meant you got to 382 00:26:22.130 --> 00:26:23.849 entertain them a little bit, you got to have coloring books and crayons and 383 00:26:23.930 --> 00:26:29.289 things to keep them quiet while the Bible study is going on. And no 384 00:26:29.410 --> 00:26:33.119 one else ever had their children. Yeah, not even their teenagers. The 385 00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:37.160 teenagers were maybe at a youth group, kids were with a babysitter or somewhere 386 00:26:37.160 --> 00:26:41.759 else. Maybe it's some children's thing and the kids are never there. Yeah, 387 00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:45.440 and we were always the only ones with our children and I just I 388 00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:48.589 think it's one of the best decisions, honestly. Yeah, we made as 389 00:26:48.829 --> 00:26:52.829 parents and has shaped our you know, my kids are very you can attested 390 00:26:52.990 --> 00:26:56.789 this. My children very comfortable around adults. Yeah, right, very conversational, 391 00:26:57.990 --> 00:27:03.339 confident around adults, and I think that when you're always putting children with 392 00:27:03.460 --> 00:27:07.779 other children, it's not natural for children to be comfortable around adults. And 393 00:27:07.900 --> 00:27:12.420 and we we should be training our children for a future and how it's going 394 00:27:12.460 --> 00:27:17.329 to be in the workplace or in ministry. And so that was a weird 395 00:27:17.450 --> 00:27:21.809 thing that we did and it was definitely against the current, even in the 396 00:27:21.930 --> 00:27:25.690 body of Christ. Yeah, and I think it was a very important decision 397 00:27:25.690 --> 00:27:27.009 and one that we continue to operate in. You know, we go to 398 00:27:27.529 --> 00:27:30.480 we go to a family integrated church, as some would call it, where 399 00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:36.960 the children are are in the service with the parents and feeling the same anointing 400 00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:40.240 and getting the same type of teaching. And that's what I want for my 401 00:27:40.279 --> 00:27:44.279 kids. Yeah, so it takes. You know, I would say from 402 00:27:44.349 --> 00:27:48.789 my experience and what you share with me, it takes some intentionality and again, 403 00:27:48.910 --> 00:27:52.789 not just flowing with the with the current of society. And you know, 404 00:27:52.390 --> 00:27:56.670 as it you pertains to the issue of abortion, and not just teaching 405 00:27:56.750 --> 00:28:00.660 your kids and abortion is bad, but teach them because here's here's my thinking 406 00:28:00.779 --> 00:28:04.819 is, we don't just teach our kids something it's bad, we teach them 407 00:28:04.859 --> 00:28:07.819 how to address the issue. Right. So this is not just a bad 408 00:28:07.980 --> 00:28:11.220 thing, let's stay away from it. This is a bad thing and we 409 00:28:11.339 --> 00:28:15.130 are called to address it. And so what are you are you saying is 410 00:28:15.170 --> 00:28:18.089 like take some intentionality. Yes, so, so in our kids lives, 411 00:28:18.170 --> 00:28:22.690 to help our kids to be the salt you mentioned before. You know, 412 00:28:22.890 --> 00:28:26.089 so many in the homeschool movement or whatever. The salt is still in the 413 00:28:26.210 --> 00:28:30.359 Shaker and you're talking about we need to be intentional about getting it out right, 414 00:28:30.400 --> 00:28:33.279 getting the salt out of the Shaker in our in our families. What 415 00:28:33.400 --> 00:28:38.160 are some like? I don't know, just practical things, just basic practical 416 00:28:38.279 --> 00:28:42.910 stuff that people can do for their kids in their personal life too, and 417 00:28:44.150 --> 00:28:48.109 and and of course in their family life, to be countercultural, but but 418 00:28:48.309 --> 00:28:53.470 really to be going against the grain, but only because society is going against 419 00:28:53.630 --> 00:28:57.819 God's grain. Yes, yes, well, what we were just speaking about 420 00:28:59.019 --> 00:29:03.980 is one issue in which we see how even the church is allowing some anti 421 00:29:03.180 --> 00:29:07.660 child thinking, okay, to seep in. Right now, the kids go 422 00:29:07.819 --> 00:29:11.650 over here right, yeah, they're not with us in the in the big 423 00:29:11.730 --> 00:29:17.009 service. You know there that that it lot in a lot of ways can 424 00:29:17.130 --> 00:29:22.250 be not always, but can be rooted in an anti child mentality. Yeah, 425 00:29:22.289 --> 00:29:25.680 and so we you know what, if you don't like us being with 426 00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:27.039 our kids, then we're not going to be involved in what you're doing. 427 00:29:27.240 --> 00:29:30.359 You know about like our kids are part of the package. If we go, 428 00:29:30.880 --> 00:29:34.119 they go. Yeah, sure, and so that that's important, I 429 00:29:34.160 --> 00:29:41.509 think as a family. Obviously, living the Christian life in a real way 430 00:29:41.630 --> 00:29:45.430 in your home on a seven basis has to be there. If you're living 431 00:29:45.470 --> 00:29:48.950 a hypocritical life. If your kids see one thing on Sunday and another thing 432 00:29:48.990 --> 00:29:52.859 throughout the week, you're you're going to fail. Yes, a parent, 433 00:29:52.940 --> 00:29:57.900 it's going to be a very, very toxic in your ability to try to 434 00:29:59.019 --> 00:30:03.019 ever speak into your child's life, because they will lose all respect for you. 435 00:30:03.579 --> 00:30:07.690 And so consecrating yourself to God and being faithful to God, seven and 436 00:30:08.250 --> 00:30:11.970 letting your children you know what, apologizing to your children. Yeah, that 437 00:30:11.089 --> 00:30:14.329 was going to mention that because, you know, we we sort of put 438 00:30:14.329 --> 00:30:17.009 out there there's these principles. You read the books, right. Yeah, 439 00:30:17.009 --> 00:30:19.690 I've read the the training manuals for kids. You know how to train your 440 00:30:19.690 --> 00:30:23.640 kids and and all that stuff, and it's like we're almost take this mentality 441 00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:26.599 and that, you know, we need to be perfect and we want to 442 00:30:26.599 --> 00:30:29.640 show any weakness. One of the things I've learned, and I think you're 443 00:30:29.640 --> 00:30:33.839 about to hit that point, is like repenting to your kids sometimes does more 444 00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:36.910 than even like having a pretended at least, to have it all in the 445 00:30:36.950 --> 00:30:41.549 road. Absolutely they've got to see that you struggle with the flesh just like 446 00:30:41.789 --> 00:30:45.789 they do, but that you, when you struggle with it, you do 447 00:30:45.950 --> 00:30:49.140 what God expects you to do. Yeah, you repent and you get restored. 448 00:30:49.380 --> 00:30:53.940 You know, if you mistreat someone, for me it's normally losing my 449 00:30:55.019 --> 00:30:59.380 patience with my children and the activist mommy loses are paid. Yeah, yes, 450 00:30:59.700 --> 00:31:02.220 you know, for me it would be raising my voice in my children. 451 00:31:02.380 --> 00:31:04.650 Yeah, and so then needing to go back and say, I'm sorry, 452 00:31:04.890 --> 00:31:08.170 we forgive me and yeah, eat crow, eat a little bit of 453 00:31:08.210 --> 00:31:11.650 crow. You know, your child will respect that. They see you walking 454 00:31:11.690 --> 00:31:15.730 out a genuine faith in Jesus Christ right and a desire to be a good 455 00:31:15.809 --> 00:31:19.200 parent, and they will understand that you're going to fail and they will come 456 00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:23.400 back to those moments, you know, when they screw up, when they 457 00:31:23.440 --> 00:31:27.319 sin and they are at a cross roads of deciding how am I going to 458 00:31:27.400 --> 00:31:30.440 respond to this sin in my life? They'll come back to those moments that 459 00:31:30.519 --> 00:31:33.509 they saw mom and dad repent. And so, yeah, this isn't like 460 00:31:33.750 --> 00:31:38.069 some kind of fake you know, are you put up? Yeah, that 461 00:31:38.269 --> 00:31:44.549 that you're perfect. I'm talking about genuine love for God, day in and 462 00:31:44.589 --> 00:31:48.140 day out, trying to do your best for God, and that also will 463 00:31:48.220 --> 00:31:52.500 always include, at times, having to repent to the Lord, repent to 464 00:31:52.539 --> 00:31:55.980 people in your life. Sure, do you feel like, and I don't 465 00:31:56.019 --> 00:31:59.539 know you'll agree with me, says it's kind of like us us also softball. 466 00:32:00.019 --> 00:32:02.490 But your relationship with your husband, we had we mentioned him a little 467 00:32:02.490 --> 00:32:08.289 bit. Dr Johnston. Yes, do you feel like that? That relationship? 468 00:32:08.609 --> 00:32:13.049 You know, I've told people that relationship, the husband wife relationship, 469 00:32:13.569 --> 00:32:16.880 is the most important relationship in your kids lives, right apart from obviously a 470 00:32:16.960 --> 00:32:21.359 relationship with the Lord, because that relationship, the husband wife relationship, it 471 00:32:21.400 --> 00:32:23.480 isn't going to need be what it needs to be unless we're in line with 472 00:32:23.519 --> 00:32:28.599 the Lord. But the husband and wife relationship and just doing practical stuff there 473 00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:34.029 you find the investment there also pays off in the children's lives. Oh my 474 00:32:34.150 --> 00:32:37.710 goodness, so much. I mean my husband I both come from broken families 475 00:32:37.269 --> 00:32:43.910 and and you know, we really said we planned on the family tree looking 476 00:32:43.990 --> 00:32:49.579 different from our marriage on, and both of our parents were divorced, and 477 00:32:49.700 --> 00:32:52.460 so it's something that you have to really, really work hard at. And 478 00:32:52.819 --> 00:32:59.170 obviously ten children brings, you know, everyday stress into your life and as 479 00:32:59.210 --> 00:33:02.490 kids get older and are dealing with bigger things and bigger issues and life decisions, 480 00:33:02.569 --> 00:33:07.170 and I haven't even entered grandparents stage yet. I as I enter that 481 00:33:07.289 --> 00:33:08.890 stage, I can't even fathom how much I'm going to have to be on 482 00:33:08.970 --> 00:33:14.920 my knees for grand babies and and and for my children. But yes, 483 00:33:15.079 --> 00:33:17.680 the the marriage relationship, I would say definitely try to have a one night 484 00:33:17.720 --> 00:33:21.920 a week, yeah, or day, whatever the situation is for you, 485 00:33:22.359 --> 00:33:24.960 a time a week where you have a date with your with your spouse, 486 00:33:25.160 --> 00:33:30.549 and just decompress. And from that means like upscale restaurant? No, we 487 00:33:30.630 --> 00:33:35.470 can be peb and Ja and the backyard if necessary, if there's not a 488 00:33:35.589 --> 00:33:39.950 babysitter. Just an intentional attempt, and we've done it at home before. 489 00:33:40.069 --> 00:33:44.740 We've done something in our bedroom, you know, cook a meal and and 490 00:33:44.940 --> 00:33:47.700 have a candle light, Yep, and shut the door and kids are watching 491 00:33:47.819 --> 00:33:52.859 a video. Whatever. Does it have to be fancy? Just an intentional 492 00:33:52.940 --> 00:33:58.529 effort to have conversation more than where we going? What are we doing? 493 00:33:58.769 --> 00:34:04.250 You know? Yeah, Doctor's appointments, whatever. Intentional connection with your spouse 494 00:34:04.410 --> 00:34:10.400 is super important. And yes, obviously if children see a broken marriage, 495 00:34:10.400 --> 00:34:14.920 it can have a devastating effect on their lives. And Yeah, my husband 496 00:34:14.920 --> 00:34:17.320 and I have had to work very, very hard and may be very intentional 497 00:34:17.360 --> 00:34:24.190 about our marriage. It's not been easy and marriage is really the hardest ministry 498 00:34:24.670 --> 00:34:29.630 you will ever encounter. Absolutely, and and then second to that would be 499 00:34:29.869 --> 00:34:32.349 your children, and they are our most important ministry. And, like I 500 00:34:32.429 --> 00:34:37.030 said before, if we're failing at those and, as the word teaches, 501 00:34:37.150 --> 00:34:43.059 if we can't handle our own house, you know, who are we to 502 00:34:43.500 --> 00:34:45.500 try to be leaders in the House of God? Yeah, and so that 503 00:34:45.619 --> 00:34:51.179 that has to be our focus. Yeah, so, you know, we 504 00:34:51.420 --> 00:34:55.170 talked about again the culture of death and mentioned some one twenty seven children are 505 00:34:55.289 --> 00:34:59.769 blessing from the Lord. I think you mention about coming from a broken home 506 00:34:59.969 --> 00:35:04.289 and coming from divorced parents. Your your husband's parents were divorced. I feel 507 00:35:04.289 --> 00:35:07.599 like that the the spirit of divorce, just like the no fault divorce sort 508 00:35:07.639 --> 00:35:10.760 of thing, is a part of that culture of death. Yes, right, 509 00:35:10.840 --> 00:35:15.280 this is like the culture that wants a culture of death. You mean 510 00:35:15.320 --> 00:35:16.320 you tell me what you think this means, but to me it's like the 511 00:35:16.360 --> 00:35:22.510 chipping away of the image of God. Yes, it's the devaluing of human 512 00:35:22.590 --> 00:35:24.670 beings, which is what we see at an abortion clinic, but it's also 513 00:35:24.750 --> 00:35:30.429 what we see nationally when we're talking about abortion, but also when we're talking 514 00:35:30.469 --> 00:35:36.820 about the transgender confusion, divorce, we're talking about you homosexual quote marriage and 515 00:35:36.900 --> 00:35:40.260 that sort of thing. But define for me, just give me kind of 516 00:35:40.300 --> 00:35:44.340 your take on on the culture of death. And, as you know, 517 00:35:44.380 --> 00:35:47.260 we're teaching our kids, obviously, to be in in the word and to 518 00:35:47.380 --> 00:35:52.130 know the Lord, and that's countercultural because we live in a culture of death. 519 00:35:52.570 --> 00:35:55.369 So talk about the culture death and the influence of that can have on 520 00:35:55.530 --> 00:36:00.210 kids and then you know how, maybe you've seen some of your kids overcome 521 00:36:00.289 --> 00:36:06.719 some of that car but yeah, well, Satan obviously is going to do 522 00:36:06.880 --> 00:36:12.840 everything he can and pull out all the stops to attack really the greatest institution 523 00:36:13.400 --> 00:36:17.159 ever, yeah, designed by our creator, and that's the institution of marriage. 524 00:36:17.159 --> 00:36:22.630 Yeah, he's going to attack the the one woman, one man family, 525 00:36:22.750 --> 00:36:27.829 and that is what we are seeing. We're seeing this attack through, 526 00:36:29.030 --> 00:36:35.380 obviously, oh Berger fell versus hodges, when it was the Supreme Court decision, 527 00:36:35.380 --> 00:36:38.019 I believe, in two thousand and fifteen, was a massive, massive 528 00:36:38.380 --> 00:36:45.460 defeat for the natural family and for the God's God's design and attention. Before 529 00:36:45.500 --> 00:36:47.289 that was their marrying, homosexual quote marriage. That was case. Yes, 530 00:36:47.329 --> 00:36:51.250 yes, and you know, we warned, we warned. If we go 531 00:36:51.409 --> 00:36:55.849 down this road, mark our words, we will be seeing so much more 532 00:36:55.969 --> 00:37:00.449 evil. It will. It's like a damn of protection was broken. Yeah, 533 00:37:00.690 --> 00:37:07.400 and our nation and all manner of evil is now just flowing out and 534 00:37:07.679 --> 00:37:10.639 and just taking over our culture and, you know, to the to the 535 00:37:10.760 --> 00:37:14.519 point that now people can't figure out if there were a man or a woman. 536 00:37:14.719 --> 00:37:17.949 We've got two hundred pound men in the private bathrooms and shower rooms and 537 00:37:17.989 --> 00:37:23.590 locker rooms of our little girls and just such depravity. And now pedophilia is 538 00:37:23.750 --> 00:37:29.469 yeah, honestly, but this isn't conspiracy theory, this isn't Alex Jones Info, 539 00:37:29.550 --> 00:37:34.500 wars information. This is now becoming mainstream, that there is now a 540 00:37:34.619 --> 00:37:37.980 push for pedophilia in culture. And to say, you know, what is 541 00:37:37.219 --> 00:37:42.619 just is just my preference, just like homosexual. I was born that way. 542 00:37:42.739 --> 00:37:46.889 I'm born preferring children. This is actually happening. Yeah, and our 543 00:37:46.929 --> 00:37:52.130 nation, I mean Sodom and go more the The Times of Rome and what 544 00:37:52.329 --> 00:37:55.210 happened to Rome. It was destroyed and we are no greater. I mean 545 00:37:55.250 --> 00:38:00.159 we are ripe for catastrophic judgment if we do not repent of our sin, 546 00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:04.800 repent of this. You know, murder that we're allowing to take place in 547 00:38:04.880 --> 00:38:09.679 our nation and still, you know, really experience a widespread revival, spiritual 548 00:38:09.719 --> 00:38:14.550 revival in our land. We're in deep, deep trouble. And so, 549 00:38:15.469 --> 00:38:20.150 yeah, there's there's obviously a real attack on on family and we just got 550 00:38:20.230 --> 00:38:22.789 to make sure, as God's people, that we are being, like you 551 00:38:22.869 --> 00:38:30.619 said, very intentional about protecting our family first from the onslaught of the enemy 552 00:38:30.780 --> 00:38:32.699 and evil. And you know what, one of the ways that really hits 553 00:38:32.739 --> 00:38:37.380 us right now as parents is through social media and through Internet and through things 554 00:38:37.420 --> 00:38:42.409 that your children are able to access. And I just want to say that 555 00:38:43.130 --> 00:38:45.530 no one would, in the sound of my voice, should have any child 556 00:38:45.929 --> 00:38:51.929 on any device in their home that is not protected by something very, very 557 00:38:51.969 --> 00:38:57.679 strong that provides not only screening but accountability for you as parents and for us 558 00:38:57.719 --> 00:39:01.760 personally. We've always used covenant eyes. Okay, we have had issues and 559 00:39:02.000 --> 00:39:07.199 in our family we have had struggles. I have caught things, children have 560 00:39:07.320 --> 00:39:10.829 confessed things to me without being caught. My kids are real, just like 561 00:39:10.949 --> 00:39:15.110 everybody else is, okay, and because of that I love Covenant Eyes. 562 00:39:15.949 --> 00:39:21.869 It is a small fee every month and it we have like six devices on 563 00:39:22.030 --> 00:39:25.980 Covenant Eyes and what it does is if your child or anyone, husband, 564 00:39:27.019 --> 00:39:30.420 wife, tries to click on something where Covenant Eyes is installed and it is 565 00:39:30.500 --> 00:39:35.380 blocked, you will get an email telling you what was blocked. Yeah, 566 00:39:35.380 --> 00:39:38.969 and then it allows you to have that accountability conversation and find out what's going 567 00:39:39.090 --> 00:39:43.170 on. Why did you try to click that? You know, and find 568 00:39:43.210 --> 00:39:45.610 out what's going on in their heart. That parental conversation that needs to happen. 569 00:39:46.530 --> 00:39:52.360 But seriously, seriously, if you do not have your computers protected, 570 00:39:53.440 --> 00:39:59.360 devices phones in your home, this is absolute negligence as a parent. I 571 00:39:59.639 --> 00:40:05.400 cannot express this strongly enough, because who, what kind of parent, would 572 00:40:05.400 --> 00:40:08.150 allow their children to carry around a playboy magazine all day and all night in 573 00:40:08.230 --> 00:40:12.030 their hand? Yeah, that is what our children are doing. So these 574 00:40:12.070 --> 00:40:15.750 cell phones that have Internet, that is what they're doing. When you think 575 00:40:15.789 --> 00:40:20.429 they're doing school on their computers. If you don't have your computer protected, 576 00:40:20.550 --> 00:40:23.780 I know you think your child's an angel. They're not. Yeah, yeah, 577 00:40:23.900 --> 00:40:28.500 they're not. Trust me, they're vulnerable. I appreciate you bring that, 578 00:40:28.619 --> 00:40:31.780 that subject up, because that is a it's still still ties into the 579 00:40:31.900 --> 00:40:38.570 culture of death sort of thing. The whole Perno pornography epidemic and you know, 580 00:40:38.690 --> 00:40:43.889 some have said, I think I agree, that if pronography didn't exist, 581 00:40:44.010 --> 00:40:46.449 an abortion probably wouldn't exist because, you know, these young men are 582 00:40:46.489 --> 00:40:52.360 spurred with with feelings and emotions and to do things they normally, at certain 583 00:40:52.400 --> 00:40:55.760 ages, wouldn't be doing when you're thinking about but these images and all this 584 00:40:55.840 --> 00:41:00.519 stuff, like sin, always takes you further than you then you really wanted 585 00:41:00.599 --> 00:41:04.590 to go, yes, and so I appreciate you bring that. It's all 586 00:41:04.670 --> 00:41:10.070 very connected. It's all interconnected and with the whole sexual revolution sort of thing 587 00:41:10.269 --> 00:41:15.469 and all of this. You know, it's rooted in sort of a godless 588 00:41:15.550 --> 00:41:21.980 mentality that God really is deleted from from society and really has no bearing own 589 00:41:22.059 --> 00:41:27.179 things, and it has to do with rebellion, obviously against God for those 590 00:41:27.179 --> 00:41:30.980 who have that mentality. And then always manifests itself in attacking the image of 591 00:41:31.059 --> 00:41:37.090 God attached attacking human being. Pornography is attack on the image of God, 592 00:41:37.130 --> 00:41:43.610 worst kind of misogynistic exploitation, you know. And and to think that the 593 00:41:43.690 --> 00:41:49.480 radical feminist out there who always throwing around those terms like misogyny exploitation, you 594 00:41:49.599 --> 00:41:53.280 know, and they are typically very pro pornography and call that free speech. 595 00:41:53.719 --> 00:41:58.599 Yes, very hypocritical, because it is a terrible type of exploitation. And 596 00:41:58.679 --> 00:42:06.429 now we have a massive portion, percentage of the population that is completely addicted, 597 00:42:06.469 --> 00:42:09.949 yeah, to sex, addicted to pornography, addicted to sexual anarchy, 598 00:42:10.469 --> 00:42:15.059 and more and more so. That pornography is very violent and it is even 599 00:42:15.219 --> 00:42:22.059 pedophilic in nature, and so much destruction has come through through not being aggressive 600 00:42:22.420 --> 00:42:25.380 at shutting that down. But parents, you you can do your part, 601 00:42:25.380 --> 00:42:29.539 at least until you know why our children are in your home. Yeah, 602 00:42:30.449 --> 00:42:35.610 to to train your children, not just obviously you've got to train them to 603 00:42:35.809 --> 00:42:37.449 want God. You've got to train them to want to be used of God 604 00:42:37.730 --> 00:42:43.130 and to want to have pure hearts and to want holiness. That's that's a 605 00:42:43.210 --> 00:42:45.880 massive part of it. But the truth is you've got to do both. 606 00:42:46.159 --> 00:42:51.920 You've got to not only train them to avoid sin and to see the the 607 00:42:52.360 --> 00:42:58.199 terrible results of sin, you also need to provide that accountability and because, 608 00:42:58.480 --> 00:43:00.989 let's just face it, none of us, if we had been had the 609 00:43:01.070 --> 00:43:05.429 opportunity to do some of the things and be exposed as some of the things 610 00:43:05.829 --> 00:43:09.190 in our youth that children are allowed to be exposed to today. You know, 611 00:43:09.309 --> 00:43:14.659 we know that our lives very well might have been very different. Yeah, 612 00:43:14.659 --> 00:43:16.019 they are now. I can only imagine if I had, you know, 613 00:43:16.059 --> 00:43:21.059 a mini pocket computer that could carry it out everywhere, whenevers. A 614 00:43:21.139 --> 00:43:23.619 young PRA ajor who knows a garbage you know, I was already exposed to 615 00:43:23.659 --> 00:43:28.849 garbage right now, exposed. I went after it myself, right man, 616 00:43:29.130 --> 00:43:32.489 that's just, yeah, that's it's effortless. Now and again I say parental 617 00:43:32.610 --> 00:43:37.010 negligence. Yeah, if you are not making sure that all the devices in 618 00:43:37.090 --> 00:43:43.480 your home are lockdown sufficiently. Again, it takes energy, it takes effort. 619 00:43:43.840 --> 00:43:50.239 You cannot be lazy, yeah, about parenting. Laziness will will end 620 00:43:50.239 --> 00:43:53.840 up resulting in a lot of Disciplin pointment for you. Yeah, a lot 621 00:43:53.920 --> 00:43:59.989 of pain for you. Ultimately, the energy put in is so worth it. 622 00:44:00.070 --> 00:44:04.429 Yeah, you know, seeing my kids be passionate about serving the Lord 623 00:44:04.429 --> 00:44:09.260 and leading in ministry now and saying no to evil, it is so worth 624 00:44:09.659 --> 00:44:14.699 all of the swimming against the current that I did. Yeah, yeah, 625 00:44:14.739 --> 00:44:16.260 you know, going with the current, just kind of sitting in the Lazy 626 00:44:16.300 --> 00:44:20.820 River of life, is the easy way to do it. But those are 627 00:44:20.900 --> 00:44:22.659 not the people that we remember in human history. Who just kind of went 628 00:44:22.699 --> 00:44:27.489 with the the tide and went with the currents. You're right, swam against 629 00:44:27.530 --> 00:44:31.329 it and we need to do that as parents on sort of a micro level. 630 00:44:31.769 --> 00:44:34.929 You know, then the Lord can do I mean, I look at 631 00:44:35.250 --> 00:44:37.719 the life of a woman like Susanna Wesley, if you've ever read her life, 632 00:44:38.079 --> 00:44:42.039 I mean kids. They have like fourteens, yes, and she raises 633 00:44:42.119 --> 00:44:45.159 two of the most godly men, Charles and John Wesley, that we remember 634 00:44:45.199 --> 00:44:49.519 in history, and cheated some difficult stuff, you know, and I'm sure 635 00:44:49.519 --> 00:44:51.840 there was a lot of battles in the house and a lot of stuff, 636 00:44:51.960 --> 00:44:54.070 you know, going on behind the scenes. But we remember somebody like that, 637 00:44:54.269 --> 00:44:59.389 we remember the impact her kids had and and I think it gives us 638 00:44:59.389 --> 00:45:02.989 some fuel for the fire and in the mundane stuff, because that's really where 639 00:45:02.989 --> 00:45:07.699 the rubber meets the ready. Mundane is life. You know, you'll probably 640 00:45:07.699 --> 00:45:09.099 leave here and change some diapers when you get home. You still have kids 641 00:45:09.139 --> 00:45:13.099 and I have one in pull up, some one in pull up. Yeah, 642 00:45:13.139 --> 00:45:15.179 that's where we're at. To youngest is three. She's a nighttime pull 643 00:45:15.219 --> 00:45:19.300 up. So yeah, that's where we're at. It's sort of it's weird 644 00:45:19.420 --> 00:45:22.050 not to have a lot of diapers. It is, it's nice, it's 645 00:45:22.090 --> 00:45:23.650 weird, but it's also it's kind of sad to you. It won't take 646 00:45:23.690 --> 00:45:27.409 long, though. You're going to have a grand bas you never know, 647 00:45:27.769 --> 00:45:30.530 right. I appreciate you coming and shared is anything else you want to you 648 00:45:30.610 --> 00:45:34.889 want to touch on before we wrap this thing up, I just say, 649 00:45:35.050 --> 00:45:37.920 going back to what I said earlier about being faithful in the small things and 650 00:45:37.039 --> 00:45:40.400 in the mundane things. That should always be our priority. Yeah, whether 651 00:45:40.480 --> 00:45:45.280 someone's watching or whether they're not. What who are we? Yeah, when 652 00:45:45.360 --> 00:45:49.960 no one is watching. That should always be our focus and our hearts cry 653 00:45:50.429 --> 00:45:52.469 should just always be you know, Lord, I don't deserve anything. You've 654 00:45:52.469 --> 00:45:59.550 given me salvation and I deserve hell in the lake of fire, and here 655 00:45:59.630 --> 00:46:01.190 you are. You've offered me salvation of all. For me, Jesus, 656 00:46:01.230 --> 00:46:06.179 you've all from me, Eternity and Heaven and paradise with you. What can 657 00:46:06.260 --> 00:46:08.619 I do to serve you? How can I be used in your kingdom if 658 00:46:08.659 --> 00:46:14.699 that's us behind the scenes all the time, even when we're struggling in our 659 00:46:14.739 --> 00:46:19.010 marriage, even when we're struggling in a crisis with our children? I promise 660 00:46:19.050 --> 00:46:22.250 you, God sees that and you know what you will be rewarded for that. 661 00:46:22.929 --> 00:46:25.489 You may be rewarded for that in this life or it may be a 662 00:46:25.570 --> 00:46:30.449 reward in the next life, but it does not go on sane and it 663 00:46:30.530 --> 00:46:34.199 does not go unrewarded, and so be encouraged with that. Yeah, Amen. 664 00:46:34.360 --> 00:46:37.719 Amen. Well, we appreciate those who have joined us and hope this, 665 00:46:37.960 --> 00:46:40.599 this podcast, was a blessing to you. Appreciate you, Elizabeth, 666 00:46:40.679 --> 00:46:45.360 for coming and take it some time away from your kids and your husband to 667 00:46:45.440 --> 00:46:47.789 come and do this, this is podcast with us. Do when are you 668 00:46:47.909 --> 00:46:52.150 mind? You, Elizabeth, brought it up earlier the sidewalks for life side 669 00:46:52.190 --> 00:46:55.829 that we've set up sidewalks the number four lifecom and that has some articles about 670 00:46:55.829 --> 00:47:00.110 sidewall counseling and how to get equipped doing sidewalk councling, Gospel centered sidewalk counseling. 671 00:47:00.190 --> 00:47:05.659 Really feel like the Gospel is important to be the focus and the thrust 672 00:47:05.699 --> 00:47:07.699 of our ministry, to proclaim the Gospel, and so information about that is 673 00:47:07.820 --> 00:47:12.500 there. You can connect with me Charlotte dot cities for Life Dot Org and 674 00:47:12.579 --> 00:47:15.409 just shoot me an email if you have suggestions for the podcast subjects you want 675 00:47:15.409 --> 00:47:19.329 us to cover. We'd love to cover those and if you want to connect 676 00:47:19.329 --> 00:47:22.610 with Elizabeth, how they do that. Activist mommycom has everything. This mommycom. 677 00:47:22.730 --> 00:47:25.409 It's all there. Follow her on facebook. She puts post out on 678 00:47:25.409 --> 00:47:30.559 a regular basis and you know they're doing some the Dragon Queen Story Hour, 679 00:47:30.719 --> 00:47:34.559 trying to get those things taken out of the libraries so that that garbage is 680 00:47:34.639 --> 00:47:38.960 not thrust on unknowing children. So we appreciate all that you do, Lizabeth, 681 00:47:39.000 --> 00:47:43.760 and appreciate all those who've listened. Hope that you're blessed and have good 682 00:47:43.880 --> 00:47:59.420 rest of your day. Use Mil use me, give me, give me. 683 00:48:06.300 --> 00:48:14.369 Will cost me my life, but these two precious inside