Susan Lim, Part 2

[00:00:04] Welcome to Women Worth Knowing, the radio program and podcast hosted by Cheryl Brodersen

[00:00:10] and Robin Jones Gunn.

[00:00:12] There are so many Christian women with fascinating stories, whether missionaries, musicians,

[00:00:17] reformers, authors, wives, mothers.

[00:00:20] Their examples are inspirational to us all.

[00:00:23] And that's why Cheryl and I believe that every woman is a woman worth knowing, especially

[00:00:28] our guest today.

[00:00:29] That's right.

[00:00:30] We've got Susan Lim, and if you didn't hear last week, she, you need to go back.

[00:00:38] Because she told us about her origin growing up Buddhist, being born in, was it North or

[00:00:44] South Korea?

[00:00:45] South Korea.

[00:00:46] South Korea.

[00:00:47] And then moving to Guam and just kind of, you'll love it because there's a bully and

[00:00:54] there's abuse and there's delays and all the things that you don't expect to actually

[00:01:04] bring someone to Christ and to kind of establish someone in the Lord.

[00:01:10] But when we left off, you had, or you were just graduating from Berkeley and after eight

[00:01:16] years, which again, you have to go back and listen, and you had begun to write out the

[00:01:21] Bible.

[00:01:23] And as you were writing out the Bible, you began to feel the word of God working in you,

[00:01:29] on you and through you, which is just amazing.

[00:01:32] So tell us about life after Berkeley, because I know that you had said first, part one,

[00:01:41] that you were familiar with your husband, you were friends, but there was no romances

[00:01:48] yet.

[00:01:49] Was there any attraction or curiosity or on either side?

[00:01:54] Sure.

[00:01:55] So Brian was a freshman when I was a sophomore and because I have a younger brother, I never

[00:02:01] wanted to date someone younger than me because it was just so reminiscent of my younger brother.

[00:02:05] Yes, understandable.

[00:02:06] So I just kind of discounted him.

[00:02:07] He's a nice kid is what I thought.

[00:02:10] And when I was in my mid twenties, I went to this prayer mountain that I often go to

[00:02:16] and I just started praying, God, who do you want for my husband?

[00:02:20] And I wanted to actually give the handwritten Bible to my future husband as a gift, wedding

[00:02:24] gift.

[00:02:25] Oh, that's sweet.

[00:02:26] And I had heard a sermon by John Corson and John Corson had said, if you are attracted

[00:02:32] to your future mate, body, soul, spirit, because we're made in those three parts, that would

[00:02:37] be great.

[00:02:38] So I'm like, okay, I'm going to take that to heart.

[00:02:39] So I went to the prayer mountain, took out my journal, put like body, soul, spirit,

[00:02:43] and started listing all the things that I felt like God wanted to give to me as a husband.

[00:02:47] So like someone who had been on missions and someone who's like well read and all these

[00:02:50] things.

[00:02:51] And one of them was, you know, someone who's not younger than me.

[00:02:56] So Brian had liked me for about 12 years.

[00:02:59] Oh, precious.

[00:03:00] Yeah.

[00:03:01] And we re-met at a wedding.

[00:03:04] So Brian is a gastroenterologist, but he's also a wedding singer on the side.

[00:03:09] There's a combo.

[00:03:11] Yes.

[00:03:13] So we're singing at this wedding and we got reacquainted and we ended up having coffee.

[00:03:18] And I just sat and asked him, I was like, okay, why do you like me like you've liked

[00:03:22] me for a long time?

[00:03:23] So by this time he was already in his career, right?

[00:03:26] He had been to undergrad and then med school and then doing his residency.

[00:03:33] He was doing his residency, yeah.

[00:03:35] Yeah, he was in the middle of residency.

[00:03:38] That's right.

[00:03:39] And had he said at the time, you know, I think it's because even if he said like, I

[00:03:43] think because you love Jesus or I think because, you know, you serve at the nursery or, you

[00:03:48] know, but he just said, to be honest, I don't know.

[00:03:51] I just do.

[00:03:53] Oh, how endearing.

[00:03:55] Yes.

[00:03:56] Or you kind of sometimes want to hear just two or three reasons, you know.

[00:04:00] But it was like, I just do.

[00:04:04] Like God's given me that part.

[00:04:05] Like I can't help myself.

[00:04:06] Oh yeah, that's precious.

[00:04:07] Yeah, I love that.

[00:04:08] And Brian's always been a symbol of God's love for me.

[00:04:12] God pursuing me, Brian pursuing me.

[00:04:14] I love that.

[00:04:15] And later I found out that because Brian actually immigrated to California when he was 14.

[00:04:19] Wow.

[00:04:20] And he was born in South Korea.

[00:04:21] And so he had to repeat, I think like seventh grade.

[00:04:25] Like it wasn't a repeat, but he didn't like advance.

[00:04:27] He just kind of came in here in seventh grade.

[00:04:29] So he's actually two weeks older than I am.

[00:04:32] Oh, there you go.

[00:04:33] See, the list is complete and fulfilled.

[00:04:36] So God puts up with my shenanigans.

[00:04:40] You know, when I was in college, I wrote a list out too of the person that I wanted.

[00:04:46] And I didn't know Brian at all.

[00:04:48] But after I met Brian, I had broken up with him, thought, you know, no, this isn't going

[00:04:55] to work.

[00:04:56] I've got my, I had my own plan for my life.

[00:04:59] And he was an interruption to it.

[00:05:00] And I was in my closet and I pulled out an old journal and there was my list.

[00:05:06] And I realized that he checked all the boxes.

[00:05:08] And so that was like the same thing.

[00:05:11] I mean, God is in the list and it's crazy.

[00:05:14] One of the things I had, he has to serve.

[00:05:16] And I remember reading my list to my mom and dad one time.

[00:05:19] My mom's like, why does he have to serve?

[00:05:22] And I said, I don't know, but he just does.

[00:05:24] Kind of like he has to be older than me.

[00:05:26] He cannot be younger.

[00:05:28] I don't know, but he just does.

[00:05:30] It's just a part of the list, mom.

[00:05:32] That's right.

[00:05:33] And I feel like sometimes unknowingly the Holy Spirit puts on our heart.

[00:05:37] I think that's right.

[00:05:38] To prepare us.

[00:05:39] Yes.

[00:05:40] So he tells you this now by this time, do you have feelings?

[00:05:44] I start developing feelings.

[00:05:47] And we actually went to Calvary here in Costa Mesa together and I'll make this story short,

[00:05:53] but God has spoken to me through dreams a couple of times.

[00:05:56] And when there's an incumbent president, that dream always comes to pass.

[00:06:02] And in this dream, the president, then president was putting together this, it was like a world

[00:06:08] where people were exchanging envelopes.

[00:06:10] And when they did, it meant they were tethered in marriage.

[00:06:14] And there was this person who gave me the envelope.

[00:06:17] I couldn't really see his face, but he put his hand on my back in a very distinct way.

[00:06:23] And I just knew at that moment he was going to be my husband.

[00:06:26] So we were here at Calvary, just down the block.

[00:06:29] We're worshiping.

[00:06:31] And as we're standing up, Brian leans over and puts his hand on my back.

[00:06:37] And I knew at that moment he was going to be my husband.

[00:06:39] That's precious.

[00:06:40] And God did many things for us and me at Calvary here.

[00:06:46] And do you know what?

[00:06:47] My husband and I, our first date was at Calvary for a concert.

[00:06:50] I know.

[00:06:51] It's fun how we-

[00:06:52] All our dates were Calvary.

[00:06:53] Yeah, sure.

[00:06:54] All we know, obviously.

[00:06:55] I mean, Brian and I, we looked at each other.

[00:06:57] We went, we've never been on a date.

[00:06:59] We just go to Calvary.

[00:07:01] It's a special place, you guys.

[00:07:04] That is really sweet.

[00:07:06] So yeah, we got married when we were 32.

[00:07:09] And so many God stories.

[00:07:13] So he got his fellowship up at UC Davis.

[00:07:16] I got a few job offers in different parts.

[00:07:19] And I told Brian, hey, how about if we do a long distance thing for three years?

[00:07:23] Like I'll teach Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and then fly out to where you are.

[00:07:27] And Brian said, absolutely not.

[00:07:29] I love that man.

[00:07:30] Yes.

[00:07:31] He's like, no way.

[00:07:32] Wisdom right there.

[00:07:33] He's like, if you want to, I'll give up my fellowship and we can go to where you're teaching.

[00:07:37] Wow.

[00:07:38] And he's like, I'll just, I can do general practice.

[00:07:40] Wow.

[00:07:41] And he's like, we're not going to do that.

[00:07:43] And he's always been not perfect, of course, but he's a gift from the Lord for sure.

[00:07:50] So I went up there and got to be a visiting scholar at Berkeley.

[00:07:55] And it was in that season that God broke me in a new way though.

[00:08:00] I had my first child, Josephine was born.

[00:08:03] And I always thought that being a mom was going to be the heaven on earth, that it was

[00:08:10] going to be this perfect utopia.

[00:08:12] Surprise.

[00:08:13] Oh gosh, it was such a surprise.

[00:08:17] I had postpartum.

[00:08:18] Oh yeah.

[00:08:19] She was colicky.

[00:08:20] My parents were down here.

[00:08:21] My friends were down here.

[00:08:24] And God used that really dark season to show me just how great he is and what it looks

[00:08:33] like to walk with him in pitch darkness.

[00:08:38] And that he could, he could turn on the lights, he can change my situation, but he was teaching

[00:08:44] me to walk so close.

[00:08:47] And in the best way, I walked away from that season stripped even more of myself.

[00:08:54] And we moved down here a few years after.

[00:08:58] And then we had our second child, John David, JD, and he was born a preemie.

[00:09:04] He was born at 24 weeks.

[00:09:06] He was born at one pound 14 ounces.

[00:09:10] And he was touch and go.

[00:09:11] He had heart surgery.

[00:09:13] There were a couple times when the NICU called and said, you might want to come down.

[00:09:17] You might not make it.

[00:09:19] And God taught us, although, you know, of course, Brian, through him, we had really

[00:09:23] good health care that only truly God heals.

[00:09:27] He's the giver and taker of life.

[00:09:30] And we saw JD just be in God's care in a way that truly was miraculous.

[00:09:37] And then after JD was stabilized, I mean, he wasn't stabilized until a few years.

[00:09:44] And after that, I was praying for JD one day.

[00:09:49] I was broken in my heart.

[00:09:50] This was actually before he was out of the NICU.

[00:09:53] I was praying, praying, praying and just crying because he had surgery that coming week.

[00:10:00] And out of nowhere, I heard an audible voice, which I don't often do.

[00:10:04] It's like twice in my life.

[00:10:06] And I heard the word Biola.

[00:10:09] And I had never heard that word before.

[00:10:13] I stopped crying because it was so real.

[00:10:16] And I said, what's Biola?

[00:10:18] Wow.

[00:10:19] Bible Institute of LA.

[00:10:22] I mean, it's not even a real word.

[00:10:26] I wish God had said that, Cheryl.

[00:10:28] But he didn't.

[00:10:30] What language is this?

[00:10:32] So I was like, okay, what do you do with that?

[00:10:34] Not sure.

[00:10:35] So I just kind of sat there and then put things away.

[00:10:40] Later that month, I went to a conference that I just knew God wanted me to go to.

[00:10:46] Historians meet once a year at the American Historical Association.

[00:10:49] It's mostly on the East Coast, but once every blue moon, it comes on the West Coast.

[00:10:53] It was in San Diego.

[00:10:55] I felt God was like, go, go, go.

[00:10:56] So I'm like so reluctant.

[00:10:58] Everyone probably brought like their briefcase.

[00:11:01] You guys, I brought my pumping machine.

[00:11:03] Oh, yes.

[00:11:04] Yes, I was pumping every hour.

[00:11:06] Yes, yes, yes.

[00:11:08] By God's grace, you guys, this is TMI, but I produced so much breast milk, which was JD

[00:11:12] needed.

[00:11:13] It was like a cow.

[00:11:14] And we bought an extra freezer so I can pack it out.

[00:11:17] But I remember going and I was like, okay, God, how am I going to even work this?

[00:11:20] But I got there and the convention center had bathrooms that were individual stalls.

[00:11:26] Oh, perfect.

[00:11:27] Yes.

[00:11:28] Closed from top to bottom.

[00:11:29] And I remember thinking only you.

[00:11:32] And then I went to-

[00:11:33] By God, you'll supply all your needs.

[00:11:34] All your needs.

[00:11:35] The trivial and the essential and the tremendous.

[00:11:43] And every session I went to, someone from Biola came up and introduced themselves to

[00:11:47] me.

[00:11:48] Oh my goodness.

[00:11:49] Oh my goodness.

[00:11:50] Is this a secular or was this a Christian history?

[00:11:52] It was actually a secular-

[00:11:53] And Biola, so you know.

[00:11:55] You know.

[00:11:56] It was AJ.

[00:11:57] Yeah.

[00:11:58] And so I was like, I think I'm supposed to work here.

[00:12:01] I started working very part-time as an adjunct because I needed to get out of the house.

[00:12:05] So my mom watched the kids while I was doing like three hours a week.

[00:12:09] And you were still in Garden Grove area?

[00:12:11] Well, we actually moved to Corona because my husband was working at Kaiser out there

[00:12:15] in Riverside.

[00:12:17] And then I went full-time after the kids started going to school.

[00:12:21] But you know what God taught me throughout that whole season was when I started teaching

[00:12:26] The eight years of being in college and feeling so lost and being on academic probation gave

[00:12:34] me such a compassion for students.

[00:12:36] Right.

[00:12:37] And they were failing my class.

[00:12:38] Right.

[00:12:39] Oh, what a great heart.

[00:12:40] Nothing's wasted.

[00:12:41] Nothing.

[00:12:42] Yeah.

[00:12:43] Nothing.

[00:12:44] And I can see it because I saw it in my own eyes.

[00:12:45] You would see students walk in and you can say, I know you're bright.

[00:12:49] You can ace this class.

[00:12:51] So good.

[00:12:52] But you're carrying so much baggage and you're bleeding right now.

[00:12:55] And so you're not thinking of history.

[00:12:57] You're thinking of how am I going to get through the day?

[00:12:59] And it would offer opportunities to say, but there is Jesus who loves you and pursues you.

[00:13:06] And you know, it's funny because we don't often think that that is needed at a Christian

[00:13:11] school, but it is.

[00:13:12] It is.

[00:13:13] Even more so, I believe.

[00:13:14] You know, I would...

[00:13:15] There's so many assumptions.

[00:13:17] Yeah, I would agree with you.

[00:13:18] And so many of those kids are going there because their parents said, here and no place else.

[00:13:22] And they're thinking that this will hold them and keep them, you know, moral rather

[00:13:29] than the kids choosing that place.

[00:13:33] And it's a place of decision colleges for so many.

[00:13:37] So that is wonderful that God was able to use your time at Biola.

[00:13:43] Yeah, it was a beautiful time.

[00:13:45] I savored every season and...

[00:13:48] And you taught for how many years?

[00:13:49] I taught there for 12 years.

[00:13:51] 12 years in history.

[00:13:53] And you said that it's American history that's your...

[00:13:57] So my dissertation and then my first book was on the Puritans.

[00:14:02] And just so just interesting, like just interested in how these people were so all in for God

[00:14:08] and then they can turn really bad like the Salem witch trials.

[00:14:12] Please tell us the title of that book.

[00:14:14] It's actually on a sectarian group and there are the Rogerines.

[00:14:20] And so it's called Sola Scriptura and how they intersected with the Puritans or the

[00:14:27] standing order.

[00:14:29] And I got to meet some of the most fabulous people on the planet at Biola.

[00:14:35] And me too.

[00:14:36] Right?

[00:14:37] It's a special place.

[00:14:38] It is.

[00:14:39] And I love Dr. Corey, our president.

[00:14:43] He's one of those leaders that he's the real deal.

[00:14:46] And you get to just meet people who I feel like, especially K through 12 teachers, but

[00:14:51] all teachers, it's a mission work of sorts.

[00:14:54] It is.

[00:14:55] It is.

[00:14:56] And you have to be called to it.

[00:14:57] Yep.

[00:14:58] And I got to see people who...

[00:14:59] Same thing with teaching Sunday school.

[00:15:02] Any teaching.

[00:15:03] That's true.

[00:15:04] It's a Sunday school.

[00:15:05] 12 years at Biola and then what did you go on to?

[00:15:07] And then at that point, I just felt like God was giving me a choice where my kids were teenagers,

[00:15:13] preteens.

[00:15:15] And Lord, how do you want me to spend the balance of their time with us?

[00:15:20] Should I continue to teach or do I spend more time with them?

[00:15:23] And I was grateful that God worked it so that we could make that choice for me that I didn't

[00:15:28] have to work.

[00:15:29] And so it was the hardest decision, but I stepped down from my teaching position and

[00:15:33] then just...

[00:15:35] And you mentioned off radio that you had tenure.

[00:15:40] So that was even harder because that's quite an accomplishment.

[00:15:44] It gives you a certain sense of security when you have that.

[00:15:48] And then too, there is this sense of accomplishment.

[00:15:52] When you're home with teenagers, you don't feel like you're accomplishing anything.

[00:15:56] I know I've been there and done that.

[00:15:58] But when you're at school and you're able to talk into these kids' lives and they look

[00:16:02] at you and they're like, thank you for speaking to me.

[00:16:05] And you talk to your kids and they're like, could you be quiet?

[00:16:09] Quit talking.

[00:16:11] And so that really is, in some ways it might feel like a demotion, but when you're in the

[00:16:17] will of the Lord, it's never a demotion.

[00:16:22] That's right.

[00:16:23] I certainly miss my Biola students.

[00:16:25] They are so dear to my heart.

[00:16:28] I do want to say that I only have two, so I wish I had had like six kids or eight or

[00:16:33] even more to kind of have a sampling.

[00:16:37] But I feel really grateful to be Josephine and JD's mom.

[00:16:43] So it's a concept that I write about in Light of the Word where salvation is a gift from

[00:16:48] God is what I call the first confession.

[00:16:52] And what I call the second confession is the gift of the scriptures.

[00:16:57] When the gift of the Bible is real, you believe it for yourself and you can live it out.

[00:17:03] And I see it in both the kids.

[00:17:05] Oh, that's wonderful.

[00:17:06] It's beautiful.

[00:17:07] I see them waking up, God calling them.

[00:17:11] It's not them, it's the Lord.

[00:17:13] And they can hear His voice.

[00:17:16] Maybe God knew that I'm super impatient or I might be like, why did I do this, God?

[00:17:20] Because I can do that.

[00:17:22] So He's made it so fruitful.

[00:17:25] And I know that it might not be forever because everyone has seasons.

[00:17:29] But as of today, I watch them and I grow so much from their faith.

[00:17:33] And I'm so grateful to have that time with them.

[00:17:36] That's so great.

[00:17:37] Susan, you wrote a book.

[00:17:39] So was it during this time, were you still at Biola?

[00:17:45] And when did the inspiration for the book?

[00:17:46] And tell us a little bit about the book and kind of the process.

[00:17:51] When I was at Biola, there was a faculty development workshop and there was an amazing, brilliant

[00:17:59] editor from IVP, InterVarsity Press, who was leading it.

[00:18:04] He's so inspiring and he was so kind and said, here's my email to all the professors who were

[00:18:09] in the room.

[00:18:10] I stepped down from my teaching position knowing that that's what God wanted for me and my

[00:18:14] family.

[00:18:16] And then that spring, I started to think, okay, Lord, I have time now.

[00:18:19] So I'm going to put together this proposal.

[00:18:22] And so I reached out to that editor.

[00:18:24] And by God's grace, he was so kind.

[00:18:26] He said, okay, send me the proposal.

[00:18:29] And then he presented it to his team.

[00:18:31] So what was the proposal?

[00:18:33] What was the place on your heart to write about?

[00:18:37] I had always known that there was something sacred about scripture.

[00:18:43] He had me love it, I think, and that I wrote it out and thought about it.

[00:18:48] But there was an intellectual hurdle in my mind.

[00:18:53] Is it all true?

[00:18:54] All 66 books?

[00:18:55] How about the Gospel of Thomas?

[00:18:57] Who put it together?

[00:18:58] And are you sure you chose that human author?

[00:19:01] How about the autographs or the originals?

[00:19:03] If they're not around, then are there mistakes that aren't consistent?

[00:19:07] How about the women caught in the act of adultery?

[00:19:09] It's not in the oldest manuscripts.

[00:19:11] And so I started thinking, I can't comport my experience with what I know.

[00:19:19] And so when I started to ask those questions, I was scared.

[00:19:26] And those questions were probably even before I got married.

[00:19:30] After I got married, before I had Josephine, around that time, God started pressing in

[00:19:35] my heart, ask me.

[00:19:38] I love that.

[00:19:39] Because he wants us to come to him with all of our doubts.

[00:19:42] Right, and he wants to give us the answers.

[00:19:44] Amen.

[00:19:45] He does.

[00:19:46] And he started sending me books and people.

[00:19:49] So I had been digging for a good 15 years by that point.

[00:19:54] So the proposal was based on about 15 years of my own research that I had been doing,

[00:20:00] and on the history of the Bible, and how my own story and the story of the weaving of

[00:20:05] Scripture intersect in the way that I wrote it.

[00:20:10] And so I remember I actually, because I didn't know the title of it, but I read it when it

[00:20:14] was in manuscript form when you gave it to Brian.

[00:20:17] So I remember.

[00:20:18] And what is the title?

[00:20:19] It's called Light of the Word.

[00:20:21] Light of the Word.

[00:20:22] Okay, well, we will add this in the show notes.

[00:20:25] Yes, we will.

[00:20:26] Keep going.

[00:20:27] Yes.

[00:20:28] It's like, don't stop now.

[00:20:29] Tell us more.

[00:20:30] Oh no, so you read it in the manuscript form.

[00:20:31] I read it.

[00:20:32] I read, I think, only the first maybe four or five chapters.

[00:20:35] But the inner weaving I loved because there's something about not just having it be facts,

[00:20:42] but when you're telling it in your own life and your questions and your experience, I think

[00:20:49] it makes it more palatable and I think more fascinating.

[00:20:54] Thank you.

[00:20:55] Well, I felt like for me there was no other way to tell it.

[00:21:00] And I am in seminary now, so I'm doing my MA in Bible exposition.

[00:21:06] And I think I'm going to do an MDiv.

[00:21:08] I'm not sure.

[00:21:09] And maybe I'll do a PhD in New Testament.

[00:21:11] I'm not sure.

[00:21:12] But despite the degrees, I want to always learn.

[00:21:17] And there's so much to learn.

[00:21:19] The Bible is not like a literary masterpiece that we can conquer.

[00:21:22] That's right.

[00:21:23] It's living and active.

[00:21:24] And it's not a once through either.

[00:21:27] I'm going to just read through all of it.

[00:21:30] Fresh, new.

[00:21:31] And again, if it's not mixed with faith, it doesn't, you know, it's not a magical book.

[00:21:38] You know, and I know people who use it like an amulet and it's like, nope.

[00:21:42] Well, it just seems like the questions that kept coming to you all those years.

[00:21:46] Again, God has used bullies and those questions seemed sort of a bully that, did God really

[00:21:53] say?

[00:21:54] And so that prompts…

[00:21:56] The ultimate bully said that very thing.

[00:21:59] Exactly.

[00:22:00] And I was just thinking how Isaiah, how he says he gives us the treasures in darkness.

[00:22:06] So when you are in that place of questioning, it is a sort of darkness.

[00:22:12] And we should never be afraid because God welcomes our inner…

[00:22:16] He wants us to come to Him.

[00:22:17] We draw near to God, He will draw near to us.

[00:22:21] So then you pursued that and in your journey, you're showing the readers the vibrancy

[00:22:30] of God's Spirit working and it's conquering the bullies in a way of like, here's what's

[00:22:38] true and moving forward in your faith.

[00:22:42] Yeah.

[00:22:43] I would say that in the last decade if we're going to sum it up, what God's been teaching

[00:22:48] me is that the quiet moments with Him are the best moments of this life.

[00:22:54] And so it surpasses even the sweetest moments with my husband or my kids or being on a stage.

[00:23:01] Or publishing a book or anything.

[00:23:04] It's just Him and it makes us yearn for home.

[00:23:08] And so someone said that we're all walking each other home and I feel like, man, collectively

[00:23:13] Cheryl…

[00:23:14] I mean you're doing amazing things all over the world and Brian and Robin and Johnny that

[00:23:19] I got to meet this morning is this incredible man.

[00:23:22] And you know, just we're light so that so many people can come to salvation and we can

[00:23:27] all go home and be with Him forever.

[00:23:30] So if there's one thing I would encourage the readers is spend time with Him.

[00:23:35] Spend time in the scriptures and just let Him love you and then love Him back.

[00:23:41] Now I have one last question because we're down to the last minute.

[00:23:44] But I want to ask you, do you think, because I think the questions that you had are so poignant

[00:23:54] and relatable to students today, both Christian and non-Christian.

[00:23:58] Do you think your experience in the classroom with these young people as well as your own

[00:24:03] questions helped you to formulate and write this book?

[00:24:08] Absolutely.

[00:24:09] So we hear about the rapid rate of deconversion and you can just tell students who like you

[00:24:15] said are there because their parents are paying their tuition and you just want so much for

[00:24:20] them to have living water.

[00:24:23] And so it was something concrete that I wanted to give students who are searching.

[00:24:29] Absolutely.

[00:24:30] Because you know that the Bible is not just to be read, but as you said, it's to be experienced.

[00:24:38] It's to be lived out and the more you let it have that authority and that quality of

[00:24:46] life of speaking to you, convicting, it just makes such a difference.

[00:24:51] Thank you so much, Susan, for being on with us, telling your testimony.

[00:24:56] We're so excited to see what the Lord has next for you.

[00:24:59] I know you're speaking at places which is amazing.

[00:25:03] So she spoke at our church and it was fantastic.

[00:25:06] So thank you again, Susan.

[00:25:08] Thank you listeners for joining us.

[00:25:11] Thank you for listening to Women Worth Knowing with Cheryl Brodersen and Robin Jones-Gunn.

[00:25:16] For more information on Cheryl, visit CherylBrodersen.com or follow her on Instagram or Facebook.

[00:25:22] For more information on Robin, visit RobinGunn.com or follow her on Instagram or Facebook.

[00:25:27] Join us each week for a lively conversation as we explore the lives of well-known and

[00:25:32] not so well-known historical and contemporary Christian women.

[00:25:36] If you think there is a woman worth knowing, we'd love to hear from you.

[00:25:39] Email us at WWK at CCCM.com.

[00:25:45] We hope you've enjoyed today's episode.

[00:25:47] Make sure you rate us on your podcast app, subscribe and share it with a friend.

[00:25:51] Thank you again for listening to Women Worth Knowing with Cheryl Brodersen and Robin Jones-Gunn.

[00:25:57] Women Worth Knowing is a production of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa.