The After Dinner Mint

We're sharing our fashion frustrations in this episode. We're Millennials and Gen Z has opinions about what we should be wearing. We don't want to be Regina's Mum in Mean Girls trying to keep up with teenagers, but we also don't want to be the Eighties Dad, who kept wearing his acid washed jeans long after everyone else moved on. We're grappling with changing bodies and lifestyles as well as fear of seeming frivolous in theologically conservative circles. We believe God made the world beautiful and it is okay to enjoy beautiful things. Think of this as part two of the conversation: Awe is Not a Side Hustle [https://storiesidtellyouatdinner.substack.com/p/issue-27-awe-is-not-a-side-hustle]. Let's break it down. What are we even wearing anymore?! Today, we explore: 🎧 What we were wearing in the 2000s (and would never go back to!) 🎧 Our current and longstanding frustrations with getting dressed 🎧 The influences of church culture (90s purity culture! Tee shirts over bathers!) and secular culture (clothes as identity, micro trends, and consumer culture) on getting dressed. 🎧 Gospel truths that encourage us as we make choices about what to wear 🎧 The nitty gritty: what's helping us get dressed right now. You can check out the show notes [https://www.storiesidtellyouatdinner.com.au/podcast/wearing-s2-e16] for everything mentioned in the episode, including our bios AND a full transcript at the bottom of the show notes. If you enjoyed this episode, sign up for honest stories [https://storiesidtellyouatdinner.substack.com/] in your inbox on Wednesdays (March through November) from local Christian women. It's all free 💛 If you want to send us compliments or constructive suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. If you love the podcast, writing a review on Apple Podcasts or leaving a five star review Spotify helps other women find us. Thank you! Music: Come Back by Ketsa [https://ketsa.uk/]. Licensed under a Creative Commons License Non-Commercial, No-Derivatives 4.0 International License [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/].

Today I'm chatting with Anna Pretorius—a mother of four, unexpected pastors wife at Kingscross Church [https://www.kingscrosschurch.com.au/], and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant. Anna was born in the jungle in Papua New Guinea as the daughter of missionaries and moved to Japan when she was six years old. Anna is delightfully funny and honest about the desire to be the strong one and build her own kingdom. She describes the fear underneath her frenetic busyness that she could not trust God to care for her. God humbled her to know his power and authority and Anna explains how this transformed her life. She shares how she navigates working in the Diversity and Inclusion space and how Christians can navigate these spaces remembering how all kinds of people flocked to Jesus, he was attractive to them, but he was also challenging and convicting. In today's episode, we explore: * Growing up in Papua New Guinea and Japan as the child of missionaries and returning to Australia when her younger sister was born with multiple disabilities. * The joys Anna gets from being fully present with others—her children, running Alpha courses for people to get to know Jesus, and in her role in Diversity and Inclusion. * She shared about her mother's faith as the one that inspired and encouraged her, watching her write songs and sing to Jesus, and her joy, in amongst caring for her daughter with a disability, and her dying husband. * Anna shared the fear underneath her frenetic busyness that she could not trust God to care for her. She tells us how God humbled her to know his power and authority and how this transformed her life. You can check out the show notes [https://www.storiesidtellyouatdinner.com.au/podcast/anna-pretorius-s2-e15] for everything mentioned in the episode. If you enjoyed this episode, sign up for honest stories [https://storiesidtellyouatdinner.substack.com/] in your inbox on Wednesdays (March through November) from local Christian women. It's all free 💛 If you want to send us compliments or constructive suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. If you love the podcast, writing a review on Apple Podcasts or leaving a five star review Spotify helps other women find us. Thank you! Music: Come Back by Ketsa [https://ketsa.uk/]. Licensed under a Creative Commons License Non-Commercial, No-Derivatives 4.0 International License [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/].

Today's episode is about awe and creativity, remembering God made the world beautiful. We can image him though creating beautiful things. We tend to get stuck thinking that hobbies and creativity are only useful if they are a side hustle. So today, Maddy, Rach and Bec chat about incorporating creativity, beauty, and awe into our everyday lives. Today, Maddy, Rach & Bec explore: 🎧 Things we love to do, not because we are good at it, or getting paid for it. 🎧 Challenges we face in our culture and church communities around creativity 🎧 Gospel truths that help us pursue creativity and awe 🎧 The nitty gritty: how we pursue awe and creativity in our everyday lives. If you prefer to read, the transcript of the episode is at the bottom of the show notes 👍🏻 Also, if this chat resonated with you, can I commend Origin Collective [https://www.instagram.com/_origin.collective_/] to you? They're a ministry of Freo Church [https://fremantle.church/] that serves to equip and encourage Christian creatives. They run so many beautiful workshops and live music shows. Get onto it! Bios * Bec is married to Zac and they have three boys. She became a Christian at 18 years old after someone read the gospel of Luke with her. She trained as a Clinical Psychologist before founding Stories I'd Tell You at Dinner and The After Dinner Mint podcast. She is a regular contributor to Part Time Poets [https://parttimepoets.substack.com/] and The Gospel Coalition Australia [https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/profile/bec-f/]. Her spiritual gift is losing things. You can find more at The Sunday Morning Snuggle [https://thesundaymorningsnuggle.substack.com/]. * Rach is a part time Emergency Clinical Nurse, full time wife and mum. She works in a metro emergency department and thrives on the adrenaline filled atmosphere of the critical care environment. On her days off, she's ferrying her three kids to school and their various activities, listening to podcasts with one AirPod in, sending memes to her husband, and dreaming about what to cook for dinner. * Maddy Rhodes is married to Robbie. Together they delight in their four year old son, baby daughter, and very sooky dog. She loves to read, run, drink coffee, and generally spend time with her family and friends. Maddy understands herself as a sinner in need of grace, and feels continually blessed to know the Lord Jesus as she wrestles with the task of endeavouring to rely not on herself, but on him. If you enjoyed this episode, sign up for honest stories [https://storiesidtellyouatdinner.substack.com/] in your inbox on Wednesdays (March through November) from local Christian women. It's all free 💛 If you want to send us compliments or constructive suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. If you love the podcast, writing a review on Apple Podcasts or leaving a five star review Spotify helps other women find us. Thank you! Music: Come Back by Ketsa [https://ketsa.uk/]. Licensed under a Creative Commons License Non-Commercial, No-Derivatives 4.0 International License [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/].

Today I'm chatting with Miriam da Silva—a mother of four (Mariah Hlatywayo's Mum!), grandmother to one, former journalist who is now a Primary School teacher. Miriam was born in Sri Lanka and grew up very religious in the Catholic church. She described having faith in God, attending daily mass and reading her Bible, but not understanding the good news of the gospel or having a relationship with Jesus Christ. She migrated to Australia in her forties with her husband and four children after civil unrest in Sri Lanka. Not long after migrating, she lost her job as the family breadwinner, had a shoulder injury at work, and experienced financial difficulties, but in the process she met Jesus. In today's episode, we explore: * Growing up very religious in the Catholic faith in Sri Lanka, working as a journalist, having faith in God but not understanding the good news of the gospel or having a relationship with Jesus Christ. * Migrating to Australia in her forties with her husband and four children after civil unrest in Sri Lanka. Not long after migrating, she lost her job as the family breadwinner, had a shoulder injury at work, and experienced financial difficulties, but in the process she met Jesus. * Miriam explained how she came to have a relationship with Jesus, how God provided for her and showed her she is not alone, and the peace this bought to her life. * Miriam has a "job that no one gave me,"—a ministry of phone calls to people who are isolated or going through a hard time. I am obsessed with the intentionality of this ministry and encourage you to consider who you might be able to call and listen to in your own life You can check out the show notes [https://www.storiesidtellyouatdinner.com.au/podcast/miriam-da-silva-s2-e13] for everything mentioned in the episode. If you enjoyed this episode, sign up for honest stories [https://storiesidtellyouatdinner.substack.com/] in your inbox on Wednesdays (March through November) from local Christian women. It's all free 💛 If you want to send us compliments or constructive suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. If you love the podcast, writing a review on Apple Podcasts or leaving a five star review Spotify helps other women find us. Thank you! Music: Come Back by Ketsa [https://ketsa.uk/]. Licensed under a Creative Commons License Non-Commercial, No-Derivatives 4.0 International License [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/].

So today's topic came out of our Ask Me Anything: Kids Ministry episode with Josie Rivett [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6WnhkmIYtddTIBBRT1WvwA?si=z1_0vrmDSbe29OKEuYJ2wg] where one of the questions was around pathways into paid kids ministry coordinator roles. Later, I was debriefing with Amy Stopher, who said, "Pathways into paid ministry is a whole podcast topic on its own, you should interview Alexia Horton". Turns out, not only is it a whole podcast topic, it's Alexia's whole job. She's the Women's Ministry Advisor at Trinity Theological College [https://ttc.wa.edu.au/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=10755645087&gbraid=0AAAAACQrEEwmHqZJ4a4wdZlhDVO1u_BeN&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnIDUBhDrARIsAJDGwSvbpnZuoopGCVYZdMnk3Oy5qqsgPw993XaKOkkaBDWxI3qrAZzXUOYaArLxEALw_wcB]. Today, we explore: * Our experience in paid and volunteer ministry roles and the barriers Alexia sees specifically for women seeking theological training, including "you can't be what you can't see," a lack of mentors, and a lack of confidence for women in these roles. * Why the common advice, "study when your kids are grown up," sounds right but often doesn't play nicely when women get to this stage, discussing how seasons of life can clash with ministry training. Alexia suggests some paths through the mountains. * What women who love ministry and thought about going into paid ministry can do to support this goal in different seasons of life and exploring some wrong reasons for pursuing ministry. * Options for women in rural and remote WA on getting trained up in ministry. Check out the http://www.storiesidtellyouatdinner.com.au/podcast/ministry-dollars-alexia-s2-e12show notes [https://www.storiesidtellyouatdinner.com.au/podcast/ministry-dollars-alexia-s2-e12] for everything mentioned in the show. If you prefer to read, the transcript of the episode is at the bottom of the show notes 👍🏻 You can contact Alexia for her delightful women's ministry advice through Trinity Theological College [https://ttc.wa.edu.au/contact/]. If you enjoyed this episode, sign up for honest stories [https://storiesidtellyouatdinner.substack.com/] in your inbox on Wednesdays (March through November) from local Christian women. It's all free 💛 If you want to send us compliments or constructive suggestions, get in touch at [email protected]. If you love the podcast, writing a review on Apple Podcasts or leaving a five star review Spotify helps other women find us. Thank you! Music: Come Back by Ketsa [https://ketsa.uk/]. Licensed under a Creative Commons License Non-Commercial, No-Derivatives 4.0 International License [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/].