* Conversations with Christian Women * Hosts: Tori Walker and Taryn Hayes chat to women from Australia and around the world about faith, life and ministry. Ordinary women trusting an extraordinary God makes for inspirational stories and great wisdom shared about all aspects of life as a Christian woman.
Episodes
Friday May 29, 2020
Episode 46: Sophie De Witt
Friday May 29, 2020
Friday May 29, 2020
When Sophie De Witt first encountered the gospel of Jesus, she found it strange and unnerving. Despite her initial resistance to what she had deemed intellectually ridiculous - something that would have been reinforced in daily lectures by her uni professor, renowned atheist, Richard Dawkins - Sophie became less convinced of her own position as she encountered more evidence for the truth of the Bible. It was God working through friends and evangelists like Rico Tice and John Chapman that led her to finally put her trust in Jesus. Listen to her story here as she speaks to Taryn Hayes of how she has learned to cling to Christ more and more through many of life’s obstacles..
EPISODE NOTES
Like so many, Sophie De Witt finally committed her life to trusting Jesus after hearing a series of talks in the UK by the much-loved, Australian evangelist, Chappo. Today, she partners with her husband, Chris, in a number of gospel ways including raising their three children, Molly, Zach and JoJo, in South Africa. Together with others, Chris and Sophie are co-founders of Hope Training Course, Hope Central Church and of Grace Primary School, a school following a Charlotte Mason approach to education. Whilst facing health issues, ADD and an increasingly frustrating struggle with what she calls ‘Compulsive Comparison Syndrome’, Sophie undertook to find out what the Bible had to say about her struggle. Compared to Her (The Good Book Company) is the result of her research. She is also the author of a discipleship Bible-reading handbook called One to One: Discipleship Handbook (Authentic Media). On her days off, she loves going on family walks or sightseeing outings, reading and definitely also watching TV, ideally whilst eating chocolate!
This interview was recorded in early 2019.
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macauley
Sophie’s Books: Compared to Her & One to One Handbook
Grow Women’s Conference 2020 – Grow Chats
SHOW SNIPPETS:
"I’d never interrogated my own beliefs about spirituality or life. The more I did, I realised I had no evidence and no coherence in it. More and more, what I was reading in the Bible and (other) seemed coherent. But it meant a big lifestyle change and I wasn’t willing for that. So, what started off as intellectual ended up as being a kind of submission, trust issue. And then it was in my third year, we had a big mission there and it was headed up by none other than Chappo, John Chapman, from Australia…."
"Well, I think what’s encouraging to me, and especially when I talk to young people, and when we did student work, is that I was one of those students who ridiculed, was hostile, rejected, laughed, disagreed. And yet this Lord still got me! (I) encourage people just to persevere. And those are the very people you thank now and for eternity."
"Comparison is something that I struggled with generally … not growing up with a Christian framework."
"From her book, Compared to Her: “I am a recovering Compulsive Comparison Syndrome sufferer. It causes me to feel envy, despair, pride and superiority. It cuts away at my relationship with God, with my loved ones, and with myself. It has promised me contentment, and yet robbed me of it. And although I don’t know you at all, I’m fairly sure you have CCS, too. That’s not meant to sound rude. It’s just that I’ve rarely met a woman who doesn’t struggle with it.”
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Saturday May 09, 2020
Episode 45: Mother’s Day with Tori & Taryn
Saturday May 09, 2020
Saturday May 09, 2020
EPISODE NOTES
As Mother’s Day was approaching this year, Taryn and I had the idea that we could ask our kids some questions about us as mothers and then have a brief chat about Mother’s Day, motherhood and a few associated topics. As we were thinking and chatting about this, we kept deciding not to do it because it just felt a bit awkward to talk about our own roles as mothers and then ask our kids about it. And then we decided to do it, because as podcast listeners we really enjoyed being able to get that behind-the-scenes, lighthearted look about people’s lives, and especially people who we knew a bit through listening to a podcast. So with a sense of awkwardness, we did continue on. We hope that you find it fun and enjoy listening. We certainly found it really instructive, and learnt quite a bit along the way, including how we most embarrass our kids!
On a more serious note, we do begin this episode with a brief discussion around how Mother’s Day began, what we value about it and our thoughts around the question of how to best care for others for whom Mother’s Day is an emotionally difficult day. We hope that you enjoy the episode and that Mother’s Day is a day when you are reminded of the blessing God gives the world in mothers.
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Queensland Theological College
SHOW SNIPPETS:
”I’ve had varying feelings about Mother’s Day over the years… how do we find the balance between honouring mums … and yet take into consideration those for whom Mother’s Day is hard.”
”What would your ideal Mother’s Day look like?"
”My mum was great at enthusing us about good things … I do find myself doing that with my kids.”
”If you could rewind and do things differently as a mum, what would they be?”
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Tuesday May 05, 2020
Episode 44: Karola & Emmeline Williams
Tuesday May 05, 2020
Tuesday May 05, 2020
In this special Mother’s Day episode, Taryn has the pleasure of interviewing Karola Williams and her 18-year-old daughter, Emmeline. They talk about how they became Christians, the importance of one-to-one discipleship, and how both Karola and Emmeline have grown in their understanding and love of Jesus. Hearing from Emmeline about some of her mum's habits that have left a profound impression on her is both inspiring and encouraging.
EPISODE NOTES
Christian families – worldwide – can look different, one from another – and that’s totally okay. And yet, there is a common mandate and that is for parents to raise their children in the knowledge and fear of the Lord, to share the gospel with them, and to teach them God’s Word. It’s a colossal task that is daunting and yet also a joy and a privilege. In this episode, we get to sneak a peek at what that has looked like in the Williams household by hearing from a mum, Karola, and one of her daughters, Emmeline. Why? Well, with Mother’s Day on the horizon, Tori and Taryn saw the opportunity to learn from others: not only how Jesus has rescued them, but also how they are passing the love and knowledge of God down to their own children. We personally love learning from other mums, but this episode allowed us a glimpse into the heart of a daughter who has learned from her mum. Perhaps the most striking thing is hearing how some of the most simple habits of this mum have left an enormous, gospel-sustaining impression on her daughter.
***
About Karola and Emmeline Williams
Karola started life out in Namibia, but love and marriage brought her to the shores of Australia. She and her husband, David, and their three children, Emmeline, Charlotte and Elliot, settled in Brisbane eight years ago. For many years, Karola worked as a goldsmith, but her commitments to her family changed her focus. Nowadays, Karola’s focus includes sharing her passion in one-to-one ministry. She serves together with her family at Christ Central in Eatons Hill, Brisbane.
Emmeline is an 18-year-old nursing student. She is also a homeschool graduate, who went on to experience the YouthWork’s Year 13 programme in 2019. Emmeline serves in the music team and as a youth leader of year 7 girls at their family church, Christ Central in Eatons Hill, Brisbane.
Both Emmeline and Karola are passionate about the gospel, reading the Bible and great literature. Their shared favourite things include To Kill A Mockingbird and quiet spots to relax and think.
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Jen Wilkin’s books available at: The Wandering Bookseller, Koorong, Amazon
Jack Klumpenhower: Show Them Jesus
Paul E Miller: The Praying Life
SHOW SNIPPETS:
”And I’m so amazed at this God that we serve and Jesus who we follow, or try to very feebly, who is so gracious and merciful to us and loving and kind and you know, a lifetime is not enough to, to know.”
”And my pastor just in his sermon explained the gospel and it just made so much sense. And I just remember sitting there thinking, ah, so that’s what Jesus was on about. That’s why you died. And yeah it definitely took a few years for it to sink in. But I think through especially youth ministry, and the way that God used people in my life and through his word. I think I was about 15 when I kind of realised that if all of this is true, it needs to change my life in some way or have an impact on my life.”
”I think when we first started going to this church, I kept hearing people talk about getting together and reading the Bible. And I couldn’t imagine what that looks like. So one day I asked this lady in our church, can you show me what that looks like? I need to see, you know, experience it. And she didn’t have the time to take on another thing. So she gave me this book, which is called Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin and it was such a life changing book for me because it shows you how to read the Bible, which so much of the Christian life is about it being modelled to others, isn’t it. Jesus walked with his disciples and made his disciples for three years and he calls us to do the same.”
”You have, in the last few years, really modelled the importance of reading the Bible with people and I think that’s really inspired me.”
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