The Salty Gaijin

2024 Reflections: The Year of God's Provision

Send us a textHappy 2025, everybody! In this special New Year’s episode, Brittany gives a little life update while reflecting on the past year. 2024 was a year of change, full of challenges and blessings. But more than that, it was a year of God’s provision. Brittany shares how God worked in her life this past year, and how blessing can be born out of trials and hardship. The lesson: when you step out in faith, God shows up for you.Support the showBecome a supporter! --> Buy Me a Coffee!Follow me on social media at: Facebook X Instagram / Threads Music by Oleksii Kaplunskyi from Pixabay. Music by Jiwon (Musician) Nahee (Graphic Designer) from Pixabay.

Overwork is Overrated: Work Culture in Japan, the U.S., and Ministry

Send us a textIn this episode, Brittany addresses the issue of overwork in Japan, the U.S., and ministry. While some of the statistics may seem a bit distressing on the surface, there’s also hope for work. As always, Brittany looks at how the Bible talks about work and explores how God has redeemed work for us. Work is good! Overwork is what’s unhealthy for us. --------------------Show Notes and References:How overwork is literally killing us - BBC WorklifeAmerican Work Habits People in Other Countries Resist (businessinsider.com)Japanese Work Culture: Here's How to Survive | Japan Dev (japan-dev.com)Four-day week: Which countries have embraced it and how’s it going so far? | Euronews Should Christians Keep the Sabbath? (bibleproject.com)3 Reasons to Practice Sabbath Rest | Theology of WorkLaziness or Overwork: for Church Staff, Which Is Worse? | JD Greear Ministries5 SURPRISING REASONS PASTORS OVERWORK - Converge CoachingBooks:Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again (Ruth Haley Barton)Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work (Timothy Keller)--------------------Support the showBecome a supporter! --> Buy Me a Coffee!Follow me on social media at: Facebook X Instagram / Threads Music by Oleksii Kaplunskyi from Pixabay. Music by Jiwon (Musician) Nahee (Graphic Designer) from Pixabay.

"Demon Slayer," Season 3: Femininity, Disability, Trauma, and Jesus-Archetype 2.0

Send us a textWe're back with my friend Rei to discuss Demon Slayer (again)! The most recent season was jam-packed, full of new characters and new troubles. But we were most surprised by the discussions that season 3 stirred up. Rei and Brittany get deep with some hard-hitting topics: female expectations in media, addressing disability and the treatment of disabled people, and defining clinical trauma and its characteristics. Plus, have we found a new Jesus-archetype in Demon Slayer? **Spoiler Warning**Rei and I are very explicit on the storyline, characters, and details of Season 3. If you have not yet seen Season 3 of Demon Slayer/Kimetsu no Yaiba (Swordsmith Village Arc) and DON'T want to be spoiled, skip this episode and give it a listen after you've seen Season 3.Otherwise, please enjoy!--------------------Support the showBecome a supporter! --> Buy Me a Coffee!Follow me on social media at: Facebook X Instagram / Threads Music by Oleksii Kaplunskyi from Pixabay. Music by Jiwon (Musician) Nahee (Graphic Designer) from Pixabay.

Crazy Summer and The Importance of Sabbath Rest

Send us a textIn this episode, Brittany shares a little bit about what’s going on in her life this summer. Her church has been hosting two college interns, and extreme heat has overtaken the Kansai area. Plus, after 3.5 years, Brittany finally caught COVID-19. Being sick at home for a week gave her a lot of time to think, especially about Sabbath rest. Take a listen to find out some of the reasons why keeping the Sabbath is so important (for Christians and non-Christians alike).---Show Notes and References:Mentioned Book --> Spiritual Disciplines Handbook (Adele Ahlberg Calhoun)Music by Oleksii Kaplunskyi and Jiwon (Musician) Nahee (Graphic Designer) from Pixabay.Support the showBecome a supporter! --> Buy Me a Coffee!Follow me on social media at: Facebook X Instagram / Threads Music by Oleksii Kaplunskyi from Pixabay. Music by Jiwon (Musician) Nahee (Graphic Designer) from Pixabay.

AI Generators and the Relationship Between Creation and Creator

Send us a textIn this episode, Brittany discusses the recent boom in AI generators. She shares her perspective on the pros and cons of AI generators from the perspective of a writer and content creator, walks through some of the legal and ethical questions surrounding AI-generated content, and addresses the ultimate question: will AI take over the world? Looking at the biblical concepts of God and creation in Genesis 1 and 2, Brittany makes her case for humanity over AI.Music by Oleksii Kaplunskyi and  Jiwon (Musician) Nahee (Graphic Designer) from Pixabay.Show Notes and References:Links:OpenAIIntroducing ChatGPT (openai.com)Pros and Cons of AI-Generated Content | TechTargetAI Generated Art Is A Copyright, Ethical And Working Dystopia (kotaku.com)New AI classifier for indicating AI-written text (openai.com)Support the showBecome a supporter! --> Buy Me a Coffee!Follow me on social media at: Facebook X Instagram / Threads Music by Oleksii Kaplunskyi from Pixabay. Music by Jiwon (Musician) Nahee (Graphic Designer) from Pixabay.