Above All Love: Devotional Blog

There is something transformative about the air at Newbattle Abbey College. This week, I took a step that feels like a deep breath for the soul: I officially started Prescribe Nature . ​If you haven’t heard of it, Prescribe Nature is an 8-week outdoor wellbeing programme designed for adults who need a little extra support—whether that’s improving mental health, reducing social isolation, or simply building back lost confidence. It’s held in the stunning, peaceful woodlands of Newbattle, and honestly, the setting alone feels like medicine. ​ Why I’m Here ​We all go through seasons where life feels a bit too loud or a bit too heavy. For me, this journey is about reconnecting with nature on a personal level. I’m looking to improve my overall wellbeing and grow through an experience that feels calming, supportive, and empowering. ​And as a lovely bonus? It turns out this journey also leads to a recognised award! 😊 ​ Week One: Learning to Breathe Again ​The focus of this ...

1. Volunteering – Walk for Autism Completed previously. ✅ 2. Fitness – Nature Walk Evidence: Getting outside and connecting with nature is something I find genuinely grounding. 3. Hobby – The Digital Parish & Daily Office This week's hobby evidence continues to come in the form of prayer, though using the Northumbria Community Office less. I've been documenting my faith reflections here on the blog as I go, which ties in beautifully with this Digital Parish project.  4. Personal Challenge Previously submitted. ✅ 5. Lifestyle – Sensory & Advocacy This covers a lot of ground, and this week felt particularly full in the best way. On the sensory side, I'm continuing to manage daily regulation using my Squiggle Society and other art supplies, fidgets, and planned sensory snacks. The Finch app has also been a really helpful tool for keeping up with routines — small steps, but they add up. Currently on a 90 day streak.  This week I also started doin...

WELCOME Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told. This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be healed, or feeling anything in particular today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this. If you need to move, or step away and come back later — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here. HYMN We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on. Breathe on me, Breath of God, Fill me with life anew, That I may love what thou dost love, And do what thou wouldst do. — Edwin Hatch PRAYER Loving God, Thank you that you do not wait for us to be well before you notice us. Thank you that in the middle of our years — in the middle of our waiting, our weariness, our half-lived lives — you are not absent. Revive us today, not in some distant future, but her...

🏅 Week 13  This is my weekly evidence check-in for the Mencap Gateway Bronze Award. Week 13 has been a big one — not just for the award, but for our family. Here's a round-up of everything covered this week. 1. Volunteering – Walk for Autism 🚶 Evidence submitted and completed previously. Nothing further to add — this section is wrapped up.  2. Fitness – Nature Walk 🌿 This week's fitness evidence is a nature photo.  This week's highlight: We had a caravan holiday with the family at an autism-friendly caravan site!  Time outdoors, time together, and a change of scenery — exactly the kind of nature activity that covers this section beautifully. 3. Hobby – The Digital Parish & Daily Office 📖🙏 Continuing with daily prayer but not exclusively Northumbria Community Office anymore though. I'm also documenting reflections here on this blog. This is an ongoing rhythm that feeds both the spirit an...

    WELCOME Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told. This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be hopeful, or certain, or even feel particularly faithful today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this. If you need to move, or step away and come back later — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here. HYMN We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on. Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide; When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me. — Henry Francis Lyte PRAYER Loving God, Thank you that you walk beside us even when we do not know it is you. Thank you that you ask us questions and listen to our answers, and do not tell us off for getting things wrong. ...

It’s Sunday again, which means it is time to check in on my progress for the Mencap Gateway Bronze Award . This week has been a whirlwind of advocacy, emotional deep-dives, and family time. Here is the breakdown of my evidence for Week 12. ​1. Volunteering: Walk for Autism ​ Status: Completed. I submitted the final evidence for this section last week. It feels great to have this milestone officially ticked off! ​2. Fitness: Nature Walk ​ Evidence: ​ Highlight: I spent some quality time at Newhailes Park with the kids this week while Sarah and Solomon were at a hospital appointment. It was the perfect opportunity to get exercise in and enjoy the fresh air. ​3. Hobby: The Digital Parish & Prayer ​ Activity: Daily prayer using the Northumbria Office has fallen by the way a bit. But, I dip into prayer, particularly about family health and peace in the world.  I have been in touch with a ministry about a pos...

WELCOME Welcome to Above All Love. This is Simply Fellowship — the Good News, quietly told. This is a gentle space. No pressure, no performance. You don't have to have it together to be here. You don't have to be eloquent, or certain, or spiritually sorted. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this. If you need to move, or step away and come back later — that's completely fine. There's no right way to be here. Just be here. HYMN We begin with a hymn verse. Read it slowly. You might want to sit with each line before moving on. Depth of mercy! Can there be Mercy still reserved for me? Can my God his wrath forbear? Me, the chief of sinners, spare? — Charles Wesley PRAYER Loving God, Thank you that you are the one who searches. Thank you that when we are lost — even when we don't know we are lost — you have not stopped looking. Help us today to hear the sound of that search reaching us where we are. And may we know that when we ar...

In the heart of the Holy Land, a community that traces its roots back to the very first disciples is crying out. Pastor Munther Isaac of Bethlehem recently issued a poignant challenge to the global church: "We are broken... Are you listening?" ​To understand the reality of the war and the yearning for peace, we must look beyond the headlines and listen to the people living it. Here is a collation of voices—from high-ranking clergy to the children of Gaza—speaking their truth. ​🏛️ From the Pulpit: The Moral Compass ​The spiritual leaders of Palestine view the current conflict not just as a political crisis, but as a profound theological test for the world. ​ Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac (Lutheran): "Gaza is the moral compass of the world. We either side with the logic of power and ruthlessness... or you side with the victims of oppression and injustice. It is a simple choice: you either support a genocide, or you cry out: No!" ​ The Patriarchs and Heads...

The "Security" Paradox: Why the Christian "Third Way" is Disappearing ​The debate over the West Bank often hits a wall of very real fear: the concern that a power vacuum would inevitably be filled by Hamas. This is a security challenge that no one—regardless of their politics—can ignore. ​But as we move through early 2026, there is a perspective from the ground that is missing from this high-level debate. For the Christian community in the Holy Land, the current definition of "security" has become a vice, squeezing the life out of one of the world's oldest faith communities. ​1. The Paradox of Presence ​The military presence in the West Bank is often framed as a shield against a Hamas takeover. However, for those living there, this presence is resulting in the very thing security is meant to prevent: the loss of innocent life and the destabilization of daily existence. ​When snipers are positioned on the roof of a Christian school or tear gas cani...

The "how" of war does not change the "what" of suffering. Regardless of the political lens through which one views the Middle East, a devastating reality has emerged in early 2026: we are witnessing the potential erasure of one of the world’s oldest Christian communities. ​From the besieged ruins of Gaza to the volatile streets of the West Bank and the rocket-strained Galilee, the word "safety" has become a relic of the past. ​Gaza: A Community on the Brink ​Before the current conflict, the Christian community in Gaza was already tiny—roughly 1,000 people . Today, that number is shrinking at a rate that signals an existential threat. ​ The Casualty Count: Nearly 5% of Gaza’s entire Christian population has been killed in just over two years. ​ Direct Military Action: Approximately 25–35 Christians have died due to airstrikes, shelling, or sniper fire. This includes the 18 people lost during the October 2023 strike on the St. Porphyrius Greek Orth...

The question that comes up almost every year:  Is Easter pagan? Yes, a little bit.  But before you either panic or gloat about that, sit down — because Easter is actually the least interesting part of this story. The word Easter almost certainly derives from Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility. The eggs and the bunny were her symbols long before they were in any chocolate shop. The date floats around the spring equinox, tied to the first full moon after it — a calculation that would have felt very familiar to any ancient nature-worshipper. So yes, there's pagan DNA in Easter. A little bit. But here's the thing. If Easter's pagan borrowings bother you, you have a much bigger problem. Because the rabbit hole goes a great deal deeper than one spring holiday. The calendar on your wall is entirely pagan. Every day of the week is named after a pagan deity. Sunday honours the Sun. Monday the Moon. Tuesday is Tyr, the Norse god of war. Wednesday is Woden — the An...

Weekly Reflections: Milestone Moments & Autism Acceptance ​ ​Welcome to this week’s update! Week 11 has been a massive one, aligning perfectly with Autism Acceptance Week . Between hitting physical milestones and staying on top of the "life admin" that keeps things running smoothly, it’s been a productive and meaningful seven days. ​1. Volunteering: Walk for Autism ​This week marked the official Walk for Autism . I am thrilled to report that I’ve been clocking up the steps and officially completed the challenge on Autism Acceptance Day . It felt incredibly rewarding to finish such a significant personal goal on a day that means so much to the community. ​ Status: Completed & Submitted. ​2. Fitness: Nature Walk ​Staying active remains a priority for my physical and mental well-being. This week’s fitness focus was nature walks, allowing me to decompress and appreciate the outdoors. ​ Evidence:   ​3. Hobby: The ...

"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here — He is risen!" — Luke 24:5-6 The stone was rolled away not to let Jesus out — He needed no door. It was rolled away so we could look in and see that death had lost. The grave could not hold the Author of Life. Every fear, every failure, every Friday you have ever lived — He has conquered it all. The empty tomb is not the end of the story. For those who follow Him, it is only ever the beginning. He is risen. He is risen indeed. And because He lives, so shall we. CÀISG SHONA DHUT / HAPPY EASTER "A-nis thog Dia an Tighearna agus togaidh e cuideachd sinne le a chumhachd / And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power..." (1st Corinthians 6:14)

Used with kind permission from Included by Grace