Above All Love: Devotional Blog

​ Adapted into Easy English from "What Is Nonresistance?" by Tom Lock. Originally published at nonresistance.org and shared freely for all. ​Where the Word Comes From ​The word "nonresistance" comes directly from the Bible. In the book of Matthew, Jesus says: ​"Do not fight back against someone who does evil to you. If someone hits you on the right cheek, let them hit the other cheek too. If someone takes your coat, give them your jacket as well. Love your enemies. Pray for people who hurt you." ​What Nonresistance Means ​Nonresistance is more than just avoiding fights. It is more than staying calm when someone is cruel to you. ​Nonresistance means: ​ Refusing to hurt someone back when they hurt you. ​ Trying to do good to all people, in every situation. ​ Working toward forgiveness , kindness, and love—always. ​ Staying away from all violence, all wars, and all hate. ​ Remember: Nonresistance is not about doing nothing. I...

Welcome back to the blog! It has been another busy, fulfilling week of routine, growth, and reconnecting with nature. As Sunday rolls around, it’s time to check in, reflect, and share my Week 17 evidence for the Mencap Gateway Bronze Award , alongside updates on my other weekly activities. ​Here is how everything shaped up this week: ​🌟 Mencap Gateway Bronze Award: Week 17 Checklist ​ 1. Volunteering (Walk for Autism): Completed previously. ​ 2. Fitness (Nature Walk): Kept up with my steps and physical activity in nature.  ​ 3. Hobby (The Digital Parish & Prayers): Continued my rhythm of praying and documenting my reflections on faith right here on the blog. It remains a grounding anchor for my week. ​ 4. Personal Challenge: Previously submitted and completed. ​ 5. Lifestyle (Sensory & Advocacy): I have been actively managing my daily regulation using my Squiggle Society and other art supplies, fidgets, and sensory snacks. ...

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 need to have your theology sorted to be here. You don't need to feel worthy, or confident, or certain of your standing before God. ​You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this — carrying whatever you carry, however long you've been carrying it. ​If you need to read slowly, or stop and come back — 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. ​Not the labours of my hands Can fulfil thy law's demands; Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears for ever flow, All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and thou alone. ​— Augustus Toplady, Rock of Ages ​Prayer ​Gracious God, ​Thank you that you do not ask us to earn what we could n...

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 need to have answers about buildings or belonging, or about where God is or isn't. You don't need to have a church to come back to, or feel the loss of one that has gone. ​You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this — in a home, in a garden, on a phone in a waiting room, or anywhere else entirely. ​If you need to read slowly, or stop and come back — 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. ​O thou not made with hands, Not throned above the skies, Nor walled with shining walls, Nor framed with stones of price, More bright than gold or gem, God's own Jerusalem. — F. T. Palgrave ​Prayer ​Living God, ​Thank you that you are not conf...

Welcome back to the weekly roundup! It is Sunday, which means it’s time for our 5-minute evidence check-in for the Mencap Gateway Bronze Award . This week has been a rich blend of outdoor education, sensory management, and spiritual reflection. ​Here is the breakdown of activities and evidence for Week 16: ​1. Volunteering: Walk for Autism ​ Status: Completed and submitted previously. ​2. Fitness: Nature Walks & The Great Outdoors ​This week’s fitness has been heavily integrated with my studies at Newbattle Abbey College and a family trip.  ​ Activity: Woodland walks and exploration. ​ Highlights: ​A family trip to the Royal Botanic Gardens over the holiday weekend. ​Continued the Prescribe Nature course, which involved a significant amount of movement while building wellbeing in the outdoors. ​3. Hobby: The Digital Parish & Daily Office ​I have found myself returning to the Northumbria Community Daily Office . Ther...

There are many church buildings on the market in Scotland. Many have been converted into other things. Whilst this seems sad on some level from a historic and cultural point of view. In some cases it is sad on a spiritual point of view. However, the buildings are just that. Bricks and mortar. Man made constructs: ​1. Acts 7:48 (Stephen's Speech) ​While defending his faith, Stephen says: ​ "However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says..." ​He then immediately quotes Isaiah 66:1-2 , which provides the Old Testament foundation for this thought: ​ "Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me?" ​2. Acts 17:24 (Paul in Athens) ​Addressing a city filled with magnificent marble temples (like the Parthenon), Paul states: ​ "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands." ​The Theo...

For over 800 years, the right to be tried by a jury of one’s peers has been the "golden thread" of British liberty. It was the ultimate safety valve—a way for 12 ordinary citizens to stand between a defendant and the power of the state. ​But as we navigate 2026, that thread is being cut in the name of "efficiency" and "order." ​ "No free man is to be arrested, or imprisoned... except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land." — Magna Carta, Clause 39 (1215) ​1. The Rise of the "Swift Courts" ​Under the Courts and Tribunals Bill 2026 , the government has introduced judge-only "Swift Courts" for mid-level ("either-way") offences. Previously, a defendant could choose a jury trial for crimes like criminal damage or public order offences. Now, that choice is gone. We are moving toward a system where the state is both the accuser and the sole judge, removing the "judgment of ...

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 certain, or hopeful, or even very present today. You're welcome exactly as you are, wherever you are reading this. If you need to read slowly, or stop and come back — 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. Just as I am, without one plea, But that thy blood was shed for me, And that thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. — Charlotte Elliott Prayer Loving God, Thank you that you do not wait for us to deserve welcome before you offer it. Thank you that your arms are already open before we have finished our...

🌿 Prescribe Nature — A New Beginning This week something exciting started: I enrolled on the Prescribe Nature course, an 8-week outdoor wellbeing programme at the beautiful Newbattle Abbey College woodlands. The course is designed for adults who would benefit from time in nature — to improve mental health, reduce social isolation, and build confidence through therapeutic outdoor activities. There's also the opportunity to gain a recognised award at the end. For me, it's about reconnecting with nature, improving my wellbeing, and growing in a calming, supportive, and empowering space. This week we learned to slow down — to explore, collect, and identify things in nature. We set up tents, tied knots, and put up hammocks. It was a beautiful reminder that life doesn't have to rush. There was real creativity, real joy, and real peace in just being present outdoors. 👉 Read more about my first session here: Slowing Down — My Journey Begins ✅ Evidence Summary for Week...