Devotions

Welcome back to the weekly roundup! It’s Sunday, which means it is time for our quick 5-minute evidence check-in for the Mencap Gateway Bronze Award. I am officially at Week 19 , and things are progressing beautifully across all sections. ​Here is how the checklist is shaping up this week, along with some exciting new developments in nature connection and pioneering ministry. ​1. Volunteering (Walk for Autism) ​ Status: Completed previously. ​ All evidence for this section has already been successfully logged and submitted! ​2. Fitness (Nature Walk) & Prescribe Nature ​ Status: Active ​ Evidence:  ​This week's fitness and nature connection overlap beautifully. I've wrapped up Week 5 of the Prescribe Nature program at Newbattle Abbey College . It was another incredibly enriching week of nature-based activities. The outdoors continues to be a profound source of healing, grounding, and joy. ​ I have also...

This week has been all about balance—nurturing my body, mind, and spirit while staying true to my advocacy work and family routines. Here is a breakdown of my activities and evidence for Week 18: ​1. Volunteering ​ Activity: Walk for Autism ​ Status: ✅ Completed previously. Medal and Certificate: Received this week.  ​2. Fitness & Nature ​ Activity: Nature Walk & Prescribe Nature Course ​This week, I embraced the outdoors by attending Week 4 of the Prescribe Nature programme at Newbattle Abbey College . The outdoors continues to be a massive source of healing, grounding, and joy for me. Set up tents using pegs we made last week.  Had a cuppa in the woods at a new location.  Found some leafy specimens someone had collected.  Found Badger claw marks.  Explored the Badger sets and set up a trail camera.  Did some nature ar...

Eight days. Done. I'll be honest — when I signed up for this, I wasn't sure what the week would look like. As an autistic person with social anxiety, and a house full of beautiful, complex, neurodiverse children, some days were a big ask. But here we are. Today is World Autism Acceptance Day. And I can think of no better day to finish. Acceptance isn't a one-day event. It's a daily choice — to see people as they are, to make room, to listen, to include. I hope these thousands of steps through ordinary streets, quieter days, and harder ones have nudged that forward even slightly. Thank you to everyone who donated, shared, and cheered us on. You are, as the Walk for Autism team said, absolutely amazing. 💙 Donations are still open: 👉 walkforautism.co.uk/fundraiser/DavidHoldsworth We are not missing pieces. We never were. ♾️

Seven days. One to go. Tomorrow — 2nd April — is World Autism Acceptance Day. And here we are, walking right into it. That feels fitting in a way that's hard to put into words. This whole week has been a journey — literally and figuratively. There have been big step days and quieter ones. Days where the motivation came easily and days where simply getting up and going was the whole victory. That's real life. That's autistic life. And I think it's worth naming that, because the world Autism Initiatives is working to build isn't a world where autistic people have to perform wellness or pretend the hard days don't exist. It's a world where every person is accepted — on the difficult days as much as the good ones. Tomorrow we mark Acceptance Day. Not awareness — acceptance. There's a difference. Awareness says "we know you exist." Acceptance says "you belong here." One more day. Let's finish strong. 💙 If you haven't y...

Six days in, and we are officially on the home stretch. ​If Day 5 was about crossing the halfway line, Day 6 is about steady persistence. The initial novelty has faded, replaced by the rhythmic reality of the task. Much like the autistic experience itself, this challenge isn't always about big breakthroughs—it’s about the quiet strength of showing up day after day, moving forward despite the sensory noise or exhaustion. ​With only two days left, the finish line is finally in sight. Every step taken today is a reminder that while the journey can be long, we don't have to walk it alone. ​ The Goal is in Sight: I am so grateful to everyone who has supported me so far. Every penny raised helps Autism Initiatives continue their vital work. ​If you’d like to help me finish strong, you can donate here: 👉 walkforautism.co.uk/fundraiser/DavidHoldsworth ​"We are not missing pieces. We are the whole picture." 💙

Five days in. And that means we're over halfway. There's something that feels significant about that — crossing the midpoint of a challenge. Monday has arrived, the weekend's slower pace is behind us, and the week stretches ahead with a little more structure. For those of us who are autistic, that can actually be a relief. Routine is a friend. After a quieter Sunday, today felt like a return to rhythm. One step at a time, one foot in front of the other. That's really all any of us can do, isn't it? Not the whole eight days in one go — just today's steps, today's effort, today's small act of showing up. I've been thinking a lot about why this walk matters — not just the fundraising (though every penny is genuinely needed and appreciated), but what it represents. Walking is ordinary. Everybody does it. And yet, for families like mine, ordinary life carries an extraordinary weight. The sensory load. The waiting lists. The appointments. The a...

Focus: Active Seeking & Neuro-Inclusive Rhythm ​1. Volunteering (Walk for Autism) ​ Evidence:   ​2. Fitness & Nature (The Sensory Connection) ​ Activity: Nature walks + deepening the connection through literature. ​ Evidence: ​ Note: These books represent a rekindling of love for nature and serves as a tool for visual regulation/inspiration. I also ordered copies of BBC Wildlife which I use to buy as a teen.  ​3. Hobby (The Digital Parish) ​ Evidence: Continuing Daily Office,seeking membership of Friends ​ Link:  See  Blog Post: Thoughts on a Neuro-Inclusive Lent. ​4. Personal Challenge (The "Real Help" Evolution) ​ Concept: Merging the search for "Dad support" and "Spiritual support." Active self-advocacy to find spaces that actually fit. ​ Activities: Attended Dad & Me ; connected with Autism Consecrated. Evidence: Autism Consecrated Book: ...