Devotions

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...

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...

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...

A Sunday reflection on a week that moved — literally and figuratively. Week 10 has been one of those weeks where everything seems to happen at once. Official Walk for Autism week kicked off, a new set of car keys changed hands, and somewhere in between all of that, life kept its ordinary rhythm of prayer, fidgets, and Finch check-ins. Here's how it all looked. 1 · Volunteering Walk for Autism — Official Week Begins 🦶 It's here! Official Walk for Autism week has started and the steps are happening. There's something quietly energising about knowing that every walk this week has a bigger purpose behind it — each one adds up, and each one counts toward something real. 2 · Fitness Nature Walk With Walk for Autism week in full swing, there have been lots of steps this week — and the nature walk element fits right in. Getting outside, moving through green spaces, and noticing the world around yo...

​It’s Sunday, which means it is time to check in and see how I’m progressing with my Mencap Gateway Bronze Award. Week 9 has been all about movement, reflection, and staying organized. ​Here is a look at what I’ve been up to this week: ​ 1. Volunteering: Walk for Autism 👟 ​I’m currently in the planning stages for the Walk for Autism . I plan on joining a walk with friends from No6 one stop shop in late April as well as my virtual walks. It’s exciting to see the logistics coming together! ​ 2. Fitness: Nature Walk 🌿 ​There is nothing like a bit of fresh air to clear the head. My fitness focus this week was more nature walking to get those steps in. Spring has sprung!  ​ 3. Hobby: The Digital Parish & Daily Office 📖 ​My hobby continues to be a source of quiet reflection. I have been practicing daily prayer using the Northumbria Office . ​ Activity: I’ve been documenting my reflections right here in relation to my faith connecting my digital...

1. Volunteering — Walk for Autism This week's volunteering continues to be centred around the Walk for Autism.  Sponsor here! 2. Fitness — Nature Walk For fitness this week I've been getting out for a nature walk.  3. Hobby — The Digital Parish & Daily Office My hobby this week has been continuing with The Digital Parish and the Daily Office. I've been using the Northumbria Community Office for daily prayer and documenting my reflections here on the blog. This rhythm has been a real anchor. This week also brought some significant movement in my online ministry. I revisited my Simply Fellowship idea — the dream of launching an in-person meeting — and sat with some honesty about where I actually am right now. With my autism, social anxiety, and the realities of family and work-life balance, an in-person meeting simply isn't the right step at this moment. Maybe it will be one day. Maybe it won't. And I'm learning to be at peace with not ...

  Mencap Gateway Week 7 Evidence Checklist Sunday check-in · approx. 5 minutes   Sunday reflection on advocacy, faith, community, and daily life Here's this week's evidence checklist and reflection. It's been a full, tender week — plans changed, ideas grew quieter and warmer, and small acts of advocacy continued behind the scenes. As always, progress isn't always loud. Section 1 🚶 Volunteering — Walk for Autism Evidence:   This week's advocacy and visibility work for Walk for Autism: Fundraising link posted on the   No. 6 One Stop Shop Facebook group   to reach a wider local audience. Used the   @highlight   feature to boost the post's reach and engagement. Section 2 🌿 Fitness — Nature Walk Evidence: Pictures of walk around the Scottish Bird Gardens in Lauder. Section 3 📖 Hobby — The Digital Parish & Daily Office Activity Daily prayer using the   Northumbria Community Office , with reflections on faith and life on this blog. This week also ...

🚶 1. Volunteering — Walk for Autism This week's volunteering evidence centres on the Walk for Autism project. Preparations are taking shape and I'm looking forward to getting out there during the actual walk week.  🌿 2. Fitness — Nature Walk Fitness this week came in the form of a nature walks. Getting outside into natural surroundings — whether spotting birds, photographing trees, or simply walking the path — is a meaningful and grounding way to stay active.  🙏 3. Hobby — The Digital Parish & Simply Fellowship: This has been the biggest and most exciting area of growth this week. What began as a personal spiritual practice has evolved into something genuinely significant. Daily Office & Blog: Daily prayer continues using the Northumbria Community Office, with other faith based reflections documented here on the blog. This consistent practice forms the spiritual foundation of everything else in this section. Simply Fellowship — A New Visio...