The Neurodivergent Bible Teaching Podcast

Denea Marable
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Biweekly

Formally known as the Faith Filled Mom Podcast, the Neurodivergent Bible Teaching Podcast is a faith based podcast that is dedicated to teaching you how to study the Bible. You’ll hear Biblical teaching and neurodivergent encouragement. These episodes include different topics and teachings that can help grow your confidence in studying God’s Word and applying it to your life.

  1. 5d ago

    When Praying Feels Like A Demand As A Christian Neurodivergent

    0:02 - 0:38 Intro Hello, it's Denea your host of the NeuroDivergent Bible Teaching Podcast. This podcast is dedicated to helping you understand how to study the Bible. I'm Dené, I'm neurodivergent, I'm autistic, I have ADHD and OCD, and I know what it's like to struggle to understand how to study the Bible, let alone also honoring my brain while doing it. I've learned a few things through seminary, um, through life, and I want to share those things with you. 0:38 - 1:10 In this podcast, you will hear all about, um, studying techniques, some Bible studies so you can understand how to apply those techniques, some neurodivergent encouragement, and just some ways that I'm learning to honor the way that God has created my brain. I'm so happy that you're here. End of Intro Let's get started. Hello, hello. It's your host Denea of the NeuroDivergent Bible Teaching Podcast. 1:10 - 1:51 I hope that wherever you are, you are giving yourself permission to allow yourself to live at whatever pace, uh, serves you and supports you right now. For the majority of the month of September, at the time of this recording, it's September, I have been in ADHD burnout. And I try not to sometimes... I don't know if, if you can relate to this or not, but I, I try not to, like, trace it back to a cause because I, I find that sometimes that, that it- that's a trigger for me to get very judgmental on myself. 1:52 - 2:25 But I did it this time. But I did it this time, and I think that some of the things that kind of, um, made my nervous system, my brain kind of protect itself with ADHD burnout, the fact that, you know, I had, I had surgery. I, I've said this before, uh, endometriosis surgery at the end of July. And pretty much for the month of August, I was just kind of, you know, around the house, healing, taking it easy, that sort of thing. 2:25 - 3:02 And then September hit, and it was back to school. And, you know, for us, back to school means, you know, meetings, um, all these back to school events, answering emails. Uh, it's also the start of soccer season, so there's that. And, and all of this is in addition to, like, being a human, right? Like me being my own, uh, being my own being, being, being someone who I need to take care of, who has chronic conditions, um, who works and who does this and who writes and... 3:03 - 3:35 And I think it... My brain was just like, "Woo, no." "This is, this is too much." And I have been in ADHD burnout, and I'll be honest with you, I really felt sad about that because September is my birthday month. Usually, I, I think I've given up on being excited about my birthday, and I'm just like, "I'll just do s- one thing. I'll just do one thing," and breakfast, and that'll, that'll be it. Um, but this year I was like, "You know what? 3:35 - 4:09 I'm gonna get back to being excited, and I'm gonna get back to doing little things for myself, big things, little things, throughout the week, uh, throughout the whole month, each week for myself." And then, you know, I found myself in ADHD burnout, and I knew I needed to take that off the table. And I think I've just kind of been accepting that. You know, ADHD burnout for me means that I need to find ways to make, uh, to decrease my decision-making, um, to automate a lot of stuff. 4:10 - 4:41 I usually give my... Like, when I'm trying to figure out what I'm wearing or something, or I don't know, um, trying to figure out something, I'll give myself like a, a three-minute timer to make that decision. Like, I can't spend a lot of executive function, that energy on that because that capacity is just not there. Um, and so this month was, was kind of a hard one for me, but I knew that towards the end of the month, I just needed to kind of, uh, work at accepting that this is the pace that I, that I'm at right now, and that needs to be honored. 4:42 - 5:14 And so for you, whatever pace you're... honors your capacity right now, I hope that you give yourself the permission, um, to work at that acceptance, to be in that pace and not judge yourself, um, and to do it compassionately. That doesn't mean that, like, you won't be sad. You... It doesn't mean you won't, um, feel angry. You know, all of, all of those feelings, whatever you feel, grief, sadness, anger, um, when you're moving and when you're doing life at a different pace, all of those feelings are valid. 5:14 - 5:46 Acknowledge them. It- they deserve to be honored. But at the end of the day, I hope that you just allow yourself to, to be, to work in that pace, to live in that pace compassionately. Um, today's episode, I'm really excited. I know I say that every, um, every, uh, I think just about every episode, but I've been thinking about this episode and planning it for a while, and it... I'm just ha- I'm just so overjoyed that I have the capacity to do it today. 5:46 - 6:33 So, um, today's episode is all about prayer and how to approach prayer when prayer feels like a demand. And I definitely think as Christians who are neurodivergent- Um, there are certain things that we know we're supposed to do, like, you know, pray, read the Bible, spend time with God. But I think because of our nervous systems are almost so tapped out by demands, um, especially if you have the PDA behavioral profile, um, receiving any type of demand, whether you want to do it or not, can, can, can be scary, right? 6:33 - 7:04 It can be... You can feel and face a lot of resistance, and I feel especially as a Christian neurodivergent, you might start to have thoughts like, "Ugh, what is wrong with me? I'm supposed to want to do this. I'm supposed to be able to do this." And that's why I wanna talk about it, because I feel like it's not talked about enough. Number one, if you have felt like that, um, you know you're supposed to pray, but you're just like, "I don't want to. 7:04 - 7:38 It's another, it's another demand. It's something else that I have to do," I want you to know that it is okay to feel that way. And if anybody else has ever made you feel differently, then I'm really sorry. It is okay to have a nervous system response, especially, especially as a Christian neurodivergent, um, to prayer. When it feels like a demand, like, it is, it is totally okay. There is nothing, quote unquote, "wrong with you." There is nothing, um... 7:38 - 8:09 You don't need to try harder. You, you know, like, God's not looking at you and be like, "Oh, if they only just tried harder to pray, you know, I would be happy with them." No, no, no, no. God is not looking at you, um, and having, having those thoughts towards you. Regardless of whatever our experience is, as His children, God sees us as beloved. Right? Like, even, even when we have those thoughts like, "Ugh, I don't want to pray right now. It's just something else," God is like, "Well, you know what? 8:09 - 8:41 You're still my beloved." "I, I am still so, so happy that Jesus died for you. I am so, so happy that you and I will never be separated." You know, God is still having those loving thoughts towards you and about you. So for context, um, I want to start at, uh, First Thessalonians chapter five 17. This is Paul. He's writing to, uh, Thessalonica, the believers in Thessalonica. 8:41 - 9:12 And in this part of his letter, he's kind of, he's talking about, right before this he talks about the resurrec- uh, the resurrection, and then also he talks about when Jesus is gonna come back and what that's gonna look like. And then he starts to give instructions on, um, what we can do as we're waiting. And he says this in verse 17, "Pray without ceasing." So the first thing to know is that this is not a literal command. 9:13 - 9:46 Um, pray without ceasing, it emphasizes the fact that we are supposed to have an ongoing conversation with God. And it's another way to say that prayer is a way to process life with God throughout our day. And I don't, I don't even wanna say throughout our day. Throughout our lives, uh, prayer is processing life with God. So practical application, what does that look like for us? 9:47 - 10:18 Something that has really, really helped me, um... Uh, I mean, I'm gonna give you a few things, but the first thing, I guess, is to, uh, talk to God like He is my best friend. I really try not to censor myself in prayer. Um, I tell God when I'm feeling angry at Him. I tell God when I'm feeling sad that something happened and wondering, "Where, where were you, God, when this happened?" I tell God everything, and I talk to Him like I am a friend. 10:18 - 11:00 I think it's important for us to do that because that helps us drop performance. You know, sometimes, especially as Christians, you might feel like you have to, um, say certain words or you have to, um, you know, speak with a certain cadence or at a s- a certain volume. And I wanna say that, like, prayer, prayer is supposed to be personal. So however you would talk to a friend, you can talk to God that way. Just, and like I said, I think this has just really helped me drop the performance, and when we do that, we're kind of nurturing our personal relationship with God. 11:02 - 11:36 Our relationship with God, it doesn't need to be imitated. You know, like what, what we think it's supposed to be or, like, what we've seen someone else do or say or communicate with Him. It's our relationship with Him. It's personal. God is a personal God. He... You know, we can drop the performance. Hallelujah. So talk to God like He is a friend. The second thing, um, that's really helped me, because I forget a lot of things, um, is I, um, I set reminders to pray, to pray sometimes. 11:36 - 12:09 Actually, every... It goes off every day. Um, and it's a reoccurring reminder. Um, in the morning it goes off and it reminds me to pray, because I will absolutely forget, and God's not upset if we forget to pray. But it goes off every day and it reminds me to pray. Um, something else, um, some other rhythms. Um, that's ano

  2. Sep 15

    Stimming While Studying the Bible

    In this episode of The Neurodivergent Bible Teaching Podcast, I give a few ways to stim while studying the Bible. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but meant to give you some ideas. Whether you’re new to creating a habit of stimming or looking for new ways to stim during your study time, this episode will include some stims for you to consider. Transcript: 0:02 - 0:38 Hello, it's Denea, your host of the NeuroDivergent Bible Teaching Podcast. This podcast is dedicated to helping you understand how to study the Bible. I'm Denee, I'm neurodivergent, I'm autistic, I have ADHD and OCD, and I know what it's like to struggle to understand how to study the Bible, let alone also honoring my brain while doing it. I've learned a few things through seminary, um, through life, and I want to share those things with you. 0:38 - 1:11 In this podcast, you will hear all about, um, studying techniques, some Bible studies so you can understand how to apply those techniques, some neurodivergent encouragement, and just some ways that I'm learning to honor the way that God has created my brain. I'm so happy that you're here. Let's get started. Hello, hello, it's Denea, your host of the NeuroDivergent Bible Teaching Podcast. 1:12 - 1:43 I hope that wherever you are, you are allowing yourself to adjust any goals, any expectations that need to be adjust. And I hope that you're giving yourself grace to do that. Um, I am still recovering from, uh, surgery, from endometriosis excision surgery, and... 1:43 - 2:13 Well, hold on. Hold that, hold that thought. So we're on summer break as I'm recording this, and so I just wanna give a disclaimer that if you hear loud noises in the background, um, don't be alarmed. It's, it's just our son. N- it's just him having, having a good time. So I just, I just wanted to, to give that disclaimer. Um, okay, back to what I was, what I was saying. Wait, wait. 2:14 - 2:52 Oh, no, I c- I, I remember. Okay. So I am still recovering from endometriis- uh, endometriosis excision surgery. Um, and I, I mean, I, I will be recovering, I have to keep reminding myself from that f- for like months and months. Um, but, um, still in that process and, like, I've been trying to get myself back into the habit of, like, movement throughout my day because I, you know, haven't, haven't been moving that much. 2:53 - 3:25 I've been, I've been going on, like, short walks, but then, um, I think I've mentioned this, this on the podcast before, I have POTS and, um, I had, like, a POTS flare-up, uh, w- after surgery, which can happen, um, where I had a lot of divi- dizziness, so I just... I've been, like, n- I have not been moving. I've been allowing myself to just heal in short walks, um, and that sort of thing. 3:25 - 3:57 So now, you know, I'm not in, not in the POTS flare-up zone right now, and so I've been trying to get my body into the habit of movement. Um, I've been cleared for, to do strength training again. I do that a lot, primarily because I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, uh, and PCOS and scoliosis, and strength training really helps with those. Um, I guess it helps with POTS, too, and endometriosis, I guess. Um, anyways, I'm getting off topic. 3:58 - 4:45 So I've been cleared to, to move again. I've been cleared to go on longer walks. I've been cleared to strength train. And y'all, it's been so hard. It's been so hard getting back into the rhythm of movement. And, like, today, I have no idea why, but for whatever reason, y'all, I was like, "I am going to do 7,000 steps," and that was so unrealistic. Like, like, at, at the ti- I don't, I don't know. I think sometimes just, um, you know, those, those, like, perfectionist tendencies, high achievement tendencies always creep back in and then I have to, like, switch into another gear and be like, "Denee, no, no, no, no. 4:45 - 5:42 Like, that's not, this is not serving you." And so I had that moment today, uh, of like, okay, we need to adjust this and, and it's not wrong to adjust this. It's, it's just, it just needs to happen be- because you need to give yourself grace, and having that 7,000 step goal is just not serving you. Um, and so I hope that whatever goal you have right now, whether it's something you're trying to achieve today, this week, this month, this year, you know, I hope that you give yourself grace to, um, to step back and ask yourself, "Does this need to be adjusted?" And I hope that when you're, when you're looking at or you're thinking about that goal, when you're, when you're in that process, I hope that you know that adjusting a goal is not proof that, like, you failed or that you should've tried harder. 5:42 - 6:27 No, no, no, no, no. Adjusting a goal is a way that we can actually, um, care for our needs, care for ourselves, right? It's, it's kinda like having your back. Um, and so I hope wherever you are, you're, you're allowing yourself to do that. Today's episode is to give you some ideas of how you can stem- While you were studying God's word, while you're studying the Bible. I think as someone, uh, I mean, I've, I've said before, like I, I knew when I was like an adolescent that I was different, but I wasn't formally diagnosed, um, with autism, ADHD, OCD, complex PTSD. 6:27 - 7:03 I wasn't formally diagnosed with those things, with PDA, with, um, rejection sensitive dysphoria until like my mid-30s. And that also means that like I've... I mean, I, I have, I've had stims, um, but getting into the habit of intentionally stimming throughout my day, throughout my study time, that has taken practice. And, you know, whether I'm studying for like school or whether I'm studying the Bible, I've had to remind myself... 7:03 - 7:43 Yes? Um, can you play with me? Uh, if you give me 20 minutes, I can. Okay. Okay. Can you close that door please? Thank you. All right. Um, oh my goodness, what was I saying? It has taken practice to get into the habit of stimming. Um, I've set reminders on my phone reminding me to stim. I mean, there are times when I just kind of, uh, it's my body's response, like rocking back and forth, um, or humming or flapping my hands, doing something with my hands, pacing, uh, rubbing my feet together. 7:43 - 8:22 Like, those are some things that I kind of do, but especially I find that especially when I am studying anything, when I have to sit down for long periods of focus, um, it is really important for me to stim. And so I've been, you know, trying to really, uh, to do that while I'm studying the Bible. Now, depending on your, um, your relationship with, uh, I'm trying to figure out how to say this. 8:22 - 8:53 So stimming while studying God's word can sometimes be hard for, c- is sometimes hard for us. One, may- maybe you're like me and you were diagnosed as adult, an adult, and you're just... Like you've suppressed a lot of stimming throughout your life, just not even knowing it. Um, and so you're trying to actually get into the habit of stimming, um, a lot in general, but maybe also like you, it's a, you, you know that it's, it's very beneficial for you to stim while you're studying. Um, I meant like me. 8:53 - 9:36 Maybe you know like me, um, that it's important for you to stim while you're studying. But I think it's also, it can be tough because as, as Christians who are neurodivergent, you might have heard, you might have been exposed to toxic theology or ableism that has led you to believe that being neurodivergent is something wrong or something to be ashamed of. And so maybe when you're in God's presence, whether you're worshiping, whether you're praying, whether you're reading the Bible, you try to hide that you're neurodivergent, neurodivergence from God. 9:37 - 10:17 And so if that is you, you know, stimming while you're reading his word might really feel odd. And so I just wanna meet you in that place and just say, if that is you, I see you, and that is a really tough place to be in. As somebody who has been exposed to toxic theology, somebody who has been exposed to ableism, who has internalized ableism, and who has believed at one point that my existence was wrong, that there was something wrong with me, there was absolutely a period where I would hide my neurodivergence from God. 10:17 - 10:50 Now, of course, you know, we're not hiding, we're not really hiding anything from God. G- He knows everything. He knows us completely and fully. There's nowhere we could go to hide from him, right? But also, it's important for us to know that God, that neurodivergence is nothing to be ashamed about, right? Scripture says, and scripture has the ultimate authority. It's God's word. It says, right, that as, as humans, that we were fearfully and wonderfully created. 10:50 - 11:43 There, there's no asterisk by that, that, those scriptures that talk, that, that talks about how intentional God was with creation. It, we believe His word. We take it for what it says because it's God's word, right? So it's also important for us to understand that there is actually nothing shameful about being neurodivergent. Um, I could go on a tangent here and say the real shame or the real tragedy, error is, is the fact that neurodivergent families, uh, individuals aren't given the support that we need to thrive, but I won't go on that tangent because, because I try to the best of my ability to really make these episodes bite-sized, uh, so I won't go on that tangent. 11:43 - 12:16 But it is important for us to know that there is nothing wrong with being neurodivergent. We can stim in God's presence. We can stim in prayer. We can stim while we're worshiping. We can stim while we're reading the Bible. So this is gonna be kind of a quick one. I'm just... This is a list. So pause as you need to, maybe take notes as you need to. Uh, rewind as you need to. Maybe fast forward if you need to. This by no means is an exhaustive list, okay? 12:16 - 12:51 This is just some ideas to, um, to give you. And I also want to say, to

  3. Aug 31

    Navigating Seasons When Your Neurodivergent Needs Aren’t Being Met As Christian Neurodivergents

    On this episode of The Neurodivergent Bible Teaching Podcast, I talk about how we can navigate seasons where we’re waiting for our neurodivergent needs to be met. What are practical ways we can stay grounded in God’s character during seasons like this? Transcript: 0:02 - 0:38 Podcast Intro: Hello, it's Denea your host of the Neurodivergent Bible Teaching Podcast. This podcast is dedicated to helping you understand how to study the Bible. I'm Denea. I'm neurodivergent. I'm autistic. I have ADHD and OCD, and I know what it's like to struggle to understand how to study the Bible, let alone also honoring my brain while doing it. I've learned a few things through seminary, um, through life, and I want to share those things with you. 0:38 - 1:14 In this podcast, you will hear all about, um, studying techniques, some Bible studies so you can understand how to apply those techniques, some neurodivergent encouragement, and just some ways that I'm learning to honor the way that God has created my brain. I'm so happy that you're here. Let's get started. Episode Begins: Hello, hello, it's Denea, your host of the Neurodivergent Bible Teaching Podcast. 1:15 - 1:50 And I hope you're doing well. Definitely, I, I hope that you are giving yourself grace. Um, and I hope that you are delighting in whatever joy comes your way. I'm currently, uh, drinking a matcha that has some non-dairy, non-gluten, pumpkin spice flavored, low-toxic creamer, oat milk creamer. 1:51 - 2:24 And I know to some of you listening, you're like, "Oh, my gosh, that actually sounds pretty gross." But about a few years ago, I gave up coffee, and so green tea, matcha, that's kind of the only caffeine, you know, that I get. And in case y'all don't know this about me, I love everything fall related. Um, give me all of the pumpkin spice. Give me give me all of the cinnamon, apple flake. 2:24 - 2:54 Give it. I want it all. And, um, I was like, "You know what? I'm just, I'm just gonna treat myself to just this delight, this little joy." And so whatever that is for you, I hope that you lean into it. Um, as a disclaimer, we are still on summer break, and so that also means that our son is home. And so every now and then you might hear some vocal stimming. You might hear some loud noises on this podcast episode. 2:55 - 3:35 Do not be alarmed. I just want to give you, um, the heads-up. Today's episode was kind of, is kind of inspired by me, um... So I'm currently, I just started studying, uh, Deuteronomy again. And in studying this, I'm, like, in the, I think, the second chapter, so it's the very, very beginning of it. I'm studying this book again, and I noticed this pattern of, like, the Israelites complaining. 3:36 - 4:09 Um, they're worried about their provision, being provided for. They're worried about their needs. And I noticed that pattern, that when they do that, Moses often recalls what God has done as, as a way to remind them of the faithfulness of God's provision and God being provider, it's who he is, and that they can trust that. 4:11 - 4:42 And I'll be honest with you, I don't know how my mind connected connected this. Um, I think that, I definitely feel like I was kind of led by the Holy Spirit to think along these lines of just as neurodivergents, how we often kind of feel that way, right? Like, we, we have needs, very valid needs. We, we need support. We deserve support. 4:43 - 5:16 And what do you do when you're in a season, and a season, when I say that, it could be a week. A season, it could be three months. A season could be 10 years. What do you do when you're in a season of just worrying, constant overwhelming, I'm talking anxiety-filled, maybe even dread-filled worry about getting your neurodivergent needs provided for? 5:17 - 5:50 Like, fro- from a faith perspective, what are some steps that we can take in those seasons, in everyday moments when that overwhelm, when that anxiety, when that very valid worry takes over? And I think one thing that I've learned, 'cause I've, I've definitely, and I may or may not have shared, um, this in the, the podcast. 5:51 - 6:26 I've, I've shared it on, like, my Substack and social media. But I'm somebody who is always feeling overwhelmed. Like, always. I've, my therapist asked me the other day, she was like, "Dené, can you tell me about a time when you didn't feel overwhelmed?" I was like, I've ma- I guess elementary school, like I've been overwhelmed. I have a vivid memory of feeling overwhelmed in middle school, um, like changing classes. 6:28 - 6:58 And, you know, and, and the bell goes off, and then you have to, like, gather your stuff, and then you, you know, am, am I gonna be able to gather my stuff in time? Oh, wait a minute, I need to use the bathroom. Oh, wait a minute, I need to go to the locker. Oh my gosh, I need to go by the front office to drop that thing off. And then, like, I f- I think you had to do all of that within the span of 10 minutes. Like, I, I very vividly remember th- just feeling overwhelmed by that, that sensory, that quick transition. 6:59 - 7:38 Um, and I was like, I, I constantly feel overwhelmed. And, and so I'm just trying to figure out what, how, how to support that. Um, I've been praying about it. I have called a few different organizations, gotten on wait lists for, for certain things that could be supportive. And I think that as far as being neurodivergent, you know, this world is very much still learning how to support us, and that often leaves us with a gap, right, of waiting. 7:39 - 8:10 And in that waiting, what, what do we do? How do we strengthen our faith? We often have to overcome waiting through inaccessible resources. Uh, because just because there's a resource, you know, if it's not accessible, it's, it's not really supportive, right? Like, if there's a resource that costs thousands and thousands of dollars, it's not accessible. Most people only in certain tax brackets can afford that. 8:10 - 8:44 We often have to overcome those challenges. We often have to co- overcome, um, organizations that do support us, they're overworked, right, and lack of funding. So that means, uh, usually means, uh, that we're on a wait list, a long wait list. And so what... How, how do we, as Christians who are also neurodivergent, whose needs deserve to be met, whose, whose needs should be met, how do we strengthen our faith during those tough times? 8:46 - 9:24 And one thing I noticed just in, in studying Deuter- Deuteronomy, and it, I mean, it honestly happens in the, um, in the other books as well, but what... I've just noticed a pattern of the Israelites feeling worried, and then Moses reminding them of what God has done for them. And I think one of the first practical steps for us, um, is to, you know, in those moments, I think it's, it's okay to go to God and lament. 9:26 - 9:58 And we have to understand that l- lamenting, uh... It, lament and complaining are, are two different things. Like, it's a heart pos- the heart posture is different. Where complaining, which in full transparent, in full transparency, I have, I have had both heart postures. I have gone to God complaining, um, with a heart posture that's like, "God, I don't... If you would've just worked this out, how, you know... 9:58 - 10:28 Like, this is how I would've worked it out. Like, I don't understand why you didn't do that. This is how it should've been." You know, having that heart posture as if I'm in control versus lament, which I've, um, again, I've, I've been on... I've done both. Um, lamenting and saying, "God, I am just filled with grief, anger, sadness. I don't get it. I feel angry that this didn't work out. I feel so irritated. 10:28 - 11:09 I feel, I'm grieved that this happened, and yet I know you are God." Right? Those are two different heart postures. I think the first very practical step is for us to know that it is okay for us to lament and go to God about the needs that are not being met. And I think this is so important for, for us to articulate, especially as Christians who are neurodivergent, because there is such a shame narrative, unfortunately, around being neurodivergent. 11:10 - 11:41 You see it sometimes in church culture. You definitely see it from the world. And when we internalize that, which I did a episode a few episodes ago, um, about how, how I've internalized that and how I kind of had to, like, work, work through uprooting that. Um, when we internalize it, we start to hide certain things from God about being neurodivergent, right? Like, we start to think we cannot go to Him with those things, when that is not true. 11:42 - 12:14 Um, God wants to hear about those things, and I think it's also important for us to under- understand that God actually delights when our neurodivergent needs are met. And so I think that's one of the reasons why it is so important for us to lament and go to God and tell Him that we're disappointed that we're still, you know, having to make phone calls to insurance, that we're still on this wait list, that we don't understand why He's working it out this way, and yet He is God. 12:14 - 12:46 I think it is so important because it helps us articulate our neurodivergent experiences to God. And that is so important, especially if you have internalized shame, internalized ableism around being neurodivergent from church culture or from this world. Talk to God about your neurodivergent experience in general, but also talk to God and lament about the frustrations that you have about your needs not being met, about you not having the support that you need. 12:48 - 13:26 And then the next thing that, that is important, I think, is reminding ourselves of what God has done. Now, this is not bypassing, you know, our reality. You know, like, sometimes you, you hear people being like, "Oh, well, you know, I don't, um, you know, I'm... I don't know. I'm feeling very sad, but hey, you know, God is good. God is f

  4. Jul 13

    How Doing A Character Study Can Help You Study the Bible

    Character Study Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ_KgxPERw0/?igsh=MXhuYTk0dDdhcGJnaw== Denea (00:00) Hello, it's Denea, your host of the Neurodivergent Bible Teaching Podcast. This podcast is dedicated to helping you understand how to study the Bible. I'm Denea, I'm Neurodivergent, I'm autistic, I have ADHD and OCD, and I know what it's like to struggle ⁓ to understand how to study the Bible, ⁓ let alone also ⁓ honoring my brain while doing it. Denea (00:31) I've learned a few things through seminary, ⁓ through life, and I want to share those things with you. ⁓ And this podcast, you will hear all about ⁓ studying techniques, some Bible studies, so you can understand how to apply those techniques, some neurodivergent encouragement, and just some ways that I'm learning to honor the way that God has created my brain. I'm so ⁓ happy that you're here. Let's get started. Denea (01:04) Hello, hello, it's Denea, ⁓ your host of the Neurodivergent Bible Teaching Podcast. I hope that you ⁓ are ⁓ um ⁓ honoring rhythms of rest wherever you are. ⁓ This week ⁓ for me was just it's been filled with a lot of tests. I think I've mentioned on the podcast before um ⁓ that I have ⁓ multiple chronic. ⁓ Denea (01:35) health conditions and just to to say this, ⁓ when I s when I mention or speak of chronic ⁓ illnesses or chronic health conditions, ⁓ I do not ⁓ I I don't include like being autistic and ADHD, ⁓ O C D ⁓ complex P T S D I don't I don't include I'd for me, I do not consider those to be chronic health conditions or chronic Denea (02:04) ⁓ illnesses. So ⁓ what I mean by those, ⁓ just to clarify, and I think I've I've mentioned them on the podcast before, but ⁓ I have Ellers Danlow syndrome, Potts, Mast cell activation syndrome, ⁓ PMOS, endometriosis, scoliosis, ⁓ sleep apnea, and ⁓ suspected narcolepsy. ⁓ And this week was ⁓ Denea (02:34) just kind of filled with doing tests for those. I actually had my narcolepsy sleep study ⁓ this week and then I had another GI test that I had to do. ⁓ And I think ⁓ I don't I don't know why ⁓ I thought doing all of this in the same week was a good idea. ⁓ I think at the time ⁓ I was like, all right, let me let me just do them during the same week and just knock them out. You know, get get done. ⁓ Denea (03:04) ⁓ I I did kind of ⁓ schedule today to kind of be a what I c what I usually call like a a low battery day. So I did ⁓ kind of schedule that rhythm of rest, but I I I have no idea. Looking back, I shouldn't have had these tests in in the same week. So I hope that you are ⁓ Denea (03:31) Honoring a rhythm of rest this week, whatever that looks like for you. ⁓ maybe you have a doctor's appointment and instead ⁓ of ⁓ just, you know, powering through because doctor's appointments, whether it's a doctor you've seen before, w a new doctor, ⁓ whether it's testing, they're not easy. And our our brains deserve a break for processing. ⁓ so I hope that maybe after that appointment you're just gonna ⁓ Denea (04:01) Give you maybe it's five minutes of just doing nothing, or maybe it's five minutes of ⁓ engaging with your special interest or something that you're currently deep diving right now. ⁓ whatever a rhythm of rest looks like for you, ⁓ I hope that you're able to give yourself just a few minutes of that and just honor that this week. ⁓ today's podcast episode is going to be about doing character studies. Denea (04:31) So ⁓ a couple weeks ago I did a a post. ⁓ Well, I guess it depends on when you're listening to this recording. It might be long ⁓ it might be longer than a couple of weeks ago. But ⁓ for context of where this is coming from, a couple weeks ago I ⁓ posted something on Instagram about doing a character study. Denea (04:55) ⁓ And I got some questions and so I was like, well maybe I think maybe this would be a a great podcast episode to talk about doing character studies. So ⁓ one reason why I think doing a character study is really, really good, ⁓ especially for neurodivergence is because we we rely heavily on context. Denea (05:22) Right in in life, in in social situations, ⁓ and and how we solve problems and come up with solutions. Context matters. And I think that especially or I know especially when it comes to Bible study, ⁓ that's such ⁓ it's a great thing, it's not talked about enough, but that is ⁓ such a skill to have, to be seeking Denea (05:49) Context to rely on context because what that does, and I think I've said this on the podcast before, but what that does is it it helps us actually practice biblical literacy skills. ⁓ And biblical liter literacy is something that ⁓ is usually typically taught like in seminary or ⁓ you know, maybe if you if you know someone who Denea (06:17) talks about it, you might you might have like heard about using those skills before, but it's not talked about ⁓ often, often enough, but when we when we use biblical literacy skills, ⁓ we are ⁓ approaching the Bible and understanding that on our part, our job is to ⁓ study, comprehend, ⁓ and apply God's word the way He intended it, not us. Denea (06:44) Right, not based off of opinion or a worldview. ⁓ And biblical literacy skills actually help us do that. ⁓ getting context helps us do that. So I think it is so important for neurodivergence, especially for us when we're approaching Bible study, to know that's such a beautiful thing to gain, to have that desire of gaining context. And I think, like if I kind of think about it. Denea (07:13) I do this without knowing it, and you probably do too. ⁓ it's just something that our that our brains have have relied on, right? Navigating this world. And so when it comes to the Bible, I think that is such a beautiful thing. And one of the ways ⁓ that we can utilize that is through a character study. Okay. ⁓ What is a character study? ⁓ So a character study is basically when we do a deep dive on a a ⁓ a Denea (07:41) Character, somebody, I say character, ⁓ but I mean, as you know, the people in the Bible, they were real. ⁓ so ⁓ should I call it a people study, a biblical person study? I don't know. Still working, still still working on the name. ⁓ But it's when we research, we do a deep dive ⁓ on their background, ⁓ their attributes. When were they mentioned in scripture? What did they do? Denea (08:11) ⁓ what what can we learn from their life? How did God use them? ⁓ And ⁓ I'm gonna break this down. Now I should say to you, some people do this using a timeline, like they make a timeline of the person's life. ⁓ I will be honest with you, I don't usually do that. You can. ⁓ I do not, so I won't really be talking about the timeline. I'm more so gonna be talking about Denea (08:38) the framework of what this would look like. And then I'm gonna post, I'm gonna, ⁓ in the show notes, ⁓ I'm actually gonna post a link to ⁓ the Instagram post so that way you can actually see what I'm talking about. ⁓ Okay. So we're gonna identify the character or the person. ⁓ And ⁓ and I'll also go over an example too. ⁓ we're gonna identify the character, then we're going to ⁓ Denea (09:08) ⁓ locate ⁓ where where were they referenced in the Bible. You can get as specific as you would like. You can just say Old Testament, New Testament, ⁓ or you can actually put like the book, the scripture, the the chapter, the verse, you can do that too. ⁓ I will say I think it's really cool to ⁓ when you can Denea (09:37) I think it's really cool to ⁓ see someone who's mentioned ⁓ in the Old Testament. And then ⁓ like you're you're reading the New Testament all of a sudden, and then like you you see their name and you're like, my goodness, hey, hey, I ⁓ I I know that person. ⁓ So I do ⁓ so I I think it depends on a lot of things. It depends on where where you are at capacity. ⁓ Denea (10:04) Right in in br and if you're in neurodivergent burnout, ⁓ don't your focus right now is not being specific. ⁓ Right? We're that's ⁓ that's not the focus. ⁓ if you have the capacity ⁓ and you're doing a deep dive and you're like, you know what, I'm gonna see where this all all of the per the places, ⁓ there are great study tools that you can use, like a study bible. ⁓ I think a concordance can also help with that, but Denea (10:34) Getting ⁓ putting down, writing down where they're ⁓ mentioned in the Bible kind of also helps us actually understand how they fit into ⁓ the Bible, the Bible story, if you will. ⁓ I again I I don't want to call it a the Bible story, because it I mean it was real, but you know what I mean, the Bible, the narrative of the Bible. ⁓ okay, so we've gotten ⁓ the person, we've gotten ⁓ where they were referenced. ⁓ Denea (11:03) And then we're going to look into ⁓ that person's culture if we can't, like what we know about them. And again, I'm gonna go over what this looks like. ⁓ but this also is important because this can really help us put together the pieces of understanding how God used them. ⁓ outlining next, we're gonna outline their life. Sometimes we won't have this information. Denea (11:32) ⁓ sometimes we'll have this information just based off of the historical and cultural background. So ⁓ I think that third step is honestly just kind of a a mix, depending on who the character is, ⁓ of establishing like ⁓ b biblical or not biblical, I'm sorry, historical, cultural context and ⁓ Denea (11:54) Outlining their life. That might sometimes look like one step depending on who it is, or that could be multiple steps depending on who you're you're deep diving. ⁓ the next is going to be looking at the traits ⁓ of that person. ⁓ what was mentioned about them? ⁓ What was said about them? What adjectives were used to describe that person? ⁓ Again, this can be really, really helpf

  5. May 20

    Decision Paralysis and Studying the Bible

    In this episode, I answer one of the commonly asked questions I receive: “Where should I start studying in the Bible?” You’ll hear faith based neurodivergent encouragement and how I decrease decision paralysis in studying the Bible. Transcript: 0:02 - 0:41 Hello, hello, it's Denea, your host of the Neurodivergent Bible Teaching Podcast. I hope that you, um, are having a great day, being kind to yourself. I have to share a joy with y'all, so I've, um, I did a Substack post just about how, you know, this is a— this is a tough season. I'm in the middle of a lot of chronic health conditions. Sorry if y'all heard that. 0:41 - 1:12 I'm sitting— I'm sitting on one of our— I don't know what you would call it, I guess ottomans. And I'm in the closet, you know, for acoustics. And I realized I just moved and it just made all this noise. So I'm sorry if that got to you on your end, but I'm just in the middle of a lot of chronic health testing. I don't know if I've really talked about the chronic conditions that I'm experiencing. 1:12 - 1:46 So I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, POTS, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, PCOS, endometriosis, scoliosis. Uh, I feel like I'm forgetting, not mentioning one or two. Um, I'm in the middle of like a lot of sleep study stuff too. It's already been confirmed that I have sleep apnea, but I still— my doctor wants me to do another, uh, different type of sleep test. So just kind of in the middle of a lot of that stuff. 1:47 - 2:26 Um, you know, just dealing with that in the midst of like going to OT and, and parent coaching And I'm writing a book, writing a devotional for neurodivergence. And just in that rhythm of like doctor's appointments, OT, call insurance, right? Like, just that daily, having that rhythm. I have really been trying to intentionally seek just joy and whimsical moments, whimsical things, sitting outside. Um, journaling outside. 2:26 - 3:13 I usually go for a lot of walks, um, and I really wanted to start hiking. However, I'm, I'm wearing a boot right now for— because I have tendonitis in my foot that has flared up, and so I'm not really able to do that. But anything that I can be doing outside, in a hammock, blowing bubbles— and y'all, I made the executive decision last weekend to start crocheting, and I'm thrilled. Like, the beginner set, it just got here before I started recording, and I feel like this is gonna unlock something in my brain, you know? Like, I feel like, I feel like this is going to unlock— I don't know, I'm just so excited to see what comes from this. 3:14 - 3:57 I look forward to any opportunity where I can be creative just because And like, I'm, I'm so excited, y'all. And so I hope that today that you give yourself permission to do that. I don't know, buy some stickers and decorate, and decorate a notebook or a mirror that you have, or wear a bright color, or talk to God in, in nature, or experience nature just by, you know, not with your phone. I do that all the time, like I take pictures and I'm like, oh, look at the cloud, look at that cloud, look at that flower. And then I'm like, oh wait, wait, Denae, put your phone down. 3:57 - 4:29 Um, you know, experience. I hope that you experience something, um, just in such an authentic way that allows you to be true to who you are. Um, I hope that you don't have to put on a performance today. You know, I hope that you can, can take down the mask today. What would that look like for you to just authentically engage with joy and whimsy as you are who you are for maybe a few minutes today? 4:29 - 5:05 I hope that you can give yourself that gift. Um, today's episode is all about A common— a commonly asked question that I get, um, it is like, where do I start studying the Bible? How, how do I start studying? Um, I've done episodes before on, um, biblical literacy practices. I've done an episode on like using the SOAP method, um when you're studying scripture. 5:06 - 5:46 I have a resource on my website all about like studying the Bible when you have ADHD. I also think it's a great resource if you— maybe you're not ADHD, maybe you're autistic, maybe you have OCD, maybe there's a— you have another neurodivergent experience. I talk a lot about, um, stimming and just what it looks like to be to get our brains ready to actually focus. Um, but this is going to be specifically like where— I get a lot of questions like, do I just pick a scripture? Uh, you know, I'm gonna read the Bible a lot more this year, that's a goal, but I don't know where to start. 5:46 - 6:07 Or I've never read the Bible before, where do I start? Um, so this— that's what today's episode is going to be all about. And let me say, I do want to preface this with two things. Number one, after you hear this episode, or while you hear this episode, pray. Ask God to give you wisdom. 6:07 - 6:54 Ask the Holy Spirit to give you discernment. And I think that is so important whenever we're taking in advice in general in life, right? Um, but also whenever, even when we're seeking like wise counsel um, even when we're talking to our friends or, or whoever with a faith-based, faith-based question, I think it's so important to filter their, um, opinion, their expertise, uh, through God's wisdom, through the Holy Spirit's discernment. And that person, right, may be well, well-meaning But maybe God is like, maybe this isn't the season for you to try it that way. I'll give you an example. 6:55 - 7:05 So, um, I love routines. That may or may not be a surprise to you, uh, but I love routine. Oh my goodness. 7:07 - 7:35 However, um, it was— this was a point like 2 years ago maybe. I was trying to figure out how to, how to get us into a structured morning What, what would that look like? We are a neurodivergent family. I'm neurodivergent, our son is neurodivergent. And so I started listening to all of these, I guess, influencers. 7:36 - 8:21 I mean, also people who are qualified, like, you know, therapists and stuff on YouTube and social media who had suggestions and ideas of what to do. In the morning, and I, you know, would try to implement, implement, and it didn't really seem like anything was sticking. And like, I noticed one of the, the common theme was that a lot of the people that I was seeking advice from, they weren't in a similar season of life that I was. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I just think that we have to be aware of like of that fact, because I know for sure what I was doing was I was taking advice, trying to implement something for somebody who didn't have to navigate waking up as a neurodivergent. 8:22 - 8:59 Like, I was taking in advice, um, from people, you know, well-meaning people, um, who were giving great advice, but maybe they weren't a parent, or maybe they didn't have a neurodivergent child, and maybe they themselves also weren't neurodivergent. Like, there were so many layers, and I was internalizing the failure. I was like, why can't this stick for us? And God was like, well, Denae, they're not— you guys aren't building the same house with the same materials. You can't— don't beat yourself up. 8:59 - 9:35 And he said it a lot more lovingly than that. But so that's why I think it's so important after you hear this and maybe you try to implement it, maybe you try to do it yourself, before you do that, seek wisdom with God and ask the Holy Spirit to give you discernment. The second thing that I want to preface this and say is that these types of questions, if you, if you Google it or if you ask people, you will get a variety of answers. And so know that this is not the only solution by any means. This is just a solution. 9:35 - 10:06 You know, this is just mine. So let's just say that you do try it and it doesn't work out for you, uh, know that there, there are other ways to approach like the solution to those types of questions. Okay. With that being said, I think that one of the best things, um, about one of the best things that is not talked about enough when it comes to teaching neurodivergence the Bible. Is our love and our need for context. 10:07 - 10:42 As neuro— as an autistic individual, ADHD, OCD, complex PTSD, I rely heavily on context. I don't want to speak for all neurodivergents, but I know that there are a lot of us who do, just in our conversations, in our daily life. Um, if you have ever Googled the restaurant before you've gotten there to see what the parking situation was, that you're seeking context. Have you ever Googled a restaurant to look at the menu before you've gotten there? Seeking context. 10:43 - 11:26 Um, when you're around people and you're trying to maybe figure out if somebody's in a, a good mood, like there are certain maybe body signals that you're, you're trying to figure out. Like, context. We absolutely love context. And I think that is such a great thing to lean into Bible study with because it allows us as neurodivergents to support our neurodivergent needs, stay true to who we are as neurodivergents while practicing biblical literacy. Because context is a big part of biblical literacy, whether it's biblical, historical, cultural context. 11:27 - 11:54 It can help us study and comprehend and apply the Bible as God intended for us to do so. So whenever someone asks me like, what— what— where should I start? Should I just pick a scripture? Um, should I start in Genesis? Here's my response: if you are neurodivergent, I— my suggestion is to always start in the book of John. 11:56 - 12:18 And I say that because I think it gives us great context. I really, really do. Again, if you ask anyone else, I— they will probably have a different answer, and that's okay. But that is just my answer. I think the Book of John, it gives us a deeper look into Jesus's ministry. 12:18 - 13:24 I also think there's just a lot of— there's a lot of background information in the book of John, just about Jesus, um, and how he approached humanity and why he ca

  6. Apr 27

    Creating and Nurturing an Inclusive Church Environment for Autistic Adults

    In this episode of the neurodivergent Bible teaching podcast, I go over some practical ways to create and nurture and inclusive church environment for autistic adults. I have found that in my conversations with other autistic adults and neurodivergent adults there is a common theme of us, not feeling as though we belong in church. While we may be welcomed, we often feel as though we have to mask our neurodivergent needs in order to be accepted in church. Feel free to send this episode to a pastor, church, leader, ministry, leader, volunteer leader or church member so that they can receive ideas on how to create and nurture inclusive environments within their church for autistic adults or pray about which idea you’d like to discuss with someone wiwithin your church. While I mention these ideas are for autistic adults, they can be utilized to create and nurture inclusive environments of belonging for Christian neurodivergent adults. I’d love to hear your experience about what’s reminded you that you belong in church. Message me: @deneamarable on instagram. Transcript: 0:01 - 0:58 Hello, it's Denea, your host of the Neurodivergent Bible Teaching Podcast. This podcast is dedicated to helping you understand how to study the Bible. I'm Denea, I'm neurodivergent, I'm autistic, I have ADHD and OCD, and I know what it's like to struggle to understand how to study the Bible, let alone also honoring my brain while doing it. I've learned a few things through seminary, um, through life, and I want to share those things with you. In this podcast, you will hear all about, um, studying techniques, some Bible studies so you can understand how to apply those techniques, some neurodivergent encouragement, and just some ways that I'm learning to honor the way that God has created my brain I'm so happy that you're here.  1:00 - 1:00 Let's get started.  1:05 - 1:34 Hello, hello, it's Denea, host of the Neurodivergent Bible Teaching Podcast. I hope that wherever you are, you are able to just for a moment be where your feet are. And what I mean by that is, okay, so, you know, I can't just tell you a story. I have to give you context. Is anybody else like that?  1:35 - 2:13 I have to, I have to kind of preface the story before I tell it to you. So last week I was out of town. I was actually doing two presentations at the Disability in the Church Conference. It's put on by the Shine Foundation and also Key Ministry. It's for church leaders, pastors, uh, volunteers, just advocates of change for disability to talk about, um, what we can do, what we are doing that can grow disability ministries all over the world.  2:13 - 2:29 That was one of the cool things about it. It wasn't just in the United States. It was all over the world, and y'all had a great time. I felt so anxious. I felt, I felt so anxious the whole week because I was out of my routine.  2:30 - 3:01 Um, I felt anxious because I am most likely gonna have to have surgery for endometriosis. Um, we're trying to figure out like the date for that, and I felt anxious for other things that are— that I'm thinking about, like, in the future, right? And they're good things. I feel like a lot of times when we talk about what we're— what we're feeling anxious about, like, we try to downplay them, um, but some— like, sometimes those things are valid, right? And the things I was feeling very, very anxious about, they were all about in the future.  3:01 - 3:30 were, They um, very valid things. But I had to remind myself, and I really feel like this was like God, um, because he didn't like shame me, or he, you know, he didn't tell me, um, that those things I wasn't worried— that I was worried about— he wasn't like, oh, Danae, those things aren't important. He was like, Danae, just be where your feet are, like right, right, right here for, for this moment. Can you focus? Can you work at being present where you are?  3:31 - 4:03 Um, you know, that might be like a grounding technique, or that might be a breathing technique, that might be noticing the trees or the leaves around me or the room around me. Um, or like the doors, or just being— just coming back to the present. And I hope that today you can do that for yourself, because I do— I really do believe that's a gift, um, that God wants us to have. I think that's a big— just being in the present when we can, you know. I think that's such a great gift that God wants to give us.  4:04 - 4:34 And there are a lot of things that happen in that moment, right? There's a there's sometimes this peace about maybe something that we're feeling anxious about, God's peace that overwhelms us. Maybe we start to feel joy as we listen to the birds right where we are. Maybe we start to realize, you know, how special that moment is just by bringing ourselves back to the present. So I hope that you're able to do that today.  4:35 - 5:25 Um, today's episode is going to be on making— how can we make, create, um, and nurture environments for autistic adults? And really, I'm saying autistic adults, um, but to be honest with you, I think this episode could be for neurodivergent individuals in general, neurodivergent adults. Um, because I— what I've found is, and this was a key point in the conference, like, there's a difference between welcoming and belonging, right? Like, when you go to a church, there is usually a— some sort of welcome team. Somebody's opening the doors for you, um, maybe handing out a pamphlet.  5:25 - 6:13 Somebody's waving at you. But belonging, especially for us who are neurodivergent, we feel like we belong when we can be ourselves, right? Like when we're not masking in church, when we feel accepted in the church, when we feel like we don't need to mask or hide or diminish ourselves, our true neurodivergent selves, that's when we start to feel like we belong. Like when people want us there fully as we are. And so I'm going to talk about a few things, um, that church leaders, church pastors, volunteers, or maybe you can bring this to, um, a member of your church.  6:13 - 6:54 Maybe you can bring these ideas to them and kind of collaborate and see how you can incorporate— pray about it first and then see how you can incorporate them into your church. So most of you know Um, I'm neurodivergent. I'm autistic, ADHD, OCD, and complex PTSD. And I think that as I start to have more conversations, usually like online, with other, um, neurodivergent Christians just about church, a lot of us tend to disengage in church because we don't really feel like we belong. We feel like we have to hide ourselves.  6:55 - 7:23 And so in order to create an inclusive environment, one that is of true belonging, I believe that it starts, number one, with this mindset that comes from scripture. It's 1 Corinthians 12:12. For context, it's talking about the body of Christ. I'm reading from the NLT version. The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body.  7:23 - 7:41 So it is with the body of Christ. And it's a mindset that says, okay, there's diversity within the body of Christ. There is supposed to be diversity within the body of Christ. It should be embraced.  7:43 - 7:51 It's a mindset that also says that all members of the body of Christ are valued.  7:53 - 8:30 It's a mindset that says there's interdependence within the body of Christ. We need each other as members of one body. We need each other, but interdependence is tough when parts of the body are being excluded. Excluded how? Well, one of the, um, common narratives about why autistic adults, about why, um, neurodivergent Christians disengage from church is because of the worship experience.  8:30 - 8:51 It's too loud. It's, it's too loud. Lights are too bright. And so if we are talking about creating an inclusive environment, right, it means creating a worship experience, an environment where we are allowed to care for our neurodivergent needs. We don't have to mask.  8:51 - 9:35 And I think practically what that looks like, number one, if a church has multiple worship experiences have one of those experiences. You can have one of those experiences, preferably both, but let's just start with one that is a designated sensory worship experience. This means, say for example, you got a 9 o'clock, you got an 11 o'clock. At 9 o'clock, sensory worship experience where we are going to play the music softer, we're going to dim the lights as well, If you don't have multiple worship experiences, that's totally fine. Can you have headphones when people come in?  9:35 - 9:50 Can you have fidgets? Can you have earplugs when people come in? Can you have, um, like notepads or something for us to, to kind of doodle with? That's another form of like, uh, stimming, right? Drawing or doodling.  9:50 - 10:18 Can you have that? Because when that is at the door Right, as we are coming in, we see, oh, okay, I'm allowed to stim while I worship, right? And that's a hint, that's a reminder to us that we belong. But we need to be, as you are planning your worship sets, right, you know you're gonna have worship. Like, that's a given.  10:20 - 10:58 We need to be in that planning process, not as an afterthought. We need to be in that planning process. Another area I think, um, that is an opportunity to create an inclusive environment is through discipling and teaching. Y'all, autistic individuals need to be— we need to be discipled and we need to be taught. When people are teaching autistic adults, I think one of the great ways to make your curriculum inclusive is whenever you, you finish your, your teaching and you're like, does anybody have any questions?  10:59 - 11:46 And nobody raises their hand, one of the best things you can do is not— don't assume we didn't get anything out of it just because we didn't raise our hand. As autistic adults, a lot of us, we have what's called a complex processing system, this means that we are takin

  7. Mar 2

    Pervasive Demand Avoidance and Studying the Bible

    Since this recording, the name of PDA has changed to Pervasive Demand Avoidance. I personally feel this is a better descriptor for this experience.   In this episode, I talk about what has helped me, as a PDAer, study the Bible. As PDAers, studying the Bible can be challenging. We know that we are supposed to study the Bible as Christians but also need to honor our nervous system’s response to the demand of studying the Bible. I’ll mention a few of things that have helped me still study the Bible while being a PDAer and some of the resources that have helped me as well. I’d love to hear your experience with PDA and any resources that have been helpful for you. Feel free to reach out: Instagram: deneamarable Threads: deneamarable TikTok: deneamarable Email: deneamarable@gmail.com Website: deneamarable.com

  8. Feb 2

    Navigating Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria During Bible Study

    Rejection sensitive dysphoria can make studying the Bible difficult. You may feel extremely overwhelmed by the possibility that you may get an interpretation wrong. In today’s podcast episode, you’ll hear some tips that had helped me navigate RSD during my Bible study time. I’d love to know, is RSD something you experience? Feel free to DM on Instagram: @deneamarable

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Formally known as the Faith Filled Mom Podcast, the Neurodivergent Bible Teaching Podcast is a faith based podcast that is dedicated to teaching you how to study the Bible. You’ll hear Biblical teaching and neurodivergent encouragement. These episodes include different topics and teachings that can help grow your confidence in studying God’s Word and applying it to your life.

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