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ASPartOfMe
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07 Oct 2017, 6:13 pm

Authors McCall And Bradley To Sign At Highland Books - Brevard, NC

Quote:
Within the pages of Stephanie McCall’s new book, “Sufficient Grace: 30 Days of Grace and Peace for Persons with Disabilities and Those Who Love Them,” readers will discover their God’s messages and purposes for Christians living with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and other life-altering limitations. The devotional speaks directly to the diverse experiences of people living with disabilities and how their God can use them and their unique abilities for his good. McCall writes to readers who feel life has marginalized them because they are different, and she encourages them to see themselves as an important part of the Christian community.

Stephanie McCall is a Transylvania County writer who often uses her cerebral palsy and Asperger’s syndrome to inspire her work. She has also published “Fiery Secrets” and “Promise of a Future.” McCall is currently working on a sequel to “Sufficient Grace” titled “Enduring Grace.”


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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman


Livetop
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26 Dec 2019, 2:55 pm

sepikmari wrote:
...

No matter what I join, ministry, service, whatever, I never seem to connect and make friends....

I like to think I have a personal relationship with God, I just don't understand why, if He created us to have fellowship with one another, I am unable to connect.


I can relate to this. I am puzzled that so little has been said recently on this topic. Maybe these discussions are banned from this forum - I don't know. I get the impression Aspies find being in church difficult with regard to things like fellowship. Do other christians here have any recommended coping mechanisms for attending church in such a way that one doesn't feel bad afterwards?



Fnord
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26 Dec 2019, 3:21 pm

Livetop wrote:
sepikmari wrote:
... No matter what I join, ministry, service, whatever, I never seem to connect and make friends... I like to think I have a personal relationship with God, I just don't understand why, if He created us to have fellowship with one another, I am unable to connect.
I can relate to this.  I am puzzled that so little has been said recently on this topic.  Maybe these discussions are banned from this forum - I don't know.  I get the impression Aspies find being in church difficult with regard to things like fellowship.  Do other Christians here have any recommended coping mechanisms for attending church in such a way that one doesn't feel bad afterwards?
People who go to church for the sole purpose of making friends or "hooking up" are setting themselves up for disappointment.  If their attention is obviously not on the message, if their focus is obviously not on praise and worship, if it seems obvious that they are more interested in the cute someone a few pews over, then that person will be quickly marked as a "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" by the real Christians and be treated in a polite, but distant manner.

Now I know that I have suggested to some that they go to church to meet people -- and they will meet people -- but if they want to meet only certain types of people (i.e., single, attractive, same age, et cetera) with the goal of getting a girlfriend or boyfriend, then their behavior will make this obvious, the Christians there will notice, and word will spread quickly to "... keep an eye on the new person".

With all that said, I cope with the crowd by sitting in the back or at a side pew, my Sunday School class has only six members, and I avoid committees and congregational meetings as much as possible. Sometimes I sit in the overflow room where I can adjust the volume on the p.a. system to a tolerable level (usually, I am the only person there).

Otherwise, I try to talk to everyone after services, regardless of what they look like, even if only to say, "Hi!  How ya doin'?"



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26 Dec 2019, 4:23 pm

Hi again everyone!

I am still a non-born again Catholic, always will be, but in late 2017, I left my former Catholic parish and became a member of a nearby Catholic parish. I served as an usher at my former parish for several years (had a pair of mentors to help me fit in), but over the course of time, I slowly realized that the majority of people acted more like high school kids rather than "real" followers of Jesus.

After halfway through my tenure as an usher, my family and I went through a period of crisis and when word spread, many saw me and my family as a threat to the parish community. Even the parish priest wasn't much of a help because of his stereotyping of not only women, but also people on the spectrum. (He even called me "violent" many times.)

Even though my family and I fully recovered, we were still considered outcasts as lead by a prominent parish member. The irony is that at the beginning of this month, said prominent parish member was arrested over an attempt to seek revenge against the leaders of his daughter's school who didn't do anything about a negative experience a child of his went through about two years ago.

As for me, my new Catholic parish is welcoming to very much anyone regardless of background. Instead of being an usher (Sorry people from my old parish who want me back), I currently serve as a Lector and a Eucharistic Minister.


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Silly NTs, I have Aspergers, and having Aspergers is gr-r-reat!