Part 2 Stimming While Studying the Bible For Neurodivergent Christians

Denea (00:00) Hello, hello! It's Denea, your host of the Neurodivergent Bible Teaching Podcast. I am so happy to be talking to you today, to be here today. I am uh sitting in front of the window that's in front of my desk, and there's this big tree that has, I have no idea what type of tree it is, but it has

Denea (00:30) the most beautiful leaves. They're green, but then they're like turning this bright red. Um and I'm just I'm just in awe. Um and I hope today that wherever you're you're listening you I don't know find something to be in awe of. It doesn't have to be something big. You know, it can be um

Denea (00:57) Something small. It can be the sound of somebody laughing. Um, I did that the other day with our son. Uh, he was watching a show, and I don't know. I was just listening to this, to the sound of him laughing, and I was like, oh my goodness, I can't, I can't believe like I've I get to hear this right now. Um, maybe it is the sight of something in nature, or maybe you are walking.

Denea (01:28) Uh in the street, down the street, and you just happen to notice this beautiful building. And you just kind of allow yourself to be in awe just for a second of the architecture of the building. Um, the little things. I hope you find something that is that is little um for you to just be in awe of today. I think I think those little things really matter. I think they add up. So today's episode is kind of a continuation.

Denea (01:58) Of ways to stem while we are studying God's word. And before I begin, I just want to say I think this is so important because a lot of us have been taught to kind of um this is gonna sound odd, I think, to to leave our bodies when we're studying scripture, like our neurodivergent needs.

Denea (02:28) Can't come with us as we're studying scripture. Um, it has to be one or the other, right? Or it has to be one or the other during prayer, or it has to be one or the other in worship that we have to choose to, you know, rock back and forth or sing uh praise and praise and worship. We can't do both. And I think that it is so important for us.

Denea (02:52) As Christians who are neurodivergent, to understand that that is not God's view, that is not God's heart towards us. Um, that is toxic theology, any any type of um doctrine that encourages you

Denea (03:12) To think of yourself, um, to think that you have to perform for God or um to think that you can't be authentic in the way that He has made you, that is that is toxic. And so that's why I've been kind of focusing lately on ways to stem while we are studying God's word. It's it's a a way of us being like, okay, our bodies can come with us. m

Denea (03:36) As we're studying God's word, okay, our neurodivergent needs, we can address them in his presence. He doesn't mind. He doesn't mind at all. And so again, this is not an exhaustive list. Um, to be honest with you, I've actually had really a lot of fun compiling this list because I'm like, I thought, I was like, oh, how am I gonna think of 15 ways? And then I got to 15, and then I did, I think.

Denea (04:04) There yeah, 15 more today. And I was like, oh wait a minute, there are so many more. There's so many more ways. So this has actually um been really fun for me. Okay. So the first one today, uh sit on a wobble cushion. A wobble cushion that's really big in our house. Um we love it and I think it's a a great addition while you're studying God's word. Um doodle while you're studying

Denea (04:33) God's word. You can make you can write in your Bible. You can write in your Bible, or maybe if you have like a notebook that you take notes in, or maybe you just have a separate notebook just for doodles. You can doodle while you are studying God's word. Um, hug a stuffy. I've actually recently gotten back into just stuffies. Um, and they're really, really soothing.

Denea (05:01) And I think it's a great, again, another great way to stem um to care for your neurodivergent needs while