Christian Prayer Thread:- God of all faithfulness - from the old into the new

[DutchOma]

The Dippy household is still full of colds and pressure, so I thought it would be good to have a new prayer thread just on the last day of the old year, looking forward to the new.

There are three prayer needs that I think need flagging up:-

David and Fiona Fulton, with their children Iona and Luke and adopted baby Elizabeth. They are missionaries in the Gambia and have been jailed for a year in a very tough prison. here. Only a mighty God can deal with a tough problem by way of a mighty miracle. We need to pray.

Then there is the family of Emily May Hughes, known to NotSoFarNow who was killed because her father dropped a television on her head and she died. here. The horror of such an accident is too much to contemplate. We need to pray.

The third prayer request comes from Weeteeny who posted on a different thread: Dear God, if you exist and I believe you do, then please help my friend tonight. This is a young mother of children aged 14 and 12 who is in hospital with an infection that is not very responsive to antibiotics. There is no recent update. here. We need to pray.

These are the three prayer requests that I think are the most important just at the moment.

But there are a lot of us that are struggling with problems that are not too small for our God to consider and care about.
Mary, with sickness in the family and ongoing concern about her parents-in-law. Giving thanks for the release of P.
Amber with difficulties in getting the help she needs.
Swaliswan needing a special light bulb.
FAQ struggling with family relationships.
RevJusta, coming to terms with an early miscarriage.
Zipadisuzy with poorly children.

And some of us struggle with issues of faith:- Hullygully, who feels like the black sheep; be assured that especially the black sheep are much loved by God.
Trickcyclist who started a thread: I want a religion - who will have me. here

Let us continue to care for one another, to pray for one another and to praise God for His blessings in the year just gone by and in the year to come.

CaptainDippy - sorry to hear about the dd's hair... it will grow back though I guess that's not much consolation at the moment

M44 - sorry miss read your post! How are you feeling today? Have you been given pain relief from your GP? I shall pray for God to whisper into your DH's ear about you needing to rest!

FAQ - LOL you'll be fine!! Pleased to hear you got your form!

Prayers for everyone here - you're always in my thoughts.

After all the, er, excitement of the recent events on mumsnet including the lets-breed-the-autistic-people-out-of-the-gene-pool stuff that's still going on, I was hoping for something slightly more cheering than an email explaining that if I go to church, other people might feel uncomfortable and it might therefore mean a worse worship experience for them.

I want to cry

And I can't even hug someone

Who sent you that Amber? Virtual hugs ok?
{{{{{{hugs for Amber}}}}}

Can't say who sent it, but it's someone who should know a lot better and I'm just really as I'd never thought of that. In that case, where can I go to church? There wouldn't be anywhere at all...

Virtual hugs appreciated.

Will you not even name and shame them for the sake of other people in your position?

DutchOma, the trouble with being ASD is that I don't know what to say to make a situation any different. Often I think of something that makes really good sense to me and all it does is make it worse for me . I've told them how I feel. I'm trying to reason with them. It's all I can do, honest it is.

Myjobismum - that is good news! Praise be to God.

Amber for you.

Nope not in there!

That's awful, you should feel welcome in Church! I hope it wasn't one of the clergy, if so I think you may need to find another Church.

No, it wasn't anyone from my church, thank goodness...and thank you for the quick check of the Bible. I'm sure it said something in there about a banquet and everyone being invited including those with disabilities. Maybe we're supposed to have our own table so it doesn't put the other guests off their food if they know we're different . Goodness me, I do need a bit of prayer...

Amber I am so for you and will pray for you. I have some reaaly good info on ASD and church - will try to find it for you

Nope, I don't think it is you that needs prayer, Amber! Funny, we were talking last night at our housegroup about the early church and the fact that worship is meant to be an everyday activity - worshipping God in all we do. The church is meant to gather together to encourage (or rebuke) each other and to build each other up in faith. Not apparently what this other person has in mind.

I do know that some people feel that they can only find God in the stillness of a Church building in a quiet meditative environment, but that should be a phase they go through, surely, and then move onto hopefully knowing more of Him in their everyday lives?

Someone I know (and like) was still complaining to me this week that she has to share the church service with children who wander around, as it's so offputting. Honestly, it's not a maths test! We do have sunday school, but some kids like to stay in church and I know that they are they particularly quiet ones. Soooooo sad for her, that she doesn't see God in a child's face, and is obviously struggling to find Him at all, that she has to concentrate so hard.

Hmmm - sermon over!

Webstermum, you're very kind but I'm not sure it will help in this case. The person in question has all the ASD and church info including the books on it and the guidelines, because I'm an autism adviser for churches. But all the info in the world don't seem to stop people saying things that are just so for me to to hear.

My disability advocate is and and is thinking what to do, so prayers for her too would be good, I think.

Unfortunately there seem to be a lot of churches with this attitude - too many for comfort. Anyone who is different is offputting. Most of the people in my church don't know about my Asperger's for a reason. Amber is braver than I am (but I think I'm brave too )

NQGU yes. If I'm helping someone in a church, I see it as an act of worship, a gift to God. It would never occur to me to think 'oh what a burden/bore/nuisance - this is stopping me from worshipping God'. I think God would be if people were sat there in the pews refusing to be a supportive presence for someone who's scared because it was a nuisance for them. I don't think that's the worship He wanted.

Oh b*m

oh Amber sorry to read this

MaryBS - I had no idea about you having Aspergers until I saw your post on a thread the other day (think it was in the "perfect race" thread I think it was???).

btw - sent you an email about next week (EEK)!

Pray for them, Amber - it's their problem, not yours. I'm sure that we can join you in praying that they will come to a greater knowledge of God and His love for every person in that church - including you and including themselves.

Mary, you're braver than I am by a long way in many many things

Oh come on let's have a bravissimo contest
Welcome to Webstermum

Bravissimo? They sell lingerie don't they? DO is right, Amber, its not a contest

Welcome Webstermum!

FAQ, I was diagnosed in September last year, DS having been diagnosed the previous September. It was when he was diagnosed, I realised that they were describing me also. Up until that point, I hadn't got a clue.

The great thing about online forums is that it creates more of a level playing field. There's no body language or unspoken signals to misinterpret for people with AS. And I guess it must be similarly so for other disabilities.

I can still drive a van though

phew very glad to hear it

am sad on your behalf Amber.

M44 - praying for a swift recovery and a DH who starts to see your needs.

FAQ - sounds that the move is getting sorted

Mary - will try and keep Oct 31, would love to come...have a feeling it might be half term...

CD hope you are feeling a bit less upset about DD1's hair. I would be very upset if I were you.

love to all

I've been wondering the same thing about myself, because my dss has been diagnosed with Asperger's and he and I do share very similar traits. I have a set order for tasks and I hate changing the order, I don't socialise well, I forget stuff and get really upset when I do, like I'll go upstairs and think, oh I should bring X down, then forget and have to go back for it and I find it frustrating. I think at times it has a negative affect on my son because I sometimes find myself getting frustrated with him when he won't do something I want him to do (like eat!) or cries and fights me when I'm trying to do something like change his nappy I also get totally absorbed in something which I know frustrates my husband - he'll say something to me and he thinks I';m ignoring them but I'm not - I just can't here him if I am concentrating on something else!
I've done things in my childhood that when I look back they seem plain weird and I don't know why I did them. I'm already under treatment for depression at the moment so am reluctant to go and discuss this with my GP. Besides I'm not convinced if I did it would help!
I did this online test, it said most people scored and average of 16, above 32 indicated Asperger's and I score 42.

I found it really helped me getting a diagnosis. I was getting more and more depressed, and much of it was due to the uncertainty - I wanted it settled one way or another. It helped knowing I had a centre of expertise for adult AS on the doorstep. I also wanted a sympathetic GP, so emailed the centre. They said "that they don't keep records of which GPs, but coincidently one GP at my surgery had just referred someone". So I went to see her, and she referred me to the centre of expertise. It also helped reading about other people's experiences about getting a dx as an adult, on the Wrong Planet website. If you want to talk about it off-board, I'd be willing to listen...