The Faith Filled Mom Podcast

Ways to Stay Close to Your Source of Provision

This episode is about Staying Close to Your Source of Provision in the midst of chaos. 
The scripture for this episode is Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is My Shepherd; I have all that I need." NLT
Staying close to our source of provision (God) can be challenging but it's necessary. God has what we need at all times. 
Transcript and Episode Notes (Episode Points are in bold) :
Denea (00:01)Hello, hello, it's Denea, your host of the Faith Filled Mom podcast. Today's episode is all about how to stay close to your source of provision in the midst of chaos, in the midst of living in a broken world, in the midst of fill in the blank. I want to go ahead and pray first. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you that you are
Thank you that you were always close to us. And we thank you God that you were God. Your ways are higher. You know a lot more than we do. You are high and holy and lifted up in your rightful place. And yet Father, you love to be our source of provision. We thank you Father. We just ask for your wisdom and your guidance. In Jesus name, amen.
So today we're coming from Psalm 23, verse one, the Lord is my shepherd. I have all that I need. This scripture, this group of scriptures, I've said it before, it is absolutely my favorite. One of my favorites in the Bible. It is just so comforting to know that God is always with us. This scripture, this verse in particular, to,
kind of get context behind it because we've been talking a lot about that right like getting context behind scripture it is important so let's go ahead and kind of set the scene so the person who wrote this scripture is David David was a shepherd before he was king before he was anointed appointed to be king he was a shepherd and so if anybody would be saying
The Lord is my shepherd. Like if anybody would know the time and commitment and care and provision that a good shepherd can provide, it would be a shepherd themselves, right? It would be a shepherd. Like David, it says that David, you know, knows, he knew what it was like to fight off predators who were seeking his sheep, right? He is somebody who has been, he is,
He knows about that life. Like David was a shepherd. So for him to be calling someone else a shepherd, that to me, it makes me look at this verse in a different way. David knew that he was the source of his sheep's provision. And so that made me think like, what am I doing to stay close to my source of provision?
So that's kind of what we're going to talk about today because that's, that's what it is, right? Sheep have to stay close to their shepherd. Now we do know, you know, Jesus said that he would go after the one, right? He leaves the 99. but it's also important for us to know that we got to stay close to our source. So how do we do that? Here are a few practical ways for you to implement that today, this week, number one,
pray and go to God and be honest with God about how you were feeling. The beautiful thing about God is that he doesn't have an ego. You know, like we can tell God, like, hey, I'm really disappointed, God, that you worked this out in a way.
that I didn't plan for, that a way that I didn't want. And to be honest with you, I'm feeling a little disappointed right now. I need you to help me navigate this. Like we can go to God and tell him how we are honestly feeling because the truth is he already knows. But I think he wants us to be honest with him because whenever we're honest with someone, I feel like it just opens up.
I don't know, possibility of intimacy that wasn't there before. Like have you ever had a friendship mama where you and your friend are just kind of talking and maybe you or your friend admits something that you've been struggling with and you just kind of talk about it for a while and you feel closer after that conversation. There's something about just being vulnerable and honest with a friend.
that just takes your relationship, that can take your relationship to the next level. And I think that's a great way. God is a safe person for us to do that with, you know? Like we don't have to worry about like God gossiping about us, or we don't have to worry about God trying to throw that back in our face later. Like that's not who he is. That's not what he does. God is a safe place for us to be vulnerable, for us to be open and honest.
Another great way to stay close to your source of provision is to turn down the noise. Turn, turn down, turn off or limit your use maybe of social media. Stop scrolling so much. Podcasts. Hey, I love podcasts. Well, I'm on a podcast right now, but I'm telling you that it is okay sometimes if you need to skip an episode.
so that you can prioritize carving out a few moments of quiet time with you and God, do that. Like whenever we say, you know, decrease the noise, I feel like, or maybe this is just me, I tend to think of like only bad stuff, you know, but like the thing is there's nothing wrong about trying to listen to a biblical podcasts or watch a biblical teaching on YouTube. You know, there's nothing wrong with that.
But the truth is I don't believe we were always created to be consuming. We gotta take a break. We have to create time for reflection. That's something I talk about often. Pausing and reflecting, that kind of helps us process things, right? Like that's one reason why our brains were not created to just go, go, go, go, go all of the time.
So every now and then, like, yeah, I think it's good to be like, you know what? I'm going to listen to that another time. I need some quiet time with God. And I think it's important to know that when you create, when you're turning down the noise in order to prioritize quiet pockets of time, number one, the quiet time does not have to be like 30 minutes long. If you have it, that's great. But I also want to say it can be two minutes.
And I've said it before, it can be 20 seconds. If that's what you have, because we all have had those days before. And I think that that's okay. If the time that you have, the little bit of time that you had to prioritize towards quiet time, God sees that you were surrendering your little, the little bit that you have. God sees that. He knows what that sacrifice is for you.
you could be choosing to do something else. Like he knows that. He's not offended if you just have 20 seconds of quiet time. And in that quiet time, like for me, I'll be honest sometimes, it feels odd. Sometimes I don't initially hear from God. I don't get a prompting, but I think it's a practice. And I think the more that we do it, that just kind of flexes and builds that muscle a little bit of.
quiet time and then we can start really being sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. And then we can start understanding what it actually, what is that sensation? Like what does it feel like to be prompted by God? What does it feel like for you when God is speaking to you? Because it might be different from someone else, but the only way to know that is when we practice it. That's the only way to do that. So start practicing. Whoops.
I know if you heard that. A picture just randomly fell. Start practicing that quiet time. Right? And in this quiet time, I think another reason for me why it might feel a little bit odd at first is because this quiet time is to create a time for God to speak to us. And I'm not saying like you can't during this time, you can't say anything to God. No, like if you feel prompted to pray, pray, talk to God.
But I think it is important to have time where we are just still in just letting God know like, hey, I'm open right now, like to hear what you're saying to me today. Because the truth is God is always speaking to us. I think we just have it like, you know, the noise turned up so loud in our lives, not intentional. And again, it's not all that, it's not bad stuff all the time. You know, it can be just day to day stuff.
But I think it's important to prioritize that. Another great way to stay close to your source of provision is to surrender. Surrender maybe how you wanted, know, a certain outcome that you have. Surrender your desires or how one, maybe you want to respond to somebody, react one way.
Ooh, you want to tell that person something and maybe it's warranted, right? But surrendering your fleshly desire and seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance so that you can walk like Jesus, that is a way, that's a great way to stay close to your provision. That's a great way to keep your eyes on God is to seek the Holy Spirit, seek His guidance and how you should respond in certain situations.
When we do that, it's kind of like the same thing. We're building that muscle. We're creating the Holy Spirit is transforming us from the inside out. Something is being built. We're getting stronger, right? Like those actions, they're starting to become more like Jesus. Even if you don't feel it, that is so important to practice that serenity. It's another practice. It's another practice because we're human. It's another practice because
It's got to feel like surrendering to the Holy Spirit and surrendering our desires. I feel like it looks different in every season. Right? Like the more, the more life you live, you're going to be called to surrender different things and that it's going to look different and that's okay. That's how it's supposed to be. But that is why it's a practice and it's a practice because we're not always going to get it right because we, you know, we, got that human in us. Another great way.
to, I think, stay close to our provision is to put on praise and worship music. And just when I put on praise and worship music, I heard somebody say this and I thought it was so beautiful. Like try to imagine God in front of you. Just the smallest glimpse.
of what you could imagine that would look like, right? And the good thing is there's really no right or wrong way to do this. It's just getting that imagery and then just start worshiping Him just like He's right in front of you. I think that is another great way to really stick close to your source of provision, praise and worship. know, God is worthy. He is high, He is holy, He is lifted up in His rightful place.
And I think that we have to declare that, we have to declare that to our atmospheres, we have to declare it to ourselves and remind ourselves of that often. It is so good for us to do that. There are other great ways to stay close, extend kindness. God's kindness and the love and the compassion and the patience that he shows us and the grace and the mercy that he shows us. We are supposed to be extensions of that.
Right? It's supposed to flow. It's supposed to flow through us. It's supposed to flow to us. It comes from God. We share the gift of patience or grace with someone else. And eventually it will come back to us because that gift, it doesn't expire. It doesn't end. It's supposed to flow through us and to us. think that's another great way. Be an extension of God's grace to somebody today.
Maybe that's someone else or maybe it's you who needs it. Be an extension of God's patience today. Woo, Jesus, that's tough. I know, I know, I know, I know that is so tough, right? But the truth is, that's tough. The truth is though, I mean, it's an extension of God. And when we show other people that like, we might think it's something small, but it's just showing somebody a glimpse.
of the goodness of God. That's another great way to stay close to your father. That's another great way to stay close to your source of provision. And then the last way, if you're not sure, ask. You know, like I get caught up in sometimes thinking that like, I don't know how to explain this, that I'm supposed to Christian right. That makes sense. And so in order to Christian right,
I'm supposed to know all of the answers. I'm supposed to have all of the answers. Therefore, I shouldn't be asking God to, you know, to help me with trying to stay close to him. Like I'm supposed to know how to do that. When that is not true. That is absolutely not true. I think that that is more of like a performance thing.
You know, and our relationship with God, it is a relationship. It's not a performance with God. It's a relationship with God. And so I just want to remind you today, if I'm, you know, I'm sitting here talking about how to stick close to your source of provision and you're like, okay, what? Like how, how am I supposed to do that? Or maybe you're thinking like, okay, yeah, I could do that in another season, but in this season right here tonight, like I don't.
even know I'm having trouble getting out of bed in the morning like staying close to my source of provision like I don't know how to do that. I just want to remind you that's okay. It is so okay if you don't know how to stay close to your source of provision. Right now it's okay if you don't know how to show kindness to other people. It's okay if you're you're listening to me talking about praise and worship maybe you haven't actually done that before.
maybe you are new to the Christian faith and you're like okay yeah I know praise and worship songs but like what what do I do when I'm by myself like at church you know I get it I'm around other people but what I just want to remind you that there is no such thing as quote unquote being like a "the right type of Christian" or "Christianing" right. It is okay for us to say God I need your help with this walk right with with with with this walk of being a Christian I need your help.
with this walk of becoming more Christ-like. I need your help with this journey. I need your help showing this person compassion because I really don't know how because I've done X, Y, and Z. I need your help with showing this person patience because God, I have tried multiple times. I don't feel like I have it today. God, I need your help in staying close to you as my source of provision because God, I feel so tired. I feel so exhausted right now.
I just want to remind you it's okay to go to your Heavenly Father for help. He loves to help us. He did not send Jesus to die on a cross just to be like, okay, y'all have fun. I'll see y'all in the next age. Like he sent Jesus to the cross so that he could fellowship with us, so that he could sit with us, so that he could be with us, beside us.
He wants to do life with us. He loves helping us. We're not bothering God when we ask him for help. He loves it. He loves to help. He loves to fill us. He loves to lead us. He loves to guide us. He loves to comfort us. He loves all of that. Go to him. I'm gonna pray us out. God, thank you so much. for your word and just thank you, God, that you are our good shepherd.
Thank you that you and you alone are our source of provision of all things God. How blessed are we that we have you, that you are our source of provision. Right now, God, we ask that you would give us your wisdom and discernment and help us. Help us as we are doing this walk of life as Jesus followers. How do we stick close to you, God?
as our source of provision. How do we show other people in this broken world? How do we show them compassion? How do we show them patience and mercy and your kindness, God? How do we do this life? We need you. We need you to show us. We need you to tell us. We need you to give us discernment, empower us, make us sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, we welcome the work that you wanna do.
within us to transform us to be more like Christ. Help us to boldly obey the promptings that you give us. We love you, Father. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode. It was Psalm 23, verse one, but I will put that in the show notes in case you were doing 50 million things right now and you're like, okay, Psalms, I got Psalm.
19 she said I got it. Don't worry. I will put it in the show notes. Am I the only one who does that? I'm like, okay, don't worry. I'm gonna I've got this I'm gonna remember it and then like three hours later, I'm like, I don't got it. I don't I didn't remember it. I'm gonna put it in the show notes for you just in case if you could review this podcast wherever whatever platform you're listening to it on review this podcast, it just helps push it out to other people or you can send it to someone
If you think that you know someone who maybe is having a tough time right now and you're like, hey, when was the last time you spent time with God? And they're like, ah, I don't have time for that. I don't know how to do that. Send them this podcast. Maybe you can teach them. Maybe you can help them. I love you. Thank you so much for listening. I will put all of my contact information and the scripture in the show notes for you. I will talk to you next time. Love you.
 

Faith, Autism Motherhood and Disability Advocacy with Sunita Theiss

This episode of the Faith Filled Mom Podcast features Sunita Theiss.
Sunita is a believer of God, wife, mother, neurodivergent, writer, disability rights advocate and so much more.
Sunita will tell you her story, share her experience of being neurodivergent and raising neurodivergent children, and encourage you to lean into God’s grace.
We talk about Faith, skincare, autism challenges, the Bible and so much more.
Follow Sunita on Social Media:
Instagram: @sunitatheiss
Twitter: @sunitatheiss
Substack: @sunitatheiss
Visit her website: sunitatheiss.com
Transcript: Denea (00:00)
Okay, hi everyone. So I have a special treat, one that I have been excited about for a while. Her name is Sunitha Theiss. She is a believer, a mom, advocates for disability rights. I don't want to give away too much because I want her to be able to tell her story. She's also a writer.
and a speaker and I am just so thankful for you to be on here today. Thank you so much.
Sunita Theiss (00:34)
Thank you for having me.
Denea (00:36)
Absolutely. So I want to go ahead and get straight into it. Can you first kind of briefly say how you came to know Jesus? How did you start to, I guess, get into like a relationship with God and get to know Him?
Sunita Theiss (00:52)
It was kind of by accident. So I grew up Hindu, my well-meaning, but in hindsight, think misguided Christians had said things to my parents, like my dad was really sick. And so would say things like, if you accept Christ, you will be well. And like, that's not how God works, right? Like God is not a vending machine. And so I was...
trying to make my parents mad and like rebel. And I went to church with a friend who invited me, which like I did like more typical forms of rebelling in high school too, but like also this. And so it was kind of hard to be the only kid, also the only Indian kid a lot of the time whose parents weren't there. And in hindsight,
sort of knowing what I know about myself now. It was just hard to figure people out. a few years, so I stopped going. And then a few years later, when I was in college, my dad had passed away and I'd moved across the country and back. And I don't know what you call it, if it was Providence or God just endlessly pursuing me.
Denea (02:01)
Sorry.
Sunita Theiss (02:15)
I found the Bible that a youth pastor had given me in high school and I just remember sort of angry and bitter and praying, God, if you're real now is a good time. And a lot of stuff just kind of happened in those few weeks following that and things I didn't think could be explained away by coincidence. I felt like God had done things. And so I reached out to that same friend from high school and I was like, hey, are you gonna be home for winter break? Can I go to church with you?
I just want to say thank you. And so I went with her to church and then another friend from high school had recommended the church I attended for over a decade. so the three of us went to church and I ended up just continuing to go back there. And I got baptized there and was super involved there for about 10 years. And then, you know, even after we got married, we'd gone to my husband's church for a while and we went back and
I'm still very connected to that community there. So that's the short version. Yeah.
Denea (03:18)
That's awesome.
Yeah, I love how God just meets us where we are. You know, like that's, that's, yeah.
Sunita Theiss (03:26)
uses our rebellion, uses our,
and what's been really remarkable is that my mom is still a Hindu. She's an extremely devout and prayerful person and everything she does. And her faith is also like just so moved by loving her family. But she, it was so hard for her at first. And she is also in a place where she's like, I see that this has been good for you. And she will come to,
Denea (03:38)
Mm-hmm.
Sunita Theiss (03:56)
our Christian homeschool group with my kids and I, and she will do, you know, and so she...
Denea (03:59)
that's awesome.
Sunita Theiss (04:04)
I, she's, she and I are, you know, we believe different things, but I also think like we have a lot of room for one another. And she can see that this has like consistently born good fruit in my life and in my relationships, including mine with her. So.
Denea (04:16)
Yeah.
Yeah,
that's awesome. So switching gears a little bit, what encouraged you to get an evaluation for autism in ADHD?
Sunita Theiss (04:33)
Yeah, so I mentioned before that I didn't know why I was having a hard time socially as a teenager, even in that church context. But I've thought I had ADHD for probably almost 15 years. I've been trying to get a provider to talk to me. But I was a gifted kid. I was professionally successful. I was a woman. I was not hyperactive in my body.
Denea (04:40)
Mm-hmm.
Sunita Theiss (04:59)
And so I'm sure there were providers who thought I wanted meds, one even said as much, but I never got my diagnosis. And then after I had my son, I started seeing a therapist who said, I totally see it. Like, do you need a formal diagnosis? And I didn't at the time. And then my son was diagnosed with autism. And then we were exploring if that might also be.
Denea (05:04)
Yeah. Wow.
Thank
Sunita Theiss (05:28)
what was going on with my daughter. She was having some behaviors and some challenges that I felt couldn't be explained any other way. And after I talked to the pediatrician, I talked to my mom and I said, these are the things we're thinking about. I'm probably going to get her evaluated. And she goes, you did all of those things as a kid. And it was like this light bulb went on. I was like, wait, is it more than ADHD here? And so I had planned to get my son reevaluated anyway, because we had been.
Learning about PDA, felt like the first evaluation didn't really capture some of the ways he's gifted and some of the strengths he has. And so we had found a practice that we felt was a better fit. And so I scheduled both my kids. And then after I talked to my mom, I called him back and I said, do you guys do grownups? Like, I just get myself on the schedule too? And so.
Denea (06:17)
Wow.
Sunita Theiss (06:22)
Yeah, then they were able to get us in sooner than expected. So I got a diagnosis in the same week as my daughter. And I think, I mean, it's just, so good to know. It's so good to clarify. It hasn't been easy. There have been a lot of tears, but I think it's been a net positive because it's enabled me to be so much kinder to myself. And...
Denea (06:28)
Hmm.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (06:52)
to shed and unburden myself of lot of pain and shame I felt growing up that I couldn't do things, I needed more help than other people. It's still super hard to ask for help. think we're told we shouldn't need it, I think especially as high achieving women. But I'm learning, I'm learning to ask the people I trust for help, I'm learning to...
Denea (07:04)
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (07:19)
My kids are really good at advocating for what they need and so they're teaching me a lot. So yeah, so it was my kids and what I had in common with them, especially my daughter and here we are.
Denea (07:33)
Yeah, I love that. I mean, I love in general that we're that we're talking about this, but I feel that there were so many things that you said that I know that I can relate to. Man, I think I first noticed that I was different in like middle school and high school. And people to me were just exhausting. I'm like it felt it felt exhausting. Let me say this. People are not exhausting. It felt exhausting for me to try to
figure them out. You know, like it was it was tough for me to try to navigate, like fitting in, you know, it seemed like it was a puzzle. And I just felt like, oh, if I could just figure this puzzle out, you know, I said, I could fit in and then I was like, I don't know, I feel like it's just harder for me. Like, I don't, I didn't really see anyone struggling. Like everybody just kind of seemed to naturally
Sunita Theiss (08:03)
Yeah.
Denea (08:29)
you know, have like cliques and friends. And like you said, as somebody who has a job, you know, on the outside, I feel like people are just like, you don't have autism. Like you're married. You don't have autism. You're a mom. Like you have a job. You have this. And it's like, okay. First of all, just like you said, there are so many internal battles. I feel like that we as
Sunita Theiss (08:46)
Yeah.
Denea (09:00)
neurodivergent adults deal with on the inside that we don't express. And another way to say that is we mask, right? Like we diminish our neurodivergent needs. We diminish the need to ask for help. We diminish the need to stem. We diminish all of those things. And so to the outside, it's like, oh, why do you want to do that? Why do you want to get an evaluation?
Sunita Theiss (09:08)
Right.
Denea (09:29)
And so I just, hope that there's somebody who's listening who kind of hears that and it just gives them permission to take whatever the next step is for them. I love that you said that it allows you to be kinder to yourself. That is so beautiful. And I'm like on the verge of tearing up because I mean, I know as somebody who does have autism and ADHD,
you start to kind of compare yourself to other people like, why is this so hard for me? This is just a simple thing, like I should be able to do this. And then it's like, okay, as a child of God, we have to realize that the way that we speak to ourselves, it should also be in line with like something that God would say to us, you know, like the way that he speaks to us, even when, you know, we're not on the right track, even when we decide to, you know, do our own thing.
Sunita Theiss (10:03)
Right.
made.
Denea (10:27)
God is still a very much loving father to us. And if the way that you're talking to yourself doesn't mirror that, then I think it needs a little bit more looking into. So I love that you said that this brought you to kind of just be kinder.
Sunita Theiss (10:43)
Yeah, I mean, I think sort of getting my diagnosis and then I did a very intensive bout of EMDR therapy in the same year, which was a journey. And I think combined, I came to understand and realize that like a core belief I had about myself was that I just do things wrong, like everything. And that's wild.
Denea (10:54)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (11:11)
to go through your life and persist in a belief that you do everything wrong. When yes, like we live in a fallen world, we are broken people, but not everything. And to believe, to go in with the expectation that like, I'm going to fail at this too. And then to be able to look at myself and go, I don't have to get this right. I have support around me. I have a God who stands in the gap at all times.
Denea (11:17)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (11:43)
And what a relief and how much freedom is there in that to know that I'm not doing this alone. I am not a failure that my whole story has been redeemed and I will find out how it ends, but God already knows. And then to clarify my diagnosis and to rest in the knowledge that God knew that about me too, right? Like before I knew my kids were autistic, God knew.
Denea (11:55)
Yeah.
Okay.
Sunita Theiss (12:12)
before I knew I was autistic, God knew. And I don't know why I had to be 36 before I found out, before I could clarify that, because for years I had just been like, I don't fit in, I struggle. I'm not like everyone else. I experienced deep anxiety and depression over the course of my life. And now I have this and I know this and I'm just like, okay, now I have a context within which to put all of these other things.
Denea (12:28)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
and
Sunita Theiss (12:41)
And I could see how it could really create barriers to someone's different faith. But for me, it has just like strengthened my faith to know that God knew and that he's there and he's been there and he understands the timeline. He understands the arc of the story and I don't have to.
Denea (12:53)
Yeah.
Yeah, that is so beautiful. I I absolutely, I thought I was wrong. know, like me as a, just as a person, like I just thought that I was wrong. And it does, gives you clarity, and I love that you said it gives you, like it allows you to put certain things in context. And that is such a gift.
Sunita Theiss (13:13)
Right.
Denea (13:29)
be able to do that. was like what I heard that was like yeah light bulb moment like that is what it does like it you know it allows you to put certain things in context versus just that core belief of I'm wrong or I'm always gonna fail at this because you know everything is so much harder like it it gives you a little bit of context and it allows you to lean into God's grace more.
What does that look like for you now? Because you said that it kind of has strengthened your faith. How has your faith changed since your evaluations?
Sunita Theiss (14:04)
I think it's a sweeter and gentler relationship, maybe. like I said, I take a lot of comfort in knowing that God knew this about me even when I didn't. I, I choose to believe that he didn't let it pan out this way.
without knowing that there's beauty and redemption in this story. And I feel like I'm already experiencing that, that like, there's been so much hurt in my life, relationally, professionally. There's been so much grief outside of just the context of how I experienced the world. And I really hate when people blame the fallenness of the world or sin as like a cause for autism or disability.
because the reality is the gospel story is that God experienced a disabling injury, he experienced grief, he experienced pain, he came as a baby, he had to develop speech and motor skills, right? Like, Barry Present, who wrote the book Uniquely Human says in the introduction of that book that there's no autistic behavior that isn't human behavior. if
Denea (15:08)
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (15:24)
like the stage and age and frequency and persistence and repetition may vary, but there's nothing that is autistic that is not human. And if we believe that God, that Jesus is fully God and fully man, then he has experienced humanity the way that we experience humanity, even if there are variations in the specifics of how often and when and where. And so...
Denea (15:32)
Yeah.
Yes.
Sunita Theiss (15:50)
The short answer to your question is that I feel more seen and more understood and I don't feel like this was a mistake. I don't feel like I made a mistake.
Denea (16:01)
Yeah.
Yeah. I mean, it fires me up whenever I see threads or just, I don't know, social media in general, that autism and sin intertwine. Because that's not
the case. And so that's why I love that these conversations are starting to be had. think a lot of that comes from just ignorance. And so I think the more that we that we talk about it, especially within like the Christian community, the more that we talk about it, the more that we educate. I'm just I'm really praying and believing that that that's false belief.
just goes away because it's hurtful, it's not true. I mean, it's not biblical. And so I love that you went over that. But yeah, I can definitely see how that would make way for you to have more grace, like more freedom within your relationship with God and yourself.
Sunita Theiss (17:22)
Right, I mean, I think, you know.
If you look at scripture, when Jesus is resurrected and he encounters his disciples, he looks at Thomas and he says, put your hand in my side. He says, in my side. He doesn't say, touch my scars. He says, put it in my side. They can see the wounds in his hands as well, which means the resurrected glorified body of God still had a visible disabling injury.
Denea (17:40)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (17:58)
What does that mean? Like, I think, you know, it's hard for me to contextualize because people are like, well, in heaven people won't need wheelchairs. And I'm like, maybe, but that's not in scripture, right? Like we don't know what everything in body looks like. And the one we do know about the one that there is a spiritual account of still had wounds. So how like...
Denea (18:14)
Right, Yep. Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (18:27)
I love that there are things about our faith that are a mystery. I'm excited to find out. But that was kind of an eye-opening thing for me to think about, especially since getting my diagnosis. And I think it's not exclusive to Christianity either. I I grew up Hindu. My dad was very sick. We never used the word disability at home, but he had many disabilities.
Denea (18:51)
No.
Sunita Theiss (18:57)
And there were things people would say about karmic consequences of past lives leading to the life that our family had now. And that's so performance oriented and it's so anxiety inducing and it's so ableist. And so I just, if we believe that God is compassionate, that God
God is with us in these moments and these experiences. He has experienced the full extent of humanity, then why not this too?
Denea (19:32)
Yeah. Yeah, I mean, amen. I like you said, I think it's good that we don't know. Like there's, I heard her name is Faith Yuri Cho.
Sunita Theiss (19:37)
Thank
Yeah.
Denea (19:47)
She said that it is good that we serve a God that still has some mystery. It's good that when we read the Bible that there are some things for us to, of course, seek God's wisdom and seek the Holy Spirit and seek Biblical counsel, but at the end of the day, it is okay if there are just some things that we don't know on the side of heaven that we still have left to find out.
Sunita Theiss (20:13)
Yeah, and it's funny because I sometimes wonder, we don't know people who are far more intelligent and educated than we have made it their careers and their lives to explore these very specific things in scripture, and that's amazing. And I also sometimes pray that it just won't matter, right? That the day will come when Christ returns and I'll be like, what were all those things I wanted to ask? No, it's cool.
Denea (20:26)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Right, yes, doesn't
even matter.
Sunita Theiss (20:42)
And because when I get frustrated about things that I've experienced, whether it's the grief around our fertility issues and pregnancy laws and in the darkest moments of that journey, I've been like, I just want to get face to face to God and be like, why me? Why did you choose me to go through this? And then I go, I don't think it's going to matter. I don't think it's going to matter. Because when I am...
Denea (21:02)
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (21:11)
face to face with my Lord and my God. I'm not gonna be like, what were you thinking? Why did you do this to me? I'll be like, thank you, you're here. And that's, you know, there's comfort in that too.
Denea (21:20)
Yeah. I don't know.
Yeah, absolutely. So you talked about that scripture when Jesus was talking to Thomas. Are there any other scriptures that you cling to when either you or your children are experiencing some of the challenging parts of being autistic?
Sunita Theiss (21:51)
There are so many. So I start every day. I have a reminder on my phone that just has the verse with Proverbs 16.3. So commit your work to the Lord and he will establish your plans.
Denea (22:07)
Mmm.
Sunita Theiss (22:08)
So at 7.20 every morning, an alarm goes off on my phone that just says Proverbs 16.3. And that's a reminder that everything I do is I can commit to God that can be done for the glory of God and that he will then see it through. He will establish it. He will set it on a firm foundation. I've needed that reminder so much, especially in this season of like,
Denea (22:25)
that.
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (22:38)
I'm working, I'm homeschooling, I'm writing, I'm with my kids all the time. And there are a lot of plates spinning and all of it can be done for the glory of God. So that's how most of my mornings start. And then I think everyone will probably tell you Psalm 139, but I'm okay with that. I think there are things that are pervasive in our community and in the church for Christians. But, you know,
Denea (22:50)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (23:07)
It's really wonderful to know that God knew us before we were formed. knows he will know us to the last of our days. My kids and I love to sing a song for Philippians 417. So can do anything through him and gives me strength. so that's those are probably like the three most recurring. I also there are variations of this in.
Denea (23:12)
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (23:35)
different gospels, you know, just reflecting on that if he can do this for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, like what will your father do for you? So there are a lot of worship songs along those lines, so I tend to listen to those throughout the day.
Denea (23:47)
Yeah.
Yeah, I
love that y'all have a song that you sing together. I think that is just awesome. I mean, for everybody, for you, but also for them, making sure that they're actually getting that scripture in them. And plus, I've been personally working on memorizing scripture, and so I've heard that songs, that's a good way.
Sunita Theiss (23:57)
Yeah.
Yeah.
singing.
Denea (24:20)
Yeah to do that so I love that you're incorporating that now with them. So like you said you have a lot of plates spinning. How do you intentionally like care for yourself as someone who is autistic and has ADHD and just ask somebody who has spiritual needs ask somebody who is a person right outside of being a mom like how how do you do that?
Sunita Theiss (24:46)
Yeah, I will.
so I use noise canceling headphones. have them right here. I, I find that because sometimes there is sensory mismatch. like, I don't do well with a lot of sounds, around me if I take that back, I don't do well with certain sounds and I have one child who stims vocally very loudly and
Denea (24:54)
Mm-hmm, yes.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Hmm.
Sunita Theiss (25:18)
you may hear it at some point as my kids are sort of passing through my house. So, and we've had to talk about sort of what the boundaries are around that because I want everyone to be able to regulate in the way that they need. And then another thing I do is I'm at my best when I'm exercising and moving my body a few times a week. I really enjoy lifting weights. I think
Denea (25:22)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Sunita Theiss (25:45)
I didn't have these words when I started doing it, but it's really, really good proprioceptive input, like just to move, to do heavy work. And then something that is sort of, that I'm working on recently is I used to prioritize my work based on urgency. And now I'm trying to prioritize it based on how much margin I have. So instead of this is a high priority or a low priority,
Denea (25:51)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm
Sunita Theiss (26:13)
Does this require a lot of mental margin and focus or does this, is this something I can do quickly in a few minutes? Is this something I can do sleep deprived? Does this require a lot of executive function? And so taking a better pulse on my capacity and then doing work there. And sometimes that means that I have to like, you know, I have to meet a deadline, right? Like I work for other people, have clients.
Denea (26:31)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Sunita Theiss (26:43)
But generally over the course of the week, I'm able to find the pockets where I can do the deep work. I'm able to
Denea (26:48)
Mm-hmm.
Sunita Theiss (26:49)
fit in the other pieces as I have margin. But I've also been trying to apply that to my self-care routine. like if I'm sleep deprived and I get up in the morning, I'm not gonna do a full skin care routine. I'm just gonna wash my face and brush my teeth. If I have time and energy and I can think about all the steps, like we are using serums.
Denea (27:01)
Yeah. Yeah.
Yes.
Sunita Theiss (27:11)
We are flossing. are, you know, like we're gonna, we'll do it all.
But if I can't, then like the best I can do is some, just splash some water on my face, put some moisturizer on and brush my teeth and go. And that has helped my days feel less overwhelming because I've always had a very like all or nothing. Like I either have to do the full routine or I'm failing. And I'm like, oh, like I can decide what I have capacity for. And so.
Denea (27:18)
Yes.
huh.
Yes.
Sunita Theiss (27:38)
That's a very sort of practical thing. I'd love, I have this visual of like a menu where I can be like, I have margin in the morning so I can do this and I don't have margin. And so I just haven't had the time to like build it and laminate it and try it out. That's kind of what I'd love to do is just sort of have, these are my high, medium and low margin options.
Denea (27:47)
Yeah!
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Sunita Theiss (27:59)
my morning routine here, my options at lunchtime, because then you can apply it to like meals. Okay, I don't have a lot of capacity. So we're eating thawed leftover soup that I froze six months ago. But like, actually, I am super excited about cooking. And I have the capacity to think through 10,000 steps. And so we're gonna have this elaborate meal, right? Giving yourself grace to be where you are, and sort of planning ahead to be wherever you might be at the end of the day. So.
Denea (28:08)
Yeah. Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
My mind is blown right now because...
Sunita Theiss (28:31)
It's super new thing. if you don't already on Instagram, there's a woman named Iris Wong. Her Instagram is eftoolkit. And she's a former speech therapist who does a lot of executive function work. And she and I, we meet up and we've become friends. We meet up on Zoom. She lives in California. But this came up in a conversation with her.
And so I've just been experimenting with it since I talked to her about, she's like, what if you did it this way? And so now I'm trying to figure out like what it looks like, but.
Denea (29:03)
My mind is blown because because I I mean like all or nothing it's like either like just like you said like I had that that dilemma this morning of So the mornings when I wake up are typically high anxiety just
Sunita Theiss (29:10)
Yeah.
Denea (29:20)
like switching from sleeping to like starting my day. And like I feel, I told my husband, I was like, I feel like the rest of the day when I wake up, it's just like staring at me in the face and it's just like, they're waiting for me. And it's so hard for me to jump into it. So I've started a skincare routine, but this morning I didn't sleep well last night. So I was like, I'm just not gonna do it. Like I don't, like it doesn't, like I don't have the capacity for it. And trying to figure out what I've done.
Sunita Theiss (29:43)
Yeah.
Denea (29:49)
Previously is like, okay, is this urgent important or not urgent? But then that doesn't leave room for my capacity. And so I think that is something that I'm going to look into incorporating that when you were sitting here talking I was like, whoa, maybe that's why like Tasto feel just that that was amazing for me.
Sunita Theiss (30:03)
Yeah.
Well, I think it's a very sort of,
it's a very like narrative thing. The other thing, the other person, oh, I can't remember her name. I'm trying to see if I have her book here somewhere. There's a homeschool mom. I can't remember her name. Oh, I think I found it. Pam Barnhill. She writes about having like, like as you're planning your homeschool year, like what's the minimum viable product, like the minimum viable school day?
Denea (30:39)
Mm-hmm.
Sunita Theiss (30:39)
Like if you had to only do one thing
every day, what would it be? And then like, and it's kind of that same application to like my personal routine or to my work is like, what, what would I have to do? So it might be like for my kids, it's like we do a math, a language arts and like a Bible story. And like, if that's all we do, great success. If we can do all the other stuff I'd love to do, that's amazing too. But I think it's also like combining that into how I navigate my own personal needs. because
Denea (30:43)
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (31:09)
Taking that approach to the homeschool day has also helped relieve some of that pressure
on myself.
Denea (31:14)
Mm-hmm.
That's awesome. So you mentioned getting your son evaluated for a PDA.
Sunita Theiss (31:23)
Yeah, so PDA is not something you can get a formal diagnosis of most of the time because it tends to co-occur and it's pretty broadly understood to co-occur with autism. It will be listed in their autism diagnosis as a presentation of autism, a profile of autism. The way I explain it to most people is that he has a sort of non-stereotypical presentation of autism.
where he has, it's sort of a cluster of traits that is actually frequently I would, I speculate misdiagnosed his oppositional defiance because there's high anxiety and an extreme fight or flight response. And that can be seen as being oppositional or sort of combating the authority around you. But I'm realizing,
Denea (32:03)
Mm.
Sunita Theiss (32:20)
My son and I, I relate to it a lot too. I think I've just, I have a fully formed frontal lobe at this point and I have done a ton of therapy and I have a lot of skills in place, but I, my internal resistance when people tell me to do things is still similar. I just have developed a skill set that doesn't make me externalize it. So I think it kind of defies all the wisdom about parenting and education.
Denea (32:26)
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (32:47)
Because our kids, PDA kids, PDA adults, like they don't really see hierarchies or if they see hierarchies, they find them like arbitrary, I guess is maybe a good way of putting it. So like, my son doesn't necessarily see himself as subordinate to us in our home. And so to cultivate that authority and respect, right? Like it has actually come with giving our children a lot of autonomy.
Denea (32:58)
Okay.
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (33:15)
and lot of agency and input into how we do things. We have very specific boundaries and non-negotiables, but there's a lot of freedom inside of that. like in a homeschool day, it might be like, here are the five things we have to do. What order do you want to do them in? Right? Because I don't need to have that control. Like I'm ready to do all of it.
But I know that that's really hard for other parents because they're like, well, this is what we have to do. And then it's like, okay, but like,
Denea (33:43)
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (33:45)
Do you have to do math first? Do you have to, know, and or.
I'm trying to think of like other examples. Like in the mornings when we're getting dressed, like I would be like, put on your pants, do this, do this, do that. And then it was just like 10,000 demands were being placed on this child and every demand is feeling like a threat to his brain. It's feeling like intolerable. And so for me to slow down and say, hey, I'm so happy to see you. I love being your mom. How's it going?
Denea (34:21)
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (34:23)
here's what I'm thinking for today. What do you think? What do you want to wear? And then instead of guilt-dripping my kid for going out, for wearing shorts and a tank top on a day when it's 22 degrees outside, I might say, hey, do you want to just like, can you run out and tell me how cold it is so that I can decide what I want to wear? And then he'll be like, man, it's cold. He goes, I think we need to bring some pants. Whereas a year ago I was just bringing pants and a long sleeve shirt and a jacket in the car. And now he has.
the ability to say like, I think I would like to choose this. Because that's what adulting is, right? Like it's going, here is the context in which I exist. I will have to make choices now. And I'm not always going to make good choices. And so how, like what a gift it is to me and to my kids that like we get to practice that so much more than most people. That's not to say that PDA is not without its challenges.
Denea (34:53)
Yeah. Yes. Yep.
Yeah.
Sure.
Sunita Theiss (35:23)
As a kid I did and I think my son has, I mean, I know he does, like he would lash out physically a lot. Now I understand that he felt so threatened. That's all his brain could do. Like his fight or flight is all fight. But going upstream and going, okay, you don't get here in a vacuum. There are things that have happened throughout the course of the day that made this feel like the moment where.
Denea (35:30)
Okay.
Bye.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Sunita Theiss (35:51)
you are not safe anymore. so, and I think with maturity, with time, with flexibility, you know, we're getting to see all the ways that he's so thoughtful and so gifted and so curious about the world and creating room to lean into that too. So the way that we homeschool, I call a lot of audibles.
Denea (35:53)
I don't know.
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (36:18)
And I think that's one way we accommodate the PDA is that like, I might be like, here's the lesson. And he'll be like, I hate school. I'm never doing school again.
You are bad at being my schoolwork partner. That's what he said to me recently. And I went, okay, what feels hard? What feels hard? What is what feels hard? And is it a little hard? Or is it too hard? And it finally came out that like the work was boring. He found the work boring. And I'm like, yeah, I get it like dopamine.
Denea (36:34)
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Sunita Theiss (36:47)
big for me too. So I said, let me take a 15 minute break. And I came up with something that was more tied into an interest he had. And we still accomplished the same work, right? Like we practiced the same phonics.
Denea (36:57)
Mm-hmm.
Sunita Theiss (36:58)
We still did adding and subtracting. We still found a way to review the memory work from our homeschool community. But we did it in a way that like tied into something he was interested in. And yeah, it was more work on my part, but like I'll do the work all day if it engages him and fosters a level.
Denea (37:10)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm. That is, like you said, it's not without its challenges, but I think that is a beautiful... But that's just a beautiful story of grace. You know, that's what I hear. And I think that, like you said, it's probably tough for...
One reason that it's tough for lot of parents is because it calls you to relinquish control or what you perceive as control. And it calls you to step in to be more grace-filled toward yourself and your children.
Sunita Theiss (37:52)
Well,
and I think that's not unlike how God is with us, right? Like if we believe God gave us free will, and I do, I'm not going to use it appropriately all of the time, right? And so, and he doesn't shame us for it. And like if I choose,
Denea (37:57)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (38:20)
to sleep in and I have to skip my quiet time in the morning and then we're rushed and so I'm eating garbage food as I'm going out the door. And that's not me being a good steward of my time or my body. This is a very benign example. But I'm not gonna be like, you screwed up, you're out. His mercies are new every morning. I get to start over the next day and do it again.
Denea (38:30)
Bye
It's a very relatable, it's a very relatable example. Yeah. Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Sunita Theiss (38:49)
And I think, I don't know why we don't extend that same grace to children, really, as a society. And I feel like there's another PDA mom who has said a lot of times to me that PDA children are the canaries in the coal mine. They alert us to when things are not right, because they're wired not to tolerate it. And so...
Denea (38:54)
Yeah.
Yeah.
I love that.
Sunita Theiss (39:16)
slowing down is not a bad thing. Having more grace and compassion for yourself and your children is never a bad thing. I think what people get wrong about PDA, about dropping demands, about increasing autonomy is that it can come across as being overly permissive. It can come across as giving your children free reign or letting them be in charge in your home. that's not it at all.
Denea (39:23)
Amen.
Sunita Theiss (39:44)
We have, like I said, we have very specific boundaries about what it is and it's not acceptable, but we involved our children in those conversations. My son and I, a couple summers ago, sat on the porch eating popsicles and we came up with family rules. Our number one rule is we keep everybody safe in mind, in body and spirit. And there's a lot that umbrellas up under that. The rest of the rules umbrella under that.
Denea (39:59)
Mmm.
Sunita Theiss (40:13)
But we'd agree together that should be the number one.
Denea (40:16)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (40:18)
And,
and so when he's lashing out physically and he can't, he's not in control. It's almost like he's, he's blacked out. He's like fully in this like limbic state of like, I just need to feel safe. but I can talk to him about it later. And, and even now as he's, as he's maturing and he's able to be more present, like to say, I'm the boss of my body. I'm going to keep my body safe. I'm going to walk away. I'm not going to put him in a timeout.
Denea (40:23)
of
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
home
Sunita Theiss (40:48)
I'm say, I'm gonna step away and then he can come to me and we can repair and we can reconcile when we're both ready. And like, that's a skill I know most grownups in my life struggle with. So if my seven year old is starting to figure it out, then like my hope is when he's 27 or 47, like that's just a skill that is in his tool belt.
Denea (40:54)
Yeah.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yeah. What are, if you had to pick, I'm sure there are a lot more, what are three things that you wish churches knew about welcoming and ministering to individuals and families with disabilities?
Sunita Theiss (41:33)
so following on what I was just saying, I think, the first thing is that disabled kids become disabled adults and that there needs to be thought and attention given to that transition. And there need to be accommodations in place for that transition and for the adults in your community, because they don't just grow up and disappear. If you want them to participate in the life of the church, you have to be mindful of that. and following that, I think,
Denea (41:53)
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (42:01)
disability inclusion requires a cultural shift from the top. It's much more than spending money or buying fancy equipment or setting up a sensory room. It is what are you preaching about? Who is preaching? Who is on your elder board or your best read or your lay council, whatever you call it. Who is a greeter on Sunday mornings? Who is leading small groups? Who is speaking into what the life of the church should look like?
Denea (42:21)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (42:29)
And if that's not reflected in the community, then the culture will never change. That was like two and a half. So I guess the final thing is that.
Denea (42:33)
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (42:42)
It's my it's my belief in my conviction that we get it, we don't do a good job of recognizing that every person is an image bearer of God, and therefore every person belongs in God's family. Every individual has the right to access and be involved in the life of the church, because we are all members of one body. And we are doing a huge disservice.
Denea (43:07)
Mm-hmm.
Sunita Theiss (43:12)
to a significant portion of Americans in the American church, but people worldwide by excluding them or not creating room for them to feel like they could belong.
Denea (43:18)
Yeah.
Woof. That, that'll preach. that is, I mean, yeah, that, wow, that, was really powerful. And, I mean, just, just all of that, because you can talk about making little changes here and little changes there, but at the end of the day,
Sunita Theiss (43:25)
you
Denea (43:46)
What does your leadership team look like?
Sunita Theiss (43:49)
so at our church, it's, it's predominantly men. but we last year added a pastor whose title is, associate for compassion ministry. And he is spearheading a disability ministry among many other really amazing community initiatives. so I'm on the working group for that. And he has brought in disabled individuals.
Denea (43:54)
Mm-hmm.
Mmm, yeah.
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (44:18)
as well as professionals and parents. And he's very emphatic that it will be a ministry of belonging. It will not be a separate space, but it will be about transforming the way we do church to be more inclusive. And so I will keep you posted on it. I'm excited to see where it goes. I think it's really cool that
Denea (44:22)
Yeah, that's awesome.
Yeah.
Yeah!
Mm-hmm.
Sunita Theiss (44:46)
that he's part of our church and that, you know, they're doing work in low-income communities, they're doing work in prisons, they're doing, you know, he's just, how can we love our community better? Like, I think that's a good way to explain his job. And our church leadership has been very accommodating and mindful of what we need. I've had to be kind of a squeaky wheel at times, but.
Denea (44:48)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Sunita Theiss (45:13)
You know, we had we had an incident where someone asked us to leave a service because my son was like stimming and singing a song that they were not singing. And and I had like my my daughter was like eight weeks old. It was like one of the first times we'd gone to church since having a baby. And and so I leave crying and my husband is angry. And this our church is a lot of older people, too, which I love most of the time. And
A group of women who run our hospitality team, like sort of surrounded us. They gave my son this huge piece of cake, kind of talked to my husband down. And then one of them texted our pastor and just said, like, Hey, this is what happened. And so he contacted me and said, I need you to know your family is always welcome. And that was more than three years ago. And so if they don't have the resources in place, they are open to talking about it. And I think that's what, that is what matters. That's what I mean about like.
Denea (45:55)
And.
Wow.
Yeah. Definitely.
Sunita Theiss (46:13)
It starts with a
lot. There are people at our church who probably think I'm like the worst parent in the world because of what I permit my kids to do. And I know that our leadership sees how much we love our children and they are working very hard to involve us and to get us plugged in and to accommodate us within the capacity that they have.
Denea (46:25)
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's awesome. Really quickly because we're about to run out of time, which I hate because I have more questions that I wanted to ask you. But I want everyone to know, and I'm going to put all of these links in the show notes, but what are you up to? How can people find you on social media, your website, all of that good stuff?
Sunita Theiss (46:54)
Yeah,
thank you. So I do a lot of writing about all of this that we've been talking about. I try to create free resources for parents and families. and I both write for a key ministries blog. And then I'm homeschooling, I do some consulting. So all my writing is done in the margins. I just...
Denea (47:10)
Mm-hmm.
Sunita Theiss (47:20)
I had created a Lent and Christmas resource for neurodiverse families and I'm working on a Lent and Easter one. that will be hopefully sometime next month. I will have that out since Ash Wednesday is the beginning of March. People wanna connect with me. I'm at Sunita Theiss on everywhere, Instagram, Twitter, threads. My website is sunitatice.com and they can find links to all of those things there too.
Denea (47:28)
I
Sunita Theiss (47:47)
And if people want to reach out via email, it's on the website, but hello at sanidotice.com. I'm happy to talk to people too.
Denea (47:55)
Yeah and you have you have a speaking engagement coming up too right with key ministry.
Sunita Theiss (47:58)
Yeah,
I have a couple. I'm speaking at, I'm leading a discussion group at PDA North America's conference in March, and then in May, I will be speaking at key ministries conference about how churches can come alongside late diagnosed adults. I'll be there and hopefully more to come this year.
Denea (48:07)
Mm-hmm.
That's awesome. Yeah,
absolutely. There will be more to come. I will put all the links in the show notes so people can find you and just thank you, thank you, thank you so much for this conversation. But also thank you for the work that you do like on that you showcase on social media, I should say, because you're not doing it on social media, but you
Sunita Theiss (48:25)
Thank you.
Denea (48:47)
Allow people to see and really know I think I'm trying to figure out how to say How to say what I what I like it you're starting a real conversation about it that is very authentic and That is absolutely appreciated and I'm just I'm just so thankful that you're doing that So thank you for sharing your words your gifts your writing your wisdom with all of us And I appreciate your time
Sunita Theiss (48:58)
Yeah.
Thank you. Yeah,
I'm so glad we connected. Thank you.
Denea (49:19)
Thank you.

Jeremiah 29:11 in Context

On this episode of The Faith Filled Mom Podcast, I talk about the context behind Jeremiah 29:11. Jeremiah 29:11 is a scripture that's often taken out of context and the meaning behind it reveals beautiful promises from God. 
In this episode, I'll talk about this verse as well as Jeremiah 23:5. 
For Digital Resources including Bible Study Method Tools and Christian Neurodivergent Encouragement you can visit my website: www.deneamarable.com
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Memorizing Scripture: ADHD Friendly Tips and Techniques to Memorizing Scripture

This episode dives into practical techniques tailored for individuals with busy schedules, including neurodivergent-friendly methods.
I’ll talk about how to break down verses, incorporate music, and use repetition to deeply embed God’s Word in your heart. You’ll hear personal insights and experiences that underscore the transformative role of the Holy Spirit in understanding and remembering scripture.
I’ll give you practical tips on starting your own scripture memorization journey and examples of each technique alone with helpful tips. 
Techniques mentioned:
Chunk It
Memorization by Writing, Talking, and Listening 
Using Songs
Saying Scripture out loud to someone else. 
Scriptures Mentioned in this Episode:
Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
2 Timothy 3:16 -17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Romans 15:4 “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
John 1:1 “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.“
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How to Personally Engagement with Scripture

Welcome to the newest season of the Faith-Filled Mom podcast! In this heartfelt episode, I’ll look at the lessons we can learn from the Pharisees’ legalistic downfall and explore how we can personally engage with scripture. 
The scripture references are Matthew 22:29 and Romans 8:38. The main points in this episode are:
We become open to God’s conviction
We know that we are not righteous on our own 
We seek the Holy Spirit in helping us comprehend and apply the Bible to our everyday lives so that we can become more like Jesus. 
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Filling Your Cup with the Right Things with Tashena Anderson-Place

Have you ever struggled to fill your cup with the right things? Honestly, we all have been there. It can be tough knowing how to fill our cup when we're busy with mom life. In this episode, author Tashena Anderson-Place talks about her book Fill Your Cup: Discover the War Between Life and Faithfulness, how to fill your cup with the right things, how she spends time with God as a busy mom and more.
To connect with Tashena, you can go to :
Instagram: TaheenaAP
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TashenaAPAuthor/
Author Page and Women's Community: http://www.theopencupcollective.com/
To Purchase Fill Your Cup: Discover the War Between Life and Faithfulness, you can go to Amazon or Good Reads

Ways to Study the Bible

Have you ever felt overwhelmed when it comes to studying the Bible? In this episode, you'll hear four tips on how you can get started with studying the Bible. You'll hear me give you some extra tips towards the end of the episode on how to give yourself some grace as you're studying the Bible. Feel free to let me know on IG how you study the Bible or if you're planning on starting with any of these tips.
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Faith, Motherhood and Sobriety with Victoria Plummer

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a mom and sober? Today's episode is an interview I did with Victoria Plummer. Victoria is a believer of God, wife, mother, podcast host of the Beyond the Booze Podcast and admin of the Beyond the Booze Podcast: Christian Sobriety Community Facebook Group. During this conversation you'll hear Victoria talk about her faith walk, sobriety journey and motherhood.
We both share things that have helped us grow in God and sobriety and what it's like to deal with stress as moms who are sober.
You can find Victoria on IG: ⁠@Victoriaplummer ⁠
You can listen to Victoria's Podcast, Beyond the Booze here: ⁠Beyond the Booze Podcast⁠
You can find and join Victoria's Facebook group here: ⁠Beyond the Booze: Christian Sobriety Community on Facebook

Affirmations for You to Speak And Put into Practice

This affirmation episode is filled with a few affirmations for you to speak over yourself and put into practice. The way you speak and think about yourself matters. And I pray you seek God in how to put these affirmations into practice. Thank you so much for listening. I pray you know how important you are and how much the world needs you. Contact me: deneamarable@gmail.com Follow me on Instagram and TikTok: @deneamarable

When You’re Wondering if God Will Use Your Story

It's natural for us to wonder if God will use the things we go through. As humans we only have a basic view of our lives but God sees the bigger picture at all times. In this episode, you'll hear tips on how to navigate seasons when you're wondering if God will use your story.
4 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”
4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” - Joshua 4:1-4
Stacking Stones by Bridge Worship ft. Mitch Wong
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