Couldn't think of a more challenging, encouraging and ultimately uplifting way to spend my birthday. Excellent keynotes, workshops, plenty of food for thought. And to share it not just with my hubby but a whole roomful of my tribe was gorgeous x

franceslouise75.wordpress.com/2026/02/11/n... Wrote for church magazine but then didn't end up being used!

Ok, preaching peeps - would you use the book / film Chocolat re temptation? Is in a Local Ecumenical Partnership (i.e. more Free church) context so wouldn't want to offend re pagan undertones of one protagonist, although wouldn't be referencing this. Just really pertinent to theme.

@salvarmyarchive.bsky.social I zm trying to work out when my mum, then Elsie Elizabeth Bannister trained / worked at the Mothers' Hospital, Clapton and wanting to get hold of someone working in your archives section. Can you help?

Stage 1 done and dusted with lots of positive feedback. Now onto stage 2 - why do I suspect that this is where the 'fun' really starts?

Getting more useful experience (including all age service on Safeguarding Sunday which was terrifying.) May be doing kids talk on Christmas Day too. Meanwhile, stage 1 looms on the horizon. Need to prepare but not worry.

'I talk about immigration because it diverts their attention from me asset stripping their country.' 'I talk about immigration because the Daily Mail diverts my attention from him asset stripping my country.' 'I talk about immigration because The Sun diverts my attention away from everything.'

youtu.be/LLM_J8YH8Fk?... Beautifully said.

All went well this morning, I think. Absolutely loved it and had some really lovely comments from people afterwards.

Am starting to wonder whether choosing to preach on Jacob's wrestling match was taking on more than I could handle. Pun intended. Looking for commentaries and have a bit of time for ideas to percolate. though. And was definitely drawn to that passage so trusting there's something in that.

Dear Bluesky hive mind: Has anyone got any experience with solicitors successfully handling personal injury type claims, who would do a free consultation? Not for me - genuinely asking for a friend, not just saying that!

So ... being late-diagnosed autistic is 'interesting' (and by interesting I mean that I wish to God that the process itself was more neuro-affirming rather than essentially telling me I'm a failed 'normal' human.) Luckily, I think God has his own plans for this perfectly 'normal' neurodivergent.

Hopefully speaking at my church for first time ever on Safeguarding Sunday (Nov 16th.) Is an all-age so pray for me! (And yet somehow, the teaching ideas still start whizzing around my head, even after 3 years outside of the classroom.)

Brilliant idea! Next they’ll invent seatbelts and call them “freedom straps.”

Thankful for sleep, my husband, sprogs, cat and sunshine, probably in that order. Thankful for the ordinariness of normal life.

"Excuse me, I'll tell you when you've finished"

Would love to speak to a (possibly neurodivergent) priest about how they've found the role v their expectations. How they manage their diary etc. etc.

Ok - this was something I was asked to do as past of a process I'm working through at the moment (or to do in some form and I write blog posts - occasionally - so this seemed like a good idea.) Sharing with some trepidation. franceslouise75.wordpress.com/2025/04/09/n...

franceslouise75.wordpress.com/2025/03/29/j... Arising from a course I've been doing with the Diocese of Oxford, this is my latest blog ...

So this is how my day out in London finished yesterday. #GenerousFaith #InclusiveChurch www.facebook.com/reel/1325457...

‘Stain on this country’: celebrities condemn cuts to UK disability benefits Actors including Stephen Fry and Brian Cox criticise plan that will remove support for more than 1 million people www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Ok, been tasked with presenting my vocations journey (one that includes teaching, burnout and the autism lightbulb moment along with much questioning) in any medium. Interpretative dance? Shakespeare sonnet? Or shall I play safe with a blog post? Don't, for all that's sacred, suggest art!

Knowing without much shadow of a doubt what both one of my oldest friends and I will be doing this afternoon #SixNations #WalesvEngland @claredowding.bsky.social

My way of choosing the next book on my (long, because I keep adding more) To-Read list: I don't. I sort alphabetically by surname of author (because sorting = satisfying), give husband range (e.g. between 1 and 10), he randomly selects a number and I read that one. Rarely, I cheat but normally not.

It's weird as a biologist to say "ignore the science part" but here we are Science: Vaccines don't cause autism. BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER. If vaccines caused autism I would still recommend them. Dying of preventable disease is bad. Autism isn't a disease and most of the "bad" of autism is society.

⚓️

These collections are things of beauty and strangely calming to the soul.

The thread on one page: skywriter.blue/pages/george...

Ran out of Christmas wrapping paper? No problem....

Couldn't resist... well, tbh COULD have resisted but darned well didn't want to. So didn't. You're welcome.

I’ve seen a lot of posts saying something like: “Ok, maybe vaccines don’t cause autism, but we need to figure out what IS causing this terrible epidemic!” This is a result of left/liberal advocates & media ignoring the fundamental ableism & autmisia at the heart of the anti-vaxx movement. #Autistic

Early winter berry palette, for the possible dopamine it might trigger in your brain. The colour of spindle berries (bottom rightish) never seems quite real...

I'm totally OK with being called woke. It just means that I'm showing off my green flags. Happy to follow others with green flags. #woke

1. The difference so far (and for god's sake let's keep it that way) between X and Bluesky is not between right and left but between abuse and respect. A good society is built on mutual respect. But what does this mean? A short thread.🧵

Would love to be in a space where I can interact, be challenged, learn and disagree agreeably. Late nearly-diagnosed autistic, ex-English teacher, exploring if there is a role for me in the Anglican church. Lover of my family, cats and Shakespeare amongst other things. Hate waiting and conflict.