Ultimately Good

My first forays in ultimate frisbee was in high school as a gangly 6'5", less than 170 lb. supporting actor. I didn't do too much besides throw and catch and my diving skills were nowhere near where they are now. and then 1 or 2 catch games were rare and I hardly ever held on for Touchdowns. Fast-forward to my days playing Ultimate Frisbee the last five years or so, and you have a different story altogether. Though the defense is up-and-down these days, when I'm on, I'm on and I've made a catch in almost every game where I made more than a cameo appearance. I have more Touchdowns in that time and I also have several dives in this past few years alone. Ultimate has become a very exciting hobby for me, one that I can do on a semi-regular basis and when I lose the time to spend on it, I can come back and do it well again when I get back to it. One of my all-time favorite games was when I played with the club team and had 10 catches, 6 completions, 4 dives, 3 touchdowns, and great D. my autism has made me confused sometimes when I haven't played it for a while, but I feel like this kind of excitement can carry on despite that and my autism makes me excited to continue to use this not only as a physical workout but also a social one (some of my besties including my close friend Cam I've met through Frisbee). a token? sure, for the most part, but certainly more than that. My autism will not let me get in the way of doing activities and excelling at them and Ultimate Frisbee is yet another example of that. Stay tuned for next week's installment of this blog series: yoga- the ultimate healer.

The Pick-Up Artist (No, Not That Kind): More Than A Token

Sometimes, the loneliest existence is in a sport where everyone else is better. But sometimes, you get better all the way around. I've noticed this in pick-up basketball, where I'm the only one with autism and I used to get ridiculed for knowledge of scores, especially my first year, but over the course of seven years off and on, I have become someone else entirely: a jump-shooter that can play wherever he's needed. I can do the grinding work and still have enough energy to shoot a jumper or two a game. I can have people say to me things and help me out and most of all, I can run with the best of them and do well with whatever role I'm assigned. I know my role and it's not to be a flat-out gunner. I used to have that role, but now, I'm looked at as a defender of tough people and a grinder on the floor. I'm looked at as a 6'5" guard/forward, with little to no work in the lane. It takes all parts to make a good team, and while I haven't really done anything too dramatic in pick-up ball, I'm still an eventual unofficial Hall of Fame person for the REC Center. There are very few players that can play their roles well, and in a year to a year and a half, I'll be done with my role. But that's fine. I've given it my all and I will look fondly as an artist building ugly pieces of art with somewhat heavy doses of trash-talking. And I'm OK with that. Stay tuned for next week's topic: ultimately good, another more-than-a-token article.

Worshipping Super-Uninihibited: One Of A Kind, But Definitely More Than A Token

I worship quite unihibited. I have for quite a while and have used whatever and however the Holy Spirit moves me. There are very few that have my worship style, and that makes me happy. However, the reason why I do it isn't to inspire people or to show people love, it's to honor God. As a person who is a believer and as someone who feels like actions speak way louder than words, it's honoring God that is above all else and because of how I structure how I feel in the nature of listening for that still small voice, I feel that God is calling me to minister through worship and movement. While it isn't always the most well-structured piece of love and spirit-filled camaraderie, there is plenty of ways that I can show it by just being who I am and showing that not only can I make plenty of movements, be somewhat distracting, and still honor God, but I can also be progressive, unique in other ways, and still honor the Creator and worship him fully. Because God has ordained what I need to do in my life, I need to honor him fully. The first day of Capernaum, I was told that I'm an amazing worshipper and now I am a leader for them. That has been my gift for several other organizations, most of which I have been a leader at one point. It's all due to God why I am an absolute departure from the Protestant Frozen Chosen called Presbyterianism and why I can fit in at both Christian and Presbyterian organizations and why I can honor the Creator fully and whole-heartedly. Love is the motto that Christians should have, and I don't think what I'm doing with the actions is disrespectful or distracting, but rather showing what honoring God looks like in a creativity of someone who is autistic and has ADHD and can still be fun. God doesn't look for frozenness, the Creator has a sense of humor and likes creativity too. Stay tuned for next weeks blog: the pick-up artist (no, not that kind.)