Discussion Questions: Chapter Six

1 – Read the story from John 4:7-30. Note how Jesus asked the woman He met at the well introspective questions about herself. He pointed her to the truth, and then she went back to her life. Look at what she did in verse 29 and the result in verse 30. Brainstorm together how you each can share your experiences going through this book with others in your city.

2 – Have you experienced any resistance from others around you as you have tried to make changes in your self and in your life? Share some of these with each other.

3 – What is one thing that you ABSOLUTELY have to have in your life? What is one thing that you want to RID yourself of?

4 – After sharing some of the questions from page 154 with someone else, what was a surprise you found. How did this help?

5– Discuss the differences between being selfish and taking care of yourself.

6 – Share a hero you listed on page 159. What is it about their life that you admire? How can you emulate them?

7 – Think long term, small changes. Have each person share one resolution from page 160. Take a minute to list something you can do right now to begin to fulfill the goal. Commit together to a time- table to accomplish that one thing.

8 – Before you come to the discussion today. Stop at a store that sells paint. Select a paint sample strip with your favorite color on it. On the back, write down your name. Beside it write a definition of yourself. Keep this as a concrete souvenir, a bookmark from your journey.

9 – Either as a group or individually, send an email to unwrittentravels@gmail.com. Tell us how the book impacted your life. What part did you like the best? The least?

Discussion Questions: Chapter Five

1 - Bring in your favorite childhood snack to share during this time together. If anyone has any really funny childhood pictures, bring them along.

2 – Go around the group and give a one-word answer. When you first thought about taking a look at your past, did you feel mainly positive or negative?

3 - Now look on page 132, which word do you most relate to when thinking about your past? Grace, Appreciation, Resilience, Redemption Give a brief description of why this word resounds with you.

4 – How did your role in your family of origin affect your life as an adult?

5 – Can you describe one way you can see God’s hand in your past? Your present?

6 – Write notes to yourselves to paste in your book on page 142. On the note list three things you can be thankful for about your past.

7 – Share something that a family member has done or said to you to make you feel loved and accepted. After listening to each other’s stories, pick one idea to share with someone you would like to bless in your family.

8 – What was your favorite song from your past that you put on your soundtrack?

9 – What life lesson do you want to make sure you pass on to future generations?

10 – Share one of the moments of pure joy that you listed on page 144. Compare. Did any group members share similar moments? Are these moments something you can recreate as an adult? To do with your friends? With your children? Plan a joyful time to experience.

Discussion Questions: Chapter Four

1 – Share your top two or three values with each other.

2 – Give examples of how these values have impacted your life.

3 – Any values conflict? Any values help or hurt the fulfillment of your goals?

4 – Read your descriptions of yourselves from page 118.

5 – Trade addresses. Sometime this week mail a postcard to a partner from the group. On the postcard, tell them something you admire about them as you have become acquainted more intimately.

6 – Encourage each other. After each person who feels comfortable share one entry from page 121, write down the new perspective they are trying to develop with someone they love. Commit to pray for each other during the next week.

7 – Share your ideas from the Road Trip on page 123. Write down some ideas from the group that you want to try.

8 – Read some of the laws you have written on pages 124-125. Have one person be the recorder and write a “Ten Commandments” list for your group. This can be serious or humorous.

9 – What real law do you HATE? Why?

10 – Write down three words or phrases that describe how you would like to be remembered. Share one thing you will do NOW to be sure you are described in this way.

Discussion Questions: Chapter Three

1 – During your meeting today, try to note any time you begin to lose focus and think about something unrelated to your time together. If you begin to think about what you need at the grocery store, etc. stop and share. You may be surprised how hard it is to concentrate on your time together.

2 – Share what you noticed about your thoughts when you tried to stop and be quiet. What did this show you about your self?

3 – When you tried to stop thinking about all of the external stuff, did any deep desires come to the surface?

4 – Think about what aspect of God’s character most attracts you to Him. Some need God to be a righteous judge, some a father. Discuss.

5 – List something that has changed about your spiritual beliefs.

6 – From page 90, discuss how you think that someone’s thoughts about God affect their thoughts about who they are.

7 – From page 92-94, the Ecclesiastes passage, have each person in the group share one of their entries describing a “time” in their life.

8 – Discuss the season of life you are in right now.

9 – Think of some ways you have been forgiven. How can this help you to forgive others?

10 – Share your poems from page 102. Have everyone share his or her new names.

Discussion Questions: Chapter Two

1 – This may feel uncomfortable at first, but practice makes things easier. We are all good at pointing out our faults physically. On page 37 you were asked to list a feature about yourself that you love. Go around the group and complete this sentence out loud: The feature I love about my physical appearance is _____________________.

2 – Write a definition of yourself. Answer the questions: who, what, when, where and why as best you can. Act like you are writing a character description for a novel, the character is you. Read your definitions to each other.

3 – Share one of your ideas to reduce the impact of time eaters in your life.

4 – Page 46 asks – “Does your life look like the life you hoped it would be 10 years ago? Think forward. How do you hope you will be spending your time differently 10 years from now?

5 – Share how the to-do list worked for you.

6 – Share some ideas you discovered that could change your ordinary day into your extraordinary day.

7 – Everyone share one free idea to do with your family or friends from page 53.

8 – From page 54, discuss some of the things you have done to make your life work that you had no training to do. Share some of the areas from the “Road Trip” on that page that you want to learn more about. If someone in your group has expertise or book referrals about your topic, use each other for resources.

9 – Share your experiences from intentionally listening to someone.

10 – What did you feel grateful for after taking a look at your self, your home, your schedule and your family and friends?

Discussion Questions: Chapter One

1 – Why do couples go on a honeymoon after their wedding? What is the purpose? What did you feel when you thought of a honeymoon with yourself?

2 – Page 4 states “The things you love say something about you…listen.” Why is it important to know what you like and dislike? Is this superficial? Selfish? Necessary? Why? How does this relate to fulfilling your life purpose?

3 – Did anything surprise you about yourself as you completed this chapter? Did you see yourself as a unique creation? Look at the person on the right, share one thing you learned about your unique self with them. Listen to their revelation. Make sure you’ve listed those things on page 21-22.

4 – Write down one of your wishes from page 15 on an index card. Trade cards with a member of your group. Use their card for a bookmark. Pray and hope with each other that your dreams will come to fruition.

5 – Share some of your morning and evening rituals. Pick out a new idea to try.

6 – Was there anything you realized you disliked but were doing unnecessarily due to someone else’s expectations? (Page 17 & 18)

7 – You may want to provide colored pencils or markers to do your creative excursion together.

8 – Ask a few people to bring in CDs of their favorite songs. Listen to them together. (page 13 & 14)

9 – One of the main things women yearn for is to be heard and to be known. From completing this chapter you should know yourself better. Have each person in the group pick one of these questions and answer it out loud.
What do you do?
What are you good at?
What do you want?

10 – Allow a few people to read their souvenirs from the chapter out loud.