Let’s Huddle

Journey

Known and Heard

¨ Share the circumstances of your birth, including the time of year, place, family, and any special particulars.

¨ Describe a snapshot of your life around the age of seven, including who you lived with, what winters were like, and what was a source of warmth in your life.

We will look at our lives so that we can learn, celebrate, and navigate this journey of life together. Just like travel companions are essential when taking a trip, it is a great idea to process and plan our lives in community. Friends give us eyes to see the beautiful, meaningful, and funny. Different life events, decisions, and circumstances have shaped our lives and brought us to the current moment. Every day presents an opportunity to shape our lives and the lives of those around us. Our stories hold precious treasures for ourselves and others. Our time together is just a jumping-off point to promote thought and discussion, a time to listen to and encourage each other.

Discussion Blueprint

Many analogies have been made to life. For example, life is a roller coaster—sometimes up, sometimes down. Other examples include life being like a dance, an onion, a garden, and/or a puzzle. Is there one you find especially true?

In his very popular book The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren concludes that life is a test, life is a trust, and life is a temporary assignment.^[1]

Pass around a box of chocolates for everyone to take a chocolate.

In the movie Forest Gump, Forest Gump’s mom famously said, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.”^[2] Show the short movie clip; you can find it on YouTube.

Known and Loved

¨ Forrest’s mother sees her destiny as being his mom. What role do our relationships play in the meaning and purpose of life?

¨ How do we balance and come to peace with “what you get” and “what you do with what you get” as we examine our lives up to this point and plan for the future?

Beyond the Table

Ponder the following questions for journaling:

· Who are the people in your life most important to you?

· List all the roles you fulfill, such as mom, aunt, daughter, friend, neighbor, accountant, waitress, volunteer, worshiper, and so on.

· How have your roles changed over time?

· Are there current roles you would like to lean into more/less?

Beautiful Destinations

Known and Heard

¨ What problem in the world would you most like to see fixed, or which need would you most like to see met?

¨ Name a person you consider having lived or to be living a good life. Why did you choose this person?

Trips take planning. Our life is an incredible journey, but we often spend more time planning our weekend or a vacation than examining our lives. We tend to reserve the question “What do you want to do or be?” for school-age children or college graduates. We should routinely be asking this fun and exciting question of ourselves. We must evaluate what is important to us, keep an eye on the result, use our time intentionally, and work to make the necessary changes in our lives, even if they are very slow.

Discussion Blueprint

Sharing stories. By sharing our stories and those of others, we can inspire and help each other clarify and examine what is worthy of our time, resources, hopes, and dreams.

…

What biographical books or movies have inspired you? Examples of inspirational movies are Hacksaw Ridge, Chariots of Fire, Schindler’s List, Amazing Grace.

Known and Loved

Frederick Buechner, an American author and theologian, said, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”^[3]

¨ What do you think this means?

¨ Do you think this is true? Why or why not?

¨ Is there a relationship between our “deep gladness” and our strengths and talents?

¨ What sense of calling do you personally have in your life?

Beyond the Table

· Consider your unique skills, talents, and interests. What makes you light up?

· Allow yourself to think and dream of the future!

· Invite God to show you His wonderful plans by carving out some quiet time to pray and listen.

Luggage Tags

Questions in a Bowl

Copy the questions, cut them apart, fold them, and place them in a bowl. Allow each person to draw a question from the bowl, answer it, and return it to the bowl.

⁃ Did you ever study a foreign language? If so, which one and why did you choose it?

⁃ Where did your family vacation when you were a child?

⁃ Where is the farthest from home you have ever traveled? Where did you go and why?

⁃ What is the best trip you have ever taken? Where did you go and with whom?

Luggage Tags

Create colorful and fun luggage tags! Life is a journey with adventures and discoveries awaiting.

· cardboard—pre-make templates for tags and plastic

· felt in a variety of colors

· patterned fabrics

· clear plastic

· embroidery thread and needles

· decorative papers

· colored pens or markers

1. Use templates to cut felt and plastic.

2. Use your imagination to decorate the back of the tag with fabric or felt.

3. Sew the plastic window onto the front of the tag.

4. Write identifying information on decorative paper and slip it behind plastic.

Table Talk

¨ Have you tried a new food, recipe, or restaurant recently? Share and rate this experience.

¨ Where do you like to take out-of-town guests? What do you like to show them when they visit you?

¨ Have you discovered the intersection of your talents, strengths, interests, calling, and joy?

^[1] Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 45-54.

^[2] Forrest Gump, directed by Robert Zemeckis (1994, USA: Paramount Pictures).

“Life is a Box of Chocolates Scene.” Movieclips, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6rXRAmaQiE&t=11s.

^[3] Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking, A Seeker’s ABC’s, (New York: Harper and Row, 1973).