Saturday, April 23, 2016

Week 6 - Identity, Candor and Fear



Thank-you all for your inspiring participation during the discussion and for your hard work in recording the song. It is sounding great.

I did not want to take time from the discussion to ask each of you about your project goal and your personal goal because I thought it might be more efficient if you each wrote it out in the comments below instead. Please write it by Sunday. If I don't get everyone to write their goals in the comments, I will go back to asking you individually each class, but I do hope you'll write it yourself to save us some time.

I wasn't planning on having class this week because many of you will be busy with Maria, but since we were not able to film the music video last week, I wondered if we could find a time where we could get together to film? Let me know if you are available either Tuesday from 2-4, Thr. from 3-5, or Friday or Saturday morning.

For your ispirements, there is a bit more reading than usual since you have 2 weeks, so start it soon.

Inspirements that are due 2 weeks from yesterday (on May 6th):
Write: Project and personal goal below. Help one another with reminders and checking up.
Read: Creativity Inc. Chapters 4-6
Write: A discussion question, quote, and a way to apply something from the chapters to your family or to your collaborative projects.

Over the last two weeks, several people have neglected writing the question and quote. Please do not neglect it this week.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Spring Week 5: Maria and Filming

Alright, I am excited for this week and for what we have planned for the class. I apologize for the disorganization the last couple of weeks. We have had some difficult family decisions to make that have required some research and pondering and it has kind of absorbed me. But I think the hardest decisions are over and I am excited to move forward and get back on track with mentoring this class.

Thank-you for your feedback last week. Please feel free to offer feedback about anything anytime in the future - readings, activities, ideas - I want this to be a class that grows with us as we understand what we need from each other more each week.

We will be meeting at my house at 4:30 this week to record the song and do our book discussion. We will then drive to Bountiful to film the music video.  We will stop at Little Caesars on the way to Bountiful so if you have a couple of dollars to donate, that would help, but it's not mandatory.

If there is time after the filming, we can go back to my house for a movie (Either Mother Teresa or God Grew Tired of Us).

Here are this week's inspirements:
1. Read: Maria: My Story (chapters 1-11). Look for decision making principles.
2. Write: A favorite quote and discussion question from the reading in the comments below.
3. Accountability: Write your personal and project goal below. Remember to ask your accountability partners each day about: Personal Goal, Project Goal, and assignment.

Last week, everyone present when we started class had reached all their goals, but I still need to hear from the following people who were 45 minutes late to class or who did not come:
Miles
Carson
Caden
Isaiah
Cassia
William
Rachel
Ashley

If you all reached your goals and completed your assignments for class, we will have one week down and just 3 to go for our fun class activity. We still haven't decided on an activity, but here are some suggestions we can talk about:
Cliff Jumping at Causey Reservoir
Camping (if we can get 2 dad's to go and one more mom).
Go see a Play or Concert
Rock Climbing
Canoeing
Mystery Room
Other ideas?

See you Friday! (Let me know if you won't be able to make it.)


Thursday, April 14, 2016

Spring Week 4


1. Read chapter 3 of Creativity Inc
2. Memorize the first 8 lines of If (by Rudyard Kipling)
3. Check on each other about your personal goal and your creative project goal
4. Write a discussion question and a favorite quote on the reading below!

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Spring - Week 3 - Conference and Accountability

I left my camera in the car so the only picture I got was in the parking lot as we were leaving. Sorry, Caden and Carson had left by then!

I am glad so many of you were able to go to Salt Lake to listen to the Lionheart presentation. We missed those of you who couldn't come :-( But I will summarize my notes below - though they include some of my thoughts (anyone can feel free to add to my summary in the comments - I'm sure I miss good stuff.)
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Presentation:
They said to achieve your dreams you should:
1. Explore (you don't know what you don't know - learn about all sorts of different areas and see each experience as an opportunity for growth).

2. Reflect (take time to be still, notice beliefs you hold that are not true - like that you are not good enough - and crush them)
  •  Tool: Think of a memory where you first encountered a feeling. Put the memory in your mind. Picture Christ stepping in at that point in time and telling you something true to replace the lie you walked from that experience with.
3. Jump off a cliff (take action, even if it is scary. You may not know the whole picture, but take the next step.)
  • Tools: Tribe - Find people who encourage you
  • Mentors (Christ is the ultimate mentor - develop a relationship with Him by doing what He prompts you to do, He may lead you to other mentors who can help).
  • Systems: Set up an accountability system - write your goal, find a partner to keep you accountable, set up a consequence for not achieving it
  • Affirmations (say positive things to yourself)
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Discussion:
We discussed that we don't necessarily have "ONE big dream" (besides exaltation), but that Christ can guide us along in accomplishing the dreams He has for us (which are sometimes different than we think and always better).

We talked about how we can use this class to help us "explore" - find true principles in everything we read, including great works readings, "reflect" - with one another in group discussion, online comments and in our reflection books, and "jump off a cliff" - set up goals and hold each other accountable

We were sitting in a circle and decided to report to the person to the right of us, and that person would hold us accountable that week. We can report to them through a quick chat message, text or call each day. If the person who reports to us hasn't reported that day - we may want to send them a reminder. It may be helpful to remind them too of the inspirements to do that day. We decided that if everyone accomplishes their goals and inspirements 4 weeks in a row - we would do something fun as a class (maybe a mystery room), but if someone does not keep their goals, then the whole class starts over.

Here are the goals and the person you are reporting to (Some of the order changed from last night because I dropped in the names of the people who were not here in between some who were so you could answer questions for them about it if they have any)

I know I probably worded some of your goals wrong -  so if I worded it wrong or you weren't there to tell me a goal, please comment or email me and I will put it up here.

Try to report as early in the day as possible once you have accomplished your goal to get the ball rolling through the circle.

Accountability:
Ashley: (reports to Cassia): To replace negative thoughts with kind words when she is frustrated with siblings
Cassia (reports to Isaiah): To write a daily priority list to keep her on track
Isaiah (reports to Adam): To make a priority list with time assigned to it
Adam (reports to Elisabeth): Write a daily list (I can't remember how you structured it...)
Elisabeth (reports to Megan):
Megan (reports to McKena): Replace negative thoughts with positive ones (I think this was more specific, but I can't remember how you worded it.)
McKena (reports to Rachel):
Rachel (reports to William): Do something she knows she ought to do, but is scared to every day.
William (reports to Carson): Finish his song this week to play on Friday
Carson (reports to Miles):
Miles (reports to Gracious): Learn something about a talent daily
Gracious (reports to Sydney): Remind herself that she is a child of God when she has negative thoughts.
Sydney (reports to Caden):
Caden (reports to Ashley):
Karen: (I will report to Cassia and William) - Make a list of action items after conference
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Inspirements:
Now, here are the inspirements for the week. I put a suggested day in brackets by each one so you have an idea of when it would be good to get them done, but you can adjust as needed as long as they are done by their due date.

1. Continue thinking about your semester project as you listen to conference. See if God puts any additional thoughts in your mind about what you can do or how you can do it. [Sat and Sun]
2.  Take notes during conference about decision making principles [Sat and Sun]
3.  Share the principles you found in the comments below by TUESDAY (and questions if you'd like) [Mon]
4.Read the comments and write your own principles in your decision making notebook as you read (answer questions if you'd like). [Wed]
5.  Answer 3 or more questions from last week on last week's post. Write a scripture, quote or experience that supports your answer. [Thu]
6.  Accountability Report and Memorization (first 4 lines on IF) [Everyday]

I would also like us to record "Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer" this coming week so if Elisabeth could bring her cello, Isaiah his guitar, and I will see if Nathan can come up for the piano (if he can't - can anyone else play the song?)

Also, I wrote a blog post the other day after watching the movie The Walk that goes along with what we discussed last night after the presentation. You can read it here if you'd like.