Lesson 3: Creating an Individual or Family Timeline

One way to make an interesting family record is to create a visual timeline. This can be done to represent one specific individual's life or to tell the story of generations.

This can be done as simply or as elaborately as you choose. For a simple timeline all you need is a straight line and something to write with on a long sheet of paper. (See example above).

Another approach would be to use one of the many online tools for creating timelines, such as Graphic Map. The idea here is to use whatever tools and material are available to you to create a visual representation of a life (your own or one of your ancestors) or to create a represention of the events of multiple generations within your family.

This can also be a great way to get young children or teens involved in learning that family history can be fun. If you have an artistic flair and a sense of adventure, involve the whole family in the following:

Begin with large piece of poster board , construction paper or a piece of blank butcher paper. Make a horizontal line at the mid point of the paper and then mark off units of time (single years or by decades - you decide what best meets your needs.) If your timeline is for a single lifepath you will begin with year of birth. If you are making a chart for several generations it could begin with date of a marriage, date of emigration, whatever event you choose. Get creative!

Next you will glue on photos, words and symbols in the area of the paper above the line to represent significant happenings. (Make color photo copies of family photographs or print them off on a computer so you can add your special images without harming the originals, of course.) Add bits of fabric, glitter, and paint if you want to make it really fancy.

You can explore online clip art to find symbols you may want to use to represent the basics such as births, marriages and deaths or for homes, schools, jobs, and any special accomplishments you want to portray (this could be anything from an Eagle Scout award to running your first marathon!)

You may want to splurge with alphabet macaroni, glitter, beads, buttons and other objects that can be used to adorn your personal or family timeline. When it is complete, hang the timeline where all the family can admire it and be reminded of both the events portrayed in your masterpiece AND the special time you had together as a family being creative. Perhaps telling about the time you all got together and made the family timeline will be one of the special memory stories that will be passed down for generations to come.

Lesson 2: Writing Personal Histories

A key part of creating meaningful family records has absolutely nothing to do with tracking down dates of  long dead ancestors. A vital part of what we do as genealogists is to begin with creating a record of our own lives by keeping journals and writing personal histories.

Let's face it, the bare-bones details of when people were born, married and died can be pretty boring.  After all, the most boring part of the bible is the sections that are all who-begat-who.  Does anyone really care?  It is only when photographs, stories, correspondences and other information is found that I really begin to get connected to my ancestors.

It is important that I do not overlook my own history while I am busy searching out information for my kindred dead. 

Some time ago I posted a list of questions over on one of my other blogs that can be quite useful in writing a personal history. I gave these questions to my father-in-law years ago. He made a practice of writing down the answer to just one or two questions every Sunday afternoon. When he got them all done he gave them back to me and I typed them up. This gave us a wonderful record of his life and history that is a real treasure to have.
I used those same questions as a "get acquainted" game in an empty nesters family home evening gathering. I cut the questions into strips and had everyone in the group pick a question out of the bowl which we then all answered out loud. It was a lot of fun. So however you may want to use them, the link to my list of questions is HERE.

Here are a couple other resources about how to write a life story:
Family History Quick Start
Your Life is Your Story

The important thing to remember in writing a personal history is that you don't have to write about your WHOLE life. Just begin telling stories of things that you recall. Then write another. And another. Over time you can arrange these stories either topically or chronologically to weave a story of your life. The important thing is to GET STARTED!

LESSON 1 - WHY Genealogy?

There are many reasons why people get interested in genealogy. Some people come to it out of curiosity. Some do it out of appreciation for their cultural heritage. Others begin searching for information about their medical history.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have a different motivation. My faith teaches that family bonds are eternal. I believe that I will continue my family relationships in the life to come. In addition, the doctrine of my faith teaches that through sacred ordinances performed in holy temples, those who never knew of or fully understood the teachings of Jesus Christ during their mortal lifetimes can be given the opportunity to have the blessings of the gospel. So I feel a real sense of responsibility to seek out my deceased ancestors.

Elder Boyd K. Packer said: "Family history work has the power to do something for the dead. It has an equal power to do something for the living. Family history work of Church members has a refining, spiritualizing, tempering influence on those who are engaged in it." I have a testimony those words are true.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are taught that we can act as "Saviors on Mount Zion" for our ancestors by seeking out essential information about our kindred dead and performing sacred ordinances for them in the Temples of the Lord.
On the church's website, in the section on Family History Work & Genealogy it says:
"In the spirit world, the restored gospel is preached to those who died without receiving it in mortality. Many of those in the spirit world accept the gospel, but without a body they cannot receive the ordinances necessary for salvation. The primary purpose of family history work is to obtain names and other genealogical information so that temple ordinances can be performed in behalf of deceased ancestors." Found HERE
Over the years I have done quite a bit of family history research. Back when I was a young stay-at-home mother I worked hard to fit it in between managing my busy household and kissing scraped knees. Even when my kids got older, as a harried graduate student I somehow found time to make it over to the local family history library to search through old microfilm files or to locate cemeteries where I could track down critical dates. However, in the last 10-15 years I've done very little family history work.
Alas, too often I have allowed the demands of my professional work life to take precedence. Also, having essentially found all the "low hanging fruit" I became discouraged when I kept running in to dead ends after going back about six generations. So, little by little, I gradually slipped away from my steady routine of working on my genealogy projects. I would pick at it it fitful bursts of energy now and again, but it was no longer a regular part of my life. Then, when I moved to a different state it all got crammed into boxes and has not been looked at since.

There is a time and season for everything, they say.
I am determined that my time for doing regular family history work is back. I do want to do more original research. For now, however, my main focus will be on reorganizing the information I already have and saving it all onto the web so that it will be available to others who care to share it.
I have a STRONG testimony of WHY to do family history work. Now it is time for me to start over at square one to re-learn HOW to do it. The tools have all changed since last time I was taking this seriously. My records are a hodge podge mess in the boxes they were hastily shoved in to at my last move. It's time for me to take them all out and get them organized. It's time for me to learn some new skill sets in research. This blog will be my way of holding myself accoutable during the process of the class I am starting and to record the resources I find.

REFERENCES:D & C 127:4-10
D & C 128: 15-18
D & C 138
Malachi 4:5-6

Is Microfilm Obsolete??

I recently read a post about microfilm soon to be discarded at the National Archives at New York City. They have a long list of records they will keep, but they also have two pages of lists of microfilm records they are looking to donate if they can find any interested takers.

Apparently these are records that are otherwise available online or are duplicates of other collections.

These are things like:
Passenger Lists of Chinese Arrivals at British Columbia, Canada Jan 1906 - June 1912
Federal Mortality Census Schedules 1850-1880
World War 1 Draft reg. cards
Index to passenger lists of vessels arriving at Boston, MA July 1, 1906 - Dec 31, 1920

(To see the full list on a PDF file go HERE and go to last two pages)

Apparently they are willing to donate it for the price of shipping it.
Contact information is:
David Powers at david.powers@nara.gov or Diane Leblanc at diane.leblanc@nara.gov

or call (781) 663-0130 or write to: Frederick C. Murphy Federal Center, 380 Trapelo Rd, Waltham, MA 02452.

As more and more information gets digitized and is easily indexed by computer there is a tendency to think that microfilm will go the way of the buggy whip. But in truth, there are only two kinds of computers - those that have already crashed at some point or those that are waiting to do so. Files can be corrupted. Data can be lost. Microfilm is a stable record that can last for many years if cared for properly.

I do hope some nice library somewhere will make a home for the films being passed on by the National Archives. The very idea of it ending up in the dust bin makes me shudder all the way down to my bones!

Who Was Elijah?

Elijah was an important Israelite prophet whose name in Hebrew means "My Lord is Jehovah" . Eliljah lived during the first half of the 9th century, BCE. His first recorded appearance is about halfway through the rein of King Ahab, son of Omri, (who founded the northern kingdom in Samaria) which would put him at about 864 BCE.

Elijah is regarded as a "reformer prophet" - his purpose was to call the Israelites back to the worship of Yahweh and away from the evil pagan religious cults that were growing in popularity. The conflicts between Elijah and the Priests of Baal are struggles to see which was stronger: Hebrew monotheism or Pagan polytheism.

According to 2 Kings, Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. Jewish tradition has it then that Elijah is not really dead-- some say he continues to wander the earth and will reappear when it is time to announce the arrival of the Messiah. For this reason many early Christians identified John the Baptist with Elijah, because John announced the arrival of Jesus.

(From Profile & Biography of Elijah, Old Testament Prophet & Biblical Figure by Austin Cline which can be found HERE)

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we recognize Elijah as the Prophet who held the sealing power to bind on earth and have it bound in heaven.

In Malachi 4:5-6 it says: "Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the children to their fathers, least I come and smite the earth with a curse."

Many leaders in our church have taught powerful lessons about "the Spirit of Elijah", referring to the privilege and responsibility we have to seek out information about our kindred dead and act as "Saviors on Mount Zion" in their behalf through sacred temple covenants. (See Priceless Riches of the Holy Temple by Harold B. Lee HERE)

I have been richly blessed by a burning desire to learn more about my family and to complete temple ordinances in their behalf. This blog will be my record of my ongoing search for new ways to find family information and a place to keep links to the various resources I turn up.

Photo Credit: Elisha Watches as Elijah is Taken Up in a Whirlwind by Dore' Gustave found HERE

Additional References:
Hearts Bound Together - by Henry B. Eyring May 2005
The Spirit of Elijah - by Gordon B. Hinkley Nov 1996
The Spirit of Elijah - by Russell M. Nelson Nov 1994
The Mission of Elijah - by Mark E. Peterson Aug 1981
Elijah the Prophet - by Howard W. Hunter December 1971

Questions for Writing your Life Story

 CHILDHOOD

What was your favorite pastime as a child? Did you prefer doing it alone or with someone else ?

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Describe the house you grew up in.   Where was it?
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Describe your yard as a child.
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What toys did you play with as a child?
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What games did you play as a child?
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Were you responsible for household chores? What were they? What did
you like most or least?
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How much was your first allowance? Was it conditional, when did it start?
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Tell about any pets you had as a child.
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Tell about your neighbors as a child.
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Tell about school ( special teachers, friends, achievements,
activities, or humorous situations).
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Describe a sound from your childhood.
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What smell do you remember from your childhood?
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As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
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What do you remember about stores when you were a child? Can you
recall shopping with mother?
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Describe the downtown of your childhood.
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Did you take any special lessons a child?
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Do you recall any special summer trips or vacations when you were
growing up?
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What were you afraid of as a child?

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What mischief did you get into as a child?
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Did you ever steal as a child? If so, were you caught? What happened?
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What do you remember about Easter as a child?
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Tell about a fourth of July from your childhood.
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Tell about Halloween as a child.
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Tell about Thanksgivings when you were growing up.
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What do you remember about Christmas as a child?
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Describe getting a Christmas tree as a child.
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YOUTH

What do you remember about yourself as a teenager. What was important
to you?
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Describe a typical school day during your junior high years.
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Describe the fashions that were popular when you were a youth. What is popular now?
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Describe your favorite dress or a special outfit you wore as a youth.
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Tell about any exciting experiences in scouting or any clubs you were
a member of as a youth.
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Tell about how, when and where you learned to drive.
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Tell about your first crush. What was he or she like?
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Did you develop any particular talents (art, music, dance, sports, handiwork, etc) during your youth?
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Who did you admire during your youth?

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What were your goals?   Did you have any particular career in mind?  If so, did you pursue it or take a different path?
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Tell about a trip to the dentist.
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Tell about the medical care you had while growing up - How does this
compare to today?
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If you went to college, describe the experience. If not, tell whatyou were doing in your 20's.

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COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE

Tell about your courtship
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How did you become engaged?
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Tell about your wedding. Where was it? Who was there? Was there a
reception?
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Describe your wedding dress (or wife’s wedding dress).
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What were your fears, expectations, anticipations, etc. about getting
married?
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What convinced you most in your choice of a spouse?
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How did you meet your in-laws? Describe your relationship with them.
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Describe your first home or apartment on your own or when newly married.
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FAMILY

Tell about your Mother. (Describe physically, her personality,
talents, role in your home.   How did she spend her day?)
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Describe your father. What was he like physically? What work did he
do? Personality?
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Tell about your parent’s philosophy of raising children, discipline,
rules, etc.
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Tell about your brothers and sisters.
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Describe your grandparents.
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Describe a night at Grandma’s house.
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Tell about a favorite relative.
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Tell about any ancestors you have heard special stories of.
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Tell about property your family owned.
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What were your family finances like as a child? How did that effect you?
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Tell about anything you may have inherited from a family member.
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Tell about the birth(s) of your child(ren).
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Tell about each of your children’s names and how they were chosen.
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Describe your relationship(s) with your child(ren).
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Tell about a humorous or clever thing one of your children said.
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Tell about a family crisis and how it was resolved.
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Tell about family feuds and how they were or were not resolved.
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Tell about your feelings toward your grandchildren.
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CAREER

Describe your first paying job. What was your salary?
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Tell about the places you have worked.
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Tell your feelings about the work you have done. If you were to start
all over, what work would you choose?
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LIFE EXPERIENCES

Describe any sports you have played.
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Were you ever in a theatrical production? Tell about it.
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Do you speak a foreign language? If so, how did you learn? If not
would you like to? Why?
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Have you ever won a contest or a special prize?
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Were you ever in the military? If so, when and where did you serve?
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Describe the influence of wars on your life.
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Where were you on an important day in history?
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Tell about a special trip taken as an adult.
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Tell about some of the changes you’ve seen during your life (technology,
fashion, politics, etc.)
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Tell about tools you have used.
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Describe an invention which impressed you during your life.
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Have you ever tried anything really dangerous? How did it feel?
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Tell about a dramatic experience involving weather.
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Have you ever had a serious injury? Describe how it happened and tell of your recovery.
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Tell about some special challenge which you were able to overcome.
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Tell about a camping trip you went on.
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Tell about any hobbies or collections you have or have had.
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Tell about your first car. What type of car do you have now? What
kind of car would you like?
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Describe a parade you were in or one you saw.
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Tell about animals you raised.
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Tell about a garden you have had.
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Describe the typical groceries you buy today and tell what they cost.
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Describe how travel has changed during your life.
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How do you celebrate Christmas now? Do you have any special
traditions that are meaningful? If so, why?
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Describe how you celebrate other holidays now.
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What was your most embarrassing moment?
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Tell about a favorite fishing experience .
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Tell about a city you have visited.
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Tell about the coldest winter you can remember.
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Tell about any natural disaster you may have experienced,
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Tell about a significant loss you experienced.
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Tell about a funeral you attended.
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Describe a turning point in your life.
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Tell about a special gift which you received.
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Describe a dream you have had.
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Tell about a gift which you gave someone else that you have special feelings about.
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Tell about the strangest food you ever ate.
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Describe the house where you live now.
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Describe your yard where you live now
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Describe your life today.
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Describe yourself physically.
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Do you have a special talent or skill?

RELIGION

When did you first go to church? What are your earliest memories of church?
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What kind of prayer did you say before you went to sleep? Who taught you to pray?
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Tell about religious practices in your home when you were growing up.
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How do you feel about religion now?
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Describe your beliefs about God.
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What is one of your favorite scriptures, and why?
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Tell about influential spiritual/religious leaders you may have met or how a
particular church teacher influenced you.
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If you could meet any spiritual leader (living or dead) who would it be and why?
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Describe your conversion to the gospel.
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Tell about an experience when you shared the gospel with another person.
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Tell about an experience when you stood up for what you believed was right.
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Describe your Sabbath days
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Tell about a faith promoting experience from your life.
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Record your testimony.
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PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY

How do you feel about politics?
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What kind of music do you like now? Do you recall any special type
of music from childhood?
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What do you think about television? Do you have any favorite shows?
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How do you feel about winning? How do you feel about losing?
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What do you think brings good or bad luck?
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What personality trait do you admire most, and why?
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Tell about your philosophy for handling money.
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What is your greatest joy? Your greatest sorrow?
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What was the best advice you ever got? Did you follow it?
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What is the biggest lesson in life you have found to be true?
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How do you feel about reading? What did you read as a child? What do you read now?
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What would you like to be doing five years from now? Ten years from now?
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Describe your attitudes towards death.
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If you could meet any movie star you wanted, who would it be and why?
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If you could meet any political leader you wanted, who would it be and why?
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What goals do you have at this point in your life?
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What are your most precious and deeply imbedded values?
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Tell about your views on growing older.
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How has the women’s movement affected your life?
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How has the civil rights movement affected your life?
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Tell the influence that music, theater, dance, art or literature has had on your life.
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What are you afraid of?
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Tell about how you deal with anger.
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What are your food preferences? What do you like and dislike?
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Describe your favorite dessert.
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What flowers do you like?
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What one possession you own is dearest to you?
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If you were stuck on an island with just 5 books, what would you want them to be? Why?
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Describe your favorite season.
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Describe a favorite summer day
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Describe a favorite autumn day.
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Describe someplace in nature that is special to you.
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If you could travel any place that you wanted to, where would it be and why?
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If you had a time machine that would allow you to go to any time you
chose, when would it be? Why?
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Do you consider yourself more of an introvert or an extrovert?
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What is your idea of a dream vacation?
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Are you more of a leader or a follower?
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Are you generally on time for things or often late? How do you feel about this?
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Would you like to be famous? Why or why not? If yes, in what way?
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What would you like to be remembered for?
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