Thursday, January 31, 2008


Thursday Thirteen--13 discussion starters

In the margins of my Serendipity Bible for Groups (4th ed. NIV) there are "warm up" questions of a personal nature to get members of a small group talking. Most are non-threatening and deal with childhood, the thinking being I suppose that the members stay off the topic of co-workers or current relationships. I'm not fond of "ice-breakers," but I've enjoyed looking through these and thinking about them. Here are 13 from the margins of Romans in the New Testament. Can you pick one to answer?

1) When you write a letter are you more likely to write until you run out of paper, or keep it short and to the point? They got me on this one. I definitely use up the paper, even if I have to add an afterthought. Then I'll write in the margins to keep from using another sheet, because I'd have to fill it!

2) When you were growing up, what chores were you expected to do around the house? Dishes--rotated with my two sisters, and lawn mowing--and my brother was in on that rotation.

3) What is the biggest scam or junk mail offer you have fallen for? It was either the life-time free ink cartridges or the 15 sex crazed 3-legged mountain climbers. Just kidding.

4) In your family, who tried to keep the peace? Mom or Dad? Mom.

5) Who do you take after in your temperament, your mother or your father? Father.

6) What about abilities, like music or art? Most likely my mother, but for those we'd probably go back to grandma.

7) What is the closest you have come to losing your life? I almost drowned as a child, and another girl who really didn't swim well saved me.

8) In your first real job, was your boss easy to work for or a slave driver? Not easy, but then who would be with a bunch of teens? I see it differently today.

9) What New Year's resolution have you made only to have it fizzle? Could I just list the one or two I've ever kept?

10) What signs of aging or weathering are you starting to feel in your bones? Ah, let me count. How much time do you have?

11) What was one thing about which your folks used to say, "Wait 'til you're older, you'll understand then?" I can't remember this specific phrase, but it undergirded every lecture from my mom I heard (and ignored). The woman had advice on absolutely everything--the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

12) When you were a child, what did you do to earn your allowance? At least when I was little, my allowance wasn't tied to anything. Family chores were not connected to money, just expectations and maturity level. As a teen-ager, the allowance was supposed to cover my clothes (except shoes and coats).

13) Describe briefly your first best friend. Are you still in touch? Smart and sort of goofy, but deep thinker, even then. Yes, we're still in touch.

15 comments:

Darla said...

That's funny--I never thought about #1, but I definitely feel compelled to fill up the paper. Even when I'd have to write notes to my kids' teachers, I'd write big and more than I strictly needed to in order to fill up the page, because a half-empty sheet just looked so wrong! I wonder why that is....

SandyCarlson said...

My first best friend and I are still friends! Thank God. What a blessing. These are interesting questions.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to answer #8...oh she really treated me worse than slaves...But I had more than one boss and the others were very nice.

Heart of Rachel said...

Thanks for sharing the answers to these interesting questions.

That near drowning incident must have been a scary thing to go through. I admire the courage of that girl who saved you.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

D@phneL@ur@ said...

# 1 I usually always run out of paper because I never run out of things to write to the point of rambling endlessly hehe

Laura Paxton said...

Those are really good "ice breakers"! #5 and #6...I take after my dad, mostly, in temperment, but my mom in the musical/artistic end of things...though I hear myself becoming my mother!
Happy T-13!

Unknown said...

Neat list! I'm with you on the ice breaker things...usually it's silly games that no one really wants to play and the ice is never broken! LOL!

cindy kay said...

What a great list. I might use that one myself for a TT. And thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading your answers.

Anonymous said...

All my new year resolutions have fizzled. Thats why I never make any now!

Michelle B said...

This is definitely a good list of questions! Number 1 is what stuck in my mind most, so I'll answer that one.

My first instinct was to say that I'm more likely to keep it short and to the point. This definitely applies when I write long hand. But I realize that when I type, I can be really long-winded at times! I think it also depends on the subject:)

Thanks for visiting my TT!

Tasina said...

I'm going to answer #10 about feeling old. I'm not old - I'm 35 - but I suffered a serious knee injury last fall and it made me realize that we only get to be spry and energetic for a very short time. It also gave me a complete sense of awe about people who live with disabilities every single day.

Great post!

Cindy Swanson said...

Thought-provoking questions, Norma! Some of them I really wouldn't be sure how to answer...like whether I'm most like my mom or my dad in temperament.

I know one thing, though--I've never fallen for a scam. I'm really skeptical that way.

Melli said...

Oh my gosh! I think we should turn this into a meme!!! I LOVE it! Right now I will answer #1 - but I may STEAL this for a meme... really!

I am definitely one who finishes the paper, uses the back, writes in the margins - and then - like you - but to AVOID another whole piece of paper, I add sticky notes! LOL! Actually, when I really write a letter, they are usually 4 or 5 pages long! I'm verbose!

Three Score and Ten or more said...

I'm not going to answer any of the questions because then I get compulsive and have to answer all of them (did I accidently answer a question that you didn't ask???)

Jan Parrish said...

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