Spiritual Autobiography: Method One

Method One  >   [Method Two]

1. Quickly list the important markers of your life. This list should not be made with careful consideration and extensive reflection. Rather, it is a "this is what comes to mind when I reflect upon my life."
   
   1. Significant people in your life
   2. Significant events in your life
   3. Significant experiences in your life
   
   Note: an event is a one-time episode: the birth of a child, graduation from college, a wedding day, the death of a parent. An experience is a process: pregnancy, your first job, serious illness.



2. On a second day join the people, events, and experiences in a chronological sequence. Include only those persons, events, and experiences that seem significant to you now.
   
   As you make these connections between people, events, and experiences, look for:
   
   1. Trends or patterns;
   2. Ways that God is active in your life;
   3. Principles you use to evaluate whether God is active in your life.
   
   You may also include your reflections of:
   4. An understanding of your relationship with Christ;
   5. Theological concepts that have been illumined by your life experience;
   6. Commitments you have made as a result of your experiences;
   7. A sense of Christian vocation that has developed;
   8. Ways that you have matured in your spiritual life or a pattern in your devotional life;
   9. Areas in life that represent successes, and areas that remain ongoing concerns.
   
   
3. Take an intuitive leap into your future:
1. What do you see as forward directions to be pursued?
2. Are there goals to be achieved or commitments to be made?