Customer Reviews

Remembering Your Story: Leader's Guide

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We used REMEMBERING YOUR STORY during a 10 week class in Midlife Transitions. Some of the group were experiencing changes in marriage, others in job, and still others with illness issues. Morgan's book helped us all to find the golden thread, the "story" in our lives which not only helped discern our pattern, but also gave directions for the changes which we face, Excellent book for group process.

I have used Morgan's REMEMBERING YOUR STORY as a basic guide for doing spiritual formation groups in a parish setting. It lends itself not only to personal story sharing, but to a bonding into community and providing a basis for genuine interaction. It was also helpful in relating our stories to stories in Scripture, which are quickly becoming forgotten in our information overload. This book can be a valuable source for growth ..... and preservation of our stories; we are our stories; but we can lose our stories if we don't save them. REMEMBERING YOUR STORY shows us the way.

Many older people suffer from depression or despair and often the reason is that no one takes time to hear their life stories. We used Morgan's book in our Nursing Home (especially the 100 questions at back of book) with powerful results. Many older people's lives were changed

We have tried to connect generations in our church and had service projects and programs but Morgan's book helped connect all five generations through stories. Older people and youth listened to each other as they shared their life stories

We (church leaders) used Richard Morgan's book in a small group setting, including a half-day retreat, and found it a fabulous way to begin to break down some barriers and to learn more about one another. This despite the fact that some of us have "known" others in the group for twenty or more years! We learned far more about the influences of family and church and community, of music teachers and janitors, and people who shaped our lives. Morgan's approach allowed us the space to share intimately without embarrassment. The book did a very good job of helping us connect with the biblical stories of people on the spiritual journey. We also appreciated the leader's guide. Very helpful process.

This is an excellent tool to use when helping aging adults relive life's experience and be able to tell the story. The book helps lay out all details of planning a session from how to invite people to alternative exercises.

I pastor a congregation where the primary members are older adults. We used this book as springboard for discussion of life story and leaving a legacy. I consulted with the supplemental leaders guide, which I also highly recommend, that is set up to use this book over a ten-week period. We did not take ten weeks to use this book, but used selected exercises from this book to reflect on our life stories and our faith journey. After the three evenings, there were many in the group asking for additional sessions.

This book is helpful to older adults and those wanting to assist older adults talk about their lives in two ways: 1) it provides questions and exercises to assist people in reflecting on their lives and 2) the questions and exercises encourage people to see their lives as important and see them as something that others can learn from.

I would recommend this book for use by people wanting to help older adults with a life review, for middle-aged people who feel lost in order to gain perspective on their lives and find a spark for a possible new change in direction, and for people who want to record the life stories of aging relatives for future generations.

The exercises are designed to meet the variety of learning styles that exist and not all exercises will appeal to all users of this book. The variety of exercises is great and the results of actually doing the exercises will lead to gentle reflection on life and ones spirituality.

I will be using this book again in the future.

Richard Morgan has written here a guidebook for telling one's story and connecting this story to God's story. Morgan has published many books in the field of aging and is a national leader in the field of spiritual autobiographies. He models the story telling in this book by sharing much of his own life and struggles. In addition he provides innumerable, valuable prompts and examples of how to stimulate recollections and relate their significance to our religious roots and spiritual journey.

Obviously drawing on the wealth of current literature on aging and spirituality, Morgan notes especially Hebrew and Christian traditions and wisdom writing as well as literature from psychology, gerontology literature and autobiographical writing.

For those moved to share their spiritual story beyond family and friends, Morgan's handbook offers questions challenging them to give reasons for their beliefs rooted in a recollected and intentional life. Honestly answering the questions can further deepen those beliefs or perhaps lead to revisiting them and reevaluating the type of living they have called us to.

I believe that by so telling the story of our lives we will indeed see the positive results Jane Marie Thibault, quoted by Morgan, believes will accompany this exercise, namely that "It reminds us that we are still emerging, growing people. It shows us how we have changed and how we have been transformed...[Life review] is ...a stabilization in the security of the past so that we can go beyond to embrace the future."

I highly recommend this book for personal or group use.