Step 1: Accepting the Call

Step 1: You will choose an old or run-down item and plan to restore it.

The item could be an old family heirloom, a broken-down mower, or a watch. If you want, you can connect the item to the family-origin discovery you made earlier this year. This might be a terrific way to cap the year. If you don't have something at home to restore, go to an antique store or second-hand shop. They have plenty of items that you can work on. Once you've chosen an item, you need to research what it was intended for and how people used it so you can know HOW to restore it to its "Garden State." Go through the questions below that will help you research and make a plan:

Do some research on the item together.

1. What is your item?
2. When was it made?
3. What was it used for in its "Glory Days"?
4. Is it something you can use daily after you restore it?
5. How does it tie into your family? Write down details: who owned it, why they had it, etc.
6. Find a picture of what that item may have looked like new.

Begin to strategize what it will look like to restore that item.

1. What tools do you need?
2. What materials will you need?
3. Will this require any money? How much?
4. How could you add some of "you" to the restoration?
5. Do you need an expert to help you at all? A mentor, if you will?

Make a plan to restore the item. Put it on the calendar.

1. How long will this project take?
2. When will you have time to work on the project together? Choose specific dates and times. Get it on the calendar.
3. Begin to enact your plan together the week after you buy or find the item.

Step 2: Difficulty of the Wilderness

Step 2: Do your Restoration Project.

It's time to accept the call! Begin your project together. During and/or every restoration session, we encourage you to discuss these questions together:

1. What has been your favorite part of the process so far?
2. What has been your least favorite part of the process so far?
3. How is the restoration going thus far? Where are you in the process?
4. Is the process easy or difficult? Why or why not?
5. What is coming against you (opposition within or without)? Frustration, false information, lack of parts, ignorance, accidents, etc.
6. Are you allowing that difficulty to stop you? Are you wandering in this process, or are you battling through it?
7. What do you need to detach from to step into battling through? What do you need to release?
8. How can you overcome the opposition? What do you need to receive? Is there someone who can help (a Mentor)? Can you find a different way of restoring this object?
9. How does this mini-adventure reflect the adventures your heavenly Dad calls you into daily?
10. What stands out about the similarities? The differences?

Step 3: The Return

Step 3: Finish your restoration project, use your item, and reflect.

Once you finish restoring your item, we want you to use it for its original purpose! We don't restore things just for hood ornaments; we restore them so we can enjoy them again. Maybe try to use your item. Celebrate finishing the project together; go out to dinner or grab a drink to enjoy as you discuss the questions below:

1. What was your favorite part of the process?
2. What was your least favorite part of the process?
3. How does finishing the restoration process feel? Did you use your restored item yet? How was that experience?
4. What was the most challenging part of this project? How did you overcome the challenges?
5. What did the opposition within do to keep you from finishing the project?
6. What did the opposition without do to keep you from finishing the project?
7. What did you have to release (detach from) to commit to this process? (Apprehension, laziness, frustration, etc.)
8. What did you have to receive from a Mentor or Guide to commit to this process? (Patience, Grace, Perseverance, etc.)
9. How did this mini-adventure reflect the adventures your heavenly Dad calls you into daily?
10. What stands out about the similarities? The differences?
11. How can you apply what you've learned to your Heroic Journey?