Arts of Spiritual Conversations

Ever been so intent on noticing others that you had no idea someone was noticing you? An experience I had a few years ago confirmed that you never know who’s watching your life. It was Christmastime and Starbucks was its usual crazy busy. I had been working a lot but had no defining moment that I could point to that would explain what I did to throw my back out. I spent most of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on the couch, but I knew that others had covered for me while I was gone during Thanksgiving. There was no...Read more …

This is Walk the Way, brought to you by Q Place, I’m Jeff Klein. And I’m Pam Klein. When he walked up to the register, the barista greeted him and asked, “What can I get started for you?” He replied: “a venti nonfat latte.” She marked the cup and then asked, “What’s your name?” Wolfgang. After a few more interactions like that one, the barista cemented his name in her head, always greeting him by name. Similar 30-second encounters occurred for several years. Until one day the barista realized that Wolfgang had stopped coming altogether. Fast forward a year. And...Read more …

God brought an interesting cast of characters into Sharon’s life. At first, she wasn’t sure what to do or how to respond, but then she began to pay attention and say “yes” to God’s call. Sharon is making a difference. It’s not difficult, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. You can serve God right where you are. Notice. Pay attention. And decide what you’ll say when He calls you. _________________________________________________Read more …

The American College of Sports Medicine recently stated that “exercise lite,” in which a total of thirty minutes a day is broken up into smaller segments, will help maintain, although not build, fitness. Even if you have no time for long workouts, you can still benefit by doing mini workouts. What if paying attention worked the same way? What if you were to make a habit of paying attention to someone for just 30 seconds each day? To develop a habit, you follow a certain behavior pattern regularly until it becomes almost involuntary. For example, a parent teaches a child the habit of looking both ways before crossing the street....Read more …

This is Walk the Way, brought to you by Q Place, I’m Jeff Klein. And I’m Pam Klein. Our friend, Jody, LOVES babies. The store might be Babies R Us…but really, babies are Jody! And while most of us would, indeed, feel for a sickly, malnourished boy sitting in mud and squalor in an African orphanage, Jody describes being DRAWN IN by one – She says when she noticed him she saw Jesus in his face. That’s when Jody asked permission of the director of the African orphanage if she could take care of him. He agreed and the little boy became...Read more …

Do you remember the day you met your best friend? I do. It was a beautiful autumn day. The September sun was streaming, fading and golden, through the red, orange, and yellow leaves. It was cool enough for jeans and a jean jacket, but the air was still clinging to a bit of warmth from the Indian summer day. As I strolled past the front doors of the church that stood across from the expansive front lawn of the town’s college, I noticed a group of men in tuxes standing as a group on the steps. I say “noticed,” but...Read more …

Not too long ago, one of my best friends came to visit. We’ve known each other for nearly twenty years and have cultivated our relationship as down-the-street neighbors and long-distance friends. After all this time, we were afforded an extraordinary gift—uninterrupted time alone together, without our kids or husbands or an agenda. For four days, we just did whatever we wanted. It was glorious to spend full days in each other’s company, sharing thoughts and ideas and eating good food. One evening she suggested we watch the movie About Time. Tim, the main character, can time travel. It’s shortly after...Read more …

When he walked up to the register, I had to look up to make eye contact with him. I greeted him and asked, “What can I get started for you?” He told me he wanted a venti nonfat latte. I marked the cup and asked my next question, “What’s your name?” Wolfgang. It took a few more interactions before I cemented his name in my head, and the first time I greeted him by name when I saw him in line, his face lit up. Wolfgang and I had this 30-second encounter five days a week for several years. One...Read more …

We all know the story of Moses. Fleeing Egypt as a murderer, he ends up tending sheep in the wilderness for 40 years. Was this the dream Moses had for his life? Probably not. Life as a fugitive was a far cry from the one he knew growing up in the Pharaoh’s house. But God had a different plan for him and chose an interesting way to reveal it. Let’s talk about the famous burning bush. Most likely, this wasn’t the first fire that Moses would have seen while out with his sheep; brush fires were common in the dry...Read more …