Listening

I was introduced to Dale shortly before his 80th birthday. Dale was a retired preacher and poet who had been widowed from his wife many years. I first started visiting him because I was a closet writer, and I learned he was a writer and had published books of poetry. So, I visited as often as I could, spending hours listening to stories of his life in the ministry, of his wife, who he lovingly referred to as “Dearie,” and his tales of surviving the depression, like finding discarded rotten potatoes to take home to his mom for soup. He...Read more …

One of the times in life that is supposed to be among the best and joyous turned out to be one of the most difficult for my daughter Jackie. Jackie gave birth to a darling, healthy baby girl in late November, but by Christmas she was aware that something wasn’t right. Jackie was unable to sleep. Even though her body was exhausted, her mind just wouldn’t shut down. She learned that she was experiencing postpartum depression. Jackie battled to stay positive and establish a routine, praying for God to give her peace and sleep. One evening, Jackie asked her sister...Read more …

It was one of those unusual weekend mornings—nothing was on my calendar, my husband was out of town, and the two kids we still have living under our roof—shockingly—had nowhere they needed to be. This was a recipe for a rare mom indulgence: sleeping in! Sprinkle in some rain, add a dash of chill, and I was happy to slide the weekly ritual of Saturday chores to the proverbial back burner while I stayed toasty under the covers. Then I heard my cell phone ringing on the bedside table. Are you kidding me? Who could it be? What now? I wondered,...Read more …

One Sunday morning, Rich walked into the church office down the street from his house and asked if there was a Bible class he could attend. The secretary directed Rich to the only Bible study offered: our Q Place. We welcomed him with open arms and then were puzzled each week as Rich faithfully came, his study guide filled with notes, but never told us what he thought. He just wanted to listen to our discussion. About three months later, Rich’s story spilled out. Having grown up a Jehovah’s Witness, Rich rose to be a JW leader in our California...Read more …

This Is the Day is a Moody Radio regular feature. The program’s host, Nancy Turner, connects listeners with people—from authors to musicians—whose lives have been transformed by God. Here at Q Place we are grateful that God opened up the opportunity for This Is the Day to connect with our president, Mary Schaller! Nancy Turner was interested in talking with Mary about her experiences with the spiritually curious and how each of us can also engage our unchurched friends in conversations about God and the Bible, in a safe and supportive environment. We’re part of Q Place because we understand...Read more …

My neighbor Sue literally created The Red Tent for our book club discussion, wrapping her outdoor table in red table cloths and napkins. To top it off, she served us “Old Testament treats’”of dates, olives, goat cheese, almonds and chocolate covered pomegranate seeds. Gotta love it! – Becky ______________________________ Not too long ago, my book club met to discuss The Red Tent. Published over a decade ago, it’s a fictional story that uses the brief biblical story of Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, as its jumping off point, unpacking what life was like from the women’s perspective in ancient (biblical) culture. The...Read more …

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. (Philippians 2:1-2, The Message) These verses are some of my favorites. I love that they show how highly God esteems earthly relationships. They also reveal how my life with Jesus and and the Spirit has the potential to impact those relationships; I can “have a heart...Read more …

This is Walk the Way, brought to you by Q Place, I’m Jeff Klein. When my daughter Lenna was little, she’d crawl up in my lap and talk while I was trying to watch TV. But I confess: she hardly had my undivided attention. I was trying to relax! Couldn’t I just watch my golf or favorite show in peace? I’d only half listen to her incessant babble and she knew it. Lenna would get so irritated with me because she knew I wasn’t really tuned in – and she wanted my FULL attention. So she’d grab my cheeks with...Read more …

I’ve known Carolyn for seven and a half years. Our relationship began over a cup of coffee. Carolyn was the one ordering it and I was the one making it. Many of our initial interactions felt like a scene out of the movie Groundhog Day—I asked the same question each day, and each day she offered me a verbal picture of her life. Over time, though, through those seemingly routine exchanges, I realized we were becoming friends. We share a love for the Midwest where we both grew up, though living now in the land of “Bless your heart!” and...Read more …