kcondra's blog

I once asked adults working with Sunday School students to identify the moment in life when they absolutely knew what it meant to love unconditionally. Some said they've always known. A few said it was when they were loved by a cherished pet. Others said they learned to love without strings when they had their own children. All agreed it was a continuing journey in which we give and receive love at deeper and deeper levels of our being - and that children have a better handle on unconditional love than most of us.
 

Gazing out the window of my motel room on campus at Unity Village, home to Unity Institute and Silent Unity, it's hard believe this is January. Leafless trees and dormant foliage mean the venerable and decrepit tower (soon-to-be renovated) dominates the scene more than ever. The feelings evoked by the condemned landmark are sadness and a hint of emptiness. My impulse is to push away the sadness by imagining the view in a future season: a spring or summer when the grounds are lush and green and the historic tower is gloriously restored.

Most meeting and workshop facilitators spend a few minutes establishing ground rules. They're usually pretty boiler plate: One speaker at a time. Maintain confidentiality. Respect the ideas of others. Here's one you may not know: Step up. Step back.
 

Last week, on a day-trip to Manhattan, I saw the Ground Zero fountains in the morning, spent the noon hour on Times Square, and by 2 p.m. was seated for the matinee performance of the Tony Award-winning musical, "Memphis." (Thank you, God, for unplanned prosperity demonstrations!)
 

Remembering how much I enjoyed last winter, I find myself lamenting the brown-grey barrenness camouflaged by last winter's abundant snowfall. I find myself longing for the peaceful beauty of a new-fallen blanket of white.