Well, it’s the first week of August in Monterey and you know what that means—we are gearing up for yet another Car Week on the Peninsula, starting this Friday. This once-fun event has become a bit of a bane for those of us living on the Peninsula as the event gets longer and longer (now lasting 10 days!) and more and more visitors come to the area each year. This year more than 100,000 car aficionados are expected to descend on our sleepy little seaside town, meaning there wi

As we close the month of July, wherein we celebrated our nation's 250th Anniversary, I wanted to share an essay I recently read, "America Belongs to All of Us" by former Under Secretary of the Army Patrick J. Murphy, first published in The Philadelphia Citizen (7-1-2026). It helped me to clarify my patriotism during these challenging times; and under-scored the importance of our work with COPA as well. I hope you find some clarity, insights, and/or inspiration as well. "For

After spending the weekend at beautiful Villa Maria del Mar (for the Women's Retreat) and being lulled to sleep by the ocean, I was reminded of this lesson (3/4/24) by Father Richard Rohr, "Making a Morning Connection" (based on a talk he gave in 2009) "On spring and summer mornings, I love to go out early with my little cup of coffee and walk through my garden with my dog Venus . If I can somehow let my 'roots and tendrils' reconnect me with the 'givens' of life, as Bill P

This weekend, many of the women in our commUnity will be attending the 2026 Women's Retreat in Santa Cruz. Our theme this year is The Gifts of Imperfection, based on the book of the same title by Brené Brown. We will be holding our Sunday Service at the retreat - during the same time as the UMB service...trusting that "wherever we are – we know that Love knows no boundaries – We are One in Spirit." I want to thank Robin Falkenberg (who, as noted above, is currently in train

You may have seen in the news a few weeks ago the story of the Southern Baptist Convention and their historic decision to continue to ban the ordination of women as well as all churches allowing women to preach or act as pastors. It’s hard to believe that in the year 2026 we are still dealing with such sexism in the Christian Church in the United States. While Unity is pretty far separated from the Southern Baptists and it may be easy to think this decision doesn’t really a

have been sitting with my multitude of conflicting feelings about our nation, and these times, as we approach the 250th anniversary of our founding. I feel shame for our nation's current behavior in the world; yet I still love the United States of America. I feel sad, angry, disillusioned, and concerned; but I am also hopeful and determined. I'm pretty sure I am not alone in all of this. This morning, I came across this blog post, The Secretary's Sitrep by the Honorable Pat

I am so excited that it is time for our annual Pride Sunday Celebration! This special Sunday service has become such a fun, meaningful, and colorful homage to the vibrant diversity that exists among the human family. Each year on Pride Sunday, we as a spiritual commUnity proclaim full-heartedly and unapologetically that God’s infinite love is fully inclusive and that all people are loved, honored, respected, seen, and accepted just as they are. What a joy! What a beautiful

In these challenging times, it can sometimes feel challenging to hope for things to get better, like we're just setting ourselves up for disappoint-ment. But, as we know, sustaining hope is essential – because life happens from the-inside out. I shared the following poem this week, as a reflection in our Prayers for Our Nation gathering Tuesday night – and thought it would be good to share it with everyone – helping us all to hold a high watch for our nation and our world.

I had an amazing trip in May. First, returning to Cincinnati to celebrate my grandson, Mateo’s 18th birthday and then his graduation from high school. Next, attending the encore Broadway in Cincinnati presentation of SUFFS. And concluding with my grandson, Joaquin’s quinceanero (15th birthday coming of age celebration) family trip to the Yúcatan, Mexico. It was wonderful to take a break from the daily effort of shifting my attention away from the debilitating slog of what

Happy Pride Month everyone! The Pride Flag Raising Ceremony at Del Rey Oaks City Hall last Sunday was a great kick-off for Pride Month (see photo below). Although a small community, DRO has a lovely bunch of folks that strongly support Pride. Similar pride flag raising ceremonies were held this week all around Monterey Bay including in Seaside, Monterey, Carmel, Pacific Grove, Marina, Salinas, and Santa Cruz. It looks like it is gearing up to be a very busy and festive Prid