Unconditioning Love
"Unconditioning Love" invites you on an insightful expedition led by your host, Lydia, delving deep into the transformational journey of deconstruction, unraveling the conditions we often put on love. Journey alongside us as we uncover tales of resilience, featuring candid conversations with members of the LGBTQ community, individuals who have discovered love after navigating narcissistic relationships, and courageous souls who have left high control religions. Together, let's peel back the layers of conditional love and make the world a better place for everyone one person at a time as we lean more into love without conditions.
Episodes
In this short reflection, Lydia explores how growing up in the 2x2s taught many of us to live outside of ourselves, to mistrust our inner knowing, outsource authority, and disconnect from our own hearts.
She reflects on how hymns and teachings often functioned like subliminal messages, subtly training us to doubt our instincts and place trust in leadership, rules, and external voices rather than within ourselves. Over tim...
In this episode, I’m joined by Julie Jancius, host of the Angels and Awakening podcast, for a heartfelt conversation about faith, divine connection, and spiritual evolution. Julie shares her personal journey of growing up within the Catholic tradition and finding her own intimate relationship with the divine beyond religious structure.
Together, we reflect on how miracles are often quieter than we expect, how th...
In this episode of Unconditioning Love, we wrap up the Tangled Up in Twos mini-series, where we have been exploring women’s experiences in the Two by Two church and how leaving has transformed their relationship with identity and self-expression.
Yvette Hughes shares her journey of embracing her naturally curly hair within a culture of conformity. Growing up in South Africa’s coloured community during Apartheid, Yvette fa...
Unconditioning Love – Tangled Up in Twos (Episode 3)
In this episode of Tangled Up in Twos, we delve into an excerpt from Cherie Kropp’s life story and explore the profound impact of hair, traditions, and questioning authority within the Two by Two fellowship.
Cherie’s poignant reflections reveal the tension between blind adherence to tradition and the courage to choose compassion and truth over rigidit...
Episode Summary:
In the second episode of the Tangled Up in 2 mini-season, we hear three powerful anonymous stories from women reflecting on their complex relationships with hair in fundamentalist religious environments. These stories reveal how hair became a symbol of conformity, control, and, eventually, liberation.
Each story brings a unique perspective on the emotional weight of hair, its connection to identity, a...
Welcome back to Unconditioning Love for the start of Season 2! We’re diving into the first installment of our special mini-series, “Tangled Up in Twos.” This series unpacks the profound connection between women, their hair, and faith communities.
In this episode, we begin with a fascinating share from a history teacher who provides critical context on Paul’s writings about women and hair in the Bible. They explain the cul...
In today’s mini-episode, we’re bringing some lighthearted laughter to balance the heaviness of the current political climate. Get ready for a fun, nostalgic ride as I share two funny, embarrassing stories from my childhood years growing up in a religious community. From sleepwalking adventures at a convention to other unexpected, cringe-worthy moments, these stories might make you laugh out loud (and maybe remind you of ...
In episode 23 of Unconditioning Love, Robert shares his story of faith, doubt, and ultimately, liberation. His family joined the 2x2 faith community when he was just two years old. Soon after they converted, his family began hosting a Wednesday night meeting, immersing them deeply in the church’s traditions. At age 13, Robert made his profession of faith.
As he started college to pursue a career as an EMT, churc...
In this episode, Katie shares her transformative journey of breaking free from the constraints of the 2x2 church, a religion deeply rooted in her family's history. As a third-generation member, Katie was raised with a strong sense of duty to the church's teachings, where love felt conditional, and fear was ever-present.
Katie’s questioning spirit emerged early in life when, at just six years old, her f...
In episode 21 of Unconditioning Love, Casey shares his unique story of growing up in a rural area of Atlantic Canada, where his family’s deep roots in the church shaped much of his upbringing. As a sixth-generation member on his mother’s side, with his great-great-grandfather being one of the founding workers in the region, the weight of tradition and expectation loomed large. Yet, Casey always felt like an “other” due t...
In this episode of "Unconditioning Love," Lydia sits down with Robert, who shares his journey of growing up as a third-generation member of the 2x2s, a highly sheltered upbringing within a strict religious environment. As a young adult, Robert began to question the core fundamental belief that attending this particular church was the only path to heaven. This internal conflict led him to leave the church, even ...
In this episode of "Unconditioning Love," we are joined by Tara, who bravely shares her story of growing up in the 2x2 religion, also known as "the truth." Tara's parents began converting to this faith when she was six, which brought drastic changes to her life.
She went from celebrating holidays and wearing normal clothes to a life of handmade dresses, strict religious practices, a...
Welcome to today's episode of "Unconditioning Love," where we dive deep into the transformative power of forgiveness. Today, we’re tackling a topic that’s both personal and profound: how forgiveness has been misused and how we can reclaim it for our own healing.
In my journey through the church, I witnessed forgiveness often being weaponized. It was used as an excuse to provide safe haven for perpetrators, ...
In this special mini episode, I had the pleasure of meeting Andrea in person and recording at her beautiful home. Join us as we dive deep into a heartfelt conversation about what authenticity and judgment mean to us. We explore the challenges and triumphs of living authentically, the impact of judgment on our lives, and how we navigate these complex themes in our personal journeys.
In today’s episode, we accompany Andrea on her profound odyssey from a childhood meandering through unstructured streets to a soul searching for sanctuary in the arms of various churches. With her mother's simple directive to attend church on Sundays but lacking deeper guidance, Andrea embarked on a spiritual quest as early as eight years old, exploring the myriad teachings and traditions. Summers spent with her dev...
"Healing Your Voice" is an 8-minute guided meditation that I have created for you. It guides listeners back to a version of themselves who didn't have a voice, holding space for that version, bringing in love and healing, and ultimately leading them back to their power and worthiness. By the end of the session, listeners feel lighter, freer, and more empowered to use their unique and authentic voice in the...
En este episodio de "Dios es una fuente de amor", tenemos a Elda desde Panamá, quien comparte su historia sobre cómo ella y su esposo se involucraron con la iglesia 2x2 en su vida adulta, convirtiéndose eventualmente en su vida entera. A lo largo de su vida, un ancla constante para Elda ha sido el amor incondicional de Dios; incluso en un ambiente eclesiástico donde se imponían condiciones al amor de Dios, ella...
In today's episode of this two-part series, Relyssa shares the different eye-opening moments that caused her to take courageous steps out of the community she had spent her entire life in. We dive into the topic of parenthood and how that has helped us with boundaries, this idea of holding multiple truths at the same time, and we talk about the recent unfoldings within the 2x2 church and the unfortunate fact that wh...
In this two-part series, we delve into Relyssa's journey growing up in a large family within the 2x2 church in Nebraska. Homeschooled until 6th grade, she found solace in sports, they became her sanctuary. Over the last three years, Relyssa started forming connections with Christian girlfriends outside the church which helped her in her journey of questioning and ultimately breaking free from the exclusivity beliefs...
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