Here is a link to a playsheet designed to facilitate contemplative movie watching:

 Click Here

Same Kind of Different as Me stars Greg Kinnear, Renee Zellweger, Djimon Hounsou, Olivia Holt, and Jon Voight. In this story, we witness the unfolding and forging of an unlikely friendship between a married couple and a man named Denver, whose nickname is “Suicide”. The kindness and compassion that ultimately remove the barriers around Denver’s heart and mind are profound. We learn of the dark tales of his past and the racism and hardships that he endured during his tumultuous upbringing and we witness the unraveling of all of the hatred and trauma that have caused Denver to be the way that he is.

This movie helps to remind us that in our day-to-day journey, it is easy to become preoccupied with the differences between us and those with whom we share our journey. With this understanding comes the opportunity to look again and, instead of seeing where we are different, allowing ourselves to see where we are the same. We come to learn that we can look beyond skin color, social status, and gender and give our willingness to be shown we are much more alike than we are different.  The characters in this drama are willing to be shown this truth.  And in this movie, we see how love truly transcends all barriers.

This movie can be found on iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, and on YouTube.

Rev. Kelly Barber will lead the Movie Group’s discussion of this movie on Sunday, June 27 at 8 p.m. ET/6 pm MT.

Note: If desired, watch all of Acts 14 from the Visual Bible movie, Acts.

Command and Control

Today’s reading begins:

Your mind is split. … And this split will seem to persist after you have made the decision to follow this path with Me. Do not let the split distress you, but do not forget to be aware of it. You must notice when the part of your mind that is not with Me seeks to regain command and control  by giving you ideas that seem appealing and useful to it. …

I have italicized part of the excerpt above. That phrase is not italicized in NTI. I added the italics, because that phrase has shown up in my mind many times over the years to help me see ego as it tried to “regain command and control” in my mind. It was really helpful to notice ego in this way, because I am well aware that I do not want it to regain command and control, so when I saw the thoughts in my mind from that perspective, it gave me the ability to remove attention from the mind and place it with intuition instead.

For example:

Let’s imagine there is a problem that needs resolution. My mind is thinking about the problem, and I am engrossed in it until this thought crosses the mind:

“The mind is seeking to regain command and control.”

“Ah, I see,” I say to myself.

A moment before, I was listening to thinking, because I thought the way to resolve the problem was through thinking, but once the reminder showed up, I saw that it is ego trying to command my obedience and control my attention.

Since I know I don’t want ego to have command and control, I shift into trust and patience. I decide to be okay with things as they are now, and wait until something is made clear through intuition or the unfolding of the universe.

Choice of Illusion

Today’s reading says:

You are the expression of freedom, and as the expression of freedom you are endowed with the choice to choose the illusion you choose to see.

What does that mean?

In Tip 77, we learned:

Everything that you see and experience, you see and experience through the filter of your mind, meaning your mind at your current vibrational level. As you rise in vibration, you still see through the filter of the mind, but how you see changes because the mind is different at a higher vibration. The mind is simply thought, so as thoughts change, perception changes too.

True perception is the highest vibrational level of perception. However, all perception is illusory. Truth is beyond perception entirely.

NTI 1 Corinthians, Chapter 15, refers to the mind that sees at the highest vibrational level as a mind in the “fourth stage” of awakening. It says:

The one that seems to be in the fourth stage is but a symbol of the truth that is. So this one must pass away also. But in its passing, you pass from a final illusion of beauty to Beauty that cannot be contained in illusion. You pass from form, which reflects Light, to Light, which shines into form.

Since perception is seen through the filter of the mind, we “choose the illusion you choose to see” by practicing discernment.

Note: The next tip will be available tomorrow morning after 3:50am ET at this link.

Thoughts of Awakening # 122

Be clear on what you want.

Be clear on what you want.

Be clear on what you want.

I say this three times,
because when you first think of what you want,
you may think of illusory wants,
which need to be let go
if you are to be happy.

Let go of illusory wants
and go deeper.

When you get in touch
with what you truly want
the wanting is recognized
and confirmed
by peace.

~From our Holy Spirit

Rev. Helen Avery is an Awakening Together Ordained Minister. She shares weekly in our Sanctuary with a half-hour of heart-felt deep-diving into truth, love, and awareness. This candid sharing is a time when Helen explores different modalities and teachings with various non-dual teachers and how the real-life application of those particular teachings is currently showing up in her life. She shares about experiences from her path of awakening including the demonstration of how to utilize these helpful processes and spiritual tools. In her most recent Awakening journey she discusses radical truth and wisdom from teachers such as Mooji and Helen Hamilton.

Listen to the Audio

Join us this Sunday, June 20, 2021, at 1:30-2:30 pm ET/11:30 am-12:30 pm MT for Reflections from the Loving Consciousness, Loving All Retreat.

Participants in the recent Loving Consciousness, Loving All Retreat will openly share about how the exercises introduced by Regina Dawn Akers help one to master the Loving Consciousness and Loving All practices and thus help one to awaken to Truth in this lifetime. All are welcome to join us and listen in on the rich exploration that is occurring with the deepening of these practices of Loving Consciousness and the Loving All Methods.