Join us for our next Movie Watcher’s Group on Sunday, July 22 at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT.

This month’s movie is “The Invention of Lying.” This comedy takes place in an alternate universe much like our own, but where human beings are incapable of lying. Unfortunately, not only must they tell the truth but they seem to share everything they are thinking. This world is plain, stark and unimaginative. That is, until the main character stumbles on the ability to say things that are different than they actually are. The film asks probing questions about the lies that we, in our world, may be dealing with on a daily basis without ever realizing they may well be lies and provides an amusing metaphor for metaphysical concepts we are all familiar with.

You can find the movie playsheet, which provides helpful questions designed to facilitate a spirit centered movie watching experience, at this link:  The Invention of Lying Playsheet.

Remember to ask for Guidance prior to watching the movie and bring your insights to the Movie Watcher’s Discussion Group.

The movie is available to rent on Amazon, Vudu, HBO, Google Play and YouTube. 

A message from Regina:

The house we decided to make an offer on in La Veta is owned by Ricky Tims and his partner, Justin. The house is for sale because Ricky and Justin completed their dream home in the mountains recently. Yesterday morning, Ricky Tims announced that they believe their new home in the mountains has been lost to the Spring Creek Fire. He also said they will stay in their home in La Veta. If that is the case, the home is no longer available for us to purchase.

Interestingly, Ricky wrote, “There was no way to really see what was happening with the house. It took only 20 minutes or less to engulf our 40 acre parcel. We stood on the ridge looking at the scene for about 3 hours. During that time the fire simply kept marching forward through the ranch and of course smoke obscured any secrets that might have been spared. While we will not know for a while if our house is gone or not (I would guess a 5% chance if any), we are just accepting that is has been lost.”

So, maybe there is a slim chance that their new house was miraculously spared, and we will still be able to make an offer on their home in La Veta. All we can do right now is watch and remain at peace.

Ricky Tim’s Public Facebook Post

Fox 31 News Article

What’s going to happen if this house is no longer available to us?

I don’t have answers now. I am open to seeing what comes next.

We have raised about $25,000 in the last two days for the purchase of a retreat house. Most of that was in commitment letters, but some people chose to put checks in the mail immediately. If it becomes clear that we will not make an offer on a house in the near future and anyone who mailed a check would like their donation back, I will return it. I am deeply touched and incredibly grateful for your generosity.

With love in our hearts, we shall see what happens next,

p.s., The Spring Creek fire has grown to over 94,000 acres and is still out of control. The following picture was published by the Denver Post on Monday, July 2.

On Monday, July 2, we received over $19,000 in commitment letters to help us purchase a retreat house in La Veta, Colorado. That puts us over halfway to our goal of $37,000.

As for the fire, it is growing. We still do not know if the fire will impact our ability to make an offer on the house we’ve selected. In the meantime, we are preparing to make an offer, and your commitment letters are greatly appreciated.

Click here for more information about commitment letters

In last night’s member meeting, Regina shared information about a house we hope to make an offer on as early as this week. We have raised $263,000 and plan to get a $75,000 mortgage. We only need $37,000 more in order to make an offer in a fiscally responsible way. If you are willing to help by committing to a donation that you will pay when an offer on the property is accepted, please follow these instructions:

1. Download either the MS Word or PDF format of the commitment letter.
2. Put the current date on the letter.
3. Fill in the amount of your donation commitment.
4. Enter the commitment regarding when the donation will be provided. For example, within 1 day or within 5 days.
5. Enter how long your commitment is valid. For example, until September 30, 2018.
6. Sign your letter (or provide an e-signature).
7. Type your name under your signature.
8. Email your letter to regina@awakening-together.org or reginadawnakers@yahoo.com.

Download the Commitment Letter-MS Word Format

Download the Commitment Letter-PDF Format

View Sample Letter

The Awakening Together Sanctuary will be closed on Wednesday, July 4, 2018 so that our staff and speakers can enjoy the US holiday with their families.

We will reopen on Sunday, July 8, for our regular schedule.

Please join Regina Dawn Akers for a special Member Meeting tonight, Sunday July 1, at 8pm ET/5pm Pacific. The meeting is about an offer that we may make on a retreat house as early as this week. The house is in La Veta, Colorado next to the Wahatoya Lake and has magnificent mountain views. (See the pictures below.)

Click here to see the house

Please come to the meeting to learn more about why this house is under very serious consideration, what steps we are taking, our challenges and what you can do to help.

Wahatoya Lake ~ Next to the House

The Spanish Peaks ~ View from the House

Join us for our next Movie Watcher’s Group on Sunday, June 24 at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT.  The film explores deep concepts of time, the universe, mortality, memory, and humanity. Mr. Nobody is a tale about choice. Nemo, a nine year old boy, has been thrust into a position where he must make an impossible decision – to choose between his mother and father. In the seconds preceding the rest of his life he wonders where each choice will take him. The dilemma that causes the film’s main problem (not knowing the future) once solved makes it all the more difficult – “I don’t know the future, therefore I cannot make a decision. Now that I know the future I still cannot make one”. The movie takes a four-dimensionalists view of the nature and existence of life in the universe. Each decision thus branching off creating an entirely separate alternative universe. The film also makes good use of chaos theory, string theory and the butterfly effect to accentuate the lack of control we as individuals possess. The film portrays a life where we are all subject to chance, to the dimensions by which we construct our reality (height, length, width and time), and to the imagination of our former selves. Please note, one critic describes this movie as one “that constantly engages the mind and rewards repeated viewings.”

You can find the movie playsheet, which provides helpful questions designed to facilitate a spirit centered movie watching experience, at this link:  Mr. Nobody Playsheet.

Remember to ask for Guidance prior to watching the movie and bring your insights to the Movie Watcher’s Discussion Group.

The movie is available to rent on Itunes, Amazon, Netflix and Vudu. 

We are currently in the process of nominating members for the Member Board of Trustees. There are three positions open as Rev. Gloria Wells, Rev. Carrie Christiansen and Sonja Spahn complete their current three-year term as elected Trustees. We’d like to thank them for their service to our assembly.

The Member Board of Trustees is the primary team responsible for decisions related to Awakening Together’s day-to-day operations. Your participation in the nomination process is an important part of selecting our leaders.

The nomination process ends after 5pm ET on Monday, June 25.

Please go to the Nominee page on our website. Review the current nominees to see if you want to support any of the nominees. Ask yourself if there is someone else you’d like to nominate. You have three nominee votes, so you can support and/or nominate up to three individuals.

For more details, click here.

After the nomination process closes, nominations will be validated and nominees will be given the opportunity to accept the nomination. This process can take up to two weeks. When nominations have been verified and accepted, we will let you know who the formal nominees are. The actual election will occur in late July.

Thank you for your participation in our election process.

Rev. Jacquelyn Eckert interviews James Swartz in a pre-recorded Satsang.

Vedanta, “The knowledge that ends the quest for knowledge” is not a philosophy or a mystical path. It is a proven means of self-knowledge compiled over thousands of years by countless Indian Seers that systematically reveals the nature of reality and our place and purpose in it.  For the inquirer, it irrevocably removes the ignorance that causes suffering, leaving only the awareness of who we are: limitless consciousness, whole and complete. Once this knowledge is assimilated and the Self is revealed, all existential suffering comes to an end, you are set free.

Coming from an impeccable lineage and endowed with 40 plus years of teaching experience, James unveils this timeless knowledge with clarity, candor and humor.  He has become one of Vedanta’s most powerful voices for East and West alike. His website Shiningworld.com is a major resource of non-dual wisdom and his best-selling book “How to Attain Enlightenment” has taken the spiritual world by storm.