The Approach of the Winter Solstice (and it’s comin’ on Christmas, too!)
Sunday, December 19th, 2021
First off, I apologize for the lateness (again!) of the newsletter. Between the effects of my (Colleen’s) booster shot and intermittent internet problems, I am finally finding a window to send this out. As we continue to celebrate this Season of Light and Peace, we are excited for Winter Solstice and the gradual return of the Light, as well as Christmas and all the joy and magic this time of year brings. This Sunday is a Zoom gathering. Hope to see you on screen! Here is the link:
Paths of Heart Zoom
Time: Dec 19, 2021 11:00 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81694542939?pwd=V3FMZk5VandFd0svNXFuS2RtWHBQUT09
Meeting ID: 816 9454 2939
Passcode: 636692
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+12532158782,,81694542939#,,,,636692# US (Tacoma) +13462487799,,81694542939#,,,,636692# US (Houston)
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Meeting ID: 816 9454 2939
Passcode: 636692
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kG9GN5I9m
Love, Light, and Peace to all, Colleen and Mark
Quotes to ponder
“The winter solstice has always been special to me as a barren darkness that gives birth to a verdant future beyond imagination, a time of pain and withdrawal that produces something joyfully inconceivable, like a monarch butterfly masterfully extracting itself from the confines of its cocoon, bursting forth into unexpected glory.” ~ Gary Zukav
“While I relish our warm months, winter forms our character and brings out our best.” ~ Tom Allen
“Winter is not a season, it’s a celebration.” ~ Anamika Mishra
“After the longest night, tomorrow we sing up the dawn. There is a rejoicing that, even in the darkest time, the sun is not vanquished. As of tomorrow, the days begin to get longer as the light of day grows. While the gentle winter sun slowly opens its eyes, let us all bring more light and compassion into the world. ”
~ Dacha Avelin
“May the light illuminate your hearts and shine in your life every day of the year. May everlasting peace be yours and upon our Earth.” ~ Eileen Anglin
Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest
Paths of Heart Schedule
(Sundays, 11 a.m.) MASKS REQUIRED for all in person gatherings. Thank you for your kindness and cooperation.
December 19th – ZOOM Gathering
December 26th – in person, Songs of the Season Celebration
January 2nd – in person
Many of you have been asking about our (until recently!) “annual” Christmas Eve Concert. After heartful thought and consideration, we have decided to refrain once again this year. We feel we would have to curtail attendance to such a degree that so many would be left out, and it just doesn’t feel right to do so. Instead, we will celebrate in song the day after Christmas with several guest musicians and hope you can join us then.
Request for guest presenters and musicians! ~ Thanks to those who have stepped up to present a topic on Sunday, or to share music! Please let us know if you’re interested or have ideas of other speakers/musicians you’d like to invite. A small honorarium is available.
Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants to receive our collective positive thoughts and prayers on a Sunday morning, please ask! We can be as specific or as anonymous as you’d like. Let us know if we can surround you and your loved ones in love and light!
“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth and Zen Meditation Garden – This was intentioned to be a community space, so know that you are always welcome to drop by and walk or sit – you do not need to let us know in advance. Do note that we have experienced the outer “halo” of glass blocks in the labyrinth to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day (not usually a problem in Colorado!). We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you in advance.
Giving Opportunities – Two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny are detailed below:
King Soopers Community Rewards Program – if you shop at KS and have a rewards card, you can “link” it to Paths of Heart and King Soopers will donate a portion of your dollars spent (around 5%) to our non-profit. Go to https://www.kingsoopers.com/i/community/community-rewards to sign up and link your card. Our organization name is Paths of Heart and organization number is RG782. Let us know if you want help signing up!
Amazon Smile – We do love shopping locally and very often do, but Amazon sometimes fits the bill. If you are an Amazon shopper, you can make a difference by shopping at smile.amazon.com/ch/81-4175487 to generate donations for Paths of Heart!
During this past year when we weren’t meeting often, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are still always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. You can even sign up for monthly giving, which we deeply appreciate. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart!
Gratitudes
We are filled with gratitude for all who so generously donated to Paths of Heart this week during our #Giving Tuesday campaign. Our hearts are full!
What are you grateful for today?
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~ Eckhart Tolle
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” ~ Voltaire
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~ William Arthur Ward
About Paths of Heart…
Paths of Heart is a high spirited, heart-centered community where we gather together (in new and creative ways!) for music, poetry, commentary, and dialogue to create and nurture joy, compassion, gratitude, and love – in our own lives and throughout the world. Paths of Heart is a 501(c)(3) Human Services/Educational non-profit organization that uses the arts, especially, to encourage and propel seekers of a better, more peaceful world to find ways to serve, while becoming more kind and compassionate human beings.
We welcome you as we collectively and individually explore the sweet mysteries of life – this is an invitation into co-creation!
Visit us on the web at https://www.pathsofheart.org
We hope our physical paths may cross soon!