Sunday, July 3rd, 2022
We’ll be celebrating our country’s Independence Day on Monday and we, along with countless others, have had the concept of “freedom” in the forefront of our minds of late. So let’s explore this idea of freedom – what it means to us personally and spiritually. We hope you can join us in conversation on ZOOM this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Here’s the link:
Time: Jul 3, 2022 10:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87155672154?pwd=v3DpeEBhCt1XhcD0NL66a5kMwuEij9.1
Meeting ID: 871 5567 2154
Passcode: 768884
May you be happy, joyous, and free,
Colleen and Mark
Quotes to ponder
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”
~ Albert Camus
“In the flush of love’s light, we dare be brave. And suddenly we see that love costs all we are, and will ever be. Yet it is only love which sets us free.”
~ Maya Angelou
“Have you ever noticed how many angry people there are at peace rallies? Social action arouses righteousness. Righteousness ultimately starves your heart. If you want to be free more than you want to be right, you let go of righteousness. For social action to be done with love, the spiritual work comes first. If you oppose something or someone in anger, all you proliferate in the world is more anger.”
~ Ram Dass
“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”
~ Nelson Mandela
“Your choices are your only freedom.”
~ Lailah Gifty Akita
“True freedom is always spiritual. It has something to do with your innermost being, which cannot be chained, handcuffed, or put into a jail.”
~ Osho
“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.”
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest
Paths of Heart Schedule (Currently, 2-3 times per month on Sundays, 10:30 a.m.)
July 3rd – ZOOM gathering
July 10th – No Paths of Heart
July 17th – in person, with potluck lunch after our gathering
July 24th – No Paths of Heart
July 31st – in person
August 7th – ZOOM gathering
August 14th – No Paths of Heart
Mask Policy Update:
Though Covid cases are ramping up again, most resultant illnesses seem to be generally mild, and we are leaving it up to attendees whether they want to mask or not.
Thanks to all who’ve completed our Paths of Heart Questionnaire on “Survey Monkey” so far! Today is the last day to respond so if you haven’t done so, please take just a few minutes to fill it out, even if you rarely (or never!) attend our gatherings. Thanks so much!
We wanted to give you a heads up about an upcoming house concert on July 2nd with Mark, Emma, and me. While it is not a Paths of Heart fundraiser per se, Mark and I will definitely be donating a portion of our proceeds to Paths! Details are below:
Please join us on Saturday, July 2nd when Mark, Emma, and I will be doing a backyard garden party/ house concert at the lovely home of Sam and Lee Cooper, 1829 Wallenberg Dr. in Fort Collins. Come for potluck appetizers at 6 p.m. if you can/wish and the music will start at 7. We’ll end our set in plenty of time for you to head to the fireworks celebration in City Park, too, should you so desire. Bring your favorite beverage and your own chairs or a blanket to sit on, please. There is plenty of room in their backyard paradise, so we aren’t even requesting RSVPs this time! Suggested donation is $20 (or more if you’re feelin’ it!) at the “door”. If you do prefer to pay in advance, we can send you those options, too.
Giving Opportunities – Paths of Heart continues (into its 9th year now!) almost entirely through your generous donations. What a beautiful thing! If you find value in what we do here each week, please consider donating to keep our non-profit running smoothly, with grace and ease. The past 2 years saw a severe drop in donations and we’d love to regrow our account balance to a more healthy and sustainable level now that we are meeting regularly again. During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are 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! We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your donations are tax deductible!
Two ways you can further support Paths of Heart 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!
“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!
Sending prayers and affirmations ~ If anyone would like 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!
Gratitudes
We are SO grateful for the recent rains that help quench our thirsty soil and green up our yards and gardens. More please! 🙂
Gratitude abounds for those that continue to fully support Paths of Heart, even as we’ve decreased the frequency of our meetings during this time of uncertainty and “readjustment”. We look forward to your ideas and suggestions in our questionnaire as we co-create the next chapter of Paths of Heart.
What are you grateful for today?
“Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend…”
~ Sarah Ban Breathnach
“Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy — because we will always want to have something else or something more.”
~ Brother David Steindl-Rast
“You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.”
~ G.K. Chesterton
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!
