So Many Paths…

July 30th, 2023

I came across this Ella Wheeler Wilcox poem earlier this week:
“So many gods, so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind,
While just the art of being kind
Is all the sad world needs. “
We love that Paths of Heart honors all paths in the spiritual journey and we agree, kindness is of utmost importance along the way. We often quote the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet who said, “This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” We’ll expound on these thoughts in our Paths of Heart ZOOM gathering this Sunday. We’d love for you to join in the conversation! Here’s the link:

Topic: Paths of Heart Zoom Gathering
Time: Jul 30, 2023 10:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87452696558?pwd=eFdWMFA3d0x2ajVQRTNUV25kWTlqZz09

Meeting ID: 874 5269 6558
Passcode: 696359

Kindly, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

Life’s all about choices. Everyone’s destination is the same; only the paths are different.”
~ Sushmita Sen

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
~ Aesop

“Faith is a continuum, and we each fall on that line where we may. By attempting to rigidly classify ethereal concepts like faith, we end up debating semantics to the point where we entirely miss the obvious – that is, that we are all trying to decipher life’s big mysteries, and we’re each following our own paths of enlightenment.”
~ Dan Brown

“It takes courage to be kind.”
~ Maya Angelou

“If we are asking for the world to be kind, we must first ask what are we doing to add more kindness to the world. If we are asking for the world to be more loving, we must first ask what are we doing to add more love to the world. We are the vessels for the things we seek.”
~ Joél Leon

“When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.”
~ Abraham Joshua Heschel

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Sunday, July 30th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM POH Gathering

Friday, August 4th – 7 p.m. concert with Megan Bee (potluck at 6). More details below in “Paths of Heart Presents…”

Sunday, August 6th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with a potluck afterwards

Tuesday, August 15th, 7 p.m. – Paths of Heart Song Circle

Sunday, August 20th, 10:30 a.m.- ZOOM POH Gathering

Sunday, September 10th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering

Sunday, September 17th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with a potluck afterwards

Sunday, September 24th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM POH Gathering

Tuesday, September 26th, 7 p.m. – Paths of Heart Song Circle

Please mark your calendars for the above scheduled dates!

Guest Presenters and Musicians Wanted! Now that we’re meeting on a more regular basis we’d love to get back to having other folks present a topic on some Sundays and having other musicians sit in as well. Please get in touch if you’re interested! A small honorarium is available.

“Paths of Heart Presents…” We have one more scheduled house concert (Megan Bee!!) on the horizon for all music lovers who enjoy an intimate listening room and a chance to meet the artists and chat in an informal setting. Help us spread the word! You may pre-pay for any of our concerts on our regular donation page https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/ OR with Venmo @PathsofHeart. Though tickets may be available at the door, pre-paying is the only way to guarantee your seat so it’s highly suggested! Please indicate which concert you are paying for in the special instructions or memo line. Hope to see you!

Friday, August 4th 7 p.m. concert with potluck at 6 – Megan Bee, our friend and songwriter artist from Athens, OH. This will be Megan’s 3rd appearance in our house concert series! $20 suggested donation. Learn more about Megan at https://meganbeemusic.com/

Please mark your calendars for these awesome shows and tell your friends!!

We’ve restarted our Paths of Heart Song Circles, usually the last Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 pm. Come join us for group singing in an informal and safe space. You are welcome to bring an instrument and song suggestions of love, life, and peace especially! $5.00-10.00 suggested donation. We will provide a variety of teas to drink. You are welcome to bring other beverages of choice. Please RSVP at least a day or two in advance! Since attendance has been rather inconsistent of late, we’d like the opportunity to make alternate plans if sign-up is light. We had another small but delightful circle this past Tuesday – thanks to those who made it!
The following dates have been scheduled:
August 15th (3rd Tuesday due to scheduling conflict)
September 26th

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart continues to welcome and appreciate your generous donations as we work to bolster our finances and return to regular Sunday gatherings. During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. There is an option for recurring monthly donations, if you so choose. We have also added Venmo as an easy way to donate to Paths of Heart! Just type in @PathsofHeart to find us in the Venmo app. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart. Remember, we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so your donations are tax deductible!

Another easy way to further support Paths of Heart is through the 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! This one small gesture (by just 25 or so families at this point) helps to generate over $1,000 a year for Paths of Heart, so we appreciate your consideration in participating in this valuable program!!

“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. We DO love all this rain, but we hope the weather will be more labyrinth-friendly soon!

Gratitudes

We’ve had some really meaningful musical experiences lately and more coming up in the next few weeks and months. What a joy it is to make music with family and friends and to share that with you all in different settings – house concerts, Celebrations of Life, birthday parties, weddings, music lessons. Life is good!

What are you grateful for today?

“When gratitude becomes an essential foundation in our lives, miracles start to appear everywhere.”
~ Emmanuel Dagher

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.”
~ Tony Robbins

“The real gift of gratitude is that the more grateful you are, the more present you become.”
~ Robert Holden

“If you keep searching for everything beautiful in the world, you will eventually become it.”
~ Tyler Kent White

“Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.”
~ Eileen Caddy

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!

“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.” ~ Ruth Reichl

07/20/202307/29/2023

Restoration and Renewal

July 23rd, 2023

Mark and I were camping in Poudre Canyon last week and took a hike with friends on the Big South trail, which we had not visited since before the Cameron Peak Fire of 2020. I had some trepidation about the stark landscape that we might see, and yes, the blackened and charred remains of trees were plentiful. Yet the forest growth underneath and the abundance of wildflowers (including fireweed!) was astounding! It reminded us of the restoration and renewal that can take place in all of us after any kind of challenge, trauma, or devastation in our lives, if we allow it. It may take some time, but we’ll often uncover exquisite beauty and a myriad of blessings amid the chaos and destruction. Please come and share your experiences with us on Sunday! Nashville performing songwriter Buddy Mondlock will be our guest musician that morning and will also treat us to a house concert that evening at 7 p.m. with a potluck at 6. We hope you can make it to that, too – you’ll be glad you did!

To new growth ~ Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“For within your flesh, deep within the center of your being, is the undaunted, waiting, longing, all-knowing. Is the ready, able, perfect. Within you, waiting its turn to emerge, piece by piece, with the dawn of every former test of trial and blackness, is the next unfolding, the great unfurling of wings, the re-forged backbone of a true Child of Light.”
~ Jennifer DeLucy

“Sometimes it takes a total break to lead to complete healing and restoration.”
~ Karen Pennington

“Despair is paralysis. It robs us of agency. It blinds us to our own power and the power of the earth… Restoration is a powerful antidote to despair. Restoration offers concrete means by which humans can once again enter into positive, creative relationship with the more-than-human world, meeting responsibilities that are simultaneously material and spiritual…”
~ Robin Wall Kimmerer

“Every part of your brokenness will play a part in your wholeness.”
~ Andrena Sawyer

“Every single cell in the human body replaces itself over a period of seven years. That means there’s not even the smallest part of you now that was part of you seven years ago.”
~ Steven Hall

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Sunday, July 23rd, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with Buddy Mondlock as our guest musician!

Sunday July 23rd, 7 p.m. – House Concert with Buddy Mondlock. Potluck at 6 p.m. $20 suggested donation. More details in “Paths of Heart Presents…” section below.

Sunday, July 30th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM POH Gathering

Sunday, August 6th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with a potluck afterwards

Sunday, August 20th, 10:30 a.m.- ZOOM POH Gathering

Sunday, September 10th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering

Sunday, September 17th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with a potluck afterwards

Sunday, September 24th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM POH Gathering

Please mark your calendars for the above scheduled dates!

“Paths of Heart Presents…” We had a wonderful House Concert with Jeff Plankenhorn in June! There were 31 folks in attendance and Jeff put on a heartwarming show! We have a couple of other house concerts on the horizon for all music lovers who enjoy an intimate listening room and a chance to meet the artists and chat in an informal setting. Help us spread the word! You may pre-pay for any of these concerts on our regular donation page https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/ OR with Venmo @PathsofHeart. Though tickets may be available at the door, pre-paying is the only way to guarantee your seat so it’s highly suggested! Please indicate which concert you are paying for in the special instructions or memo line. Hope to see you!

Sunday, July 23rd, 7 p.m. concert with a potluck at 6. – Buddy Mondlock (a brilliant songwriter and author of “The Kid”, one of my all time favorite songs!) from Nashville, TN. $20 suggested donation. Learn more about Buddy at https://www.buddymondlock.com/

Please mark your calendars for these awesome shows and tell your friends!!

We’ve restarted our Paths of Heart Song Circles, usually the last Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 pm. Come join us for group singing in an informal and safe space. You are welcome to bring an instrument and song suggestions of love, life, and peace especially! $5.00-10.00 suggested donation. We will provide a variety of teas to drink. You are welcome to bring other beverages of choice. Please RSVP at least a day or two in advance! Since attendance has been rather inconsistent of late, we’d like the opportunity to make alternate plans if sign-up is light. We had a small but delightful circle in June – thanks to those who made it!
The following dates have been scheduled:
July 25th
August 15th (3rd Tuesday due to scheduling conflict)
September 26th

Gratitudes

What a treat it was to get up into the mountains for 4 days – a great restoration for the soul! We had a delightful time with friends, shared delectable food, played “mountain bocce”, and hiked the Big South trail. We are so grateful to live so close to such beauty!

What are you grateful for today?

“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.”
~ Henry Ward Beecher

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
~ Melody Beattie

“In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Gratitude is the sweetest thing in a seekers life – in all human life. If there is gratitude in your heart, then there will be tremendous sweetness in your eyes.”
~ Sri Chinmoy

About Paths of Heart…

“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.” ~ Ruth Reichl

07/07/202307/07/2023

Finding Our Freedom

July 9th, 2023

On the heels of Independence Day, the concept of freedom is on our minds. As a side note, we experienced “freedom” from the internet and our (cable) office phone line for 2 days because of an outage, so I’m scrambling to get this newsletter out that I actually started on Wednesday morning! 🙂 Freedom has so many different meanings and some freedoms seem particularly and unfortunately challenged these days. Join us in lively conversation this Sunday! Our gathering will be followed by a festive potluck in the backyard.

Live free ~ Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves”
~ Abraham Lincoln

“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.”
~ Robert A. Heinlein

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
~ Viktor Frankl

“When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.”
~ Nelson Mandela

“Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi

“There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask “What if I fall?”
Oh but my darling,
What if you fly?”
~ Erin Hanson

“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”
~ Joe Klass

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Our Paths of Heart “sabbatical” has ended, and we are meeting on a more regular basis now! We hope you’ll be able to get in the rhythm of celebrating life with us on Sundays 2-3 times a month. As you can see below, Gatherings have now been scheduled through September. We know some folks have asked for a “regular” schedule (such as the 2nd and 4th Sundays). However, we’ve experienced that vacations and special events often disrupt that “best laid plan” plan for all of us, so for now we are going with what works within our family schedule. Adjustments may be made as we continue to assess attendance and finances. We may also consider an earlier start time in the summer if that’s something the majority of folks would like. Let us know your thoughts!

Sunday, July 9th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with a potluck afterwards. Please bring your own (reusable, washable) plates. We’ll provide utensils, cloth napkins, cups, and a variety of beverages. We strive for near zero waste at our events, and we appreciate your cooperation in helping us do so!

Sunday, July 23rd, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with Buddy Mondlock as our guest musician! He’ll also be with us in concert in the evening!

Sunday, July 30th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM POH Gathering

Sunday, August 6th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with a potluck afterwards

Sunday, August 20th, 10:30 a.m.- ZOOM POH Gathering

Sunday, September 10th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering

Sunday, September 17th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with a potluck afterwards

Sunday, September 24th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM POH Gathering

Please mark your calendars for the above scheduled dates!

Sunday, July 23rd, 7 p.m. concert with a potluck at 6. – Buddy Mondlock (a brilliant songwriter and author of “The Kid”, one of my all time favorite songs!) from Nashville, TN. $20 suggested donation. Learn more about Buddy at https://www.buddymondlock.com/

Friday, August 4th 7 p.m. concert with potluck at 6 – Megan Bee, our friend and songwriter artist from Athens, OH. This will be Megan’s 3rd appearance in our house concert series! $20 suggested donation. Learn more about Megan at https://meganbeemusic.com/

Please mark your calendars for these awesome shows and tell your friends!!

One other upcoming show! Though this isn’t a POH event, we though you might like to know about a Garden Party/House Concert that Colleen, Mark, and Emma are doing tomorrow, July 8th at the home of Lee and Sam Cooper. Please reach out if you’d like details. All are invited – the more the merrier!

We’ve restarted our Paths of Heart Song Circles, usually the last Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 pm. Come join us for group singing in an informal and safe space. You are welcome to bring an instrument and song suggestions of love, life, and peace especially! $5.00-10.00 suggested donation. We will provide a variety of teas to drink. You are welcome to bring other beverages of choice. Please RSVP at least a day or two in advance! Since attendance has been rather inconsistent of late, we’d like the opportunity to make alternate plans if sign-up is light. We had a small but delightful circle this past Tuesday – thanks to those who made it!
The following dates are scheduled so far:
July 25th
August 15th (3rd Tuesday due to scheduling conflict)
September 26th

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart continues to welcome and appreciate your generous donations as we work to bolster our finances and get back to regular Sunday gatherings. During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. There is an option for recurring monthly donations, if you so choose. We have also added Venmo as an easy way to donate to Paths of Heart! Just type in @PathsofHeart to find us in the Venmo app. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart. Remember, we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so your donations are tax deductible!

Gratitudes

Well, I didn’t think I’d still be talking about the rain for about 2 straight months, but we are still so grateful for it!! After being in a drought for many years, it’s really glorious to see the landscape so alive with color and the greenest of green! It fills me with joy and it makes my life so much easier without my complicated watering regimen. Just as long as the rain doesn’t interfere with tomorrow’s outdoor concert – ha ha!

What are you grateful for today?

“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.”
~ Henry Ward Beecher

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
~ Melody Beattie

“In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Gratitude is the sweetest thing in a seekers life – in all human life. If there is gratitude in your heart, then there will be tremendous sweetness in your eyes.”
~ Sri Chinmoy