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!
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 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/
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 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
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
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…
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!