April 28th, 2024
Funny how at our last gathering we talked about all the national days of celebration there are, every single day, and then last week we were reminded that May 4th is World Labyrinth Day! Of course we want to celebrate that! It happens the first Saturday in May and was founded by The Labyrinth Society (TLS) in 2009. We may decide to have an event on the actual day, but we thought this coming Sunday would be a sweet day to walk the labyrinth and talk about this wonderfully meditative practice. The weather forecast for this weekend does not look particularly good (for a labyrinth walk OR our scheduled potluck!), but that could change, and hey, this past weekend the crowd was dancing in the snowfall to Emma’s band, Three Shots, so we know we’re a hardy bunch in Colorado – ha! We will have the potluck indoors if need be. Please remember to bring your own washable table setting (plate and utensils). Seems we’ve kind of gotten out of the habit of that lately, however it sure helps us with clean up afterwards. We also aim for near zero waste, so no paper plates if you can help it, please. Thanks!
Cheers on your Path of Heart, Colleen and Mark
Quotes to ponder
“Walk or trace the labyrinth as if on pilgrimage, without a goal beyond the experience itself. Move consciously and slowly, allowing the Divine to guide and teach. Let the path teach its own lessons. There is no one correct message. The turning circuits of a labyrinth remind us that life is change and transformation.”
~ Richard Rohr
“I think of the labyrinth meditation as a journey of the heart. You walk a seemingly convoluted path that ends up at the middle, or the center of your heart, and then you want to be open to what it has to say to you. Hopefully, when you’re through, you’re perhaps a little bit more open to change, and a more peaceful, loving being.”
~ Phyllis Pilgrim
“We do not have to risk the adventure alone, for heroes have gone before us. The labyrinth is thoroughly known. We have only to follow the thread of the hero path, and where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god. And where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves. Where we had thought to travel outward, we will come to the center of our own existence. And where we had thought to be alone, we will be with all the world.”
~ Joseph Campbell
“Pas a pas, se va luenh.
Step by step, we make our way.”
~ Kate Mosse
Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest
***Dates subject to change! Please always refer to latest newsletters for latest information and updates***
We have another upcoming house concert, this time with the highly entertaining and talented Pierce Pettis! Friday, May 10th – Doors at 6:30, concert starts at 7 pm. Finger foods and drinks at intermission while you chat with Pierce. Bring something to share if you can. Suggested donation $20.00. Please RSVP, or best yet, pre-pay with paypal https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/ (with Pierce Pettis in the special instructions), or with venmo (type “Pierce Pettis” in “What’s it for?” memo line) https://account.venmo.com/u/PathsofHeart. Learn all about Pierce on his website https://www.piercepettis.com/
Sunday, April 28th – In person POH Gathering, 10:30 a.m. with our monthly potluck afterwards. Please bring your own table setting (washable plate and utensils) as we aim for near zero waste and easier clean-up. Thanks!! We also plan to walk the labyrinth if the weather cooperates.
Sunday, May 5th – ZOOM POH Gathering, 10:30 a.m.
Friday, May 10th – 7 p.m. “Paths of Heart Presents…” Pierce Pettis in concert! As he noted, what alliteration! See above for details and feel free to email or call us with other questions: info@pathsofheart.com or 970-484-9600.
Sunday, May 12th – Mother’s Day, In person Gathering, 10:30 a.m., with Pierce Pettis as our guest musician!
Sunday, May 19th – NO Paths of Heart Gathering
Sunday, May 26th – In Person POH Gathering, 10:30 a.m. with our monthly potluck afterwards
Sunday, June 2nd – ZOOM POH Gathering, 10:30 a.m.
Sunday, June 9th – NO Paths of Heart Gathering
Sunday, June 16th – NO Paths of Heart Gathering
Sunday, June 23rd – In Person POH Gathering, 10:30 a.m.
Sunday, June 30th – In person POH Gathering, 10:30 a.m. with our monthly potluck afterwards
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.
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.
Service opportunity!
The labyrinth was quite a mess after our recent windstorm! Colleen and Mark cleaned up the more dangerous bigger limbs, but if you want to do a meditative walk AND pick up little twigs strewn about the labyrinth on your peaceful journey, we would welcome your help!
Gratitudes
We are grateful for a fun weekend of music at FoCo MX. We encountered so many good natured folks who “rolled with it” when outside performances went on as planned, even as the snow was falling! Those bands, including Emma’s, had gumption!
We are also grateful to various workers still doing what needs to be done with our ongoing house repairs (add dead tree removal to the mix!)
What are you grateful for today?
I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.
~ Brene Brown
What I’ve learned is there’s a scientifically proven phenomenon that’s attached to gratitude, and that if you consciously take note of what is good in your life, quantifiable benefits happen.
~ Deborah Norville
“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.”
~ Meister Eckhart
“Practicing mindfulness of gratitude consistently leads to a direct experience of being connected to life and the realization that there is a larger context in which your personal story is unfolding…”
~ Philipp Moffitt
“The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.”
— Henry Miller
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!
