January 19th, 2025
Mary Oliver’s “instructions for living a life” included three directions: “Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” Our dear friend Dave did exactly that in his annual holiday letter – a delightful romp across 2 typed pages of simple observations in his life, from the sublime to the comical – his personal list of favorite things in a kind of “stream of consciousness” format. It left us with the best kind of warm fuzzies – a string of pearls to awe and inspire and cling to as we ride the sometimes turbulent waves of life. He closes with “Let’s face 2025 with strength, eyes forward, and occasional glances downwards, upwards, backwards and inward.” Stellar advice, Dave! What helps you to stay positive when the “outside noise” threatens your inner peace and well being? Please join us in conversation this Sunday. We’ll also be honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.’s inspirational life and messages of peace and light. We’re overdue for a potluck, too, so let’s break bread together after our gathering!
Peace and Beauty, Colleen and Mark
Quotes to ponder
“Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work, which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.”
~ Mary Oliver
“For me, happiness is not a destination. It is not something to pursue. Don’t wait for happiness. Don’t save up for happiness. Don’t chase happiness. Happiness is a choice to see the beauty in every day. Happiness is a conscious celebration of the precious gift of life and all of your blessings. Happiness is a journey.”
~ Chatri Sityodtong
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. “
~ Corrie Ten Boom
“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”
~ Confucius
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”
~ Jawaharlal Nehru
Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest
Sunday, January 19th – In Person Paths of Heart Gathering, 10:30 a.m. Potluck following our gathering. Please bring some food to share and your own plate. We’ll provide utensils, cups, napkins and a variety of beverages.
Sunday, February 2nd – ZOOM Paths of Heart Gathering, 10:30 a.m.
Sunday, February 16th – In Person Paths of Heart Gathering, 10:30 a.m.
Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart welcomes and appreciates your generous donations as we continue 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 as 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.
Gratitudes
We again were fortunate to travel to the East Coast to be with Colleen’s Dad. Sweet family time and visits with long time friends were a blessing!
Gratitude to Margaret Gilfoyle for the stunning photo in this week’s newsletter!
What are you grateful for today?
“Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.”
~ Nishan Panwar
“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.”
~ Anthony Robbins
“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”
~ Maya Angelou
“There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.”
~ Ralph H. Blum
“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
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!