Category: Newsletter

weekly newsletter

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Father Sun

“Father Sun”

Sunday, June 20th, 2021

This Sunday we’ll be celebrating The Summer Solstice and Father’s Day!
We are again indoors, in-person and NO RSVP is required. We do still ask folks that are not fully vaccinated to continue wearing masks. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation as we continue to follow suggested CDC protocols. See ya Sunday!
Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“We invoke the ray of the solar heart which resides in the core of our being, and in so doing become “as the sun.”…We can thus truly say that all beings are sons and brothers of the Sun. Is it any wonder that the purity and grandeur of the sunrise has evoked attention throughout the ages, for it is a daily reminder of our divine possibilities.” ~ John P. Van Mater

“We can all benefit from thinking about our fathers and how they have influenced who we’ve become and the ways that we walk through this world.” ~ Madisyn Taylor

“By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.” ~ Charles Wadsworth

“The summer solstice is a time for strength and vitality for action and movement.”
~ Carole Carlton

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

No RSVP is required to join us for our in-person, indoor Paths of Heart Gathering on Sunday, June 20th at 11 a.m. Hope to see ya!

Several weeks ago we decided that it’s time (and safe!) to move our gatherings indoors again. Several factors influenced our decision, including the amount of music equipment,chair, and general set up required to be outdoors, as well as the unpredictability of the weather (including wind, rain, and heat as we move into the summer months). Though we love the beauty of the outdoors, we love that Mark can play the Steinway Grand inside and we have a lot less set-up involved each week! Thanks for your understanding. We do ask that unvaccinated folks continue to wear a mask while indoors.

We will continue offering ZOOM meetings once a month or so and are also discussing ways we can easily record our in-person gatherings so out of town folks can at least enjoy listening to them, even if they can’t be in on the discussions. Any suggestions or help in that area are most welcome!

Paths of Heart Schedule (Sundays, 11 a.m.) :
June 20th ~ In person, Inside
June 27th ~ No Paths of Heart Gathering
July 4th ~ No Paths of Heart Gathering
July 11th ~ ZOOM gathering

Request for guest presenters and musicians! ~ We’d love to get back to having members of our community (or the wider community) present a topic of their interest to our group and/or providing music or joining the “house band” on a Sunday! Please let us know if you’re interested or have ideas of other speakers/musicians you’d like to invite. A small honorarium is available.

Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants to receive our collective positve thoughts and prayers on a Sunday morming, 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!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth – What a joy it was to envision and oversee the creation of our labyrinth and Zen Garden last summer! 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 to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day! We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you in advance.

Giving Opportunities – Two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny 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!

During this past year when we weren’t meeting often, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are still 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!

Gratitudes

We’re grateful to be seeing the faces of our family, friends and students again and to spend more time together in social settings! And we are so grateful for HUGS!

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

“Just an observation: it is impossible to be both grateful and depressed. Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.” ~ Steve Maraboli

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart

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

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The Path of Surrender

“The Path of Surrender”

Sunday, June 13th, 2021

I love a freshly mowed and trimmed lawn and weeded and mulched gardens with defined edges. I bask in the beauty and order of it all. It’s one thing we can control in this chaotic world and it brings me such peace. In trying to reconcile a certain situation in my life that I have no control over, I’ve been thinking a lot about the Serenity Prayer. “God (Goddess, Universe, Papa, Great Spirit, whatever your Word is!), grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Such a simple and profound prayer, yet embodying it can sometimes be a challenge. It’s really all about surrender, and tending your own garden, so to speak, so that’s what we’ll focus on this Sunday. I’m hoping Mark will surrender to this topic as I didn’t give him a choice. Ha ha! He was very busy today and the newsletter was calling…
We are indoors, in-person this week and NO RSVP is required! We do still ask folks that are unvaccinated to continue wearing masks. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation as we continue to follow suggested CDC protocols. See ya Sunday,
Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Sometimes, it’s not the times you decide to fight, but the times you decide to surrender, that makes all the difference.” Sissy Gavrilaki

“I am learning to live between effort and surrender. I do my best and hope for what I want but I do not resist the direction of the wind.” ~ Anonymous

“Something amazing happens when we surrender and just love. We melt into another world, a realm of power already within us. The world changes when we change. The world softens when we soften. The world loves us when we choose to love the world.” ~ Marianne Williamson

“When total surrender happens, suffering is removed; duality is removed, too.”
~ Mohanji

“Don’t look for peace. Don’t look for any other state than the one you are in now; otherwise, you will set up inner conflict and unconscious resistance. Forgive yourself for not being at peace. The moment you completely accept your non-peace, your non-peace becomes transmuted into peace. Anything you accept fully will get you there, will take you into peace. This is the miracle of surrender.”
~ Eckhart Tolle

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

No RSVP is required to join us for our in-person, indoor Paths of Heart Gathering on Sunday, June 13th at 11 a.m. Hope to see ya!

Several weeks ago we decided that it’s time (and safe!) to move our gatherings indoors again. Several factors influenced our decision, including the amount of music equipment,chair, and general set up required to be outdoors, as well as the unpredictability of the weather (including wind, rain, and heat as we move into the summer months). Though we love the beauty of the backyard, we love that Mark can play the Steinway Grand inside and we have a lot less set-up involved each week! Thanks for your understanding. We do ask that unvaccinated folks continue to wear a mask while indoors.

We will continue offering ZOOM meetings once a month or so and are also discussing ways we can easily record our in-person gatherings so out of town folks can at least enjoy listening to them, even if they can’t be in on the discussions. Any suggestions or help in that area are most welcome!

Paths of Heart Schedule (Sundays, 11 a.m.) :
June 13th ~ In person, Inside
June 20th ~ In person, Inside
June 27th ~ No Paths of Heart Gathering
July 4th ~ No Paths of Heart Gathering
July 11th ~ ZOOM gathering

Request for guest presenters and musicians! ~ We’d love to get back to having members of our community (or the wider community) present a topic of their interest to our group and/or providing music or joining the “house band” on a Sunday! Please let us know if you’re interested or have ideas of other speakers/musicians you’d like to invite. A small honorarium is available.

Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants to receive our collective positve thoughts and prayers on a Sunday morming, 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!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth – What a joy it was to envision and oversee the creation of our labyrinth and Zen Garden last summer! 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 to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day! We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you in advance.

Giving Opportunities – Two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny 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!

During this past year when we weren’t meeting often, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are still 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!

Gratitudes

Flowers, walks, bike rides, kayak paddling, all the summer things! And the returning of live music to all our great outdoor (and some indoor!) venues in Fort Collins! Life is GOOD!

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

“Just an observation: it is impossible to be both grateful and depressed. Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.” ~ Steve Maraboli

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart

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

Posted on

In the Garden ~ Practicing the Art of Soul to Soil

“In the Garden ~ Practicing the Art of Soul to Soil”

Sunday, June 6th, 2021

Gardening themes and metaphors will be abundant this Sunday! Like many of you, we’ve gotten a late start on the gardens this year, what with our snowy and rainy weather of the last couple of months (in Northern Colorado, anyway!). We’re playing catch-up now and it’s a busy time (no wonder this newsletter is late again!). It’s a ZOOM Sunday, so please RSVP if you’d like to join us (simply reply to this email) and we’ll send you the link on Saturday sometime. Now, back to the gardens!
Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Life begins the day you start a garden.” ~ Chinese proverb

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” ~ Alfred Austin

“Gardening adds years to your life and life to your years.” ~ Unknown

“A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows.” ~ Doug Larson

“Gardening simply does not allow one to be mentally old, because too many hopes and dreams are yet to be realized.” ~ Allan Armitage

“I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow.” ~ David Hobson

“I like gardening. It’s a place where I find myself when I need to lose myself.”
~ Alice Sebold

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Please RSVP if you’d like to join us for our ZOOM Paths of Heart Gathering on Sunday, June 6th at 11 a.m. We’ll send a link on Saturday. Thanks!

After some discussion, we have decided that it’s time (and safe!) to move our gatherings indoors again. Several factors influenced our decision, including the amount of music equipment, chair, and general set up required as well as the unpredictability of the weather (including wind, rain, and heat as we move into the summer months). Though we love the beauty of the outdoors, we look forward to Mark playing the Steinway Grand inside and having a lot less set-up involved each week! Thanks for your understanding.

We will continue offering ZOOM meetings once a month or so and are also discussing ways we can easily record our in-person gatherings so out of town folks can at least enjoy listening to them, even if they can’t be in on the discussions. Any suggestions or help in that area are most welcome!

Upcoming Paths of Heart Schedule (Sundays, 11 a.m.) :
June 6th ~ ZOOM gathering
June 13th ~ In person, Inside
June 20th ~ In person, Inside
June 27th ~ No Paths of Heart Gathering
July 4th ~ No Paths of Heart Gathering
July 11th ~ ZOOM gathering

Request for guest presenters and musicians! ~ We’d love to get back to having members of our community (or the wider community) present a topic of their interest to our group and/or providing music or joining the “house band” on a Sunday! Please let us know if you’re interested or have ideas of other speakers/musicians you’d like to invite. A small honorarium is available.

Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants 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!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth – What a joy it was to envision and oversee the creation of our labyrinth and Zen Garden last summer! 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 to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day! We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you in advance.

Giving Opportunities – Two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny 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!

During this past year when we weren’t meeting often, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are still 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!

ation of Paths of Heart!

Gratitudes

It’s still SO GREEN out there! Purple, pink, and yellow are the other colors of the week in the Paths of Heart backyard. Our hearts are happy looking at the beauty all around.

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

“Just an observation: it is impossible to be both grateful and depressed. Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.” ~ Steve Maraboli

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart

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

Posted on

Comfort Food for the Heart and Soul

Comfort Food for the Heart and Soul

Sunday, May 30th, 2021

We’re not really sure where this topic will lead us, but Mark mentioned something about comfort food in relation to Paths of Heart a couple of days ago and we’re going with it! More will be revealed, as always. 🙂 We are planning on gathering in the backyard this Sunday at 11 a.m. However, the weather forecast looks…iffy ( as it seems to do most every Memorial Day weekend!!) so we will meet INSIDE if it feels too cold or rainy that morning. Please RSVP if you’d like to join us (simply reply to this email) as we will still be distancing our seating somewhat, adjusting to our “new normal”. We will be allowing those that are fully vaccinated (at least 2 weeks since final vaccine dose) to be unmasked if they wish. We ask those not fully vaccinated to remain masked, especially indoors. Looking forward to being with you, indoors or out!
Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Adding more years to your life is not what’s most important, it’s really about adding more LIFE to your years, so be sure you’re getting a good balance of “food for the soul” EVERYDAY for a healthier, happier and more fulfilling life.” ~ Susan Kimmel

“Do not dilute the power of this new day with
the hardship of yesterday.
Greet this day the way it has greeted you;
with open arms and endless possibility.” ~ Steve Maraboli

“No amount of good food can nourish a starving soul.”~ Catherine Barnhoorn

“Don’t live a day without your spiritual nourishment.” ~ Lailah Gifty Akita

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Please RSVP if you’d like to join us for our in personPaths of Heart  Gathering on Sunday, May 30that 11 a.m. We’d like a head count to arrange seating ahead of time. Thanks!

At our last Paths of Heart Gathering we discussed meeting outdoors vs. indoors and have decided that we’ll move to indoors after this week (and may end up indoors this Sunday anyway!). Several factors influenced our decision, including the amount of music equipment,chair, and general set up required as well as the unpredictability of the weather (including wind, rain, and heat as we move into the summer months). Though we love the beauty of the outdoors, we look forward to Mark playing the Steinway Grand inside and having a lot less set-up involved each week! Thanks for your understanding.

Upcoming Paths of Heart Schedule (Sundays, 11 a.m.) :
May 30th ~ In person, Outdoors, weather permitting
June 6th ~ ZOOM gathering
June 13th ~ In person, Inside 
June 20th ~ In person, Inside
June 27th ~ No Paths of Heart Gathering
July 4th ~ No Paths of Heart Gathering
July 11th ~ ZOOM gathering

Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants to receive our collective positve thoughts and prayers on a Sunday morming, 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!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth – What a joy it was to envision and oversee the creation of our labyrinth and Zen Garden last summer!  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 to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day!  We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you in advance.

Giving Opportunities – Two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny 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!

During this past year when we weren’t meeting often, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are still 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!

Gratitudes

We got out on the lake this week for some serene paddling. Live music is slowly returning to our city ~ we love playing AND listening! The kitchen remodel is making some progress!

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

“Just an observation: it is impossible to be both grateful and depressed. Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.” ~ Steve Maraboli

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart

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

Posted on

A Time of Reevaluation

A Time of Reevaluation

Sunday, May 23rd, 2021

We’ve heard so many stories of people reevaluating their lives and livelihoods in this past year, and we have done some of that, too. It’s been so interesting to hear how this year of imposed isolation, unemployment, loss, change, restriction, uncertainty…the list is endless…has affected people – in vastly different ways. What have you discovered about yourself in the past year and how has your life changed? Come share your experiences with us in the Paths of Heart backyard this Sunday at 11 a.m. The weather forecast looks lovely! Please RSVP if you’d like to join us (simply reply to this email) as we will still be distancing our seating somewhat, adjusting to our “new normal”. We will be allowing those that are fully vaccinated (at least 2 weeks since 2nd vaccine) to remain unmasked if they wish. Looking forward to being with you!
Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours – it is an amazing journey – and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.” ~ Bob Moawad

“Know thyself, or at least keep renewing the acquaintance.” ~ Robert Brault

“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” ~ Anaïs Nin

“Whatever you believe about yourself on the inside is what you will manifest on the outside.” ~ Unknown

“At the center of your being
you have the answer;
you know who you are
and you know what you want.” ~ Lao Tzu

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Please RSVP if you’d like to join us for our in person Paths of Heart Gathering on Sunday, May 23rd at 11 a.m. We’d like a head count to arrange seating ahead of time. Thanks!

As we move toward more in person gatherings, we plan on keeping a once a month ZOOM meeting, especially for those out of town folks who have so enjoyed the opportunity to join us from across the country (and the world!). It’s all kind of fluid right now ~ thanks for your understanding as we move toward some semblance of normalcy again! We hope to meet in person again in the Paths of Heart backyard one more time on May 30th before our next Zoom Gathering, scheduled for June 6th. Plans are of course always subject to change. 🙂

Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants 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!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth – What a joy it was to envision and oversee the creation of our labyrinth and Zen Garden last summer! 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 to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day! We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you in advance.

Giving Opportunities – Two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny 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!

During this past year when we weren’t meeting often, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are still 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!

Gratitudes

It feels like our spring weather is stabilizing! It’s been a great week to work outside in the yard and garden and get more planting done. A labor of love!

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

“Just an observation: it is impossible to be both grateful and depressed. Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.” ~ Steve Maraboli

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart

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

Posted on

Weathering Our Storms with Gratitude

Weathering Our Storms with Gratitude

Sunday, May 16th, 2021

What a wild Spring we are having here in Colorado, eh? We are definitely ready for the crazy “winter” storms to subside and sometimes I can get a little cranky about it. And yet, when we took a walk around the yard yesterday and drank in all the splashes of color against that green, green, GREEN everywhere, we were again overwhelmed with gratitude. As in life, sometimes we need those storms to get to the “good stuff”, even though we may feel heartache and have a bit of damage clean-up to do. It feels like we’re finally coming out of the Covid storm, too and we’re feeling giddy about seeing people’s faces and hugging again! Come share your gratitude stories with us in the Paths of Heart backyard this Sunday at 11 a.m. The weather forecast looks favorable (enough) so far, though it’d be wise to dress in layers. Please RSVP if you’d like to join us (simply reply to this email) as we will still be distancing our seating. We will, however, be allowing those that are FULLY vaccinated (at least 2 weeks since 2nd vaccine) to remain unmasked if they wish. Looking forward to seeing you,
Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Sometimes the greatest storms bring out the greatest beauty…Life can be a storm, but your hope is a rainbow and your friends and family are the gold.”
~ Steve Maraboli

“Every flower must grow through dirt.” ~ Laurie Sennott

“Don’t wait for the storms of your life to pass. Learn to dance in the rain.” ~ Steve Rizzo

“I’m thankful for my struggle because without it I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength.” ~ Alex Elle

“Storms don’t come to teach us painful lessons, rather they were meant to wash us clean.” ~ Shannon L. Alder

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Remember to RSVP if you’d like to join us for our in person Paths of Heart Gathering on Sunday, May 16th at 11 a.m. We still need a head count to arrange seating ahead of time.Thanks!

As we move toward more in person gatherings, we plan on keeping a once a month ZOOM meeting, especially for those out of town folks who have so enjoyed the opportunity to join us from across the country (and the world!). It’s all kind of fluid right now ~ thanks for your understanding as we move toward some semblance of normalcy again! We hope to meet in person again in the Paths of Heart backyard on May 23rd and 30th. Our next Zoom Gathering is scheduled for June 6th. Plans are of course always subject to change. 🙂

Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants to receive our collective positve thoughts and prayers on a Sunday morming, 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!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth – What a joy it was to envision and oversee the creation of our labyrinth and Zen Garden last summer! 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 to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day! We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you in advance.

Giving Opportunities – Two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny 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!

During this time when we have not been meeting in person much, online donations have become 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!

Gratitudes

Flowers and greening up everywhere we look! A new refrigerator. Almost finished with tax returns! Less mask wearing!

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

“Just an observation: it is impossible to be both grateful and depressed. Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.” ~ Steve Maraboli

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart

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

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Love Your Mother – Part Two!

Love Your Mother – Part Two!

Sunday, May 9th, 2021

We didn’t realize that the next time we’d be together after our “Earth Mother” Celebration that it actually WOULD be Mother’s Day, so we’ll be honoring Mothers and Mother Energy this Sunday. As Mark says, you either are one or you had one, so we’re all covered, yes? Every one of us was created through the wondrous workings of a woman’s body; each of us has a mother. But being a mother is more than a biological concept. As we celebrate Mother’s Day this Sunday, we consider how each of us (women and men alike) can contribute mothering energy to those that so dearly need it, and we honor that loving, nurturing essence in all of us! We will meet over Zoom at 11 a.m. Please RSVP if you’d like to join us (simply reply to this email) and we’ll send you the link on Saturday evening.
With gratitude and love,
Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“The essence of motherhood is not restricted to women who have given birth; it is a principle inherent in both women and men. It is an attitude of the mind. It is love — and that love is the very breath of life. No one would say, ‘I will breathe only when I am with my family and friends; I won’t breathe in front of my enemies.’ Similarly, for those in whom motherhood has awakened, love and compassion for everyone are as much a part of their being as breathing.” ~ Mata Amritanandamayi

“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” ~ James Baldwin

“Women have always, and will continue to change the world in meaningful ways because we all have the power to be mothers in the world—whether we have given birth to a baby or to an inspiration. May we all begin to recognize this divine mothering energy and power when we see it. And may those whose hearts yearn for a child be filled with the recognition that they can express the essence of motherhood in so many ways.” ~ Jane Gregorie

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Remember to RSVP if you’d like to join us for our ZOOM Paths of Heart Gathering on Sunday, May 9th at 11 a.m.
As we move toward more in person gatherings, we plan on keeping a once a month ZOOM meeting, especially for those out of town folks who have so enjoyed the opportunity to join us from across the country (and the world!). It’s all kind of fluid right now ~ thanks for your understanding as we move toward some semblance of normalcy again! We hope to meet in person again in the Paths of Heart backyard on May 16th and May 23rd.

Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants to receive our collective positve thoughts and prayers on a Sunday morming, 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!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth – What a joy it was to envision and oversee the creation of our labyrinth and Zen Garden last summer! 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 to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day!

Giving Opportunities – We wanted to remind you of two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny. 🙂

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!

During this time when we have not been meeting in person, online donations have become 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!

Gratitudes

Thank you for your understanding and patience as we took a couple of Sundays off for some R&R. We are grateful to be fully vaccinated and be able to travel again with more ease!

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

“Just an observation: it is impossible to be both grateful and depressed. Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.” ~ Steve Maraboli

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart

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

Posted on

Love Your Mother

Love Your Mother

Sunday, April 18th, 2021

No, it’s not quite Mother’s Day, but it IS almost Earth Day, and our Earth Mother seems to be crying out for some deep love and care these past many years. Have we been listening? What are some things we might do, however small or great, to increase our awareness and make significant changes in the way we care for our world? Please join our conversation this Sunday. As much as we wanted to be in the back garden to celebrate Earth Day, we will meet over Zoom at 11 a.m., as our Earth Mother is obviously thirsty and surrounding herself with rain, snow, and colder temperatures this week! Please RSVP if you’d like to join us (simply reply to this email) and we’ll send you the link on Saturday evening.
With gratitude and love,
Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Full presence is all that is required to experience direct connection with the natural world. It is not about control; it is about communication, resonance and exquisite sensitivity.” ~ Sara Wiseman

“God talks to us through many vectors — through each other, through great books, through the saints, through art and literature and music — but nowhere with such clarity and texture and richness and detail as through creation.” ~ Warren K. Anderson

“The Earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.” ~ John Paul II

“The proper use of science is not to conquer nature but to live in it.”
~ Barry Commoner

“We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do.” ~ Barbara Ward

“The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” ~ Lady Bird Johnson

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Remember to RSVP if you’d like to join us for our ZOOM Paths of Heart Gathering on Sunday, April 18th at 11 a.m.
As we move toward more in person gatherings, we plan on keeping a once a month ZOOM meeting, especially for those out of town folks who have so enjoyed the opportunity to join us from across the country (and the world!). It’s all kind of fluid right now ~ thanks for your understanding as we move toward some semblance of normalcy again! Please note we will not meet on 4/25 or 5/2 due to other commitments.

Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants to receive our collective positve thoughts and prayers on a Sunday morming, 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!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth – What a joy it was to envision and oversee the creation of our labyrinth and Zen Garden last summer! 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 to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day!

Giving Opportunities – We wanted to remind you of two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny. 🙂

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!

During this time when we have not been meeting in person, online donations have become 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!

Gratitudes

We were delighted to hold our first Paths of Heart outdoor gathering since last Fall on Easter Sunday! Thanks for sharing such a glorious Spring day with us and we look forward to more outdoor gatherings as the weather (and Covid-19) settles!

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

“Just an observation: it is impossible to be both grateful and depressed. Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.” ~ Steve Maraboli

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart

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

Posted on

The Path of Forgiveness

The Path of Forgiveness

Sunday, April 11th, 2021

Please forgive me (says Colleen) for this late-ish newsletter. 🙂 That second shot hit me a little hard and I’ve been in bed most of the day. I sure hope to be more chipper tomorrow. The subject of forgiveness came across our desk several times this week and we realized it’s a pertinent topic for us personally these days, too. I think we are all more than a little weary of this “Covid life” and the marked changes it has brought to our lives in a myriad of ways. We may be spending way more time with loved ones in confined spaces than we are used to and learning things about our partners and children that may not strike us as…positive – ha ha! Tolerance and forgiveness is a wonderful thing – of ourselves as well as others when we “miss the mark”. Come join us in conversation and healing. Our gathering will be on Zoom this Sunday at 11 am. We’ll send a link out on Saturday night to all who have RSVPed (simply respond to this newsletter). In gratitude and love,
Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“The willingness to forgive is a sign of spiritual and emotional maturity. It is one of the great virtues to which we all should aspire. Imagine a world filled with individuals willing both to apologize and to accept an apology. Is there any problem that could not be solved among people who possessed the humility and largeness of spirit and soul to do either — or both — when needed?” ~ Gordon B. Hinckley

“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

“Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart; one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them.” ~ Marvin J. Ashton

“…if anything matters then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will be the same again.” ~ Wm. Paul Young

“The practice of forgiveness is our most important contribution to the healing of the world.” ~ Marianne Williamson

“I have learned, that the person I have to ask for forgiveness from the most is: myself. You must love yourself. You have to forgive yourself, everyday, whenever you remember a shortcoming, a flaw, you have to tell yourself “That’s just fine”. You have to forgive yourself so much, until you don’t even see those things anymore. Because that’s what love is like.” ~ C. JoyBell C.

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Remember to RSVP if you’d like to join us for our ZOOM Paths of Heart Gathering on Sunday, April 11th at 11 a.m.
As we move toward more in person gatherings, we plan on keeping a once a month ZOOM meeting, especially for those out of town folks who have so enjoyed the opportunity to join us from across the country (and the world!). We’ll see if we can meet in person again on 4/18 if the weather is good. It’s all kind of fluid right now ~ thanks for your understanding as we move toward some semblance of normalcy again! Please note we will not meet on 4/25 or 5/2 due to other commitments.

Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants to receive our collective positve thoughts and prayers on a Sunday morming, 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!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth – What a joy it was to envision and oversee the creation of our labyrinth and Zen Garden last summer! 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 to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day!

Giving Opportunities – We wanted to remind you of two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny. 🙂

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!

During this time when we have not been meeting in person, online donations have become 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!

Gratitudes

We were delighted to hold our first Paths of Heart outdoor gathering since last Fall on Easter Sunday! Thanks for sharing such a glorious Spring day with us!

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

“Just an observation: it is impossible to be both grateful and depressed. Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.” ~ Steve Maraboli

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart

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

Posted on

The Joy of Spring’s Rebirth

The Joy of Spring’s Rebirth

Easter Sunday, April 4th

Well, the results are in and the weather forecast still looks delightful, so we will be having our first outdoor in-person gathering since last fall! Most folks leaned towards a later time to give those temps a chance to climb, so we’ll gather at 1 pm. We apologize to those that could only come at an earlier time – we hope to see you another time soon! Since many will have already eaten lunch or are planning a later afternoon Easter meal, we will forego our BYOBL for another time. You are of course welcome to hang out with us and chat for a bit afterwards, like always. We will still follow current Covid protocols: masks and distancing will be required as well as an RSVP so we can have the chairs set up ahead of time at the proper distance. We’ll focus on the joys of spring and the topic of rebirth and renewal. Hope to see you and Happy Easter everyone!
Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Springtime inspires us to believe that, along with the earth, we too might change, release the past, and give birth to new ideas…. Even though it happens this way every year, we stand in awe, our insides trembling sweetly like the legs of a new foal as we too are reborn. This is when we fall in love again, speak without thinking, say yes to things we would normally refuse. It becomes more difficult to say no when the whole world around us appears to be an astounding affirmation of the resilience, richness, and plain, perfect beauty of life. ” ~ Madisyn Taylor

“A miracle is often the willingness to see the common in an uncommon way.”
~ Noah Benshea

“I personally don’t care if Jesus was born on Dec. 25th or if he really died and was resurrected as a historical figure at Eastertime. It’s the spirit of rebirth, of continual life, of the love and message of Jesus that means more than whether any of this is historically true or not. If it is for you, God bless you, and if it’s not, God bless you, or Buddha bless you, or Bubba bless you, or whatever…If someone else celebrates something different than you, celebrate their joy in living, however it’s expressed.”
~ Spiritsong

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Remember to RSVP if you’d like to join us for our backyard Paths of Heart Gathering on Sunday, April 4th at 1 p.m. Please wear your mask and maintain appropriate distancing.
As we move toward more in person gatherings, we plan on keeping a once a month ZOOM meeting, especially for those out of town folks who have so enjoyed the opportunity to join us from across the country (and the world!). Our next ZOOM gathering will be next Sunday, 4/11, and then we’ll see if we can meet in person again on 4/18. It’s all kind of fluid right now ~ thanks for your understanding as we move toward some semblance of normalcy again! Please note we will not meet on 4/25 or 5/2 due to other commitments.

Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants to receive our collective positve thoughts and prayers on a Sunday morming, 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!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth – What a joy it was to envision and oversee the creation of our labyrinth and Zen Garden last summer! 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 to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day!

Giving Opportunities – We wanted to remind you of two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny. 🙂

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!

During this time when we have not been meeting in person, online donations have become 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!

Gratitudes

We are grateful and delighted to see the earth greening up and the colorful spring bulbs popping up everywhere! That big wet snow worked wonders!

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

“Just an observation: it is impossible to be both grateful and depressed. Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.” ~ Steve Maraboli

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart

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