Category: Newsletter

weekly newsletter

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Important Paths of Heart Update

“Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.”
~ Eckhart Tolle

Dear Paths of Heart Community – Mark and I have continued to assess the recent attendance and financial condition of Paths of Heart. This summer’s survey results were valuable in getting a sense of folks’ impressions of, and commitment to our non-profit. It is evident that the “Pandemic Years” took quite a toll on Paths’ attendance as well as finances, and our recovery remains extremely slow. As our non-profit’s self sustainability continues to be elusive, we feel the best solution is to take a 6 month sabbatical from Sunday gatherings and instead have monthly concerts and/or workshops (playshops!) that could potentially have a more positive effect on our finances and build up Paths of Heart’s fiscal health over time.
We want to emphasize that Paths of Heart is not going away; it is just changing form, hopefully temporarily, to address these unusual circumstances we are in. We are sorry that our faithful out of town Zoomers will most likely not be able to attend these monthly events. Maybe we can have an occasional Zoom check-in with you all, as we will certainly miss you! October’s schedule will remain as is, and then we plan to go forward with a Gratitude Concert in November, our beloved Christmas Eve Celebration on December 24th, a “Write With Your Heart” Playshop in January, and a concert celebrating LOVE in February (so far!). Please join us for our last regular in-person gathering (for now) on October 30th as we celebrate Dia de los Muertos and welcome Judi Lucero back to play music and share her thoughts with us. It seems apropos to have a potluck afterwards, too, don’t you think?

We love you all and this beautiful community we have built together over the last nine years. We welcome any questions or suggestions you might have for us. Thank you for your kind and joyful presence in our lives,
Colleen and Mark

Posted on

The Fifth Agreement: Be Skeptical, but Learn to Listen

Sunday, October 9th, 2022

This Sunday on ZOOM, we explore “The Fifth Agreement.” In this follow up to “The Four Agreements”, where don Miguel Ruiz is joined by his son don Jose Ruiz and Janet Mills, they suggest to “be skeptical, but learn to listen.” They reaffirm that most of what we hear isn’t true, simply because humans speak with symbols and that symbols are only the “truth” because we have been programmed to “agree”, not because they are “really the truth.” Therefore, we should be skeptical of all that we hear. However, we must also learn to listen, because then we can better understand the meaning of the symbols that people are using; when you understand their story, the communication improves immensely and you don’t need to judge the other person about their point of view. It’s a subtle thing, yes, and can greatly improve the way we move about in the world with our fellow humans. Join us in the discussion! Here’s the link:
Topic: Paths of Heart ZOOM
Time: Oct 9, 2022 10:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85287374459?pwd=c2NsMVlBRzQ2WVcyV2JEOWt6M0Z0QT09
Meeting ID: 852 8737 4459
Passcode: 771392
Autumn Blessings,, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Scepticism is the first step towards truth.”
~ Denis Diderot

“In order to seek truth, it is necessary once in the course of our life to doubt, as far as possible, of all things.”
~ René Descartes

“Constantly exposing yourself to popular culture and the mass media will ultimately shape your reality tunnel in ways that are not necessarily conducive to achieving your Soul Purpose and Life Calling. Modern society has generally ‘lost the plot’. Slavishly following its false gods and idols makes no sense in a spiritually aware life.”
~ Anthon St. Maarten

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
~ Voltaire

“Tell people there’s an invisible man in the sky who created the universe, and the vast majority will believe you. Tell them the paint is wet, and they have to touch it to be sure.”
~ George Carlin

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart Sunday Schedule, 10:30 a.m.,
117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80524


October 9th – ZOOM gathering, The Fifth Agreement (bonus!)
October 16th and 23rd – No Paths of Heart
October 30th – Dia de los Muertos Celebration. If all goes as planned, Judi Lucero will join us from Grand Junction to share words and music!

Current Mask Policy
We are leaving it up to attendees whether they want to mask or not. Please do what makes you most comfortable

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart continues (in our 9th year now!) solely through your generous donations. What an amazing thing! Several survey participants expressed interest in signing up for regular monthly donations and we gratefully welcome that! During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. Once you are on our PayPal site, there will be an option for recurring monthly donations. If you find value in what we do here at Paths of Heart, please consider donating to keep our non-profit running smoothly, with grace and ease. 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.

Two ways you can further support Paths of Heart 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!

“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 (not usually a problem in Colorado!). We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you!

Sending prayers and affirmations
If anyone would like 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!

Gratitudes

Fall has arrived with it’s cooler temperatures, glorious color, and a decrease in yard and garden duties! A lovely time of year!

What are you grateful for today?

“I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.”
~ Will Arnett

“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.”
~ Kristin Armstrong

“Gratitude can lead you, as it did me, away from the darkness of complicated need into the light of Simple Abundance.”
~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

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

Poetry Sunday!

Sunday, October 2nd, 2022

It’s been a long time since we hosted a Poetry Sunday, which folks have always enjoyed. Everyone is invited to bring a few of their favorite poems or writings to share (your own or another favorite author of yours) and perhaps tell us why they are meaningful in your life. We’ll also be having a potluck ~ maybe the last of the season outdoors, so come celebrate and break bread with us!
Happy Autumn, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”
~ Leonardo da Vinci

“A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness.”
~ Robert Frost

“If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.”
~ Charles Darwin

“…and then, I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough?”
~ Vincent Willem van Gogh

“Always be a poet, even in prose.”
~ Charles Baudelaire

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart Sunday Schedule, 10:30 a.m.,
117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80524


October 2nd – in person, Poetry Sunday!, potluck after gathering.
October 9th – ZOOM gathering, The Fifth Agreement (bonus!)
October 16th and 23rd – No Paths of Heart
October 30th – Dia de los Muertos Celebration. If all goes as planned, Judi Lucero will join us from Grand Junction to share words and music!

Current Mask Policy
We are leaving it up to attendees whether they want to mask or not. Please do what makes you most comfortable.

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart continues (in our 9th year now!) solely through your generous donations. What an amazing thing! Several survey participants expressed interest in signing up for regular monthly donations and we gratefully welcome that! During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. Once you are on our PayPal site, there will be an option for recurring monthly donations. If you find value in what we do here at Paths of Heart, please consider donating to keep our non-profit running smoothly, with grace and ease. 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.

Two ways you can further support Paths of Heart 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!

“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 (not usually a problem in Colorado!). We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you!

Sending prayers and affirmations
If anyone would like 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!

Gratitudes

What a joy it was to spend time with extended family at The Crosson Reunion in Rhode Island last weekend!! We celebrated “deep roots and strong branches”, met new family members, and made many memorable connections.

What are you grateful for today?

“I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.”
~ Will Arnett

“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.”
~ Kristin Armstrong

“Gratitude can lead you, as it did me, away from the darkness of complicated need into the light of Simple Abundance.”
~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

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 Fourth Agreement: Always Do Your Best

Sunday, September 11th, 2022

We continue our series on Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements with the fourth agreement, “Always Do Your Best.” Ruiz notes, “Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.” We invite you to join in on our ZOOM conversation this Sunday, at 10:30 a.m. Here’s the link:

Paths ZOOM
Time: Sep 11, 2022 10:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83107985276?pwd=OHdHYndTMG1VL04zc0Z6UzdZellNZz09
Meeting ID: 831 0798 5276
Passcode: 552277

We’ll also commemorate 9/11 with our rendition of Mark Erelli’s beautiful and moving song “The Only Way”, which is essentially about doing your best!
Best, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Today is all you have. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Just do the best you can right now. One day, one moment at a time.”
~ Akiroq Brost

“Your choices and efforts, be they small or grand, mold and define who you are. Poor choices and minimal effort will result in the poorest version of you. Mediocre choices combined with doing just-enough-to-get-by will create a mediocre you. To be the best version of yourself, to reach your greater potential, make the very best choices possible. Put forth your highest efforts in everything. Be intentionally productive with the time you have. Work to do your best!”
~ Richelle E. Goodrich

“Beautiful; why yes, but not because of the radiance of my exterior housing. Rather for the kindness of my spirit and the golden heart resting in my chest for from it pours forth my very best.”
~ Sai Marie Johnson

“Take no past regrets to the current state,
Embrace the lessons, start afresh,
And do your best.”
~ Aisha S. Kingu

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart Sunday Schedule, 10:30 a.m.,
117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80524

September 11th – ZOOM gathering
September 18th and 25th – No Paths of Heart
October 2nd – in person, Poetry Sunday!, potluck after gathering.
October 9th – ZOOM gathering, The Fifth Agreement (bonus!)
October 16th and 23rd – No Paths of Heart
October 30th – Dia de los Muertos Celebration. If all goes as planned, Judi Lucero will join us from Grand Junction to share words and music!

Current Mask Policy
Though Covid cases continue to be at a high level in Larimer County, most resultant illnesses seem to be generally mild, and we are leaving it up to attendees whether they want to mask or not.

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart continues (in our 9th year now!) solely through your generous donations. What an amazing thing! Several survey participants expressed interest in signing up for regular monthly donations and we gratefully welcome that! During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. Once you are on our PayPal site, there will be an option for recurring monthly donations. If you find value in what we do here at Paths of Heart, please consider donating to keep our non-profit running smoothly, with grace and ease. 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.

Two ways you can further support Paths of Heart 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!

“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 (not usually a problem in Colorado!). We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you!

Sending prayers and affirmations
If anyone would like 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!

Gratitudes

The organization bug bit us this past week and we are getting LOTS accomplished! Feels so good!

What are you grateful for today?

“I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.”
~ Will Arnett

“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.”
~ Kristin Armstrong

“Gratitude can lead you, as it did me, away from the darkness of complicated need into the light of Simple Abundance.”
~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

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 Third Agreement: Don’t Make Assumptions

Sunday, September 4th, 2022

We continue our series on Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements with the third agreement, “Don’t Make Assumptions.” Ruiz adds, “Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.” We invite you to join in the conversation this Sunday, in person, at 10:30 a.m., 117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins, CO.
Love and Light, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.”
~ Isaac Asimov

“If others tell us something we make assumptions, and if they don’t tell us something we make assumptions to fulfill our need to know and to replace the need to communicate. Even if we hear something and we don’t understand we make assumptions about what it means and then believe the assumptions. We make all sorts of assumptions because we don’t have the courage to ask questions.”
~ Miguel Ruiz

“The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct.”
~ Franciscan friar William of Ockham

“Don’t build roadblocks out of assumptions.”
~ Lorii Myers

“Ask if you need to, but don’t assume. Sometimes our bad feelings are only assumptions and speculations doing dark dances in our heads.”
~ Bonnie Lyn Smith

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart Sunday Schedule, 10:30 a.m., 117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80524

September 4th – in person
September 11th – ZOOM gathering
September 18th and 25th – No Paths of Heart
October 2nd – in person, Poetry Sunday!, potluck after gathering.

Current Mask Policy
Though Covid cases continue to be at a high level in Larimer County, most resultant illnesses seem to be generally mild, and we are leaving it up to attendees whether they want to mask or not.

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart continues (in our 9th year now!) solely through your generous donations. What an amazing thing! Several survey participants expressed interest in signing up for regular monthly donations and we gratefully welcome that! During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. Once you are on our PayPal site, there will be an option for recurring monthly donations. If you find value in what we do here at Paths of Heart, please consider donating to keep our non-profit running smoothly, with grace and ease. 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.

Two ways you can further support Paths of Heart 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!

“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 (not usually a problem in Colorado!). We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you!

Sending prayers and affirmations
If anyone would like 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!

Gratitudes

Fun family gigs as well as opportunities to enjoy other artists and concerts these last couple of weeks! Grateful for the gift of MUSIC!

What are you grateful for today?

“I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.”
~ Will Arnett

“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.”
~ Kristin Armstrong

“Gratitude can lead you, as it did me, away from the darkness of complicated need into the light of Simple Abundance.”
~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

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 Four Agreements, Part 2: Don’t Take Anything Personally

Sunday, August 21st, 2022

We continue our series on Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements with the second agreement, “Don’t Take Anything Personally.” As Ruiz states, “Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.” We invite you to join in the conversation this Sunday, in person, at 10:30 a.m., 117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins, CO. We’ll have our monthly community potluck immediately following our gathering (details below). You are always invited to the potluck, even if you don’t make it to the discussion! We love being in community with you, however that feels best for you.
Love and Light on this glorious Thursday, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“When someone is cruel, harsh, mean, to not take their words personally is one thing, but to hear the silent cry within those words is another. This sort of perspective can not only liberate us from crippling self-doubt in the face of criticism, it can also liberate us from automatically becoming blind participants in the interaction patterns that the cruel person has become accustomed to – a favor we do for the other person as much as for ourselves.”
~ Vironika Tugaleva

“When you lose your ego, you win. It really is that simple.”
~ Shannon L. Alder

“When you let it get personal, the cost becomes personal too. You’re opening your own heart here. You sure you want to do that?”
~ Michael Marshall Smith

“Not taking things personally is a true sign of maturity.”
~ Robert Celner

“There is nothing that strengthens the ego more than being right. The ego loves to make wrong in order to be right. Ego takes everything personally. Emotion arises, defensiveness, perhaps even aggression. Are you defending the truth? No, the truth, in any case, needs no defense.”
~ Eckhart Tolle

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart Sunday Schedule, 10:30 a.m., 117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80524

August 21st – in person, potluck after gathering. Please bring food to share and your own reusable plate. We’ll provide utensils, cups/glasses, cloth napkins, and a variety of beverages. We aim for zero waste!
August 28th – No Paths of Heart
September 4th – in person
September 11th – ZOOM gathering
September 18th and 25th – No Paths of Heart
October 2nd – in person, potluck after gathering.

Current Mask Policy
Though Covid cases continue to be at a high level in Larimer County, most resultant illnesses seem to be generally mild, and we are leaving it up to attendees whether they want to mask or not.

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart continues (in our 9th year now!) solely through your generous donations. What an amazing thing! Several survey participants expressed interest in signing up for regular monthly donations and we gratefully welcome that! During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. Once you are on our PayPal site, there will be an option for recurring monthly donations. If you find value in what we do here at Paths of Heart, please consider donating to keep our non-profit running smoothly, with grace and ease. 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.

Two ways you can further support Paths of Heart 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!

“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 (not usually a problem in Colorado!). We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you!

Sending prayers and affirmations
If anyone would like 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!

Gratitudes

A break in the heat!!  This week our temps are in the delightful 80’s. What a welcome pleasure after so many near (or over) 100 days. Enjoy, those who live around here, and we hope the rest of you are enjoying your late summer as well!

What are you grateful for today?

“I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.”
~ Will Arnett

“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.”
~ Kristin Armstrong

“Gratitude can lead you, as it did me, away from the darkness of complicated need into the light of Simple Abundance.”
~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

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

Paths of Heart Survey/Questionnaire Overview

Hello All –
We promised a synopsis of our survey that was sent out a couple of months ago, so here are some of the things we gleaned from your responses. Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts with us!

We were happy to see that for most who attend regularly, either in person or on ZOOM, your experience at Paths of Heart is a welcoming, uplifting, and fulfilling one and many wouldn't change a thing! Some would like more music, community singing, and meditation (we like those ideas!). Some would like to see more racial and age diversity (we would, too, and welcome ideas for how to reach out to different populations in that respect). We got a question about childcare, which we used to provide, but haven't had a request for in recent years. We would be happy to explore this option again. Please reach out to us (since our survey was anonymous, we don't know who asked for this!) so that we can meet that need.

It is overwhelmingly apparent that this "Covid thing", either directly or indirectly, is still having a great effect on our attendance. Some still need to be extremely careful of being exposed because of health issues; others are happily scheduling all the activities and vacations that they put off for the last 2 years and thus are too busy to attend. Some have just gotten into a different routine after such a long period of self isolation - a few mentioned that after so much seclusion it feels difficult to get out there and be social again (we can relate!).

The folks who engage regularly with Paths of Heart feel invested in the Paths of Heart community and are contributing financially at a level that is comfortable for them. We appreciate that!  Quite a few respondents were unaware of the financial resources needed to run our non-profit. All are welcome to review our Profit and Loss Statements and yearly budget proposals and actuals, though we'll mention a few of our major expenses here: We (Colleen and Mark) are paid for orchestrating and presenting each Sunday at Paths of Heart (as are our guest presenters and musicians). Our compensation has always been well below the industry standard for similar organizations and we have recently taken a voluntary pay reduction as well to conserve Paths of Heart's resources at this time. Other expenses are our website (domain name registration and yearly renewal, web hosting, website maintenance and updates), office expenses (newsletter, bookkeeping, copier paper and ink cartridges, etc.), Paths of Heart's financial commitment to other charitable organizations that align with our vision and mission (we support 3 with monthly giving and others through your suggestions or when the spirit moves...), and general upkeep of our gathering space (cleaning and supplies). We hope this gives people a better understanding of the commitment and work that goes into Paths of Heart on a weekly basis.

Most survey participants liked the "2 in-person, 1 Zoom a month" option for frequency, though for now we'll have to stick with just one of each a month until our finances improve. There wasn't enough interest in the weekday evening option to pursue at this time.

We trust this synopsis makes our situation clearer to everyone. The future of Paths of Heart remains uncertain in these tricky times. We’ll keep having our gatherings as long as we have the support to do so – we are so grateful for that support and your investment in our spiritual community. Here’s our schedule for the next couple of months:
August 14th – No Paths of Heart
August 21st – in person, potluck after gathering
August 28th – No Paths of Heart
September 4th – in person
September 11th – ZOOM gathering
September 18th and 25th – No Paths of Heart
October 2nd – in person

Have a great weekend everyone!
Love, Colleen and Mark, the POH Board, and our Survey Committee

Posted on

Revisiting The Four Agreements

Sunday, August 7th, 2022

We’ve recently had cause to revisit Don Miguel Ruiz’s classic book The Four Agreements and have decided to make a little Paths of Heart mini-series of it, delving into each agreement over our next 4 gatherings. The first agreement is “Be Impeccable with Your Word”, which Ruiz calls “the most important one, and also the most difficult one to honor”! That’s what we’ll explore on our Zoom Gathering this Sunday. Here’s the link:
POH Zoom Gathering
Aug 7, 2022 10:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82746610642?pwd=bFFOMWQwRmQyZzhVelZtWjE4Y0d1UT09
Meeting ID: 827 4661 0642
Passcode: 986474
Hope to see you onscreen this Sunday!
Love and Light, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.”
~ Don Miguel Ruiz

“Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see…”
~ John Lennon

“Leading with integrity and empathy requires vision and a connection to your deepest self.
~ Karla McLaren

“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.”
~ Spencer Johnson

“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart Sunday Schedule, 10:30 a.m.

August 7th – ZOOM gathering

August 14th – No Paths of Heart

August 21st – in person, potluck after gathering

August 28th – No Paths of Heart

September 4th – in person

September 11th – ZOOM gathering

September 18th and 25th – No Paths of Heart

Current Mask Policy
Though Covid cases continue to be at a high level in Larimer County, most resultant illnesses seem to be generally mild, and we are leaving it up to attendees whether they want to mask or not.

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart continues (in our 9th year now!) solely through your generous donations. What an amazing thing! Several survey participants expressed interest in signing up for regular monthly donations and we gratefully welcome that! During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. Once you are on our PayPal site, there will be an option for recurring monthly donations. If you find value in what we do here at Paths of Heart, please consider donating to keep our non-profit running smoothly, with grace and ease. 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.

Two ways you can further support Paths of Heart 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!

“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 (not usually a problem in Colorado!). We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you!

Sending prayers and affirmations
If anyone would like 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!

Gratitudes

THE GREEN!! With our recent rains (and more on the way this weekend?) everything has greened up again and is looking so lush! That’s not often the case as August rolls around in CO… 🙂

We are SO grateful for our Paths of Heart Community! You enrich our lives and give us hope for the future with your love, kindness, and generosity.

What are you grateful for today?

“I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.”
~ Will Arnett

“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.”
~ Kristin Armstrong

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
~ Robert Brault

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

From Thoughts to Action to Manifestation

Sunday, July 31st, 2022

My (Colleen’s) reading material flying home from my Dad’s in NJ was Peter J Hughes’ book, At-One-Ment: Reclaiming Our Humanity and I just had to write down immediately this little phrase I came across: “Shift internally, act locally, manifest globally”. Many of us have heard of and (sometimes, when we remember!) practice the law of attraction. Peter gives some specific examples for this “defining moment on the spectrum of our evolution” and affirms how when we change our minds, we can indeed change our world, for the betterment of all. That’ll be the topic of our discussion this week. Join us this Sunday, in person, at 10:30 a.m., 117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins, CO. Bring a friend! 🙂
Warmly, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi

“The law of attraction states that whatever you focus on, think about, read about, and talk about intensely, you are going to attract more of into your life.”
~ Jack Canfield

“Choose your thoughts carefully, keep what brings you peace, release what brings you suffering, and know that happiness is just a thought away.”
~ Jill Macdonald

“Each person is born with an infinite power, against which no earthly force is of the slightest significance.”
~ Neville Goddard

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.”
~ Joseph Campbell

“As you imagine and visualize and verbalize your new story, in time you will believe the new story, and when that happens, the evidence will flow swiftly into your experience.”
~ Abraham Hicks

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart Sunday Schedule, 10:30 a.m.

July 31st – in person

August 7th – ZOOM gathering

August 14th – No Paths of Heart

August 21st – in person, potluck after gathering

Current Mask Policy
Though Covid cases continue to be at a high level in Larimer County, most resultant illnesses seem to be generally mild, and we are leaving it up to attendees whether they want to mask or not.

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart continues (in our 9th year now!) solely through your generous donations. What an amazing thing! Several survey participants expressed interest in signing up for regular monthly donations and we gratefully welcome that! During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. Once you are on our PayPal site, there will be an option for recurring monthly donations. If you find value in what we do here at Paths of Heart, please consider donating to keep our non-profit running smoothly, with grace and ease. 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.

Two ways you can further support Paths of Heart 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!

“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 (not usually a problem in Colorado!). We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you!

Sending prayers and affirmations ~ If anyone would like 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!

Gratitudes

THE RAIN!! What a blessing to our parched earth, flora and fauna! It also made it much easier on Mark and Emma who were tending the gardens while Colleen was away… 🙂

We are SO grateful for our Paths of Heart Community! You enrich our lives and give us hope for the future with your love, kindness, and generosity.

What are you grateful for today?

“I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.”
~ Will Arnett

“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.”
~ Kristin Armstrong

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
~ Robert Brault

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

Celebrating Community

Sunday, July 17th, 2022

We’ve been going over our Survey Monkey results and want to say how much we deeply appreciate you taking the time to complete our questionnaire. It is evident that we have a conscientious, caring, and insightful community and we want to celebrate that! We’ll be addressing some comments and questions folks had over the next several weeks, and in the meantime let’s celebrate what we’ve created together as a community! A potluck lunch will follow our gathering. If it’s unbearably hot outside we’ll stay indoors, but we plan to create enough shade in the backyard that it’ll still be pleasant. 🙂 Hope to see you Sunday!
Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“True community requires commitment and openness. It is a willingness to extend yourself to encounter and know the other.”
~ David Spangler

“We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.”
~ Dorothy Day

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”
~ Margaret J. Wheatley

“One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.”
~ Shannon L. Alder

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
~ Leo Bascaglia

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart Sunday Schedule, 10:30 a.m.

July 17th – in person, with potluck lunch after our gathering. Please bring some food to share and your own plate. We’ll provide flatware, cups, cloth napkins, and a variety of beverages.

July 24th – No Paths of Heart

July 31st – in person

August 7th – ZOOM gathering

August 14th – No Paths of Heart

August 21st – in person, potluck after gathering

Mask Policy Update:
Though Covid cases continue to be at a high level in Larimer County, most resultant illnesses seem to be generally mild, and we are leaving it up to attendees whether they want to mask or not.

Giving Opportunities – Paths of Heart continues (in our 9th year now!) solely through your generous donations. What an amazing thing! Several survey participants expressed interest in signing up for regular monthly donations and we gratefully welcome that! During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. Once you are on our PayPal site, there will be an option for recurring monthly donations. If you find value in what we do here at Paths of Heart, please consider donating to keep our non-profit running smoothly, with grace and ease. Soon we’ll be adding Venmo as another easy way to donate! 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.

Two ways you can further support Paths of Heart 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!

“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 (not usually a problem in Colorado!). We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you!

Sending prayers and affirmations ~ If anyone would like 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!

Gratitudes

We are SO grateful for our Paths of Heart Community! You enrich our lives and give us hope for the future with your love, kindness, and generosity.

Gratitude abounds for those that continue to fully support Paths of Heart, even as we’ve decreased the frequency of our meetings during this time of uncertainty and “readjustment”. We look forward to sharing your ideas and suggestions from our questionnaire as we co-create the next chapter of Paths of Heart.

What are you grateful for today?

“I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.”
~ Will Arnett

“When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in.”
~ Kristin Armstrong

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
~ Robert Brault

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