Category: Newsletter

weekly newsletter

Posted on

Spring is on its Way!

March 8th, 2023

Aaahhh…my favorite season is just around the corner! Don’t we all look forward to the “promise” of Spring? The magical greening up and first shoots of grape hyacinths and colorful crocuses? I know it doesn’t feel that way quite yet, but it IS coming…we MUST believe in Spring (thank you Michel Legrand and Jacques Demy for the song)! After almost a month of missing you, we have several Paths of Heart gatherings coming up to tell you about! The first will be a ZOOM gathering on March 19th, followed by an in-person gathering and potluck on Easter Sunday, April 9th. We are hoping that Judi and Rudy Lucero will get to travel again from Grand Junction to be with us on Easter! Judi will surely have her flute in hand if so! There is also a special house concert coming up on Sunday, March 26th with Teresa Funke and Colleen Crosson, and while not a Paths of Heart event per se, I know many of you will be interested in it. Mark your calendars for these and more, and see details below in the “Notes of Interest” section. We’ll send the Zoom link next week.

Love and Appreciate you all! ~ Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
~ Rainer Maria Rilke

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
~ Margaret Atwood

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”
~ Anne Bradstreet

“Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.”
~ Virgil A. Kraft

“The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.”
~ Gertrude S. Wister

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart is in the midst of a “sabbatical” from regular Sunday gatherings, though we have recently scheduled a “sprinkling” of gatherings as our financial resources improve. We miss you!! You can read more about our decision here: https://www.pathsofheart.org/2022/10/11/important-paths-of-heart-update/

As our financial situation improves, we hope to reintroduce regular Sunday gatherings, and in the meantime, we have planned several other events to keep our community engaged and thriving. See below and mark your calendars!

Sunday, March 19th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM Paths of Heart Gathering. Link will be sent next week.

Sunday, March 26th, 2-4 p.m. -Teresa Funke and Colleen Crosson will present a “Blessings from the Pandemic” House Concert in our gathering space at 117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins. As we mark the third anniversary of the start of this unique and challenging time in our lives, they’ll reflect through written word and song on what this experience has taught us about what truly matters – individually and collectively – as humans co-existing in this complex world.

As in the past, they’ll pair some of Teresa’s inspirational blog posts — this time written during the pandemic — with uplifting songs of Colleen’s choosing that complement those written selections. Suggested ticket price is $35 and includes a copy of one of Teresa’s books or Colleen’s CDs. Your choice!

Space is limited, so RSVPs are REQUIRED, and it’s highly suggest you pay in advance to secure your seats. You can send payment through Venmo at @Colleen-Crosson or PayPal at colleencrosson@gmail.com.

The concert will run 90 minutes and be followed by light snacks and conversation so you can reveal some of your blessings as well. If you were one of the many who took up baking during the pandemic, feel free to share your favorite snack with us! We hope you can make it!!

Easter Sunday, April 9th, 10:30 a.m. – We’ll have our traditional (in-person) gathering followed by an Easter potluck (hopefully outside!). We hope Judi Lucero can join us on flute that day, too!

Sunday, April 23rd, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM Paths of Heart Gathering

Sunday, May 21st, 10:30 a.m. – in person Paths of Heart Gathering

Sunday, May 28th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM Paths of Heart Gathering

We’ve restarted our Paths of Heart Song Circles, usually the last Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 pm. Come join us for an informal gathering of singing together. Bring your life affirming song suggestions! $10 suggested donation. We will provide a variety of teas to drink. The following dates are scheduled. Please RSVP!
March 28th
April 25th
May 30th

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart will continue to welcome and appreciate your generous donations as we work to bolster our finances and get back to Sunday gatherings at some point in the future. During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. There is an option for recurring monthly donations, if you so choose. We have also added Venmo as a way to easily donate to Paths of Heart! Just type in @PathsofHeart to find us in the Venmo app. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart. Remember, we are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your donations are tax deductible!

Another easy way to further support Paths of Heart is through the King Soopers Community Rewards Program – If you shop at KS and have a rewards card, you can “link” it to Paths of Heart and King Soopers will donate a portion of your dollars spent (around 5%) to our non-profit. Go to https://www.kingsoopers.com/i/community/community-rewards to sign up and link your card. Our organization name is Paths of Heart and organization number is RG782. Let us know if you want help signing up! This one small gesture (by just 25 or so families at this point) helps to generate over $1,000 a year for Paths of Heart, so we appreciate your consideration in participating in this valuable program!!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth and Zen Meditation Garden
This was intentioned to be a community space, so know that you are always welcome to drop by and walk or sit – you do not need to let us know in advance. Do note that we have experienced the outer “halo” of glass blocks in the labyrinth to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day. Unfortunately, it’s been covered with snow much of this winter. Hoping for some melting soon!

Gratitudes

We are grateful to be hearing some signs of spring in the air as the birds start to return!  We are also MOST grateful that Colleen’s Dad is recovering from Covid and is rapidly regaining his strength! Happy 94th birthday, Dave!

What are you grateful for today?

“Live a life full of humility, gratitude, intellectual curiosity, and never stop learning.”
~ GZA

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
~ John F. Kennedy

“When I pray, I always thank Mother Nature for all the beauty in the world. It’s about having an attitude of gratitude.”
~ Miranda Kerr

“This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.”
~ Maya Angelou

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 Super LOVE Bowl

February 12, 2023

Being the avid sports fans that we are (NOT!), we didn’t realize the Super Bowl was this Sunday, when we will have our first in-person Paths of Heart Gathering and Potluck since last October! We’re thinking it’s probably later in the afternoon anyway, and may not be a “deal breaker” for most of you, but if so, we apologize for the conflict…  🙂  This week we’ll be talking about love (surprise, surprise!) and also checking in on the Season for Non-Violence and reviewing the week’s words associated with that. We had a great discussion last week on Zoom and what a joy to see your smiling faces! 

Also, here’s your last reminder about our upcoming house concert this very Saturday, February 11th! There is a suggested love offering of $20 per person and we do appreciate RSVPs. If you’d like to donate in advance, you can do so with venmo: @PathsofHeart or paypal: https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/ (mention “concert” in special instructions) or by sending a check to Paths of Heart at 117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80524. Thank you! The concert will start at 7 with a potluck of “finger foods” at 6 for those who’d like to come early and visit pre-concert.

With Gratitude, Love, and Light, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr. (how beautiful that this quote has fit in with the theme for the last 3 newsletters! It always comes down to love…)

“Love is the great miracle cure. Loving ourselves works miracles in our lives.”
~ Louise L. Hay

“Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.”
~ Ann Landers

“You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.”
~ Buddha

“Love is the only reality and it is not a mere sentiment. It is the ultimate truth that lies at the heart of creation.”
~ Rabindranath Tagore

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart is in the midst of a “sabbatical” from regular Sunday gatherings, though we have recently scheduled a “sprinkling” of gatherings as our financial resources improve. We miss you!! You can read more about our decision here: https://www.pathsofheart.org/2022/10/11/important-paths-of-heart-update/

As our financial situation improves, we hope to reintroduce regular Sunday gatherings, and in the meantime, we have planned several other events to keep our community engaged and thriving. See below and mark your calendars!

Saturday, February 11th, 7 pm (“finger foods” potluck at 6) – “Paths of Heart Presents…” a Celebration of LOVE House Concert. Join Mark and Colleen in a lovefest of love songs to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Sunday, February 12th – In Person Paths of Heart Gathering, followed by Community Potluck 10:30 a.m., 117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins. Please bring a yummy dish to share AND your own washable plate. We’ll have utensils, cloth napkins, cups, and a variety of beverages on hand.

We’ve restarted our Paths of Heart Song Circles, usually the last Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 pm! Come join us for an informal gathering of singing together. Bring your life affirming song suggestions! $10 suggested donation. We will provide a variety of teas to drink.
February 14th (date change due to scheduling conflict)). Turns out Mark has a gig this night as well, but Colleen will still host!
March 28th
April 25th

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart will continue to welcome and appreciate your generous donations as we work to bolster our finances and get back to Sunday gatherings at some point in the future. During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. There is an option for recurring monthly donations, if you so choose. We have also added Venmo as a way to easily donate to Paths of Heart! Just type in @PathsofHeart to find us in the Venmo app. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart. Remember, we are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your donations are tax deductible!

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
Amazon has decided to end its Amazon Smile Program by 2/20/23. Till then, 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. Unfortunately, it’s been covered with snow much of this winter. Hoping for some melting soon!

Gratitudes

We were grateful to have so many participate in our Zoom meeting last week. How wonderful to see you all again!

What are you grateful for today?

“Live a life full of humility, gratitude, intellectual curiosity, and never stop learning.”
~ GZA

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
~ John F. Kennedy

“When I pray, I always thank Mother Nature for all the beauty in the world. It’s about having an attitude of gratitude.”
~ Miranda Kerr

“This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.”
~ Maya Angelou

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

Season for Non-Violence

We are excited to have you join us for our first Paths of Heart Gathering in quite a while, tomorrow, February 5th on ZOOM! Here’s the link:
Time: Feb 5, 2023 10:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87220354401?pwd=TXFPS1diNDBKSUhtWUEyTEJxRjM3dz09
Meeting ID: 872 2035 4401
Passcode: 251718

We thought a timely topic would be the Season for Non-Violence, ” a global grassroots campaign dedicated to raising awareness about the transformative power of nonviolence. The Season was established by Arun Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, as a yearly event celebrating the philosophies and lives of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
Since 1998, the Season has marked the 64 calendar days between the memorial anniversary of the assassination of Gandhi on January 30 and that of King on April 4.” (gandhifoundation.ca)

Having just visited the National Civil Rights museum in Memphis, housed in the Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was assassinated, this holds even deeper personal meaning to us now. What a powerful and extremely emotional day it was. We hope you can join us in conversation tomorrow.

** Here’s a reminder that we’ll also have an in-person gathering on February 12th at 10:30 a.m., 117 Evans Dr. in Fort Collins, followed by a potluck lunch. Details in Looking Ahead section below.

And we hope you’ve got our upcoming house concert on your calendars for February 11th! There is a suggested love offering of $20 per person and we do appreciate RSVPs. If you’d like to donate in advance, you can do so with venmo: @PathsofHeart or paypal: https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/ (mention “concert” in special instructions) or by sending a check to Paths of Heart at 117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80524. Thank you! The concert will start at 7 with a potluck of “finger foods” at 6 for those who’d like to come early and visit pre-concert.

With Gratitude, Love, and Light, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi

“Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi

“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”
~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart is in the midst of a “sabbatical” from regular Sunday gatherings, though we have recently scheduled a “sprinkling” of gatherings as our financial resources improve. We miss you!! You can read more about our decision here: https://www.pathsofheart.org/2022/10/11/important-paths-of-heart-update/

As our financial situation improves, we hope to reintroduce Sunday gatherings, and in the meantime, we have planned many other events to keep our community engaged and thriving. See below and mark your calendars!

Sunday, February 5th – ZOOM Paths of Heart gathering, 10:30 a.m. See link above.

Saturday, February 11th, 7 pm (“finger foods” potluck at 6) – “Paths of Heart Presents…” a Celebration of LOVE House Concert. Join Mark and Colleen in a lovefest of love songs to celebrate Valentine’s Day.


Sunday, February 12th – In Person Paths of Heart Gathering, 10:30 a.m., 117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins, followed by a lunch potluck. It really helps if you bring your own washable plates to use! We have plenty of utensils, cups, and napkins. We’ll also provide a variety of drinks. Please bring a favorite dish to share, thanks!

We’ve restarted our Paths of Heart Song Circles, usually the last Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 pm! Come join us for an informal gathering of singing together. Bring your life affirming song suggestions! $10 suggested donation. We will provide a variety of teas to drink.
February 14th (date change due to scheduling conflict)). Turns out Mark has a gig this night as well, but Colleen will still host!
March 28th
April 25th

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart will continue to welcome and appreciate your generous donations as we work to bolster our finances and get back to Sunday gatherings at some point in the future. During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. There is an option for recurring monthly donations, if you so choose. We have also added Venmo as a way to easily donate to Paths of Heart! Just type in @PathsofHeart to find us in the Venmo app. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart. Remember, we are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your donations are tax deductible!

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
Amazon has decided to end its Amazon Smile Program by 2/20/23. Till then, 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. Unfortunately, it’s been covered with snow much of this winter. Hoping for some melting soon!

Gratitudes

We were grateful to recently travel to Nashville and Memphis to visit friends, take in lots of diverse music, and eat great southern food! The highlight was seeing Emma and her Band ThreeShots perform at The International Blues Challenge in Memphis! We had a wonderful time…

What are you grateful for today?

“Live a life full of humility, gratitude, intellectual curiosity, and never stop learning.”
~ GZA

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
~ John F. Kennedy

“When I pray, I always thank Mother Nature for all the beauty in the world. It’s about having an attitude of gratitude.”
~ Miranda Kerr

“This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.”
~ Maya Angelou

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

New Year’s Blessings to You!

Dear Paths of Heart Community – As we write this on Sunday morning, we are missing you and what would traditionally be our day to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and share our rendition of James Taylor’s amazing song, “Shed a Little Light” with a host of other guest musicians. Here’s a link to James singing it for you! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pRiRJOIWCM

Many of us are in the midst of choosing our “Word of the Year” to guide our thoughts and actions through the months ahead, so we thought the picture above might spur some ideas. Drop us a line if you care to share your chosen word – we love hearing from you!

We’ve decided to host a couple of Paths of Heart gatherings in February and hope you will join us! February 5th will be a ZOOM gathering. Here’s the link:
Topic: Paths of Heart ZOOM
Time: Feb 5, 2023 10:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87220354401?pwd=TXFPS1diNDBKSUhtWUEyTEJxRjM3dz09
Meeting ID: 872 2035 4401
Passcode: 251718

We’ll have an in-person gathering on February 12th at 10:30 a.m., 117 Evans Dr. in Fort Collins.

And we hope you’ve got our upcoming house concert on your calendars for February 11th! There is a suggested love offering of $20 per person and we do appreciate RSVPs. If you’d like to donate in advance, you can do so with venmo: @PathsofHeart or paypal: https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/ (mention “concert” in special instructions) or by sending a check to Paths of Heart at 117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80524. Thank you! The concert will start at 7 with a potluck of “finger foods” at 6 for those who’d like to come early and visit pre-concert.

Due to scheduling conflicts we need to change the date for our next Song Circle, which was supposed to be on February 28th. The only available Tuesday we have in February is Valentine’s Day, February 14th. We think that’d be a great night to sing songs of LOVE! Let us know if that might work for you. The Song Circle has had a slow re-start due to winter weather conditions, and we hope it will grow in the coming months.

We are so grateful for all your financial support this past year and are currently working on End of Year Tax Statements for your donations. In order to conserve resources (both money and trees!), we will be emailing these statements to you this year. Please let us know if you prefer a paper copy and we can mail that out to you. We are intending to have these to you by January 31st. If you need your info sooner, please reach out to us. Thank you!

Refer to the “Looking Ahead” section below for more details on all upcoming events. Looking forward to being with you soon!

With Gratitude, Love, and Light, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

“New beginnings are in order, and you are bound to feel some level of excitement as new chances come your way.”
~ Oscar Auliq-Ice

“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.”
~ Rainer Maria Rilke

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart is in the midst of a “sabbatical” from regular Sunday gatherings. You can read more about our decision here:  https://www.pathsofheart.org/2022/10/11/important-paths-of-heart-update/

As our financial situation improves, we hope to reintroduce Sunday gatherings, and in the meantime, we have planned many other events to keep our community engaged and thriving. See below and mark your calendars!

Sunday, February 5th – ZOOM Paths of Heart gathering, 10:30 a.m. We’ll send out a reminder with the link again that week.

Saturday, February 11th, 7 pm (“finger foods” potluck at 6) – “Paths of Heart Presents…” a Celebration of LOVE House Concert. Join Mark and Colleen in a lovefest of love songs to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Sunday, February 12th – In Person Paths of Heart Gathering, 10:30 a.m., 117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins.

We’ve restarted our Paths of Heart Song Circles, usually the last Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 pm! Come join us for an informal gathering of singing together. Bring your life affirming song suggestions! $10 suggested donation. We will provide a variety of teas to drink.
January – no Song Circle
February 14th (date change due to scheduling conflict)
March 28th
April 25th

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart will continue to welcome and appreciate your generous donations as we work to bolster our finances and get back to Sunday gatherings at some point in the future. During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. There is an option for recurring monthly donations, if you so choose. We have also added Venmo as a way to easily donate to Paths of Heart! Just type in @PathsofHeart to find us in the Venmo app. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart. Remember, we are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your donations are tax deductible!

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!).

Gratitudes

We had a simple and quiet Christmas with family, enjoying one another’s company and sharing some fabulous meals. We sure hope you enjoyed your holidays, too! We are looking forward to this bright New Year, filled with promise. We take responsibility for making it so. 🙂

What are you grateful for today?

“Live a life full of humility, gratitude, intellectual curiosity, and never stop learning.”
~ GZA

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
~ John F. Kennedy

“When I pray, I always thank Mother Nature for all the beauty in the world. It’s about having an attitude of gratitude.”
~ Miranda Kerr

“This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.”
~ Maya Angelou

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

Seasons Greetings and Concert Reminder!

Aaaahhh ~ The most wonderful time of the year is upon us, some might say! We DO love these winter holidays, the upcoming Solstice, the twinkling lights, comfort and joy, kindness and good cheer. The Elf has been busy decorating for the season, our son, Myles will arrive in a few days and we are looking forward to our (greatly missed!) Christmas Eve Music Celebration after a 2 year hiatus. There are still some seats left, and if you plan on joining us, we really do need an RSVP to reserve your seat. We will most likely not be able to accept walk-ins and we’d hate to turn you away (like Mary and Joseph from the Inn!), however space is limited. Also, if you’d made a reservation and find you can’t make it, please let us know, as we’ll also likely have a waiting list.
We are so grateful for the donations we received during our Facebook Giving Tuesday Campaign – over $1,500! This, along with support from our loyal monthly donors, has our finances shaping up again and we hope to schedule a few sporadic ZOOM and in-person gatherings in the coming months. We miss you!!
Read on for other upcoming events at Paths of Heart, and Happy Holidays to you!
Gratitude, Love and Light, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“From home to home and heart to heart, from one place to another. The warmth and joy of Christmas brings us close to each other.”
~ Emily Matthews

“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.”
~ Hamilton Wright Mabie

“Winter Solstice is my favorite time of year. It’s the dark of the dark, the interior time, a time when we can palpably feel magic stirring, ever so softly, but oh so deeply. It’s a time when we get to hold ourselves gently as we review and let go of the last trip around the sun, and open to what awaits in the coming light.”
~ Alison Marks

“These are the darkest days of the year, and it’s no coincidence that the flickering flames of the menorah, the twinkling lights on the tree and the Kwanzaa candelabrum all harken to the human need for the comfort of light.”
~ Tracy Grant

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart is taking a sabbatical from regular Sunday gatherings for the next 4 months or so. You can read more about our decision here:  https://www.pathsofheart.org/2022/10/11/important-paths-of-heart-update/

As our financial situation improves, we hope to reintroduce Sunday gatherings, and in the meantime, we have planned many other events to keep our community engaged and thriving. See below and mark your calendars!

Saturday, December 24th, 7 pm – We are pleased to welcome the return of our Christmas Eve Music Celebration, with songs and readings from various traditions during the Season of Light and Peace! Emma and Myles Sloniker will be there to share in the music, and Judi Lucero will try her “darndest” to be with us as well! It’ll all depend on the weather and driving conditions, so let’s affirm grace and ease for that! We will be limiting the seating to 45 people so you will need to reserve your spot. Please honor this, as we will likely not be able to accept “walk-ins”. We will gratefully accept donations to benefit Paths of Heart that evening. The program will run about 75 minutes.

Saturday, January 14th, 2023, 10 am – 4 pm – “Paths of Heart Presents…” a ‘Write with Your Heart’ Playshop: Communing with The Muse ~ A simple, sweet day of community, creating space for inner exploration through music, journaling, art, silence, and meditation. Colleen and Mark will play short sets of themed music as prompts, and participants will then have a chance to integrate those ideas into several sessions of art, journaling, poetry, or meditation time. There are really no rules, so this time is yours to explore as your heart moves you. We will share a lunchtime meal together and there will be time for sharing your experiences if you’d like to do so. Suggested donation for the day is $60.00 (always your choice depending on ability/desire).
WHAT TO BRING:
• A lunch dish to share
• A journal or your favorite paper & writing instrument
• An open heart
• Sketchbook
• Meditation mat, pillow & blanket
• Very comfy clothes
Email info@pathsofheart.org to sign up or call 970-484-9600 for further questions. We hope you can join us!

Saturday, February 11th, 7 pm – “Paths of Heart Presents…” a Celebration of LOVE. Join Mark and Colleen in a lovefest of love songs to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

We’ve decided to restart our Paths of Heart Song Circles, the last Tuesday of (most) every month, 7- 8:30 pm! Come join us for an informal gathering of singing together. Bring your life affirming song suggestions! $10 suggested donation. We will provide a variety of teas to drink.
December 27th
no January Song Circle
February 28th
March 28th

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart will continue to welcome and appreciate your generous donations as we work to bolster our finances and get back to Sunday gatherings at some point in the future. During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. There is an option for recurring monthly donations, if you so choose. We have also added Venmo as a way to easily donate to Paths of Heart! Just type in @PathsofHeart to find us in the Venmo app. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart. Remember, we are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your donations are tax deductible!

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!).

Gratitudes

This time of year holds so many blessings and opportunities for connection with family and loved ones. We are grateful to be celebrating a simple Christmas with our 2 adult children this year and hope to see many of you out and about during the holidays. Love and Light to you!

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

Seasons of Gratitude, Light, and Peace

Friday, November 25th, 2022

Seasons Greetings Everyone ~ We trust you are continuing to enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday, steeped in gratitude and feeling the excitement of celebrations ahead as we prepare for festive winter merry making! Our family had a sweet, sweet week with our son Myles in town and we wanted to thank all who came to our Gratitude Concert with the whole family here last Saturday. What a heartwarming night!! Myles will be back the week of Christmas and we’ll have our (greatly missed) Christmas Eve Music Celebration to share with you after a 2 year hiatus. Our monthly song circle starts up this coming Tuesday as well. That just so happens to be “Giving Tuesday”, a worldwide movement of radical generosity and shared humanity. We’ve had a Facebook Fundraiser celebrating Giving Tuesday for the past several years and we just created this year’s a few days ago. We are overwhelmed with gratitude for those that have already contributed to show their support of Paths of Heart. Here is the link in case you missed it:
https://www.facebook.com/donate/514950003881699/
Read on for upcoming events at Paths of Heart, and Happy Holidays to you!
Gratitude, Love and Light, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.
~ Nishan Panwar

“There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude; a quiet joy.”
~ Ralph H. Blum

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.”
~ Tony Robbins

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

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart is taking a sabbatical from regular Sunday gatherings for the next 6 months or so. You can read more about our decision here:  https://www.pathsofheart.org/2022/10/11/important-paths-of-heart-update/

As our financial situation improves, we hope to reintroduce Sunday gatherings, and in the meantime, we have planned many other events to keep our community engaged and thriving. See below and mark your calendars!

Saturday, December 24th, 7 pm – We are pleased to welcome the return of our Christmas Eve Music Celebration, with songs and readings from various traditions during the Season of Light and Peace! Emma and Myles Sloniker will be there to share in the music, and we’ve just heard that Judi Lucero will try her “darndest” to be with us as well! It’ll all depend on the weather and driving conditions, so let’s affirm grace and ease for that! We will be limiting the seating to 45 people so you will need to reserve your spot. Please honor this, as we will likely not be able to accept “walk-ins”. We will gratefully accept donations to benefit Paths of Heart that evening. The program will run about 75 minutes.

Saturday, January 14th, 2023, 10 am – 4 pm – “Paths of Heart Presents…” a ‘Write with Your Heart’ Playshop: Communing with The Muse ~ A simple, sweet day of community, creating space for inner exploration through music, journaling, art, silence, and meditation. More details soon!

Saturday, February 11th, 7 pm – “Paths of Heart Presents…” a Celebration of LOVE. Join Mark and Colleen in a lovefest of love songs to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

We’ve decided to restart our Paths of Heart Song Circles, the last Tuesday of (most) every month, 7- 8:30 pm! Come join us for an informal gathering of singing together. Bring your life affirming song suggestions! $10 suggested donation. We will provide a variety of teas to drink.
November 29th
December 27th
no January Song Circle
February 28th
March 28th

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart will continue to welcome and appreciate your generous donations as we work to bolster our finances and get back to Sunday gatherings at some point in the future. During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. There is an option for recurring monthly donations, if you so choose. We have also added Venmo as a way to easily donate to Paths of Heart! Just type in @PathsofHeart to find us in the Venmo app. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart. Remember, we are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your donations are tax deductible!

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!).

Gratitudes

We are so grateful for almost 9 years of nearly continuous Sunday gatherings here at Paths of Heart! We treasure each and every encounter we’ve had with our attendees, whether you came once, are a “regular”, or just read our newsletter and sent us thanks every so often. Though the “form” of Paths of Heart is changing currently, it is still very much alive and we hope you’ll join us for our special events coming up. Much love to you all!

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

Dia de los Muertos

Sunday, October 30th, 2022

This Sunday, our last regular Sunday gathering for the year (and beyond), we’ll celebrate Dia de los Muertos, with Judi Lucero as our honored music guest. For this annual event, we will again have our ofrenda set up and decorated. You are welcome to bring mementos of your loved ones who have passed, as we keep them alive in memory and spirit, in light-hearted and joyful celebration! A potluck lunch will immediately follow our gathering so we can further enjoy one another’s company before we take a sabbatical of sorts from our Sunday gatherings. There are several other events planned for the coming months, though! Details are in the “Looking Ahead” section below.
Continued Golden Autumn Blessings, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.”
~ Thomas Campbell

“For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity.”
~ William Penn

For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.
~ Khalil Gibran

Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.
~ Rabindranath Tagore

Life and death are illusions. We are in a constant state of transformation.
~ Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart will be taking a sabbatical from regular Sunday gatherings for the next 6 months or so. You can read more about our decision here:  https://www.pathsofheart.org/2022/10/11/important-paths-of-heart-update/

Please join us THIS Sunday at 10:30 a.m., 117 Evans Dr., Fort Collins, CO 80524, for our “last” regular gathering till further notice. Read below for a list of other upcoming events. Mark your calendars!

October 30th – Dia de los Muertos Celebration. Judi Lucero will join us from Grand Junction to share words and music! We’ll also have a potluck following our gathering. Please bring your own washable plate as well as a potluck dish to share. We’ll provide utensils, cups, cloth napkins and a variety of beverages.

Saturday, November 19th, 7 pm – “Paths of Heart Presents..” a Gratitude Concert, featuring the Sloniker/Crosson Clan – including Emma and Myles Sloniker. We’ll be singing lots of songs of THANKS as well as other favorites. We’ll have a pre-concert potluck at 6 pm if you want to join us for that, and then we’ll do one long set of music for ya! You’re welcome to hang out and chat with us for a bit afterwards as well. This is a benefit for Paths of Heart and we are suggesting a $30 donation for the concert (give more, or less, depending on your circumstances/desires!). There is limited seating, so you can guarantee your spot by prepaying with venmo: @PathsofHeart or paypal: https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/ (mention “concert” in special instructions).

Saturday, December 24th, 7 pm – We are pleased to welcome the return of our Christmas Eve Celebration, with songs and readings from various traditions during the Season of Light and Peace! Emma and Myles Sloniker will be there to share in the music, and perhaps another guest or two as well.

Saturday, January 14th, 2023, 10 am – 4 pm – “Paths of Heart Presents…” a ‘Write with Your Heart’ Playshop: Communing with The Muse ~ A simple, sweet day of community, creating space for inner exploration through music, journaling, art, silence, and meditation. More details soon!

Saturday, February 11th, 7 pm – “Paths of Heart Presents…” a Celebration of LOVE. Join Mark and Colleen in a lovefest of love songs to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

We’ve decided to restart our Paths of Heart Song Circles, the last Tuesday of (most) every month! Come join us for an informal gathering of singing together. Bring your life affirming song suggestions! $10 suggested donation.
November 29th
December 27th
no January Song Circle
February 28th
March 28th

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart will continue to welcome and appreciate your generous donations as we work to bolster our finances and get back to Sunday gatherings at some point in the future. During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. There is an option for recurring monthly donations, if you so choose. We have also added Venmo as a way to easily donate to Paths of Heart! Just type in @PathsofHeart to find us in the Venmo app. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart. Remember, we are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your donations are tax deductible!

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 almost 9 years of nearly continuous Sunday gatherings here at Paths of Heart! We treasure each and every encounter we’ve had with our attendees, whether you came once, are a “regular”, or just read our newsletter and sent us thanks every so often. Though the “form” of Paths of Heart is changing currently, it is still very much alive and we hope you’ll join us for our special events coming up. Much love to you all!

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

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