Category: Newsletter

weekly newsletter

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Your Next Great Adventure!

May 21st, 2023

It’s been almost a month since we last gathered and we’re just back from our great adventure (we’ll tell you all about it on Sunday!). Though we happened to take a long trip, there are so many ways to add adventure into your life, do something different, try something new and challenging. It doesn’t have to include traveling to far away places ~ adventures await in your own backyard! Seeking adventure expands our minds, provides opportunities to learn and grow, bolsters courage and self confidence, and changes the way we see and interact with others and the world around us. Let’s discuss new ways to add adventure to our lives, even on a daily basis!
Jump in! ~ Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
~ Eleanor Roosevelt

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”
~ Hunter S. Thompson

“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.”
~ G.K. Chesterton

“Until you step into the unknown, you don’t know what you’re made of.”
~ Roy T. Bennett

“Life is a blank canvas, and you need to throw all the paint on it you can.”
~ Danny Kaye

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Our Paths of Heart “sabbatical” has ended, and we look forward to meeting on a more regular basis starting NOW! We hope you’ll be able to get in the rhythm of celebrating life with us on Sundays 2-3 times a month. As you can see below, Gatherings have now been scheduled through September. We know some folks have asked for a “regular” schedule (such as the 2nd and 4th Sundays). However, we’ve experienced that vacations and special events often disrupt that “best laid plan” for all of us, so for now we are going with what makes sense for us (our summer schedule is already filling up with weddings, festivals, and family commitments!). Adjustments may be made as we continue to assess attendance and finances. We may also consider an earlier start time in the summer if that’s something the majority of folks would like. Let us know your thoughts!

Sunday, May 21st, 10:30 a.m. – in person Paths of Heart Gathering, with a community potluck in the backyard afterwards. As we strive towards zero waste, please bring your own reusable plates. We’ll provide utensils, cups, cloth napkins, and a variety of beverages. Bring a favorite food to share with the crowd!

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

Sunday, June 11th, 10:30 a.m. – In person Paths of Heart Gathering

Sunday June 18th, Father’s Day, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering. We thought about a potluck afterwards, but figured the Dad’s might have other afternoon plans so we’ll skip the potluck this month. 🙂

Sunday, June 25th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM POH Gathering

Sunday, July 9th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering

Sunday, July 23rd, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with a potluck afterwards

Sunday, July 30th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM POH Gathering

Sunday, August 6th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering

Sunday, August 20th, 10:30 a.m.- ZOOM POH Gathering

Sunday, September 10th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering

Sunday, September 17th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with a potluck afterwards

Sunday, September 24th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM POH Gathering

Please mark your calendars for the above scheduled dates!

We’ve restarted our Paths of Heart Song Circles, usually the last Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 pm. We had a wonderful gathering of folks on April 25th, and we hope you’ll spread the word! Come join us for group singing in an informal and safe space. You are welcome to bring an instrument and song suggestions of love, life, and peace especially! $5.00-10.00 suggested donation appreciated. We will provide a variety of teas to drink. You are welcome to bring other beverages of choice and snacks if you wish. The following dates are scheduled. Please RSVP!
May 30th
June 20 (3rd Tuesday due to scheduling conflict)
July 25th
August 29th
September 26th

“Paths of Heart Presents…” We have several house concerts on the horizon for all music lovers who enjoy an intimate listening room. Help us spread the word! You may pre-pay for any of these concerts on our regular donation page https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/ OR with Venmo @PathsofHeart. Though tickets may be available at the door, pre-paying is the only way to guarantee your seat so it’s highly suggested! Please indicate which concert you are paying for in the special instructions or memo line. Hope to see you!

Friday, June 9th, 7 p.m. – Jeff Plankenhorn, a wonderful performing songwriter hailing from Austin, TX. $25.00 suggested donation. (still deciding on whether we’ll do a potluck before or after the show!)
Sunday, July 23rd, 7 p.m. concert with a potluck at 6. – Buddy Mondlock (a brilliant songwriter and author of “The Kid”, one of my all time favorite songs!) from Nashville, TN. $20 suggested donation
Friday, August 4th 7 p.m. concert with potluck at 6 – Megan Bee, our friend and songwriter artist from Athens, OH. This will be Megan’s 3rd appearance in our house concert series! $20 suggested donation

More details on all these concerts will be forthcoming, but please mark your calendars for these awesome shows and tell your friends!!

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

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

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

Gratitudes

We are incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to travel to The Netherlands and Belgium recently! The tulips were at their peak and the ancient architecture and art of these beautiful countries was breathtaking! Then to come home to the GREENEST Colorado with flowering trees and plants in full swing was SO welcoming!!

What are you grateful for today?

“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.”
~ Henry Ward Beecher

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
~ Melody Beattie

“In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Gratitude is the sweetest thing in a seekers life – in all human life. If there is gratitude in your heart, then there will be tremendous sweetness in your eyes.”
~ Sri Chinmoy

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 Zest for Life

April 23rd, 2023

Wow – this year seems to be flying by (and this week, too – sorry for the late newsletter!). Since January, our lives have been filled with so much activity – music events, travel, social engagements, classes, adventure! The world has indeed “opened back up” post-pandemic and we have been seizing life by the horns, so to speak, and living fully every day. It feels good, though I must admit, it’s a bit tiring as well! We must remember balance… 🙂
How’s it going for you these days? We’re looking forward to chatting with you on Zoom and hearing about your life experiences as well! Here’s the link:
Paths of Heart Zoom Gathering
Time: Apr 23, 2023 10:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83710736874?pwd=WTZxdTNhanNVVGZHUnJZc1NxZzd1UT09
Meeting ID: 837 1073 6874
Passcode: 314439

Live, laugh, love! ~ Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“I have made it my mission to inject life into each moment, filling these moments up until they are fat and ready to burst! Life is short, it should be lived.”
~ C. JoyBell C.

“If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind.”
~ Norman Vincent Peale

“Cultivate the habit of zest. Purposefully seek out the beauty in the seemingly trivial. Especially in the trivial. The colors and shapes of the foods you eat. The shadows a vase makes on your table. The interesting faces of the people on the bus with you.”
~ Karen Salmansohn

“If a purpose is to be assigned to Life, it should be Living.”
~ Anand Damani

“I’ve kept alive my childlike innocence. I don’t let anything or anyone dampen my zest for life. Now, that’s very important.”
~ Mumtaz

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Our Paths of Heart “sabbatical” from regular Sunday gatherings is nearing its end, and we are inching back to meeting more often as our financial resources improve (and they HAVE been, thank you!!) You can read more about our decision here: https://www.pathsofheart.org/2022/10/11/important-paths-of-heart-update/

In the coming weeks we’ll discuss reintroducing regular Sunday gatherings with you all to see what your feelings are at this point in time. In the meantime, see below and mark your calendars for these gatherings and events.

This Sunday, April 23rd, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM Paths of Heart Gathering (see above for link)

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

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! $5-10.00 suggested donation. We will provide a variety of teas to drink. The following dates are scheduled. Please RSVP!
April 25th
May 30th

“Paths of Heart Presents…” We have several house concerts on the horizon for all music lovers who enjoy an intimate listening room. Help us spread the word! You may pre-pay for any of these concerts on our regular donation page  https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/ OR with Venmo @PathsofHeart. Though tickets may be available at the door, pre-paying is the only way to guarantee your seat so it’s highly suggested! Please indicate which concert you are paying for in the special instructions or memo line. Hope to see you!

Friday, June 9th – Jeff Plankenhorn, a wonderful performing songwriter hailing from Austin, TX
Sunday, July 23rd – Buddy Mondlock (a brilliant songwriter and author of “The Kid”, one of my all time favorite songs!) from Nashville, TN
Friday, August 4th – Megan Bee, our friend and songwriter artist from Athens, OH. This will be Megan’s 3rd appearance in our house concert series!

More details on all these concerts will be forthcoming, but please mark your calendars for these awesome shows and tell your friends!!

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 (and spring!), but we hope the weather will be more labyrinth-friendly soon!

Gratitudes

We are grateful for the spring bulbs and flowers popping up all over and the budding of trees! Spring is “busting out all over” here in Colorado! It brings us great joy.

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 Miracle of Spring

April 9th, Easter Sunday 2023

Happy Easter to all! Did you know that Easter, like so many religious holidays, is one of the most intertwined with pagan symbolism and ritual? We see evidence of transformation, new life, rebirth, and increased light all around us as Spring’s miracle ushers forth. Join us this Sunday as we celebrate Easter, Spring, and our innate ability to bring about transformation within ourselves ~ planting seeds to nourish our hearts and a bright future together! Judi Lucero will be joining us in musical celebration and we’ll have a community potluck following our gathering ~ outside if the weather holds!
Celebrating miracles every day ~ Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Easter is the miracle of transformation as seen in the change of seasons, in the maturation of mortal persons, and in the resurrection of souls.”
– Richelle Goodrich

“In life, we tend to get what we expect. Start expecting the best. Since life is a do-it-to-yourself project, why not believe in miracles? You have the freedom of choice. Why not expect miracles to happen in your life? Make plans, work hard and expect miracles. Why? Because you can.”
~ Mark F. LaMoure

“For those who have a spiritual awareness, the cosmos in its entirety is a manifestation of the sacred.”
~ John Sexton

Easter…”Find it within and celebrate it. Celebrate all expressions of joy however they manifest. Even if Easter has no meaning to you at all– just another day. Another day is the most beautiful of miracles. Celebrate every minute of it however you feel called to, and allow and rejoice in others however they feel called to celebrate theirs.”
~ Spiritsong

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Our Paths of Heart “sabbatical” from regular Sunday gatherings is nearing its end, and 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 continues to improve, we’ll discuss reintroducing regular Sunday gatherings with you all. In the meantime, see below and mark your calendars for these gatherings and events.

Easter Sunday, April 9th, 10:30 a.m. – We’ll have our traditional (in-person) gathering followed by an Easter potluck (hopefully outside!). Judi Lucero will join us on flute that day, too! If you’re joining us for the potluck, please bring some food to share and your own (washable) plate, as we continue to strive for zero waste. We’ll provide a variety of drinks, utensils, cups, and cloth napkins.

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!
April 25th
May 30th

“Paths of Heart Presents…” We have several house concerts on the horizon for all music lovers who enjoy an intimate listening room. Help us spread the word!

Friday, June 9th – Jeff Plankenhorn, a wonderful performing songwriter hailing from Austin, TX
Sunday, July 23rd – Buddy Mondlock (a brilliant songwriter and author of “The Kid”, one of my all time favorite songs!) from Nashville, TN
Friday, August 4th – Megan Bee, our friend and songwriter artist from Athens, OH. This will be Megan’s 3rd appearance in our house concert series!

More details on all these concerts will be forthcoming, but please mark your calendars for these awesome shows and tell your friends!!

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, but it’s clear currently and beckoning you… 🙂

Gratitudes

We are grateful for family and the ability to visit frequently as opportunities arise! Colleen just visited her Dad in NJ, along with her sister and brother, and sister Holly is now spending a few days with us in CO. Life is good!

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 Spirit of Aloha

March 19th, 2023

Mark and I have just returned from a (twice canceled) trip to Hawai’i and are moved to share a more in-depth appreciation of the word “aloha” along with its origins and history. We’ll talk about “mahalo”, too! This Sunday’s gathering will be on ZOOM and here is the link:
Paths of Heart Zoom Gathering
Time: Mar 19, 2023 10:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86037707159?pwd=VVBXOVFFSDFETE1JczZMUXBINmVUUT09
Meeting ID: 860 3770 7159
Passcode: 088194

Until then, Aloha! ~ Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Aloha is the unconditional desire to promote the true good of other people in a friendly spirit out of a sense of kinship.”
~ Abraham Akaka

“Live your life while the sun is still shining. / Oi kau ka lau, e hana I ola honua.”
~ Hawaiian Proverb

“Even the sweetness of a freshly cut pineapple from Hawaii is a sermon.”
~ J.A. Medders

“The only good thing about leaving Hawaii is that you really appreciate it when you return.”
~ John Richard Stephens

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. See link above.

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

What a wonderful time we had visiting Kauai and Molokai! We are so grateful to have experienced the unparalleled beauty of these 2 small islands. We’ve been drawn to Hawaii again and 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

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