Month: February 2020

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Zooming In

Sunday, March 1st

Zooming In

What unsettling times we are in ~ news of floods, fires, Corona Virus, stock market woes, and heightened unrest in our country and world can be overwhelming, laid on top of our own sometimes topsy-turvy lives.  When darkness looms, it helps us to “zoom in” and look for the beauty that IS all around us, if we but seek it.  Spring is almost here, a time of renewal, when bits of green are daring to peak out from underneath the rotting leaves and icy snow.  It’s easy to miss, unless one slows down and takes the time to look closely.  Nature promises new life and new hope.  We encourage you to seek out her soothing balm amid the chaos ~ she is ALWAYS there to help us heal.

Quotes to ponder

“That is one good thing about this world…there are always sure to be more springs.” ~ L.M. Montgomery

“I can still bring into my body the joy I felt at seeing the first trillium of spring, which seemed to be telling me, “Never give up hope, spring will come.” ~ Jessica Stern

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”
~ Frances Hodgson Burnett

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Sunday, March 8th – Due to unforeseen circumstances, Frank Bonifazi will not be speaking on the 8th.  We are working on scheduling another guest presenter and will keep you posted.  In the meantime, remember March 8th also marks the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, so remember to turn your clocks forward one hour on Saturday night!

Sunday, March 15th – Paths of Heart will take a Sunday off and be back on March 22nd.

Gratitudes

We appreciate all of you and the gifts you bring to our Paths of Heart Community.   We couldn’t do this without you!

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

 

 

Other Details….
If this has been forwarded to you by a friend and you would like to join us, we encourage you to add your name to our newsletter list, as schedules do occasionally change,and we like to keep you informed of topics and special events as well. Just visit our website https://pathsofheart.org and click the newsletter sign-up link. If you know of other interested and kind-hearted souls, please refer them to our website, or they may also contact us by email: info@pathsofheart.org or by phone: 970-484-9600, to learn more about our non-profit organization. Thanks! 

Car-eography
You may park in the driveway, as well as diagonally along the north side of our property.  Should those areas become full, please park out on Hwy 1, which has plenty of space and a nice wide shoulder.  Do watch for passing cars as you are exiting and entering your vehicle, though! The carport area is reserved for folks with special parking needs. Out of respect for our neighbors, we ask that you kindly refrain from parking on Evans Drive beyond our property line. Car pooling is encouraged.  We also have a bike rack for cyclists!

About Paths of Heart…

Paths of Heart is a high spirited, heart-centered community where we gather together in 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! Our gatherings are most every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at 117 Evans Drive in north Fort Collins. Childcare is available (please let us know ahead of time so we can make arrangements).

We hope our paths cross soon!

“Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” ― Rumi

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Caregiving

Sunday, February 23rd

Caregiving

In the past couple of weeks, we talked a lot about self love and care at “Paths”.  During this time, we’ve been caring for our elderly and ailing cat, and navigating the changes that lie ahead.  It got us to thinking about the role of caregiver and what we’ve witnessed recently as our friends embody that role, caring for differently-abled children and adults, aging parents, and yes, ill or aging pets.  This Sunday, we’ll reflect on our caregiving experiences and what they have taught us.

Quotes to ponder

“Acts of caregiving come as close to what I think religion is as I could name.”
~ Arthur Kleinman 

“There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.” ~ Rosalyn Carter

“The closest thing to being cared for is to care for someone else.”
~ Carson McCullers

“Caregiving often calls us to lean into love we didn’t know possible.”  ~ Tia Walker

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Sunday, March 8th – Frank “Francesco” Bonifazi will be our guest speaker.  He’ll share his thoughts on time, space, gravity and consciousness, and has written an original song called, “Everything is Connected” to accompany his talk!  March 8th also marks the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, so remember to turn your clocks forward one hour on Saturday night!

Sunday, March 15th – Paths of Heart will take a Sunday off and be back on March 22nd.

We recently received last quarter’s check from King Soopers Community Rewards Program and we want to remind you again how beneficial this program is for Paths of Heart!  Just link your King Soopers loyalty card to Paths of Heart and we get a percentage of what you spend there, with no cost to you!  We’d love to see more folks signed up.  Let us know if you’d like help linking your card – it’s really easy!  Thanks!   https://www.kingsoopers.com/topic/king-soopers-community-rewards

Gratitudes

We appreciate all of you and the gifts you bring to our Paths of Heart Community.   We couldn’t do this without you!

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”
~ Albert Schweitzer

Other Details….
If this has been forwarded to you by a friend and you would like to join us, we encourage you to add your name to our newsletter list, as schedules do occasionally change,and we like to keep you informed of topics and special events as well. Just visit our website https://pathsofheart.org and click the newsletter sign-up link. If you know of other interested and kind-hearted souls, please refer them to our website, or they may also contact us by email: info@pathsofheart.org or by phone: 970-484-9600, to learn more about our non-profit organization. Thanks! 

Car-eography
You may park in the driveway, as well as diagonally along the north side of our property.  Should those areas become full, please park out on Hwy 1, which has plenty of space and a nice wide shoulder.  Do watch for passing cars as you are exiting and entering your vehicle, though! The carport area is reserved for folks with special parking needs. Out of respect for our neighbors, we ask that you kindly refrain from parking on Evans Drive beyond our property line. Car pooling is encouraged.  We also have a bike rack for cyclists!

About Paths of Heart…

Paths of Heart is a high spirited, heart-centered community where we gather together in 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! Our gatherings are most every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at 117 Evans Drive in north Fort Collins. Childcare is available (please let us know ahead of time so we can make arrangements).

We hope our paths cross soon!

“Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” ― Rumi

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On the Path of Self Love

Sunday, February 16th

On the Path of Self Love

We thought we’d continue our conversation pertaining to self love ~ such an important precursor to all the other love relationships we’ll experience during our lives.  For many of us, it’s way easier to show love, kindness, and compassion to others than it is to be loving toward ourselves, both in thought and in deed.  Give yourself some Valentine’s Day love, and come Sunday we’ll converse about ways to nurture and love ourselves more. 

Quotes to ponder

“Is there any greater gift we can give ourselves than the openness of our own hearts? Isn’t this what we crave from others, that they open their hearts to us, share their stories, and let us in?
As we begin to love ourselves unconditionally, we become better able to love those around us.” ~ Emily Rose Barr 

“We all journey in our different ways.  And though we have destinations and goals, and markers along the way, it is the journey itself that is important.  How we move through our lives, the connections we make, the intentions we set, and the love we offer ourselves, others and this beautiful world is our greatest potential gift. Because in the end, it doesn’t matter what path you walk, what matters is the heart you walk it in.” ~ Matt Hopwood

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Sunday, March 8th – Frank “Francesco” Bonifazi will be our guest speaker.  He’ll share his thoughts on time, space, gravity and consciousness, and has written an original song called, “Everything is Connected” to accompany his talk!  We look forward to his sharing.

Sunday, March 15th – Paths of Heart will take a Sunday off and be back on March 22nd.

We recently received last quarter’s check from King Soopers Community Rewards Program and we want to remind you again how beneficial this program is for Paths of Heart!  Just link your King Soopers loyalty card to Paths of Heart and we get a percentage of what you spend there, with no cost to you!  We’d love to see more folks signed up.  Let us know if you’d like help linking your card – it’s really easy!  Thanks!   https://www.kingsoopers.com/topic/king-soopers-community-rewards

Gratitudes

We appreciate all of you and the gifts you bring to our Paths of Heart Community.  Happy “Love Everybody” Day!

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”
~ Albert Schweitzer

Other Details….
If this has been forwarded to you by a friend and you would like to join us, we encourage you to add your name to our newsletter list, as schedules do occasionally change,and we like to keep you informed of topics and special events as well. Just visit our website https://pathsofheart.org and click the newsletter sign-up link. If you know of other interested and kind-hearted souls, please refer them to our website, or they may also contact us by email: info@pathsofheart.org or by phone: 970-484-9600, to learn more about our non-profit organization. Thanks! 

Car-eography
You may park in the driveway, as well as diagonally along the north side of our property.  Should those areas become full, please park out on Hwy 1, which has plenty of space and a nice wide shoulder.  Do watch for passing cars as you are exiting and entering your vehicle, though! The carport area is reserved for folks with special parking needs. Out of respect for our neighbors, we ask that you kindly refrain from parking on Evans Drive beyond our property line. Car pooling is encouraged.  We also have a bike rack for cyclists!

About Paths of Heart…

Paths of Heart is a high spirited, heart-centered community where we gather together in 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! Our gatherings are most every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at 117 Evans Drive in north Fort Collins. Childcare is available (please let us know ahead of time so we can make arrangements).

We hope our paths cross soon!

“Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” ― Rumi

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Shadows, Love, and Celebration!

Sunday, 02/07/20

Shadows, Love, and Celebration

Wow – what a powerful discussion we had last week on our “shadow selves”, and we only barely skimmed the surface, so we may delve in some more!  Mateo Sol says, “To completely experience self love, we must learn to honestly face our shadow selves…”, and with that day dedicated to love coming up next week, a LOVE theme will dovetail in nicely.  Then, there’s our celebration of Paths of Heart’s 6 year anniversary!  It’s hard to believe (and a wonderful thing!) that a decision to meet informally with a small group of kind-hearted souls 6 years ago serendipitously led to the creation of this human services non-profit which continues to touch lives near and far with its mission to create and nurture joy, compassion, gratitude, and love – in our own lives and throughout the world.  Please join us as we celebrate ALL of us, and stay afterwards for our community potluck!

Quotes to ponder

“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance” ~ Oscar Wilde

“Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place” ~ Zora Neal Hurston

“Celebrate who you are in your deepest heart. Love yourself and the world will love you.” ~ Amy Leigh Mercree

“Here’s to walking my own path.
Here’s to claiming my birthright,
my sovereign power.
Here’s to walking the sacred ground.
Here, to break down any walls between the self and the higher calling.
May every prayer be a celebration.”
~ Petra Poje


Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Sunday, February 9th – Paths of Heart’s 6th Anniversary Celebration and Potluck!  Judi Lucero, “instrumental” in the creation of Paths of Heart, was so hoping to make it to our celebration.  Alas, the snow is preventing her from making the drive through the mountains.  We will miss her and her flute playing!  For those staying for the potluck, please remember to bring your own plates and utensils – this helps us tremendously with clean-up!  As always, Paths of Heart provides cloth napkins, cups, and a variety of beverages to compliment our meal.

Sunday, March 7th – Frank “Francesco” Bonifazi will be our guest speaker.  He’ll share his thoughts on time, space, gravity and consciousness, and has written an original song called, “Everything is Connected” to accompany his talk!  We look forward to his sharing.

Sunday, March 15th – Paths of Heart will take a Sunday off and be back on March 22nd.

We recently received last quarter’s check from King Soopers Community Rewards Program and we want to remind you again how beneficial this program is for Paths of Heart!  Just link your King Soopers loyalty card to Paths of Heart and we get a percentage of what you spend there, with no cost to you!  We’d love to see more folks signed up.  Let us know if you’d like help linking your card – it’s really easy!  Thanks!   https://www.kingsoopers.com/topic/king-soopers-community-rewards

Gratitudes

We appreciate all of you and the gifts you bring to our Paths of Heart Community.  Happy 6th Anniversary to YOU!

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”
~ Albert Schweitzer

Other Details….
If this has been forwarded to you by a friend and you would like to join us, we encourage you to add your name to our newsletter list, as schedules do occasionally change,and we like to keep you informed of topics and special events as well. Just visit our website https://pathsofheart.org and click the newsletter sign-up link. If you know of other interested and kind-hearted souls, please refer them to our website, or they may also contact us by email: info@pathsofheart.org or by phone: 970-484-9600, to learn more about our non-profit organization. Thanks! 

Car-eography
You may park in the driveway, as well as diagonally along the north side of our property.  Should those areas become full, please park out on Hwy 1, which has plenty of space and a nice wide shoulder.  Do watch for passing cars as you are exiting and entering your vehicle, though! The carport area is reserved for folks with special parking needs. Out of respect for our neighbors, we ask that you kindly refrain from parking on Evans Drive beyond our property line. Car pooling is encouraged.  We also have a bike rack for cyclists!

About Paths of Heart…

Paths of Heart is a high spirited, heart-centered community where we gather together in 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! Our gatherings are most every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at 117 Evans Drive in north Fort Collins. Childcare is available (please let us know ahead of time so we can make arrangements).

We hope our paths cross soon!

“Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” ― Rumi

Posted on

Me and My Shadow

Sunday, 02/02/20

Me and My Shadow

Gosh, there’s so much we could talk about today, it being Super Bowl Sunday, Groundhog Day, and a date that’s a rare, 8 digit palindrome!  But since Groundhog Day is Mark’s favorite religious holiday, we’re going to visit our shadow selves and discuss how we might embrace our inner darkness.  Don’t be afraid to face your shadow!  🙂

Quotes to ponder

“Beneath the social mask we wear every day, we have a hidden shadow side: an impulsive, wounded, sad, or isolated part that we generally try to ignore. The Shadow can be a source of emotional richness and vitality, and acknowledging it can be a pathway to healing and an authentic life.” ~ C. Zweig & S. Wolf

“I embrace my shadow self. Shadows give depth and dimension to my life. I believe in embracing my duality, in learning to let darkness and light peacefully co-exist, as illumination.” ~ Jaeda DeWalt

“So don’t be frightened, dear friend, if a sadness confronts you larger than any you have ever known, casting its shadow over all you do. You must think that something is happening within you, and remember that life has not forgotten you; it holds you in its hand and will not let you fall. Why would you want to exclude from your life any uneasiness, any pain, any depression, since you don’t know what work they are accomplishing within you?” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Sunday, February 9th – Paths of Heart’s 6th Anniversary Celebration and Potluck!  More details to follow.

We have just received last quarter’s check from King Soopers Community Rewards Program and we want to remind you again how beneficial this program is for Paths of Heart!  Just link your King Soopers loyalty card to Paths of Heart and we get a percentage of what you spend there, with no cost to you!  We’d love to see more folks signed up.  Let us know if you’d like help linking your card – it’s really easy!  Thanks!   https://www.kingsoopers.com/topic/king-soopers-community-rewards

Gratitudes

We loved our Sunday together last week ~ talking about birds, listening to their calls, and hearing your fun stories.  We are blessed to share these times with you all!

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”
~ Albert Schweitzer

Other Details….
If this has been forwarded to you by a friend and you would like to join us, we encourage you to add your name to our newsletter list, as schedules do occasionally change,and we like to keep you informed of topics and special events as well. Just visit our website https://pathsofheart.org and click the newsletter sign-up link. If you know of other interested and kind-hearted souls, please refer them to our website, or they may also contact us by email: info@pathsofheart.org or by phone: 970-484-9600, to learn more about our non-profit organization. Thanks! 

Car-eography
You may park in the driveway, as well as diagonally along the north side of our property.  Should those areas become full, please park out on Hwy 1, which has plenty of space and a nice wide shoulder.  Do watch for passing cars as you are exiting and entering your vehicle, though! The carport area is reserved for folks with special parking needs. Out of respect for our neighbors, we ask that you kindly refrain from parking on Evans Drive beyond our property line. Car pooling is encouraged.  We also have a bike rack for cyclists!

About Paths of Heart…

Paths of Heart is a high spirited, heart-centered community where we gather together in 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! Our gatherings are most every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at 117 Evans Drive in north Fort Collins. Childcare is available (please let us know ahead of time so we can make arrangements).

We hope our paths cross soon!

“Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” ― Rumi