Living in Gratitude

“Living in Gratitude”

Sunday, November 28th, 2021

We trust you are having a lovely holiday, steeped in gratitude for all that is, and celebrating that goodness with friends and family near and far. We are surely feeling it! Let’s gather this Sunday to share our gratitude and perhaps a few more stories of passing out our YOU MATTER cards as the official “You Matter Marathon” winds to a close. We encourage you to keep it going though – feels so good to let people know they matter! Terry Stanfill will be joining us on the music this week!
Love and Light, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Going to sleep with a grateful, open heart
is a powerful healing practice. Your dreams will become
more inspiring and you will awaken in the morning
with a lighter state of mind.”
~ Dr. John Demartini

“Practicing mindfulness of gratitude consistently leads to a direct experience of being connected to life and the realization that there is a larger context in which your personal story is unfolding. Being relieved of the endless wants and worries of your life’s drama, even temporarily, is liberating. Cultivating thankfulness for being part of life blossoms into a feeling of being blessed, not in the sense of winning the lottery, but in a more refined appreciation for the interdependent nature of life. It also elicits feelings of generosity, which create further joy. Gratitude can soften a heart that has become too guarded, and it builds the capacity for forgiveness, which creates the clarity of mind that is ideal for spiritual development.” ~ Philipp Moffitt

“Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy – because we will always want to have something else or something more.”
~ Brother David Steindl-Rast

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart Schedule
(Sundays, 11 a.m.)
MASKS REQUIRED for all in person gatherings (per Larimer County guidelines).  Thank you for your kindness and cooperation.

November 28th – in person, “Living in Gratitude” Terry Stanfill, guest musician

December 5th – in person

 December 12thNO Paths of Heart Gathering

December 19thZOOM Gathering

December 26th – in person 

#Giving Tuesday is on the horizon! Giving Tuesday is November 30th, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and is a “global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.” This has been an important fundraising day for Paths of Heart in past years and we are affirming another successful campaign this year. You can donate through our Facebook Campaign here https://www.facebook.com/donate/1065442570943881/10223466097475017 or donate via our website here https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/
Thanks so much in advance for supporting and sustaining our community and mission!

Request for guest presenters and musicians! ~ Thanks to those who have stepped up to present a topic on Sunday, or to share music! Please let us know if you’re interested or have ideas of other speakers/musicians you’d like to invite. A small honorarium is available.

Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants to receive our collective positive thoughts and prayers on a Sunday morning, please ask! We can be as specific or as anonymous as you’d like. Let us know if we can surround you and your loved ones in love and light!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth and Zen Meditation Garden – This was intentioned to be a community space, so know that you are always welcome to drop by and walk or sit – you do not need to let us know in advance. Do note that we have experienced the outer “halo” of glass blocks in the labyrinth to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day (not usually a problem in Colorado!). We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you in advance.

Giving Opportunities – Two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny are detailed below:

King Soopers Community Rewards Program – if you shop at KS and have a rewards card, you can “link” it to Paths of Heart and King Soopers will donate a portion of your dollars spent (around 5%) to our non-profit. Go to https://www.kingsoopers.com/i/community/community-rewards to sign up and link your card. Our organization name is Paths of Heart and organization number is RG782. Let us know if you want help signing up!

Amazon Smile – We do love shopping locally and very often do, but Amazon sometimes fits the bill. If you are an Amazon shopper, you can make a difference by shopping at smile.amazon.com/ch/81-4175487 to generate donations for Paths of Heart!

During this past year when we weren’t meeting often, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are still always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. You can even sign up for monthly giving, which we deeply appreciate. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart!

Gratitudes

We are grateful for our recent relaxing trip to Santa Fe, and for our unplanned, yet delightful meeting and gathering with new friends on Thanksgiving Day.

What are you grateful for today?

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” ~ Voltaire

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~ William Arthur Ward

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

Handling Disappointment

“Handling Disappointment”

Sunday, November 14th, 2021

This week has been a bit of a letdown, peppered with disappointments and sadness. Who knows how much the time change and our apparent SAD (seasonal affective disorder) has to do with it, but I, for one, can’t seem to rise above. We know that having expectations of people and situations can lead to frustration, misery, and resentment, yet it’s sometimes a challenge not to expect people to act with integrity, or honesty, or kindness (pick your virtue!) when these qualities are so highly valued in our own lives. So, we’ll revisit this topic (as we’ve done over the years) to remind our humble selves once again how to best face the challenges of the day. The return of the twinkly lights (in Old Town Fort Collins and around our home) seems to help somehow!
Love and Light, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.”
~ Alexander Pope

“If you’re going to say what you want to say, you’re going to hear what you don’t want to hear.” ~ Roberto Bolaño

“You can’t expect everyone to have the same dedication as you.” ~ Jeff Kinney

“You are your own worst enemy. If you can learn to stop expecting impossible perfection, in yourself and others, you may find the happiness that has always eluded you.” ~ Lisa Kleypas

“Know that everything is in perfect order whether you understand it or not.” ~ Valery Satterwhite

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart Schedule
(Sundays, 11 a.m.)
MASKS REQUIRED for all in person gatherings. Thank you for your kindness and cooperation.

November 14th – in person

November 21stNO Paths of Heart 

November 28th – in person, “Living in Gratitude”

December 5th – in person

 December 12thNO Paths of Heart Gathering

December 19thZOOM Gathering

December 26th – in person 

#Giving Tuesday is on the horizon! Giving Tuesday is November 30th, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and is a “global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.” This has been an important fundraising day for Paths of Heart in past years and we are affirming another successful campaign this year. We do this primarily through Facebook, however any way you wish to consider donating will be much appreciated and will help us fulfill our vision and mission at Paths of Heart. https://www.pathsofheart.org/mission-statement/ Thank you!!

Request for guest presenters and musicians! ~ Thanks to those who have stepped up to present a topic on Sunday, or to share music! Please let us know if you’re interested or have ideas of other speakers/musicians you’d like to invite. A small honorarium is available.

Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants to receive our collective positive thoughts and prayers on a Sunday morning, please ask! We can be as specific or as anonymous as you’d like. Let us know if we can surround you and your loved ones in love and light!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth – What a joy it was to envision and oversee the creation of our labyrinth and Zen Garden last summer! This was intentioned to be a community space, so know that you are always welcome to drop by and walk or sit – you do not need to let us know in advance. Do note that we have experienced the outer “halo” of glass blocks to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day (not usually a problem in Colorado!). We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you in advance.

Giving Opportunities – Two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny are detailed below:

King Soopers Community Rewards Program – if you shop at KS and have a rewards card, you can “link” it to Paths of Heart and King Soopers will donate a portion of your dollars spent (around 5%) to our non-profit. Go to https://www.kingsoopers.com/i/community/community-rewards to sign up and link your card. Our organization name is Paths of Heart and organization number is RG782. Let us know if you want help signing up!

Amazon Smile – We do love shopping locally and very often do, but Amazon sometimes fits the bill. If you are an Amazon shopper, you can make a difference by shopping at smile.amazon.com/ch/81-4175487 to generate donations for Paths of Heart!

During this past year when we weren’t meeting often, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are still always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. You can even sign up for monthly giving, which we deeply appreciate. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart!

Gratitudes

This has been the most gorgeous fall! Time to play in the leaves, then rake and mulch them!

What are you grateful for today?

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” ~ Voltaire

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~ William Arthur Ward

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

You Matter!

“You Matter!”

Sunday, November 7th, 2021

Oh my gosh – another week has flown by filled with projects and appointments. I woke up this morning, realizing it was already Saturday and I had not given a thought to the newsletter! Usually, we at least start pondering about it by Wednesday, even if it doesn’t make it into print till later in the week. The big news is, we have water in the kitchen again! Flooring is scheduled for Monday and then this construction zone may start looking like the space we have envisioned for so many years. We can’t wait to share it with you! But I digress…This Sunday we’re celebrating the “You Matter Marathon”, a world wide initiative that creates positive connections within and between individuals and communities. It’s a simple concept – just let people know they MATTER by handing them a small card that says so! By naturally and regularly affirming the significance and value of one another, we honor our common humanity and create a path to a more peaceful and joyful world. Cards can be ordered on the website https://youmattermarathon.com (you get 30 free just for signing up) or you can print your own with a template they provide.
We get a reprieve from donning masks this week, as we’ll be on ZOOM. We look forward to seeing your SMILES! Here’s the link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89514495167?pwd=VGpLUjN2bzg3L3pRK3Q1YUk2RU92QT09
Meeting ID: 895 1449 5167
Passcode: 746568

Remember this Sunday is the end of Daylight Saving Time, so set your clocks BACK an hour on Saturday night! Enjoy this glorious weekend!
Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” ~ William James

“If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.” ~ Emily Dickenson

“You are either the captain or the captive of your thoughts.” ~ Dennis Waitley

“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” ~ Rumi

“You Matter. Unless you multiply yourself by the speed of light squared. Then you Energy” (ha ha! Couldn’t help adding this one and not sure who first said it!)

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

Paths of Heart Schedule
(Sundays, 11 a.m.)

November 7thZOOM gathering. End of Daylight Saving Time (turn your clocks BACK one hour).

November 14th – in person

November 21stNO Paths of Heart 

November 28th – in person, “Living in Gratitude”

December 5th – in person

 December 12thNO Paths of Heart Gathering

December 19thZOOM Gathering

December 26th – in person 

Request for guest presenters and musicians! ~ Thanks to those who have stepped up to present a topic on Sunday, or to share music! Please let us know if you’re interested or have ideas of other speakers/musicians you’d like to invite. A small honorarium is available.

Sending “Good Juju” and prayer ~ If anyone ever wants to receive our collective positive thoughts and prayers on a Sunday morning, please ask! We can be as specific or as anonymous as you’d like. Let us know if we can surround you and your loved ones in love and light!

“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth – What a joy it was to envision and oversee the creation of our labyrinth and Zen Garden last summer! This was intentioned to be a community space, so know that you are always welcome to drop by and walk or sit – you do not need to let us know in advance. Do note that we have experienced the outer “halo” of glass blocks to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day (not usually a problem in Colorado!). We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you in advance.

Giving Opportunities – Two ways you can support Paths of Heart without costing you an extra penny are detailed below:

King Soopers Community Rewards Program – if you shop at KS and have a rewards card, you can “link” it to Paths of Heart and King Soopers will donate a portion of your dollars spent (around 5%) to our non-profit. Go to https://www.kingsoopers.com/i/community/community-rewards to sign up and link your card. Our organization name is Paths of Heart and organization number is RG782. Let us know if you want help signing up!

Amazon Smile – We do love shopping locally and very often do, but Amazon sometimes fits the bill. If you are an Amazon shopper, you can make a difference by shopping at smile.amazon.com/ch/81-4175487 to generate donations for Paths of Heart!

During this past year when we weren’t meeting often, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are still always gratefully accepted on our website, https://www.pathsofheart.org/donate/. You can even sign up for monthly giving, which we deeply appreciate. Thanks so much for supporting the continuation of Paths of Heart!

Gratitudes

What a beautiful ofrenda we created together last Sunday, honoring our loved ones for Dia de los Muertos. Thank you for joining us in this heart-felt celebration.

What are you grateful for today?

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~ Eckhart Tolle

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” ~ Voltaire

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~ William Arthur Ward

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