Sunday, May 22nd, 2022
So many of us are grieving right now. We may also be angry, enraged even, feeling helpless and small in a world gone mad. In the words of Valarie Kaur, “If you can’t function, it’s OK. If you can’t feel, it’s OK. If you can’t find your breath, it’s OK. Your breathlessness is not a sign of your weakness; it’s a sign of your bravery. It means that you are awake to what is happening right now.” The only thing we know for sure to do right now is to pour more love and light into the world, into the hearts that are hurting. We come back to the wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who knew “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” We find it also helps our hearts to be in community with other loving souls, and we hope you can join us this Sunday to do that, as well as break bread together at our monthly potluck following our gathering.
Love and Light,
Colleen and Mark
Quotes to ponder
“If people can learn to hate they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than it’s opposite.”
~ Nelson Mandela
“If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective.”
~ Martin Luther Ling, Jr.
“We are here to heal, not harm. We are here to love, not hate. We are here to create, not destroy.”
~ Anthony D. Williams
“We can become the medicine that stops violence at its root. We can do this by putting love into practice.”
~ Valarie Kaur
Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest
Paths of Heart Schedule (Sundays, 10:30 a.m., starting May 22nd)
Mask Policy Update:
Though Covid cases sure seem to be ramping up again, illnesses are generally mild in most cases and we are leaving it up to attendees whether they want to mask or not.
May 29th – in person, 10:30 a.m., potluck following our gathering. Please bring some food to share and your own reusable/washable plate. We’ll provide utensils, cups, and cloth napkins, as we strive for zero waste. We will also provide a variety of beverages, though you are welcome to bring something you enjoy.
June 5th – ZOOM gathering
June 12th – in person
June 19th – in person
The above schedule is subject to change as we collectively craft the path of our gatherings going forward. 🙂
Speaking of which, our Paths of Heart Survey on “Survey Monkey” will be arriving in your inboxes sometime in the next week or so. We’d be grateful for your timely responses so we can make some decisions about the future of Paths of Heart. Thanks so much in advance!
Sending prayers and affirmations ~ If anyone would like to receive our collective positive thoughts and prayers on a Sunday morning, please ask! We can be as specific or as anonymous as you’d like. Let us know if we can surround you and your loved ones in love and light!
Giving Opportunities – Paths of Heart continues (into its 9th year now!) almost entirely through your generous donations. What a beautiful thing! If you find value in what we do here each week, please consider donating to keep our non-profit running smoothly, with grace and ease. The past 2 years saw a severe drop in donations and we’d love to regrow our account balance to a more healthy and sustainable level now that we are meeting regularly again. During the pandemic, online donations became increasingly important to our organization, and are 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! We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your donations are tax deductible!
Two ways you can further support Paths of Heart are detailed below:
King Soopers Community Rewards Program – if you shop at KS and have a rewards card, you can “link” it to Paths of Heart and King Soopers will donate a portion of your dollars spent (around 5%) to our non-profit. Go to https://www.kingsoopers.com/i/community/community-rewards to sign up and link your card. Our organization name is Paths of Heart and organization number is RG782. Let us know if you want help signing up!
Amazon Smile – We do love shopping locally and very often do, but Amazon sometimes fits the bill. If you are an Amazon shopper, you can make a difference by shopping at smile.amazon.com/ch/81-4175487 to generate donations for Paths of Heart!
“Paths of Heart” Labyrinth and Zen Meditation Garden – This was intentioned to be a community space, so know that you are always welcome to drop by and walk or sit – you do not need to let us know in advance. Do note that we have experienced the outer “halo” of glass blocks in the labyrinth to be slippery when wet, so it’s best to walk it on a dry day (not usually a problem in Colorado!). We also welcome volunteers to help keep our labyrinth looking beautiful and free of debris and weeds. Thank you in advance.
Gratitudes
We are thankful for the May flowers that are starting to appear (with some hesitancy) after our rather “reckless” spring weather! They bring such joy amid the sorrow of the daily news. Spend some time in Nature today!
What are you grateful for today?
“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.”
~ Henri Frederic Amiel
“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.”
~ Henry Ward Beecher
“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
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!