September 24th, 2023

It is wise (and fun!) to observe the lessons of nature and the particular themes of each coming season. Here we are approaching the Autumnal Equinox, a time of balance, equanimity, and harmony. We hope you’ll join us on our ZOOM gathering this Sunday as we discuss these themes and more, welcoming one of our favorite seasons! Here’s the LINK:
Paths of Heart Zoom Gathering
Time: Sep 24, 2023 10:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86774611625?pwd=aXJHVEI2NmpCNU1wOTduNEZXL3ErUT09

Meeting ID: 867 7461 1625
Passcode: 086104

Happy Fall Y’all! Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”
– Lauren DeStefano

“If I were a bird, I would fly about the Earth seeking the successive autumns.”
– George Eliot

“Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead has never watched them dancing on a windy day.”
– Shira Tamir

“Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn.”
– Elizabeth Lawrence

“There is something so special in the early leaves drifting from the trees – as if we are all to be allowed a chance to peel, to refresh, to start again.”
– Ruth Ahmed

“I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift.”
– Dodinsky

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

***Dates subject to change! Please always refer to latest newsletters for latest information and updates***

Sunday, September 24th, 10:30 a.m. – ZOOM Paths of Heart Gathering

Tuesday, September 26th, 7 p.m. – Paths of Heart Song Circle

Sunday, October 1st – NO Paths of Heart Gathering

Sunday, October 8th – NO Paths of Heart Gathering

Sunday, October 15th – NO Paths of Heart Gathering (We had originally scheduled a gathering for this day; however we were offered an opportunity we couldn’t resist, so we’re seizing it!) Thanks for your understanding!

Sunday, October 22nd, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with potluck following

Sunday, October 29th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering celebrating Dia de los Muertos with Judi Lucero! (note change in date)

Sunday, November 5th – ZOOM POH Gathering, 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, November 12th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering, 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, November 19th – NO Paths of Heart Gathering

Sunday, November 26th – In person POH Gathering, 10:30 a.m.

Please mark your calendars for the above scheduled dates!

Guest Presenters and Musicians Wanted! Now that we’re meeting on a more regular basis we’d love to get back to having other folks present a topic on some Sundays and having other musicians sit in as well. Please get in touch if you’re interested! A small honorarium is available.

We’ve restarted our Paths of Heart Song Circles, usually the last Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 pm. 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. We will provide a variety of teas to drink. You are welcome to bring other beverages of choice. Please RSVP at least a day or two in advance! Since attendance has been rather inconsistent of late, we’d like the opportunity to make alternate plans if sign-up is light.

The following dates are on the calendar:

September 26th

October 24th (instead of the 31st, which is Halloween)

Giving Opportunities
Paths of Heart continues to welcome and appreciate your generous donations as we work to bolster our finances and return to regular Sunday gatherings. 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. We DO love all this rain, but we hope the weather will be more labyrinth-friendly soon!

Gratitudes

We are grateful for all the kind words and cards surrounding the recent loss of our furry family member, Riley. She was with us for over 15 years and we miss her presence in our lives. Yet we are grateful for the love and good times we shared in the mountains and lakes. You were a good girl, Riley. <3

What are you grateful for today?

“When gratitude becomes an essential foundation in our lives, miracles start to appear everywhere.”
~ Emmanuel Dagher

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

“The real gift of gratitude is that the more grateful you are, the more present you become.”
~ Robert Holden

“If you keep searching for everything beautiful in the world, you will eventually become it.”
~ Tyler Kent White

“Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.”
~ Eileen Caddy

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

September 17th, 2023

We’re happy to report that our old wicker couch is back in service at Paths of Heart after some long overdue repairs, and those uncomfortable wooden benches have moved on to serve elsewhere! While cleaning out the old bench seats (that were storing all sorts of goodies inside), we came across 2 pieces of paper that will serve as our topic this week! They deal with the subtleties of the words and (more importantly) the actions of serving, helping, caring, and caretaking. We all want to be “helpful” to our loved ones and within our community, and sometimes we may confuse the needs and wants of others and overstep boundaries in the process. We’ll explore these subtleties in our discussion this Sunday. We hope you’ll join us afterwards for a potluck lunch in the backyard!

In service and love, Colleen and Mark

Quotes to ponder

“In recent years, the question “how can I help?” has become meaningful to many people. But perhaps there is a deeper question we might consider. Perhaps the real question is not how can I help, but how can I serve?”
~ Rachel Naomi Remen

“You have not lived a perfect day, unless you have given something to someone who will never be in a position to repay you.”
~ Dada J. P. Vaswani

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a
listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all
of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
~ Leo F. Buscaglia

“Helping a child today will help prevent a broken adult tomorrow.”
~ Kathleen Paydo

“When we all lend a hand in helping in the community we improve everyone’s quality of life.”
~ Germany Kent

“It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.”
~ John Joseph Powell

Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest

***Dates subject to change! Please always refer to latest newsletters for latest information and updates***

Sunday, September 17th, 10:30 a.m. – In person POH Gathering with a potluck afterwards. Please bring your own reusable plate along with a dish to share. We’ll provide utensils, cups, and cloth napkins as we strive for near zero waste. We’ll also provide a variety of beverages, though you are welcome to bring a favorite.

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

Tuesday, September 26th, 7 p.m. – Paths of Heart Song Circle

Sunday, October 1st – NO Paths of Heart Gathering

Sunday, October 8th – NO Paths of Heart Gathering

Please mark your calendars for the above scheduled dates!

The following dates are on the calendar:

September 26th

October 24th (instead of the 31st, which is Halloween)

Gratitudes

We are grateful for cooler temps (bring it on, Autumn!) and the rain that graced us yesterday! We’re also grateful to our friend, Micah, who’s been helping us with many unfinished projects around the house (including fixing that couch!).

What are you grateful for today?

“When gratitude becomes an essential foundation in our lives, miracles start to appear everywhere.”
~ Emmanuel Dagher

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

“The real gift of gratitude is that the more grateful you are, the more present you become.”
~ Robert Holden

“If you keep searching for everything beautiful in the world, you will eventually become it.”
~ Tyler Kent White

“Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.”
~ Eileen Caddy