March 3rd, 2024
One of the things that personally keeps me (Colleen) engaged in Paths of Heart is that when I am having challenges in my own life, we can pick a topic that helps in the learning and healing process of that particular challenge and I can steep myself in the wisdom of others while we prepare for Sunday’s message. Frequently we’re told it’s a message you needed to hear that day, too, so how cool is that?! We’re all in this together and we have more in common than we sometimes (want to) realize. Thanks for joining us on a journey of compassion this week!
Colleen and Mark
Quotes to ponder
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”
~ Coretta Scott King
(this was in last week’s newsletter, but lo and behold, compassion was in there, so I kept it!)
“As we grow in our consciousness, there will be more compassion and more love, and then the barriers between people, between religions, between nations will begin to fall. Yes, we have to beat down the separateness.”
~ Ram Dass
“For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed?“
~ bell hooks
“The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.”
~ Thomas Merton
“Great teachers emanate out of knowledge, passion and compassion.”
~ A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
“Compassion brings us to a stop, and for a moment we rise above ourselves.”
~ Mason Cooley
Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest
***Dates subject to change! Please always refer to latest newsletters for latest information and updates***
Sunday, March 3rd – In person POH Gathering, 10:30 a.m.
Sunday, March 10th – ZOOM POH Gathering, 10:30 a.m. Remember, Daylight Saving Time begins! And so does Ramadan!
Sunday, March 17th – NO Paths of Heart Gathering
Sunday, March 24th – In person POH Gathering, 10:30 a.m. Judi Lucero will be our guest musician (God willing and the creek don’t rise!” as we both like to say!)
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.
Paths of Heart Song Circles have been discontinued due to lack of attendance. We’re sorry to see them go!
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.
Gratitudes
We are so grateful for all who came to our 10 year Celebration of Paths of Heart! It was such a lovely morning of sharing! Big thanks also to Katharine Gregory for co-facilitating!
We are ecstatic about some movement on our upcoming Sloniker family CD (6 years or so in the making! Darn Covid…). Myles has been working with an engineer in NYC on the final mixes. Stay tuned!
What are you grateful for today?
I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.
~ Brene Brown
What I’ve learned is there’s a scientifically proven phenomenon that’s attached to gratitude, and that if you consciously take note of what is good in your life, quantifiable benefits happen.
~ Deborah Norville
“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.”
~ Meister Eckhart
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Just an observation: it is impossible to be both grateful and depressed. Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.”
~ Steve Maraboli
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!