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Eileen Benthal

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Eileen is a writer, speaker and wellness coach with a bachelor’s degree in theology from Franciscan University. She and her husband Steve live in Jamesport and have four young adult children. Email Eileen

‘Awareness’ is the first step toward compassion

by Sep 25, 2022
If we follow the idea behind these awareness campaigns and remember that we don’t necessarily know another’s pain, so be patient and respectful, many lives could be helped by our kindness. 

The thing with feathers that perches the soul

by Sep 4, 2022
Column: The poet Emily Dickinson compared hope to a bird, like the sweet goldfinches that stay close to my sunflowers, watching and waiting for the them to bloom and the seeds to ripen.

For a person with disabilities, accessibility is everything in a world full of obstacles

by Jul 31, 2022
As the parent of a child with disabilities, I thought I understood what it was like to be disabled in a world mostly for able-bodied people. A broken knee taught me that I didn't have a clue.

Transformation of an overgrown, forgotten garden is a symbol of renewal and hope

by Jul 17, 2022
“Behold, I make all things new.” It took hard work to uncover the beauty that lay beneath the weeds, and now, four years later, the garden is renewed in splendor.

My hope for life: One woman’s personal story of pregnancy and motherhood

by Jul 3, 2022
Column by Eileen Benthal: The debates over abortion are not about whether we are pregnant with human life. The debate is about when we decide this human life is a person with rights protected under the law and whose rights —  the mother’s right to choose or the child’s right to life — takes precedence. 

Learning to ‘bee patient’— an important life lesson

by Jun 19, 2022
Beekeeping teaches the value of being patient.

Freedom comes with responsibilities

by May 29, 2022
The Lord promises the Spirit brings freedom and heaven answers our prayers with a question, “Why are you standing there looking at the sky?” Who is freedom for if not for the living? 

The soothing — yes, soothing — sound of my rooster’s morning call

by May 15, 2022
There are lessons to be learned in the garden and even in the backyard chicken coop. While some may not appreciate being awakened by a crowing rooster at dawn, we all can relate to the struggle of finding our own voice and speaking up for another’s good will. 

It’s a beautiful life

by May 1, 2022
It is possible to find contentment in life in any circumstances — happy or sad, easy or hard;  isolated or surrounded by family and friends. The secret is finding contentment within us rather than around us.

The egg: a symbol of life and redemption for Christians and Jews in this holy season

by Apr 17, 2022
Living one’s life focused on a cure for disease can actually take away from living the life we are trying so desperately to prolong.
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