Eileen Benthal

A deeper remembrance: We are each called to remember the love the Lord has for us in such a way that it causes us to love and serve one another.

I remember the first time I experienced a prayer meeting. It was a large gathering in the basement of a Catholic church. I was a teenager in high school. The guitar music was vibrant and uplifting. I noticed right away that people seemed to be freer in this group, like they were really in love with Jesus. It was quite different from the average, organ-led music and worship at a typical Sunday Mass.

I have met some very special moms in my lifetime, but none have quite touched my heart and enriched my life as those mothers who share the added blessings of raising kids with special needs. Riverhead has quite a few of these wonderful moms whom I am proud to call my friends.

Most things that I learned about mothering, I learned from my children.

I remember the day I discovered I was pregnant with my first born son. I was so amazed at the fact that for the next nine months, I was never going to be alone!

Being a people person, I thought that was just great! Little did I know that 25 years and four kids later, I would crave some time alone!

I led the music and worship for a retreat last weekend. The speaker was a psychotherapist whom I have had the pleasure of serving with on other retreats. This doctor is a woman of profound strength and conviction who is passionate about sharing the Lord’s love and being used by God to heal others. In her practice as a psychotherapist and her work as a preacher and teacher, the love of God shines through.

See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the song of doves is heard in our land (Song of Songs 2:11-12).

A nasty respiratory infection leads to a spiritual epiphany, just as news arrived of the Boston Marathon terror attack: Life on Purpose by Eileen Benthal.