By Winnie Bolton I hear the word discernment on the theological formation level at Mount Angel Seminary often. Some of my volunteer time is spent at the seminary so my exposure to that continual awareness is insightful growth for me. Discernment gives rise to wisdom, the ability to look deeply into something and perceive distinction keenly with clarity. Discernment in […]
As I grow older outwardly, within me grows deeper the virtue of gratefulness. Please endure my humble spirit as I write about my pride of being a citizen of Mount Angel.
Remember all the Red Cross Blood Drives I would remind you of during all these years? Did you think I have forgotten how important they are? Never!
Faith is only one part in the equation of a spiritually mature life. Faith is similar to believing we need food for our existence else we die.
I have this habit of saving letters and the other day I came across a precious one touching my heart resulting in tears. I would like to share it with you because I hope all loving families can relate to it.
People who know me call me a Renaissance woman. Maybe, they’re right.
A few years ago, I read a book called Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Coleman which redefined the word “smart.’ The book addressed our society’s emotional health. Since then I’ve been discovering how important emotional intelligence is in our lives.
Too many people either don’t know how to share with others or they don’t care to share what they can share.
Like most adults, the older one becomes the more one looks back. Presently, it’s not so much where I’m heading but where I’ve been.
There is something deeply sacred about every single person. If we become blind to this, we end up treating people as if they were disposable objects and turn this beautiful world of ours into a wasteland.
To strengthen a child’s value system, to help them develop a solid foundation is far better than teaching them solutions to personal conflicts because, as parents, we can’t anticipate all the issues that will confront them.
There’s an old German fable that recounts a farmer having three sons. The farmer couldn’t decide which son should have his farm, so he gave each of them a simple chore: Whoever could fill the barn to the brim with no space left would receive the farm.
Asking forgiveness of his crucifiers, Christ said,” Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” while he was dying on the cross.
Summer is ending. Fall is approaching and so, as a past teacher, my thoughts usually turn to school starting.
Last month brought back graduation ceremony memories, some of which were our grandchildren’s that my late husband, Tom, and I were able to attend.
My monthly columns fall under the heading “Something for the Soul,” which I take pretty seriously but hopefully not without a sense of humor when appropriate.
No other human activity demands as much hard work as raising children.
Words, words, what do they mean? Even when we put them into sentences trying to express our thoughts, they don’t always say what we intend, hard as we try.
What’s it like to have been raised by an Irish mother? St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect time to share that experience with you. My mom, Marie Byrne, was born into a farming family in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, Erie. She arrived at Ellis Island, New York, in 1920 at 17 years of age, to be a nanny for an affluent stockbroker’s family.
Yes, I’ll say it again and again, year after year – Valentine’s Day is my very favorite day.
We’re rounding the corner on another year – think you can handle it? Without God’s help, we really can’t.
While I was volunteering eight years ago, helping a group of elementary students write their letters to Santa Claus, I asked the children what’s important to remember about the Christmas season.
By Winnie Bolton Ask any married couple and they’ll agree marriage is hard work. There are compromises, communication challenges and never-ending responsibilities – especially when children are involved. Yet in our society where almost half of all marriages end in divorce, it seems as if the work isn’t getting done. If a marriage is going to be fulfilling, it has […]
Did you ever have a loving dream that upon waking made you realize who you really are – like the goodness of which God made you?
Our Town is a multi-community newspaper disseminating announcements of local classes, occurrences of events, opinions, business news, celebrations, a refreshing perspective of “just us folks who happen to work, live, play and die here.”
