Lois Arneson...a True Legacy*

I recently went to a memorial service for a dear friend of mine who had died on December 18, 2013. I have always thought of Lois Arneson as a loving person, a godly woman, a prayer warrior, and like a grandma to me. Every time I saw her, I sure would get a nice, big hug from her. You could feel her love through those hugs.  She also made me some nice items: a quilt, a soccer ball, scissors holder, and some pillow cases to match the quilt. I was also one of the many people she sent birthday cards too. I just looked in my recipe book, and sure enough, I did get her recipe for Pecan Pie Muffins, one year.

Then in July of 2011, she presented me with a special gift. It was a Christmas couch cover, or a couch quilt you can cuddle with. It is so pretty. She gave it to me in July because she had been working on it for awhile due to her failing eyesight. She told me she couldn't see very well, but she didn't let that stop her from making this beautiful Christmas blanket just for me. You couldn't tell that the maker of the quilt had any eye problems because it's nicely made.  It really touched my heart that she gave it to me at that time. Every year, when I pull out the Christmas decor, the Christmas blanket goes on the couch. It reminds me of her special love for me and for making people special.

After the memorial service, I talked to a few family members of Lois'. One of them said that "Lois was so loving to us (her family), and it was kind of expected since we were her family, but I had no idea that she was so loving to so many people outside of her family until we heard everyone talk about her here (at the memorial service). She gave love to a variety of ages (the young and the old)." 
Another relative, I think it was Lois' nephew, had a bag of Lois' items. There was a stack of papers that she had piled up in her room. He shared some of them with us. After I gave him my last name when he asked me what is was, he pulled out a red card stock with a poem I had written in 2005. Lois had kept that poem I had written. It really touched my heart that she had that poem in her special pile.

She has taught me to treat everyone the same. Treat each one with special love.  And Pray, Pray, Pray. She sure loved God....

To me, it seems she treated everyone with that special love. As Chris Neal said, "Lois was the church 'Mom.'"  That was our Lois. She sure loved people and we sure loved her.  She definitely was the "Church Mom"... or in my case..., "The Church Grandma."

I heard someone recently say: "A Christian doesn't die, they just have a change of address."

HaPpY nEw YeAr*

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014...
I hope you have a wonderful year...Keep your chin up and keep moving forward.
Pain is hard to deal with it at times, make sure you have a support group of people, like friends, family, or even doctors to help you manage your pain.