RANDOM REMEMBRANCES OF MY MOM

The Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands --Deuteronomy 7:9

November 8, 2003 is when the Lord called mom home. I confess I had to look up the year – I’m not good with dates – but I do know that I continue to miss her and am truly grateful for the many precious memories. I remember Momma
· Mom was fun – even as a child I had a playmate whenever I asked – sometimes I didn’t even have to ask – she had a childlike exuberance for fun.
· When I think of her with children – my own when they were little, all of her grandchildren and even great grandchildren – not to mention the hundreds she worked with as a volunteer through the years, I smile. Mom had magic with them, and they always giggled at her silliness and loved her back.
· Jesus loved the children too and said of such was the Kingdom of heaven. Mom’s love for the children was Jesus touch on their lives.
· I think of how frugal she was – she used to make our dresses from sacks that our chicken feed was packed in; our school lunches were carried in a bag recycled from the grocery store, the sandwich was stored in a used bread wrapper, but our tummies were always full
· Our hearts were full too --- we knew she loved us with her very being. I often wish I had loved her better.
· Mom was frugal way past when she had to be --- she had learned early what was valuable and important in life, and it wasn’t material things.
· Somehow mom saved enough money to make her two little daughters wonderful, long, billowy matching dresses for our piano recital – one blue, one yellow with embroidered flowers on a huge pilgrim type collar – we were gorgeous (or so we though).
· Sister Stella from the local Catholic school was our piano teacher; we were her only protestant students. At the recital we stood out among all white dresses (from their confirmations). At the next recital, color reigned.
· From time to time, I gave her a bit of a challenge (understated). As a teen I remember her chasing me with her broom to make me “behave”. My secret was to make her laugh so that she had to stop and cross her legs, and then we both would collapse in heaps of laughter and she would forget why she was angry.
· Mom was generous to a fault and when she knew of a need and could contribute, she did -- the “bums” that used to come to our door for a meal, those who had no warm clothing, the elderly or the sick who needed meals, hugs and words of encourage to the abused and so much more. She had learned to love with Jesus’ compassion.
· When I pass the entrance to her Leisure World home and think of the many times we turned in for a visit or to pick her up for an occasion I swallow hard
· When I see her friend from Leisure world, she gives me a hug and tells me that she misses mom – my eyes are again wet as I whisper “I do too”.
· Mom’s now living in her heavenly mansion that Jesus prepared especially for her.
· It was the high point of Mother’s Day when she saw any one of her family and her face reflected the delight.
· When she was expecting a visit from out-of-town family, she could hardly sleep with excitement – same went for when she visited them
· I think of the Christmas we each gave her stuffed animals -- she never had one as a child. What fun to see her open them with childlike excitement. The teddy bear in the spare bedroom was hers – I give it a hug.
· In my home office are pictures – there’s one when she was about 20 and one at 80 something – both smiling sweetly. She was a beautiful woman
· …never more beautiful to me as a child as when she was dressed in her white, sparkly grown to attend Eastern Star, the women are auxiliary of the Masons. Mom seldom fussed with her appearance – she was usually in a housedress and apron, but it took my breath away each time I saw her in her special gown – with makeup. My mind’s picture of her is as clear today as it was at 99 Madison Ave.
· For her 90th birthday party, I asked for a list of her favorite hymns, I got three sheets of hymn titles (no lines skipped). We didn’t quite make it through all of them, but it was fun trying and her face was radiant as the family sang.
· My eyes are moist when I sing of When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be, when we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory. She’s in heaven now singing praises to God for His amazing Grace –
· When I change the sheets in the spare room – (it was where she died), I remember that men from the funeral home wrapped her up in the yellow and blue sunflower sheet – it seemed fitting that it was bright and cheerful.
· She now wears heavenly garments and I KNOW she is smiling.
· My firm hope is that I will see her again when God calls me home. I too want all those we love to be there with us and continue her prayers for each of them.
· I often long for that sweet touch of her soft gentle hand on the back of mine. It meant “I love you”, “I’m praying for you”. “Everything is going to be OK”.
· I miss her especially when I need someone to pray for one of my “kids” -- she was always faithful to pray for her family, and she loved every one of them. What a privilege to have a mother who prayed.
· She totally enjoyed life both in good and in difficult times – the eternal optimist. Mom loved to laugh. The woman even enjoyed the experience of dying. She made it easy for those of us who cared for her to release her.
· Most of all in life, she valued her relationship with God and wanted so much for each of us to know Him.
· Now I can relate to how very full of longing her heart was for her own children. She never stopped wanting the very best for them, and the very best was a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

"For I will pour out water on those who are thirsty, and floods on the dry ground. I will pour out MY SPIRIT on your descendants, and MY Blessing on their families. They will spring up among the grass like willows by the water courses. One will say, 'I am the LORD's' another will call on the Name of Jesus, and another will write with his hand, 'Belonging to the LORD'." Isaiah 44:3-5