Two Women Named Lois

2008 is almost gone and I have been thinking about resolutions for the new year...and that brings me to thoughts of two inspirational women in my life, Lois Bisbee and Lois Elwell. These are ladies from the church where I grew up. Lois Elwell was the pastor's wife, a Sunday School teacher and piano teacher of mine, and was the ultimate Proverbs 31 woman. Not to say she was the only Proverbs 31 woman that has inspired me but she was certainly the first. I am grateful to God for her (and her family's) HUGE influence on my very young life. Lois is gone now but her spirit lives on in her family. http://www.ehow.com/how_2158942_be-proverbs-woman.html

Next, Lois Bisbee...another huge influence at an early age, my Sunday School teacher, bible camp teacher, gave me by bridal shower and Brittani's baby shower. One year she held bible camp at her house out in the woods, she had the most splendid merry-go-round you could ever imagine and the woods was so fun to play in. This particular summer we learned about the fruit of the spirit and though I don't remember exactly how it played out, we were to seek out paper plates marked with all the fruits of the spirit and see which team could find them all first. I don't know about the rest of the kids but this activity made a huge impression on me. That we were to seek God and as we knew Him better we would acquire these fruits in our lives...I am resolving to seek God through prayer and being still with Him and hopefully acquiring the fruits of His spirit to make a difference for Him in this world...

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22)

The word "Spirit" is with a capital "S" - which means these 9 fruits are coming directly from the Holy Spirit - not from us.

I wish all of you a Happy New Year. Please keep us in your prayers.