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Lois Mitchell: Pennies and a Life Well Lived

A Cebration of Life Service for Mrs. Lois Mitchell

January 9, 2026

Today we gather with heavy hearts—but also with grateful hearts. Grief and gratitude often sit side by side at moments like this. We grieve because we love. And we give thanks because God gave us the gift of Mrs. Lois for 77 years.

Mrs. Lois was many things to many people: a daughter, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a friend. But if you were to ask her family how they would summarize her life, you wouldn’t hear long speeches or grand claims. You’d hear words like caring, giving, and big-hearted. You’d hear stories about faith lived quietly and love shown consistently.

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The Surprise of Christmas

This Christmas at our house, there was a lot of smiling and a lot of thankfulness—but not a lot of surprise. Every time someone opened a gift and tried to act shocked, somebody else would say, “It was on your Amazon list.”

And as soon as that was said, the surprise was gone.

We live in a world where almost nothing catches us off guard anymore. We track packages. We make lists. We already know what’s coming.

But the first Christmas?

Nobody had a list.

Nobody expected it to happen this way.

And Luke reminds us that Christmas isn’t about God meeting expectations—it’s about God doing something far better than we imagined.

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Holy Living: 1 John 2:16 Counterfeit Coconuts

In some parts of the world, people catch monkeys with a simple trap: they place a treat inside a narrow-necked jar. The monkey reaches in, grabs the food—but with its clenched fist, it can’t pull its hand out. Freedom would be as simple as letting go, but the monkey refuses, and stays stuck.

This morning we’re going to look at 3 coconuts, if you will, that keep us trapped.

The world grabs our attention with what looks like treasure. But it traps us when we refuse to let go. The flesh says “I need it,” the eyes say “I want it,” and pride says “I deserve it.”

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Journey Through Malachi: 3:16-4:6

16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

4  “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

  • INTRODUCTION

Important days…Waiting for a wedding…

In a few weeks, Allison and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. It’s an amazing feet that she hasn’t given up on me yet.

When we were getting married Allison made a three ring binder with all things wedding in it, With ideas for different things and things she didn’t want to forget.

From a guys perspective, we don’t share the same burden, or privilege, or joy, or responsibility as planning. It’s a bunch of excitement at the beginning, then it turns into a long wait.

And then, out of the blue, it seems like the wedding day is here.

And on that day, you begin the day as one thing, a Batchelor , but end it as something else, a husband.

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Journey Through Jude: 8-25

8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.

  • This verse, and the following serve largely as a commentary on verse 6
  • “relying on their dreams” – These people were appealing to their dreams as a basis for their morality and decision making.
  • APP: As believers, that is precisely what we are not to do. God’s Word serves as our moral compass, not our personal thoughts because we can justify almost anything we want.
  • “defile the flesh” – Their false teaching has fleshed itself out in sexual immorality.
  • “reject authority” – Just as is mentioned in verse 6, See also: Genesis 3 (Adam and Eve), Genesis 6 (angels)
  • “blaspheme the glorious ones” – Who are these “glorious ones”?Some say this refers to human dignataries…this seems unlikely due to the context of Jude. Perhaps this is a reference to Sodom and Gomorrah and the angels desire to take the angels for themselves. This is most likely a reference to supernatural beings/angels.

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Journey Through Malachi: 2.17-3.15

Introduction:

  • Yesterday, Allison and I and the girls and my brother and sister in law took the boat to the lake. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. However, Allison and I cannot get on that boat without getting into an argument about Gide lines or anchors or something. Every time we get in that boat, everything ends up being a tangled mess. We can organize and store the best we can, but when it comes time to deploy an anchor or grab a rope to tie us to the dock, it’s going to be tangled or misplaced or something! Yesterday, I couldn’t find my ropes to tie us to the dock…that was yesterday’s argument. But after that, we were on our way. We ended up at the Backwater Bash at Hardridge Creek. 2 boats came loose from their anchors and almost hit us.

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Journey Through Jude: 1-7

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

  • verses 1 and 2 serve as a standard introduction for epistles during this day.
  • “Jude” – 1/2 Brother of Jesus; Brother of James; see: Matt. 13.55; Mark 6.3. Jude avoided saying that he was the Lord’s brother:1) because of his humility 2) because Jesus’ elevated position
  • “servant” – doulos; pertaining to a state of being completely controlled by someone or something—‘subservient to, controlled by.’
  • “James” – A prominent leader in the early church in Jerusalem. Brother to Jesus. Jesus appeared to him after his resurrection according to 1 Cor. 15.7.
  • “called” – The term “called” does not merely mean that God invited believers to be his own. Those whom God calls are powerfully and inevitably brought to faith in Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the gospel. The call of God is extended only to some and is always successful, so that all those who are called become believers. Such an understanding of “called” is clearly attested in the Pauline writings (Rom 1:1, 6–7; 8:28, 30; 1 Cor 1:1–2, 9, 24; Gal 1:15; 1 Thess 2:12; 5:24; 2 Thess 2:14; 2 Tim 1:9; cf. 1 Pet 2:9; 5:10; 2 Pet 1:3; Rev 17:14).  For more clarity, see 1 Corinthians 1.22-25.

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