Patricia Anne Cinnamon Arnold

Memorial service for Patricia Anne Cinnamon Arnold, 69, will be held at 12 noon Saturday, October 8, 2022, at LeCompte Johnson Taylor Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 10am until time of service. Burial will take place at Sunset Memorial Garden. Patricia lived this life to the fullest. She was born on October 6, 1952, in Franklin County, Kentucky as the second daughter of builder Albert Cinnamon and Verna Simpson Cinnamon. She is survived by her husband Gayle C. Arnold Jr., sisters Sandra Campbell (Don) and Rhoda Goff (Herb), brother-in-law Robert Arnold (Brenda) as well as her nieces Michelle Traveis (Mark), and Lisa Patterson (Jamie), nephews Kaelin Goff (Rebecca), and Austin Goff. She graduated from Franklin County High School in 1970 and was employed by various government agencies until her retirement from the Attorney General’s office in 2002. She was married to veteran Gayle C. Arnold, Jr. for just over 51 years. They enjoyed traveling together to all 50 states and abroad. Patty, as she was known by her friends, was an avid outdoors person and gardener. She kept her mother’s strain of canna flowers growing on her property along with many other annual and perennial flowers and shrubs. Patty took a walk about every day. While wintering in West Palm Beach, Florida she made a point to visit one of the many nearby parks for her daily outing. Patty inherited her mother’s flair for cooking. Nothing was “store bought” if it could be made from “scratch”. Many wonderful meals were enjoyed by her extended family around Patty and Gayle’s dinner table. No one turned down an invitation for a meal at Aunt Patty’s house. Numerous, Arnold, Goff, Campbell, and Traveis knees have been placed under her table – all to the delight of their owner. Thanksgiving dinner was special as all the sisters – Sandra, Patty, Rhoda, and niece Michelle contributed to making it a culinary success. Having no children of their own, Patty and Gayle became “temporary” parents to Michelle Adams for a short time while she finished high school. She and Gayle were also the first line of defense babysitters for Kaelin and Austin – especially available on short notice. There was always a bunch of toys stored in their attic. While they never had pets, Patty “tolerated” Ellie, Herb, and Rhoda’s springer spaniel for social visits. We think she actually liked her. Rhoda describes Patty as her “Best friend and buddy”. Apparently, this is true as the little sister was allowed to tag along with her and Gayle on several cruises – both to Alaska and the Caribbean. Also, Patty and Gayle’s Florida home was open to all family members for visits which were taken advantage of on numerous occasions. Patty Arnold, funeral notes. While Patty loved people and the outdoors, her first love was her faith and trust in God. Not only in Frankfort, but during their winter sojourns in Florida, her joy was to meet with their friends there during Sunday and Wednesday night meetings. Lerion who hosted the meeting had a special place in her heart, in addition to the others there. She often referred to them with kind remembrances throughout the year when they were away. Patty’s faith and hope kept her strong during her final struggle. Her life was lived focused on a purpose above this mortal coil. She was brave in her battle and confident that a better place awaited. She kept her faith and fought the fight until the end. “The race is not to the swift nor battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill, but time and chance happeneth to them all.” Patty’s time was cut short, but her memory will remain vivid in the minds of those that knew her. We love and admire what she stood for and hope to make it our own someday. HYMN 13. Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee. Patty chose this hymn. LAURELL ZINN: Our Father in Heaven, we are so thankful this day for your promises. We are thankful for the life lived before us. We’re thankful for fellowship. We’re thankful for memories and we’re thankful for love. We’re thankful most of all Father, for your great plan and for your wisdom and your care and for your faithfulness. As we remember our sister, we’re thankful for your graciousness toward her and for her faith. We remember the proof of your hand in her life, and her willingness to allow you to be honored. Father, we thank you that your promises are eternal and does not stop with the natural life but you have planned for eternity. We’re thankful that we can trust that you were with her in life and you were with her through this experience and we’re thankful we can trust that you will be with those left behind. Your comfort is above all other comforts and your salvation is above all other promises upon this earth. We pray that we could feel your touch and know the power and the grace and the love of your word continuing to speak to hearts. We’re thankful, Father, that we can trust in your hand and trust in your presence with us today. We pray that you would remind us of your care again and remind us of your love and all that you have done and continue to do to draw near to us. We pray that we could draw near to you, we ask in your son’s name. Amen. MARJORIE LEHMAN: We were singing in that hymn, “The love of Jesus, none but his loved ones know.” There are a lot of verses that we could read that reminds us of our sister. Coming to my mind is James 1;3. “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” Verse 12. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him”. Verse 17. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” There are a lot of gifts that we have for a while. Patty loved life and she loved people. She loved God, his word, and his sent one. Because God gave her the perfect gift, that’s the one you can keep. A lot of gifts we enjoy for a while, but the perfect gift is the one we can keep. Just before the service, Gayle was telling me that the last 6 years of their lives have meant the most. Why? It’s because they got to share the best things together. It’s the perfect gift that comes from God. It’s because of his word, fellowship through his word, fellowship because of his spirit, that brought privileges and blessings that were new to them because of what God had given them. Now that natural life is gone, there are a lot of things that have left us. The gift of friendship, the gift of sharing naturally, even the hospitality that we often shared in because of Patty’s love of hospitality. We’re thankful for that. But what I’m thankful for today is that she loved the perfect gift, and that’s the gift that we can keep for all eternity. How did she get it? It’s found in that verse 21. It says, “Wherefore laying apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your soul.” Receiving something from God that is foreign to us naturally, with meekness receiving that, and letting God do the work. I Cor. 13, we read some more about this love of Jesus and what it is. If you substitute the word Jesus for the word charity, it helps us understand what the love of Jesus is. “Though I speak with the tongue of men and of angels and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass and a tinkling symbol. Though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity I am nothing.” Or if I have not Jesus, I am nothing. I also thought we could substitute the word Patty for charity. Charity suffereth long. Patty was patient. Patty was kind. Patty was content. Patty didn’t boast and she didn’t dishonor others. She behaved herself in a becoming way. She wasn’t easily provoked, she kept no record of wrong. Why? Because she had in her heart something from God. That’s the part that only God can give. So we’re thankful for the comfort today because of that word of God in her heart that grew into something so sweet and so special. Her relationship with God brought her into special relationship with others. We’re thankful for influence, even though the person passes, the influence remains. It makes us so grateful that it’s not the end. What seems so final, in many ways death seems to be the conclusion of life, but for God’s people it’ just passing on to what we’ve lived for. We’re thankful that we can trust her into the hands of the one that she loved the most. And also trust his care in keeping our own souls that we could live for that perfect day. PHILIP FARRIS: I just feel like I can say a hearty amen to all that’s been said. Patty had so many good human qualities that were built upon spiritual qualities. Maybe I’m saying it backward, rather maybe it’s hard to distinguish, because there was so much good about her before she started serving God. When she started serving God in the early 90’s, she became not just a good human person but a good spiritual person. I grew up in West KY near Paducah, so I’ve known of the family all my life and remember the special meeting rounds in ‘92 or ‘93. My memories are like many of you have said, she was a sweet smiling lady with a heart of love. The obituary mentions her love of hospitality and her love of cooking. I asked Gayle if he would want us to read the obituary, and the answer was a clear no. Patty didn’t want us to read the obituary. Not only did she have a lot of good qualities, but like Marjorie mentioned, she was humble. I think she would rather we focus on what made her this wonderful spiritual person, because that can continue on as her legacy in the lives of others. The thought of her being such a good cook spun off another line of thought. I’ve visited in their home, not only here in KY, but also down in West Palm Beech, FL. One thing you never had to question was whether Patty’s home was clean or not or whether she was clean or not, whether her mind was clean or not. The reason for this was because she had a clean heart. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. We had a good indication of what was in her heart because of the clean conversation, the clean life. I’ve had most of the week to think along these lines. Maybe the summary of my thoughts is the clean spirit adds up to the clean life. Mark 9. Jesus said, “There’s some of you standing here that will not taste of death till they’ve seen the kingdom of God come with power.” They didn’t have to wait that long. “Six days later Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up to a high mountain apart and he was transfigured before them. His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow as no fuller on earth can white them.” Another translation says, “his clothes became shining, exceeding white, like snow, as no launderer on earth can white them.” I used to think the fuller was like a laundry detergent, but actually it’s the person doing the laundry. Maybe we could think of them as the dry cleaner, the person doing the laundry. Jesus was so pure that even his clothes were shining, exceeding white, like snow. There was no detergent or laundry person who could make his clothes that clean. He was using a detergent that wasn’t of earthly origin. The connection to Patty is that her very clean life was beyond just human effort, beyond just human goodness and cleanness. In Exodus 34;35 when Moses went up on the mountain, when he came down the skin on his face was glowing. This cleanness we’re talking about comes from being close to God. Being close to a pure God brings about a pure heart, and a pure heart brings about a pure manner of life and pure conversation. This incredible cleanness... The people were shocked when Moses came down. He didn’t realize his face was glowing. Peter, James, and John were shocked when they saw Jesus clothes shining white as snow. So how did Patty become such a spiritual and clean person? Being close to God. Getting close to God is how we become spiritually clean. Malachi 3, first few verses. “Behold I will send my messenger. He shall prepare the way before me. The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in. Behold he will come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fuller’s soap. He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. He shall purify the sons of Levi, purge them as gold and silver.” God is interested in helping us be pure. If we want to be pure spiritually, He’s more than ready, willing, and able to help us do that. Patty began her journey in this spiritual purification in the early 90’s and has continued till now, and now she’s entering into the pureness of Heaven. Uncleanness cannot stand before God. Without help none of us can stand before God. Without a fuller, a laundry person, this would be a hopeless sad day. The sadness is our loss. Grief and tears because we won’t get to visit with Patty anymore and enjoy her fellowship and hospitality, her clean home and her clean life. But we’re not sad for her, because she’s entered into the fullness and cleanliness, joy and beauty exceeding abundantly above of all that we could think or ask. PS 65. “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causes to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even thy holy temple.” “Iniquities prevail against me. As for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.” God wants to purge away our transgressions so that we can be purified, not just in the eyes of man but in the eyes of God. It’s great to be a nice neighbor or a nice husband or wife, a nice human. But as far as standing before God, we must be pure, and we cannot do that just in human strength. He wants to help us. “Thou shalt purge them away.” Purging is like cleansing. Cleansing away what would keep us out of God’s sight. PS 51;7. David’s prayer. “Purge me with hyssop, I shall be clean. Wash me, I’ll be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, Oh God. Renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence. Take not thy holy spirit from me.” So the detergent is there. The laundry person is there. Do I go to the laundry person, the dry cleaner to get my soul or my spirit clean? Obviously Patty did. She went to the one who could clean her spirit and it showed. That’s a wonderful comfort to us. There’s a lady in another part of the state who I’m very interested in because she’s part of my family. She is where Patty was not long ago. She has a different kind of cancer in a different part of the body, but she has a lot of questions. She wants to know how she can be clean before God. What do I need to do to be right before God? How can I be cleansed? She had a visit with a couple friends from that meeting yesterday, and a lot of the visit was about the mercy of God and the love of God. This thing that Patty’s been studying since the early 90’s, that friend is desperately asking her children, the workers, the friends in that meeting, “How can I be clean?” It’s a great comfort that Patty’s been studying this all these years, getting close to God in this regard. Heb 9;11 is talking about the old covenant, the old law, that was very physical. “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” The promise of eternal life is connected to this purging, to this cleansing. This is an amazing thing to me. It’s not just washing the outward garment, but it’s a washing of the heart and even of the conscience. It purges out the memory of our mistakes from our conscious. Isaiah talked about the former heaven and earth are passed away, there’s no more remembrance of the former heaven and earth. That’s God’s mercy, because God doesn’t want us to spend eternity obsessing, grieving over mistakes we’ve made in this life. So Jesus can purge our conscience from the dead works. PS 51 about David’s transgression with Bathsheba and having her husband killed. Talk about disturbing heaven’s rest! If David and Uriah met each other in heaven. But the memory of this life is purged for God’s people. They get to start life all over just like a new baby. A baby is born forming their own memories. A baby is not born with the memories of their parents. So people going to heaven get to start all over making new memories in heaven, in this perfect place with none of the mistakes or injuries given or received remembered. David and Uriah would not remember the horrible mistakes of this life. It’s totally purged. This is very special to me just thinking about the purity of Patty’s life. She entered into that in this life, and now she’s entered into the fullness of it. No regrets of any kind. This other lady wonders, “what am I going to do about these 77 years? Is it possible for the mistakes of 77 years to be washed away?” Yes, it is. With the detergent, that Christ provides. This fuller, this cleaner is beyond any human cleaner. I’m sure there was dish detergent in Patty’s home, laundry detergent, floor cleaning soap, soap for our bodies, shampoo for our hair. Many different kinds of detergents. What kind of detergent can we use for our eternal spirit? Whatever is most important to us is what we keep clean. What we value, we keep close to us and we keep it clean. You can tell whether a child appreciates a toy or not if they keep it close to them and clean. If they leave their bicycle out in the rain and dirty, do they really appreciate it? Taking care of it shows that they appreciate the bike and the person who gave it to them. God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life, and we want to keep it clean. Where does this detergent ultimately come from? The one and only detergent that can clean our spirit, presents a sinless spirit to God on judgment day. Rev 7;13,14. “One of the elders answered saying to me, ‘what are these which are arrayed in white robes? Whence came they?’ I said to him, ‘Sir, thou knowest.’ He said to me, ‘These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.’” The result of them washing their robes is verse 15. “Therefore are they before the throne of God.” So that’s where these people are, that have chosen to live a clean spiritual life. We know where they are, they are before the throne of God. So what are they doing? “They serve him day and night in his temple. He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.” This incredible fellowship that Patty has enjoyed and facilitated, been drawn to and drawn others to, is perfect. The one who sits on the throne dwells among them. These people that have been purified, who consciously washed the robes of their spirit, are in heaven before the throne of God doing what Patty loved to do. Serving each other and being served. Jesus, the lamb, feeding his people a very special diet. The diet comes from the tree of life. A tree that produces a new crop of fruit every month. The leaves are for the healing of the nations. It gets beyond our human comprehension, just how good and how great things are. But it starts with a choice, a choice that Patty made, to be clean before God. When I was in school, I enjoyed being around some of my classmates because they were clean people and you felt safe around them. Others, I didn’t feel safe with because you never knew what bad things they would say, and I liked to get away from them. I never felt that way around Patty, never had the thought of avoiding her. I was drawn to her because of the cleanness of her spirit having a cleansing effect on my spirit. During my first few years in the Work, I had the privilege of being around Mr. Taylor Wood. Three or four of us younger brother workers in the Carolina’s always competed to see who could take Mr. Taylor to town or wherever he needed to go. We even discussed Why we wanted to be with this older man, who was very quiet and didn’t have that much to say. Why were we so eager to be with him? We concluded that it was because of his spirit. I loved being with Mr. Taylor because of the effect his spirit had on my spirit. I loved being with Patty because of the effect her spirit had on my spirit when I was with her. I think that’s why a lot of you are here. Obviously to support the family and we appreciate that. She’s gone now, but we have the memory of her spirit. Like a nice scent of a good meal. The meal is finished, but the house still smells like the turkey or whatever. Her sacrifice, her cleansed life has been offered before the Lord, she’s gone but the memory of her clean life can still have an effect on us. I appreciate having known her and the privilege of having a part in this service, and we desire that we could go forth with the same purpose in our life. Like Marjorie said, death for God’s people is not the end. It’s going on to what they’ve lived for instead of leaving behind what they’ve lived for. Ms Patty has gone on to what she lived for. In this perfect beautiful place, perfect and clean forever. We are thankful for these things... HYMN 34 Teach us, Lord.

Patricia Anne Cinnamon Arnold

October 6, 1952 - September 30, 2022