Patti's Bio

I was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, as Wendy tells Peter Pan at the end of the book, “ever so much more than twenty” years ago.  After a few years in South Dakota, my family lived for the next ten years in Douglas, Arizona and Las Cruces, New Mexico.  I was well on my way to becoming a bona fide cowgirl (horse, 4H, rodeos and all!) when my family moved to Arcadia, California.  Following high school graduation, I journeyed to the wilds of northern Indiana where I attended St. Mary’s College and then transferred to the University of Notre Dame graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies in Notre Dame’s first coeducational graduating class.

Returning home to southern California after college, I began a 15-year career in personnel management with various agencies of the federal government.  During that time the Lord began to stir my heart with a greater desire to serve Him.  I journeyed to Sri Lanka for a summer to work with missionaries, with a stopover in Hong Kong to carry Bibles into China.  Later, I was able to accompany missionary teams to Argentina.

In 1992 I was privileged to be invited to join the staff of Sierra Madre Congregational Church as the Women’s Ministries Director.  SMCC Women’s Ministries is dear to my heart since it was there in the evening Bible Study that the Word of God was first opened up to me.  Twelve years after accepting that call, the Lord began another new leg in my journey.  He led me back for a season into employment with the federal government while continuing to serve the Body of Christ in various ways.

Serving the Body of Christ is a great joy for me.  How grateful I am that He is our faithful guide, leading us into green pastures, through dark valleys and wilderness places, and beside peaceful waters.  And in His abundant kindness, He has given many beloved companions and friends for the journey along the way.  As is probably true for many who read this, “through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come.  ‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,” and I know and am fully persuaded that God’s “grace will lead me home.”  (Far beyond South Dakota!)

Patti's Testimony

"We recently went through a Beth Moore DVD-based Bible study on the Psalms of Ascent.  In her final session, she mentioned a country song in which the singer sees all the broken roads of his life as having led him to his true love.  Beth said that when she heard the song, it caused her to think of all the broken roads of her life that had led her to Jesus.

Since we're all sinners, I think that each of us who comes to faith in Jesus Christ travels on our own broken roads to reach Him.  I remember always believing in God, even believing that Jesus was the Son of God.  I just didn't get the cross.  I didn't understand its absolute necessity in reconciling me to God.  I thought God was very nice, probably wanted me to do well, was even cheering me on.  I just didn't think there was much He could do to help me.  So I thought it was all up to me (whatever "it" was!).

I had a nice family, a nice upbringing, nice friends, nice interests and hobbies - in short, a nice life.  On balance, I  have many more positive memories than negative.  God, it seemed, was doing right by me.  But following my college graduation, an event took place that shook my world and my complacency about God.  My mother died suddenly, unexpectedly at the age of 48.  Seriously, she was alive at 10 in the morning and dead at 2 in the afternoon.  Now desperately needing answers, I began to earnestly seek the God who had all along been seeking me.  At a conference just two months after my mother's death, I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ as my Savior.  Through the earthly death of my beloved mother, God led me to understand another death, that of His beloved Son, through which my sins were forgiven (I got the cross!).  And as if that were not enough, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I who now belonged to Him, also was the inheritor of eternal life!  How else but through the grace of God could any broken road lead to such a glorious end?"

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