Since the first time I met Pat I have respected her, not  just  for her many talents and qualities but as a person.  She is and has been a wonderful role model of a Godly mother, step-mother, grandmother and wife.  She truly practices what she preaches and has lived her life to glorify God.  She has a heart of compassion reaching out to the homeless and less fortunate of our society, believing that “but  for the Grace of  God, there go I.”   She has always believed that we should  invest our time and resources into the  youth of our community.  It troubles her to see children growing up  in  broken homes, many times without any positive role model in their lives and void of love.  Most recently, she would cry when on the news she would see or hear of children who were hungry and hurting.

Pat has suffered with sciatic  nerve pain for more than two  years.   Not until January of 1998 did we discover that it  was caused  by a growth in her  abdomen pressing against the sciatic nerve.  Perhaps we should have  suspected more than just a pinched nerve considering her  history of cancer.  However, she has had such  a tremendous quality of life since her initial  bout  with stage II  cervical cancer in 1987, that we never suspected it would  happen again.  Some of you may recall her story.  After refusing traditional  treatment, she had much  prayer with the  laying  on  of hands and went to Mexico  for Dr.  Manner’s Metabolic Therapy.  The cancer went from stage II to stage 0 in ten days and the spot on her left  lung also disappeared.  She then had a hysterectomy and went back to work.  We don’t understand how cancer can  reoccur; however, it is a documented fact that  stress can have a negative effect on the  immune system.  God knows that Pat had endured much stress in the three  years prior to her death, not the  least of which resulted  from the forced relocation of The Overflowing Cup and the  Harbor  For The Homeless coupled  with the illness and death  of her mother.

Pat was a gifted musician and writer, contributing most of the information published  in the  newsletters of The Overflowing  Cup and occasionally a guest editorial for the  local  newspapers.  Both Pat  and I have looked forward to writing  books.  We always wanted  to  document the exciting story  of  the ministry of The  Overflowing  Cup so that others might  be encouraged to “keep on keeping on” even when the going  gets rough.  Pat has also planned to  write a book  on  the “blended family” because of the  high  divorce  rate in  our  country today and because of the success we have had in blending our families.  Another book  that Pat wanted to  write was on her  “Victory Over Cancer” and the important  part that FAITH has played in her  healing process along  with what’s known  as “alternative therapies.” 

In 1996, Pat was contacted  by a woman in  New York who  was doing research and studying case histories  of women who confronted cancer  using alternative therapies.   Through many telephone interviews and  reviewing documents sent through the  mail, Pat’s encouraging  story and testimony  of faith has been included in a new book just  published by the New  York  University  Press and authored  by  Margaret J.  Woodell and David J.  Hess.  An entire  chapter has  been  dedicated  to  Pat’s  story.  Nothing  would please  her more  than if everyone could get  the book  and  read of her testimony and that of many  other  women who have overcome their  battle  with cancer.  The name of the book is “Women Confront  Cancer – Making Medical  History by Choosing  Alternatives and  Complementary  Therapies.”  A paperback copy can be ordered directly from the publisher or from  The Overflowing Cup at a discounted  price of $12.75 plus $4.00 shipping and  handling.  A cloth copy is $40.00 plus shipping and handling.

Pat has  always  been a woman of  strong convictions.  For  those who have had the privilege  of  really knowing Pat, you’ve known her always to speak the truth in love.  Pat is a trained  Biblical counselor as well  as a caring Pastor.  She has never been afraid to deal with an issue directly, whether counseling a marriage relationship or dealing with someone struggling with an addiction or some other life controlling problem.  Pat never counseled out of bias or prejudice but always referred to the Scriptures as the basis for her feelings and demonstrated the love of Jesus as she  ministered God’s Grace to people.  She will  be  remembered by many as a woman of  integrity and honesty and  will  be  loved and  missed  by her  family and  friends.   Perhaps no one will miss her more than myself because we were truly one and truly we were a team.  We also learned that the secret to a happy marriage  relationship is to make Christ NUMBER ONE in all areas of our lives.

Many thanks to the ALPHA Christian Registry staff,  Pat’s doctors, nurses and her very special care-givers and friends who have ministered to her and prayed for her well-being and healing.