We met through a violent situation, with God's hand on our separate lives.  We married in 1974.

Patrick was only a few months beyond a disastrous relationship.  A non-denominational, circuit riding preacher became a friend in Patrick's life.  A deeper longing for and commitment to God arose within him.  Patrick was reconciled to God by His mercy and grace.      

Penny had recently shouldered the role of single mother.  She was struggling with her singleness, all the while realizing what a good marriage could do in her life.  

Grace and mercy prevailed as we sought to make a permanent relationship, declaring to each other a single purpose: to be responsible for our relationship, ignoring family and friends' approval or disapproval.  Most imporatntly, God was to be the third partner in our marriage!

Our lives became challenging.  We struggled with inadequate money, lack of jobs, parental situations, and  little or no insurance.  We moved and moved within the first twenty or so years of our marriage.  We were at peace with these moves, and the children became resilient because of the changes.  God was there all the time.  We never went hungry, although we ate some pretty creative meals!  The children all were educated beyond high school.  How this was accomplished is beyond normal imaginations and expectations.  Our Lord and God, the Creator, is very creative!

The Lord began to refine us even more when the children began flying out of the nest.  We always sought out churches on the moves where life took us.  Some churches we stayed in for a season, others for longer periods.  We even had to leave churches where things were not right.  For awhile we lived in a dry but very compact home, a converted school bus.  It was not where you would expect public and community college teachers to live.

Knowing that God was leading us, we accepted His call to a particular mission work and found Him taking us elsewhere.  At times, our hearts and minds were in conflict within and outside our lives.  We struggled with more unemployment, depended upon the "ravens" to feed us, sought out free medical and dental help when needed.  Our life seemed full of starts and stops.  We remained faithful to God and to each other.  We waited, and God moved, in us and through us.

We continue to experience and to minister reconciliation, healing, and restoration that only God can bring through His love and compassion.  

Patrick is a singer and actor.  In addition to community theater, he acted for many years in a community interfaith drama outreach and in the choir and drama ministry of a local church.

Penny was a community college instructor and worked as a classroom, homebound, and alternative classroom teacher.  An artist and writer, she ministers God's Word in a special way through her novels and other writings.  Three children and seven grandchildren have given them a wealth of experience. 

We have grown old together.  We chose to move to the mountains to spend our last years, however many they would be, together.  The mountain has been a learning experience over and beyond all the accumulated years of ministry and service in the Lord.  We are embedded on this mountain to recover the Church.  Quietly, our lives are now touching many, both on the mountain and farther away.  We are able to pull wisdom from our nomadic life to live in His grace and mercy.  Emmanuel, God With Us!