Patty | Spirit Beats

Home » Posts by

Can We Really Choose Happiness?

Posted by Patty on Apr 3, 2014 in Blessings, Encouragement, Faith, God, Inspiration, Life Balance | 0 comments

I recently saw a video with an elderly African American woman who’d been tested by a group in the field of positive psychology. This...

The Deeps

Posted by Patty on Jun 17, 2013 in Blessings, Christianity, Comfort, Encouragement, Faith, Life Purpose, Prayer, Salvation, The Gospel, Trust in God | 0 comments

Lord Jesus, Give me a deeper repentance, a horror of sin, a dread of its approach; Help me to chastely flee from it, and jealously resolve...

In Grateful Wonder

Posted by Patty on May 22, 2013 in Anxiety, Bladder cancer, Blessings, Cancer, Cancer treatment, Christianity, Comfort, Danger, Doctors, Faith, Family, Fear, God, Inspiration, Marriage, oncology, Peace, Prayer, Salvation, The Gospel, Trials, Trust in God | 0 comments

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” (William Arthur Ward) Today, I am...

The World Needs Your Super Powers

Posted by Patty on May 21, 2013 in Blessings, Comfort, Compassion, Culture, Faith, Family, Inspiration, Life Purpose, Peace, The Gospel, Trials | 7 comments

Sunday, my husband and I decided to catch “Iron Man 3” just for fun. Wanting to avoid the crowds, we slipped in to an early...

The God Who Sees You and Me

Posted by Patty on May 8, 2013 in Anxiety, Blessings, Cancer, Christianity, Comfort, Compassion, Danger, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, God, Grief, Idols, Inspiration, Life Purpose, Loss, Peace, Prayer, Religion, Salvation, The Gospel, Trials, Trust in God | 3 comments

Someone recently posted on my Facebook page: “I have been alone all my life. Since I have been alone, the only tribe I have is...

Rescued from Hillside Fires

Posted by Patty on May 6, 2013 in Animals and pets, Anxiety, Blessings, Comfort, Danger, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Fear, God, life-threatening, Loss, Marriage, Peace, Prayer, Salvation, Trials, Trust in God | 4 comments

How life can change in an instant. Two days ago, on a Friday, my husband and I were calmly working in our downstairs studio when a...

My Private Times with God

Posted by Patty on Apr 23, 2013 in Blessings, Christianity, Faith, God, Life Purpose, Peace, Prayer, The Gospel, Trust in God | 0 comments

When the Lord wants to get my attention, he wakes me up at 4:32 in the morning. Not 4:30 or 4:45 or 5 a.m., but 4:32 exactly....

The Power of Prayer In Church

Posted by Patty on Apr 18, 2013 in Christianity, Encouragement, Faith, God, Inspiration, Life Balance, Prayer, Religion, The Gospel, Trust in God | 0 comments

Friends, we may not all be pastors, elders and deacons, but many of us are church-goers. Watch this video about the importance of prayer...

A Hawk in the Morning Mists

Posted by Patty on Apr 17, 2013 in Animals and pets, Blessings, Comfort, Dance, Encouragement, Faith, Featured, God, Inspiration, Life Balance, Peace, Prayer, The Gospel, Trust in God | 6 comments

One morning, when the early mists still hung in the air, I saw from my living room window, a magnificent hawk perched on a tree in my...

The Promise of Breakthrough

Posted by Patty on Apr 8, 2013 in Blessings, Christianity, Comfort, Encouragement, Faith, God, Inspiration, Prayer, The Gospel, Trials, Trust in God | 0 comments

Planning, shaping, pressing in, waiting, and holding firm to a vision can be hard, even exhausting, as the weeks turn into months, and...

Don’t Miss the Blessing!

Posted by Patty on Apr 4, 2013 in Anxiety, Blessings, Faith, Family, God, Inspiration, Life Balance, Marriage, Peace, Prayer, Trust in God | 6 comments

I almost missed it! My fabulous husband planned a trip to gorgeous Mammoth Lakes for my birthday, but the week leading up to it, the...

The New Burnett-Downey Bible Mini Series

Posted by Patty on Mar 4, 2013 in Blessings, Christianity, Culture, Faith, Family, Film Television, Theatre, God, Inspiration, Life Purpose, Prayer, Religion, Salvation, The Gospel | 2 comments

On Sunday, March 3, the latest Hollywood production of the Bible debuted on American TV as a 10-part mini-series. Bringing the Scriptures...

Surprised by Healing – A Story of Victory Over Cancer

Posted by Patty on Jan 6, 2013 in Anxiety, Bladder cancer, Blessings, Cancer, Cancer treatment, Christianity, Comfort, Compassion, Danger, Diseases, Doctors, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Fear, God, illness, Inspiration, Life Purpose, life-threatening, Loss, Marriage, nutrition, oncology, Peace, Prayer, Religion, Salvation, The Gospel, therapy, Trials, Trust in God | 2 comments

In March 2012, my husband was diagnosed a type of bladder cancer so malevolent it would not respond to chemo. Doctors were 95 percent...

The Unexpected Adventure

Posted by Patty on Dec 29, 2012 in Anxiety, Bladder cancer, Blessings, Cancer, Cancer treatment, Career, Christianity, Comfort, Compassion, Danger, Diseases, Doctors, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Fear, God, illness, Inspiration, Life Balance, life-threatening, Marriage, nutrition, oncology, Peace, Prayer, Religion, Salvation, The Gospel, therapy, Trials, Trust in God | 6 comments

Let’s face it: the words “cancer” and “adventure” hardly belong in the same sentence, but, after our...

Say Yes to the Music

Posted by Patty on Dec 26, 2012 in Blessings, Christianity, Comfort, Culture, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Life Purpose, Peace, Performing arts, Salvation, The Gospel, Trust in God | 6 comments

It’s a typical spring day just north of Barcelona. Families, children and couples meander through the Plaza de Sant Roc. Suddenly, an...

Sleepless in Mexico

Posted by Patty on Dec 8, 2012 in Blessings, Encouragement, Faith, God, Life Balance, Peace, Prayer, Trust in God | 6 comments

I’d booked our tickets before we found out about the murders. This was our one chance to get away for a few days after a hectic few...

Healthy, Ripe and Delicious

Posted by Patty on Dec 5, 2012 in Anxiety, Bladder cancer, Cancer, Cancer treatment, Comfort, Compassion, Danger, Diseases, Doctors, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Fear, God, Grief, illness, Inspiration, life-threatening, Marriage, nutrition, oncology, Peace, Prayer, Religion, Salvation, The Gospel, Trials, Trust in God | 0 comments

We all know what it’s like to want something desperately but have to wait for it. Delays are always frustrating. They can also...

Would You Recognize Jesus?

Posted by Patty on Nov 17, 2012 in Blessings, Christianity, Comfort, Compassion, Encouragement, Faith, God, Inspiration, Peace, Religion, Salvation, The Gospel, Trust in God | 1 comment

I believe Jesus had a wonderful sense of humor– after all, he invented it! But, I wonder if he laughs at the endless portraits of...

How to Pray in Times of Trouble

Posted by Patty on Oct 12, 2012 in Anxiety, Bladder cancer, Blessings, Cancer, Cancer treatment, Christianity, Comfort, Compassion, Danger, Doctors, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Fear, God, Grief, illness, Inspiration, Marriage, nutrition, oncology, Peace, Prayer, Religion, Salvation, The Gospel, therapy, Trials, Trust in God | 9 comments

Battling this cancer together with my husband reminds me of the story in 2 Chronicles 20 when the vast armies of the Moabites and...

God’s Priorities for Your Career

Posted by Patty on Oct 4, 2012 in Anxiety, Blessings, Career, Christianity, Culture, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, Grief, Idols, Inspiration, Life Balance, Life Purpose, Loss, Peace, Prayer, Religion, Salvation, The Gospel, Trust in God | 1 comment

I'm not sure what's worse: feeling like a hot shot who can conquer the world or so inadequate that you'd rather crawl under a rock. If you're a Christian, neither perspective is healthy or even Biblical. But, we've all been there at one time or another. When we're not relying on God as our source, we will either be full of ourselves or secretly terrified.

Lessons from Life’s Roller Coaster

Posted by Patty on Oct 3, 2012 in Bladder cancer, Cancer, Cancer treatment, Christianity, Comfort, Danger, Diseases, Doctors, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Fear, God, illness, Inspiration, Marriage, nutrition, oncology, Peace, Prayer, Religion, Salvation, therapy, Tim Keller, Trust in God | 2 comments

My husband’s doctor stepped into the waiting room looking for me. Finally! He’d had a day of multiple surgeries and...

Prayers of Faith for Victory in Battle

Posted by Patty on Sep 5, 2012 in Anxiety, Bladder cancer, Cancer, Cancer treatment, Christianity, Comfort, Danger, Diseases, Doctors, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, God, Grief, illness, life-threatening, Loss, Marriage, nutrition, oncology, Peace, Prayer, Religion, Salvation, The Gospel, therapy, Trust in God | 2 comments

“Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held out...

How to Understand Your Season

Posted by Patty on Aug 21, 2012 in Career, Encouragement, Faith, God, Inspiration, Life Purpose, Trust in God | 0 comments

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)Do you know what season of life you are...

How To Discern God’s Plan For Your Life

Posted by Patty on Aug 17, 2012 in Faith, Life Purpose, The Gospel, Trust in God | 0 comments

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians...

The Rewards of Praise and Trust

Posted by Patty on Aug 15, 2012 in Blessings, Christianity, Comfort, Compassion, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, God, Grief, Inspiration, Life Purpose, Loss, Prayer, Salvation, The Gospel, Trust in God | 0 comments

In the Book of Acts 16:16 – 38, the apostle Paul and his companion Silas find themselves imprisoned in a Macedonian dungeon after...

Miracle in the Emergency Room

Posted by Patty on Aug 9, 2012 in Anxiety, Blessings, Christianity, Comfort, Compassion, Diseases, Doctors, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, God, Grief, illness, Inspiration, life-threatening, Loss, Peace, Prayer, Religion, Salvation, The Gospel, Trust in God | 0 comments

There are times when God speaks. When he invades our lives so unmistakably that we are compelled to take notice and obey. Such was the...

The Power of Faith

Posted by Patty on Jul 30, 2012 in Cancer, Cancer treatment, Christianity, Comfort, Compassion, Danger, Diseases, Doctors, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Fear, God, Grief, Idols, illness, life-threatening, Loss, Marriage, nutrition, oncology, Peace, Prayer, Religion, Salvation, The Gospel, therapy, Trials, Trust in God | 0 comments

“Dear Friends, do not be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to...

When Cancer Strikes, Part 2

Posted by Patty on Jun 29, 2012 in Anxiety, Bladder cancer, Blessings, Cancer, Cancer treatment, Christianity, Comfort, Compassion, Danger, Diseases, Doctors, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Fear, God, Grief, illness, Inspiration, life-threatening, nutrition, oncology, Peace, Prayer, therapy, Trust in God | 0 comments

It was a terrifying cliff. If my husband’s bladder cancer was in the early stages, then the upcoming surgery would be successful....

When Cancer Strikes

Posted by Patty on Jun 7, 2012 in Anxiety, Bladder cancer, Blessings, Cancer, Cancer treatment, Christianity, Comfort, Compassion, Danger, Diseases, Doctors, Faith, Family, Fear, God, Grief, illness, Life Balance, life-threatening, Loss, Marriage, nutrition, oncology, Peace, Prayer, Salvation, The Gospel, therapy, Trials, Trust in God | 1 comment

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you: and...

Share

Recent Posts

Popular Posts

Recent Comments

Spirit Beats

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Meta