About 3 years ago I had taken part of a local young adult bible study through one of the community churches apart from my own church family. I enjoyed that extra fulfillment of The Lord and I enjoyed meeting new people.
What terrified me each week was to walk in every Monday with a bigger tummy due to being pregnant with my son. Most were friendly and welcomed with a hello but there were a certain few who I developed a connection with or at the very least I really wanted to.
I remember always being impressed by this young lady who had a beautiful head of hair. She was laid back, always friendly, and i always appreciated her sense of style and the ability to recognize it in others.
when I had my son I stopped going for the most part because of lack of child care and eventually I felt less welcome there to be honest because I knew we all were aware that I wasn't a part of their church family, I was simply just a visitor each week.
Then one day out of the blue I get an invitation to a wedding for this lovely young lady and her fiancé.. And I was thrilled, because this was a young lady whom I saw promise, grace, and strength in. I was absolutely honored to be present as she married her best friend.
Erin Kelley is by far one of the most beautiful human beings that I have ever met. The way she carries herself is one that I envy and wish I could have. She is trustworthy, brings out the best in people, and is a great encouragement for all.
Everything that this article speaks of that I have blogged about at this point has seemed to speak of Erin whole heartedly and here is why....
Erin was afraid of joining a church but she did it anyway. This choice was for various reasons but overall, her courage was such a beautiful sight to see. To witness anyone face a fear and run to the very thing that scares you, indeed is a very beautiful thing about a person.
Erin was also afraid of saying what she feels in a blog but yet she did it anyways. She had the courage to fret about what others think but choose to ignore it and follow it as one of the callings that God has called her to. She believed in herself as continues to publish brilliant blogs that feature infinite wisdom and excellent reminders of how we should live our lives not only as Christians, but what she wires applies to all of humanity as well.
Erin has been to hell and back, her testimony is hers to share but let me assure you that it is one you couldn't imagine. Her journey was filled with a measure of pain and darkness that seemed impossible to let light into and eventually the light pierced it's way into her heart at a time where she felt open to trusting it and the journey she has had since is way bright as can be, except the fades of dark clouds that pass through her confidence each day.
Because she has been to hell and back, Erin is a beautiful warrior who had earned her place in this world. Her strength is an amazing testimony all on its own and it grows within each day. The strength of her heart is the center of her inner beauty! It's truly one of the many features that makes her beautiful.
Erin although May question herself a lot, one thing that someone could say about her is that her intentions are always of good nature. One thing I have noticed is that she never really dwells on what could be, for the most part I have witness ed her focusing on what is and making lemonade out if the lemons she had at the very moment of brew. To me that is very impressive and a quality of life I wish I had. (My anxiety and depression would never allow it!)
Going back to her blog, Erin strings words together intelligently, courageously, and bluntly. She tells it like it is and she means what she says. Erin is honest and to the point but she also has a way of making the truth sound sweet and inviting. The wisdom she provides is great advice and is just one beautiful way that she unleashes her creativity.
Although Pinterest and creating is a hobby of hers that she has recently blogged about feeling guilty over, it is merely an expression of who she is. Erin is talented, has vision, and is incredibly patient. She understands that all thing have a process but the details of our own individual steps is completely into us and that is beautiful!
I will never forget the two greatest bits of advice she has ever given me. The first was a long while ago, she told me that serving God's kingdom is not about doing what He sees fit for my life and Him telling me what to do with it. She said it's up to me to choose what I want to do but for it to honor God I need to do it with honor and in service to Him.
That advice released a world of turmoil I had going on internally and it was much of an answered prayer.
The second bit of advice she gave she said "don't say you understand this (details private) because it will seem genuine. This spun my world around and has really shaped my attitude and has taugt me to choose my words more carefully because that bit of advice is absolutely right, there are things we for understand and we shouldn't use the figure of speech loosely especially when it comes to very heavy experiences.
Erin is a great friend, has a great husband, and her heart is amazingly beautiful! She's the picture perfect example of what beautiful is and getting to know her you will understand why!
Thank you Erin for always being you!
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