Erin's Story

I am a wife, mom, counseling student, writer, speaker, designer/artist, and a beloved of Jesus.  I am a woman who tries to remember to do life “with” God and see the beauty in every day.  My hope is that by writing authentically and transparently about my own journeys, that others will realize with the help of our Creator, they too can be the “Artist” of their lives.  It’s all about living fully right where we are…in the beautiful daily mess, finding and creating beauty in the everyday with our Artist, God.

 The Early Years 


I grew up in a small town in the farm country of Indiana.  My childhood was bittersweet.  Home life as a child was difficult at times, and in my teen years included abuse.  As a little girl I didn't know God, but he was still there guiding and reaching out to me whether I knew it or not.  I now look back and see he provided the quiet creative moments on the sketch pad or notebook as opportunities to meet Him.  It was in those artistic moments as a teenager, I found beauty and joy in the middle of sadness.


 

In that same small town I met my amazing husband Rod.  He really won me over with his "fro-mullet", tan, and 80's style acid washed jeans. Just think of the song "Small Town" by John Mellencamp, and you get a clear picture of the lifestyle we had growing up.
 

Since we were two small town kids with big dreams we decided we needed to go on a big adventure.  After Rod graduated from college in 1994, we married and moved to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona.  I finished my degree in Design here in Arizona in 1999.  I enjoyed working in Interior Design as it was always a constant hunt for the beauty in any situation, whether remodeling or restoring. In 2002 we were blessed with a child, our son Evan, and again in 2005 with our daughter Aidan Rose.  It wasn't long after I had my daughter, that my world began to crumble.


The End of My Plan

Beginning parenthood brought about bittersweet memories of my own childhood.  Between the demands of motherhood and the isolation that comes from being a stay at home mom, I often felt pretty burnt and crispy.  I started running on empty...running out of me.  While this was happening, my husband's income was slashed several times over due to his industry not withstanding the failing economy.  We were living on nearly half of what he had previously made and he was threatened weekly with a layoff for two years.  Not nearly as bad as some families, but it was still very stressful.  We had no support system and God was not in my life or my husband's. It was during this time that my marriage was in serious trouble with both my husband and I struggling individually.  "My way" wasn't working and I realized God was the only way.  So I told Him, "OK, I give.  I keep trying to control and plan my life, I'll give it to you and follow where ever you lead."

Grace

    Within days I ran into an acquaintance who started our conversation with, "How are you?",...to which I promptly responded with "the ugly cry".  You know the one. Complete with snot and mascara running. It was this random acquaintance that introduced me to Jesus.  She invited me into her home and spoke into me and prayed over me.  She invited me to a mom's group and the church it was held within.  I found GRACE.  HOPE.  HEALING.  LOVE.  COMPASSION.  I was renewed and "recreated" by my Artist; God.  He saw the beauty in me and slowly in his time and his way, He brought forth all He intended for me and my life.  I experienced a redeemed and transformed marriage. I found a relationship with my ultimate parent that continues to heal old childhood wounds.  My world changed.

 It was in 2009, when I first stepped into a mom's group in a church.  "That church" is now my family's home church and "that mom's group" is where my love for communicating God's love began. It was while serving in leadership in the mom's group that God placed on my heart a calling to write and speak.  In doing this I try to be authentic and transparent to women about how God has and is working in my life.  Even the messy parts.  I speak and write on the beauty of living fully right where we are…in the beautiful daily mess, finding and creating beauty in the everyday with our Artist, God. 

That, is Artful Living!