Erin and her husband, Bill, live in Glen Mills with their four children and have been attending the Culley community group ever since they got married 17 years ago!
Erin, what was it like where you grew up?
I’m from a small rural town near Athens, Georgia (the kind where everyone knows everyone). There was a cow pasture on one side of my house and a cotton field on the other side. My dad was the high school principal, and my mom was a German teacher. One year my parents, my older brother, and I all went to the same school!
Where do you work now?
Tough one. For the past three years I taught middle and high school math part-time at my kids’ school, The Christian Academy in Brookhaven. Due to the unknowns surrounding Covid, my husband and I decided God was leading us to homeschool our four kids this year. The first few weeks were a frustrating adjustment for us all, but we have found our routine. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to explore science with Addie, read A Tale of Two Cities with Judah, practice lines with Evie for her middle school play, and help all four kids with their math assignments. But I miss teaching, and we all miss our friends from school.
What do mornings look like for you?
I’m an early bird! I like to get up at 5ish and head right to the gym for spinning or HIIT or weights. My goal is to spend some time reading and studying God’s word when I get home, but the craziness of life sometimes crowds out my best-laid plans.
Tell us about your kids.
Bill and I have four awesome kids. Noah is 15, Judah is 13, Evie is 11, and Addie is 8. We adopted Addie from Ethiopia when she was a baby.
What’s something you’re grateful you did with them when they were younger?
I read aloud to my kids at night when they were younger. Now I have tons of books that I can’t part with because they remind me of a baby on my lap or nights sitting on the floor reading at our old house or the times when my girls would brush and “style” my hair while I read to them. Two of my kids share my love for books and have become voracious readers themselves.
Speaking of reading, are there any books from the CFC bookshop that you would recommend?
The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer helped me to better understand who God is and why He is worthy of glory and praise.
What are you currently studying and learning in your devotional times?
Over the years I have learned that I must have a devotional “plan” in order to stay committed to the study of Scripture. I just started a chronological plan called “The Bible Recap.” It involves reading or listening to a few chapters each day and then listening to a short (less than 10 minutes) recap of the chapters taught by Tara-Leigh Cobble.
Where has God helped you see growth in yourself recently?
I am still a work in slow progress, but God has helped me to see that my worth lies squarely in Him. I cannot earn worthiness through perfection, success, career, parenting, marriage or any other pursuits. Oh, how I need this reminder every single day!
Can you share how He moved, or is moving, in the midst of a specific experience in your life?
A few years ago, I found myself struggling with significant depression. There was nothing going on in my life to justify this dark experience; it just was, and it led to feelings of guilt and worthlessness. During this time my prayers were those of desperation. Sometimes the only thing I could muster was, “God, please help me.” I drew comfort from Psalm 139, especially 7-12: “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” God was with me even though I felt like I was all alone. God sustained me through this trial. He used my husband and mother-in-law to guide me towards counseling and medication in addition to Scripture and reminders of God’s love for me.
Last question—how can we be praying for you?
Please pray for patience, grace, and deepened relationships as I continue to homeschool my children this year. Pray also for wisdom as we decide what schooling and teaching will look like for us in the future.
