Sarah Kelly

Sarah grew up saturated in church and beautiful values. Her father was the director of children's ministries at her church over about 600 kids. Sarah describes him as "peace personified." Just like her father, Sarah has always been a leader in the church. She was the "princess of the youth group." But "perfection" and "outside appearance" became more important than the truth – Sarah was a people pleaser. She worked so hard at trying to be what she thought everyone wanted her to be that she began to be disillusion with herself and cover up any flaws.

At about the age of 12 a turning point came in Sarah's life. She had a kidney problem, and she started attending another Christian school. The peer pressure, she says, was to be a Christian. Sarah says the guys were interested her and the girls didn't like her. The girls would be cruel and call her names. This all changed when she started dating older guys within the year. Her first boyfriend was good looking, popular, active in ministry, and was a pastor in training. The young people that used to tease and dislike her became her friends because of who her boyfriend was. Unfortunately, he started hitting her. Sarah didn't even like him that much, but she really liked the approval she received from others because she was his girlfriend. Sarah was shocked and found herself forgiving him over and over, justifying his every move because he too was a leader in the church. The abuse continued for eight months until she broke up with him and went on to other abusive relationships. This started a pattern in her life, which she calls an "addiction" to abuse. By age 17, Sarah had been raped and this started a whole new battle.

A TIME FOR PEACE
Insecurity was half of the problem and the need for perfection was the other. For these reasons Sarah did not admit this abuse to anyone..... until just recently. Though Sarah has been a Christian since age five, she never had peace until last year. She was holding back a room in her heart from God. Now, she lives for the approval of God instead of people. Through her healing process, she has some insights about the abuse/addiction cycle that she would like to share with other young girls so they would not stuck in abuse or even avoid it. Sarah never really had a sense of who she was in God and how He valued her, so she sought the approval of others to find her value and meaning to life. This people pleasing at any cost and low self value left her prone to abuse. Sarah says abusers are passionate people and that is their good and bad trait – one can get addicted to the extremes. With that Sarah says that in that cycle getting abused and then "making up" with the person was addictive – she would get addicted to the high and low feelings and felt like if she wasn't getting hurt something must be wrong. Sarah shares the statistic that 1 in 4 women are physically abused.

Sarah says how to stay out of abusive situations and relationships is to think what God thinks of you and find a creative outlet. The creative outlet that has helped Sarah get to the point of breaking the abusive cycle, healing, wholeness, and finding peace with God is songwriting. Sarah likes to write songs to God, and she says song writing reaches people at their highest highs and their lowest lows. Sarah's song "At About Midnight" from her upcoming album Where the Past Meets Today is one of those songs that helped her. Also, receiving a Grammy nomination for her album Take Me Away has helped open the door for Sarah to teach song writing to others. Sarah shares that you must find God's plan for yourself, plans for good not evil. You must love God and know His love for you. You must tell yourself the truth (you are not ugly) and get in line with God's will in your life.

At age 23, Sarah held a microphone in her hand for the first time. Ironically, God used this church stage to give her a place to be honest. Sarah says, "My voice tone became more and more a cry, more flawed with time....and I could finally be honest with myself and God. A safe place to admit that I am flawed. I am messed up. I do need God to live every day. I am not perfect. These are all things that started coming out in my music on my first release Take Me Away. Sarah was becoming a "worshiper who worships in spirit and TRUTH"......worshiping in the middle of situations she didn't understand. God has again used music in Sarah's life to connect her with Him. Sarah says, "I believe that true worship is accompanied by honesty. I believe that the beauty is in the flaw....and ironically I wouldn't change a thing about my life looking back....I would not have the inner strength that I have now if it were not for those awful years. I would probably never be driven to sing. It is what is BETWEEN THE LINES that makes us who we are. I do not hate those hard times...but I am sure glad that they are over...here's to the music that is coming from my heart now that I have experienced true freedom....'the TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE....' She signed with Gotee Records in 2004.

TAKE ME AWAY
Sarah Kelly's debut album Take Me Away made quite an impression on the music scene. It grabbed the No. 12 spot on the “Top Christian Albums” Soundscan chart the first week out by selling more than 4,100 units. This secured Sarah as the highest new artist debut in the 10-year history of Gotee Records. The single “Take Me Way” also landed a No. 6 spot on the CHR radio charts. With an average of 150-200 tour dates a year, Kelly has shared the stage with Paul Colman Trio, as well as being an opener on the Fall 2004 Jars of Clay tour. Take Me Away was nominated for a Grammy award for the 47th awards ceremony and it has been included in Continental Airline's "in flight" entertainment. Now, Sarah has music exclusives featured on Sony Connect (www.sonyconnect.com), which features “Take Me Away” and “Living Hallelujah,” “Letting Go,” “Proven Intentions,” and “At About Midnight.” Also, the national retail store Guitar Center uses her image to the "World’s Largest Outdoor Photo Exhibit,” a gallery found on the outside of 140 Guitar Center stores all around the country, where Sarah's picture will joins the likes of Carole King, Bonnie Raitt, and Ann and Nancy Wilson from Heart

Aside from these accolades, she still stays close to the heart of worship. Last December, Sarah was a part of the “One Thing” youth outreach conference. It was sponsored by the International House of Prayer and featured Sarah leading worship for upwards of 16,000 college kids alongside of other well-known worship leaders including Jason Upton, and Shane & Shane. It seems what people most appreciate about Sarah are her raw, honest, passionate style.

CBN.com