Christian radio personality Sheila Richards of J93.3 beams as she exits the studio at the close of her morning show.

She is a woman in love. Richards is on top of the world with her wedding just two weeks away. She has a great job, a new home in Tyrone and a faith that continues to grow daily.

Life wasn't always this perfect for Richards. By her own admission, she was a “prodigal child” who has been making the slow walk back to Christ since her beloved grandfather died when she was 17.

Richards will share her testimony of faith and explain the guises she hid behind for many years Thursday night at Braelinn Baptist Church. The theme of this “Ladies Night Out” program, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., is “Behind the Mask.” Richards will explain how she was able to shed her personal masks and experience the freedom to be real.

The evening with Richards includes dinner, skits and music and costs $10.

“My first mask was the one I had as a child. My mother would tell me to go to my room until I had a smile on my face,” Richards recalls. It translated as: “You'll love me if I'm happy,” she explained.

As an adult, her job as a country music disc jockey known as Kelly Richards was an ideal foil for her emotions. “Radio was perfect for me,” Richards said. She may have sounded upbeat, happy and together on the air, but stripping away her radio facade to reveal the true Richards was “real scary.”

She filled the voids in her life in true '70's fashion: with men and an uncaring attitude. Although she accepted Christ as her savior in 1969, Richards said she did not rededicate her life to Christ until 1991. “I became a prayer warrior,” she said. “Never give up on praying for someone.”

Richards' road to happiness through her faith and conviction was achieved by taking “baby steps.” She is still taking those steps daily, trying to follow the plan God has laid out for her.

In November, her life took an interesting turn when she was introduced to Jimmy Harper, the man she will marry April 8. “He was praying for a Godly woman,” Richards said of her fiancee. A mutual friend brought them together and Richards said the two couldn't stop laughing and smiling at each other from the moment they met.

The couple will marry in the Magnolia Garden at the Holiday Inn Express in Fayetteville. Richards said the small wedding they initially planned has blossomed into a 300-guest gala complete with 10 attendants, groomsmen and a host of family and friends.

For Richards, April 8 will be a day to celebrate. Her face may be lightly veiled, but certainly unmasked.

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