As I talk to you, I'm sitting on the deck of the cabin we're renting for the weekend in Bass Lake, listening to Martina McBride's Timeless album, wearing a cozy sweatshirt, and laughing as my dad and family friends tell jokes and other random stories. In the distance, I can smell campfire and other campers barbecuing dinner. The lake isn't too far from us, but you would never know it, because it's pitch black, but it's still comforting to know it's there and I'll wake up to it in the morning.
I always feel most inspired when I'm away from the major city and the hubbub of every day life. Yes, I've still been posting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram...I mean, I can't live under a rock and I enjoy sharing what I'm doing. But, it's good to get away from home with some of the people I love most. I've said it before and I'll say it again..I'm a daydreamer by nature. I need somewhere that I can thrive and see a world of my own, and not just getting caught up in what's right in front of me. I want to see what else is out there and experience life.
Out here, I'm also reminded of God's constant grace and goodness. When I look up at the size of the trees in the forest and the overwhelming abundance of stars (though they're clouded by the smoke of the fires), I know that my God is bigger than anything I've faced and anything else that will jump out in front of me. I know who goes before me, and I know who's standing behind me when I fall or take the wrong exit.
Well, I'm going to head back to the party and soaking up the moment and the sweetness of the air. And let's not forget the cooler weather. Just thought I'd share a few words.
That's all for now,
Shelby :)
August 31, 2013
August 30, 2013
30 Day Challenge (Day 9)
List 10 People Who Have Influenced You and describe how.
My parents//
Obviously, my parents are first on the list and probably a given, seeing how close I am with them, and because they raised me. I am who I am and I think what I think because of them. That sounds so vague, but it's the truth. Without them, I have no idea where I would be, but I never would have had the courage or resources to experience all that I have throughout my life. They've influenced my taste in music, my beliefs, the way I treat people, why I haven't gone out and partied, and not only have they provided for me all the things that I need, but also all of the things I've wanted. They've taught me how to have fun, how to plan, how to serve God and put Him first in my life, and how to make the most of your days.
Carrie Underwood//
Carrie has influenced me in so many ways, but most importantly how you can express your faith, whatever your job may be. If you're a musician, like her, you can sing about it, and even if you're an average person just working at McDonald's, you can be outspoken about what you believe without FORCING others to feel the same way. She has introduced me to so many incredible friends over the years after joining her fan club and meeting up with other fans at her concerts. She's the reason I finally made it back to Nashville after years of hearing and dreaming about it, and I fell in love with it immediately. She's the biggest proof to me of what your life can be like when you surrender your plan to God's will and let Him guide you. Your life can be your message to the world, and I think that's what she has wanted to get across this entire time. I know my world would have been very different had she not tried out for Idol. Along with so many of my friends.
Taylor Swift//
I can't tell you how much this girl has influenced me. I've always had a hard time feeling like I fit in, or because my dreams were different than most, I often felt like people didn't quite understand me, and I think she has reminded all of us "dreamers" out there to keep dreaming. We shouldn't feel like we have to change who we are to fit someone else's idea of us, but we should embrace those little quirks about us that set us apart from the crowd. She has introduced me to many fashion trends, brought me back to my love of country music, has helped me to keep believing in the beauty of dreams, and Prince Charming, as well as forgetting what the haters are going to say. She has influenced me in continuing to write my stories and thoughts, because maybe somebody out there someday will need to hear those things and it will help them, just as much as hers have helped me. She reminds me of what it's like to be a leader, to work hard and to go after what you really want.
Hunter Hayes//
"For the love of music and glory to God," is his motto and I couldn't agree more. He has such an incredible soul and his passion comes out through his music. He inspires me to be ambitious, just like the other artists I look up to. If you want something bad enough, you're going to find a way to make it happen. Nothing can stop you. There are also still good, southern guys out there that live life with a higher standard, and don't just write about the same typical things. He knows what true love is all about...Plus, we have a lot in common, so I guess I just sort of clicked with them. To me, he's the male version of Taylor Swift, so that doesn't hurt either!
My best friends//
Wendy (from my church)//
For the longest time, Wendy was just someone I saw from afar at church, saying "hi" occasionally, and watching her speak on Sundays every once in awhile, and always someone that I had wanted to get to know. Over the past few years, as I've gotten more involved with ministry at church, I have also gotten to know her on a more personal level and she is just as incredible as I imagined. What you see is what you get with her. She tells things straight up, and sometimes it's tough to hear, but I need people who will be blunt. She is supportive and encouraging of dreams and living out your true calling. She is passionate and driven, and that has inspired me to want to be more outspoken and more courageous in pursuing the calling God has placed on my heart. She also has THE coolest style! She has a HUGE heart and has been such a blessing to our church!
My Pastors/family friends//
My pastors have literally been in my life since day one in the hospital when my mom had me. They had been friends with my parents for a few years before I came along and after that, I was just the newest addition to the hangouts. James and Lydia are a married couple that God called to move from Arkansas to California, as newlyweds with one son and another on the way to pastor a church here in town. They followed their calling and have been pastors at our church for the last 25 years, and I've known them for 21 of those 25. They have the most genuine hearts for the Lord of anyone I have ever known or met. They have inspired me in so many ways of living out your true calling and letting God direct you, because if they had given up years ago when things were tough, they never would have been able to see what God has done through them now. They love others and believe the best in people, and most importantly they love each other. Their marriage is everything that I hope to find someday, that even through all of the rough patches they hit, they learned to love and appreciate one another...And really are best friends/proof of God's love.
Mandy//
From the time that we were little kids, she was always everything I wanted to be. She was the sister I never had, and I just so admired everything she did. She had the greatest CD's, she could watch MTV (she was older than me), she got to do so many cool things, and she had been around a few years before me, so I felt like she had all of this wisdom that I could learn from. We spent SO much time together-rollerblading, going to concerts, making dance routines to Nsync and Britney Spears songs, and pretending we were Mary-Kate and Ashley. I have always learned so much from her, as she passed down all that she knows down to me, which has always been helpful. I'd say she has impacted my life the most, outside of family, because she has just always been there for me, no matter what the situation. When my mom was sick, when I needed help with a project, when I was signing up for college; she was always there alongside me.
LeAnn Rimes//
I was about four or five years old when LeAnn Rimes first came on the scene. I was a big fan of country music already; could pick up the lyrics really easily, and I could relate, even for being so young. Even if I didn't necessarily understand the words, I could feel it. I remember coming home from the park one night with my family to watch LeAnn's concert special on Disney Channel (Man, I really miss those days), as I ate my tapioca pudding and watched in amazement. Here was a teenage girl, not too much older than me, living her dream and singing, which was starting to be a passion of mine. From then on out, I decided that I wanted to be a singer just like her. I would put on concerts for my family and friends for hours on end, turned my bunk bed into a "tour bus" and dreamed of the day that someday I would travel the country, playing music for a living. That was all I had ever wanted to do, and I think it all started with LeAnn Rimes. Her music was something that my grandma and I bonded over, always, and now that she is in Heaven, I can still hear her music and smile, thinking back to the simple days of being a little girl singing for my grandma. I have also been able to talk with LeAnn on Twitter over the years and she recently followed me, which kind of completed part of my life! I would love to meet her again and thank her for her musical influence in my life and just how much she impacted my childhood! :)
My extended family//
This seems like another obvious answer, because of course, in some way or another, your family is going to impact you. They have added so much to my story throughout the years, whether it was spending time together at the holidays, going on trips, arguing because we can't see eye to eye, or just knowing at the end of the day, if no one else out there cares or loves me, I still have them and they're going to back me up no matter what. We've had our moments where we haven't always gotten along, and we've also had phases where we've done nothing but hang out for weeks at a time and others where we don't talk very much at all. Sometimes I'm closer with one person than another, but I love them all very dearly..And I guess that's what makes us family, right? I cherish their character and weirdness and the quirky comments and witty banter we exchange, even nagging at times. They do the things they do because they love me. And I do the same. The people that drive me the craziest are the ones I love the most.
August 29, 2013
August 26, 2013
30 Day Challenge (Day 7 and 8)
What is your dream job and why?
I love the saying about, "Your dream job doesn't exist. You have to create it." If that is the case, I think I would jump around to different things, as long as it allowed me to be creative and to express the stories/lessons I want to share with the rest of the world. I've always love the arts--Acting, singing, drawing, writing...If I ever had an opportunity to do any of those, I would feel like I was exactly where I belonged.
In strictly sticking with something that correlates with my major, then I would definitely say my dream job would be with E! News or Headline Country. What draws me to Hollywood and the entertainment industry in the first place is the people that make it up. Each and every artist and actor has a story to tell, not only through their music and film, but through everything that they've gone through. They've all had to face adversity, trials, setbacks, and road blocks to get to the path they're on today. I have always wanted to sit down and talk with those people who inspire me most for those very reasons, because I know that those things don't just happen and they don't just make it. A lot of divine intervention has to take place to get the ending it deserves.
I want to be able to talk to them about the experiences that made them who they are, how they stay set on their mission, rather than the fame, the method that goes into their craft, and whatever else comes up at the time. I want to focus on the good of the industry, rather than someone else who decides to "twerk" in a video or someone else who cheated or got a divorce. Maybe if we didn't give so much airtime to the people that need help, they'd fight the "fame" thing and just get the help they need.
***************
What are five passions you have?
*Music/singing (especially country music...Tugs at my heart strings the most)
*Writing
*Acting/performing/being dramatic
*Fashion
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| fashionworship.com |
*Helping teen girls with self esteem issues
That's all for now,
Shelby :)
August 24, 2013
30 Day Challenge (Day 6)
What is the hardest thing you've ever experienced?
Honestly, the hardest times in my life were probably the end of junior year and the beginning of Senior year. I had just turned 17 in January of 2009; a few days later my mom picked me up from school and told me that we had to go to the hospital right away, because my grandma had just been admitted. I honestly can't remember all of the details now, but they had found something in her check up at the doctor and she needed more attention. I also had no idea what an impact that day would have on the rest of my life, but it really did change everything. I was always incredibly close with my grandma, even though, as I got older, I didn't always call or spend as much time with her as I wish I would have now. She was always like our "4th family member." She watched me while my parents were away at work, picked me up from school, we'd make crafts together, and she always encouraged me with my dream of being a singer (I used to put on concerts to LeAnn Rimes just about every day and she would sit there, acting like it was her first time hearing all of the songs).
We found out not long after that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer, and it hit me like a ton of red bricks. I know that's one of the oldest analogies in the book, but I don't know how else to describe it. I carried a lot of pain with me on a daily basis during that time. Everything just felt really heavy. But, I think it really helped push me back towards wanting to get back to my childlike faith and relationship with Christ. I was already going through a lot with trying to get through school; friend stuff, trying to plan ahead for life after high school-like college, trying to stay involved with extracurriculars as much as I could, and then this happened. My mom and I were at the hospital after I got out of school every day, my mom was taking care of a lot of my grandma's personal things and whatever needed to be done, and family was always visiting, which really helped me through. There wasn't always a normal schedule, and that was really hard at times. Looking back, I was a little selfish, to feel like it was taking up so much of my time. I wasn't doing it on purpose, I think I just didn't like the situation altogether and didn't know what to do.
We went through that routine for about six or seven months...It was extremely difficult, especially when she finally passed away. I was younger when my other grandparents died, and I didn't know how to fully understand exactly what I was feeling at that time. This time, I knew exactly what was happening and that she wasn't coming back. Knowing that I will see her in Heaven again someday helped me through it, but it didn't take the pain away completely. It was really hard starting a new school year, while still just grieving and dealing with the loss of my grandma. But, now, when I think about that time and how God gave me the strength to get through that, I realize I can get through anything. There's a silver lining in every tough time that you go through...And this was no different. If anything, it brought me closer to my family and made me realize who's going to stick by you when you're going through a rough time. I definitely found out who my true friends were, and also people that I didn't really know who were genuinely concerned/ cared about me.
That's all for now,
Shelby :)
We found out not long after that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer, and it hit me like a ton of red bricks. I know that's one of the oldest analogies in the book, but I don't know how else to describe it. I carried a lot of pain with me on a daily basis during that time. Everything just felt really heavy. But, I think it really helped push me back towards wanting to get back to my childlike faith and relationship with Christ. I was already going through a lot with trying to get through school; friend stuff, trying to plan ahead for life after high school-like college, trying to stay involved with extracurriculars as much as I could, and then this happened. My mom and I were at the hospital after I got out of school every day, my mom was taking care of a lot of my grandma's personal things and whatever needed to be done, and family was always visiting, which really helped me through. There wasn't always a normal schedule, and that was really hard at times. Looking back, I was a little selfish, to feel like it was taking up so much of my time. I wasn't doing it on purpose, I think I just didn't like the situation altogether and didn't know what to do.
We went through that routine for about six or seven months...It was extremely difficult, especially when she finally passed away. I was younger when my other grandparents died, and I didn't know how to fully understand exactly what I was feeling at that time. This time, I knew exactly what was happening and that she wasn't coming back. Knowing that I will see her in Heaven again someday helped me through it, but it didn't take the pain away completely. It was really hard starting a new school year, while still just grieving and dealing with the loss of my grandma. But, now, when I think about that time and how God gave me the strength to get through that, I realize I can get through anything. There's a silver lining in every tough time that you go through...And this was no different. If anything, it brought me closer to my family and made me realize who's going to stick by you when you're going through a rough time. I definitely found out who my true friends were, and also people that I didn't really know who were genuinely concerned/ cared about me.
That's all for now,
Shelby :)
30 Day Challenge (Days 4 and 5)
List 10 Things You Would Tell Your 16 Year Old Self, If you Could:
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| Me at 16 years old in front of The Grand Ole Opry! :) |
*Everything comes together eventually. Trust God and stop worrying so much. Life isn't really all that complicated, so stop making things harder than they need to be.
*Just get your license! It's good to be cautious...But, don't wait so long. It's not as scary as it seems.
*Stop setting one of your "New Year's Resolutions" to get a boyfriend. Believe me, "In your life you'll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team."
*Spend as much time with grandma, as much as possible. You always think that she'll be around forever, but the truth is she won't be. Let her know how much she means to you every time you see her. Don't roll your eyes when you have to tell her goodbye, just because you're in the middle of doing something. Cherish those moments, instead.
*Don't be such a homebody! When your friends invite you to go out...Go! You're young! Let yourself loosen up a little. Don't be so uptight about everything.
*Stop thinking you have to be like everyone else. Don't compare yourself to the girls in your class at school in looks or whether they have a boyfriend or a car...None of it. You're on your own track and you're doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing. God made you YOU for a reason and you are beautiful, believe that.
*Realize that high school isn't forever. Make the best of it now, but also know that on the days when you're frustrated and feel like you're never going to see the end, it does come.
*You pass algebra ;) "Tonight's the bonfire rally, but you're staying home instead, because if you fail algebra, mom and dad will kill ya dead...But, trust me, you'll squeak by and get a C, and you're still around to write this letter to me." Also, just stop complaining about all the homework you have and get it done. It's not as dramatic as you make it out to be. STUDY MORE! Put in the time and it will pay off.
*Don't be discouraged when you don't get the lead roles in the school play! A lot of successful people in the business didn't always get the lead. Sometimes it's great to be the underdog later on in life.
*Live in the moment. Remember every detail of being young, accept the fact that you don't know everything and marvel at that. Continue to document everything and don't shut yourself off to pain, because then you stop feeling the happy moments too. LOVE your life and know that you're here for a reason, even if you haven't necessarily found where you belong yet. Hang in there, just you wait!
What Are 5 Things That Make You Most Happy Right Now:
*Heart to hearts with my best friends; dreaming about the future, ranting about worries of the moment, talking about our families, and being there for each other when things are really good or when they're really bad.
*Listening to country music while I'm driving! :)
*Thinking about all that God has in store for me in the future!
*Wearing bright red lipstick...Just because!
*Family dinners when relatives from out of state are visiting.
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