Beautiful Chaos

hello sweet friends, life is hard sometimes. y'all know this. we don't live in Eden. our homes aren't seated in paradise. the world we live in is a broken, sinful, beautiful, freezing at times, hot mess of a place. due to the fall, we're the same. hurting, sinning, way too busy, worn out people trying to make a name for ourselves. and this is hard. things don't go our way. we forget about important obligations and have to face the consequences. we are worn out  from studying our butts off and still not making the grade. we are exhausted  from pouring into relationships and then having friends fail us and turn away. we are weary  from trying to abide by God's laws when others aren't.  guys, i don't know about you, but i'm in serious need of rest. in Matthew 11:28 (Message version) it says,  “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. ...

To begin, I want to proclaim my absolute love and awe for The Lord. Every day, through the trials and joy, I'm in awe of His power and plan for my life. Developing my relationship with Christ has been an adventure to say the least, but it is so worth it.  Recently someone said to me, "Shelby, your life seems so easy. You get accepted into everything."   Woah . Not true, my friends.  Let me be the first to tell you, my life is not as peachy as it may seem. I struggle, y'all. I sin daily. My words are not always gentle and my heart is not always focused on Christ. But thankfully, Jesus has blessed me with grace . And He has blessed you too! And for this I am so thankful. Because through His grace, I have joy. I'm able to fight through the temptations that life throws at me with Christ at my side. When trials arise, I know that God has had these planned for me since the beginning of time. Let that sink in a bit, because it's huge and so incredibly exciting!!! Onc...

hello all, i'm currently in alaska. laying in a hammock listening to old pine by ben howard & getting eaten alive by mosquitos. it's 9pm and the sun is beginning to set over the snow capped mountains. there's a slight breeze and the air is crisp and fresh. today i took a nap on a dock down at auke lake and i dipped my toes in the cold water as i watched an eagle soar above me. life is good. i feel alive here. it's easier to breathe and to think. i only have 4 weeks left. updates: -- Job i work for juneau tours/juneau whale watch. i'm a dock representative, so i'm in charge of getting large groups of antsy tourists on the correct bus at the correct time to the correct place before any of them start to get cranky. i've translated for people in spanish, been cussed at, shoved against a bus, dealt with crying customers, & i've had the pleasure of meeting tourists from all over the world. i've met mizzou grads, sorority sisters, na...

"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax-- Of cabbages--and kings-- And why the sea is boiling hot-- And whether pigs have wings." Well friends, there is PLENTY to talk about. I just finished up my sophomore of college at the University of Missouri - aka the best college ever. This year was all kinds of crazy & definitely full of adventure! As y'all know, I don't blog. I'm awful. I'm inconsistent. I am not a journalist & I give mad props to those who are. But, for the duration of this summer. I am going to try my absolute best to update this blog weekly!  I'm going to Alaska for the entire summer on a Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU) Summer Project. I'll be in Juneau spending my summer working for a whale watching company and evangelizing! I'm for realz pumped. God has so much in store for us & I couldn't be more excited or terrified!! I fly out May 27th and ...

there's a reason why I'm not a journalism major. I'm not a big writer. I'd love to be an inspirational blogger like some of the women I follow, but it's just not going to happen. I went to Guatemala in July. It's currently 3 days until November. So here it is: I AM A SLACKER. Okay, not really. But I am a busy college student taking difficult classes, attempting to maintain a relationship, trying to stay involved, all while fitting in food and sleep and sometimes watching Bones. Okay, always  watching Bones.  I apologize for the excuses. Blogging is just not top priority for me. BUT, I do enjoy it. It's a little rambley and chaotic, and I have way too many run on sentences -- but who cares .  Here are some of my favorite memories so far this year.            First home game of the year!              These two boys are some of the     sweetest people I've met at Mizzou and...

I LEAVE FOR GUATEMALA TOMORROW! I am so incredibly thankful for this opportunity! Up until now I've still be trekking along in Columbia. I got to go to STL for a long 4th of July weekend though! I've even knocked a couple things off my bucket list!  Preston & I have gotten Sonic shakes way too many times I seriously love my job! I also just had a job interview today with a smoothie place!  Mom & Carson came and visited me in CoMo! I <3 4th of July! I absolutely loved being a Peer Adviser for the School of Health Professions this summer!!! this picture is actually pretty normal behavior Mizzou is seriously the best school around I got to see Nicholas in STL!!! :D Nick had to work on Friday, so Sam, Bri, and I had a girl's day out! We went to Shu Feng Chinese & saw the new wing at the art museum in Forest Park! Nick Yahl was a trooper and took me to the zoo... again Baby P...

i'm staying in Columbia over the summer to establish residency, and so far i have mixed emotions. some days i love it, other days i'm incredibly homesick. regardless, i'm making the most of it! here are some "adventures" from the past few weeks! I got my official University of Missouri name tag! I absolutely love working for the School of Health Professions.  A few weeks ago, my friend Kelaney and I went and saw Oz for free on Lowry Mall!  I worked a gorgeous wedding here in CoMo! My boss gave me personal business cards! I've even given out a couple! So if you need a photobooth for a Missouri event - hit me up! I worked yet another wedding! I vow never to have a wedding outside - this poor bride and groom had a ceremony in a torrential downpour.. the party was fun though! Alpine Park & Garden Center - gorgeous venue minus the rain! I had to get a typhoid fever vaccination. I FOUND A SNOW CONE PLACE!!!!!!...