Simply Shelby

        There's a famous scripture that reads, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." Just like a lighthouse, your light can bring hope and strength to those who may be lost at sea. Sometimes it is hard for me to imagine this world in its whole entirety. I am one soul, one girl, in the midst of billions of people. How can I possibly make a difference? I'm sure you have already heard the story I'm about to share, but it's a good reminder of how important we as individuals are.          There was this rich man who had everything he wanted in the world and one day he was walking down the beach. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of starfish washed up along the shore. As he continued his walk he noticed a simple boy picking up a starfish one by one and throwing them back into the sea. Considering how there were so many starfish, the man thought the boy was foolish. He reached the boy and asked him ...

The fact of the matter is that some days just stink(I would rather say "suck" but my grandmother hates that word so I'm trying to stop using it). You could say that today was a mountain that got bigger and bigger as the day went on. Picture me climbing up this mountain(no really, picture it), and it just getting larger by the minute. I am taking a four hour stats class twice a week. I needed the class, so I took it. It hasn't been that hard for the most part, but today we had a test that was hard.  I thought I failed it. To make matters worse, mother nature decided to visit(sorry, guys who might be reading) in the middle of class. I go on telling you about how I got rained on the ONLY 5 minutes it rained today as I was walking to my car, forgetting to shave last night and then packing a skirt to wear to work today without realizing it, not being able to hear out of one of my ears due to unnatural and unknown reasons, or even how my fingernail polish is chipping. Today...

I've never been much of a risk-taker. Anyone who has ever known me knows that my life has order and I really like it that way. Recently I have been pondering the next phase of my life. I will finish my AA degree at the end of the fall and the next step was to decide where to go from there. Stay at home? Find a college in Florida? Apply to BYU and try to live out of state? Well, after much prayer and support I have decided the next step on my journey is to move out west. On July 28, 2012 I will begin my 2000+ mile journey to Utah. I could not be more excited and scared at the same time. Basically my whole life I have lived in little 'ole Lake City. I attended elementary school, middle school, high school, and part of college here. This is the place I know, this is the place I will always call home. I have applied to BYU to start in January 2013. I will not find out if I get in until the end of October. Like other Universities, I am not 100% sure to be accepted. I hope and pray...

Some memories are haunting. It's the memory of things that you wish you would have done differently. It's the memory of wishing you had said how you felt when you had the chance. It's the memory of it being cold outside  and then waking up to find your skin with a touch of summer glow. Time flies by faster than you could ever imagine. In many lyrics from so many songs you here the word strength in some sort of form . For example, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," and, "Even on my weakest days, I get a little bit stronger." The fact of the matter being that everyone has those times where they need the courage and the desire to somehow be stronger than they were before whether it be physically, mentally, or my favorite: emotionally. Life is so challenging and the hope we receive from those kinds of songs can be comforting. I wish I could say that a song could fix everything, but it doesn't. I saw a quote recently that said, "There co...

One day, this day will be a celebration of me. Mother's Day. It's the one day of the year where mothers are celebrated and honored. I like to think that every day is mothers day because I owe everything I am to my mother. If you're reading this and you are a mother I want to thank you. I have been blessed with the goodness to have many "mothers" in my life. You have shown an exceptional amount of virtue and kindness. Being a woman is something I never take lightly. Through the cramps, the shaving of the legs, the blow drying of the hair, the giving birth, the cooking, the cleaning, the nurturing, the cheering, you have done all with beauty. Okay, I know it's hard to imagine "shaving of the legs" done in beauty, but it takes a lot to be a woman. Some of the most influential people in my life are woman and they have impacted my life in so many ways. I have been taught to love and I have been taught how to heal because of those who have come before me. ...

A year ago I would have told you my life was perfect. I had everything going for me. I was a senior in high school, I would be graduating, and I was planning on going to prom. I had the perfect dress, the perfect hair, and that night I felt like a million dollars. After prom came graduating, something that every student dreams of. On that night when my name was called and I walked towards the stage I had no idea where I would be standing one year later. I had endless possibilites and dreams high as the sky. Well, it's been almost a year since all those events occured. Is my life where I thought it would be? Absolutely not. In my opinion if I could sum up this past year I would put it as simply as saying, "If you're not growing you're not learning, and if you're not learning you're not growing."  I have learned so much this past year. Life after high school isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's full of responsibility, finals, college, jobs, fami...

                                Day at the BEACH!                                  Besties for LIFE.                             Chalk ART.           STRESSED is just DESSERTS spelled backwards (:                  ROADTRIP to South Carolina!        Another BEACH shot. Gotta love the floppy hat.    Late night FACETIME with the best friend for some laughs.