5 minutes with Shelly ...

Where do you live? Nashville, TN, USA - Music City. What do you love about living where you do? I love that the city fiercely supports their local artists and businesses like none other I’ve seen. I am still fairly new to the city and I’ve loved the community I’ve found myself in, and hope to see many of those relationships continue to grow in depth and strength and laughter…. Tell us a little about yourself Well… where to start… I grew up in North Carolina and miss that state. It’s so beautiful. I’m an artist, a singer-songwriter most days (visit Shelly's site here: http://shellymoore.com). I love to travel and meet new people and remind them as I remind myself what we are created for. What's your favourite bible passage & why? Oh wow! As soon as I think of one, I think of another and another… the one on my mind at the moment is Zephaniah 3:5 “The LORD within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail…” How do you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus? I’d honestly say He keeps my eyes set on Him. It’s the grace of Him at work within me, the Holy Spirit. I believe my eyes and heart are set on Him because as He reveals Himself to me in His word, His character shines through and as I see His faithfulness I am moved to worship. I have been in some hard seasons and if my faith depended on my ability to fix my eyes, I wouldn’t have made it through. But He who is faithful will finish the work He began. As for my part of it that I think might be just helpful or worth sharing… it’s just things I do because I love Him but I love finding music that stirs my mind to recall His word, or challenges my thinking. And songs that I can sing in the midst of my own doubt or difficult seasons to remind myself of truth. I also love to read old hymnals and find myself just praying the words often. What would you like the next generation of Christian women to know? That sometimes God might seem silent, but He is always at work. Always. I want them to know His word, that they would be ready at all times to navigate life, battles, victories, sorrows, and joys. I want them to know that God draws near to you and that is your good. Remember that He is light and as He draws near He exposes things you might have wanted to keep hidden. But welcome His light. Welcome Him near. In this you’ll find freedom. Don’t try to set up or plan your own righteous reputation - live fully following Him, abide in Him…and you will live FREE. What's one thing that you love about your local church? My home church recently started an addition to the kids ministry that allows for extra assistance for kids that need that - each child with the need gets paired with an adult buddy who cares for their specific need and helps to allow them to still be a part of the class with the other kids as they desire, and allows the parents a stress-free place to worship where they will be welcome and fully loved as an entire family. This was an exciting thing for me because I’ve grown up having a brother with special needs, and finding a church was initially difficult for the family. But when we settled in to a place where we were all loved and known it made all the difference. So being away from my family, who is in North Carolina, it is a sweet thing to get to be a buddy for some of my favorite kids in the church. I love that my church recognized the need as the families with these needs began to come, and then made the adjustments to be able to serve them as part of the body. It’s not always easy to love one another well but when we sit together and look at our people and plan the best ways to love, it really makes all the difference. It challenges me to do that in new ways with others as well… Aside from what I already listed above - I love the women I’ve met there. My church was a place I came to when I was in a dark season of confusion and hurt that had been compounded over many years and I had finally come to a point where I couldn’t stand under the weight of it all anymore. They welcomed me in, extending the true invitation of the Father, allowing me to come with all of my burdens and to be known and fully loved. to be welcome in the midst of my growing, not having to come perfect or to their standards. What did you learn about God at a time in your life you found hard? I’m not sure if this is asking what I’ve learned about God when I was in a hard season or what did I learn about God that was difficult to swallow… If it’s the first, then I’d say look above to the previous question. But if it’s the second, then I’d say I’ve prayed numerous times in the midst of hard circumstances, different times in life, and either not feeling like God was hearing, or feeling like he refused a desperate plea, didn’t seem to align with what I knew of love and how a “loving God” should act toward a pleading child. Yet I have come out of each of those seasons seeing more of His character through specific acts, moments of break-through… moments of His nearness in my suffering… I got to know His Father heart that allows me to be drawn to Him in my sorrow yet comforted by His love. This could be a book but I’ll stop here. What are you passionate about? I am passionate about remembering and loving those who have left family and friends and cultural ease to serve and take the Gospel to people who haven’t heard - to pray for them and show them support and love and to remind them they are not forgotten. I’m passionate about the Church Body truly loving one-another. I’m passionate about living a life where nothing is left on the table at the end of the day and trying to gather as many to run with me as possible. What do you enjoy doing when you rest? Sleep. Watch movies or shows that make me laugh a bit. Go for a hike, workout, or to a trampoline park. Or doing just about anything with friends… I love spending time with others.