Just Trust The Captain.

Readers.....I am so sorry I haven't posted in like two, or three weeks. Let me explain myself by sharing this blog post. This one is a personal one, a very personal,  long, and HAPPY one....

First off, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am originally from Mesa, AZ. I got married almost 2 1/2 years ago to my dream man, who swept me away and moved us to Tucson.

Gag. Don't get me wrong, Tucson is a pretty place....but really, that's the only positive thing I can say about it. It's been a lonely, boring, last two years living here. I really have made only a few friends, and honestly just have missed my family and friends back at home! My husband is the sweetest man alive, but me being a social butterfly, I need more human interaction than just him. Think I'm being dramatic? Well, let's just say that our current, little home is more than 5 miles away from any type of store, or home. Yeahhh, we live in the middle of nowhere.

Speaking of our "humble abode",that is where my thought for the day begins.

A little over a year ago, I had just about had it living in Tucson, Scott doesn't like it too much either, so why were we even here?! We were both SO ready to get out of there. We both then decided that we were going to come back home. After some job transfers, interviews, applying to ASU, thoughts of renting a house, or apartment, finding the "perfect house" and then it getting taken out from under our feet, we thought everything was working out, except we could NOT for the life of us, find a place to live!

For the last 6 months I had been working at a small company as an office manager/accounting assistant. I had been loving my job, just not where it was located. ....haha. Inside my company, there is an apartment for the onsite-residents to live at, to be a sort-of security for the business. They offer free rent, and free utilities, to the couple that lives onsite. I really hadn't thought anything about it because it was in Tucson, therefore eww, basically. Ironically, the couple who was living there at the time was literally moving out, within the same month that we were planning on moving to Phoenix.

One night, while we were walking out the door to go on a date, literally TWO weeks before our plan to move to Phoenix, I casually said to my husband, 100% jokingly I might add, "Scott, we should take the apartment, I mean it's free rent, and free utilities, it would save us so much money." Well, I didn't get the reaction I was expecting. Scott stopped what he was doing and seriously stared at me for like 5 minutes. After looking at me for 5 minutes, he then said in all seriousness, that he felt with all his heart that that was what we needed to do.

Being a whiny baby, I started crying and repulsing the thought. ...I could NOT stay here, the only thing I want is to get out of this place. This can NOT be happening. I should've just kept my dumb mouth shut. Ugh! My husband convinced me to travel to Phoenix the next day, so that we could go to my religion's place of worship called the temple, and try to feel and search for what we needed to do. Needless to say, as absolutely horrible as this sounds, I was crying the whole way walking into the temple, because I would not accept the thought of living in Tucson for any longer.

Now get this part.

The moment we walked into the temple, Scott and I turned to walk down the hall, and there sitting on a bench was the owner of my company in Tucson and his wife!!! Now, if that's not a sign, then I don't know what is. Scott and I looked at each other, and from that moment on we knew that we were supposed to stay in Tucson.

Don't get me wrong, I hadn't all of a sudden become the most pleasant person after taking this news. For a couple months after, I slumped into a pretty big depression and I was bitter. I did not understand why I had been given this sign to stay somewhere that made me so miserable?! Regardless of the wonderful, money-saving opportunity that presented itself, I didn't care for it and I didn't want it. However, I was obedient to the sign given because I believe it was in fact guidance, and I wasn't going to turn my back on that.

Well, it's been almost a year since that happened.

I can honestly say, we needed that year here.

We have grown  and matured astronomically as a couple, as friends, in marriage. We have grown as people, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, economically, in wisdom, in depending on each other, with trust and love, more than I could hope for. I love my husband. He is the best blessing I have ever been given in life. Marriage is the greatest gift we are given here on Earth. Seriously.

We have both grown accustomed to our life in Tucson for the next few years. Granted, no I was not "happy"  living in Tucson, but I knew we were doing what we needed to be doing. I had no idea what what coming for us.

Then our life changed again.There are so many key points looking back on it, that had brought us to this point, some of them mentioned above.

We had both come to the conclusion that we were staying at least until Scott was done at the university for another 2 years. Little by little, though, a snowball of events, over time turned into a new path for us to take. Things like Scott's degree not being offered at U of A (in Tucson), and only at ASU (in Phoenix), being not allowed to able to have kids at all where we lived (not pregnant, but starting to plan for someday), forgiving those that have hurt us in the past, feeling like we need to be close to family and needing that support, wanting to be in a more family friendly environment, ect. ect.

We casually talked about it from time to time, but then Scott had a sudden health scare a month ago. We needed to figure out a solution, and we needed to change a major part of our life. we decided then and there, that it was time to make a move. We decided it was time to go home, be close to family and support, and take a different path.

And just how much of a sign it was for us to stay last year, there have been signs for us to go home now.

In two weeks time, we secured My Dream Home in Every way, Shape and Form, a job for me, a job for Scott (with a promotion and nice raise), and a spot in Scott's College program. Not only that, but everything is completely in it's perfect spot, we are right where we wanted to live all along and our works and Scott's school is all within 10 minutes. We are also right smack dab in the middle of all our family, which is one of the main reasons we are coming back home.

One of the most ironic parts about it all, is while we were searching for our new home, we stumbled on the old home we had wanted so bad a year ago, (and been thinking about a year since), and it turns out to have been nothing like we would have wanted anyways! Who would've thought?!

Here is the moral of the story.

We never know what is best for us. We all have wants and needs, but we sometimes do not get them....and it's hard. We might be angry, we might be bitter, but we all have a plan. No matter who or what you believe in, no matter who you are, have hope and trust in some thing.

I may have my dreams, and hopes that I want in life, I can make them happen, but I can also have help. I may not know where my life will take me. Sometimes it can be exactly what I've always wanted, and sometimes it can disappoint. We just need to keep going and never give up.

Life is so much better when you put your faith in something.

For me personally, I put my trust in My God because I believe He is there. Although, His plan was different from mine, I know that He was and is looking out for me and my happiness. The funny part is, is that His plan turned out 100x better than mine.

He is my captain, my central force to where I steer my life.

Find your captain, and just trust.

Gabriel - (Happiness and My Beliefs in a Nut Shell)

So today, we are in for a special treat...drum roll please.....A man's perspective! This is Gabriel's take on life and how he is living it serving others and sharing his faith in God to others, because he believes serving and sharing the gospel will not only make them happy, but make his life fulfilled as well. It's actually pretty wonderful and a very heart-warming post! Oh and ladies, he's SINGLE! lol! :)

Destinee McCalmon

Hello Readers! Today's spotlight is on Destinee. She shares with us her story of how she found herself back on her right path after being lost for a few years. I hope her story of determination and faith in what she believes in helps any of you who might be feeling a little lost, or overwhelmed with where you are in life. Remember, we are all on different paths and no matter where you are now, it's never too late to turn your life around and live life how you want to live it! 

Choose Your Way, Have a Good Life!

What direction do you want to take?

What is going to make you happy?

What are you going to do from here?

Are you going to add to all of the mess that the world already has, or are you going to be a prized addition?
YOU have the potential to do great things.

We know there is right, we know there is wrong. At least we should!

What is right? Well, what makes you happy, genuinely happy? What in your life brings you complete peace and happiness? Well not only you, but those around you as well. Sometimes, I think we tend to forget that our decisions affect our lives and everyone else's around us.

....What do we believe in?
What do we hope in?

Too often lately, I have felt those I love around me losing hope in things.

Sometimes, Life is hard.
Sometimes, Life is very unexpected.

...But it is always worth it.

I am a believing woman, and as you will see in my blog in the future, that religion I am apart of stems into a lot of who and why I am who I am. I try to be a good person, but I am also far from perfect.
I worry too much, stress too much, am moody too much, can be ungrateful, selfish, judgemental, the list goes on and on...
The reason I say this is because I am just a normal girl. We are all imperfect.

We are all normal. Celebrities, cooks, lawyers, models, fitness coaches, teachers, parents, children. We are normal. We are all people.  People who have feelings, fears, dreams, loves, inspirations.

But do we have hope to do good and be good.
...Or at least we should.
If we don't have hope, we don't have anything. We can be that good!

Unfortunately, a lot of us can be brought down, and depressed by what's going on all around us.

In this world we live in, it is very easy to get discouraged with all the horrible events that go on daily...the news, the media, kids at school, people in your work environment....it seems like we can never escape the evils, or despairs that seem to surround us.

Heck, if you look at our celebrity "role models" in this day and age, it's not hard to be anything but disgusted, or worried about what the future holds for you and future generations. However, we have to focus on the bright side. We have to hold on to what makes us strong, and be a light in the darkness.

If you turn off the news, entertainment programs, the computer, facebook, stop looking at magazines, or media columns online, you can really sit back and evaluate what is really important for you to spend your time on:

Turn off the news, turn on a documentary.
Stop looking at pointless gossip columns, look at textbooks.
Stop wasting time on the latest celebrity arrest or divorce, start a journal blog about YOUR life; read your friends' journal blogs, or other's lives who have actually made a world of a difference.
Turn off facebook, spend time with your actual family and friends, or make new ones.
Go to classes, learn something new!
Find out for yourself the purpose of your life.
Be happy, and if you're not, get happy!
Love your family, love your friends, and serve them.
Get your degree that you keep putting off for one reason or another. If you have one, put it to use!
Go apply for that job you've always wanted.
Share with the world your hidden talents that each and every one of you have!

Spend your life doing what you love in your life!

Knowledge, love, and happiness are key in our life, and we can be so quick to forget those things with all the noise we constantly deal with.

We can learn, love, create, serve, invent, nurture. We can can inspire, motivate, and dream.
We can do so many positive things. We are given such amazing bodies with so many talents.
We can do our part to make our world and communities, positive and more uplifting. It isn't going to get done if we all sit back in complacency! It's not going to get done if not are not responsible and self-sufficient for ourselves and our actions.
We can do our part to each fulfill our capacity, and live our destiny to follow our dreams to be amazing.
Also, we can help lift up others who at the moment, need a helping hand.

....but we aren't going to get anywhere without aspiration and hope.

Hope is the driving feeling, driving force that keeps us going.

I visited a family in my church, who the father of the family is a family counselor. I asked him how he liked his job, and he responded positively, but also said something along these lines.... "These people I talk to have no drive. They have no central force to keep them going, to make their life worth living, to make them happy. That's why they come to me. It's so sad. I can't force them to have that. They have to learn it on their own."

I was talking to my husband the other day, and he told me this statistic, (studies show): Elderly people are 89% more likely to die within 5 years of their retirement, at 55 years of age than those who work until 65 and retire then. I sat and thought about that... They now have no cement in their life, no foundation to keep them going everyday. Having nothing to live for, leads to nothing at all. They now have no more dreams and goals insight left.

That's why we need hope. We need dreams and goals.
We need to be a leader in so much confusion. We need to step out and be the best doctor, teacher, blogger, lawyer, politician, mother, role model, caregiver, we can be. Do what you are good at. Help others to see that life is good for them too, that they have special talents too.

We need positivity in our lives, we need inspirations and people to look up to.

Do you want to live a life full of regret?

Stop letting your fears, or doubts get in the way, of everything you've ever wanted.

It's not too late, start now, start today. You CAN do it... Even if you start, then stop, then start up again. Don't give up. Never give up.

That's why I started this blog- A dream is just a dream, until it is written down, then it becomes a goal! We can all inspire each other when we learn how capable one another is. I am inspired when I know someone has fulfilled THEIR goal and inspires others from their accomplishments. We are all amazing and have something special to give on Earth. We only live once here. Your life IS worth living.  We are all different with different strengths. Do what you love. Everyone else will love it too because it makes you happy.

You are one in a million.

Ships and Stripes - {My Dream}

Hi, my name is Monica Shipley. I created this blog.  I want to tell you a little about myself before I go on.

I have always been quite the girly girl. I never played sports, (or wanted to); I never liked anything outdoorsy (too dirty), or wanted anything to do with jeans, or the color orange. My favorite color has been pink ever since I was a teeny tiny, and it’s never changed.  I was always the friend who would braid my BFFs’ hair when we were bored, and tell them what to wear, what to buy when we shopped, and how to look. What Not to Wear, Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model, were my go-to TV shows, and I would always think of what I would recommend if I was in their shoes. Clueless was my motto – AS IF! In high school, I went to beauty school because I had then decided I wanted to be a hair stylist. During beauty school, we would have hair shows and for both years, I was one of the models in it. I did NOT want to be the stylist in those situations. I had more fun dolling up and walking on stage having a kick booty time! I wanted to be someone people looked up to and modeled after. I love being a guru/teacher/role model to others!  The last year in beauty school I was nominated and (later voted) to be that year’s Miss Evit. Miss Evit was associated with United Way. Basically, whoever raised the most money, (got the most votes), would win the crown and be names Miss or Mr. Evit. I won for my class, rap parody of Ke$ha and all, and raised the most out of the 3 or 4 other girls nominated. It was one of the greatest accomplishments in my life. Not only did I raise money for charity and be able to be the face of my school that year in charity balls and walks, but I did something for myself and got to wear a crown all at the same time. We did a few photo-shoots and like the prima donna I am, soaked it all up.  Needless to say, I even wore my crown to my graduation at the end of the year….I was the only one that ever did that, and looking back I am like (what was I thinking?!) All in all, it shaped me to become more of who I wanted to be in my life. {{Bear with me; I’m done talking about my cheesy life}}

Monica, the name itself, means counselor, or one who helps others. I have always found joy in making others happy, or giving them guidance.  So, my example of Miss Evit was a perfect combination of two things I love the most: Fashion/style/beauty and service. After I graduated from beauty school, I began going to the community college to get my degree in social work. I love styling hair, don’t get me wrong, but it not my one passion, NOT my “career”. As time goes on, I will tell you more and more about my childhood that drove me to go in that direction as well, but I digress. I want to make a point and also say that my childhood was hard, (VERY hard), and I am now a normal, happy, healthy, happily married woman now of 21 years. I want to show that anyone can rise out of what they went through in their past and come out strong, and on top.  My religion is the most important aspect of my whole world. I am Mormon, (LDS), and service, charity and loving others are key points in what I believe. In a very sacred, special blessing I was given as a teen, it tells about how my duty in life is to serve others and for that reason I was brought to this Earth. At times, I forget about this and live life trying to figure out what to do with it, but then I always remember this.

That is why I made this blog in the first place. Granted it’s been a year since I’ve done anything with it, but I failed myself. I want to make this world a better place and I want to inspire. Ship set sail was supposed to be about dreams and aspirations. Well, I want to live mine! Here is my dream! I want to inspire others to be happy, be healthy, be stylish, be beautiful and confident in your own skin, rise up out of the darkness, and follow your dreams.

My dream is to start a company non-profit, (or maybe for-profit), for confidence of children. It will be geared more for girls. That is why I came up with the name Ship Set Sail. It’s a little play on words for my last name “Shipley”, and also what the point of the organization even is!  If you let go of all your fears, and let your ship sail, you can go anywhere. You can do anything you set your mind to. My idea was to have classes, confidence classes, beauty classes, fashion classes, cooking classes, exercise classes, (tips and tricks and inspiration for those who may struggle). Being a teen is hard, being a child is hard, heck, life is hard, but that shouldn’t stop you from reaching your goals. I want to put kits together with reminders how to take care of yourself, know that each and every single one of you is gorgeous inside and out! I want to feed your brain, feed your confidence and feed your soul. I want to help you realize that you don’t have to be any certain way to be able to follow your dreams; you just need to be you. I want to put together boutiques where we all can showcase our talents whether it’s making adorable headbands, or playing piano, we all have something to share.  We all deserve to be inspired; we all deserve to be able to follow our dreams. WE ALL DESERVE TO KNOW THAT WE ARE BEAUTIFUL. –And to be confident.

I started this blog to get my dream going. I am confident in myself. I am confident in others. I know I have something to give. I want others to share what they have too! Goals and dreams- what keeps them living day to day? When I really began a year ago, I got really depressed after only a few posts, because after the 20+ people I asked to please help me share my dream to share their life goals, I only received 2 responses. To a newbie blogger, that was a huge kick in the tummy.  I now realize, I don’t need anyone else, but me, to get my blog going. After all, everyone’s life is crazy; I can’t withhold my own dreams to wait for theirs!

So, I will in the meantime start my blog myself. I will try to inspire with what I know. So, I will post what makes me happy: Fashion, hair, advice, vintage, crafts, and my testimony.

I will share what I know to be beautiful inside and out, and how to be the best person I can be.

Because that’s my dream: To be an inspiration, so others can be an inspiration too.

Here’s my first fashion picture, because fashion I love! Showing that you can be “fancy” (as a little girl at church told me today) on a budget. This was the outfit I wore today: 

Head band: Rue 21 -$5.99 Shirt: Forever 21: $17.99* Skirt: Pitaya $6.99* Shoes: Ross $13.99* (*approx.) I love me a good sale. I will share how you can be trendy, MODEST, and girly in future posts. Also, I will share how to be smart with the money you have. Also, (random side note), Goodwill is a YES! Don’t ever be ashamed if you shop there! It’s probably my favorite store!

Be inspired. Be an inspiration. Let your ship set sail. 

If you are interested in helping my cause, whether it’s to help me start up my little charity, or to enter in a blog post for your hopes and goals and dreams (or even just what you are passionate about, (mothering, cooking, exercising, teaching ect.) Please do. Email shipsetsailblog@gmail.com . Email if you have comments, or questions. Email if you have knowledge or advice.  Until then, I will try and inspire, by sharing what I know and enjoy! I want to see this get big, so we can help those around us gain confidence, follow their dreams, and feel beautiful.

Katie Brown

Today's post is starring Katie Brown. She writes about what inspired her, and a message she wanted to share. Thanks Katie for sharing your story! I think It's such a pleasure to hear so many stories that are just like our own, but special in their own way. It's definitely a motivator to see others pursuing and accomplishing their life long or short term goals! 

Samatha Swope

Welcome readers!

Today, the spotlight is on Samantha Swope. She shares her story with us, and I can be the first to say, it is very touching and inspiring. I loved it and I definitely shed a few tears. Thank you Samantha for sharing your life with us and your perspective. It was such a pleasure to read and I'm sure it will be for many others as well!