Faith > Fear

Moving across the country from South Carolina to Colorado has been the biggest, scariest, and hands down the BEST decision I’ve made in my life so far.  Looking back a year and a half in, I can’t believe how faithful God has been in my life.  Isn’t it crazy how a perspective shift (and actual physical shift) can change how you view EVERYTHING in your life?  And I would be lying if I said I made this decision on my own.  GOD placed the “pull” to move to Colorado Springs on my heart during one of my “what am I doing with my life” journaling sessions in November 2021. 

I was coming off of a crazy year and a half starting with 2020 (hello COVID).  Within that timeframe, I got engaged, planned a wedding, called off said wedding, got a new job, moved back in with my parents and just as the dust started to settle, I felt a “pull” to make a big move.  However, every time I felt this “pull” I literally talked my way out of it and decided to go “be busy” and not tune in.  I’m someone who likes to go-go-go.  I love to be doing something whether that’s being physically active (running, swimming, climbing), road tripping, hanging with the awesome peeps in my life, adventuring, you name it, I don’t love to “be still”.  I’ve learned through my faith walk that its OK to be still and I’ve found it’s in the quiet and still moments where I hear God’s voice the most clearly. It was during one of these “be still” journaling moments that God very clearly placed Colorado Springs on my heart when I flat out asked the question, “Where do you want me, Lord?”  A still, quiet voice answered me back with “Colorado Springs”.  I immediately went into defensive mode and thought Colorado Springs?! I’ve never heard of this place. No, surely that’s not the place for me, God. As the enemy loved, I dispelled this thought immediately and resumed my day to day and shelfed the idea of moving across the country. Well wouldn’t you know God is relentless when he has something specific planned for your life. Colorado Springs kept popping up in my day-to-day over the next 6 months. (Yes- it took me 6 months of belaboring and resisting the fact that God was actually calling me to a new life and a new place.)  I like to call these serendipitous moments “God winks”.  These God winks included watching the travel channel one night and Samantha Brown’s “Places to Love” series came on featuring none other than “Colorado Springs”.  Every time I prayed out loud or in quiet moments, “God, what’s next for me?” Colorado Springs would come to me even before I asked the question-seriously.  I had various other moments in conversations with friends, strangers, and Colorado or Colorado Springs specifically would come up in conversation, it was eerie, but in a cool way. One of my favorite God winks came the day after I made the decision to lean in & listen to all these affirmations I was experiencing. It came the day after I turned in my notice at work. I LOVED my job and the people I worked with (shoutout to WordPlay Kids) and I was having a hard time. I was filled with doubts and questioning my decision to move. Backstory, I tried to contact my friend, Kelly (the one person I knew living in Colorado Springs) for 4 months.  I reached out to this girl via text, phone calls, left voicemails, facebook messages, you name it. I hadn’t heard anything back, crickets.  And literally the day after I turned in my work notice, Kelly calls.  What a God wink and affirmation for me that God was with me and he wasn’t going to leave me during this transition. From there, Kelly set me up with my new roomie, a beautiful place to live, she helped connect me with people who would later help guide me to my new church home and community. 

So, after that true leap of faith of stepping away from the known into the unknown with nothing but my flickering faith guiding me, God showed up y’all.  God wink after God wink, I was affirmed that this was the path God was calling me to.  I still get goosebumps today thinking about every event, relationship, and moment he has orchestrated for me out here in Colorado Springs. I’ll be transparent that it has not been 100% smooth sailing by any means. There have been as many lows as there have been highs during this transition, but I can say this with 100% certainty, I’ve had an unwavering peace about being here the entire time- it has never faltered.

 So, a year and a half in, I’m loving life here in Colorado. I prayed for community, a good job, a church home, and let me tell y’all, GOD SHOWED UP in these areas for me. My life here is nothing how I pictured it at all, but in many ways, its so much better than I could have imagined. I’m super stoked to watch the next steps unfold. Saltwater & Sage Co. is a huge part of that next step for me.

 I’m so excited you are here!  I can’t wait to show you what I’ve been working on the past 3 years.  Circling back to the concept of “Being Still” – Saltwater & Sage Co. was born out of one of those “still” moments during covid quarantine when I was going stir crazy (like many of you I’m sure) and wanted to put my hands to something. What started as a hobby of making earrings for friends and family has turned into something bigger and I can’t wait to share with y’all.  I’ve always been obsessed with earrings -“Thanks mom for not letting me get my ears pierced until I was 13”.   When I finally was able to wear and purchase earrings of my own, my eyes always went to the FUN, BOLD, BIG, STATEMENT earrings.  That’s what I’ve tried to create with my first Saltwater & Sage Co collection.  Fun, bold, earrings that you can dress up or dress down.  My hope is that when you wear a pair of Saltwater & Sage Co earrings you feel confident and loved.  Knowing that the hands that created these earrings truly want the woman wearing them to not only feel beautiful, but their most confident and authentic selves. You are worthy, unique, and LOVED.