Those words don't come out of my mouth easily... that is for SURE!

When I look back over the last seven years I am truly bewildered how many times God has shown up in my life. To say the words God out loud doesn't come easy for me either. I worry about who will stop reading once I say those words. I hope you continue to read if you are not a believer. Only because there is more to this.

I grew up in Utah and most don't know this. I grew up in a very LDS/Mormon family. Even though I never felt like I belonged and had many opportunities over those 18 years to be judged, criticized and mocked. I pulled away from religion. At the age of 20, my father passed away and I pulled away from God, most of my family and friends and I just poured my heart into my corporate job. I turned off my faith and turned towards just wanting to be the best at my Job title.

Just a few years later, my artist's heart was aching to be creative again. I went into business with a partner to open a salon. Now, this is where the last year steps in. About 3 months ago I started to write down when God showed up for me. He has shown up many times in my life, but this one stand out for some reason and so I share :)

I was looking for a space to open the salon that would be close to my corporate job and was getting very discouraged at not finding what I wanted. One night leaving work as I was pulling out I turned the wrong direction. Instead of left I went right. Just as I got onto the main road my car died. That's right dead!!! I tried several times to turn it over and nothing. At the time I did not have my cell on me and so I ran into a bar to use their phone. As I was walking up to the bar I noticed the building next to it was all boarded up. I pressed my face up against the glass door where there was just about a 4-inch opening and peeked in. It looked very beat up and in need of love or tearing down.

I entered the bar and used their phone to call for help. As I was waiting, the at the guy bar asked if I wanted a drink and I said 'no' but I would like to ask if you know who owns the building next to you... he said "me". We chatted a few minutes and I made arrangements to come back the following day to check it out. Now, this is one of those moments NOW I look back and see how God shows up.

When my help arrived, I tried to turn the car over and it did. YES, it turned over like nothing was wrong. I drove home that night and started to plan the next chapter of my life.

The space was perfect and we opened a salon there about 3 months later. It was in that salon that my focus was to just manage the stylist and then something crazy happened, I picked up my camera I had put down when my father died. My father had inspired me to take pictures when I was 13 and when he died I put it away so I couldn't be reminded.

In the salon, I created a studio space. Picked up the camera and went back to photography school. Started teaching makeup classes at the Paul Mitchell School and then the doors appeared. Now some would read this and see 'Certainty, Conviction, Confidence. At the time I did not see any of it. Nor did I see how God was guiding me and opening doors for me that have led to my purpose. I believe we all have one and when we allow ourselves to feel confident, and act with conviction, and trust in the certainty we can see past the fear and doubt... Or as I refer to the naysayers around us and within us. 

In the book 'I factor' Van Moody wrote "when you write down big shifts in your life you will see how God shows up and answers your prayers. It may not come in the time you want or how you want, but it does when you step back and look". Have you ever done this? What chapters in your life were written with your conviction? 

I share this with you as I find a season in my life currently wanting to see this more and willing to share. I would love to hear from you and your walk. We are not alone and in our tribe, we can RISE each other up.

I look forward to hearing your story.

Taylor