Y'all! Sara Hisel is a blessing and an encourager. To get a glimpse into her life is to gain wisdom and a gift. I'm writing this on a Sunday evening after hearing a sermon at church this morning on thankfulness. Tonight, I am thankful for Sara, for her story, for her willingness to share it, for her gifted way of story telling, and for the pain she walked through, so that on the other side should could encourage you and me. Sara is a wife, mother, rancher, photographer, and so much more. Most importantly, Sara is a bold Christ follower who encourages others daily to look to the Lord for help and peace. Learn more about Sara below...
What does homestead mean to you?
To create a home through the lens of intention. These days not many have the privilege of growing their own food - we sure don’t on the vegetable side of the plate! So I’d like to think of this word aside from gardens and ranch/farms. I’d say a homestead is a home centered on firm values and rich relationship with one another and with the land. As long as it’s up to you, and you cultivate a deeper connection, growing things/those around you - you are a homesteader.
Did you grow up in agriculture? What is your favorite part of ranch life now?
I was blessed to grow up in agriculture. I always found myself there even after my parents split and my mom moved to town. My Dad’s side of the family had a cow/calf operation and as long as we were with my dad, we were cowboying - I loved every minute of it. My favorite part of ranch life now is the responsibility that comes with it. Whether I feel like it or not, on that particular day, I am responsible to the animals and the land. I get to hand that down to my children now and what a gift to watch them find their own way into this life.
In what ways do you see God in your homestead?
He is in everything. He is the common thread that ties it all together. The Creator of all living things and as a Christian, the call to be a good steward with what we’ve been given - He is at the center and even ranching can be spiritual if you really think about it.
Who did you learn the most about life from?
Oh man this is a tough one. I tend to watch and learn, so I am always picking up what I can from others around me. Thankfully, I have been surrounded by great examples of faith as well as examples of a good work ethic, because at the core, those have been the most important things I
have needed in my life.
What is it you love about finding vintage clothes and how did you start the Cowboy Wife
Collective?
When other kids were going to the mall for back-to-school shopping, my mom made us first go to the secondhand stores. So, what started out as just obeying my mom’s wishes, instilled in me a love for thrifting. I can’t stand how much waste is in the world and the fashion industry is one of the main contributors, so in some way, I feel like I am doing my part when it comes to reusing what others have deemed trash. I also just LOVE building a wardrobe knowing it’s unique to me and not everyone will have the same look. Cowboy Wife Collective was created with a good friend of mine who is also a great thrifter and a cowboy wife. What started out as just having a thrift problem and needing to get rid of things (haha!) turned into to shopping for other people and it’s been fun! A lot of our followers are also on a “cowboy wife budget” so we try and offer quality items at great prices!
What is a life challenge you have faced and how did you overcome it?
Well the Lord has been walking me through a lot the last 3 years or so. He has a way of radically loving you so much so, that he wants you to face the darkest parts of yourself, and on the other side you will find true healing and will be able to love others just as beautifully. I am by no means there yet! I’d say my biggest challenge was grieving the loss of my Dad, who was killed in a horse accident when I was 14. Unknowingly I avoided grief for about 14 years, so 6 years into my marriage and with 2 kids, the Lord decided to bring me to it. I was faced with grief and found myself in a valley, it was a dark time, but I still tear up thinking of the Lord’s tenderness and how near He was during that time. I am forever changed because of that experience. So, I wouldn’t trade the grief even if I could. I love better because of it and, ultimately, I think that’s the end goal of life. To not harden but to soften. At that time, I truly felt like I was wrestling with God, so the story of Jacob brought me so much comfort. He was a man that wanted to be rescued from the pain of his life and found himself literally wrestling through the night with a figure (believed to be God) who touched him in his hip area after the fight and from that day on Jacob walked with a limp. He was forever changed by that experience both physically and spiritually. So I earned my limp and will never forget the fight it took to get here. I like to find others with a limp as well.
What is your favorite thing about photography? What are some little details you see through the
lens?
My favorite thing about photography is that it forces me to be present. Not many things in this life will give you that. I love when I bring my camera up to my eye, I am asked to stop and see and then, if led, I get to help create something worth seeing. If you couldn’t tell I love a good story, so for me that’s what photography is all about, capturing a good story and leaving behind photographs for others to remind them of time well spent.
Tell us one of your favorite stories about ranching, horses, or life in general.
I haven’t gotten to talk about my kids much so I’ll tell a story of my daughter. It’s one that cracks me up and really maybe it’s one that you have to be there for - but I’ll tell it anyway. My husband and I don’t splurge on a lot but we like the fancy cheese or “stinky cheese” as we now call it. So one night at supper we had cheese and fruit out and I cut up cheese sticks for the kids and of course had our “stinky cheese” on the plate too, well my daughter Millie Rix wanted to try our fancy cheese which happened to be Asiago (it really can be stinky but oh so good) we warn her but she throws it in her mouth and as she’s chewing and making a terrible face like she smelled dog poop she keeps chewing it and acts like she’s liking it the entire time saying “mmmm that's good cheese” - we were rolling! Maybe you had to be there, but I hope you can picture it! May we all be like Millie Rix and when life gives us that stinky cheese, just grit your teeth, chew away, and get it down!
What is your favorite recipe?
For the holidays, my Dad loved making cheesecake with homemade crust. I still remember helping him in the kitchen and getting to smash graham crackers with a spoon. He was the dad that would two-step with me on his feet while the cheesecake was in the oven. He loved Bob Wills and we most likely had it playing while we cooked. Of course, that’s a cherished memory so I love making that same cheesecake during the holidays.
What is the name of your all-time favorite horse?
Deacon was a studhorse my Dad owned and trained. He was the kind of stud that you could throw a kid on and ask him to go do anything. And that’s exactly what my Dad did with us. I felt pretty unstoppable on Deacon. Especially with the looks you’d get as a kid, handling a stud horse out on a job.
Who is one woman who has inspired you?
My Grams. She went to heaven earlier this year and we truly celebrated her life and her legacy the day of the funeral. She lived out a legacy of loving Jesus that seemed to inspire every one of her grandkids in one way or another, and she had a lot of grandkids! She touched us all and everyone around her. She was one of the most important women in my life. Without her I wouldn’t have known to fight for my faith. When I say fight, I mean the quiet ones no one knows about, when you have to make a choice to show up and stand firm on the Lord’s promises in your life. When you are broken and don’t understand, but you show up anyway. Her life wasn’t easy but she didn’t let that harden her. Instead, I’d say she loved radically.
All I want to add is that I do not have it all together. There are still days I question the Lord’s goodness on my life. I enjoy sharing the stories like the ones above but please know I am still a woman with a list of unanswered prayers just like you. That’s the truth, but what is also the truth is that every time I have asked the Lord to remind me how near He is - HE ANSWERS. And that is something I can stand firm on.
May we all stand firm on the truth that when we ask the Lord to remind us how near He is, HE ANSWERS. Sara's wise words definitely reveal her wise grandmother's influence and hit right in my core. I hope they did that for you too!
Here's to embracing our inner Millie Rix and gritting our teeth and getting it down when life hands us stinky cheese! Be sure to check Sara out on Instagram to catch her and her husband Steve's devotionals and encouraging words on IGTV!
xo,
Sara S.
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