The Desires of Her Heart~

Mikailah and Alli

God is faithful....we know. He is a personal God. His care runs deeper than we can begin
to comprehend. He fashioned each one of us to be unique and He understands what gives
each heart a thrill.

When we pray, He listens. He sets His hand to working on our behalf. On our behalf
may mean that we don't see the results that we want; We don't necessarily get our way.
In His infinite wisdom and unfailing love, He determines the most
beneficial path.
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Our daughter, Mikailah, has been asking God for a horse for a very long time. She enjoys
everything about them. The riding is fun but she is so content to just brush and walk them.
To her, a horse is a friend.

We have not wanted to commit to having a horse for two reasons.

#1
Having a horse in Arizona is very expensive. In the mountains where we live, the moisture
accumulation is somewhere around 12" per year. The grass is lush and green ( for Az.)  for about
the last 6 weeks of summer. Pasture-fed horses are not an option unless you
have irrigation. We don't.

On the average, hay costs $15/ bale. That adds up very quickly.

#2
Our lifestyle takes us away from home a bit. And as we get more established in our
music ministry and business, we look for this to increase. (We have strong feelings about
asking others to care for our animals when we are away; It can be a burden.)

It just didn't seem right for our family to take on that responsibility.

But Mikailah has been very patient and in the past 6 months, it has come to pass that two
of our (neigh)bors *smile* have horses. A registered Quarter Horse that stands 17 hands tall
and a sweet, little Arabian mare. They have offered to let us ride them whenever
we choose. We feel so blessed to have such gracious friends.

This has made Mikailah very happy, indeed! She doesn't mind that the horses aren't hers.
She is content in this arrangement and thankful for the provision of her two new friends.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Watching our children grow in the Lord and coming to own a faith that is personal
to them is such a joy. Allowing them to experience the faithfulness of God in their
own circumstances is so important.

It is so precious how He takes our tiny seeds of faith and shelters them, nourishes them
and brings them to the full fruit.

I am grateful for an attentive God who sees our hearts.  He never sleeps and
is always mindful of the things that we long for. He knows what is best for us.
He is waiting to bless us in His time and His way.