Tara's
Horses Hoped For
Promises
God Does the Impossible
Nothing is impossible with GOD!!
"Horses Hoped For" is also available in audio and as a video.
Tara's Horses Hoped For
Promises
God Does the Impossible
Nothing is impossible with GOD!!
GOD said, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” and “what is seen is temporary, but the unseen is eternal and forever.”
Soon after Macy’s family of nine moved to a small farm, Macy’s sister, Tara, got to ride on the neighbor’s horse 🐎 whose name was Denny.
That’s when Tara and her sister both hoped for a horse of their own. But when they asked their dad he replied, “So sorry, girls, that's not possible. Horses are just too expensive.” But what does God say? He says, "For nothing will be impossible WITH GOD."
Because Tara and her siblings were taught never to ask a second time, they quickly obeyed “so it would go well with them and they would live a long life.” To honor their father and mother to gain God's blessing, they simply asked God, their Heavenly Father. They remembered what GOD said, "The things that are impossible with people are possible WITH GOD."
How did God give Tara and her sister the “desires of their hearts”?
You’ll laugh when you hear that God's plan began to happen when Macy and Tara’s brother, Easton, decided to raise a pig 🐖 for their family! Because they had always lived in the city, Easton needed help to learn how to raise a pig. So their mom, Erin Thiele, said the best solution would be to join a 4-H club, which teaches children living in the country how to do things on a farm, like care for all sorts of animals.
Tara and her sister had waited a long time for God to answer their prayers, but having to wait is always a GOOD thing!! Do you know why? It’s because GOD said, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.” After waiting patiently for a long time for God to answer the girls’ prayers for a horse, they were more than ready for the challenges of having and caring for what God was about to bless them with!
That’s not all. By trusting God, Tara made sure she was “radiant” because she “looked to Him” and she remained strong spiritually (the most important strength of all!) by simply waiting for God’s “appointed time“!!
A Pig Named Pork Chop
Whatever you ask for, make sure you remember that “the vision is yet for the APPOINTED time; it hastens [it hurries] toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries [it may seem slow], WAIT for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.’” Also, remember that God loves to bless us with DOUBLE—many times with even more—like I hope you read about in Macy’s Barn Cat.
Just like Macy, at the “appointed time,” God planned everything!
It happened suddenly at the very first 4-H meeting! After speaking to the 4-H leader (who would teach Easton how to care for his pig), Erin saw the horsemanship leader, Norma, and went over to speak to her. The girls wanted a horse, but, like Macy, when their dad said No, they trusted their Heavenly Father, who can do the impossible. When you delight yourself in Him He promises to give you the desires of your heart—just wait.
Led by the Lord, Erin introduced herself and explained that her family had just moved from the city to a farm. Then she said that her girls, Tara, and her sister, would like to learn more about horses. That’s when the miracle happened!!
Just at God’s appointed time, another mother excitedly interrupted, saying,
“A crazy lady just called and said she wants to give someone in our club two horses!!”
Immediately, Erin excitedly blurted out,
“Oh! Those horses are for us!”
Norma looked at Erin, puzzled,
“But didn’t you just say your girls don’t know how to take care of horses?”
Erin laughed with a huge smile,
“Yes, I did, but those horses are for us! My girls prayed to have a horse!”
Norma just looked at Erin, thinking she was crazy. But no matter what anyone thought or said, this family all knew that God promised to “finish what He started”!!
Norma was also in awe of God's next miracle when the owner of the two horses offered to teach Tara, her sister, Cooper, and Easton how to care for the horses. The two horses were named Twiggy and Halo.
Did you know there is a lot of work taking care of horses? That’s part of the reason God made sure the girls waited. You have to brush and feed them. You must know how to saddle them properly so you don’t slide off. You need to know how to put the harnesses or bridles onto the horse correctly in order to lead a horse to where you want it to go. And you also need to know how to clean their hoofs, which is a dirty, smelly job.
After just one day of training at her farm, the owner brought Twiggy and Halo to the family farm in her horse trailer. Guess what? God answered this Erin's prayer, too. She prayed for calm, safe horses because horses can be dangerous, which is another reason to wait for GOD to bring horses rather than beg for something that has the potential to harm you.
The two horses God gave to this big family of nine were very old horses, which meant that one of them, Twiggy, had a back that swayed and sagged. This dip in her back ensured the younger children would not slip off when riding—an answer to prayer for every mother. Mothers make decisions based on their God-given instinct to keep their children safe. Not only would they not fall off—these old horses didn’t really gallop. They happily walked so the children could have fun riding all day.
Sometimes, the children could get them to trot by nudging them with their heels and making a clicking sound with their tongues. From her kitchen window, Erin could hear her children’s shrieks of laughter and delight. She’d smile and thank God for His goodness and faithfulness. A loving and faithful Father who hears and listens to His children who take their needs and concerns to Him. Then trust Him and His appointed time no matter how long He asks His children to wait.
Having horses was a dream come true— just like God says! “God...is able to do far more than we would ever DARE to ask or even DREAM of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, DESIRES, thoughts, or HOPES.”
Each day after Tara, Macy, and Cooper (the youngest boy in their big family) finished their homeschool and did their house and farm chores, they would hurry outside to ride their horses! And because they weren’t strong enough to tighten the saddle straps, like Easton could, they just rode their very own horses bareback! Cooper liked to wear his Armor of God helmet and vest—pretending he was God’s knight, while Tara and Macy would be His princesses!
Do you remember that their dad didn’t want horses because he thought it was too expensive to feed them? That’s because he forgot that God says HE will ”supply all our needs according to HIS riches”! Do you think your Heavenly Father would bless children with horses (double what they asked God for) but forget to provide food to feed the horses?! Of course not! God promises to supply all our needs! This is another reason to wait for the “appointed time” to see how God will do it! What a surprise when God, the Father, chose their neighbor.
Feeding the horses was not a problem at first because, during most of the year, the horses grazed on acres of fresh green grass in the fields. But when it snows, or it’s so cold the ground gets hard and barren, horses need bales of hay with a little grain.
Suddenly, God supplied all their needs one Saturday morning when their neighbor came over for one of the Thiele Family's famous Farm Breakfasts. While eating biscuits and bacon from the pig Easton raised, the neighbor asked if he could use their fields to graze his cattle. Did you know that cattle are cows raised for meat, not cows for milking?
Well, right away their dad smiled and said, “Of course!” Then GOD did it! The neighbor replied, “Great, and in exchange, I’ll have my men bring up some bales of hay for those new horses of yours!”
This is how their 30 acres of fields don’t get overgrown—by animals grazing and eating the grass. So when the grass was plowed and gathered to make bales of hay, the horse always had plenty to eat during the winter months!!
“Poverty Mentality”
If you forget God's Promise when He said, “My God shall supply all my needs according to HIS riches,” it's easy to fall prey to a “Poverty Mentality.” It’s especially easy when you have a big family plus farm animals to feed, too. But Erin made sure always to remind her children how much it hurts your Heavenly Father’s heart when we think (and then speak) like we are orphans rather than children of the King of Kings. And since we are children of the King of Kings, that makes us, YOU, and these children His Princesses and Princes.
Guess what? Remember how God first blessed Macy? God did the same thing for Tara and her sister by giving them more than double what they asked God for! Whenever we wait patiently for the appointed time, He rewards us with not just double—He multiplies our blessings! Don’t forget the end of Macy’s Barn Cat! Because that’s what happened again!
Double Blessings!
While living on the farm, God blessed this family by giving them, not 1 but 2 horses, or double, 3 different times! No one had ever heard of anyone ever getting free horses. But God wanted to prove it was Him answering their prayers! So He multiplied 2x3 what we patiently asked for— 6 horses—three different times!!
“Hope” and “My Girl”
After everyone learned to ride better, the owner of Halo and Twiggy told us she had grandchildren who wanted horses. So we let go, and God blessed us with two more horses! The second time God performed the miracle of being given horses (without asking anyone but God... after the girls asked their dad just once)—two different families offered the girls a colt! A colt is a baby horse, and what little girl doesn’t love God's gift of having babies?!? One colt was already named “Hope”—God’s way of reminding us of His promise that “things hoped for” are “things not seen.”
The second colt we called “Yen-ta-me” Jenta Mi, which means "my girl" in Norwegian.
Our family learned a lot from having horses. Before we moved to the farm, we thought a baby horse was called a pony, but it’s not. A pony is a small horse that never gets big. A colt is what horses give birth to.
Well, that’s the end of this story, which we HOPE you will read again and again and again so you can learn God’s promises and principles in order to build YOUR life on the Rock. We especially hope you begin to BELIEVE God’s promises by “hiding them in your heart.”
Watch God do what everyone thinks is impossible—by sharing your story, your testimony! That’s the only way people will get to know and love God as you do and also be able to “overcome wickedness” by the “word of your testimony.”
Dynamite Joe
Before we say “The End,” we also want to share a short testimony of what God did after the Thiele family got their horses—something amazing, and that’s another part of His Prince and Princesses' story. The story continued when Macy got to ride and to “show” a pony named Dynamite Joe (even though she was too young) and how Tara got to ride a pony cart in shows!! A pony is not a baby horse. A pony is born small, and because of his size, he was created for special feats that a bigger horse can't do. So, if God created you smaller, become a Dynamite Joe or Dynamite Jane and let God use you for special challenges that only you can do!
Easton got his heart’s desire, too. At his first show, Easton heard music and turned to see a boy riding his horse into the arena carrying the Missouri state flag to start the competition. Easton told his mom (Erin) that he wanted to do that. So he hurried over and asked Norma if he could do it next time. Norma laughed, saying, “You must ride for a few more years before opening the competition and carrying the flag.”
But guess what? You’re right!! Because Easton waited patiently, God did the impossible at the appointed time, and Easton was suddenly asked to carry the flag!!
Oh, and the children didn’t just get to ride their own older horses either because remember how GOD loves to multiply blessings when we wait patiently? The leader taught us to ride in horsemanship competitions, and Norma even brought her trained horses so all the children could ride and "show" horses at the fair!!
Remember
If you hope for something unseen, ask God, your Heavenly Father. Then wait patiently for the “appointed time” so God can bless you with double and multiply — supplying you with the very best testimony to share with your family and friends and classmates.
“God Answers Prayer!!!!”
It’s important to understand that sometimes GOD does say No—but that’s only when GOD has something much more important waiting for you in your future. The best testimony story is about a little girl named Amy Carmichael who asked God for blue eyes. When she woke up, she excitedly ran to her mother, shouting, “God answered my prayers!!!! God said, No!” Years later, Amy grew to become a celebrated missionary in India and God knew that her blue eyes would stop her from His plan for her life! With her blue eyes, she would have been discovered as a foreigner.
So be sure to grow up to become A Wise Woman or A Wise Man. Just wait patiently for the appointed time. Be thankful for what you have— knowing the longer you wait— the greater the blessing that’s coming! Then when you’re thankful for what you have, at the appointed time, GOD may just say YES just as He did for my girls!
The End
Epilogue
"What happened later?"
Many years after the girls had hoped for horses, my children in this story married and now have their own children. As their Mimi and author of the HomeGrown Children's book, I am once again encouraged and inspired to believe the impossible, hope against all hope—for horses hoped for where all my grandchildren can live—having a farm filled with animals, barn cats and dogs like Sam, chickens, pigs like Pork Chop and "why not cattle like our neighbor" Cooper said (now a dad), for the next generation.
The POWER of God’s PROMISES
Get to know GOD’S PROMISES and hide them in your heart by looking them up in your Bible.
GOD said, "Nothing is impossible with GOD!!" Luke 1:37
GOD said, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:13 KJV
GOD said, “what is seen is temporary, but the unseen is eternal [forever].” …So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 BSB
“So we do not set our sights on the things we can see with our eyes. All of that is fleeting; it will eventually fade away. Instead, we focus on the things we cannot see, which live on and on.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 Voice
“So we’re not giving up...The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 MSG
“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT
“So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable. 2 Corinthians 4:18 TPT
GOD said, "For nothing will be impossible WITH GOD." Luke 1:37
GOD said, “the vision is yet for the APPOINTED time; it hastens [hurries] toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries [seems slow], WAIT for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.’” Habakkuk 2:2-3.
GOD said, "Nothing is impossible with GOD!!" Luke 1:37
GOD said, “so it would go well with them and to live a long life” … “‘Honor your father and your mother, just as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well for you on the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 5:16 NASB
“Honor your father and mother, as I have commanded you. If you do, you will be blessed with long life and all will go well for you as you live on the ground I am giving you.” Deuteronomy 5:16 Voice
“Respect your father and mother—God, your God, commands it! You’ll have a long life; the land that God is giving you will treat you well.” Deuteronomy 5:16 MSG
“Honor your father and mother, as the Lord your God commanded you. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 5:16 NLT
“‘Honor (respect, obey, care for) your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that your days [on the earth] may be prolonged and so that it may go well with you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” Deuteronomy 5:16 AB
GOD said, "The things that are impossible with people are possible WITH GOD." Luke 18:27
GOD said, “desires of their hearts”...“Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
GOD said, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31.
GOD said, “looked to Him”... “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces will never be ashamed.” Psalm 34:5
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” Psalm 34:4-5 ESV
“When I needed the Lord, I looked for Him; I called out to Him, and He heard me and responded. He came and rescued me from everything that made me so afraid. Look to Him and shine, so shame will never contort your faces.” Psalm 34:4-5 The Voice
GOD said, “finish what He started”... “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
GOD said, “God...is able to do far more than we would ever DARE to ask or even DREAM of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, DESIRES, thoughts, or HOPES.” Ephesians 3:20 TLB
GOD said, ”supply all our needs according to HIS riches” Philippians 4:19
“And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 NASB
“You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, His generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 MSG
“And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 AB
GOD said, “things hoped for” are “things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 NASB
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 KJV
GOD said, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11
By the Word of YOUR Testimony
We love God’s Word no matter what version it is because each enhances Here, READ all of the reasons why He blesses us to give us a testimony or our own story to share with family, friends, and people we will meet in our lives.
"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death." Revelation 12:11
"They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." Revelation 12:11 NIV
"And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die." Revelation 12:11 NLT
"And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death." Revelation 12:11 ESV
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." Revelation 12:11 KJV
"They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not love their lives in the face of death." Revelation 12:11 HCSB
"Our brothers conquered him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to their lives even in the face of death." Revelation 12:11 ISV
"But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die." Revelation 12:11 NET
“And they were victorious by the blood of The Lamb and by the word of his testimony and they did not love their lives unto death." Revelation 12:11 ABPE
"They won the victory over him because of the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. They didn't love their life so much that they refused to give it up." Revelation 12:11 GWT
*him. Who is “him”?
“him” is the enemy.
“him” is a lie or a person.
“him” can be a him or a her.
“him” is anyone or anything that goes against God and what God says.
“In hope against hope he [Abram] believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, ‘So shall your descendants be.’” Romans 4:18
Now, stop to relax, grab your coffee or cold beverage, and talk to the Lord, your Maker, and ask Him questions. Listen to what He's telling you in your heart. Then when He leads you—pour your heart into your journal, writing down what you've learned
If you'd like the opportunity to give a donation,
which will be used to distribute books to countries
in need of encouragement, click here.
★★★★★ ~ Paula in Brazil
While proofreading Tara's "Horses Hoped For" in Portuguese, I felt so touched and I knew I had to share it with my children! It is a great way to talk about the amazing Heavenly Father they have! So I asked them to come and listen to a wonderful history called Tara's "Horses Hoped For" <3
But before beginning, I had to look for the pictures we have with Tara in our home, I asked them if they remember when Tara was here in Brazil and she came to visit us? They say: "Yes, yes!!" And my son added the remembrance of our dearest Sara, he said: "We had two of your friends here, Mummy, isn't it?" I said yes, with tears in my eyes, while remembering the great moments we were blessed with the visit of these two angels Tara and Sara during different periods, in our home \o/ - "for they may be angels from God showing up as your guests." Hebrews 13:2
Well, since we were ready with such amazing memories, we started reading Tara's "Horses Hoped For" and it was a precious moment we had together. My children are hoping for things they want so much, and both of them had a "NO" from their father, so they related, and I felt the same. Reading how Tara acted, trusted, and had what she hoped for, they could find the words of encouragement to brighten their waiting room 🙂
It was a special time we had together, reading all the promises, knowing about the fruits of obedience, following how things were unfolding in the appointed time, while Tara and her siblings were waiting for their Heavenly Father, Who supplies all our needs, gives us in double even with we think that it is impossible because there is not the impossible for Him!
I confess that much of the time I feel like I am failing in teaching my children, while reading I asked my HH to talk to them, to open their hearts, they are now 12 and 14 and things are changing in their minds and hearts, but I know He will achieve infinitely more than my greatest request, my most unbelievable dream, and exceed my wildest imagination! Thank you, my Love!
The next day, I shared with Tara the precious moments we had because of her testimony, and I also shared about my "failing feelings" and she wrote me back such encouraging words that I want to share with you so that can also feel, seeing your children growing and beginning to experience things you don't want them to experience or at least if you could, you would protect them from the wickedness of the world. So here Tara's beautiful words that I know will encourage you as they encouraged me:
"Paula, what is more important than what you speak to your children, it’s how you live your day-to-day life that they observe, and you are the most beautiful reflection of Him... You are teaching them through your actions. Plus, I have a feeling that you do share so much ❤️❤️ that they are listening to and will not depart from when they’re old." Thank you my dearest and sweet Tara!
I am so happy to have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds, and that share their lives with us so we can also share with our children for them to know and love their Heavenly Father that loves them much more than they can imagine 🙂 I feel so honored and so loved to be called to be His bride so I can be a better mom to my children.
Thank you so much Erin for all you have been sharing with us through the "His Princess" stories! Thank you for opening your heart and teaching us 🙂 And by your way of living and trusting, we all can long to live a special relationship with the Man of our dreams, and this is because of you, dear Erin, we love you!!!