It's amazing what a little faith can do.  By faith I mean the assurance of things hoped for, the certainty of things unseen.  Hebrews 11 faith.  The Isrealites had witnessed first hand God's miracles.  They had seen Him defeat the gods of the Egyptians, part the Red Sea, lead them by a pillar of fire and a cloud, bring water out of a rock.  Yet they could not bring themselves to believe that He would actually give them the land He had promised them.  It cost them forty years, and the lives of a whole generation. 

I'm a little like them. I was raised by a Christian mom.  Went to church every Sunday.  Learned all about the Bible and God and Jesus and the Gospel.  I even "believed" it.  Until it came time to put it into action.  Then I followed the world and it's lies. 

When I graduated from high school, a friend of mine had been accepted into the horse program at Laramie County Community College.  Since they had no dorms, she was looking for a roommate.  I was looking for a way out of Fort Collins, so I agreed to room with her.  We found an apartment on the north end of Cheyenne and I got a job at McDonald's.  After about six months, I decided to move over to Laramie and go to the University of Wyoming.  I majored in Animal Science with a view to transferring to Colorado State University's vet program.  Chemistry was my giant.  I could not even pass the first test.  So I dropped out.  I moved back home and went back to working jobs that got me no where. 

But three years later, I came to know Jesus.  Not just an intellectual assent to the teachings of the Bible, But I was actually in a relationship with the King of the Universe!   That changed everything.  When I felt Him call me to Washington, I went.  No job, no place to live.  Just His call.  I met my husband there.  I was discipled there by wonderful people who are my forever family.  Then He called us to Louisville.  For the first 18 months, I couldn't seem to find my feet.  Then we found Grace Evangelical Free Church, and a home.  And I rediscovered my love for horses and have learned natural horsemanship principles, or "the gospel for horses".  I also rediscovered my love for Wyoming and it's people through short term mission trips to Wind River.  God has also given me a heart to reach kids with horses, and I'm getting to practice with Stormhaven.  Most of all, the fear of failing is gone.  I no longer have to fear the giants, because I know Whose I am.  And He has a plan.  And His plans never fail.  I look at our land and our hopes and dreams and I know that God's plans will not fail.  It looks so impossible on so many levels, but now I have faith in a mighty God who has called me to know Him.  This time, I face my "promised land" knowing who it is who leads me there. 

Well, the new year has come rushing in like a blizzard.  We all went out to Colorado to my Mom's for Christmas this year, since we needed to get Bridget (my oldest daughter, who has been "Grammy sitting").  It was an interesting drive across Kansas.  I will never again pray for an interesting and "bonding" drive.  (yes, I did pray that the trip would be a bonding experience for us)  Steve had to work up until the Friday before Christmas, so I climbed in the car with two teenagers who weren't particulary thrilled at the prospect of hanging with "the family"  and a nine year old with a brand new DSi that he got for St. Nicholas Day.  The drive from Louisville, to Lawrence was gruelling.  Noone was happy, except the nine year old.  So when we started out across the frozen prairie, I prayed for safety (it was snowing across Kansas and east bound I-70 was closed for a ways)  and for a bonding experience.  I began to rain somewhere in Topeka, then the rain began to freeze.  Somewhere around Junction City, the road was slush.  About 100 feet before the Saline River, we watched a tractor-trailer go off the road in front of us and we called 911.  There was a car off the road every 1/2 mile or so.  I was a little nervous.  The road was very slick, and I was going about 30 when the back end of the Suburban got away from me, I overcorrected, then overcorrected again, then we did a 360, ran off into the ditch.  We could have made it back on the road, but there were cars coming (by God's grace, there was noone around when we spun), so I stopped in the ditch.  We were stuck.  The kids thought it was great!  apparently, when we began to spin, I just said, "Well, here we go."  We called AAA and a kind state patrolman stopped to make sure we were OK.  We all had a good stress relieving laugh and the kids took pictures on their phones and posted them on Facebook.  The tow truck operator only took 1/2 hour to arrive, and was in a pretty good mood.  (I'll bet his kids had a good Christmas!)  We were all safe, and by the time we got to Cody, it was dry pavement the rest of the way.  This will be a memorable trip, and I'm glad.

This episode once again makes me ponder why we're so afraid to step out into whatever it is that God calls us to.  If He calls us, we know that the only thing we risk is seeing His glory, knowing Him more, trusting Him more,  becoming His more.  Some of the things He asks me to do seem so far beyond my abilities, yet, if He calls me to it, won't He surely equip me for it?  And the amazing thing is, even when I blow it and land in a ditch,  He pulls me out and gives me the strength to keep going,  even some smooth sailing from time to time.  And when we share the times of stepping out in faith, following God where He leads, we grow together, bonded in the knowledge that our King will bring us home