10 Of My Favorite Books From 2011

•  Over the Edge: A Novel by Brandilyn Collins This is the first of this Christian authors books I have read 
• Blind Your Ponies by Stanley Gordon WestI read several of Stanley Gorden West books he is a Montana author writing from real life
• The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel by Garth Stein you have to love a book that the main character is a dog.
• Sing You Home: A Novel by Jodi Picoult I think I have read all of her books some I love some I don't.
• Still Alice by Lisa Genova Power book really enjoyed  Left Neglected also.
• The Language of Flowers: A Novel by Vanessa Diffenbaugh  A poetic book well done.
• Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech  This is written to a Jr reader, I had listened to it the voice of the gal who read it was great. The story has a  strong message.
• Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand   It is really hard to put words to such a story, read it.
• Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan  Would highly recommend this.
• Dreams of Joy: A Novel by Lisa See  LOVE Lisa See

What a true quote

It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Running a 1/2 Marathon

This song by JJ Heller entitled “What Love really Means” begins with these words.
He cries in the corner where nobody sees
He’s the kid with the story no one would believe
He prays every night, “Dear God won’t you please…Could you send someone here who will
love me?”

I first became aware of Western Montana Youth Homes because our daughter works for them. I have seen her be the answer to a child’s prayer to be loved. The services that Youth Homes offer is of course about therapeutic care, teaching skills, proving a safe and secure home and finding forever families; but also it may provide the first person to love that child.
Each day Youth Homes serves over 180 children in shelters, group homes or foster care homes.
When I discovered that I could run to support this organization, I decided to try it in 2011. I need to say I’m not a runner. I wish I was and maybe someday… I did participate in the Missoula ½ Marathon last year and found training a hard mental game. These kids work SO hard to deal with their wounds, the least I could do is get out and run. How hard is that in comparison?

Be the kind of women who, when your feet hit the floor in the morning the devil says oh no, she up.

Winter

Winter has felt so long. We had our first below 0 weather in November and it keeps coming.... It is normal to have weather when it it below 0 but January and February is when we usually have real cold days. I wish I would have kept track of it. I am sure it is some kind of record. I need to remind myself that winter has been bad everywhere and at least cold and snow are our normal. It has warmed up the last few days but with high wind warnings, it is wonderful for the 30 degree temperatures but the drifting and wind is so bad you still can't be outdoors. Do I sound crabby?
A bright spot in the week is the bible study that I host at my house each week. We just finished Live a Praying Life by Rebecca Kennedy Dean. Now we are doing Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed. We have gotten our book club going and choose a Montana autor Stanley Gordon West.  I had readied To Bind your Ponies and really enjoyed it. The Characters were good and the way he captured basketball in Montana was perfect. We are reading Growing an Inch. This weekend our church is hosting a Marriage Seminar hosted by Jim and Karen Evans.
February is passing. 

                                                                   Some Winter photos
These Eagles where feeding on a Deer that had been killed along the road, the field was full of Golden Eagles, Bald Eagles and crows. I hadn't seen a Golden Eagle that close before they are much bigger then the Bald Eagles. Those darn crows are a big bird also. I always feel so blessed to live here when I see nature so up close.

Song by JJ Heller

I pray I can be an answer to someones prayer

In Disguise

There is an lady in our town who is going through chemo treatments. She is someone I don't see often, but I know. During the holidays she and I were in the grocery store. I looked over at these two lady's one wearing a hat who were having a conversation. I was trying to place the lady in the hat, it wasn't until she spoke that I knew who it was. Today at the post office she was behind me in line, again I didn't recognize her until she spoke. This was my thought as I walked away "what if you didn't look like you anymore".

America

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
-- Abraham Lincoln

Humor

I read this and it made me laugh I hope someone one reading it will enjoy the humor also.
This was hanging on the wall of in an office in aboriginal company that sells oranges.
Dear 'White Fella;
Couple of things you ought to know-
Fristly,
When I am born, I'm black,
When I grow up, I'm black,
When I go out ina sun, I'm black
When I get scared, gee I'm black,
When I die, I'm black.
But You White Fella,
When you born, you pink,
When you get sick, you green
When you go out ina sun, you red
When you cold, you blue
When you scared, you yellow.
When you, die, you purple!
And you have the cheek to call me coloured!

Your Hands

Check out this song

This quote says exactly what I want

"I don't want a work life and a non-work life, I want to live one life where labor, family, health, happiness, intellect, and art all collide and merge."

More then 2,000 children die each day for malaria-approximately one every 40 seconds.

Eighty-five percent of malaria deaths are children under 5 years old. Malaria is the second-biggest killer of children in Africa.

WHO estimates that 50 percent of the world's population is at risk of malaria. An estimated 250 million people are infected with the disease each year.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Give a bed net
you can protect a child against malaria for just $3.00
www.worldvision.org/readandrespond

Real answers to our health care crises

Hungry For Change
http://www.foodincmovie.com/

I want God's consuming passion

Matthew West has a new song - The Motions

It is a prayer, a desire

The Chorus
I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions

More Beautiful You

I really love the words to this new song by Jonny Diaz this is the chorus
There could never be a more beautiful you
Don’t buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

http://www.jonnydiaz.com/