Faith Gardening

"It's about faith. You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you." Book, (Firefly)

"Why aren't there faith gardeners?"

Well., heck! Sometimes there are...

Once, walking to Kindergarten, Davy found a dandelion cloud and instead of blowing it, gave it to his 3 year old brother, Danny. He turned and looked all around the unkempt yard for one for himself, but there weren't any.
That afternoon, 5 hours later, we were walking past the same yard, and there they were dozens of dandelion clouds. I don't know do they grow in 5 hours?
Well, it doesn't matter it was Faith fixing me, like Book said.
I wasn't asking for it or even expecting it or imagining such a thing. But there they were; a yard full of dandelions for my sweet 5 year old son to blow and share with his brother.
A smart woman once said, " Just because a dog can't understand algebra doesn't mean it ain't so."
I like that kind of faith. Faith that goes beyond what my little mind can conjure up. Faith that says, "It's Alright," even when facing surgery or when God decides to do some weed growing anti-gardening. I want that kind of faith that fixes me, that is beyond the obvious purposes and goals. Faith that stretches to vision. Vision given by the Giver of All Things, who is capable and willing to bring All Things into knowledge and Oneness with Him. Oh Lord, give me your vision, your Faith, your "It's Alright!"

Col. 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPytOtBnAk8


Oh this is for me...

I woke up from a deep sleep with one line from this song. I couldn't remember anything else about this song, only.."I'll put a pebble in my shoe.." God bless the internet, yes?

This video has me, like I feel me, singing it. And it includes my favorite psalm at the end.
Ps. 137 talks about how the captives hung their harps up in the branches of the willows so that perhaps, they could return and retrieve them. The captors wanted them to sing joyful songs of Zion, and they could not, not when they were captive in a strange land. So they hung up their harps, resting in the willows, safe for later.

and here's the poem, I wrote while I slept..

God's growing a rose in my heart,
and sometimes I pull the petals off,
and keep the roots from drinking.

Sometimes I trust and wait, and listen and learn
What Love is.

Sometimes a little girl blesses me with
a gift that helps me to see
All the good gifts that my rose
could grow into for so many.
So I'll put a pebble in my shoe and sing
Halelu, halleluya.


"BY MY SIDE"
Music & Lyrics:Stephen Schwartz
Where are you going? Where are you going?
Can you take me with you?
For my hand is cold
And needs warmth
Where are you going?
Far beyond where the horizon lies
Where the horizon lies
And the land sinks into mellow blueness
Oh please, take me with you!
Let me skip the road with you
I can dare myself.
I can dare myself.
I'll put a pebble in my shoe
And watch me walk
I can walk!
I can walk!
I shall call the pebble 'Dare'I shall call the pebble 'Dare'
We will walk, we will talk togetherabout walking
Dare shall be carried.
And when we both have had enough
I will take him from my shoe, singing"Meet your new road!"
Then I'll take your hand
Finally glad
Finally glad
That you are here
That you are here
By my side.
By my side. By my side.
By my side. By my side.
By my side.

As with One Voice

2 Chron. 5:13 The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: "He is good; his love endures forever." Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, 14 and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.

I can see it...I can feel it, with other rejoicers, alone on the roof deck (I renamed it the Star Deck this morning:). I can feel that 'becoming One' in the praise of the Lord. Brian put this verse up last time the Seven worship band played and I stuck it in my head. Then I got to watch it happen this morning. The 'little cat feet' clouds came gently in and my tabernacle had clouds for branches, through which I could see more than 3 stars, oh and one meteor! A window in my cloud roof framed the beautiful traveler perfectly.

But the best part of this passage is that amazing occurrence, 'the priests could not perform their services.' That temple was often filled with tons of smoke from burnt offerings and a cloud chases them off? My clouds this morning tasted so sweet and refreshing. I could see glory upon glory right through them. The priests weren't needed. The sacrifice of Praise was being given in Unity with the Spirit in Oneness of heart and our good, Lord whose 'Love endures forever' was glorifying His Name.

John 12:27-3627 ..... for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."

Jesus came for this very hour...to make the services of the priests unnecessary, to fill our world-wide tabernacle with the glory of the Lord.Let's find time today to raise our voices, our shofars, our lives as instruments of Praise!

Jesus came for this very hour...to make the services of the priests unnecessary, to fill our world-wide tabernacle with the Glory of the Lord. Let's find time today to raise our voices, our shofars, our lives as instruments of Praise!

Moist mayim b'sason

Jer. 2:13 "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.


Are our hearts moist?
Are the roots of our Spirits drinking from His fountain of joy?

Tears are often mentioned in scripture. Women cry for those they have lost. Paul cries 'upon every remembrance' of those far away from him whom he loved.

And Jesus our sweet Messiah, wept. Knowing full well that in moments he would call his friend from the grave, back to His side, yet Jesus wept.
His soul was so moist that He showed it through tears. His sweet friend, Mary, who sat at His feet with an open heart, who would later anoint Him with perfume wiped onto His feet with her hair, Mary was overcome with weeping for her brother.
Jesus' heart, our own Lord's Spirit, was broken with the heartache of His dear little flower. His Love for her brought forth the tears of God.
John 11:35 He was deeply moved in Spirit and was troubled...Jesus wept.

He could have just laughed at her and said, "Honey, I'm gonna raise him from the dead, come watch me!"

This God of ours had no thoughts of Himself or what He would do or say, He felt overcome and was moved. Then He wept. So authentic, so real, so beyond selfishness, He was not self-centered. The Creator of the Universe centered on a sweet, little friend and her tears.

Oh, I desire to be so filled with the 'mayim b'sason', the waters of joy, from my Spring of Living water that I could be as moved to tears with what overcomes my friends as Jesus.
Not thinking, "I know how I can help," or "This will cheer my friend up!!" or any other broken cistern that I try to lead them to in my self-centeredness.
To feel what they feel, to be overcome with what overcomes them, to be deeply moved, to love truly and deeply, overflowing with Love from the Spring of Living Water.
Oh Lord, God let me be moist.

Rock Pillow

Ya'akov, Ya'akov...Jacob, Jacob! All those stars, a rock for your pillow and you didn't know that God was in this place? But you had just left all you knew behind, alone on a 'certain' mountain.

Jacob, father-deceiver, heel-catcher, running away from your only brother's wrath.

Sleeping alone, dreaming beneath countless stars. Did you remember just before sleep what your Father, Issac had surely told you? The story of God promising your Grandfather, Abraham, descendants to match those stars. Then your dreams come...angels, and the Lord speaking, promising to bless you, Israel ( your name to come), promising to bless all the Gentiles (nations) through your seed!

Jacob, Jacob you fallible father, you dreamer, you ancestor of the Line of David from which comes the Messiah in whom all 'the families of the earth shall be blessed!'

We learn from you...
even when we are running away, even when we have no thoughts of God in our hearts, when we lie down to sleep...
He is there, 'Even Israel', Rock of Israel never slumbers or sleeps.

Genesis 28:16-22
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it." 17 He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." 18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it.

The Courts of the Lord

Psalms 84:2
I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the LORD. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.

Oh I feel that! Yesterday, I entered in for a bit. My 'court' was dancing, singing, and praising and laughing with my sons and their worship band. Some try to tell me that the priests of Baal did that too. They were trying to wake up their god. I think our praise is so different. We dance like David did in the streets with joyous grateful hearts. We ask Him for nothing. He gives us Everything. He fills us with His Holy Spirit, becoming One with us and inhabits the Praise we bring. He only asks us to be consumed with His Love.

Find a place my friend, where you can enter His courts with Praise and bring the sacrifices of thanksgiving, of a contrite heart, a humble Spirit and trusting soul.

Isa 57:15
For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Free

Priceless gifts given freely:

*stars * moon * sun * rain * wild flowers *birds *clouds * blue

We can't pay for these, we can't do anything for them but enjoy them. We can choose not to accept them, sort of, by locking ourselves away in busyness, in the tyranny of the urgent, in video screens, in our own inadequacy, in looking at our own muddy feet...

But let's not do that. Here's these gifts constantly given infinite and Divine.

All these priceless gifts are a picture of that most precious free gift.

You cannot pay for or deserve the stars or the wind or the scent of a wild flower.

Just so is this gift from Messiah, our Anointed King, our Lord, God, our Spirit Comforter.

Jesus said to the thief on the cross next to His, "Today, you will be with me in Paradise."

Nothing that thief could do to deserve it only ...accept.

Today accept His gifts, freely given...and crackling with Life!

Inspired by Micah's Ipod being qued up to 'Rush'....

Invisible airwaves crackle with life

Bright antennae bristle with the energy

Emotional feedback on timeless wavelength

Bearing a gift beyond price, * free !!!

I changed the last line to Sailsmen and took out the 'almost'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tq-UsaRchI

Post-Mortem

'But any experiment, failed or not, can be valuable if it is properly documented. Creating mini post-mortems for your prototypes to archive why something did or didn't work can be valuable when addressing gameplay mechanics down the line. It is not necessary to create an elaborate document for each prototype you do, but a brief write-up on the successes and failures of the test are certainly worth the time.'

Phil. 4:4 Rejoice!... There goes that Paul again saying off the wall amazing things. Rejoice? From prison he writes this! "Rejoice!" Oh I need it this morning, I taught with all my red-headed exuberance and I went a little overboard, okay a lot overboard. One guy said, "she taught about poop for 20 minutes." Another quoted 2 Tim 2:12 at me...
"I do not permit a woman to teach."

But I'm gonna follow Paul's (other) advice and rejoice. Maybe I'm the brunt of jokes, the fool, the jester but I choose to rejoice. I betcha they'll never forget what God taught them this morning, and if nothing else; they got to laugh.

Successes: perfect timing, very memorable message, everybody listened the whole time, lots of laughs, simple and direct.

Failures: don't switch to caffeinated just before teaching even if you did get up at 3:00am, don't talk about poop, constipation, vomiting, cud chewing, and getting people sticky all in the same message. Cut down on the jokes, not everything has to be funny, you are not a stand-up comedian, don't point out the guy flirting with the girl in the back, especially if he really is flirting with the girl. One mention of wild sword dancing is quite enough.

Rejoicing is so easy when you read your list of failures and they make you laugh till you cry.
Sometimes this world is A-o'Freaking K.

Wisemen

Got up late this morning so there were no stars or meteors except our big Mama Star. She slowly peeped in warming the world and painting the clouds pink and making the palm branches of my horizon-sized succah shine.
Had words from the wise king, Solomon in my head, as I enjoyed Mama Star's work.

Ecclesiastes 10:2
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.

Sorry lefties, like my Micah, but most of us wave our swords with our right hands and brush our teeth with them too, (although my New Year's Resolution was to switch...i have failed:)

What Solomon means is probably best explained by another wise philosopher who 'just happened' to be cued up in Micah's Ipod which I 'just happened' to stick in my pocket as I climbed my roof top steps. Oh I do love these very well connected coincidences.

'Don't live another day unless you make it count...
Enjoy yourself do the things that matter...
'cause there isn't time and space to do it all...'

Be passionate about what you do and make what you do something worthwhile.
Whatever you do, don't do it with your left hand, like half way,
do it with your right hand and all of your heart.

'Swing out by your feet above the circus ring'
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
'Love the things you try,
show a little grace if you should fall.'
We all fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) but keep trusting Him to do it in you.

'Love your friends and miss them when they go...'

and cover it all with Love like warm Mama Star turning everything pink and shiny.
Thanks, Jonathan Coulton and Glen, for turning us on to him :)!

being 'Good'

Gal. 3:11 Now, it is clear that no one is put right with God by means of the Law, because the scripture says, "Only the person who is put right with God through faith shall live."(Hab. 2:4 ).

Oh you, Paul! The things you say! Such an amazingly radical guy. He took this vision of Habakkuk's and ran with it.
We can't be 'put right' by keeping the Law, by being 'good?'
I have a friend who really hates this.
She sees this as a license to act badly.
I can see where she got that idea...
It does sort of sound like that and then you've got people (like me) who screw-up and are so thankful there's this big tub of forgiveness just waiting to be dumped down upon my head.
And I guess there's even Christians who say, "it's okay, I'll just go 'confess' tomorrow."

I have another friend who says we can only judge people by their actions.
I can see his logic too.
But my friend, Paul (can I call him my friend?), he just doesn't worry about the consequences and says a crazy thing like ;
Cor. 13:3 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,
and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love,
it profiteth me nothing.

What a trip! What is this crazy thing called Love that matters more than good actions.
There's this whole reality here that goes beyond what we see people doing or saying or what actions we take... there's this heart attitude that Paul says matters more.

You know who else said that our heart attitude matters more? That being humble and contrite is more important than doing good deeds?...yeah you guessed...Yeshua HaMashiach
Jesus the Messiah...
Luke 18:9-14
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

"But Jesus that Pharasee was 'gooood!' He gave money, he fasted, he didn't rob or 'do evil' or lust..what a guy! And that other guy, Jesus, look he even admitted that he was a sinner!" Can't you just hear the people in the crowd whispering in disbelief. The one asking for mercy, begging for mercy got it. The one working hard to 'be good' ended up exalting himself and did not go 'home justified.'



Now, look what Peter says..
1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

and John...
1Jo 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Seems like those guys spent too much time hanging out with Jesus! We need to humble ourselves, knowing we are not 'good' but instead relying on love, the Love that is poured out on us from Jesus' sacrifice. He gave Himself for us, to bring us back to the Love of God. We need to rely solely on the cross, on that perfect Love.
Let's say we are motivated by fear, or by wanting to be admired, or by selfishness, or by wanting to appear 'good.'

It's like painting a picture with something that smells bad...or , or..

Oh I know, my son's beautiful girlfriend made us these lovely bowls. They are so light and unique and so perfect for Capt. Crunch. But she put in some little specks of shiny metallic paint. She's taking those bowls out of the kiln all fired and ready for cereal and her instructor says, "You know, you can't eat out of those..."
Those pretty specks are poisonous.
No matter how good my actions look, so pretty and shiny, if they have those specks of poison they aren't safe.
And I constantly need more time in the kiln with my Creator to keep those specks out. Being motivated by fear, or selfishness or anything but Love will end up being just a pretty show.

My faith needs to be in Love Himself, motivated by His Love in me.
Without faith it is impossible to please God and I want to have faith (not in myself or my actions) but in His Mercy, Grace, and Love ...
which are constantly pouring down on my head anointing me for His Mitzvah.

PS I made the bowls into candle holders, they are so shiny!

I know who I wanna take me home...

Home

Feels like Home

Here in Your Heart

In the palm of Your Hand.

Ps.125:2
As the mountains are round about Jerusalem,

so the LORD is round about his people

from henceforth even for ever.

Big Loser

Oh Father, I feel like a big loser...

Child, I want you to be a big loser;
in self justification,
in redeeming yourself,
in feeling more important than others,
of thinking yourself holier than others,
of thinking that you can do any good thing from good motives without Me.

I want you to be a big winner;
in trusting my work in you,
in thinking of others as more important and holier,
in giving yourself over to my Spirit,
so that when you do good deeds you and others
will glorify Me, your Father in heaven
and your heart will be like my Heart
and your spirit will be One with
My Holy Spirit and you,
My own little poem will
bless my Heart
like you are blessing Me right now.

I love you, my beloved.

Serving Creator?

God is by abundant clarity, invisible. George MacDonald

John 6:28-59
28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

And they said, "Wait a minute that's not work! What are You talking about?"

But they didn't really ask that. Really they just tried to get Jesus to 'Harry Potter' some more bread for them. It was really good bread and it was cool that it just appeared and it was free! But Jesus didn't make them more bread. He wanted them to get His point.

John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

What Jesus gives is Himself. God loved the world so dang much that the Father gave His only son, His only son that whoever believes in Him might have Life.




The truth here is so simple that it's almost hard to see. God has one purpose, Love and He has one method, Love and He has one ultimate goal, Love.




I think that probably fathers and sons and even bread were all created to show this amazing truth about God. That all of creation and history and just every little thing shows His Love. But Love doesn't force itself on anyone.




I started this post thinking about works, what does God want me to do?

How can I be sure that what I am doing is for Creator?

What am I doing for man & not for God?

The answer came pouring over me while I was napping...

anything not motivated by Love.

get Sticky

Notes for teaching Youth this Sunday :)
Who doesn't like honey? I guess there might be a few of you.
Danny loves it, in fact last year when we camped in Yellowstone (Danny's favorite place, not!)
he got his girlfriend one present, honey.
It was pollinated by bees that had been playing in huckleberry flowers or something.
(Maybe tell Kibbutz 'the honeys' story)
Are you getting sticky?

Psalms 119: 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

In some Jewish communities, when a child first begins to study the Torah (the word of God), the child is given honey to eat. I love this! I used to do that with ice cream. I'd read to my sons everyday while they had their dessert. It's a great way to reinforce that this book we are reading is something special. It's true sweetness. It's true food for our souls.

So my question for you is: Are you getting sticky?
Are you just 'reading' the Word of God or are you 'eating' it?
Are you digesting it and getting it all inside you?

For example:
Are you using God's word for 'defence against the dark arts?'

That's what Jesus used it for; (Luke 4:1-13)
Jesus hadn't eatin anything but God's Word for 40 days, He was in the wilderness, hangin out with His Father, then the Devil came and tried to tempt Him. You know what Jesus used?
Not a wand or spells just honey from the Bible. He spoke the things that God said and that was the end of the dual. That's better than a potion and you've got it available to you at anytime.
and it worked for Jesus everytime, He never sinned even once!
In fact, Paul actually calls the Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit!
Eph 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Maybe I'll paint a picture of that, a sword dripping with honey...
Now that doesn't mean that we never will fail but 'eating' a bunch of this 'honey' will really help!

Here's another example from Jesus;

Remember when He asks God to 'give us our daily bread?' Welpers, I do believe He's talkin about actual bread there but it goes further. We need to get food everyday and we even more need to get the food of the Spirit everyday. How can we do that? Eat some of this book everyday, don't just 'read' it ..eat it ...chew it up,,, the word 'meditate' is actually the same word used to describe a cow chewing her cud. She swallows it then brings it up again later and chews on it for awhile. Let's do that, let's chew up this Word like a cow. (Maybe I'll write something later called 'Be the Cow:)'...

There's something that the Catholic church does that I think is pretty neat.. they take communion everyday. Communion is the part of the Last Seder, a Passover dinner where Jesus took some bread and wine and blessed it and gave to His friends. Jesus said that He Himself is the Bread of Life Joh 6:35... Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life.
and John calls Him the Word of God.
John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
When we take in God's word and really make it nourish us and feed us spiritually it's like having dinner with Jesus. He sets us free from the power of sin.
Reading this book fills me up with that Truth everyday.

and remember what Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." That goes beyond just helping us in our day by day struggles, He gave Himself so that we could have eternal life.


One more example from Jesus. There's a proverb that says:
Pr 25:16
If you find honey, eat just enough-- too much of it, and you will vomit.

If we are eating God's word and getting all filled up and chewing our cud, and using it to defeat the Dark Side that's good but there's something else that's important

We can become big, fat word eaters if we don't give it out..
Here's what Jesus said,
John 4:34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.

His food was to give this sweet honey to others.
We got to share it with people! Can you imagine eating and never pooping?

Not that sharing the word of God is pooping but you get what I mean ...
Don't just nourish yourself give it to others in words, in deeds, in Love.

(Anybody wanna go with me to the Convalescent Home today???)

Okay so get sticky, people!
Spend time in the Word daily and not just reading it but really getting it all over you
so that it will become your Sword of the Spirit, your Bread of Life to give to others,
and sweeter than the honey in the honey comb to your taste.

honeyhood

Thank you Lord!
Thank you for this man who You told me to hang around with.
I am so grateful that we fell in love almost by accident but there's no accidents with You.
What a beautiful unity You have created between us...
of purpose
of joy
of eternal delights...
Thank you for our incredible differences that seems to knit us as two strands of yarn form a beautiful scarf.
We may be the scarf but You are the warmth and the color and You hold us together as One.
Amen
You know what's cool?
That after 25 years, Eric and I still call each other 'honey'.
We spent our first year of marriage on a kibbutz in Galilee.
As volunteers, we lived in close quarters with many other young people, most from Europe. Some started calling us 'the Honeys' because they heard us use this word so often.
Many also complained about our smiling and singing and general happy countenances but that has more to do with Jesus than with marriage.
Marriage is tough in the beginning. Two people becoming one isn't really as easy as mixing honey with apples and getting Charoset.
Ya gotta grate those apples, maybe add some nuts, and then for sure put in some wine.
The apple grating happens all the time; giving over to another,
considering the other's wishes before your own.
The nuts happen constantly too, from pet names to crazy situations, it's a lot of fun. (My pet name right now is 'silly b...female dog! Maybe I'll tell you the story sometime.)
By the wine, I don't mean you need alcohol to make it through!
I'm talking about God's Presence in our lives and relationship.
Ec. 4:12 says; A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
I think that is the secret to a truly lovely marriage that's both an adventure and a blessing.
Our scarf is made through and through with God's Love.
Thank you Lord!

Scent

My friend sent me flowers. He lives far away so he had to call a shop here on my little island to order them. One of my youth group girls took the order and she got to write 'Happy Birthday' in Hebrew and she even corrected him on the date of my solar revolution day.
And when they arrived I danced with joy.
But there with the roses and other happy faces were tiger lilies. I tend to go overboard when I really like something and once I had done that with tiger lilies...I breathed in their scent so much that I made myself allergic to them .
So I put them outside on my patio looking happily in and just giving me a bit of scent when I walk by.
There's a woman from Bethany who tended to go a bit overboard too. Jesus was at her home and she got an idea. Mary got the most precious thing she owned and didn't just give it to Jesus, she opened it up and covered Him with it. The scent of that perfume must have just filled that house. In fact, I bet it clung to her hair (she was wiping His feet with it) for days. It probably still surrounded Jesus with fragrance when He sang at the Passover dinner with his disciples and accompanied Him when He prayed in the olive grove and when He suffered on the cross.
She was not serving anyone with that perfume but Jesus.
This morning on my roof deck, watching for meteors with my Best Friend I could smell those lilies. Oh that my life could be like that, serving God with a sweet fragrance that goes overboard for Him.