Mary's Alabaster Box = Audacious Love

Monday of Holy Week: "Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil." (John 12:3) So beautiful was this story, and also, how revealing this story was as we see Judas revealing his true colors when he was in such a tiff about Mary "wasting" this oil. The fact is Mary could have used a dime store brand of oil, but, Jesus explained, "She was preparing for my burial", so, of course, he gave the best she had. Oh, that we would LOVE so audaciously -- in such a way that expresses our deepest love for the ONE who gave us His all.

I love this song so much by Cece Winans, "Mary's Alabaster Box", that is so befitting of the unconditional love that Jesus gave her as she poured out her love to Him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5zIOcBiTGg

Life = Risk

"If you've never failed.....you've never lived!" I'll never forget "the big one" that my husband and I "bet the farm" on. It was our BIG RISK -- we were going to become wealthy because of our investment in the drilling of an oil well. My husband and our young son, Ryan, stayed at the oil well -- all day and all night, watching and praying, for us to "strike it rich"! But that time -- it was not to be -- it was a DRY well. Disappointed? Yes! Was it a huge risk? Yes! Did it stop us? No! We never quit on taking risks, and I sincerely believe that is one of the reasons why our family has met with so much success. Plenty of failures along the way -- but it never stopped us from trying again.

Have you failed at something you so wanted to win at? Did others scorn you for taking a risk.....and, indeed, it was a loser? Have you wished you could step out in faith and become adventurous, but you kept hearing voices that said, "Give up!" "Throw in the towel!" "It's too risky!" "You could lose everything!" "Play it safe!" Well, we are in good company! Please watch this short, 1 minute video about some GREATS who became GREAT because they didn't listen to THOSE voices. I think you'll have a renewed sense of "I will not quit! I'm not giving up! I am unstoppable and I will win!