New plants...

I received three beautiful plants the other day from some dear friends for my room at school. I absolutely love plants, and I love plants for the indoors. However, to set the stage, I'm not necessarily known for my successful green thumb. My Mom's plants always thrive the moment her hands touch them. But not me. I'm the girl who was known in Bible school for killing her Christmas Cactus. And, a couple of years ago, some friends gave me an ivy plant for my birthday -- all while solemnly saying, "This represents your Spiritual growth." Well, the little ivy seemed to flourish for a couple of weeks. But, as the weeks stretched into months, well, the plant started to not look so good. And, to my brother's horror, that which represented Emily's spiritual growth eventually died (he's never gotten over that shock). But, I am determined to start anew. I've done my research on how to care for these particular plants. I've got the ideal spots picked out of where to put them in the room so that they get the appropriate amounts of light/shade/etc. And, I solemnly promise to remember to water them...

Just as my plants need the attention that is necessary for their survival, so the inner man needs the attention that is necessary to survive. May the busyness of life never replace that which is most important -- spending time in the Presence of Jesus, His Word, and doing what it is that He tells us to do:

Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

I don't want to be as the chaff -- chaff was useless, and would be separated from the wheat and blown away by the wind during the harvest season. Rather, I want to be like the one who's delight is in the law of the Lord. I want to be as a tree planted by rivers of living water yielding fruit. I need the Holy Spirit's help.

So, let the inner man be a tree. Keep the main thing the main thing. Abide. Let Jesus be your desire. He will satisfy you.

I hope my new plants survive...

How Great Thou Art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

Bob Mumford Quotes

Bob Mumford/Lifechangers has "Quotes for the Moment" on its main webpage, and so I took the liberty of grabbing a couple that stood out to me today to post over here:

• "As seed produces grain of its own kind, so Christ produces men like Christ."
• "Scripture says, 'Seek first the Kingdom of God' because Jesus is the Kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33)."
• "Abiding means we are learning to stand firm in Christ without having to take dead-end excursions off the Agape Road."
• "We make the Scriptures say what we want them to say to make us feel better and attempt to domesticate the Kingdom."

Amy Carmichael Quote

“I wish thy way.
And when in me myself should rise,
and long for something otherwise,
Then Lord, take sword and spear
And slay.”

Think Bigly

A couple of months ago, my siblings and I decided to form a new club. And, well, that’s the name. It’s also the motto. Yep...“Think Bigly.” Kinda catchy, huh? I know, I know, the title is kinda “cutesy.” But, we like it. It’s easy to remember. We think it rolls off the tongue quite nicely. It makes us smile.

Now you may be wondering to yourself, “What are those Milnes’ kiddos doing now???” Well, the reason is simple:

We serve a big God.

And, He wants us to think.

Bigly.

There is a world out there that is dying for love. There are souls in my neighborhood that have not said, “Yes, Lord Jesus.” There is a drug addict on the streets of New York City who has not yet heard the Gospel. There is a little girl in Burkina Faso who is waiting to hear of the God Who sent His Son for her. So, we Milnes kiddos have decided to remind one another of the heart of God, and encourage each other to pursue that heart, by forming our club of “bigly thinkers.”

Now, it doesn’t mean that we Milnes’ are so egotistical that we have labeled ourselves as “big-thinkers.” Nope. But, we want to be big thinkers. We want to be Kingdom of Heaven thinkers. We want to be thinking about God’s inheritance. You see, as believers God is our inheritance:

"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs -- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:16-17).

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade -- kept in heaven for you" (I Peter 1:3-5).

What an inheritance that is – salvation, reconciliation and relationship! But, it goes beyond me, and this is where bigly thinking comes in. There is another angle to the inheritance that we like to think about – the fact that people are His inheritance:

"Ask of Me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession" (Psalm 2:8).

"Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; be their Shepherd and carry them forever" (Psalm 28:9).

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance" (Psalm 33:12).

People are the inheritance of the Lord! And, the inheritance of the Lord is still growing -- He is still looking for more people who will say, "Yes, Lord Jesus.” If souls are the heartbeat of God – if His very DNA is agape for people – then what a privilege it is to pray souls into the Kingdom. What a privilege it is to reach out and to be His hands and His feet to the lost. But, the only way that can happen is if we get His ideas on how it is that He would have us serve Him. Learn to hear His voice. Learn to be Spirit-led. Learn to think bigly. And, watch in wonder as He causes His inheritance to grow.

God is a creative God. So, serving Jesus won’t mean cookie-cutter mold for everyone. He may call you into children’s ministry. He may call you to become a physician who is able to be an expression of the compassion of Jesus. He may call you to be an engineer who plants churches in Asia on the side. He may call you to teach drama to street kids in Chicago. He may call you to be a mom who raises her children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. He may call you to create storylines for singing and dancing tomatoes. He may call you overseas. He may call you to be a writer whose passion is to widen the Church’s awareness of AIDS in Africa. With Jesus, the opportunities for thinking bigly are unlimited. And because it is so unlimited, rather than keeping our eyes on one another, we in the Church must keep our eyes on the Father as to how it is that He would have us be expressions of His glory. And, when our eyes are kept only on Him, He gives us a precious promise when He says:

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” ~Psalm 32:8

Thinking bigly doesn’t bring personal glory to me. Most of the time, it won’t be “big” in the world’s eyes. It may not even be “big” in the eyes of the Church. And that’s okay. Let Jesus give you ideas that are so big that they are Kingdom of Heaven ideas. Don’t worry about what the other guy is thinking.

So, think outside of the box. Next time you go out to eat, order the raspberry iced-tea instead of the lemon. Take challenging classes in school. Be creative. Don’t try and fit into the mold. Instead, become all that He would have you be. There is a big world out there. He is a big God. And, if you seek the heart of the Father, He will give you Kingdom-inspired ideas that only He can give to minister His compassion to the world around you. He will cause you to think bigly. He will give you dreams to reach the lost. He will give you vision for the drug addict. He will give you a heart for the fatherless.

It’s about the Kingdom.

It’s about souls.

Think Bigly.

My Brother is famous!

Okay, indulge me in this moment of sisterly pride... if you go to the Wenatchee Valley College website, three students are featured with a picture and quote on why it is that WVC has been such a good choice for them. And, well, my brother, Josh, is one of the students featured. Now, slight problem, they have the pics of these students on a rotating schedule -- that is, Josh won't be the guy you see every time you visit the site. But, just do as I do and visit the site, and if it's not Josh, click your backward button and try again until you get him (please do read what the other students have to say while you are there, though... it's only fair to them...). Enjoy! =)

A Good Cause...

Okay, this is almost as good as a "Save the Manatee" campaign... =) I know that this is several months after the New Attitude Conference (a singles conference from Sovereign Grace Ministries) on the good ol' East Coast, but if you go to the Save the Wheel website, you can still enjoy all of the episodes of the classic Drowning Melville series! My siblings and I eagerly watched and waited for each episode with great and hilarious anticipation as it was being filmed/released on a weekly basis earlier this year, and we still go to the website for film inspiration. In the words of Na founder, Joshua Harris, "If you don't have a cause... this is a good one." Remember to save the wheel.

Also, the Na blog is a fantastic blog to bookmark for college kiddos (but definitely not limited to). The theme of the blog and of the conference is/was: "Forget Reinvention, Rediscover, Recommit, Embrace a Humble Orthodoxy." The Drowning Melville series was the very humorous take on this, and it served as the popular method of promotion during the months leading up to the conference...

"A man's thoughts dye his soul"

In the NKJV, Proverbs 23:7 says: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” I recently came across a quote by Marcus Aurelius, in which he says: “A man’s thoughts dye his soul.” Isn't that interesting? In his epistle to the Philippian Church, the Apostle Paul gives us the guideline for right thinking when he writes:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

It’s not just thinking. It’s thinking rightly. May time spent in the Word of God and thinking about the Kingdom “dye [my] soul.”

"Talking to People Rather Than about Them"

John Piper's latest "Fresh Words" is one that is good to hear and put into practice. For, as Piper wrote:

Jesus does not call us to make safe choices. He calls us to make loving choices.

Bob Mumford's Three Prayers

A sweet and challenging word from Bob Mumford and Lifechangers.

A Fantastic Essayist

One of my most favorite writers is Andree Seu from WORLD Magazine. Succinct and witty, her articles communicate Kingdom principles and truths in a style reminiscent of Francis Schaeffer, C.S. Lewis, William F. Buckley, Malcolm Muggridge, and John Piper all rolled into one. If you haven't already, she is worth getting acquainted with. Here's last week's article in WORLD by Seu.

Oswald Chambers Quote

"Get into the habit of saying, 'Speak, Lord,' and life will become a romance."

~Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (p.30)

Psalm 91

A couple of weeks ago, some friends and I were studying Psalm 91 in relation to spending time in the "secret place." And, while prayerfully reading and thinking about Psalm 91, and finding ones refuge in the Most High, I began to see the formation of a couple of lists:

Four things God is to those who find refuge in the shelter of the Most High and rest in the shadow of the Almighty:
1.) A refuge (v.2)
2.) A fortress (v.2)
3.) Our faithful God (v.2)
4.) A place of security -- "trust" (v.2)

What God will do for those who find refuge in the shelter of the Most High:
1.) Save from the snare of the fowler (v.3)
2.) Deliver from the deadly pestilence (v.3)
3.) Cover with His feathers (v.4)
4.) Protect under His wings -- "under His wings you will find refuge" (v.4)
5.) His faithfulness will be a shield and rampart (v4)

The result for the believer who finds their refuge in the Most High:
1.) Will not fear the terror of the night (v.5)
2.) Not afraid of arrows that fly during the day (v.5)
3.) Not afraid of pestilence (v.6)
4.) Though thousands may fall, destruction will not come near (v.7)
6.) Sees the punishment of the wicked (v.8)

Psalm 91 doesn't guarantee that arrows and terror and pestilence won't happen. Rather, when these happen, the first list of who God is gives all of the confidence and hope that we need while facing storms and trials. The Lord says in Isaiah 43:2-3,

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

The final three verses of Psalm 91 are words of promise directly from the Lord -- they are words of consecration from the Lord for those who find themselves in Him. Notice throughout these verses how often the Lord says, "I will":

"'Because he loves Me,' says the Lord, 'I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.'" (v.14-16)

The "I will" here, however, is a condition -- verse nine begins with one of the biggest words in the Bible: "IF." And, verse fourteen begins with "Because." In these verses we see the evidence of a cause and effect relationship. He will be the refuge. He will be the stronghold and deliverer in times of trouble. He is altogether trustworthy. He is altogether able.

If.

Verse one also begins in the present tense -- "He who dwells..." you see, it is not merely going to Him in our times of trouble and heartache. Those times will come. But, our hope must be "built on nothing less than Jesus' Blood and Righteousness." How is this hope built? We've gotta live there. In the Secret Place -- the Shelter of the Most High. Everyday. And, as we come to know Christ and Him Crucified in a greater way, we can fully trust Him because we know that He is able. The trust has been established. But we have to dwell. The beauty of the word, "dwell," though, is that it is a communal word. As I live in Him, He will be there. For, verse one of Psalm 91 is closely tied to verse one of Psalm 90: "Lord, You have been our dwelling place." And as we make Him our dwelling place, He will pass through the waters with us. Not to crush us, but to refine us. We don't have to fear the arrows and pestilence. He will be with us. And, the goal is the same as that for gold and silver -- He cleanses the impurities found within our hearts and lives and molds us into greater reflections of Him. For His Glory. For His Honor.

The wording in the King James Version for verse 14 is beautiful. The Lord says: "Because he [the believer] hath set his love upon Me..." Friends, let us set our love upon Jesus. And as we do so, let us dwell in the shelter of the Most High. And as that happens, the Lord says, "I will." It is His promise.

A Beautiful Verse

"Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me."
~John 12:26

What a beautiful and precious promise for the servant of the Most High -- to be where He is! That is my desire.

The Valley of Vision

A book that I have recently discovered and am feasting on as an aid in my personal devotions is a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions known as The Valley of Vision. Each prayer that I have prayed and meditated on from this book has caused me to love my Savior more -- and to have a greater sense of gratitude for Christ and Him crucified. This is definitely one for the personal library...

You can find the book at Amazon.

Also, Sovereign Grace Ministries is releasing their latest CD this month with songs that have been inspired from this book. I've been listening to Sovereign Grace music for several years now, and the lyrics are always cross-centered and rich. So, I'm very excited for this new CD.

If you are interested, click here to hear song samples, read the "behind the scenes," get a free download, and watch the promotional trailer.