by Emily Howsden | Oct 16, 2017
Over the weekend my husband and I visited Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas for a belated 2nd anniversary trip.
If you’re not familiar with what Magnolia Market is, Chip and Joanna Gaines are the owners. The Market started after a couple of really successful seasons of their HGTV hit show “Fixer Upper,” in which they take old, dilapidated homes and make them look better than brand-new construction.
In season two of “Fixer Upper,” Chip and Joanna purchased a pair of old silos near downtown Waco. From there, they completely renovate the entire property, making it into a store-front and delightful area to spend time with friends and family. It was their biggest fixer upper to date.
When we had cable, or when it was on Netflix, this used to be a show that Casey and I loved to watch for inspiration and because, well who doesn’t like to look at pretty things?
So when Casey suggested, back in July, that we make the trip to the annual “Silobration” event hosted at Magnolia Market, I was excited!
The Silobration is a fun-filled, weekend event in which hand-picked vendors from across the country set up shop on the streets surrounding the Silos, with food trucks and a concert each night. Johnnyswim, performed as the headliner of the concert. Casey and I danced as husband and wife for the first time to their song, “Take the World.”
A common theme I saw throughout the weekend was one of old things made new. Have you noticed this in the consumer market? People go gaga over all things vintage, reclaimed or rustic. I’m not sure if this is mostly a southern trend, but people love old things.
Why is that? I asked myself this question as I saw an old, worn-out book for sale for $15 when I know for a fact you could find the same type of book in a thrift store for $1, if you were brave enough to do some rummaging.
For those that love this trend, and have filled their homes with all things reclaimed or rustic, I think it’s the authenticity that they crave.
Yes, it’s true, “they don’t make them like they used to,” anymore in terms of a lot of things. However, some prefer the out of the box, brand new look as opposed to the craftsmanship and quality of yesteryear.
I don’t know about you, but I kept thinking about how the Lord made us new and desirable in his eyes. He took us at our worst, when the world might call us ruined and unusable, and reclaimed us to a brand new creation in Him.
He sees the beauty within us on our darkest days, and longs to transform us to a redeemed believer in Christ, free from all shame, guilt, ugliness and sin should we proclaim our faith in Him.
One thing about reclaimed things that is astonishing is the price. A reclaimed dresser might cost twice what a brand new on costs, usually because of the story behind, or the authenticity of the product.
When we are/were made new in Christ, we were bought at a price. God sent His son, Jesus Christ, who gave His life, so that we could be made new and whole again. That price is one we’ll never be able to repay. His sacrifice for us was priceless.
It’s funny how when I’m shopping and I see something like an old oil can or tin vase, and I get googly-eyed over the potential that item has to beautify my home. The Lord does the same with us. He sees us as we are, and He paid the price for our sins and for us and takes joy in our potential as a believer of Christ. But first, we must act on our faith, put our money where our mouths are.
We have the chance to tell the world about the Love He has for us and exhibits daily in our lives. Just as you might brag or point out a gorgeous find from something like Magnolia Market in your home to visiting guests, do you point out the King and what He has done for your life?
The Silobration was a celebration of all that has been done and made new since the inception of “Fixer Upper.” At the end of each episode of “Fixer Upper” the new homes are met with squeals of excitement and gasps of amazement. Let us react the same way each time a new brother or sister in Christ seals their eternal fate in Heaven.
by Emily Howsden | Oct 9, 2017
Do you ever have one of THOSE weeks? But then one of those weeks turns into several weeks, maybe even months or periods of life. I have.
Sometimes these weeks or periods of life come because we caused them. Sometimes, they come out of the blue, and there’s nothing we can do but pray that the end of suffering is near.
I don’t know about you, but when times like these come, because of my sinful nature, my knee-jerk reaction is to ask, “Why God?” When I see faithful servants of the Lord suffering, I can’t help but wonder why He didn’t protect them from this pain, suffering or struggle of some sort.
We see devastation daily in the news. There are shootings, sickness and catastrophes of all types everywhere. These burdens, if not our own, at least weigh heavy on our shoulders because as Christians we are supposed to have sympathy, compassion and grace toward our hurting world.
I know the enemy takes joy in preying on God’s people. I also know that even Jesus was tested by the enemy, specifically in the wilderness after fasting from food for 40 days and 40 nights. Each time the Devil tempted, Jesus answered with “It is written…”
I am not alone in my troubled times. This morning as I sat in our weekly staff meeting, almost every one of my coworkers had an urgent prayer request. My boss then shared a passage of Scripture which was exactly what I needed to hear as I internally asked, “Why God?”
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says, “…But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So because of Christ, I am pleased in weakness, in insults, in catastrophes, in persecutions, and in pressures. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Does the Lord ever immediately answer a question you have like that? I was genuinely taken back. I had no idea the Lord would speak to me through my boss who does a small devotional ahead of each Monday morning staff meeting.
Additionally, I listened to a Jen Wilkin podcast on the book of Joshua on the way to work this morning in which Wilkin says (in my paraphrased version of course) that we ask for the Lord to speak to us in so many ways, whether that be on a billboard as we drive to work, or in song lyrics, when the Lord has provided His word as a constant form of communication between us and Him. Why isn’t that good enough?
I then started to think about all the times in the Bible that He reminds us to take joy in times of trial “Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction be persistent in prayer,” (Rom. 12:12); and just before that reminder, He says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18).
And one of my favorite verses that I sometimes forget when I’m going through particularly tough times, but He always takes time to remind me, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him” (Rom. 8:15-17).
I MEAN, CAN I GET AN AMEN?? He speaks these truths all throughout Scripture, but if we don’t go to the Word, we can’t find solace in Him or His promises.
I say all of this to point out a few things.
1. It’s imperative that we be in His word at all times, especially in times of need and trouble.
2. Surround yourself with people who speak His truth into your life. God speaks to us through His word, but he also uses those around us, too.
3. Take heart because, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33)
by Emily Howsden | Oct 2, 2017
What words can truly describe what I and the rest of the United States of America are feeling today? There isn’t just one word that comes to mind to describe the exact emotion, but I think if I had to explain, it is a combination of fear, despair, confusion, shock, anger, sorrow and hurt.
I woke up this morning like I do any other Monday morning. I got ready for work, and as I sat down to eat breakfast, I opened Twitter. In that moment my heart sank. I saw the words “Deadliest shooting in modern history” on the screen of my phone, and another piece of my heart broke for my country and the world.
Each time a senseless act of terrorism takes the lives of innocent bystanders, the rest of us become a little bit more jaded. We become a little bit more hesitant. We should be able to attend a concert without fearing for our lives. We should be able to go to work, to the movies, board a flight, all of these things we should be able to do without putting ourselves in danger.
But sin.
When sin entered the world, so did opportunity for chaos, disaster, death and evil in all of its forms.
I caught myself asking, “Why God?” Why must we endure such pain and suffering? Why must we experience evil in its truest form of hate? When will attacks on us as the human race end?
The answer is that they won’t. Not on this side of eternity. The enemy is on the prowl, my friends. He is constantly seeking tools to destroy and divide us as a country, as a world and as the human race. Perhaps the better question is, how much longer will we give into the enemy’s ways?
How much longer will we look at our fellow man and see anything other than a beloved child of God? How much longer will we speak hate and spew words like venom, whether it be in person, online or in any way humanly possible? How much longer will it be until we, as followers of Christ, live with our eyes fixed on eternity rather than the things of this world that the enemy uses to seek, kill and destroy.
He comes like a thief in the night, stealing our peace, stealing our hope and stealing our community with each other. It is imperative that now, we stress the importance and urge our fellow man to love.
Love each other regardless of all of the ways the world tells us we are different. Love unconditionally and stop spreading hate. The moment you spread hate is the moment the devil can count another victory in his court.
Speak love. Spread love. Be love. And most importantly, be the light the ever-darkening world needs. Be the beacon of hope that a neighbor can depend on, no matter who they are or what they’ve done. I am praying for a revival in our country and in the world. It’s possible if we all join forces in light of eternity.
Eternity. The place where many who fell victim to the senseless act of hate last night entered into the gates of Heaven. What a day it will be when we join hands together, unified in Christ on those streets of gold.
Dear Jesus, please come.
by Emily Howsden | Sep 25, 2017
Have you ever heard the term “basic?” Basic is a term used by younger generations that describes a person who is only interested in things mainstream, popular or trendy. Some even say a “basic” person is devoid of any original or interesting characteristic.
Some use the term as an insult, while others embrace what makes them basic.
One thing that I particularly enjoy that would fall under the category of “basic” is a pumpkin spice latte. I don’t mind who likes or dislikes this popular autumn drink; I’ll embrace the basic trait if it means I can treat myself to one every now and then.
Does your IQ feel lower yet? Bear with me…
Are you a basic Christian? What does that mean? I will define a basic Christian as one who does what everyone else is doing. One who goes with the flow, rather than standing up for something in fear that it will reciprocate negative attention?
Do you spend more time setting up your Bible study space to take a picture of your time with God, rather than spending more time with Him? Have you listened to all the latest podcasts but forgotten how to share your faith with an unbeliever?
Do you say that you are a Christian, which means “Like Christ,” but persecute your fellow man for sinning, looking different than you do or being hard to love?
It can make you feel really good to say all of the right things, the most intelligent things, the biggest words even in a prayer around your friends, family and others in the church, but what do they mean?
These are just some trends in the church that, if practiced, can be slippery slopes to becoming a basic Christian, the kind of Christian that gives Christ followers a bad name.
Things like listening to podcasts aren’t bad, hear me there. What I am saying is that empty practices without applying them to your life are no better, if not worse, than doing nothing at all.
Here in the Bible Belt, where “loving” Jesus is trendy, it might be hard to not get caught up in doing “all the right things” without pure motives, but only if we choose to look the other way. If we address trendy Christians, or basic Christian practices, in our own lives and challenge them with action, we become a part of the solution.
Ways to improve include reading your Bible in context. That feeling when you find a Bible verse that perfectly suits the situation you find yourself in is something to be valued. However, sometimes because of this, the Bible and its content gets twisted past the point of no recognition. Instead, if you find a verse in Scripture that you find applicable, read the chapter it is in, see if means what you think it does. Once you spend time in the Word, you’ll find there is a Scripture for all situations life throws your way.
Another way to avoid being a basic Christian is to love like He first loved us. It can be hard to love people sometimes. There’s that person at school who seems to know exactly what it is that makes you tick, and does it often. That busybody who spreads hate like wildfire can be difficult to extend grace towards — the list can go on. But God. God loves with no conditions. He extends grace with no conditions. He saw past our imperfections and chose us, all of us. Not just certain people of a certain race, not just Americans, but all of mankind. Be like Him.
These are just a few things that I see regularly in and around my life as a 20-something Christian in the Bible Belt. The things you do that stand the way of a God-honoring life and Christ-like faith may be completely different. Pray that the Lord reveals these areas in your life and then fervently seek to change. Don’t just go with the flow. Don’t just do the cool Christian thing. Do what is hard and what stretches you in your walk with Christ, and you’ll be anything but a basic Christian.
by Emily Howsden | Sep 18, 2017
Around this time every year I find myself being nostalgic. From the age of 5 to the age of 22, I played soccer, mostly year-round. But in college, soccer was played in the fall.
That means for 17 years of my almost 25 years, I played “the beautiful game.” The majority of my life was spent playing a sport I love. Soccer is a part of me, and always will be. But imagine something this prominent in your life—then all of the sudden—it stops.
This is something competitive athletes deal with everywhere. You spend years of your life developing a skill, practicing for countless hours, spending weekends on the road to other states, in all kinds of weather, celebrating victories and trying to process tough losses, then it’s over.
At least, this is how it was for me. I played competitive soccer growing up—from age 8. I also played on my high school team—Verdigris High School—and then played at two colleges: The University of Tulsa (TU) and then finished at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO). But what I didn’t learn in all of my years of training was how to stop playing soccer.
Once my senior year in college concluded in the Division II national tournament, in a game where it literally sleeted the whole first half, I didn’t know what to do with myself. For 17 years, I had spent all available Saturdays, most holidays, and most weeknights playing this game.
The most fun I had playing soccer was in my high school years, on my high school team and on my competitive team. Some of my most cherished moments in life come from travelling with my competitive team.
My parents, my sister and I drove or flew from coast to coast at one point. We drove along Route 66 for a Thanksgiving tournament in sunny San Diego, California, and another November we flew to North Carolina, where we played in below freezing temperatures.
Other memorable trips include spring break tournaments in Las Vegas, the summer we felt like we wouldn’t survived playing in the Baton Rouge heat, and more road trips to Texas than I could ever begin to count. These were my sweetest memories. The girls with whom I grew up playing competitive soccer quickly became family. Our parents all became nearly interchangeable. Together we won eight state championships and competed in regional and national tournaments.
On my high school team, my sister and I got to compete with girls whom we grew up going to school with. I am from a small town in Oklahoma, so again, all of the girls were like family. Our coaches invested into our lives both on the field and off the field. We traveled together, laughed together and won three state championships together, the first our school had ever won in soccer.
Then I entered into the collegiate world of soccer. Here, I had a completely different type of fun. However, the innocence and carefree days of soccer were well behind me. Soccer was now my job. I received scholarships that made it my job. Soccer ruled all. Don’t get me wrong, I still loved soccer all throughout college, but the business aspect of it did take some of the fun away.
In college soccer, I spent 90 percent of my time with my coach and teammates. I did make some of the best friends of my life in college soccer, and even got to play with some of my old competitive soccer teammates.
We won games and tournaments, we traveled together, studied together and picked each other up when the stress of maintaining a high grade point average, performing at our highest potential on the field, and becoming adults in the midst of all of that weighed too heavy on our shoulders. I learned so many valuable life lessons about time management, difficult decision making under pressure, and how to push myself beyond my known limits.
You can only imagine the identity crisis that was waiting for me at the end of my soccer career. Thankfully, however, I learned somewhere in the middle of college, that my identity didn’t lie in soccer. While soccer was so many things for me, it wasn’t the only thing about me. My identity is in Christ.
When I made the decision to transfer from TU to UCO, the Lord had laid this burden on my heart and worked on me for a couple of months. He convicted me on the way to a conference championship game in El Paso, Texas about where I had placed soccer for so long. I hadn’t ignored my walk with Christ. In fact, it was what gave me strength throughout my career when I thought I had nothing more to give. It was what made losing bearable, knowing that my identity was in Christ and not the outcome of a game. But it was time for me to make changes in my life.
The Lord began preparing me for the imminent end of my career as a soccer player. I’m sure it might seem weird that I left a D1 school and went to a D2 school. How I saw it was, sometimes when the Lord stretches us, it hurts. It’s uncomfortable. But it prepared me for the time in my life when I would hang up the cleats.
Once I grasped this concept, that soccer wouldn’t always be the #1 thing in my life, I grew exponentially in other areas. I was able to join the leadership team of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) on my campus. This time was a beautiful time of spiritual growth with my Savior. I was able to cultivate relationships outside of my teammates. I was able to devote more time to my studies, which provided valuable opportunities in my desired career path. I took internships. I was able to do things FOR FUN on the weekends, what? All because I took time to prioritize my life for Christ.
I say of all this to offer advice to anyone in any similar situation to what I experienced. Take a look at the thing in your life that you spend the most time doing, the thing you lead with when you introduce yourself to someone, perhaps even the thing you’re most proud of. Do you identify as that, or do you find your identity in Christ? Now imagine that thing being taken from you, or you outgrow it. Will you be able to live with what’s left? If not, turn to Jesus. He is the ultimate sustainer, the ultimate prize in this life. No thing on this earth can offer the grace, peace, hope, satisfaction or joy that a relationship with Him promises.
