by Emily Howsden | May 15, 2017
Mother’s Day is easily one of my favorite holidays. There is nothing better than stopping and spending a whole day celebrating the person who either physically gave you life or stepped into that role and raised you. I may be biased, but I think my mom is the best person in the world. She is kind, patient, beautiful, pure, loving and all of the above. She is a saint!
Me and my Mom on Mother’s Day
As I was thinking about how incredible my own mother is, I began to think about the incredible women of the Bible that are mothers.
First you have Naomi, mother to two sons. Naomi experienced great grief when her husband, and later both sons died. Naomi is one of the strongest women in the Bible in my eyes because of how she handled this situation. She took in Ruth as her own daughter (after Ruth refused to leave Naomi’s side) and the two braved a world that wasn’t kind to widows.
Next is the courageous Jochebed, mother to Moses. This woman gave birth to her son in an act of civil disobedience and trusted the Lord so much that she put her son into dangerous waters to spare him his life. Because of her selfless act, and the Lord’s plan for Moses’ life, her son became a great leader of Egypt.
Sarah, the mother who had to learn a lesson in patience and waiting on the Lord’s timing when it came to waiting to become a mother. The story of Sarah becoming pregnant at such an old age through the Lord’s promise to her husband Abraham to make him the father of many nations is an amazing one.
Then we have Mary. Mary is perhaps the most recognized mother of the Bible. The earthly mother to our Lord and Savior, Mary was trusted with this title as a young, unwed woman. The strength and bravery that she had in this position of such importance is something to behold. Also, how she had to watch her son leave this world, but knew it had to happen. Mary was brave.
I see all of these characteristics in moms all around me. Bravery when it comes to facing tasks like growing a human. Raising that little human to be the type of person the Lord would have them be. Patience in times when they are close to their whit’s end. Ingenuity when it comes to problem solving, and sacrificial love to make sure their child has all of the opportunities to succeed possible.
All of these things are honorable and good. I see my mom in all of these traits. She raised six children, the last of those two children being twins. Can you imagine? I think she must have extra arms hidden away somewhere. How else would she do that? (I’m not fully convinced she isn’t super human. I’ve never seen her and Wonder Woman in the same place, if you know what I mean.)
Most of all, my mom (and my dad, but he’ll have his day!) taught all of us children to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts. She imbed that into our hearts at a young age. She is the definition of Proverbs 31 woman. She doesn’t speak just to hear herself; she speaks with wisdom. She isn’t afraid of the future, I’m not sure she’s afraid of anything. She fully trusts the Lord and His will for her and her family’s life. She fears the Lord, and for that I think she should always be praised for the legacy she has created in our family for generations to come.
All of the members of my family, and their families.
So take a second if you didn’t get a chance to celebrate your mom, grandma or any other form of mom in your life and first thank the Lord for His provision in this area of your life. He is so good for blessing the world with mothers. Second, thank your mom. Chances are, if you are like me, you’ll never truly know how much she sacrificed for you and your siblings, and how much goodness she’s spoken and brought into your life.
To mothers everywhere, you are appreciated and loved, thanks for all that you do!
by Emily Howsden | May 8, 2017
Over the weekend, fame was on my mind. Not intentionally, I just encountered the subject a couple of times, which is why I’m still thinking about it today.
Last Friday, I along with my mom, husband, sister, brother-in-law and nephew went to Pawhuska, Oklahoma, where my sister recently moved, and we decided to visit The Mercantile as made famous by Food Network’s Pioneer Woman.
From left: Abby (my sister), Caleb (her husband), Kathy (my mom), Me and Casey (my husband).
As we pulled into Pawhuska, my mom filled my husband in on how Ree Drummond, became “The Pioneer Woman.” If you don’t already know, it was by doing exactly what I am right now — blogging! She is a normal human being like you and me, and she is an exceptionally-gripping writer and cook/baker. Yet, at any point and time, you can find people lined down the block to experience her food and hopefully catch a glimpse of anyone in her family at the store.
Why do people flock towards the remote town of Pawhuska? The fame of The Pioneer Woman, of course! That might not be the reason for all who visit. In our case, we really wanted to sample some of her yummy cooking and spend some time together in a fun environment, and we got it.
My point is, people put this normal woman and mother on a pedestal, separating her from reality. Another time last weekend that I experienced an encounter of fame is through one of my favorite weekend activities: watching Netflix.
On Netflix, I stumbled onto a documentary about the body guards of some of the most famous people in the world, and the great lengths that these people have to go to in order to keep these celebrities not only out of harm’s way but also, at times, alive.
One of the body guards remarked how he was surprised how strong five rabid teenage girls can take down several grown men in order to get close to the singer he represented.
Both of these occasions are just a few of the daily reminders I see of the fascination with fame in our culture today. I asked myself, “Would it be like this if Jesus were on the Earth today?
“Is His name so known that no matter where He would go, He couldn’t escape people trying to catch even a glimpse of Him? Would we desperately try to get to Him at all costs? Would He have hundreds of thousands of people lining up to see him, no matter how long of a wait there was?”
Then I got more specific. Would I be standing in line? How would I act if I were able to meet Him here on Earth before I do in Heaven some day? I know one day when I do meet Him, the moment will be indescribable. All celebrities I met in this life will leave my mind. He will be the greatest.
Isaiah 40:21-26 says, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not considered the foundations of the earth?
“God is enthroned above the circles of the earth; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like thin cloth and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
“He reduces princes to nothing and makes the judges of the earth to be irrational. They are barely planted, barely sown, their stem hardly takes root in the ground when He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind carries them away like stubble.
“‘Who will you compare Me to, or who is My equal?’ asks the Holy One. Look up and see: who created these? He brings out the starry hosts by number; He calls all of them by name. Because of His great power and strength, not one of them is missing.”
Words can barely do justice to the matchless power and greatness of the Lord. But I encourage you, next time you become star struck by a famous person here on earth, consider that they are like a mere grasshopper to the Lord. We begin and end with Him and Him alone. We wake up and go to sleep by His name. Consider His greatness and eternal fame compared to their temporary fame and fortune.
Turn your awe and fascination towards to Lord, the creator of the heavens and earth. For where your treasure (and admiration) here on earth is, there your heart will be also (Matt. 6:21)!
by Emily Howsden | May 1, 2017
Over the weekend I ran in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. I did not run the marathon, because I am not super human. I ran on a relay team that, between the five of us, we ran 26.2 miles.
My teammates from left: Tracey, Malinda, myself, my sister, Grace, and James
If you’ve never been around an organized race, it is quite the event. Even for someone like myself, who purely runs out of necessity, it made me feel as if I could go run a marathon. This race was especially inspiring due to the fact that it was in memory of the lives lost in the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Murrah building.
Yesterday as I ran, I would like to say I had a lot of time to think and reflect on why I ran this race, but to be completely honest, it was a tough run, and I was mostly focused on finishing. Along the way however, the streets were lined with people, encouraging those of us who were running. Complete strangers cheering as if they knew each and every runner.
Later, once I was done running and had time to reflect on the race, rather than just focus on breathing, I thought about how nice it was to be supported by total strangers. The overall atmosphere was free of negativity and oozing with positivity and the “Oklahoma Standard,” which in short means being outward focused and going out of your way to help others. Sound familiar? I asked myself, “How effective could the body of Christ be if we supported each other in these same ways?”
As I was running, someone in front of me started walking, and the runner slightly behind them patted them on the back and said some encouraging words to help them to continue running the race. That person did not stop and say “How dare you stop running, you sluggard! Get out of my way!” No, they offered encouragement. What a world it would be if we encouraged first, without questioning the struggling brother or sister, rather than chastising and looking down upon them.
Running is just as much a mental test as it is a physical test. Of course, your body will tire and at that point. It is up to you to decide whether you will continue to run the race, regardless of the hurt and the pain, or just stop dead in your tracks.
This behavior reflects the ups and downs in our earthly lives as Christians. There are times where we grow weary of running the race and want nothing more than to stop and catch our breath. I considered doing this when I was about .7 miles away from my finish line yesterday. Many times on my hilly section of the race, when faced with another hill, I asked myself if this was some kind of sick joke. ANOTHER HILL? In life, there are hills. It is up to us whether we face them boldly, or turn and run in the other direction.
In those times, when we are weak, that is when turning to the Lord is the only option. My leg of the race was only 3.35 miles, however, it was more difficult than I anticipated. Through the Lord, I finished my leg of the race.
I want you to know that you are not alone! There is a body of believers that wants to support and lift you up, running the race alongside you. If we fail, we have an all-knowing and all-powerful God to pick you up.
So run your race. Do it with strength and humility that the Lord provides us. When you see those around you stumble, be the first to pick them up rather than cast judgement upon them. Point others towards Christ, the ultimate prize for all those who believe.
by Emily Howsden | Apr 24, 2017
Over the weekend, I attended my first women’s retreat at Falls Creek. What an experience it was! It was such a blessing to cover such an event for work, by doing live social media coverage and photography, but also getting to experience the event with my church family of women.
One of the keynote speakers, Annie F. Downs, a new personal favorite speaker, talked about praising the Lord and abiding in Him not only during the mountain tops of our life but doing the same, fervently, in the valleys as well.
This was a message that hit close to home. Annie talked about how, sometimes, all we do as women, or just people in general, is look to the future as a beacon of hope and think to ourselves, “if only I can just do this or do that I will finally be able to be happy.” (This is how I heard the message so definitely take it as the EHPV, or Emily Howsden Paraphrased Version).
So many times in my life this has been me. In high school, I couldn’t wait to graduate and be a college student/collegiate athlete. In college, I couldn’t wait to graduate and be in the real world with a real job. Also in college I couldn’t wait to get engaged, then married, etc.
In our first year of marriage I couldn’t wait until we bought a home together and moved out of our apartment.
Now as I sit here, a wife, college graduate, home-owner, I find myself content. This is not to say I am content in my spiritual walk with the Lord, as we are always to be striving for more from Him and with our relationship with Him. But that being said, as I sat in the tabernacle at Falls Creek, I felt convicted at how many times in my life I said, “Lord what you have provided me is great, but I want more. It’s just not enough.”
When I find myself in the valleys of life, have I abided in him and praised him for the valleys and the mountaintops? It’s hard to not get caught up in the secular thirst for always the best and what is coming on the horizon while ignoring or looking past what the Lord is doing in our lives now.
This is something I see fellow believers (and myself, as I mentioned above) also struggling with. They see themselves only as single and lonely, not as healthy and loved by those already in their lives. They see themselves as unsuccessful, compared to others their age and their careers, not as someone who is privileged to live in a part of the world that grants them resources like an education and other first world amenities. They could not be more wrong.
This is where we must look to the Lord as Hebrews 12:2 says, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Nothing I have been provided has been earned. It is all a gift from the most gracious Creator. And when we feel like we are in need, those are the times we take a step back and ask ourselves, why isn’t he giving me this? Could it be that he has something better in store?
Be patient, my friends, and trust that the Lord is good and has planned all of your days before you ever “knew what you wanted” out of this life. Praise Him in the valleys, because they will surely come!
by Emily Howsden | Apr 17, 2017
Recently I had the privilege of hearing Cris Lowery speak on listening. Apparently I am one of the few Oklahoma Baptists to have not heard his famous talk about evangelistic listening. Man, have I been missing out!
It was at Spring Retreat at Falls Creek a couple of weekends ago now, for 18-24 year olds, that I heard the talk. Lowery, who is the state Baptist Collegiate Ministries director, talked about how most people today just want to be heard. So, as Christians, what an evangelistic tool we have with our ability to listen. That is, if we choose to listen.
I am guilty of this myself. In a conversation with someone, I will hear one thing they say, pick up on that and my mind will travel to a similar experience of my own, and before I know it, I’ve completely stopped listening to what it is they are sharing with me.
How can we truly relate to non-believers or how do we expect to build relationships with them if we are not willing to listen? Does it really matter if we have a better story than one we’ve just heard? In order to grow closer to people, we must listen.
Another valuable point Lowery made was that it isn’t very hard, most of the time, to get someone to talk about themselves. People love it! It’s a part of our makeup as a human being, we love ourselves. One point Lowery made was whether we voluntarily give up information about ourselves or not.
It’s easy to tell in a conversation in which you are listening, to whom you’re talking, what information they voluntarily share. Often times, they share a lot. When it comes to the touchy subjects or things they don’t wish to discuss, this is where the good listeners find who is willing to open up.
Do I care about what the people are saying? Do I want to hear them? Or am I just here to talk about myself? These were questions I asked myself while in the discussion. What if I am the only person who will take time out of my day and listen to what it is they are saying?
I thought about Jesus and how He listens to me talk ALL THE TIME. He is the champion of listening, and He doesn’t speak just to hear Himself talking. This made me want to imitate the Lord with a new fervor.
This is one of the simplest evangelistic strategies I have ever experienced. All I have to do to begin building a relationship is to simply listen. Lowery brought up other helpful tips in the art of listening, including a good firm handshake when meeting someone for the first time. Stand at an angle, not too close to the person you are talking to, but not too far. Make eye contact, but not the entire time.
All of these pointers to me point to one word that is key in building relationships with non-believers: intentional. They require an intentional spirit. We must intentionally listen, ask intentional questions, and seek an intentional relationship with our Savior.
Do we as Christians go out of our ways to make sure the lost world is heard, regardless of how worldly they may be? This is my challenge to myself and you this week: that you focus on listening rather than hearing your own voice.
