by Emily Howsden | Mar 18, 2019
Have you ever kept a journal? I have almost always kept a journal. I have journals that go back to my elementary years, where the content is light hearted and I talk about birthday parties and family trips.
As my high school years began, I talk about college plans, boys, church youth group trips, and the content starts to have more depth. I kept a journal for my now husband all while we were dating, in which I prayed for him and proclaimed my love for him much sooner than I ever uttered the words. I presented him with the journal on our wedding day.
Fast forward to the journal I keep today, and it is where I pour out my feelings of joy and fear, peace and conflict, you name it. If I’ve felt it, I most likely have written about it. It is also where I can most clearly call out to God and communicate my burdens, praises and all types of prayers.
At times, it has felt a little laborious. I am naturally someone who just enjoys writing, but just like in my relationship with Christ, there have been peaks and valleys. What a blessing it is to be able to look back at different times of my life and see how the Lord was working.
There are times when I look back, and I’m surprised and mildly terrified at myself because of superficial or selfish requests. There are times when I look back and thank the Lord for the growth I experienced during that period and how I drew closer to Him.
My journals are also such a sweet reminder of how the Lord has been good to me, over and over again. When my husband and I began to plan our family, I prayed for a baby. The Lord delivered! I journaled throughout my pregnancy, praying for a healthy baby with a peaceful disposition and joyful heart. The Lord delivered! Time and time again, there is proof of the Lord granting the desires of my heart.
The opposite is also true. There are times I’ve prayed for certain things, and the Lord chose not to grant my prayers. At those times I was confused, hurt, maybe even a little angry. I have asked God, “Why not?” many times. But always, down the road, His omnipotence has proven itself, as I later see how His plans for my life are never failing and full of goodness.
I say all of this to encourage you, friend, whether you like to write or not, to keep some form of a journal. Maybe for you, journaling looks like a few sentences each night. Maybe it looks like a note kept in your phone. You could even begin a digital journal and keep it for yourself, or share it in the form of a blog.
I personally love to take pen to paper, and I don’t do it
nightly—I journal about once a month, more depending on what is going on in my
life—but the fun thing about journaling is you can choose to do it however you
please!
Keep record of what God is doing in your life, it is a sweet reminder of his faithfulness and goodness.
by Emily Howsden | Mar 11, 2019
Have you ever made a list of requirements when it comes to your future husband or wife? I definitely used to have one, and it ranged from “important” to “not important at all” in terms of content.
I used to have things like “plays the guitar” and “is taller than six feet.” Under more important things would be “is a Christ follower” and “loves my family.”
Somewhere along the way, our culture adopted the practice of making a list of “must haves” when it comes to dating. I think this has been a detrimental practice that has led to people missing out on someone who God may have picked for them to marry.
I was listening to the “That sounds fun” podcast hosted by
Annie F. Downs last weekend when she touched on this subject as she sat down with
a newly married couple. The bride pointed out that while the groom checked all
of the boxes on her hypothetical list, she didn’t technically check all the
boxes on her groom’s list.
The groom went on to say that if he had been so close minded to only look for a woman who met every single requirement he made, he would have missed out on the woman God planned for him to marry.
This is something I see so much in people my age. We’re told
to have high standards when it comes to dating, but some misunderstand that as
having impossible standards that people cannot meet.
It’s almost comical to me that we, such flawed people, think we know what’s best for ourselves.
Don’t get me wrong, there are things of which you should not compromise when looking for your future spouse, such as being equally yoked, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14)
But all too often I see people my age, in their mid-20s or older, absolutely mystified as to why they can’t find anyone that meets ALL of their requirements.
This is hypocritical behavior. Take a look at yourself and ask yourself, would you want to be held to such a standard? When God sent his Son to the earth to die for our sins, did he say, “Only under these conditions will my Son die for your sins?”
No, he poured His grace out on us, an undeserving human
race. I’m not saying you need to date someone who isn’t good for you, don’t
misunderstand me.
What I am saying is that maybe you should take a look at your list of “requirements” and evaluate for which reasons you made the list. Are some of your requirements superficial and fleeting?
Will some of these things matter 20 years down the road when you’re nearing retirement, and you’re looking at spending all of your time with this one person? Will they matter when it’s three in the morning and the baby is awake again and you’re exhausted? Will they matter when it comes to life’s big moments?
We need to simplify. There is one thing that should be of the utmost importance to you, brother or sister in Christ, and that is: If you look for Jesus in your future spouse and there is evidence of Him in their life, you’ve already met the single most important requirement of all.
Proverbs 31:10 says, “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
This passage of Scripture is usually only used in reference to women. I think, however, it can be applied to men as well. No one is going to be their cute, 20-year-old self forever. However, their heart and what or whom they serve will remain the same.
I encourage you in this time of your life to remove the blinders that you may have worn until this point and look for whom God has chosen for you, rather than what you’ve imagined for yourself. He knows what is best for us. Trust Him when it comes to your future.
by Emily Howsden | Mar 4, 2019
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I am not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I am not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I am not a Jew.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.”
—Martin Niemoller
I am reading “The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler.” If you are a big fan of history, especially with the time period of WWII, this book is a must read.
I am 75 percent of the way through the book, and last night as I read, a quote from one of Bonhoeffer’s esteemed colleagues made me stop and put the quote in a note on my phone.
Maybe you’ve heard the quote before, I know I had, but as I read about the gross injustice that was the Holocaust, I see eerie similarities with our world today. Even people who proclaim themselves to be Christians, have turned their backs to the gross injustices going on all around them. This was something that Bonhoeffer struggled with as leaders of the Church blindly joined the Reich Church under Hitler’s leadership.
The same goes for today. There are people groups that are under constant persecution that I won’t specifically name just for the reason of leaving politics 100 percent out of this blog post, because I don’t think this is a matter of politics. I think it is a matter of humanity.
Just as the Holocaust had aspects of politics involved, it was not just political. It was 100 percent a crisis of humanity.
Have you ever asked yourself the questions “how would I respond if I were living in the time of the Holocaust?” or “How would I respond if I were living in a time where slavery was accepted?”
Unfortunately, our world today mirrors the world of the past that allowed such atrocities to mankind. Do you find yourself advocating for the victims of these horrendous sins?
Bonhoeffer said,
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.
Not to speak is to speak.
Not to act is to act.”
I challenge you today, friend, that when you see injustice to your fellow man, speak up. Don’t think that if an issue doesn’t pertain to you that it won’t affect you or even your children in the future.
James 1:27 says this, “Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (HCSB)
Proverbs 31:8-9 says, “Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed. Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and the needy.” (HCSB)
When I was growing up, my mom would always say “Delayed obedience is disobedience” taken from the scripture Psalm 119:60 which says, “I hurried, not hesitating to keep Your commands.”
He commands us to take action and speak up for the oppressed, without limits. He doesn’t say speak up for the oppressed who were only born in America or look like you. He doesn’t say speak up for the oppressed when it’s most convenient. He doesn’t say speak up for the oppressed only when it won’t put you in danger. He says speak up for the oppressed, period. Have you done so lately?
by Emily Howsden | Feb 25, 2019
We live in a culture where being right, having the last word or even making someone else look ignorant are really important things.
I write this blog as much to myself as I write it to you. I can’t say being right hasn’t ever been important to me; that would be a lie. I’ve also been one to have the last word, maybe even tried to make someone else look ignorant. But where do these things get us?
Do they fulfill us? Do they make us lay down at night with
zero regrets and rest peacefully? Do they gain us more friends or give us positive
experiences to look back on fondly?
Have you said things that you’re proud of? Or called names
that edify your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? Have you/we furthered
the Kingdom by being right?
This is where we, as the church, must be different. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. He takes joy when his schemes cause division among the body of Christ.
There are currently many issues locally, statewide and
nationwide of which we could each choose to become hostile and say hurtful
things to those who oppose us. But at what cost?
The Church has enough obstacles hurled our way by the world, why would we, as members of the church not do our best to uplift each other as we accomplish our main goal, making God’s name known.
Did you catch that? We are supposed to make God’s name known, not our own. That directly contradicts cultural trends that tells us to do whatever we can for the most likes, retweets or even your 15 minutes of fame for going viral.
When the time comes for Jesus to return, what will you hope to tell Him about your time here on earth?
“But Jesus, I had a really great twitter following.”
“But Jesus, I had the last word in every argument.”
“But Jesus, my ‘one liners’ were on point, every time!”
No, these “victories” are fleeting, as are most worldly
accomplishments, except for one.
One thing that will warrant Jesus’ response of “Well done my good and faithful servant,” is the people that came to know Him, through our guiding.
No other earthly accomplishment can add up our completing the task of taking His name to the ends of the earth, so that every person might be able to experience His love, mercy, forgiveness, redemption, kindness and healing.
It comes down a decision. You can choose to be right, choose to be heard or seen; or you can choose the path that is less traveled, and that’s the path that ultimately leads to Jesus. Who will you take with you?
by Emily Howsden | Feb 18, 2019
Let me first say, I don’t write this blog out of selfish desires. Rather, I write it as someone who is currently going through this season in life.
There are so many things that a mom has to think about when she considers going somewhere with her baby. I’m here to suggest practical ways a church can love a mom and make life a little bit easier for her to attend church with her baby.
Considering the possible obstacles when going somewhere with a baby, it can be enough to make a mom say, “It’s not worth it; we’re just going to stay home.” The church should not be one of those places.
Have a place where a mother can quietly and privately feed her baby if breast feeding. I breastfed my child for the first five months of his life, and more often than not, there wasn’t a suitable place for me to feed him.
This meant I would often sit in the car, in the middle of the summer, with the air conditioning blasting, sweating, while trying to feed my newborn baby.
Designate a room where a mom can go and feed her baby in private with a few comfortable seating options: a couch, a rocking chair, perhaps an ottoman.
Another thing that would help tremendously is to have the sermon either playing on a speaker or on a television monitor. My son’s feeding schedule almost always came in the middle of worship time.
Feeding a baby can take anywhere from 20-40 minutes when you consider burping the baby, changing their diaper, and so on. This meant I fully missed the church service, which in the end made me wish I would have just stayed home where we were more comfortable. Don’t let this be an obstacle for the new mothers in your church!
Have a changing table with a few baby essentials stocked for the “oh no!” moments that inevitably sneak up when a baby has had an accident, and the mom realizes they’ve left their wipes or something else important at home. This might seem like something small and definitely won’t cost much money, but it does so much for a new mom to feel like she’s being taken care of while her life revolves around taking care of other people.
While I’m talking about changing tables, have a changing table in both the men’s and women’s restrooms. Changing a diaper is not just a woman’s job, and I would hate for a single father to enter into a church and find himself with no place to change his baby. A family restroom, if your church has one, would also be a solution to this problem.
Another suggestion comes from a Facebook post I saw recently from First Baptist Church of Skiatook. They had four rocker/gliders in the back of their sanctuary for new moms. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve rocked my child to sleep in the service sans rocking chair. There might be the “danger” of both mom and baby snoozing in the church service (ha!) but what a considerate gesture this was, GREAT JOB FBC SKIATOOK!
Finally, and this is perhaps the most important, when you hear a baby in the worship service causing a lot of noise, becoming a distraction, keep judgmental glances to yourself. It’s true, the noise the baby is making sounds 10 times louder to the mom than it does to you. At my church, our congregation does a great job of this. When my little one made noises, rather than catching ugly glances, I looked around to see smiling faces and understanding glances. This makes all the difference in the world to a new family.
A church that has lots of babies in it is the sign of a still-growing and healthy church. These are some small and practical tips that can help a new mom feel at home away from home. Life with a new baby is hard enough. Let’s, as the Church, take care of families with new babies rather than add stress to their lives.