by Emily Howsden | Apr 29, 2019
Each year, out of the dark, cold and sunless winter, Spring “springs” forth with new life and a breath of fresh air as everyone breathes a sigh of relief. Winter is over, and Spring is here.
With Springtime, new life bursts forth almost everywhere we look: wildflowers in fields on the side of the highway, vegetables in gardens and baby animals everywhere.
Most recently, my family has experienced new life this springtime in the way of two sweet nieces, Gentry Francis and Lucy Jane! Gentry was born in January, still winter but spring was coming soon. Lucy was born this past weekend, and because of the miles that separate us, both babies were/will be two weeks old before I met/will meet them (I met Gentry at two weeks and will meet Lucy at two weeks).
Babies, in every stage of life are one of God’s most amazing creations. I get weepy thinking about the process of a tiny little egg growing to be a human, and God ordaining every second of each baby’s life from the moment they were conceived.
Maybe you’ve had a baby yourself, or maybe you’re an aunt or uncle, or brother or sister! Whatever your title may be, you have a hand in influencing a new life! Have you stopped to think about the responsibility your new role demands?
My niece Lucy Jane shares my middle name, which is after a great aunt on my dad’s side of the family. So, naturally, I have claimed that she is named after me. Having someone named after you is an honor. It means that someone thought enough of you that they wanted a piece of you in their little human’s life.
Because I share a name with Lucy, I will be there for her in whatever way I can as her aunt, friend and sister in Christ. I feel this same responsibility for all of my nieces and nephews, all 12 of them. Calie, Dillon, Chase, Colt, Roman, Adrian, Charlotte, Theodore, David, Naomi, Gentry and Lucy—each one of them has a special place in Aunt Emmy’s heart, and always will.
There is someone else that symbolizes new life, and who, as believers, we all are named after—Jesus Christ. As Christians, we are “like Christ” and, therefore, bear the responsibility of representing His name and telling the lost world about His new life!
Easter has now come and gone, but it is my favorite holiday. A day that celebrates when death was defeated and new life began—all because Jesus bore our sins on the cross—how can you not get excited?
I hope, as you look around this spring, you take in the new life all around you, whether that be in the form of spending time admiring God’s green earth, or cuddling a new baby, remember the sacrifice that was made for you, and whose name you share.
I can’t wait to tell sweet little Gentry and Lucy all about the God who created and loves them.
by Emily Howsden | Apr 22, 2019
How do you respond when you feel like you’re being tested? Whether that is spiritually, emotionally or physically, what do you do?
Most recently I have had a handful of experiences where I felt like, for the sake of peace, I just took a figurative right hook to the chin and turned the other cheek.
You better believe I nearly bit my tongue off in these moments just trying to stay quiet until the conflicts in question died down. Did I like it? No. Did it feel good? In the moment, no. But later when I knew that I had done no wrong, yes.
This hasn’t always been my reaction. There are times in my past where I might have fired back with the first hate-filled words that came to mind in order to let the other person in the conflict know that if they were going to hurt me, I could hurt them, too.
But that isn’t what Jesus would do.
Jesus didn’t respond to hate with hate. He responded with love. I think it’s fitting that I feel a little bit under attack on the heels of Easter. Not because I think my problems are anything compared to what Jesus endured on the cross, but because His example of how to respond to adversity is fresh on people’s minds at this time.
Leading up to and during His crucifixion, He endured.
He endured incredible amounts of pain and suffering because of you and me. Because He knew that you and I would fail and fall victim to sin, He stayed on that cross. Because He knew that this was a part of the plan His Father had to save the world, he endured.
Matthew 5:38-40 says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.’
Thirteen chapters later, He tells us how many times we have to forgive those who wrong us:
Matthew 18:21-22 says, “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
It’s easy to want to feel vindicated, to say something you know will hurt someone, or “clap back” as kids are saying these days. But, I challenge you, like our precious Jesus who died for our sins on the cross, endure.
Look Satan in the face when he provides an opportunity for you to fail or act hateful or worldly and say it with me, “NOT TODAY SATAN!”
by Emily Howsden | Apr 15, 2019
This past weekend I attended the Oklahoma Baptist Women’s Retreat. I could talk for days about the different things I loved about it, but I’ll stick to one of the topics for the sake of your sanity.
Roasaria Butterfield was one of the main speakers this weekend. Her testimony is an incredible story of transformation, love and healing—and it started with a Christian choosing to show her love rather than bigotry and hate.
Butterfield used to be an LGBTQ rights activist, women’s studies professor at Syracuse University, and in a lesbian relationship, until she encountered a pastor who began to be her friend.
Now, she is married to her husband of 17 or so years (not
sure if that’s the right number) and they have several children. I’m not great
with specifics, but what she shared about hospitality as Christians was
especially fascinating.
The name of her most recent book is “The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in our Post Christian World.” I have moved this book to the top of my to-read list because I could not agree more with Butterfield here.
In order to love the lost world, we have to first be willing to invite them into our lives. In a world saturated with fake news and false prophets, people crave authenticity.
Authenticity begins by building relationships,
and Butterfield suggests that you start building relationship with the people
in the closest proximity to you, your neighbors.
I grew up in the country, with a good distance between my house and my neighbors’. However, now I live as close as 12 feet to my neighbors on both sides, making this form of evangelism much more attainable and, quite frankly, rather easy.
Being residents of the northeastern United States, Butterfield and her husband host people in their home often when weather isn’t favorable, or in extraordinary circumstances. She told a story where a meth lab was found in a home in their neighborhood. She and her husband invited the neighborhood over to process what their neighbor had done.
There are so many ways to connect with your neighbors. I personally love to go on walks, as I’ve mentioned on my blog before. I was raised with a very outgoing dad, and a mom who is kind to everyone, which means that I’ve never met a stranger in my life—sometimes to a fault.
But I like to use this character trait to my advantage. I love to say hello to people, and welcome their adoring words about how cute my son is, since I like to take him on walks with me.
What do you like to do at your home? Do you enjoy yard work? Or are you like my husband, who likes to spend hours in your garage creating things? Whatever it is you enjoy doing, or even if you don’t enjoy doing it, stretch yourself a little bit and open up your home to your neighbors.
Would you throw them a life raft if they were drowning in the neighborhood pool? Yes, of course! Then why wouldn’t you choose to tell them about God and how much He loves them and sent His Son to die on the cross for their sins when their eternal life is figuratively in your hands as much as that life raft is?
This Sunday is a great opportunity to bring a friend to church as we celebrate Easter Sunday. I suggest you start by inviting them to church on the Super Bowl Sunday of all Sundays in the Church!
by Emily Howsden | Apr 1, 2019
I don’t know about you, but on Mondays especially, I need a wake-up call.
Normally I have just spent a nice weekend with my family, either relaxing or every minute was scheduled, and I need one more day to recover from my busy weekend.
So, this morning, as I was taping my eyelids back (kidding) due to lack of sleep because I still can’t seem to get myself to bed at a reasonable time (not kidding), I stumbled upon an Instagram story by Annie F. Downs.
Annie F. Downs is a powerhouse speaker, full of transparency and just love for God and people. She’s my kind of person. She challenged her followers to read the book of Jude—so being the obedient Millennial that I am, I did it.
Jude is the second-to-last book in the Bible, and just 25 verses long, so go read it right now, so we can be on the same wave length.
HELLO MONDAY WAKEUP CALL!
It starts heating up in verse 12, under a section labeled “The Apostates Doom” in my Bible. Jude is serving a warning about people and behaviors of which you should flee.
Verse 12 says, “These are the ones who are like dangerous reefs at your love feasts. They feast with you, only nurturing themselves without fear. They are waterless clouds…”
Verse 16 continues saying, “These people are discontented grumblers walking according to their desires, their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage…”
Seventeen through 19 continue, “But you, dear friends, remember the words foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; they told you, ‘In the end time there will be scoffers walking according to their own ungodly desires.’ These people create division and are merely natural, not having the Spirit.”
What a gut punch, am I right? Have you ever feasted only to nurture yourself? I have. Have you been a waterless cloud? A tree that doesn’t produce fruit?
Does “discontented grumbler walking according to their desires,” sound like you at any point in your life? I know that has been me.
Scripture like this not only makes me ashamed for my selfish
and sinful ways, but it challenges me. It makes me want to say, “Hey Jude!
Thank you for the wakeup call!”
Verses 20-23 say, “But you, dear friends, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, expecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. Have mercy on some who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; on others have mercy in fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”
I am so thankful when the Lord uses one of His servants to challenge me spiritually by calling out my sins and flaws. He follows with how I can be like Him.
I am so thankful that I can turn from my wordly desires and actions, and through the death and resurrection of Jesus, I can turn my eyes toward eternity in Heaven, “expecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life.”
I’ll wrap up with verses 24-25. “Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy, to the only God our Savior; through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power and authority before all time, now, and forever. Amen.”
by Emily Howsden | Mar 25, 2019
Over the weekend, I was faced with a couple of different instances where I could have chosen to stay mad and hold a grudge. In some situations, I did a good job of deciding to choose joy over resentment or anger. However, in another instance, I failed.
I am preaching to the choir right now because I am currently harboring hard feelings about someone… someone with four legs that barks.
I’m talking about my dog. Over the weekend she ate some food we had planned to eat for dinner off of the counter, and I’m still mad about it. This happened on Saturday, and I continued to be mad on Sunday, even until about noon today, the following Monday.
It was no coincidence that the speaker who visited our church talked about forgiveness. He told the story of a man, well into his 80s, who was still harboring resentment toward his father because of something that happened in his childhood.
I was thinking yesterday, as I let what my dog did ruin yet another day, what good does it do when I continue to be angry? It doesn’t make me feel better. My dog hasn’t thought about it since the incident. Why am I still angry?
There have been times in my life, and I’m sure even yours, that you chose to be mad at someone, and maybe you gave them the silent treatment rather than talking to them about what is on your heart.
Maybe you took other actions, of which you aren’t proud, to prove a point, or to make them hurt too. Have you felt good about these decisions and actions? I know when I have done things out of spite I never come away feeling good about what I’ve done.
What if your action caused your brother or sister in Christ to stumble further, and leaves an even bigger ripple effect of angry, spiteful actions from people? Is that something for which you want to be responsible?
In Matthew, we’ve all heard the verse in which the Lord
tells Peter how many times he’s supposed to forgive someone. Matthew 18:21-22
says,
“Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.’”
Do yourself a big favor and bring your anger and burdens to the cross and lay them at Jesus’ feet.
Our anger and bitterness are just two things that were included in the payment of our sins when Jesus died on the cross on Calvary’s hill. Give these things to Jesus and feel the overpowering feeling of redemption and freedom that His blood offers.