by Emily Howsden | Oct 8, 2018
Imagine waking up one day and moving your whole life, within a moment’s notice, to another city. Now to add to how jarring that would be, imagine being separated from the only people you know in the world—say a brother or sister.
Thousands of children in Oklahoma and across our country experience this scenario not just once, but multiple times before they are even out of their adolescence.
That is why, my friend and fellow brother or sister in Christ, we as the Church need to take action to end the foster care epidemic in our state.
I wrote a story last week for the Baptist Messenger about a foster care event happening this November, directly following the Annual Meeting of Oklahoma Baptists. The event is called an “equipping conference” and will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 at First Baptist Church of Edmond. Now let me tell you why this story particularly affected me more than most stories I write.
I sat down to talk with Amy Cordova, the Women’s Missions and Ministries specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, about foster care in our state, and the numbers she presented to me were startling.
According to Amy, there are more than 8,500 children in foster care in Oklahoma, and more than 90 of those children actually go to bed in a shelter each night.
In the same week, I seemed to be inundated with the foster care initiative everywhere I turned. On one of the local news channels, I happened to see their foster/adoption segment where they highlight a child “in waiting” each week. The child that week happened to be a 16-year-old boy who feared that if he didn’t get adopted now, he might never have a family.
Statistics like the numbers I mentioned above and stories like the 16-year-old boy who desperately wanted an earthly family are heart wrenching. These stories brought me to ask the question: What is the church doing to take care of the widows and orphans?
At any church, on any given Sunday, there are things you will experience without a doubt every time you step in church. The passing of the offering plate, a time of welcome, a time of worship, a Gospel presentation, etc.
I think one thing that should also be on the list of things to just expect from church each week is for members to be challenged to take a role in aiding foster care families, or becoming one yourself.
Every single week, we should not relent until the children in our state have homes and the foster care epidemic has been resolved.
Right now, our state is looking at an enormous number of children who do not have homes, and a fraction of the amount of homes needed to fill this need.
If we, as God’s people and members of His Church took this issue more seriously, we could put an end to the foster care need in our state.
Amy recommended several ways to help foster families if fostering a child is not something you are able to do. Consider throwing a birthday party for foster children, babysitting so parents can have a date night or even providing a meal. There are endless options on how to help solve the foster care problem in our state.
At “The Gospel, the Church and Foster Care” event, there will be many opportunities to take action and open your hearts to children in foster care by supporting ministries like the 111 Project which serves to mobilize the local church so that no child is without a family. ‘1 Church, 1 Family for 1 purpose could change anything and everything.
There will be powerful champions of the cause of foster care at the event who will offer insight into their lives as foster parents and what they have done to fight the epidemic in Oklahoma.
My husband and I had a conversation about how we plan to help end the need for foster care in our state, and we plan to act on it. Let’s not just let this be a topic we discuss until we feel better about ourselves. Children’s lives depend on our action or in-action when it comes to childcare. Let’s take action.
I encourage you to think deeply about how you can help a family who is fostering or think about fostering yourself. I know that is easier said than done, and fostering can be a grueling process. However, each time I think about how hard fostering may be, I also think about how hard it would be to be an adolescent and have nowhere to go, or no place to call home.
We are called as Christ followers to take care of the widows and orphans. Our question shouldn’t be if we should help, it should be how can we help and when.
by Emily Howsden | Oct 1, 2018
Have you ever associated a political party with Christianity? Have you even thought about how the two could correlate or not?
I recently read an excerpt of a Timothy Keller book, posted by the New York Times, and while the article didn’t knock my socks off with new information and an answer to all of my questions, it did reaffirm some of the thoughts I have as an evangelical, American citizen.
If you’re like me, you’ve wondered what political party most aligns with Christianity.
Let me first point out that I am not here to tell you which political party is the best. I’m here to point out what the Bible says and hopefully encourage you to think critically about this subject.
Now, both sides point fingers at the other side, claiming that they are straight from the devil. This narrative is endless, to the point where someone might just want to throw up their hands and embrace political apathy.
That is where Keller says, you are indeed taking a side. Here is a section where Keller addresses those who simply decide not to have an opinion”
“Christians cannot pretend they can transcend politics and simply ‘preach the Gospel.’ Those who avoid all political discussions and engagement are essentially casting a vote for the social status quo. American churches in the early 19th century that did not speak out against slavery because that was what we would now call ‘getting political’ were actually supporting slavery by doing so. To not be political is to be political.”
The social status quo is a dangerous one to subject ourselves and our children to. The social status quo contradicts Scripture, and for that reason you should educate yourself make informed voting decisions.
Keller went on to point out that the Bible emphasizes different things that would directly contradict liberal or conservative political parties or political “package deals”—which suggest you can’t believe in one thing but disagree with another. I have serious issues with saying you’re all or nothing on the political spectrum. I agree and disagree with different parts of conservative and liberal ideals.
“…while believers can register under a party affiliation and be active in politics, they should not identify the Christian church or faith with a political party as the only Christian one.”
For example, the Bible says to take care of the poor, the widows and the orphans. Yet, today even some of our Christian brothers and sisters can be found shaming the poor, calling them bums and saying they’re just asking for a handout.
On the other side, you can find people who are for termination of human lives before they are born. That is murder and equally as wrong in God’s eyes. This is where Keller argues, “The historical Christian positions on social issues do not fit into contemporary political alignments.”
God didn’t create the world with the idea in mind that it should be run by a man-made, flawed, two-party political system. Aligning Christianity with either side of the fence means that people will be left out in the cold on way or another. This is why we must flee from this mindset.
Keller said it best in his concluding paragraph:
“The Gospel gives us the resources to love people who reject both our beliefs and us personally. Christians should think of how God rescued them. He did it not by taking power but by coming to earth, losing glory and power, serving and dying on a cross. How did Jesus save? Not with a sword but with nails in his hands.”
In the same way that God wasn’t a conservative or a liberal—he was a Savior, you aren’t called to identify as a conservative or a liberal. You are a Christ follower, who is called to treat the lost and dying world as if they are precious in the sight of God, as God instructs us in His Word.
by Emily Howsden | Sep 24, 2018
Last week I wrote about being brave in hopes of encouraging all those who laid eyes on my blog. I was in turn encouraged by many people, not only to be brave, but I was encouraged by how many people chose to actually read my blog!
Every time someone other than my family mentions reading my blog, I’m honored. Why? Because I know you don’t have to take time out of your day to read my thoughts, but I appreciate when you do.
On to my point—last week I had a friend and reader of Millennial Monday message me on Facebook and recommend a passage of Scripture as today’s Millennial Monday topic, SO of course I will happily oblige!
This friend asked me to write about Psalm 69:5-6. I will preface with the fact that I am no expert on Scripture, but I will gladly share how the Lord uses this passage of Scripture to convict, motivate and encourage me today.
Before you continue, I recommend you read Psalm 69. It’s not a long chapter, but this blog will make much more sense if you know the Scripture in which I will reference.
Verses 5 and 6 say:
(v. 5) “God, you know my foolishness, and my guilty acts are not hidden from you” (HCSB).
(v. 6) “Do not let those who put their hope in you be disgraced because of me, Lord GOD of Hosts; do not let those who seek you be humiliated because of me, God of Israel” (HCSB).
Let me just start with verse 5. Of course, David knows that God knows all that he does, so why would he state the obvious like he did?
IF I WERE DAVID, I would state the obvious because acknowledging God’s omnipotence helps me come into His presence with the proper fear, reverence, state-of-mind if you will. Nothing we do is outside of the knowledge of God, so coming to Him, hat in our hands, is common sense in my book.
Next, verse 6. This verse really stood out to me in this passage of scripture. It shows selfless love for David’s fellow man.
In the midst of his suffering, ridicule and as a part of his “plea for rescue,” David holds others in high regard. He pleads with the Lord that his wrong doings don’t affect how others see the Gospel.
When we sin, do we consider how it will affect others’ opinion of God? Do we consider how it will affect how others see Jesus (or don’t see Jesus) in us?
As Christ followers, we are ambassadors for Him. We represent Him in everything we do—not just everything we do on Sundays, or only in the good things we do. All things we do should point back to the cross and God’s sacrifice for all of mankind.
So many of the problems we have today could be fixed if we would first, like David, hold others in higher regard than ourselves. This is a concept for which I have found an entirely different appreciation since becoming a mom.
Silas’ needs come before my own, plain and simple. If he is hungry and I am hungry, I will always feed him first. I drop whatever I am doing to tend to him and make sure he has what he needs. I consider his needs before my own every time.
On a much greater level, the Lord did this for us a Christians. In return, we are to make His Word known and be representatives of the love he laid down for us on the cross.
We are to flee from sin and not let our actions disgrace His name. It is our responsibility to flee from humiliating any Christ follower if they were to be associated with us.
Finally, toward the end of this psalm, David praises the Lord in the midst of his trails and suffering. I challenge you, my friends, to consider David and his actions in this passage of Scripture.
First, let’s make a habit of coming to God in reverence and awe of who He is. I personally don’t acknowledge often enough all that He is. This is a good practice to keep our minds fixed on Him.
Second, think before you act or speak this week. Think about how your actions directly reflect on all Christians before you get into an argument on Facebook or lose your temper in afternoon traffic. Don’t let those who seek Him be humiliated because of your actions.
Lastly, praise Him always. In good times and in bad times, find reasons to praise Him. Praise Him for all that He has done for you, and praise Him without ceasing.
Of course, I say these things to you and in the same breath say them to myself, challenging myself to be a better Christ follower every day. As always, thank you for reading!
by Emily Howsden | Sep 17, 2018
Have you ever had someone tell you that they would pray for you? This is something that can be thrown around haphazardly at times. However, yesterday, the way that someone told me they would pray for me stopped me in my tracks and has stuck with me since.
I was speaking with a woman whom I hold in high regard Sunday morning at church. She is a member of the Hispanic congregation at our church, and I think she is just incredible. She has three children, two of them twins, speaks two languages in the most beautiful way, and watching her praise Jesus is something beautiful to behold. She is beautiful from the inside-out.
We were talking about being a mom and how hard it can be to go back to work, especially with a child so young…and after she encouraged me and told me she would be praying for my family, she added one thing on the end of her well wishes.
She said—”I’ll be praying that you can be brave.”
Maybe it’s just because I’m in a bit of an emotional time of life, leaving my 2-month-old in the hands of other people all day, but that was exactly what I needed to hear.
Of course I appreciate when people tell me that they are praying for me or my family, but when she told me specifically HOW she would be praying for me—for me to BE brave—it made me FEEL brave.
There are so many verses I learned as a child that teach us as Christians to be courageous (and strong) for the Lord your God goes before you wherever you go (slightly paraphrased version of Joshua 1:9).
When I was buying decorations for my son’s nursery, everywhere I turned there were signs that said “Be brave,” he even has a blanket that has the words “be brave, little one” printed on it.
Children seem to be constantly reminded to BE BRAVE.
But why is it, that as I have grown up, and I need to be more and more courageous, these verses and words of encouragement have slipped my mind? I know why; because I’m vulnerable!
The enemy loves to attack at a time when we are most vulnerable. Just as a predator is more likely to attack prey that is separated from the group, Satan does the same to us as Christians. This is why community and corporate worship (i.e. going to church on a Sunday) are so important for Christ followers.
Had I not attended church yesterday, I wouldn’t have been able to be encouraged by this fellow mom and sister in Christ. The message our pastor presented was a great one, but sometimes the Lord speaks to me in different ways while I’m in His house.
Yesterday He spoke to me saying, “Be brave Emily; I am here with you, and I go before you; I work all things together for your good,” just like Rom. 8:28 says,
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Now, I’m telling you, friends, BE BRAVE!
I hope today that I can be that person who encourages you, even though I’m not physically in your presence. I hope you read this and can be encouraged to be BRAVE in the face of uncertainty, anxiety, change, the unknown or something that flat out scares you.
There is not a battle against the enemy that God has not won, and I assure there is not a battle with the enemy that if you fight it with prayer, scripture and good old fashioned God-breathed courage, there is not a battle you can’t win.
This world can be a scary place, but know that you are not alone. Jesus has made you a conqueror, just as Romans 8:17 says:
“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
Thank you for reading, now go have a good week!
by Emily Howsden | Sep 10, 2018
Hello again Millennial Monday readers! I have returned to work from maternity leave, and I am eager to continue along the path of the incredible fellow Millennials who stepped in and kept my blog running in my absence.
A very special thank you to all who spoke their minds and shared their hearts including: Braden East, Emma Steedman, and Hannah Hanzel. I am grateful these fellow brothers and sisters in Christ of mine were willing to step up to the plate as I spent time with my family.
Speaking of my family, we joyfully welcomed our sweet boy, Silas Dean Howsden into the world on July 16. It is true what “they” say, I’ve never known a love like the one I have for my son. With every little coo and new facial expression, my husband Casey and I fall more and more in love with the little guy.
Going back to work after eight weeks when my days consisted of cuddles and coos from my sweet baby has not been an easy task. Thankfully though, the Lord began to prepare my heart for when I would need to return to work a few weeks in advance.
It was a Sunday morning, and I was sitting in the Young Adult Sunday School class that my husband leads, waiting for it to begin. I was scrolling through my phone, as we Millennials (and every other generation) do, when on my “Timehop” app, a passage of Scripture appeared.
For those who don’t know, Timehop is an app that shows what you posted to social media on the same day, but years prior.
Four years ago, in 2014, I posted Heb. 12:11-13 (ESV) which says,
“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.”
I had posted these verses the night before I began my last pre-season as a collegiate athlete. The first day of pre-season is a day of fitness tests, to see who put in work over the summer to prepare for the upcoming season, and it was always a day surrounded with nerves and much anticipation.
Little did I know, that years later this passage would prepare me for something entirely different—going back to work and trusting my baby in the hands of someone else for nine and a half hours, four days a week.
This discipline of leaving Silas each day and going to work isn’t pleasant, simply because I love my baby. However, I also love my job and feel the Lord has put me here for a reason, which I will gladly fulfill for however long He calls me.
I know that, later, this will yield “peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
Over the weekend, my mom and sisters reminded me that while being anxious about this day is normal, but at some point I have to come to terms with the fact that Silas and his well-being are in the Lord’s hands. And that, while I prefer to be his only caretaker, being too anxious about his well-being is not trusting that the Lord will protect and keep him.
My husband and I hung a sign above Silas’ crib with the passage from Num. 6:24-26 on it that says,
“May the Lord bless you and keep you; may His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; may He show you His favor and give you peace.”
It is the Lord who goes before us, who prunes us in times of uncomfortable growth, and it is the Lord who is beside us when those painful times of growth yield fruit and periods of prosperity.
Whether you are in a period of growth or a period of prosperity, I encourage you to look back on different times of your life when the Lord has spoken to you and see how they may relate to your current life situation. Be challenged and encouraged!
It is good to be back and share my thoughts with you friends! As always, thank you for reading.