Meet the Women at NAOBC – Liz Howell
On Mondays, we’ll take time to meet the women of NAOBC. Five questions followed by how you can connect with the NAOBC women on social media. Today’s interview is with Liz Howell.
Q: Tell us about yourself
A: I’m a mom of four kiddos, Noah (14), Tovah (12), Judah (10) and Norah (9), and a wife of one, Adam Howell. I’m a blessed woman, in that I have an incredibly loving husband who it is a joy to walk out this life with. I stay at home with my kids and homeschool them Tuesday- Friday, and on Mondays I have a side gig as a nurse at the seminary clinic. I love all of these roles and feel blessed that I have the opportunity to do them.
Q: Tell us about your time at NAOBC
A: Our family has called NAOBC our church home since 2005. Over the years we have served in many areas throughout the church and served in many BFGs, but we currently work with the college students. Adam is affectionately known as Dr.Howell and I am usually called Mrs. Howell. We love the privilege of watching God form and shape these students over the four, sometimes 5, years that the Lord gives them to us. I also currently serve on the missions team at the church.
Q: What is a fun fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
A: A fun fact would be that I played soccer in college at East Tennessee State University and also played 1 year on a Semi Professional soccer team. Another fun fact is I really like Christian hip-hop music. It was a sweet act of grace that the Lord gave me my son Judah, who shares this enthusiasm.
Q: What woman has made the most impact in your life?
A: Two women come to mind. One is Shari Webster. She attended NAOBC probably 5 years ago during their time in Louisville, but we have remained in touch. She is a woman of the word, faithful in prayer, and daily walks in faith. She is one of those people you want to watch and learn from because she is the aroma of Christ to all she meets. The other person is my dear friend Kathleen Hanley. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” We have been friends for 15 years and have done a lot of hard things during those years and all with the goal to point each other back to the Lord. Her friendship is a constant encouragement to me and I’m not the same woman I was before I met her.
Q: What is something the Lord has taught you in the last year?
A: This last year I have been on a journey learning what Matthew 16:24-26 means. “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and takeup his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul”
Almost exactly a year ago I was studying the book of Matthew and I got to Matthew 16 and I remember the Lord really impressing on my heart that I needed to learn to take up my cross and follow him. I kept asking the Lord “What is it you want me to do? Be less selfish as a wife and mother? Is there a neighbor you desire I reach out to? Is the desire for things of the world rooting out what is more valuable than gold?” I think these questions were good ones to be asking. We were in the middle of a global pandemic for crying out loud. A lot of things were churning up in my soul, and I was fully aware that I had areas that the Lord wanted to refine. These questions kept rolling through my mind and I just kept walking daily. Then one day I started to see what the Lord was preparing my heart for. My sister, who lived two states away, had gotten to the end of her rope and had decided she no longer had a will to live. Praise be to God that her plans were thwarted, but what did this mean for me? It was time to take up my cross and follow the Lord and seek to help my sister. We have moved her close to our family and are seeking to love her well and get her the help she needs. Honestly I’m still figuring out what it looks like to take up my cross, I feel like a slow learner in this. I likely won’t completely figure it out until the Lord takes me home, but I am fighting to joyfully lay down my plans and wants to walk the path the Lord has for me. This season has been a hard one but I have seen the Lord’s faithfulness around every turn.
You can follow Liz on Facebook.
