Daylight Savings Time Ends

Good Afternoon!

I have a way of always forgetting to do this far enough in advance that anyone benefits from the reminder. This is the best I can seem to manage: late on Friday afternoon! Well, you'll have nothing better to do on Saturday than to read our blog...I'm sure you'll get it in time.

So don't forget to FALL back on Saturday night. Oh yeah....an extra hour of sleep. So that means we can get up an hour earlier, right? Sweet!

Have a great weekend!

Sarah for the Novelteatalkers

The Hidden Art of Homemaking

Here in Atlanta, Georgia, it is finally autumn. I have been very busy in my first semester at Reinhardt College studying Piano Performance. I have made it half-way through this term and I think life may be settling down. Or perhaps, I am settling into a routine! This afternoon, I have been enjoying tea and Edith Shaeffer's company in the book The Hidden Art of Homemaking. If you do not have this book, I think it is a very important book for Christians, as it demonstrates the fact that all areas of our life are sacred. She defines art and the great Artist in the first two chapters, and then spends time looking at various art forms including music, painting, sculpturing, sketching, interior design, clothing, sewing, gardening, flower arranging, poetry and prose, drama, recreation and others. As Christians, the call to take dominion includes taking dominion of the arts. What area of life is not ours?

Let's put it this way. Christ is holy. We are indwelt by his Spirit. Therefore we are holy. What about our actions? Everything that we do "as unto the Lord" is holy. Those things that we do that are not "as unto the Lord", those things that are not of faith, are sinful.

I recently talked to a friend at school about sacred music and ran into this difficulty: is there a distinction between secular and sacred for the Christian? If our lives are holy because of the indwelling of the holy spirit, there is no area for the Christian that is not sacred. It is true that there is a distinction between faithfulness, and unfaithfulness. But there is no part of living that is not sacred for the Christian.

This being the case, what types of art are off-limits for Christians? The conclusion is that only artistry that is not as unto the Lord is off-limits. There is no such thing as secular clothing, music, paintings, etc for the Christian. There is no secular/sacred distinction. Can we dress according to the latest fashion styles? Of course! If what we do is of faith, as unto the Lord, then we have the freedom to be stylish artists as Christians.

One issue we might raise is this: aren't some things sinful for Christians? Are trendy clothes sinful? What about TV shows? What about literature (like Harry Potter?) Music...come on, there are songs out there that are completely immoral right? Well, is it the substance that is sinful or is the the actions? Is literature sinful? Is achohol sinful? No, they are just "subtances". These things are naturally neutral. Actions are not. We may use these substances in sinful ways...ways which are unholy - not unto the Lord. Is a tree holy or unholy - sinful or unsinful? Is a book? No, it is how we use them. There is only one right way for the Christian to use a substance and that way is "as unto the Lord". There is no literature, clothing, music, drama, etc that are sinful in style for Christian.

There are some other thoughts that I have regarding all this (including this age in which we live). But I will write about these later. For now, those are just things that are running around in my head, and things that I think Sarah and I should discuss at the tea table! Feel free to sweeten our correspondence with your own "two-cents".

Warmly,
Lily

October.Third Weekend.Presbytery.Daddy Gone.Casserole.

That's the update around here: Chicken and Broccoli Casserole for dinner tonight! Here's the whole story if you're new to Talk Time and have no idea what I'm talking about. Catch the story here, and here.

Have a great weekend!

In our Altogether Lovely One,

Sarah

The Surface of Life

The surface of life: the morning routine; the evening routine; science tests; math tests; choir appointments; piano appointments; nannying appointments; errands; waking the boys up with a nice, sweet smile in the morning; helping them when something in school "just doesn't make sense"; homework to be done; sermons to be burnt to cds, etc., etc., etc.

Greetings from the Tea Table! That is this past week's "surface of life." Ben Miller, in this sermon (did I mention that I've over and over recommended this sermon again and again?) gives a list of things that make up the surface of our lives. And this is the rest of the sermon in a nut shell:

"Many dark and disturbing thoughts are apt to arise in this thing. Few can carry up their hearts and minds to this height by faith, as to rest their souls in the love of the Father; they live below it, in the troublesome region of hopes and fears, storms and clouds. All here is serene and quiet. But how to attain to this pitch they know not. This is the will of God, that he may always be eyed as benign, kind, tender, loving, and unchangeable therein; and that peculiarly as the Father, as the great fountain and spring of all gracious communications and fruits of love. This is that which Christ came to reveal, — God as a Father..."

~ John Owen, from Communion with God the Father

"Attempting to comprehend the depths of this love, one may compare [Zephaniah 3:16-17] this Old Testament version of John 3:16 to a child on the seashore, digging a sandy trench to the limitless expanses of the ocean. The child stretches out her arms to gather the ocean's depths into her shallow pool."

~ O. Palmer Robertson

"Dig the trench, brethren."

The surface of life becomes life in the Kingdom when we are so suffused with the love of our Father in Heaven that everything we say, everything we touch, everything we feel is motivated by that great love. He's our Father! So this week's "surface" is all part of the path that we're walkin' on. We're walkin' with the King. Learnin' to love Him and to know how much He loves us. Strivin' to love our neighbor...extravagantly! Yearning for the day when our faith shall be made sight. We're children of a great King and that thought changes everything about us. We're not just so privileged to be slaves in His house; to pick up the trash on His grounds. We're sons! We're heirs to the Kingdom. We're ruling and reigning with Him in heaven. We're seated in heavenly places. We're robed in righteousness. We're set at His right hand. And He cannot fail. He will get us to heaven as surely as Christ rose and conquered death, He will get us to heaven!

"Oh for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise!"

Begone Unbelief

This is my new favorite song. I have those every once in a while. My newest favorite hymn that we sing at Redeemer is Jesus Your Blood and Righteousness (though, I still love so many hymns. Check out I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art for example). My new favorite hymn that we don't sing at Redeemer is A Debtor to Mercy Alone. I think I'm gonna have to post those words on my mirror. What a great hymn! And this is my new favorite song that...well...I suppose it is a hymn, but it's not in our hymnal and I had never heard of it before this:

We have a friend that we know from our seminary days. She is a very gifted musician. Daddy and I love her voice and she also has some great guitar and piano music...not to mention lyrics. We love her music! While we were in seminary she made a cd, Remember Your Creator. We have listened to that cd so. many. times. It's awesome! After all these years and I still can't pick a favorite song. That's sayin' a lot for me. We have been "patiently" waiting for her to make a new cd (Mrs. Sealy, we have some suggestions if you're not sure what should be on it :) and in the meantime have been enjoying her on YouTube. This song is outstanding. You can see that (as of right now) there have been 266 views...probably 75 of those are me :)

Did you go and listen to it? Oh good. Now come on, tell me you have chills all over?

Most of what she has on YouTube are her variations on old hymns so after you melt over that song you can go listen to God Moves in a Mysterious Way and Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness. These are my other two favorites that she has on YouTube.