Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Outfit // Shabby Chic Refashion

 Outfit // Shabby Chic Refashion
Hello everyone! The weekend we'd been anticipating went by so well! The whether was amazing for the Civil War event and I'm super excited to show you all some pictures we captured from it over the next few days. But as for today I though I'd ease our way back into posting with a little dress refashion I completed the weekend beforehand, and share about something that's on my heart today.

Outfit // Shabby Chic Refashion
Outfit // Shabby Chic Refashion
Temp20
Shoes- thrifted, $3 // Skirt- (worn under dress) Goodwill, $4 // Dress- refashioned by me // Tassels- me made // Lace shrug- thrifted somewhere; had forever // Hair flower- thrifted, .50

Most of you know that our beliefs have changed a bit over the two years we've been blogging. We've made some pretty life changing decisions concerning the Sabbath day and Feast Days and left our Pentecostal church of over a decade. Switching and "dropping out" of "church(es)" hasn't been all sunshine and flowers. Lately I've really been struggling with having no fellowship to call home. Remembering the year or so we spent with our beloved "home church" group leaves a bittersweet feeling in my stomach. The amazing thing to me is that before the families had to move on for various reasons, we were able to really set a ground for our new and deeper understanding of God's word with them. We were able to celebrate and study each of the Feasts of our LORD with them at least once and for this I am extremely and forever grateful for. God had us be part of that group, in that specific year, for a divine reason. 

One of my most treasured memories of all during a Feast celebration with them was the Sabbath we were all together before Day of Atonement came around the following week. Now most of you probably won't know a whole lot about what this day is for, but I'd like to just give you a few basics so that you can continue to follow along. 

Firstly we read in Leviticus 23:26-32 that God gave Moses the instructions to keep this High Holy Day (aka, like a middle of the week "extra" Sabbath day) for all of Israel. And since we're grafted into God's family/people (read Romans 11:11-24), this therefore is referring to all those who choose to be take part in this gift He gives to us; being one with Israel. (If you'd like me/us to write a post up about this topic, leave us a comment asking us to do so!) This day known in Hebrew as Yom Kippur translated into Day of Atonement, is God's sixth annual Feast. Its a day observed by fasting and much prayer. Mainly a day of purging out of one's wrong doings; for me it's a day you really refocus. It's completely humbling one's self and re-realizing how lowly one really is compared to the Almighty. One day when this Feast will be fulfilled as the others have been through Scripture, as being the day when all turn from their wicked ways and are rightly judged by God.

Its so, so easy to just get living life without really thinking much of what we do. We may realize we've done something not so great, but how quickly we forget what a great price all those "small things" cost our Savior. Every single sin costs something. Everything a consequence. I don't ever want to forget His love for me; how truly, truly humbling what He's chosen to do for us makes me feel. 

So if you want to through a thought in that says we don't have to keep this Feast anymore (Matt. 5:17), that its a burden (Ps. 119:45 & Matt. 11:30), or foolishness (Ps. 119:51 & Ps. 119:142); first make yourself think if it's just you talking or not. It's my choice to make today a day that I ultimately humble myself before my Creator and tell Him how much I don't deserve His love and kindness, but too to show Him how deeply grateful I am for what He's done for me; give up my own selfishness and cling more to Him and His ways.  

Last year as our group came together we were encouraged to write on 4X6 card some prayers, past grievances, or whatever came to mind as we all prayed. Sometimes when I'm feeling so overwhelmed by the Spirit I either pour everything out through pen and paper or simply can't seem to write down the passionate thoughts that are trying to make sense outside of my head. Looking at that card that's now been carried around in my Bible for over a year, I see that last Atonement was one of those overwhelming times for me when I couldn't really write down how overwhelmed I was feeling. One of the short sentences  that was written though by me on that day was this, "Be humble. I am not who I used to be. I am here only to share." You can make that mean whatever you'd like, but to me it was setting up new goals for the next year in learning to be more like Messiah. Being humble has to be the most beautiful and amazing thing to achieve. I'm not going to get it perfect, but knowing that as I try that He's there for me is amazing; He's there when its so hard you feel like giving in to "self". I owe it all to Him. 

Outfit // Shabby Chic Refashion
Outfit // Shabby Chic Refashion
I have just a bit more to share about why I'm really in awe of this year's Day of Atonement landing at this time in my life. Last week something happened that really, really hurt me on multiple levels. Friends of mine were going against each other and I had to... yeah, really take hold of my words and the effects they could give into my relationships with each person many years from now. Not going into detail for privacy reasons I guess, this really was a pretty tasking. I didn't really know what to say. I was dumbfounded yet knew I needed to forgive before I let the anger take root. I literally laughed when I realized Atonement was this week. Part of me was like "Yay, now I can really take hold and let things sail about all this!" the other half was like "Really? I have to be humbled through all this and let things go? That will be fun.". (Because of course I'd think about the situation on a day like this.) While both thoughts came to mind, I must say I was completely and utterly relieved that I had a day just like this set right in the time in my life where I need to forgive (as He forgave) and and be humbled once more at how much I need His help at making my life a better sacrifice for Him. I'm so in awe and so blessed that He takes our sin and castes it far away; that His example is my goal and He's there to help me when I refocus my every word on Him.

Okay! So, a quick word about the dress! Bek brought it home a couple months back from the Food Pantry/Thrift Store we volunteer at. The dress was just too short to be comfortable in so I decided it would either need to hit the give away box or have some length added to it. Since navy blue is a bit hard to come across and I had the perfect linen blend to match the net like fabric the dress was made from, I sat down to transform the dress into something a bit more modest and more Fall friendly. Once adding the fabric to the bottom (the third tier shown as the top two are part of the original design of the dress) I cut out two of the large flower clusters from the fabric's print I was using and appliqued them to one side, making the dress a fabulous shabby chic style. When I first donned the dress for a small house gathering, I slipped on underneath a like colored navy blue skirt to add one last layer which I absolutely fell in love with the look of. Since the skirt area was fairly flouncy and I still needed something on top to cover my arms with, I grabbed my old reliable lace shrug/cardi which added just the right touch of waist definition. I loved how the whole assemble turned out. I used to wear things a bit more Gunne Sax/gypsy style than my average "rustic romantic" now, so it is kind of nice to have something that is right in the middle somewhere hanging in my closet once more.

Outfit // Shabby Chic Refashion
Outfit // Shabby Chic Refashion

Thats enough rambling for one day! Thanks for reading and be sure to keep an eye out for our next few posts as they'll be on our Civil War costumes and more about the actual event it's self!

Have you ever kept Day of Atonement?
Have you refashioned any clothing lately?
What kept you busy this weekend?

Shalom,
Cassie
the elder sister 


2 comments:

  1. Even though my family and I don't observe the Feast of the Day of Atonement, I can understand how wonderful of a practice it would be. The Lord has really been working on my heart in the past few months to show me how much I truly cannot do anything of myself, but must depend upon HIM for my strength.

    Your outfit is lovely by the way, Cassie, and it is so good to have you back in the blogging world more regularly again!

    Blessings,

    Brigid
    the Middle Sister and Singer

    ReplyDelete

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