2014 in Review

A year of productivity. A year of blessings. A year of asking, seeking and knocking. A year of humble gratefulness. A year filled with the unexpected. A year of discovery. A year of Spiritual awakening. A year of music. A year of stepping out into the unknown.

The list goes on and on. So many beautiful things came to pass this year. I have no idea where to begin. I've blogged more this year than any since I made my tentative beginning in 2008. Trial, I have found, is the best at forcing me to "grow up", so to speak. If I were to title this year, I would call it...

Moving Forward

I've learned so much about myself this year. I've grown as a woman of God and I've made a huge leap forward. The implication here, is that to move forward, there must be something to leave behind. A lot of my personal moving forward this year has consisted of physical moving. In May, my family and I moved over 1,000 miles across the country. From Northeast Ohio to Southwest Kansas! Not that I'm unused to moving. This marks our 22nd move since I was born and I'm only 19. But God has been faithful to us. You'd think my dad was in the military, not the ministry! 

I love Kansas, though! Our community is so warm and welcoming. Our city is big into the arts (especially performing arts). But before I get ahead of myself, I'll recap quickly what has happened this year.

-January: After flipping cars for nine months to put food on the table, my dad began applying for pasoral positions again.

-April: My parents flew to Kansas for an interview and the moment they returned, we began packing (even though we hadn't recieved an affirmative yet). I went to Cincinnati to be an extra in Polycarp:Destroyer of Gods . 

-May: We pack up and take several days to drive to Kansas and see friends along the way.

-June: After settling in our amazing city, I join the municipal band (fist flute part) and begin costume designing for Willy Wonka Jr.

-July: I pretty much spend the whole month sewing for the play.

-August: I take a month off of doing "projects".

-December: Dad, Marley (16), Moses (10) and I go to Honduras and El Salvador for a two-week mission trip.

Those are the big happenings. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. I'll go back through my journal for sure :) 

I set goals for this year, but I'm not attaching myself to them permanently. God has a perfect plan for this year and I trust Him completely. Perhaps none of my well-intentioned plans may come to pass, but Glory to God either way! He is the author of my story and His plot is perfect. I hope you can say amen to that!

Commit your works to the Lord

And your plans will be established

Proverbs 16:3

And as a big celebration of the new year, I'm excited to share with you the Historical Sew Monthly !!! Much more realistic for busy seamstresses like myself; one challenge per month instead of every two weeks. EXCITED!!!

Also, in case you didn't know, I'm starting a fashion blog this month so look out for the first official post of Empress of Autumn

The Heart of Missions

Good morning, everyone! I hope you're having a beautiful day. It's chilly and cloudy today, with wind, as usual. Surprisingly, I've actually gotten used to the wind by now. However, the High Plains natives have assured me that we haven't experienced "actual" wind yet. Oh, well.

 

I'm leaving tomorrow for my first "real" mission trip. Three years ago, my dad and I took a five-day trip to Ecuador (you can read about it HERE, HERE and HERE ). We (pastors and their children) went with Compassion International and Stadia (church planting) for what was essentially a demonstration to explain why our churches should support their organizations. They're wonderful companies, by the way, and I would encourage you to look them up. However, the experience was not exactly what I would define as an actual mission trip. We slept in 5-star hotels. I don't think that counts.

 

Now the organization I really want to highlight is S.O.S. Ministries. My dad took my sister Marley on one of their Latin America mission trips two years ago. I have never seen her so impacted by anything in my life. It took her a day or two to be ready to talk about it. God revealed His heart to her that week and every month, she commemorates the day they returned home by sleeping on the floor.

 

By the time we get to our second week in Honduras, there's going to be about 40 people on the trip! We get to bring Christmas to the families in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. I can't wait to see the faces of the children receiving coloring books, candy, soccer balls and toothpaste! I feel overwhelmed that God has given me the opportunity to minister to His people. And the opportunity can be yours too. I encourage you to look around and see the ways God can use you to bless your community. I see Him working in countless ways. You can do something as simple as making your brother's bed, or as thought-out as organizing a food drive. Look at your gifts and talents; you've been given them for a reason (and if you don't believe me, watch Veggie Tales' "Lord of the Beans")

 

Sorry I don't really have any pictures for this post. But, I promise I will cover several posts with pictures and stories from our trip! See you in two weeks!

Speaking Well of Your Family

My hair was so long *sniff*

I can say, very honestly, that my family and I get along really well most of the time. That picture above is my brother Moses and I laughing it up. We genuinely like each other! Every day, he says to me, "McKenna, I'm so glad you're my sister." No kidding! 

It breaks my heart to see families that talk about each other behind their backs, "It's so annoying when sister does this; you think she would know better." or, "My brother does this when he thinks no one's looking." and worst of all, "I don't agree with my parents; they said this and this and they think they know everything." BIG no-no, kids! 

As a sister, as a brother, as a parent, as a friend you want those around you to know that their reputation is safe with you. If you speak badly about your family to your friends, the only natural thought they think is, "Gee, if she speaks about her sister behind her back, what does she say about me when I'm not around?"

PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS!!!

The first step to make, if you've found yourself guilty, is to go to that person you've offended and apologize. They most likely don't know about what you've done, but if you go humbly and confess, it will build your relationship considerably. They might be mad, it might take them awhile to come around; you might have a LOT of people to talk to, but God will bless it in the end.

Hope this little tidbit has encouraged you today and made you think. I know I'm guilty...now, I have some apologizing to do.

Blessings,
McKenna

I Don't Want to Go...Why I Won't Continue Watching Doctor Who and Sherlock

I can't believe I chose that picture; I'm already crying and I haven't gotten to the sad stuff yet! If you know me personally (or follow me on Pinterest), you probably know that I [was] a Whovian/Sherlockian. However, due to unforseen circumstances, I have decided to leave those respective fandoms and I'm writing to explain why.

Not gonna lie, I kind of expected that reaction from you, Sherlock. Call me a Cyberman, call me Mycroft, but I'm not pleased with the "upgrades" that BBC has made to the most recent seasons of my two favorite shows.

I don't like those disappointed/angry faces!

Before I continue, I want to say upfront that the purpose of this post is not to bash either show or the beliefs of the writers and crew who produce them. My ultimate goal in life-or for this post, is not to defame Steven Moffat (brilliant writer of both shows). I am simply revealing, from a Biblical standpoint and mindset, the flaws that have come to my attention. Up to this point, I have thoroughly enjoyed both shows (I even have a "Time Lord" t-shirt and "Exploding TARDIS" mug) and unabashedly branded myself a Whovian and a Sherlockian.  

Really, John?! And you too, HedgeMartin?! Dang, you've all turned against me. Well, almost all...

*sobs* I'll miss you too, Doctor...

So, here's the underlying issue of both:
MORAL AMBIGUITY

In Doctor Who:
If you, the reader, has seen DW season 7 and beginning of 8, you probably know, off the bat, what (who) I'm talking about. For those of you unacquainted with the show, I am referring to a lesbian couple.

 I am not "homophobic". I am not afraid of homosexuals or LGBT.
 But this does not mean that I agree with their lifestyle. 

As a Christian, I believe that homosexuality is sinful. In the Old Testament, by God's law, homosexual behavior was punishable by death (Leviticus 20:13). But after Jesus payed the price of our sins by His death on the cross (thereby taking all the weight of humanity's sin upon Him and redeeming it), the "old" law was not rejected, but fulfilled. The fact that we live under Grace (God's forever acceptance of those who believe in and follow Him), does not mean that we can just do anything we want and still get our "ticket-into-heaven". One day, we will all stand before The Judge (God) and give an account of everything we've ever done. In addition to what is written in the New Testament, we can study the laws that God originally put in place to discern His heart and how He feels about things. I think He feels very strongly against an act of sin that was punishable by death, don't you agree?

You might be familiar with the very Christainese phrase, 
"Hate the sin, love the sinner"
While somewhat cliche, it's so true! I am not the judge of the world, God is. I don't want to shy away from people who wear their lifestyle on their sleeve, whatever it is (you know, unless they're a serial killer or something).

It's become clear to me more than ever that every form of media has an agenda.

Usually, it's an agenda to shout from the mountaintops their support of "Do what you want whenever you want; ditch consequences! That's a made-up word." In the media, "Chase your dreams" often translates to, "Pursue all the twisted desires of your heart regardless of motive or morals." I didn't notice it in BBC much until this year. Especially after watching "Deep Breath". Vastra and Jenny (the lesbian couple) must've said aloud, "we're married", or something to that effect, at least 20 times during the 70-minute episode. They had appeared in a few episodes of the previous two seasons, however, I had just brushed it off. But after my sister (whose Spiritual gift is Prophecy) watched the episode in which they kissed, God lifted the blinders for her. She came to me and explained how she felt the Lord speaking to her about the issue and that got me thinking. 

In Sherlock:

The same sort of issues popped up in this one with lines like, (John to Sherlock) "Do you have a boyfriend? Which is totally fine, by the way." And speculations within and without the show questioning the nature of John and Sherlock's relationship. And in this newest season,  Sherlock shrugged off the fact that he slept with and feigned affection for a woman simply to get information from her. They turned Irene Adler's character from being a thief in the original works, to being a bisexual prostitute who appeared to Sherlock nude (only the clever angles of the camera kept us from being entirely exposed). It's these red flags that popped up here and there (except for the Irene episode that I caution everyone away from if talking about the show), including Mary becoming pregnant with John before they were married, that I had been unintentionally ignoring. 

This video by our beloved Skit Guys really hits the point home!



The morality of BBC (and the media in general; this post really applies to a lot of things) is dwindling away and I'm deeply saddened to see it go. But I wish to look inward more than outward. Where is my morality diminishing? I was shocked to find how much questionable content like fornication and language I have been allowing myself to shrug off because, "I would never do that" or simply scrunch up my nose and mutter, "I don't agree with that". But the more junk we allow ourselves to witness, the more we begin to accept it in our hearts, probably without noticing. I certainly didn't notice how apathetic I had become about what shows I watched until my younger sister gently took me by the hand and by confessing what she saw inside herself, lifted the blinders for me.

As much as I really enjoyed the shows in and of themselves, I can't, in good concience, continue to support a company (by watching on tv or buying products) that champions sinful behavior. I may or may not re-watch the episodes I know to be appropriate; still praying about that one. Certainly won't be plastering my name on the fandom bilboard for the world to see, that's for sure. I have cried a little bit over this decision; prayed a lot and turned the matter over and over in my mind. I really liked Peter Capaldi as the Doctor and I'm sure he'll do a bang-up job, but I can't continue to watch a show that could hurt my morals.

If you've been considering this matter already, I know you've seen the pros of watching either show. What I hope I have presented, after a lot of careful thought, are the cons that prick my conscience. The worst thing that could happen, is that any show with questionable morals could desensitize you. The goal should be to keep your conscience tender so that you can listen closely; movies and media without morals can cause a callous to form over your conscience. Thus, I encourage you to look at whatever your conundrum is, from each point of view; pros and cons. Pray about it and seek wisdom. I read this post to my parents, edited it then reread it to them several times before I posted it :) Don't ever do anything rash; deciding to join or leave a fandom is a big deal, even if you don't realize it. You're putting your stamp of approval on whatever that is and I can guarantee there are people looking up to you and following your example.

And as a token of my tears, I place this gif atop the grave of future unwatched episodes. May I rest in peace with my conscience intact.

Lookee!!! I learned how to add a GIF to my blog posts! I'm so proud of me...

A Regency Half-Robe and Round Gown Post {AGAIN}

No, you're right! That is my other Round Gown but the Half-Robe is new. The new Round Gown is pictured below. I understand the confusion. Actually, this pink linen Half-Robe is a refashion, just like my other Half-Robe. It's a refashion of the first Regency gown I ever made! 

See, the old gown from 2008 (that I don't have pictures of) was my first garment projet! But, I, in my ignorance, fitted the bodice to a mannequin torso. The only fault in that was the fact that it was a male torso. But I didn't realize that until I had finished the dress. There were a million other mistakes; the sleeves were going to be puffed, but I didn't bother and left them bandless so they were like butterfly sleeves (inaccurate), and I put the bodice and lining wrong sides together so had to improvise a facing among other isues. So, I set the dress aside until I had the experience to fix it...try 6 years!

Making the old gown into a new one was simple, but time-consuming. Thankfully, I had saved the leftover material and had *just* enough to rebuild the sleeves and make a closure. I am very pleased with how it turned out! I wish the closure was a bit wider but it's still accurate :)

My sister's shoes. I think they look like accurate walking boots!

I love this parasol!

My gown did fall a bit below the closure. I guess nothing's perfect!

Here below is my new blue linen Round Gown! As always, I used Jennie Chancey's "Elegant Lady's Closet" Regency pattern :) It's a super thin linen, almost like gauze so the first time I was threading the drawstring in, I ripped right through the bodice front!!! Thankfully, my dear Grandma was visiting when this catastrophe happened. I called her to the basement as I was pacing around in my Regency underthings (chemise, stays, fichu and bodiced petticoat with a shawl around my shoulders), trying not to cry...and failing. She brought a tissue and assesed the situation. 

She swooped in with her super-sewing powers and convinced me that all I needed to do to fix it was sew a band over the rip and...viola! She saved me from having to cut out a whole new bodice front and rip the entire dress apart to fix it. Sorry if it offends you, but my Grandma is the best one there is! That's the truth.

The moral of the story is...be patient. If you mess up, it's not the end of the world. Just move on and you may come back to it later. You might shed a few tears, but it's all worth it! 

HSF Challenge #10-Art

I was so nervous about this challenge! I scoured Pinterest and looked everywhere for an acceptable gown that I could replicate. I finally decided on this portrait of young Martha Washington. It's a modern painting by Michael Deas that imagines what she would look like when she was young. Originally, the plan was to make the gown for myself but when I went to lay out the pattern, I found that I was about a yard short of the purple satin fabric! *cue sad violin* I related my woes to my Mama and she suggested I make it instead for my little sisters! I cheered right up and got to work!

This is Mandee; #7 of our 8 children and she's 4 years old. I don't think I need to say anything in praise of her beauty because the pictures speak for me. She looks exactly like my mom did when she was 4! She also quite a character. You can see in the pictures below that she has a four year-old attitude. While she's sweet most of the time, she was having a moment when it came time to take pictures of her "princess dress", as she calls it.

This was such a fun project and I hadn't made anything for Mandee since February. I'm also halfway done with Mirial's (8) matching gown :)

I did finish the gown by Sunday but haven't got the pictures up until now. I wasn't going for complete historical accuracy here-I was going for maximum play-ability with ease of movement. I used a basic Simplicity pattern and dressed it up. Easy Peasy. And she loves it!

The Facts...

The Challenge: #10-Art

Fabric: 1 1/2 Yds. Purple Satin, 1 Yd. Gold Taffeta

Pattern: Andrea Schewe's Simplicity 3725

Year: 1750s-ish

Notions: Thread, Zipper, Elastic, Ribbon, Lace

How historically accurate is it?: Maybe 75%

Hours to complete: 4-5

First worn: For Photoshoot 

Total cost: It comes out to somewhere around $10-15

Trim Healthy Waffles-Original Recipe

"Are you a fan of delicious flavor?"

~Shawn Spencer

Our family has just discovered the most amazing healthy living book EVER!!! 

Trim Healthy Mama (THM for short) has been such a blessing to our family! Pearl and Serene (2 Christian sisters from Australia) explain how to eat the way God created our bodies to and to have an overall healthy lifestyle. I'll be doing a book review shortly :) 

These are my Trim Healthy Mama Waffles! After a failed attempt to find one online or in the book, I decided to find and alter a Paleo recipe and give it a whirl. I found one HERE and changed almost everything in it to create the most delicious, decadent waffles you've ever tasted!!! For our family of 10, I do 2 double batches of this batter to feed us all but most likely, you won't need as much so I trimmed it down.

Please, feel free to pin this image. Clicking the image opens this page so everyone can make waffles!

The key to fluffy deliciousness is to whip the egg whites till they're stiff and don't slip around in the bowl...almost like meringues...exactly like meringues...they're meringues (just kidding)

These waffles fall into the "S" category because they utelize whole eggs, almond flour and butter. So slather on the buttah, Mama! You may use all almond flour but the combo of almond and flax makes it super fluffy and smooth!!! The kids can put syrup or honey on theirs but for you, Mama, butter and Polaner's All-Fruit Jelly are both acceptable and encouraged. You could even make a blueberry sauce with blueberries, stevia and a dash of salt and vanilla (yum!)

I hope you'll try the recipe and comment on your success and advice! I make these waffles at least once and sometimes twice a week, we love them so much! I hope you enjoy :)

Trim Healthy Waffles {S}

By McKenna Rosen

Makes Approx. 12 Waffles

Ingredients

6 Egg Yolks

6 Egg Whites

1/4 C. Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/2 C. Almond Flour

1/2 C. Flax Flour

1/2 t. Salt

1/4 C. Melted Butter

2 t. Vanilla

2 T. Truvia

1 T. Cinnamon

1 t. Nutmeg

Bacon Grease or Coconut Oil (for greasing the iron)

Optional: 1 C. Blueberries

Instructions
1. Preheat Waffle Iron
2. Whisk Egg Yolks and Milk
3. Add Almond+Flax Flour and Salt. Whisk.
4. Add Melted Butter. Whisk.
5. Add Vanilla, Stevia, Cinnamon and Nutmeg (Optional Blueberries). Whisk.
6. Whisk Egg Whites until they form stiff peaks. (This is best done in a KitchenAid or with a hand-held mixer)

7. Fold Egg Whites into batter in 3 parts.

This is what the batter looks like after the egg whites have been added.

8. Scoop 1/3 c. Batter into preheated, greased iron.
9. Cook until golden-brown and scrumptious! Enjoy!

Help spread the word about my Waffles and, who knows? Maybe Pearl and Serene will start making it for their families!

Playing Up Neutrals+Book of the Week

It's my first outfit post! Yaaay!!! I have been inspired by so many lovely modest fashion blogs lately, that I thought it was high time, after 5 years of blogging, I join in the fun and share my style :) And with today's outfit post, I'm also starting a new tradition: BOOK OF THE WEEK! 

But first, the outfit...

When wearing neutrals, it's important to include a splash or two of color to keep from looking drab. Oftentimes, even a tasteful, nicely pressed outfit can take on a frumpy tone if there is lack of color. Today, the basis of my outfit is a beige sweater with a denim-style linen maxi skirt. That's the "cake". The "frosting", or accessories, are a multi-animal-print scarf and a belt. The color to play up all these neutrals comes courtesy of rusty-red wedges (I know they look like flats; the wedge is only about an inch tall). 

 ::Outfit Specs::

:Beige Sweater-Old Navy (Thrifted):

:Linen Maxi Skirt-Saint Tropez West (Thrifted):

:Scarf-Flower Factory:

:Belt-(Thrifted):

:Shoes-Wanted (Thrifted):

And the book of the week is "Mother" by Kathleen Norris. This is one of my favorite books of all time! You may remember that I mentioned it for the Literary Heroine Blog Party . I have read this book three or four times over the past several years and still can't get enough! The sweet redemptive story of this potently pro-life book written in 1911 touches my heart again and again. 

"Mother" recounts several years of Margaret Paget's life in the early 20th Century and her introduction into secular society, away from the small town and large family she grew up in. As the personal secretary of the famous Mrs. Carr-Boldt in New York City, Margaret flourishes, feeling that her talents are finally getting the recognition they deserve. But all around, her morals and beliefs are questioned and everything her Mother taught her is brushed aside by society, considered "old-fashioned notions". They say children are a neusance, husbands should be kept in their place and a woman should not be expected to drudge her existence away as a housewife. Margaret must learn the hard way that though "society" has rejected the Biblical model of womanhood, the principles that her Mother taught her will always stand firm.

I recommend it for girls ages 12 and up. The language in the book is antiquated (which may make it difficult to grasp for younger readers, though it's certainly not Shakespeare!) and the subject matter may be a bit mature for young girls (the question is raised "how many children are too many?" and, as many of the secular, feministic viewpoints of our bereaved culture are discussed, it may confuse young girls). It would be a refreshing and encouraging read for mothers, especially young mothers who are adjusting to their new role in the sphere of the home.

What do you, dear readers, think of my outfit? Have you read "Mother"? Should I continue with "Book of the Week"? Do we really need the color chartreuse? Did you look that word up in the dictionary? Let me know what you think and comment below! Or email me at missmckennaray[at]gmail[dot]com. Have a beautiful day!