By Belle Hignight (10)

Being a big sister can be a wonderful thing, if you look for all the blessings in it! I have been so blessed lately by my baby sister, Charlotte-Grace Redemption. My three sisters and I prayed that God would give us another baby. He did! When I first met her, I was so overwhelmed with joy. She was so perfect. She is now 7 months old and loves to play peek-a-boo. She loves her toes, and laughs when we read her stories. She has a basket full of toys and she knows what’s inside. She tips it over and grabs whatever toy she wants. It’s adorable!

She has two teeth now, but she likes milk a whole lot better than food. It reminds me of this verse and how we are supposed to desire God’s word. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). It has been so wonderful to watch her learn and grow. “Lo, children are a heritage from the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward” (Psalm 127:3). She now reaches out her arms when I walk by. I often wonder what she will do when she gets older and what she will like. Will she like animals like our sister Gabby or will she like crafts like me? Will she like to be home like our sister Lily or will she be lively and love to share like our sister Juliet? I guess we’ll have to find out.

I like this verse a lot: “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.” (Psalm 8:2) Charlotte has been such a blessing to our family.  ♥

What are some fun games you enjoy playing with your little siblings? Leave a comment below to share with us!

_________________________________________ This month, KBR is hosting an “Encourage Your Siblings Challenge.” Throughout April, we are posting one article each week by big sisters, who will share encouragement and ideas for how to bless the younger siblings in our lives. We would love to hear your ideas as well – feel free to comment. Feel free to tell your friends about this challenge and encourage them to join you as you “Encourage Your Siblings”! _________________________________________

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by Beth Thompson

“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love;
in honour preferring one another.”
{Romans 12:10}

What precious gifts the LORD has given us in our siblings! I thank GOD daily for these family friendships that He has blessed me with; relationships that are used as teaching tools by the LORD to grow and mature me into the woman that He desires me to be.

I am often reminded of how fleeting these years with our siblings are, and how important it is to be making the most of each moment that the LORD gives us as older sisters. What memories do I desire to have when I look back at this season as a daughter and sister at home? Memories of being too busy with my list and schedule to play music duets with my brother? Or that I took the time to step out of the whirlwind of the things that need to be done, and into the world of a child? I want to remember laughing, playing, and rejoicing with my siblings.

What are some practical ways that we can invest in our brothers and sisters? Our siblings need to know that we love them, not just “in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:18) The verbal “I love you,” before bed each night is not enough. Our brothers and sisters must know that we enjoy being with them, and that we delight in being their older sisters.

We must include them in our lives, even when it is sometimes more work to make bread with my little sisters than simply to do it by myself. The shining faces over the supper table, when two delighted little girls declare, “We helped bake this bread,” more than make up for the extra time and effort it took to include them in the task.

Some other ways we can love our siblings are:

• Giving them lots of hugs.
• Greet them with smiles.
• Ask them to spend time with you, instead of the other way around. Younger siblings are usually the ones to ask the older sister (or brother) for some attention. Would it not bless them if their sister came to invite them to join her on a walk, take part in a science experiment, or have a mini tea party?
• Spend time talking with them and listen to what they share with you; what they tell you is meaningful to them.
• Look for ways to make their day special. A sweet note or a cup of tea can brighten anyone’s day!
• Be quick to praise them, and slow to criticize or grow frustrated.
• Pray with them and for them. This is incredibly strengthening in our friendships, and faith building to see the LORD answer pray so faithfully.

That is truly what we desire most in our sibling relationships: to seek the LORD together. ♥

_________________________________________ This month, KBR is hosting an “Encourage Your Siblings Challenge.” Throughout April, we are posting one article each week by big sisters, who will share encouragement and ideas for how to bless the younger siblings in our lives. We would love to hear your ideas as well – feel free to comment. Feel free to tell your friends about this challenge and encourage them to join you as you “Encourage Your Siblings”! _________________________________________

This Month’s Desktop Wallpaper

by Sarah L. Bryant

_________________________________________ This month, KBR is hosting an “Encourage Your Siblings Challenge.” Throughout April, we are posting one article each week by big sisters, who will share encouragement and ideas for how to bless the younger siblings in our lives. We would love to hear your ideas as well – feel free to comment. Feel free to tell your friends about this challenge and encourage them to join you as you “Encourage Your Siblings”! _________________________________________

 “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
{Proverbs 17:17}

Dear Genevieve,

Greetings to you on this lovely spring afternoon! I am enjoying the breezy spring  weather on our front porch, as I reply to your thoughtful letter. It is always a blessing to hear what the Lord is teaching you. I am so happy to hear what you shared about your relationship with your siblings and yes, even the struggles that you’ve faced. Even these difficulties have been put in our lives, as opportunities to show patience and love to our siblings. You sounded a bit discouraged about the struggles you’ve faced lately as an big sister, but I want to encourage you that having strong relationships with your siblings is so worth the effort.

Honestly, the Lord has been working in my own life about my sibling relationships, too. You might think that when you get older, you won’t struggle with something as “simple” as this — I certainly thought that when I was fourteen! Let me tell you, that at age 22, I still face the daily choice of whether I will diligently cultivate these relationships God has placed in my life. Whether I will continue to build these relationships that God has given me into strong friendships that will last throughout the difficulties and seasons of our futures. Whether I will forgive wrongs…be patient with shortcomings…and admit my own sins before them.

You see, we never reach a place in any relationship where there are no more struggles to overcome. Relationships require constant work and humility. We will have to work at every relationship we have throughout our entire lifetime, whether it is with our siblings, parents, spouse, children, friends, or church, because we are dealing with sinners—and we are sinners ourselves! The sin that remains in us causes friction, disagreements, and failures; and of course, God uses this in our sibling relationships to refine us. This is a training ground for bigger things ahead that we will face. Realizing that these struggles are actually opportunities to “be Christ” to others, is a big key to building lasting, Christ-honoring relationships. As Christians, these very difficulties give us a beautiful chance to forgive, show grace, and walk in love as Christ has called us.

“Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us,
and hath given himself for us an offering and
a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”
{Ephesians 5:2}

It is encouraging to know that relationship struggles actually sanctify us. Also, as I realize that these things are not caused by my circumstances, but rather spring from my (and other’s) own sinful heart, I know then that I will face these struggles wherever I go in life. This challenges me to face them head-on, instead of dodging the uncomfortableness. If I thought, “Well, it’s just MY siblings. If they were not so annoying, I would actually be really patient!” or “I don’t have to really work on being a more loving sister, because I am sure it will be easy to love my own children and I won’t struggle with this as a mom,” or “No need to try to learn to communicate better with my brother—I won’t have this problem with my own husband. It’ll always come natural to talk with him about everything — so why try so hard with my brothers?” — then it would be easy to just try to “get along” in my relationships now and put off the struggles. However, if we as daughters put off areas of weakness that the Lord is trying to point out to us through our family relationships, rest assured that we will face the exact same struggles as wives and mothers. We need to be diligent to strive toward the mark Christ has called us to—today!

You shared that you are not sure how to be better friends with your little sisters since they have different interests than you. This is not unusual; most siblings do have different interests, talents, and personalities, but it is not an excuse to “not have a good relationship.” This diversity actually adds to the beauty of the family unit. If we learn to work alongside our brothers and sisters in their unique interests and gifts, we as a group can actually accomplish much more for the Kingdom of God than we could individually, because when we work together with love and patience, these gifts can bless many (and show the world how God-honoring siblings can work together). We can lay aside our pride, as the older sister, and recognize our siblings’ strengths and knowledge, and learn from them and work together.

While you do have differences in your siblings, remember all that you have in common!  You have the same parents, upbringing, life experiences, similar tastes, environment—and you are united by common blood. My siblings will always be closer to each other in this sense, than we will be to any other human on earth. What a blessing! So, you might think that your brother or sister is so different from you, that you can’t be best friends—but that simply is not true. God has given much room for diversity among siblings, and this is a blessing—not something that should cause us to drift apart. It sharpens us because we learn to deal with the different personalities and characteristics in one another.

My sister and I are seven years apart, and have very different interests and personalities, but we are closely bound and are truly best friends. It has not always been that way—if you are struggling in your relationship with your sister right now, do not feel like it is a hopeless vision for you. In fact, several years ago, I thought it would never be true for my sister and I; our differences, age gap, and misunderstandings seemed to hinder a close relationship. However, the Lord has worked in our lives as we have sought Him, and bound us through kindred fellowship, because we both love the Lord and His Word. Christ must be at the root of a lasting friendship, and I praise the Lord that this is so in our relationship. This is the bond that is stronger than any conflicts or differences we might have. As we have grown, we have developed a strong friendship and interest in one another’s interests; we love to talk and work together.

Like any relationship, a sister relationship requires sacrifice—and we must initiate it (not wait for the other party to do it). If your little sister loves to play with dolls and you would rather cross stitch, you need to sacrifice your own pleasure to spend some special time with her. Being willing to lay aside our time to be together and talk—even if we have something we think we “need to do”—goes a long way in building a friendship with our siblings. I struggle with this and have been trying to remember that someone in my life is more important than that something that I need to do. My siblings have souls that need to be watered with love (read Luke 10:40-42). A few extra minutes spent with my sibling will not cost much, but can mean a world to them. Show interest in them and make an effort to have a fun time together. Maybe you could suggest a special afternoon tea party with your little sisters, and ask them to help you make some scones and tea, decorate together, dress up in matching outfits…having fun talking and laughing together as you do so. Make it a special and fun time for them. It will only take you a few hours but will light up their whole week.

Although sibling relationships can require work and sacrifice, it can also be fun—we just need to be creative about ways to spend time together and show love. Little hearts are eager to soak up big sister’s love and are eager to love back in return—and to forgive wrongs.

Dear Genevieve, don’t think you are the only one facing these kind of struggles. Being a big sister can be difficult, but such an important and blessed role. Do not grow weary wherever you find yourself in your sibling relationships. Keep pressing on, day by day; be faithful and slowly, yes, slowly, progress will be made. There are times when the going is very difficult. Remember when you are struggling the most that God is trying to teach you something important. At one time recently, I felt very discouraged about the difficulties I was facing. However, the Lord then showed me an area in my life that was a block to the growth I was striving toward. He showed me my own pride, which hindered a positive response from my siblings.

For example, I must be willing to humble myself, admit and apologize when I am wrong (not try to act like I am perfect), and show that I want to try to do right and build a stronger relationship with them despite my failures, before I expect any growth to come. If I will not lay down my ideas, take a true interest in the lives of my siblings (at the cost of laying aside my own), and show sacrificial love—then they only see pride and selfish ambitions in my life. They must see me lay down myself, for 1 Corinthians 13 says this is true love. This will help develop trust and friendship.

Actually, in your letter you asked how we as big sisters should take advice and rebukes from our little siblings, and this goes hand in hand. The reason it is so hard for us to take a correction from our siblings is because of our pride. If we will not humble ourselves, how can we expect our siblings to listen to us? Little eyes are quick to pick up these inconsistencies. They will eventually pick up on the lack of humility in our lives, which can make them resentful of us, especially if we are hypocritical about living how “we preach.” It’s not going to hurt us to listen to a suggestion from a little brother (even if we do not think it is the best option) to show him love and respect. It’s really not that hard to receive correction from them—we just have to swallow that pride! And it is good to admit we are “wrong”—we don’t always have to have it “all together.” After all, we are just as imperfect as our siblings! Matthew 23:12 says, “Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

Genevieve, we are not promised another day with our siblings. Let us not regret how we spent the days God has given us together. James 4:14 minds us, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”  What a blessing it would be for us to look back and say, in the years to come, that by God’s grace, we strove to establish relationships with our siblings that encouraged beautiful fruit of godliness in their lives as Christian adults. Our resolution to this goal is daily tested—but we must strive, by God’s grace, to become best friends—friends that stick together through all the changes and storms of life! I will be praying for you and look forward to hearing how God is working in your family relationships in your next letter. Keep pressing on, sister in Christ! ♥

With His love,
Sarah Lee

P.S. You can also read this article written last year by Sarah, which contains more practical ideas for how to encourage and invest in our siblings.
This is an encouraging article about the influence of sisters written by Timothy Arthur.

Feel free to tell your friends about this challenge and encourage them to join you as you “Encourage Your Siblings”!

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…Who Took the “Encourage Your Siblings Challenge” in April

We were so encouraged to hear from those of you who took the “Encourage Your Siblings” Challenge last month. Here are just a few stories we received and wanted to share!

Before we do, however, we want to congratulate the winner of The Maiden’s Menu Cookbook and potholder giveaway –

Abby Cooper!

We will be sending your prize shortly! God bless each of you who took the challenge; may He continue to bless your investment in each of your precious siblings.

Kinslea Davenport

My name is Kinslea Davenport, and I am 11. I have four brothers. From the very first day that we began this challenge, I felt closer to my siblings. We read a chapter of Proverbs every day. We also memorized Philippians 4:8, James 3:5, Colossians 4:24, and Matthew 28: 1-9 throughout April. For the special things we did together every week, we played soldiers, made a special breakfast, made a mopping team, played kickball, and had pillow fights. At the end of April, we had a special dinner, and it consisted of salad, meatloaf, baked potatoes, okra, and asparagus. For dessert we ate homemade ice cream and cookies. I am very thankful that we did this challenge because it brought me closer to my siblings.

Gracie Harmon

My name is Gracie Harmon, and I am 12 years old. I did the Bible study with my little siblings in April, and they really liked it! They kept asking me through the whole month of April when we could do another study. I don’t think that one day went by without them asking me! We memorized 5 verses together last month. Even my little 3-year-old brother can recite most of them. Thank you so much for you testimony to all of us that receive KBR!

Christianna Hellwig

Our special dinner went really well; we have a park behind our house and we went there to have a picnic. I have been really encouraged by my siblings’ response to our Bible study time together; they all want to do it again. I think we will do a deeper study of some godly men in the Bible next month. I have grown closer to them during this time and am seeing fruit in their lives. It is truly wonderful how the Lord works when we follow Him. I am so thankful that the Lord did not allow me to give up on our relationships and say it was to late; it is never too late to invest in them and create a memory that will last. Praise be to Christ.

Bethany Melton

We took the sibling challenge in the month of April. It was truly a challenge, but it helped all of my siblings and I grow closer together.

At the beginning of the month I gave my siblings a few eggs to attempt hatching them in our incubator. So far seven chicks have hatched, and we still have 6 eggs that should start hatching tomorrow. Leah (age 6) is so excited! I also let Leah help me with “chick chores.” Little children seem to love to do jobs that they see older people do! Throughout the month, I tried to participate in games that my siblings were playing. They enjoy it so much when there is another person in the game. I was amazed at how well my siblings did on their Bible verse memory! We memorized Ephesians 4:31-32, Matthew 5:44, and Mark 11:22.

For our special dinner together, my siblings and I made garlic butter chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli, brownies, and frozen yogurt. I let my little sisters make the brownies. They were delighted! I’m sure that this challenge will not only encourage my siblings, but also be a fun family tradition.

Abby Cooper

My name is Abby Cooper and I am 9 years old. I have three brothers and we completed the “Encourage you Siblings Challenge.” It has helped me because I have heard and listened to God more on how to treat my brothers and how I should react to them. Before I would not have treated them very nicely, because I thought they were not being nice to me. The Bible verses we have memorized talk about “being kind to one another and building each other up.” (1 Thess. 5:11)

Throughout the day we say the verse when a reminder on how to treat each other. I think my brothers liked reading together. We enjoyed it so much that we are going to keep reading the Bible every day and memorizing verses too. Thanks for encouraging me to do this challenge.

The Cooper Siblings enjoying a trip to the zoo together

Elizabeth Bryan

We enjoyed the challenge; in fact, my sister Anna and I are continuing our Bible Study together! We had our special dinner together last week.

Sarah Wiens

Thank you for sending out the sibling challenge for April! When I first received it in mid-March, I knew that God wanted me to take the challenge. I was very busy preparing for a music exam, and I really felt this was God’s way of saying, “What’s more important? Your siblings, or your music?” So I took it, along with another girl from my church. It wasn’t easy. Memorizing verses was hard, especially for my little sister, who often ended up frustrated with herself because she couldn’t memorize as fast as everyone else can. But it was a lesson in patience; and as I kept going, I was really blessed. I couldn’t believe how there could be so many jewels of truth even in chapters of 1 Samuel that seemed purely factual! Every time I chose to spend time with my siblings instead of doing something else, I was blessed by the time I spent with them. At the end of the month, we did the special dinner, and then we quoted and acted out our memory verses for Dad and Mom. I also gave each of my siblings a character award (a ribbon with a piece of paper that stated various character qualities that I saw in each of them). They were simple awards, yet each of my siblings treasures their awards. Thank you again for sending the challenge out. It was a blessing to our whole family!

NOTE: Summer can be a special, but irregular time of year. In the midst of the varied schedules and activities it can be easy to let our time with the Lord become shortened each day. My siblings and I have enjoyed doing the Summer Pursuit each summer (hosted by Loving the Lord Ministries), as it is a special challenge to keep us diligently studying God’s Word together. It begins next month and we would like to encourage you to do the pursuit with your own sisters (and/or brothers)! Read our testimony here and check out the pursuit here.

Looking forward to what He will teach,
Sarah Lee

by Maggie B.

“Honour thy father and mother;
(which is the first commandment with promise).”
{Ephesians 6:2} 

When thinking about the topic of blessing your mother on Mother’s day, I find it interesting that just the other day I was telling my mommy that it seemed every plan I’ve had to surprise her, did not work exactly as I had planned, because she wasn’t helping me with it! We are so close that I find it hard to do a grand project, without consulting her for her ideas and help!

Though I have planned elaborate surprises to bless my mother before, simple works well. A loving mother will enjoy any effort her children make to bless her. Here are some ideas that I hope will encourage you as you make your mom’s Mother Day special.

Meal Ideas

Over the years, I, with the help of my sister, have planned meals to make on Mother’s Day. It’s a challenge to put together a “special occasion” meal at times, but you really cannot go wrong, if you consider what foods she enjoys. You can either plan a “secret menu” or just ask her what she would like. Collaborate with your siblings and scout around to see if you can find a new recipe to try. Planning is the key to success.

I thought I’d share a couple recipes with you that I have made for a special occasion breakfast for my Mommy. Preparing a breakfast-in-bed is another special idea! [KBR’s cookbook, The Maiden’s Menu, includes special menu suggestions for a “Mother’s Day Breakfast in Bed” and a “Mother’s Day Tea,” along with more wonderful recipes to try!]

Vegetarian Egg Strata

“My mother loves vegetables, so this dish was a hit. You can change this recipe based on what you have on hand, or what vegetables your mother likes.”

• 1 medium zucchini, finely chopped
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 (1-pound) loaf day-old bread, cubed (French bread would be great!)
• 2 (5.3-ounce) packages fresh goat cheese, crumbled or shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 ¾ cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg, optional

In a skillet, sauté zucchini, red pepper, mushrooms and onion in oil until tender. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper; sauté 2 minutes more.

In a well-greased 13×9-inch baking dish, layer half of the bread cubes, half of zucchini mixture and half of cheeses. Repeat layers. In a bowl, whisk the eggs milk and nutmeg together. Pour over layers. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Lemon Pound Cake Muffins

“Mommy and I both like lemon. These “muffins” are more like dessert and are quite fancy! One key to muffins is to stir only until the dry ingredients are moistened so they come out tender.”

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ¾ – 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 ¾ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

Glaze:

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream and extracts. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture just until moistened.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400 degrees for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over muffins. Serve warm. Yields 1 dozen.

 

Gift Ideas

Again, any gift is special when it is given with love. Remember to include your siblings and ask for their ideas! They may have heard your mother mention something that she needs something in particular. Here are some thought-starters.

• Potted flowers and plants. You can either start your plant from seed or pick it up at a garden center or greenhouse. Pick out a pretty pot or dress up a plain terra cotta pot with paint. Or get some flower bulbs that will bloom every year.
• Cut flowers – whether they’re from a florist or gathered from the yard – are a very special gift.
• Make a “coupon” book. Fill each page with things like “Redeem to have the windows washed” or “Good for one candlelit dinner.” Be creative and ask your siblings to pitch in and contribute jobs that they will do. Tie or staple the pages together and present them to Mother.
• Fill a jar with slips of paper, each containing a Bible verse.
• Make a handicraft project, such as an apron, tablecover or dishcloth and present it prettily in tissue paper and ribbons.
• Create a card, either stamped, hand-drawn or purchased, and fill it with a message from each of the children of the family. For a different approach, you could also each compose a message and record it on a cassette tape, CD or video. This would be a special keepsake!
• Make a basket filled with pretty and useful things that she will enjoy. Some ideas? Boxed tea, a tea cup, stationery or note cards, a pen, a cooking magazine subscription, a gift card to a favorite restaurant, a herbal sachet or handmade soap, flower seeds, or a CD of music.

I hope these ideas help you to plan a delightful Mother’s Day this year!

Maggie B.
{Guest Writer}