A Day In The Life Of An Older Sister

Something I have been learning lately and working harder on doing is to make time for myself. Self care is important, especially when you have many responsibilities in your home. Something so simple as going on an errand by yourself or with a sibling, making yourself some tea and relaxing in bed, reading a book, or taking the time to exercise can help you recharge and be ready to face anything that comes that day with a rejuvenated and joyful spirit. I am not sure who wrote the quote "You cannot pour from an empty cup", but it is so so true! This is true for dads, moms, sisters, and brothers. Sometimes you get too caught up in your to-do list and forget to recharge, but when you do, it really makes the difference in your life! I challenge you today to do something you enjoy to take care of yourself! :) You will most likely feel much more refreshed and better able to serve your family!

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. I love this quote! As we go through life, it can be very easy to get discouraged when things don’t go as we planned. Sometimes we just need to embrace life and seek to enjoy it instead of trying to fix everything. I know I need to work on that as an older sister! With a large family of 11 soon to be 14, things can easily not go as planned and be chaotic at times. With three siblings with special needs also, there are challenges to overcome as we seek to help them become more independent. Life can get overwhelming and sometimes I get discouraged when we don’t get everything accomplished or a little sibling has been particularly difficult or the house is a mess! (I am sure you can relate 😉) But here is some encouragement for those of you who are struggling with this… Have you ever watched the movie called “Mom’s Night Out”? In the movie, the mom was so overwhelmed at the mess and the craz...

Hi there everyone!! Sorry for the delay of a new post. We have been really busy with our in process adoption on top of being a busy family. 💁 Also I (Naomi) have had a hard time figuring out a new post. 1. Because there are so many choices and 2. Because sometimes I feel unable to post about being a big sister/SN sister when I am far from perfect. I mean I struggle day by day to be a perfect sister but I'll tell you here, it hasn't worked yet. Why? Not because i have not worked hard enough but because no one is perfect. The fall of Adam and Eve created sin. We are sinners and so are the brothers and sisters that God has placed in your family and my own family. So you can often times pour yourself into a sibling and they won't be thankful or you are tired and stressed and end up saying something you didn't mean to say. The good news is that we don't have to be perfect. Matt 10:18 - “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone." ...

Sisi is a wonderful friend and the oldest sister of 12 kids! She runs two ministries: Such A Time (where she encourages young women to serve God in their "such a time" instead of waiting for "one day when...") and The Sibling Project where she and her siblings seek to encourage siblings in their relationships through social media, a book she wrote, and a conference they have each year. I am inspired by all Sisi does, and am so glad she was willing to share with you all! ........... Being the oldest daughter of twelve kids has been suffocating at times, an incredible honor other days, and some days I just felt taken advantage of - trapped in my parents conviction to have so many children. Instead of taking my frustration to God and walking in victory I was wearing a Self-accepted burden and being a victim. Can you imagine if Daniel had that attitude when he was taken to Babylon? He even had reason to feel trapped - he was a prisoner!! Instead he decided to find...

Life as an older sister/daughter isn’t always easy…it is often challenging. Examples of the challenges you may face on a daily basis may include your siblings not listening to you, not appreciating all the things you do for them, and doing things that annoy you! Everyone deals with these things. There can also be extra responsibilities that fall on you as one of the oldest in the household. Despite these challenges, you need to remember daily that God created you for this special role, and you are blessed to be in your family! They are blessed to have your love and help! God made each of us for a purpose. Until we get married, our purpose is to serve our family. Serving our family doesn’t have to be a chore, it can be a joy! As the oldest sister of 9 kids, including 3 with special needs that we adopted, it can be easy for me to look at the hardships and failures instead of the good in my family and life. That is not what God intended though! He wants us to embrace our lives and to ...