Kisses of Sunshine for Sisters - Hardcover

Carol Kent is the bestselling author of When I Lay My Isaac Down and A New Kind of Normal. Carol is an expert on public speaking, writing, and on encouraging people to hold on to hope when life's circumstances turn out differently from their dreams. She speaks internationally on the subjects of her books. With vulnerable openness, restored joy, and a sense of humor, Carol helps people to find God's 'grace places' in the middle of challenging circumstances. SPANISH BIO: Carol Kent es un popular orador internacional publico mas conocido por ser dinamico, divertido, alentador, y biblicas. Es un show de radio ex co-anfitrion y con frecuencia ha sido invitado en Focus on the Family y ponente en tiempo de espera para los eventos de la Mujer y Patrimonio ambito Guardianes. Ella ha hablado en el Encuentro de Alabanza y creyentes en el Congreso la vision de Nueva Inglaterra. Tambien es un orador frecuente en las mujeres de los acontecimientos virtud de todo el pais.

Kisses of Sunshine for Sisters Copyright 2005 by Speak Up, Inc. Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kisses of sunshine for sisters / Carol Kent, general editor.---1st ed. p. cm. ISBN-10: 0-310-24846-9 ISBN-13: 978-0-310-24846-0 1. Sisters---Prayer-books and devotions---English. 2. Sisters--- Anecdotes. I. Kent, Carol, 1947-- BV4844.K57 2005 242'.643---dc22 2004022593 This edition printed on acid-free paper. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. The website addresses recommended are offered as a resource to you. These websites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of Zondervan, nor do we vouch for their content for the life of this book. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means---electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other---except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. Interior design by Tracey Walker Printed in the United States of America 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 /?DCI/ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 doin' the pinkie swing Dawn Baker The bond between sisters is unique, stretching and bending through periods of closeness and distance, but almost never breaking. Carol Saline My mother was only twenty-four years old when she died in an automobile accident, leaving three small children. My little brother was six months old, I was a year and a half, and my big sister was almost three. Dona and I are only seventeen months apart and during our growing-up years, we always shared a bedroom. Many nights we went to bed afraid and lonely, and we were somewhat confused about life. Dona wasn't sheepish about her nighttime fears; I always tried to hide mine. Our bedroom was small and we had twin beds that were always next to each other, separated only by the walking distance between them. Frequently, well after we should have been asleep, Dona would whisper to me, 'Are you awake?' I often pretended I hadn't heard her. If I answered her question, she would sometimes ask if she could climb into bed with me for a while. More often she just kept asking in a louder and more intense whisper, 'Are you awake?' until I finally answered, or until she did wake me up! My sister always wanted to talk, but after I became tired, she would settle for a slim amount of physical contact. She would whisper 'pinkies' to me and I knew what that meant. We would reach across the narrow space between our beds, both lying on our tummies, and hook our pinkie fingers together and swing them to comfort each other. The touch of a sister's hand consoled both of us. Finally we would fall asleep peacefully. I never realized how much our 'pinkie swing' meant to me until she went away to college a year and a half ahead of me. Suddenly I was gripped with fear, finding myself in a bedroom at night all alone for the first time. I started pinning Scripture to my window shade and pulling it down to my eye level and reading it over and over again until sleep overtook me. 'Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee' (Isaiah 26:3 KJV). 'I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety' (Psalm 4:8). Those words made my heart calm and peaceful. Dona and I are grown women now and both of us know that Scripture is the best antidote to fear. As adults, Dona and I occasionally have a chance to hang out together. We still face fearful situations. With a smile, one of us will call out 'pinkie swing,' and we instantly know the comfort and courage that comes from a supportive sister. God gave two little girls reassurance through 'the nights of life.' And he's still doing that today. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10