Burnett Family

The Christmas season is in full swing at the Burnett household! Multiple mysterious packages in the mail, baked goodies, LOTS of Christmas music, daily Christmas family devotionals, Braums eggnog :), and plenty of red toenails. ;)

Assembling our nine-foot Christmas tree! We won’t say how long it took Charity and Hannah to figure it out without Dad. :)

Some dear neighbors of ours, who we carol to every Christmas, moved to an assisted living facility this past year, so we took our caroling down to them!

Abbie has worked up some lovely violin solos to play this month.

It’s so fulfilling to reach out as Jesus would to the widows, the forgotten, and the lonely! We were just as blessed as the residents were.

 
Girls’ quintet – “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly”

Carinna worked really hard to be able to play a duet arrangement of “Silent Night” with Hannah. They are planning to perform it at least 3 times this month.

In a couple weeks, we’ll be doing our annual caroling around the neighborhood, which is always a highlight for us…not because of our singing ;), but because we have seen God use it over and over again to demonstrate His love to the individuals around us who are hurting, spiritually hungry, and hard to reach.

Look around – who does Jesus want you to reach out to this Christmas? Sometimes the best opportunities are right under your nose.

God is working in unseen ways, everywhere, ALL the time. Don’t miss the privilege He offers you of joining Him in that work!

“…because as He is, so are WE in this world.”
1 John 4:17b

A couple weekends ago, we had a family get-together at Granny and Granddad’s for a cousin who was visiting from Florida. Family is such a special, God-given blessing!!

This has been the most beautiful Oklahoma fall that we can remember having in a long time!

*Cousins*   

Granddad’s dogs have always been a special part of the farm.

You can’t really tell from this picture, but the metal chair Benj is sitting in just decided it was tired of holding people up and kind of gave way, bending back nearly to the ground! Benj decided it made a great, natural recliner. :)

 
Shooting skeet was a blast. Of course, Granddad showed us all up! He’s a pro.

Cousin-in-law and cousin :) – Les and Julie are so much fun!

 
All of us girls love to shoot. I’m the only one left who hasn’t hunted yet, but I hope to remedy that in the near future. ;) Deer season is in full swing right now around here – one doe down and hopefully more to come!

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, we find our hearts full of awe and gratefulness to the Lord for His work in our lives this year! He is so good!!

Ten things we are thankful for…
1. Open doors for many of us to travel and serve the Lord.

2. The gentle way that God prepares our hearts for unexpected turns in the path of life.

3. Our WHOLE family was able to make the trip to Michigan and host the Journey Reunion.

4. All the special people that came through our humble abode this year. :)

5. Growing relationships with our neighbors.

6. Deepening unity in our family.

7. Provision of the Lord for our family’s needs.

8. Protection in many, many ways…I have been on 8 trips this year, not to mention everyone else in the family!

9. Good health – Abbie has been well from mono for about one year now. Praise God!!

10. The privilege of being a part of the work God is doing in the hearts of people!

What are YOU praising God for today?

“From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same
the LORD’s name is to be praised.”
Psalm 113:3

I wouldn’t trade it for all the tea in China (and my wife really likes tea!); the privilege of being a father. It is a privilege indeed for you must be born a male, must have a consenting wife, and must have the blessing of the Sovereign God—our Heavenly Father. It is not something you can demand or make happen on your own.

Yet while many can be a father, it is an even greater privilege to have a dad. And what a dad I have, James Byford Burnett. He is in the later years of his life (God says if we get our three score and ten, we are doing well) as he is seventy-seven but still has the spunk to capture eight baby possums that recently invaded his garage, be at church every Sunday, walk the fence to check for water gaps, and invest love in his family.

I remember trips to the park, crawling up in his lap for a story, fishing, duck hunting, fence building, laying sod on a new pond dam, hearing him read the Bible to the family, watching him help a homeless person, him getting us a dog, beekeeping, him enduring my attempts to be a drummer, patience teaching me to drive, encouragement when I wanted to run track, faithfulness to the wife of his youth, wise counsel, and leading me to faith in Jesus.

The amazing thing is my dad’s dad died when my dad was only seven years old so he did not have a long time example of how to be a dad. Dad’s brother, Uncle Hack, was like a dad to him in many ways (that is who I am named after, John Haskell Burnett, II), and dad looked diligently to his Heavenly Father for the example he missed in his life.

So I have realized, there is no way I can be the father and dad I need to be alone. My Heavenly Father has allowed the precious wife of my youth to bless me with eight wonderful, God-fearing, forgiving children. I am a rich man indeed from my Heavenly Father, to my earthly father, to a self-sacrificing wife, to eight children who affectionately call me…Dad. I wouldn’t trade if for all the tea in China.

I hope any dads out there who read this have a blessed Father’s Day.

The candlelit table was set.

Soft, peaceful music played in the background.

Hours and hours had been spent creating a banquet-worthy dinner, complete with red velvet cake.

Lovely flowers, strings of hearts, and chocolate kisses spoke with a smile of what this evening was all about…

Love.

A week in advance, we had gone door-to-door inviting couples from our neighborhood to an exquisite Valentine dinner.

Most declined because of other obligations, but one couple confirmed their attendance, and a few others were hopeful. What a special time we were going to have serving dinner to our parents and neighbors!

However, as we made last minute preparations, the number of expected guests suddenly dwindled from three couples to only one! Hmmm. Well, we were still excited they were coming, especially since they had never accepted our invitations before.

With the sun setting, food ready, lights dimmed, and growing anticipation, we waited for the promised company to arrive.

And we waited.

and waited…

and waited.

At first we thought that maybe they were still getting ready, or had accidentally gotten the dates mixed up. But, when the time to be “fashionably late” came and went, we knew they weren’t coming.

Didn’t they know all the effort we had spent preparing this special evening for them? Didn’t they know how much we wanted to bless them with a glimpse of God’s love?

As we sat, looking at our beautiful, vacant table, feeling somewhat amused, surprised, and very disappointed, a poignant lesson stirred our hearts.

GOD has invited me to His banquet of Love.

Did you know the Greek word for love (agape) actually means love feast?

How many times have I turned down His invitation for intimate fellowship because of other “obligations”?

Don’t I know what it personally cost Him to be able to invite me to this feast of fellowship with Himself?

Don’t I know what riches of His love He has prepared and longs to share with me?

Don’t I know how much I need to come and dwell in His presence?

“He has brought me to His banquet hall,

And His banner over me is love.”

Song of Solomon 2:4

May I never count anything more valuable than fellowship with my Savior.

He is worthy!

Don’t keep Him waiting.

P.S. The evening wasn’t all lost, however. Benjamin came up with the brilliant idea of serving us ladies the meal we had prepared. Thanks, guys! ;)