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

Family…the most precious relationships on earth!

Our family has undergone significant changes in the last 10 years.

We don’t have “little kids” anymore. Half of us are teenagers. In about 5 months, half of us will be in our twenties. Benj is the only one left shorter than Mom. :) Deep talks into the wee hours of the morning are not unusual. When a subject is broached, opinions start flying! We can’t seem to find the balance in communication – either someone gets the memo 5 times in a row, or they miss it altogether and have no idea what’s going on. Dozens of inside family jokes keep us laughing. =D With 6 licensed drivers and 5 vehicles, somebody is always going somewhere. The idea of everyone riding in the same vehicle is nearly extinct. Common topics of conversation include job opportunities, the family schedule, places we would like to go, our country, and family changes that will most likely happen in the next 5-10 years. ;)

The change in family dynamics from the days of toddlers, high chairs, early bedtimes, and various levels of height for the family picture still surprises us sometimes. We’ll all sit down at the supper table, and Mom will exclaim, “Honey, look at all these BIG people sitting at our table!!”

Having eight young adults in the house makes for an exciting life! Life is more complicated, adventurous, dramatic, emotional, and meaningful as we grow to realize how precious these relationships are. What an amazing journey as we grow up together, witness the Lord drawing each one to Himself, and see them grab a hold of the reality of Christ, the Gospel, and Eternity for themselves!

This is a special season in our lives. The incredible opportunity lies before us TODAY to listen to each other, speak an encouraging word, ask in sincerity “how are you really doing?”, spend quality time together, and work on strengthening the weak places in our relationships. We have a long way to go in some areas. May we seize this small, priceless window of time to let God deepen our love and unity!

Every family – including yours – is jam-packed with opportunities for eternal impact as God works IN us and THROUGH us!

All that to say…we have updated our Meet the Family page! Thanks to Chad Paine for taking pictures for us while we were up at Northwoods! We’re saving our favorite to go with our annual Christmas update. :)

Now, go love the family God has given YOU!!

What is your favorite snack? Grandpa’s chex mix and eggnog – can’t wait for Christmas! :)

What is one of the characteristics of God He has most made known to you this year? I am so grateful He is the Purifier and Refiner of my heart

Name five things on your happy list. Rainy days, hearing from a good friend, drinking chai tea on a chilly morning, late night talks with my family, the night sky

What is one thing you are really looking forward to the most this next year? The exciting adventure of walking one step at a time with Christ down uncharted paths in my life

If you could vacation anywhere you’ve never been.. for a week, where would it be? Either somewhere in Europe, like England or Scotland, or a cabin in the Rocky Mountains :)

Happy 23rd Birthday, Hannah! May the Lord reveal Himself to you in deeper ways this year as you seek Him with all of your heart and soul. Your passion for Jesus and servant’s heart are such an example and inspiration to us. We love you bunches!!!

The Northwoods staff with Eric Ludy – we had such a fun time fellowshipping with the staff there! They are a great team with a servant’s heart.

On Saturday morning, Eric Ludy preached two more messages – Wrestling Prayer and Hero Training. The Lord especially used the one on prayer in a powerful way – we didn’t want to stop listening! Just imagine what would happen if each attendee got a true grasp on effectual, fervent prayer!

Eric graciously agreed to do Q & A during his last lunch with us before heading off to the airport. :)

Our family with Eric

More times of prayer…

By now ya’ll must realize, we played a lot of volleyball…on the very last night, we had 8 teams of speed volleyball going at once! It was a blast! =)

Saturday afternoon, we had break-out sessions. Mrs. Kathy Fagala shared with all the women…

…and Mr. Wayne Fagala shared with the guys. It was a blessing to be able to talk heart-to-heart and glean from their wisdom!

(Check out the convertible truck in the background. :)

That evening we all went down to the lake and had a cookout. I think the pictures will give you a nice idea of what a special and refreshing time we all had together.

 
Singing around the campfire was really special.

S’mores = YUM.

 
The NWCC director surprised us with fireworks at the end of the cookout! We just had to sing the Star Spangled Banner. :) We then moved to the Lodge to continue fellowship and … volleyball, of course!

Bob Norvell preached the final message on Sunday morning, encouraging us to live as the tabernacles of God.

Caleb did a great job managing the sound booth – thanks, bro. ;)

Hannah was very happy to have 2 of the young ladies from her Journey team there.

=D

Saying good-byes…

Journey Reunion 2011

To God be the glory!

Caleb’s fun facts :)

What is your favorite snack? Ice cream sandwiches

What is one of the characteristics of God He has most made known to you for this year? My Everything

Name three things on your happy list. Hunting, Mudding, Big Ford Trucks

What is one thing you are really looking forward the most this next year? Growing more in Christ

If you could vacation anywhere you’ve never been.. for a week, where would it be? Alaska or Scotland

Happy 21st birthday, Caleb!!!!!! You are a very special and vital part of our family, and we love you SOOOOO much! May God strengthen you mightily in your inner man this next year, as you stand for righteousness in every part of your life.

*Hey ya’ll, since Caleb isn’t home to celebrate today, why don’t we all leave him a happy comment to brighten his day!!!* =D