Burnett Family

With summer comes fun times with family, homemade ice cream, hot weather, travel, and…lots and lots of FRIENDS! This summer has been no exception, as we have gotten many chances to get together with old friends and meet new ones.

When we traveled to Indy, Joe and Jerica Henline met us at Skyline – a Cincinnati restaurant that serves a signature chili. We had a great time catching up with Joe and Jerica and talking about their newest project – a short film entitled, The Forgotten Martyr: Lady Jane Grey.

Note: This isn’t your typical chili…it contains chocolate and cinnamon! I made it a little more Oklahoma-ish by eating it over fries instead of spaghetti noodles. :)

Next – Abbie’s good friend, Laura, was in OK for a week, so we drove up to the City and went to Cimarron for chicken fried steak!

Laura and Abbie spent a lot of time together coordinating the CI’s this summer and became great friends…with the specialty of solving all the world’s problems late at night. ;)

A few weeks ago, all of us girls attended a 2-day youth conference called Ultimate Quest. UQ began in Australia and is touring the States for the first time this summer. We came away thoroughly blessed and challenged!! This team does an incredible job of presenting Truth in an interesting and impacting way. Just the fact that you get to sit and listen to an amazing Australian accent the whole time makes it easy and fun to listen to! :) Each leader has a passionate desire to help young people make wise choices and follow God’s ways…because His ways WORK. UQ is highly recommended by our family. :)

Maggie and Carinna’s team

Mine and Abbie’s team  – we didn’t get a picture of Charity’s team. :(

 
What would you think if a total stranger from Alaska (blog reader) contacted you about stopping for a visit on their way to Texas?? Well, after asking a few questions :), we were happy to host Barrie for a visit, admiring her bravery to STAY with total strangers! But actually, I don’t think there are any such things as “strangers” when you’re talking about brothers and sisters in Christ, even if you have never met each other before. We had a grand time learning about her family, beating her in Dutch Blitz playing lots of fun games =D, listening to her crazy adventures of missionary life overseas, and talking about the amazing way God leads us when we give all to Him.

Does anybody recall our gingerbread house competition with the Fortune family last Christmas? :) We’re still friends even after that (haha), and were soooo excited to see them on their singing tour here in Oklahoma!

Our grandparents’ church hosted them here in town for a Sunday night service. Once again, we were so blessed by their testimony and music. The Lord speaks through them in a powerful way!

Keeping up the tradition of fellowshipping at Braum’s. :) Lots of talking, pictures, teasing, sharing, and encouragement!

Fortune and Burnett girls – we outnumber the guys 2 to 1. :)

So, there’s a much-needed update on what’s been going on around here in the month of August! We have more things to tell you soon…so stay tuned. Until then, thank the Lord for the wonderful FRIEND that He is to you and the special friends He has put in your life. :)

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! ;)

Playin’ games!

We so enjoyed having Robert and Esther Staddon! They came all the way from Chicago and West Virginia for a wedding. (Robert helped with the photography)

Our family with Robert (top left) and Esther (on the right in pink)

The long distance award goes to the Cabreras from MEXICO! This sweet family hosted us when we went to Mexico as a family 2 years ago. Since then their daughter, Itzel, got married and had a baby. She now lives in Virginia.

The Bontrager Family Singers will be singing here in Stratford right across from our house tomorrow evening (Tues, July, 13)!! If you can come, we’d love to have you join us…and feel free to bring a friend that needs encouraged in the Lord!