I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Mr. Orlanda Burks and Mrs. Wanda Burks. They are parents to
Oren and Whitney Burks. Mr. Orlanda Burks is a software engineer and Mrs. Wanda Burks is an educator.
Mr. & Mrs. Burks have raised highly achieving and Christ centered children. Oren is a rookie with the
Green Bay Packers and Whitney is a fifth-year senior and graduate student at Stanford University. Both
Oren and Whitney have shared their faith with countless of people both during their middle and high
school years as well as their collegiate tenure. Both Oren and Whitney are known for their faith in JESUS
CHRIST and their deep commitment to living a life pleasing in HIS sight.
As you can imagine, I was extremely interested in the Burks’ secret to raising to high achieving and
CHRIST centered children. Mr. Orlanda response was methodical. He mentioned that their family has
mandatory Bible Study DAILY that is continued to this very day despite both Oren and Whitney’s busy
schedules. In the Burks’ home, this was not something that was optional. Mr. Orlanda explained the
importance of training his children in the Word of GOD and why he, as the spiritual head, required his
children to learn the Bible. More importantly, he explained that he knew that every problem in life that
Oren and Whitney would ever face could be explained and even resolved by applying the Word of GOD
to the situation. Gradually, he said “their faith was increased.
Next, I asked Mrs. Wanda if there was anything that she wanted to add, she added that in addition to
mandatory family Bible study, se said, she taught Oren and Whitney to pray at very age. She explained
her rationale for prayer and how important it was when Oren and Whitney went through a series of
disappointments during their high school years. She said, “Prayer was the foundation for everything
spiritual”. I asked what she meant “She said, simply, prayer requires you to humble yourself by
recognizing that you are limited in your ability but by praying to a FATHER who is unlimited, you are
recognizing your need for HIM. She said “Oren and Whitney both learned the power of prayer when they
witnessed the answers to those prayers in their lives.
As a bonus, I was able to speak with both Oren and Whitney for a very brief moment. They both laughed
at me as I mentioned their “mandatory Bible study” and asked how they felt about this requirement. I
expected to hear several complaints; however, to my surprise, both said that the mandatory Bible
studies ACTUALLY prepared them for life. Oren said, he would have never expected that GOD would
open a door for him to play in the NFL, after overcoming a series of injuries over the years. He said “but
it was his faith that kept him and allowed him to witness to others of all backgrounds. He went on to say
that the Bible studies gave him the knowledge and courage to speak boldly about the love of GOD.
Whitney confirmed Oren’s comments and offered one additional account. She said “the world is hurting,
it doesn’t what your status is or how much money or fame you have, without JESUS you have nothing.
She said “our parents had Godly wisdom and knew this revelation and therefore were good stewards by
adequately preparing us for the trials ahead despite our comfortability. She ended by saying “there was
no greater gift, than the gift of a relationship with JESUS CHRIST and she will always be eternally grateful
to them for showing them THE WAY”.
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