Month December 2008

CONTEST: Ninja Chipmunk W.A.I.T.

Brian Aaby 4 Comments

I started a contest series awhile back entitled, “What Am I Thinking?”  Up until now it has always been family and friends who I’ve pictured.  I saw this pic on a friends facebook the other day, couldn’t pass this one up.  So… What am I thinking (WAIT)?

You choose the thought (s) of either of these rodents (or both) and “comment” them.  The funniest will be In The Running and then an eventual winner will be chosen as well.  Let’s see if you’ll be the first contest winner of 2009 (I’ll end the contest on January 2).

In celebration of the Chipmunk the winner will get a jar of nuts.

 

What Am I Thinking?... or what are we thinking?

What Am I Thinking?... or what are we thinking?

Let the comments begin!

Grace,

Brian

******************** 

In the Running:

“she said she loves me!”
“no! she loves me!”  Ricky

“Stop calling me ALVIN!!!!!”  unowho

“O.k. geez,you win, I’m allergic to nuts anyways!”  Jan A.

WINNER: the very clever “Stop calling me ALVIN!!!!!” unowho

The cashews will be sent soon!

The Eagle Has Landed

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

I had the honor of speaking at the Eagle Court of Honor  for Alex Randall yesterday.  Thanks Alex (Alex was in my small group of guys who just graduated in June of 2008).

I used 2 Timothy 3:10-17 as my text.

 

Alex last summer on our trip to AZ

Alex last summer on our trip to AZ

My prayer for Alex is similar to the charge from Paul to Timothy:

 

 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

How about you?  For the Christians in this readership, are you standing firm in the things the Lord has taught you?  Are you following the example of those Godly people who have provided the example?  You see, my prayer for Alex, is really a prayer for all of us!  Let’s use these last few days of 2008 to examine where we have been, celebrate His work, thank those who have set the example and seek His Word and Spirit for the direction of 2009.

Congratulations, once again, to Alex, and thanks for giving me the opportunity to speak from this passage, it gave me some great moments of meditation!

Grace,
Brian

Camp Speaking

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

I am in the midst of studying for an upcoming camp speaking opportunity.  Highlands Community Church of Renton has asked me to speak for the Sr. High Winter Camp.  This will take place at a retreat facility which sits about 1000 feet away from the ski lifts at Mt. Baker.  

 

The Mt. Baker Chalet in the summer

The Mt. Baker Chalet in the summer

The lodge is a 4 Story self contained retreat facility complete with a dining area which doubles as the speaking area, a couple of floors of dorm style cabin rooms and a game area.  Should be a lot of fun getting to know the 100 high school students and staff in this setting.

 

 

The theme of the camp is “Face To Face Friendships.”  This is a theme their youth pastor, Wes, came up with and when he asked me to speak and explained his hopes I instantly became excited and started praying for God to lead me to the right text.  Beyond the speaking theme, I love that  the students are bringing no ipods, cell phones, or electronic gaming devices–all the things which can prevent face-to-face friendships.  This will greatly enhance  the spiritual side of things and the direction I believe the Lord has taken me…

The Fire and View (where I'll speak)

The Fire and View (where I'll speak)

 

 

I have loved my study on 1 Thessalonians.  I love the way Paul loved this church and shared his love for them.  This letter is encouraging, bold, authentic and gets quickly to the point.  I think it has all the makings of “face to face.”  So, pray for this camp, the hearts of the students/staff who will be attending and for God to use the messages and cabin times to speak to the students about His desire for face time.

Grace,

Brian

Christmas Eve Service and Jingle Bells

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We went to the Christmas Eve service at our new church, Faith Baptist (in Kent)… that’s right, I said it, our new church.  Finally.  That’ll be another post.  The point being, they started the service by inviting the parents to pull out their keys and hand them to their kids.  Suddenly I fast forwarded 10 years–Halle will be asking for these keys again about then (AHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOO!).

Anyway, back to this story!  The girls totally got into it, I quickly pulled out my phone and took a quick picture.  Here is the joy of that moment followed by the traditional ending of the service with candlelight and singing Silent Night.

 

Rockin' the Keys as their Bells!

Rockin' the Keys as their Bells!

Yes, Halle is eating a candy cane and singing Silent Night.

Yes, Halle is eating a candy cane and singing Silent Night.

Hope you had a wonderful celebration of the birth of the Savior!

Grace,
Brian

The Disc: A Screen Play

Brian Aaby 2 Comments

The Setting: A few days ago; a Starbucks and the Aaby home; an instant message conversation taking place between Brian and Elisabeth

Brian: I probably have about 2-3 hours more to go on this Leaders Notebook

Elisabeth: Okay…the girls are so cute right now, they are watching the kids sled down the hill in front of our house

Brian: That’s so cute!

Elisabeth: Oh my goodness; I just overheard Audrey say, ‘I wish we were them.’

Brian: That’s it, I’m outta here, my heart just melted, I’m going to Fred Meyer to by a sled.

Brian shuts down his mobile office faster than he ever has before; proceeds to Fred Meyer to find that they are sold out of ALL sledding type toys.

Brian calls his mom to see if they still have one of his old snow discs.

Brian succeeds in finding the disc at his parents house.

Brian shows up at home to surprise the girls who knew Daddy was coming home to play outside (but not sled, because they  didn’t have one).

The rest of the screenplay can be seen in the pictures below, it tells the rest of the story!

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They all sled happily ever after!

Grace,

Brian

 

Tradition!

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

When Elisabeth and I got married we set out to have our own Christmas traditions and not just bring in the traditions of both families.  We both loved the traditions we had with our own family growing up and for the most part have been able to keep most of these. Now with our own kids, it is so much fun to have firmly established our own traditional roots.  So, without further ado, here is what our Christmas looks like (can’t wait for the festivities to start later today).

Yummy Turkey

Yummy Turkey

Christmas Eve Day:

Turkey Lunch (full Thanksgiving Day spread!)… this is a new tradition today, so we’ll see if it lasts

Final Advent Candle/family devotional time

Christmas Eve service

Breakfast at 67!

Breakfast at 67!

Christmas Day:

Mommy and Daddy prepare the downstairs

Stockings

Out to Breakfast at 67 (The Edgewater Hotel) … This is probably my personal favorite part of the day

 

What the kids love!

What the kids love!

Home for gifts for the kids (Elisabeth and I have never really exchanged gifts, always chose to save money or buy something for the family)

 

Leftover Turkey (again, the new part of the tradition)

Hang out and watch hoops, play games, etc.

Over to my parents for Dinner/gifts/dessert with the entire Aaby-clan

After Christmas:

We are looking forward to some time with Elisabeth’s family coming up north for the next few days after Christmas!

What about you?  Do you have some great Christmas traditions that are unique that we can steal?

Grace,

Brian

Farkel

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

images3Have you played Farkel?

Never had heard of it until last night, and would have thought it was some Christian replacement cuss word, but, in fact, it is a dice game.  And in my second game, I won (though I didn’t do as well at Eye To Eye).  

Good times with our friends, the Rocks.  In an impromptu ichat we both discovered there was nothing going on at either house, so they braved the cold, endured 5 more inches of snow while here and safely made it home in two wheel drive car.

Good Farkeling!

Grace,

Brian

What We Did Today…

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

dsc01029dsc01020…okay, not really today (since it is currently 24 degrees, gusting 40 mph winds and snowing), but I was feeling funny.  So, here’s what we were doing a few months ago.  Tomorrow we’ll be sliding in a different way.

Grace,
Brian