Month November 2009

Quick Monday Thoughts…

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

Very sad about the incident yesterday in Lakewood…

In light of that news I am very motivated to get the Good News out about Jesus, because the world is a crazy place and you never know when something like this will happen.  What an opportunity for Christians to come alongside others and lovingly embrace the lost and share the One hope we have in this world!

Very thankful for a good four day break where I spent way more time with family than I did behind the keyboard.

Was able to get several other tasks taken care of as well at home during the break (office is 90% done–this used to be the homeschool room, which used to be the dining room which used to be…), raked a great number of leaves, took the family out to get our Christmas tree and even got in a bike-ride on my soggy path!

Very much appreciative of the prayer coverage for the writing, I believe the Lord is answering through some of the creative thoughts I have had recently.  Pray now that they translate to paper (or keyboard at least).

After three or four straight meals with Turkey and the fixins, I was craving Mexican food… that craving was cured in the form of Chicken Fajitas, yummm!

Looking forward to the week ahead, have a lunch in Portland on Thursday and several other appointments with Youth Leaders to talk about YMV’s for 2010.

Had a great meal with the Bauers yesterday after church.  They are a great family.

My wife is having iPhone issues… that’s not fun, hope to get that fixed ASAP.

Excited to hang with students tonight at an all-area Young Life Club.

Looking forward to the season finale of The Amazing Race on Sunday… it’s been a great season.

That’s about it for my Monday thoughts.

Oh, loved the WAIT contest, scroll down to see all the comments and the winner!

Grace,
Brian

CONTEST: W.A.I.T. @ The Light

Brian Aaby 17 Comments

I do a little contest series called “What Am I Thinking?”  Essentially, it is a photo caption contest.

Well, I’d like to know what you’d be thinking if you encountered this scenario.

Here’s the scoop, best caption gets the prize.  I’ll list those “in the running” after a day or so and crown the winner after a few days.  Have fun, enter as often as you’d like.  If your comment doesn’t show up right away, be patient, some of them I need to approve first (if you haven’t even commented, or if it has been awhile).  Found this little photo on a friends blog…

So, what are you thinking?

What Are You Thinking (if you came upon this)?

Winner gets a stocking stuffer (pretty sweet little gift, I promise)!

Grace,

Brian

********** In The Running **********

No, No, No. The other left. ~ wes henry

Oh, I see Obama and the House Democrats got a hold of our traffic signals too. ~ the wifey

Must be a pretty big stocking stuffer if that’s the tree! ~ Jan A.

… Then go left or right at the corner of undecided and agnostic… ~Joe Monto

Mapquest said take a left… ~ Aaron Gowin

Wait til you see the stop light cameras! ~Aaron Gowin

Traffic control by committee. ~ unowho

Who’s idea was it to put this light right next to the DOL? ~Aaron Gowin

Greg Nichols last act as Mayor. ~Aaron Gowin

*************AND THE WINNER IS….****************

Congrats to Aaron Gowin with his great comment: “Mapquest said take a left…”

I loved this one, because after a few years of using Mapquest I have completely abandoned them for Google Maps (and most recently my iPhone GPS).  Mapquest had me take one too many bad lefts!  There were several great ones (many from Aaron as well).  To be honest he had two or three others that could have been in the running, just got tired of copying and pasting!  Ha.   Aaron, shoot me a fb message with your address and you get your stocking stuffer (or let me know when you’re up near Fairwood and we can grab a coffee and I’ll hand it to you).

Great work folks!

What’s New in Thanks?

Brian Aaby 2 Comments

Very thankful for this gang!

The question that we are all answering today: “what are you thankful for?” is a great question to ask.  I hope it is one each of is giving much thought and also responding in praise and in actually giving thanks.  Of course my relationship with Jesus and my ever growing affection and love for my family always top the list!

I thought I’d throw a little twist to the question for my blog today… so take the time to comment if you’d like as I will below.

What are you thankful for this year that was not on your radar screen last year?

This question caused me to think even more… the question, worded differently could read, “what’s new in your life this year that you are thankful for?”  Or perhaps, “what are you now thankful for that you were not in the past?”  You see, I can think of several things for each of these different questions… such as new life, trials, etc.

2009 YMV's gave me much experience!

As for my answer... I’m very thankful for is the new knowledge I have and the learning curve I experienced in the last year withYouthmark.  It has been a wonderful, but trying year.  When James says, “consider it pure joy when you face various trials” I often want to mock that statement.  It is a very hard thing to do!  However, I am thankful for all the trials of 2009 (as well as all the great things). However, many of the trials are what have brought me newfound wisdom and experience.  I am thankful for these experiences that I think will make 2010 an even better year!

 

What about you?  What wasn’t on your radar screen last year that you are now thankful for today?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Grace,
Brian

How Much Do You Love the Feast?

Brian Aaby 2 Comments

Every year I look forward to the Holiday Feast that is Thanksgiving.  To be honest it is one of, if not the, favorite meal for me each year.  One of the reasons I like it the best probably has to do with the fact that I only have it once a year (though spread out over a 3-4 day stretch including leftovers).  I guess there is the chance I may order the Turkey Dinner at a restaurant, but for the most part, it is a one-time-per-year meal.

So, keeping with another tradition, I also like asking difficult “would you rather” questions.  So, today, we are going to see what part of the Thanksgiving Feast you could handle not just once a year, but everyday for a year!

Today I am thankful that I don’t actually have to do this and it is just a silly question I got to answer!

Happy Thanksgiving!  I look forward to several of you coming by tonight/tomorrow (and possibly Friday) to do another Thanksgiving participation blog!

Grace,
Brian

Top Five Tuesday: Thanksgiving

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

Somewhat predictable, yes, but c’mon, I knew you needed something to get past the mid-week doldrums (today is officially “midweek” because of the impending 4-day weekend).

Today I have the opportunity to rate the top five things about Thanksgiving.  The criteria for this one was pretty tough to come up with actually… questions like, do I include the Thanksgiving weekend or just the day? Do I allow something I did in the past to be in my current top five? etc.

Well, you’ll just have to wait and see the answers to those questions and more… without further ado, the list.

Five: The Leftovers. Ahh, Turkey will show up all weekend!  I love it! Of course the leftovers start with fixing a plate that looks very similar to what you had for your main meal, but by the time you are finishing your leftovers (for some of you this is in early December) you find Turkey showing up in soups, casseroles and pot-pies.

 

Some of us will resemble this this weekend!

Four: Sports on TV. Seeing as how we are a media-flooded society it seems there is ALWAYS some sporting event being shown live on TV.  However, I don’t pay attention to most of it.  On Thanksgiving Day and the weekend, I do.  C’mon, who, besides my friend Nathan, cares about the Detroit Lions?  Well, on Turkey Day I will.  I am not a Dallas Cowboy fan, but on Thanksgiving I’ll faithfully tune in and watch.  Beyond the football there are always great hoops games (college and NBA), college football games (including the toilet-bowl, otherwise known as “The Apple Cup”) and of course gymnastics!  Okay, not-s0-much on the last one… though Halle and Audrey would dig!

 

Three: Advent Time With The Family. A few years ago Elisabeth and I started a new family tradition by doing our own candlelight Advent time on the Sunday nights thru Advent.  So, this Sunday will kick that off.  I’m looking forward to seeing how Will reacts to the candle, the quiet and hearing the Christmas story.  Last year, one of the students I discipled through High School was hanging out with us and said that it was one of his best memories now!

 

What some malls look like in early October!

Two: The Kick-off to the Season.  I believe that Thanksgiving day marks the beginning of “The Holidays.”  I love Christmas music, Christmas lights, decorations and even peppermint-mochas, etc.  However, these things are meant to be celebrated, served, displayed/played and consumed (you figure out which noun goes with each verb) only from Thanksgiving to New Years Day.  Part of the purity of the season, to me, is the specific parameters of the season.  None of this Shopping Mall mentality of September 15 begins the season because one retailer starts selling Stocking ideas… let’s preserve the season by celebrating it only during the season (the one exception:  let’s celebrate Jesus at all times!)!

 

So, on Thanksgiving morning you’ll find me with a coffee beverage (probably with peppermint flavoring) in hand, swaying back and to the Christmas music blaring through our house as I begin the search for all of our Christmas decorations.  Welcome to the season!

One: The Meal.  If I were rating “complete meals” I would have to rate this one at the tops; though I love steak, I don’t know if the Turkey feast can be beat.  So, as I anticipate the day of thanks, I am certainly thankful for all of the above, but man-o-man, the Bird and the fixins certainly are something for which my glass is tipped in thanks.  Of course, there are a few exceptions to the rule of “the fixins” being the best.  I am not a “yam” guy and to be honest I can go without the cranberry sauce (okay, those of you who just cussed at me, repent, that was not necessary).  So yes, I love the meal, and the beauty of the 2009 meal, I am feeling great in terms of my health and weight, so I am not going to hold back, knowing that the bike-ride of Wednesday and of Friday will more than make up for the feast of Thursday!

What are some of your favorite things about this Holiday?

Come back tomorrow (Wednesday) for my special “Thanksgiving Blog Survey!”

And on Thursday I am dedicating the blog to “I am thankful” quotes… come back and participate!

Grace,
Brian

 

 

Hearts Tourney in Review…

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

Finished third (out of 24 guys)!

This is my best finish in years, if not ever.  Good times.

My friend Byron (yes, the Byron you prayed for and his cancer from last summer) took the championship.  I am bitter because he gave me the queen twice in the finals.  (I’m not really bitter, just playing around).

Congrats Byron.  It was really a fun tournament.

Grace,
Brian

55!

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

Please take a moment to praise the Lord with me!  Yesterday Youthmark played host to 55 Youth Leaders at The Old Spaghetti Factory at Southcenter! This was a great turnout with high energy.  A couple of the highlights in my eyes:

  • Seeing Youth Leaders whom I knew had no prior relationship hanging out, laughing, even exchanging business cards with the purpose of staying in touch!
  • Hearing the laughter in the room… seriously, it was so fun to watch and listen to the constant chatter and laughter during the lunch portion.  Laughter is often a healing agent God uses in the lives of His children.  I sense that some who were hurting, came away a little encouraged because of the laughter they experienced at his or her table!
  • Sharing my passions! Besides my desire to see churches partner with Youthmark (the obvious reason for the lunch), I desired to share these two passions (1): Youthmark wants to train students for the 51 weeks of life outside of the mission trip and (2) We, as Youth Pastors, need to set the example by being about our own Jerusalem with our own peers and encourage the students to be the best missionaries we have in the U.S.!

As a result, please pray for these three specific requests:

1. That Youth Leaders would seriously consider partnering with Youthmark (and that I would do a good job of following up with these churches and answering the questions they have).

2. That these Youth Leaders would pray for the Harvest Worker they named (and whom they committed to pray for).

3. That registrations would continue to come in for our last Lunch in Portland on Dec. 3.  I’d love to see another large crowd for that lunch!

Thanks for your prayers and for your interest in the Aaby Family and Youthmark!

Grace,
Brian

Today is the Day!

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

Two big events are happening today!  Though I’m very excited about the first, the Youth Leader lunch for the Puget Sound Youth Leaders (an opportunity for me to preview Youthmark Mission Ventures to nearly 60 folk), the second is a MUCH BIGGER event…

A very big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my loverly Bride, Elisabeth! Woo-hoo!

Elisabeth is a blessing to many of you out there in the blogosphere (and beyond), she is a caring friend, a gifted writer, a comedian (seriously, have you read some of her posts?), and much more.  However, as much of a blessing she is to you, that pales by comparison to the blessing she is to her family!  The Lord is doing amazing things through this gal!  She is such a great Mom… she cares for, thinks about, prays for and shepherds our kids in ways that simply astonish me.  She is an example to the Mom’s around her!  She is so supportive of her husband (hey, that’s me!).  I am so blessed by her loving care and encouragement. She is so supportive and frees me up to pursue the things I am good/gifted to do.  I know she prays for me, speak Truth to me and builds me up in the eyes of others!  She’s the best!

She is wonderful sister, daughter, in-law and Auntie!  Did you know that not only does she know all birthdays in the family (and those of her friends… and quite frankly many acquaintances), but for some freak of nature I think she has all of the ages, anniversaries and even telephone numbers memorized. Who does that? I digress.  She is simply an amazing family member to both her immediate and extended family.

Don’t hesitate to comment on this post about the blessing you see/experience in Elisabeth, or perhaps even better, go to her Facebook and say something, shoot her an email or give her a quick call!  She’ll be blessed!

Happy Birthday Elisabeth!  I love you more and more each day.

And… you’re not old!

Grace,
Brian