Author Brian Aaby

Ahhhhh!

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On Saturday morning I found myself doing something very, very odd.

I was laying in bed at about 9:00 a.m.!  This is a very rare occurrence.  A welcome one for sure, just rare.

As I look back at the last six to seven weeks I only see a blur.  I have posted a couple times about how far behind I was on a few projects etc, but praise be to God, we were able to get things all done and out pretty much on time.  It was a whirl-wind, but it is finished!

I am so thankful for a loving and supportive wife who endured the early mornings with me gone (I was leaving for a coffee shop often at 6:00 a.m.) to start my day.  I was so encouraged by my kids who, when I cam home in the evening, would attack me with their love and support…

  • … Will would run up to me and say, “Da-dee ohme, Da-dee ohme” followed by “Da-dee haT” (emphasize the “T”)… he would want me to put my nice warm hat on his head (which he’d then wear for the first hour I was home).
  • … Audrey would often jump into my arms and want to be flipped onto my shoulders… so proud of her daddy for going out “and making all the money” (that’s what she tells me to do when I go work).
  • … Halle, normally sitting on the couch and reading would say, “hi Daddy” and then tell me a story from her school day.

This season officially came to an end on Friday.

  • The writing of all the initial 2010 materials done.
  • The assembling and distribution of Leaders Guides complete.
  • The shipments of books off.

Ahhhhh!

Sleeping in on Saturday felt odd.  I woke up thinking, “I must be missing something?”  I’m sure that I am, but for one, no, two (Sunday was a repeat), it felt great to just “be.”

Today, I shift my focus toward the “oh-so-behind” foll0w-up phone calls and emails.  I am trusting the Lord to bring us more churches/teams to use these books that we have recently completed.  Please pray for these things with us!  I’m so excited for what is ahead.  So enthused by the lessons I learned these last several weeks and SOOO thankful to God for a wonderful family who supports me!

Ahhhh!

Grace,
Brian

CONTEST: WAIT, Road Sign

Brian Aaby 14 Comments

You know the scoop; think of the best quote, title or caption for this photo (WAIT stands for “What Am I Thinking?).

Those “In The Running” will be posted below and then in a couple days I’ll crown the winner (the one that I think is the most funny).

The Winner will receive  the choice of one of three books I purchased for our “Gift Pack” we just gave to Youth Pastors who registered for the Mission Trips early.

Have fun.

Grace,

Brian

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

When did they expand downtown Renton? ~Ralphie

I know I’m a guy, but for once, I think I need to stop and ask for directions. ~Lucas H

Does it make me a huge nerd if I immediately thought of the USB port symbol when I saw this? ~Riley

“Who the heaven cares?” ~Jan  NOTE from Brian: Jan’s made me laugh because I am not sure she is saying “who the heaven cares” about the contest or “who the heaven cares” if that’s what she’d think when she approached the sign?  Either way, it made me laugh!!!

Welcome to Tax Season! ~ Kate West

Isn’t that the ancient Chinese character for “HA! HA! HA! HA!” ~unowho

A diagram of People Magazine’s simple guide to successful dating relationships. ~steverorke

**************** THE WINNER *****************

It came down to two that made me laugh the most; unowho comes in a close second, with Jan’s “Who the heaven cares?” taking the prize!  Nice one Jan… First, it made me laugh, but then it made me laugh more thinking of you specifically coming up to that sign and thinking/saying that… AND meaning it!

I’ll email you with your book prize choice! Congrats

Top Five Tuesday: Tuesday Annoyances

Brian Aaby 2 Comments

I’m typically optimistic, in fact, my Top 5’s have all been very positive up to this date.  However, today I make the shift to Negative Neil (apologies to anyone named Neil).  As I sit here and write this post I am experiencing my number 1 annoyance.

The criteria for today, the top five things that have lately gotten under my skin (lately, means today).

Without further ado, the list.

Five: Bathroom Keys at Starbucks. I feel like such an elementary student, I need to stand in line to get to the front to ask for a key to find out if I can go to the bathroom? Really?  I somewhat expect the Barista to say, “I don’t know, can you?” (okay, “may I?”) Anyway, do we really need to go gas-station style and have a key clipped to some big spoon (or at one store a giant ruler?) just to use the restroom?  C’mon Starbucks, you’re classier than that.

Four: The Post Office. Often not a nice place to be. However, the new flat-rate box thing is pretty cool and they helped facilitate getting the first of the 2010 YMV Leader Stuff out today, but the overall customer service… umm… I almost went Postal. Newman!

Three: Department of License not sending Tab-Renewal Notices. For whatever reason the DOL has not updated my mailing address in 5+ years, even though I have updated them!  I was pulled over for expired tabs… totally my fault, should have remembered, but c’mon, 99.9% of people get reminders to do this (we always do for Elisabeth’s car), but I never do for my car.  Oops, gotta take care of that.  Officer was very nice and showed me grace!

Two: Receiving False Instructions and Then Being Told I Was Wrong. To protect the innocent I will be vague.  We turned in some forms today, did everything that we were specifically supposed to do (because the said forms had marked the exact things we needed to fill out), upon turning them in this person checked the forms, took the money and told me to have a great day.  I left, and then was chased down in the parking lot and told I was supposed to also do such and such and pay more (by the very person who told us what to do and what to pay to begin with). Annoying.

One: Customer Service Phone Trees and Waiting. I started this post about ten minutes ago, having already been in the Bank of America Phone Cue for over ten minutes.  Okay, they finally answered… however, only AFTER I talked to a real person only to have her tell me “I’ll connect you now” and sent me to the beginning of the stinking message again!  I needed to enter account number again and all that good stuff!  AAAAHHHH… I want to talk to a real person!

Besides this post, what has annoyed you today?

I’ll be positive again next week… promise!

Grace,
Brian

The Aftershock… This Is Now!

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Nearly 16 years ago on MLK Day (January 17, 1994), I was awakened in the most unusual way.  CD’s, books and pictures rattled off my overhead shelf and pummeled my body.  I quickly balled up into the fetal position and began praying that this was not the the time. I was experiencing the 6.8 earthquake centered 10 miles away in Northridge.  That was then.

This is now.  A 7.0 earthquake has struck the impoverished country of Haiti.  It is feared that thousands of lives have been lost. Even as I read of the news here in Seattle at my comfy coffee-shop, sipping on my nice warm sugar-free hazelnut flavored coffee; I hear the TV blaring in the background.  Want to know what they’re saying?

Was Simon off his rocker?  What will happen to Conan or Jay?  Was Sarah Palin good on O’Reilly? This is here.

What about there? It is easy to dismiss.  It is simple for me to read the news and then move on with my day. What are they (Haitians) doing today?  They are picking up the pieces (literally), mourning the losses; searching for and confirming even more loss.  Wishing it never happened.

I don’t remember going to bed on January 16, 1994, but I certainly can remember my feelings mid-morning on January 17, 1994.  Reports were coming in about all the damage and death.  We, in California, were all desperately trying to get in touch with our loved ones to let them know that we were alive.  I remember thinking, “it could have easily been a lot worse.”  The reality is, it could have.  Fortunately the fact that it was a holiday (and the freeways were not busy) and modern architecture in Southern California probably spared millions of lives.  Architecture they don’t have in Haiti.  That was then.

rescue workers preparing to help in the recovery... how are we rescue workers?

What about tomorrow? We don’t know it is coming.  I know that for the next few weeks we will hear about how to help the Haitians by giving to the Red Cross, World Concern, World Vision and our friends at Samaritan’s Purse.  You should really consider giving.  However, a greater emergency is looming that needs your attention as well.  We don’t know when the “big one” is going to hit your neighborhood.  Whether it is an earthquake, tsunami, hurricane, flood, cancer, car accident or the return of Christ, we simply don’t know about tomorrow.  But one thing we do know… eternity is on the horizon.  Scripture says, “every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”  The issue, however, is will every person proclaiming that phrase be ushered into an eternity with Jesus?  This is coming.

This is now. Christians, we don’t know when the “big one” (or the big “ONE”) is coming.  However, we can help the emergency not seem as frantic by preparing our neighbors now.  Christ-followers, we are called “ambassadors” (one who speaks for his/her sovereign).  We are called to “make disciples,” (a follower of his/her teacher, in our case, Christ)  and we are called his “witness” (one who testifies for his/her Lord). As the dust begins to clear in Haiti, surviving neighbors and loved ones will begin to contemplate where the fallen are for eternity.  Many will assume that because he or she was “a good person” that they are in Heaven. The Bible teaches this is simply not true. However, scores of Christians are going to wish they really knew for sure that his or her neighbor is in Heaven.  They are going to wish they had one more opportunity to share about Jesus.

We have that opportunity RIGHT NOW with our neighbors, co-workers, friends and loved ones.  This is right now!

Praying for the relief work, follow-up and evangelism that is to take place in Haiti (please do this as well), but I am sensing even a greater call to pray for my work and your work and our follow-up here and now!  If you do not know Jesus and would like to know for sure that you will have an eternity with Him, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me (brian[at]youthmark[dot]com).

Grace,
Brian

Top Five Tuesday: TV Networks

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A late start on my Tuesday blogging means a very simple post today.

The top 5 today will focus on my favorite network to watch on TV. I don’t watch a ton of TV, however, if I could only have five networks, here’s what I’d settle on and why.  There, that pretty much summarizes the criteria as well.

Without further ado, the list.

Five: TV Land. I honestly probably watch a few other networks a little more, however, this is the only place I can find some old-time shows I love, like M*A*S*H and the occasional Leave It To Beaver.

Four: The Travel Channel. Apparently I really enjoy watching gluttony… interesting also that “The Food Network” doesn’t have my favorite food show: Man vs. Food. I also enjoy a few other Food shows on this network: Tastiest Foods and Bizarre Foods.

Three: CBS. The “most watched network” is the third most popular in my book.  I am still an avid Survivor fan, and I also watch some NFL games on the big eye.  Late night Letterman provides the occasional laugh as well.

Two: ESPN. I’m in to Sportscenter.  Basesball.  Football. Basketball.  College Hoops and even the occasional Main Event Texas Hold ’em tourney.

As seen on FOX

One: FOX. The simple fact that this is where Football Games, Saturday National Baseball games and 24 are all on FOX puts it over the top.  We watch American Idol as well (okay, there, I said it, I can’t use “Elisabeth watches it” as an excuse, because I do watch it with actual interest).

Anyone agree?  How about your rants against my selections?

Okay, now we just have to wait 5 days until 24 returns!

Grace,
Brian

It’s Great To Be 8!

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

I am the proud Poppa of an 8 year old gal who delights my heart.

Halle, you’re a wonderful little lady! You bring me great joy and are a blessing to our family!  We all praise God for you!

We love you HG! Happy Birthday!

Celebrate with us and thank God for the blessing Halle is to our family (and to many others)!

Grace,

Brian

Starbucks Awkward.

Brian Aaby 6 Comments

Some people like awkward.

I like awkward…most of the time.

However, I ran into a very awkward situation today, and I don’t know if I’m at fault or if the “other” is at fault?

I’m minding my own business at Starbucks.  The time comes for me to go use the facilities.  I walk across the lobby and enter the private bathroom.  There is a guy already in said bathroom.  Door left unlocked.

Awkward.

The look we exchanged was even more awkward.

I didn’t like this awkward.

I blame you Mr. I-Don’t-Care-If-You-Walk-In-On-Me-Guy!

Lock the door.

Grace,
Brian