Thank you Lord for the example of joy you bring me through my family!
I love God’s little reminders!
Grace,
Brian
Joy
Author Brian Aaby
Where Have You Been?
I have not had the opportunity to post the last couple days, but for good reason. A couple months ago I was honored to be invited to a mini-conference in Rome, Georgia. It would probably be better to say that I was invited to a conversation.
About 30 years ago a group of Youth Ministry leaders (a relatively new field of ministry at the time) gathered in Colorado Springs to discuss how Youth Ministry organizations could partner together to reach all students with the Gospel. Ministries such as Young Life, Youth For Christ and other Church/Parachurch organizations were represented. Out of this meeting an umbrella movement and later an organization was formed. The National Network of Youth Ministries.
Fast forward 28 years after the official beginning of the NNYM and many of these same original leaders are still apart of the conversation. Only their conversation lately has been asking the question, “what does the future of the NNYM look like and who will carry the torch?”
As I mentioned, I was honored to have been about one of 15 Youth Ministry leaders under the age of 40 invited to a roundtable discussion with the older leaders. All told, about eight or nine of the younger guys made it and another eight or nine currently on staff with NNYM made it with a third grouping of about six to eight who are associated with NNYM and currently leading major ministries.
The conversations were rich. I believe the current leadership is doing the right thing in asking the younger generation the important questions about their role as they look for the person who will eventually take the lead (founding President, Paul Fleischman is stepping down in the near future).
I’ll post more about this in the next day or two because I came back from this meeting so enthused about some of my conversations (at the table and away). I’ll also post about the retreat facility as well and about the blessing of being with the man I asked to mentor me through this process of moving from Youth Pastor to Youthmark.
Good stuff, now it is good to be home!
Grace,
Brian
Top Five Tuesday: Fruit
I needed a quick post for today and as I grabbed a banana this morning I thought, “hey, I could post my top 5 fruits!”
So, with no further ado, here are my top 5 fruits.
Five: Papaya. Fell in love with this in Hawaii this last year. Fresh, ripe and avoid the seeds.
Four: Raspberries. Especially on some vanilla ice-cream. Yummmmmm.
Three: Pear-Apple. Haven’t had one in years, but oh man, I can taste the juiciness as I type!
Two: Blueberries. Fresh or frozen, they are wonderful.
One: Strawberries. There’s something “meat-y” about a nice big strawberry!
Because this was a quick post, I would guess that I am missing many good ones. Name ’em. (But just know that Apricots, peaches and nectarines are about the worst fruits you could ever mention).
Grace,
Brian
Did it.
The Goal: 210
Memorial Day (start): 236
Labor Day (goal date): 209
Grace,
Brian
When One Part Suffers…
As part of our “Launch” this summer the participants of Youthmark Mission Ventures were invited to participate in an initiative game I created years ago called, “One Body Experience.” In this activity the students are given handicaps (according to their strengths; in other words, we took away their strength) and then told to complete a task as a large group. The task for this summer was to make their lunch for the road.
At the conclusion of the activity we would read together, 1 Corinthians 12. This chapter of Scripture is very powerful, very descriptive and cuts to the core of how the body of Christ should work together. It is so fitting that the following chapter deals with LOVE!
This post is not about summer missions. It is not about Youthmark training.
This post is about the body and how if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it.
My friend Aaron Bauer’s mom, Jackie, is in need of a heart transplant. She is from Bellingham and traveled over to Spokane for a consult. She was admitted to the hospital as the specialist feared she would possible not even make the trip back. She is scheduled for a difficult open-heart surgery on Thursday if she does not receive a new heart by then. It is a difficult thing to pray, for a donor. But if it is God’s will for the right donor (correct blood type, correct size, etc.) then may HE receive all the glory in the midst of a difficult circumstance.
One part of the body is suffering right now. I pray that while we are weak, He will be strong. That God would bless the surgeons in whatever the surgery is on Thursday. That the Lord would comfort Aaron and his family and especially Paul (husband) and Jackie.
The family is looking for some short term housing options in Spokane as well, if you know of any, don’t hesitate to contact me and I’ll get you in touch with Aaron.
If you’d like to pray more specifically for Jackie, click here.
Let’s be the body of Christ!
Grace,
Brian
The Latest Trip
I was down in Southern California for the last couple of days.
Quick catch up:
Flew in on Tuesday night headed straight up to my in-laws and was able to catch the last few innings of the Mariners game (loss) in Anaheim. A great steak salad (thanks Karen).
Wednesday met with a CPA (something about having a company and needing to pay taxes on stuff, wasn’t really paying attention?… I kid of course). Worked on the prospectus for Youthmark Mission Ventures (coming along nicely) and had dinner with even more in-laws (a fantastic dinner, great laughter with the nephew and nieces).
Thursday drove south to the greater San Diego area, had a morning coffee with the Youth Pastor from Pine Valley (looks like they’re doing a YMV next summer), lunch with best-bud Jeramy at the Spaghetti Factory, coffee with Josh from Emmanuel Faith (Youth Pastor who did a Gulf Coast mission this last year) then dinner with Jeramy and Jerusha and family. Jeramy and I caught a late-night movie then too (I honestly can’t remember the last time I went to a movie).
Brian and Jeramy, 9.11.09
Friday I had a very relaxing time with Jeramy, lots of catching up and spurring each other on. We went out to a local coffee place, Escondido Joe’s, for long coffee (sat outside) then lunch at Chili’s (gotta love the bottomless chili and salad). I am thankful that God allowed this time for us to catch up. Was truly a rich time.
I was planning on seeing Paco (aka Daniel) up at Biola, but he’s not feeling well (I didn’t want to bring sickness home to the kids) and I seized the opportunity to fly home early (flight scheduled for 8:45 PM, home at 11:30, instead got on a flight at 3:30 and was home by 6:00). I made it to the airport with maybe 15 seconds to spare (no kidding). Was able to share Jesus on the flight with my seat neighbor.
Landed at 6:00, which was perfect timing–some friends of ours from Phoenix are in town and had called when I was deciding on if I should come home early, they asked if we could have dinner tonight. So, JP and Andrea picked me up, we picked up Qdoba and we got home just as Elisabeth and the kids were coming home from soccer practice (Halle).
So stoked to be home early!
Great week. I have a lot to get done as a result, but we blessed by time with extended family, work relationships, friends and now being home with my family!
Grace,
Brian
The Rest of That Story…
So, yesterday I posted a funny prank that some comedy show pulled on a bunch of unsuspecting folk. A great idea, funny stuff. Yes, I have some great pranks I have had pulled on me and that I/we have pulled on others. A recent one I may even post about soon. However, I eluded to a similar bathroom one yesterday. Here’s the rest of that story.
Some of you know a former student of mine, we’ll call him “Eric,” because, that is his actual name (no protecting the victims here). When Elisabeth and I accepted a call to move from Seattle to Phoenix, a few of our students came over and were so gracious in helping us prepare to move (doing general packing, clean-up, etc.). Well, Eric was relatively new to our group and going into his freshman year when we were moving on. How cool was it that a young guy like this would be so giving? Very cool, thanks Eric!
As our day progressed his older brother, we’ll call him “Byron” (yep, that’s him), had to leave, Eric volunteered to keep helping and another student, whom Eric had just met, “Michael” said he would take Eric under his wing (and figure out how to get Eric home).
We fast forward.
Mike ends up taking Eric over to Mike’s house before transporting Eric home. As soon as they get to Mike’s (then vacated) house, Eric asks to use the restroom. Well, this was a five-plus-minute restroom break, not the garden variety one minute break. So, while Eric is using the downstairs, just-off-the-family-room, bathroom, Mike goes upstairs to attend to some business. Meanwhile, back down stairs all of Mike’s family comes home and makes themselves comfortable in the family room (next to said bathroom, with said stranger–“Eric” inside).
What would you do?
Keep in mind, Eric is new.
The family has never met Eric.
Yet, he is in their restroom with the family assuming NOBODY is home.
What do you do if you’re Eric and you hear all the noise of strange voices inside the family room?
What do you do if you’re the family and a strange 14-year old kid walks out?
Eric did eventually come back out, several minutes later. He introduced himself to the family (who still to this day must be wondering why he was in there for so long?).
Oh, the awkwardness. I love it.
On a different, yet similar note: I can’t wait for The Office to come back on, its situations like this that make that show a huge success!
Grace,
Brian
I Wish I Came Up With This One…
Here’s a great prank, partly because it reminds me of a friend of mine that had something like this really happen to him. Perhaps I’ll explain tomorrow. For now, just watch.
Grace,
Brian
Top 5 Tuesday: Cereals
Yep, you read that right, I am going to take a crack at my top 5 cereals! As I continue my Tuesday tradition of creating a top 5 list, this one struck my fancy as I gazed over to our kitchen and found myself longing to pour a bowl from the Cinnamon Life box ever so nicely perched on the counter.
The rule: Top 5 Cereals… period. Not breaking it down by which are the healthiest, which are the best desert cereals or which is the heartiest, just plain and simple, best cereal (and then I’ll tell you why).
Without further ado; the top five:
Honorable Mentions: There are a lot of great cereals out there, a few that barely miss the cut include: Raisin Bran, Lucky Charms, Apple Jacks and a childhood favorite, Fruit Loops (the last two miss the top five because the top of my mouth just started bleeding thinking about the scratches caused by eating them).
Five: Special K with Red Berries. This is probably the healthiest of the lot, and if I were doing the healthy list this one would come in ahead of some of the other healthy cereals I like (including Raisin Bran and good ol’ fashioned Oatmeal). Special K hit the jackpot by adding some freeze dried strawberries to the box. You just make the K a lot more special. In fact, I would probably just call the regular cereal “K” and now that you added the berries you can call it “Special K.”
Four: Cap’n Crunch WITH Crunch Berries. Don’t get me started on the debate of with or w/o Berries. Cap’n Crunch w/o Crunch Berries isn’t even in the top 20 cereals. The Crunch Berries are what propel this cereal into the top 5 status. Not sure why the Cap’n has messed around with peanut butter and chocolate in the past, stick to what you do best Cap’n and keep throwing in those extra crunchy sugary goodness we call Crunch Berries.
Three: Apple Cinnamon Cheerios. I am fan of all things Cheerios. They are great for all ages. Think about it, they are pretty much the first snack we give a baby when they move to any form of a solid (Cheerios melt in the mouth); they serve as a perfect companion to apple juice for PK Sunday School classes. Then they can be made into edible bracelets and necklaces for those younger elementary age classes and finally you add some fruit or some other sugary goodness (honey nut) and they become a great breakfast. The most recent discoveries in the land of Cheerios is the Apple Cinnamon, Banana Nut and Multi-Grain. I like them all! However, if I am picking one for the top 5, I easily go with the Apple Cinnamon. From this point forward you’ll see a bit of a trend, I have a knack for the sugary sweet/teamed with some Cinnamon. I know that in Romans 3 it says we all have sin, but didn’t know that I was so prone to Cinn (amon). Sorry, I am a dad and still sort of a pastor, had to get that joke in there.
Two: Cinnamon Toast Crunch. This was a shoe-in #1 about three years ago. But they pulled a late 1980’s Coca-Cola mistake and created a “new” Cinnamon Toast Crunch (one with 25% less sugar). I’m calling for “Cinnamon Toast Crunch Classic” to come out now! Let’s start the campaign! CTC (as I call it), is still great, but c’mon, you could still be reigning in the number one slot. CTC not only tastes great, but is the ideal desert cereal as well. No ice cream on hand for that 10:00 PM episode of Seinfeld? No worries, your desert is served in the form of some CTC! This cereal brings back memories of a group of guys I discipled through high school as well; about once every six-to-eight weeks was Cereal night, the star of the show was always CTC!
One: Cinnamon Life. Mikey still likes it! Thank you Mr. Quaker for keeping the formula the same. This is a cereal that debuted in the top 5 and has never fallen away. I even like your plain-jane “Life.” But adding the Cinnamon catapults all other competitors and you safely land in the #1 position! One of the nice things about Cinnamon Life–it’s great with or w/o Milk. Now, I prefer it with milk, but if you have to go without and just need a quick snack, Cinnamon Life is there for ya! It’s even good after 10 minutes and each little cracker has soaked up all the milk! Mmmmm Good.
Are there cereals I missed? Did I cause a gag-reflex for any of my choices? I want to hear your opinions! Bring ’em!
Grace,
Brian
Introducing: Story
In the next week or so I will post more about this, however, I am so excited I thought I’d just spill the beans now! Over the last couple months I have been studying for and beginning work on the new Mission Prep Workbook. As you may recall, last years MPWB was a guided study through the first five chapters (and beginning of the sixth) of Acts. The title for last year was move: mission prep workbook. Really, that title was a play on words. Up through those first six chapters of Acts the Apostles/Disciples were in fact, not moving. Though Jesus has given the command that we (Christians) will be His witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the world, the disciples remained in Jerusalem (and obedient to the Spirit in doing so). So, I titled the book move because in many ways there was a lot of movement (the church growing from a few hundred to literally thousands).
So, as I began the studying for and writing of this years training and workbook I did not yet have the theme nailed down. Then it hit me (in Hawaii of all places). The theme for the training packages for the 2010 Youthmark Mission Ventures is Story.
When you think of literature, movies or even a good bedtime story growing up–the key to those stories is often Character Development. Well, the key to God’s Story being told in and through us is the Character Development of the individuals. Many a book I have read I have been drawn to because the way the author has developed the main characters in his or her book.
Acts 6-13 focuses a lot on the character development of the main players in the foundation of the church and church missions. So it is with us. We will focus on character development and our ability to proclaim His story in and through our lives!
I’ll be able to debut the prospectus and some of the graphic design within the next week or so, until then, praise God for the theme that has me so excited and pray to God that His story of your character development would tell His story to others!
Grace,
Brian
BRIANAABY.COM 