Category Aaby Family

Music To My Ears

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

I have had a macbook pro for about 18 months now, this has been a blessing in many ways.  On a few of my early travel trips we would arrange to do a video ichat with the family by arranging for Elisabeth and the kids to go to my parents house.  They had a newer G-5 which also has the camera built in. 

Well, my wife recently was graciously gifted a new macbook and it has a built-in isight camera as well!  So, on my most recent trip we got to talk a couple times via the video ichat.

As the call went through, there was my family all staring back at me, and all of a sudden, Will was the first to speak up, “Da-Da” and with that he was frantically waving his hand as if to say “hello” (actually by the way he was waving it was HELLO, HELLO, HELLO!).

Though I hated being away from the family, video chatting sure has helped with the road-trip aspect of my job.

Gotta love technology!

Grace,
Brian

M’s Win Home Opener!

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

It was such a blessing to be at the M’s Home Opener once again.  This time I was able to take in the game with the full family (plus my in-laws)!  It was so great to see and hear Ken Griffey Jr. introduced, much to the pleasure of the 46,000+fans.

Great game, good food, fun with the family (the girls sort-of enjoyed the game) and the M’s pulled out the 10th inning heroics!

A wonderful half-day off!

Grace,
Brian

Everyday Evangelism NOW

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

On Monday I decided to boldly wear my brand new Youthmark sweatshirt!  We launched our apparel line at the first Spring Retreat.  So, back to the sweatshirt… One of our shirts is bright yellow with “SENDME” embroidered  as a logo (it’s quite sharp if I don’t say so myself).

Like FoF (Faith on Facebook), this shirt caused people to question me.  I wore this shirt to my three office places on Monday (Burien Starbucks, Panther Lake Starbucks and Fairwood Starbucks), in all three places (and at Bank of America) I was able to share about Jesus because of the shirt.  Each place I was asked, “What is Send Me?”  Very cool!  In each of these conversations I was able to share about our mission trips, the call of Isaiah and the call on my life to be a witness for Jesus.

So, the cool thing about this shirt (and the other apparel), it gives us (Youthmark and the Aabys) our practical way to give to Charity Water (which I posted about yesterday).  All of the proceeds we get from these shirts we are giving directly to Charity Water and 300 Voices (the specific partner of Charity Water that Elisabeth is involved with).

Would you like the opportunity to support drilling wells in Africa and everyday evangelism in your Jerusalem (by simply wearing a shirt)?  Shoot me an email (brian@youthmark.com) and we’ll get you a shirt.

T-Shirts ($12) are navy blue with a Youthmark Mission Ventures logo.

Screened Hooded Sweatshirts ($25) are navy blue with the same logo as above.

Embroidered Hooded Sweatshirts ($30) are Gold with a black/white SENDME 2009 logo in a diamond on the front.

If you’re in the Seattle area we can arrange for a pick-up/drop off (as to not have to ship), but if you’re outside the area and want one let me know and we’ll figure out the shipping.

Let’s spread the great news of Jesus to all people!  Let’s be Jesus in the flesh by drilling for water in Africa!

Grace,

Brian

Speaking of All Nighters…

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

Okay, so I haven’t had the craziness of an all-night drive, but I had certainly underestimated how crazy this week was going to be.  Speaking engagements at Young Life, Rainier Christian High School Chapel and the NW Ministry Conference on top of the blitz of getting everything done for the first of two Spring Retreats for Youthmark (April 3-4).  Sleep is a precious commodity, I want some more.

It has been such a wild week that this morning, sitting at a Rendmond Starbucks, I think of my blog for the first time in 3 days.  Hadn’t even thought about it, let alone think about a post.

I should be able to update the rest of my Montana trip in the next day or two… I know, you’ve been on edge every since Tuesday (ha)!

Pray for Halle, she has missed the last few days of school with a fever and was up a few times during the night with a really bad earache.  Pray for good connections at the conference and pray for for my messages to flow together for the training times at the retreat next weekend.  

Grace,
Brian

Christmas in March!

Brian Aaby 3 Comments

On Christmas eve at the Aaby house (as in, my house growing up, not my current adult life), one could always count on “the squeak.”  Approximately three to five minutes after lights out, as the anticipation for the next morning grew, my brother, David, would let out a rather girlish (keep in mind he was only 4 or 5 when this started) squeak.  His level of excitement had risen so much that there was nothing he could do but squeak.

I think for at least 5-6 years the squeaks were real, but then for the next several years he claims he was only doing it for my benefit (hmmm, I’ll have to call his wife to see if he still doing it)?

march_madness_2008Yesterday began my squeaking for the Christmas in March I am about to experience.  Selection Sunday!  Every year, in the middle of March, the NCAA tournament brackets are announced for March Madness, the 65 team tournament for college basketball.  The Thursday and Friday after the brackets are announced are the two best days in any given sport hands down!  People schedule days of vacation just to be a couch potato.  Doctors report they are booked with men making “the appointment” for the Wednesday before March Madness begins just because they want to be sitting around for the next couple days.

Last night, after the tourney was announced, we had two other couples over to our house for the first ever Aaby Tournament Draft.  Every other year I have had an office staff to do a tournament draft with, well, this year my wife wanted to get in on the action and so we invited the Rocks and the Robinsons to jump in.  

This challenge is different than the average “fill in your brackets” (guess the winners all the way through).  In this style you pick a number (in our case 1-6) out of a hat.  This establishes our draft order.  Then the person who had #1 picks a team he/she thinks will get the  most wins (in our case it was Heather, and she picked North Carolina).  Then #2 picks, all the way down to #6.  Here’s where the twist happens.  We then go back the other way, #6 picks again, then #5, all the way down to #1.  So it is constantly going up then down the order.  Each round of the tournament we will count the number of wins a given participant had. 

I’m looking forward to a great tourney.  If you’re interested in knowing my teams (again, not necessarily the teams I think will win, just the ones that were around when a given round came to me):

Pitt, Gonzaga, Utah, Kansas, Utah St., Butler, BYU, VCU, Stephen F. Austin, Portland State and Binghampton.

Sqeak!

Grace,
Brian

Saturday

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

So far I have been able to chill on the couch with Audrey.  Laugh with Halle.  Crawl around on the floor with Will.  Go to Arby’s to pick up a roast beef sandwich for Elisabeth and do absolutely NOTHING else productive.

It is a wonderful Saturday at home!

Grace,
Brian

My Friend Byron

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

On Sunday afternoon the Aaby family hosted a prayer gathering for our good friends Byron and Shannon.  A few weeks ago I had posted about Byron and his recent discovery of cancer.  Well, on Monday he began his chemotherapy treatments which will last for the next couple of months.

The report is that the first chemo treatment went well (he goes in every day this week, for up to seven hours in a day).

As you know, many who go through chemo will lose their hair… this WILL NOT be the case with Byron (see below).  We took care of the hair issue already at the end of the prayer time.  It was such a rich time of fellowship and prayer, folk from as far south as Olympia and as far north as Marysville came to the gathering.  Shannon’s brother, Neil, is on spring break from Boston and was able to join in as well!

Pray for Byron, pray the Lord has much ministry in store for this great young couple in the years ahead!

Grace,
Brian

 

What it looked like at the end.

What it looked like at the end.

But first, I had some fun!

But first, I had some fun!

Lovely Ladies

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

Just over a week ago our two little ladies were in Nathan and Megan’s wedding, serving as Flower Girls.  What an honor!

Thought I’d post a couple of my favorite pics of them (from our camera, I’m sure I’ll get some professional ones later, considering my sister-in-law was the official photographer).

Enjoy!

Grace,
Brian

 

Sisters and Good Friends!

Sisters and Good Friends!

 

A great candid of Audrey before the wedding!

A great candid of Audrey before the wedding!

Slightly posed, slightly candid!

Slightly posed, slightly candid!

Will must have had a stinky?

Will must have had a stinky?

Sick on Sunday

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

Would very much appreciate your prayers today.  Throughout the day yesterday I could feel some sickness coming on.  By the time we left Nathan and Megan’s wedding I could tell a fever was ensuing.  Went to bed at about 8:30 last night and woke up with a 102.2 fever this morning.

The doc said it is just a viral thing, ruled out Strep Throat and the Flu.  

Anyway, I have a couple speaking opportunities this week and would greatly appreciate your prayers for a quick healing.

Thanks!

Grace,
Brian