You NEED to go to my wife’s blog right now (seriously, will you please)?
Read her latest post.
Be moved. I was/am.
Then do something.
Grace,
Brian
Category Aaby Family
The Weekend Update
A couple days ago I posted my goals for the three day weekend, because not all got accomplished–and that is okay, since I was aiming to get 50% of them done– I will make this update my post for the day. A new SMS should be written later today or early tomorrow.
I knew I wouldn’t get everything done, but did have quite the list of stuff I wanted to accomplish… throw in church, some family time, a little yard work and a bit of down time and the tasks did seem to grow larger. Here were the goals and how I fared.
- Finish the rough draft of the book, Anywhere (Mission Prep Workbook for 2011)… NOT FINISHED, great progress, still needs a couple days.
- De-summer the back yard (pack up kiddie pool, take down shade/shelter, etc)… FINISHED!
- Finish the new office organizing… FINISHED (this one took way longer than I had hoped, but it feels great to have it done!
- Clean Gutters… Didn’t even attempt.
- Watch Husky Game… FINISHED, let’s just hope this was a blip on the radar.
- Ride bike at least 2 out of the 3 days… FINISHED, rode on both Saturday and Sunday.
- Closet re-organizing (get rid of clothes I will no longer wear)… Didn’t even attempt.
- Clean/organize the garage enough that my 4Runner can get re-acquainted with the indoor feeling… Sort of FINISHED? I did the work, the problem is recycle doesn’t come until next week, so all the boxes that need to get broken down are actually what is preventing the 4Runner from going in.
So, when all is said and done, there were eight tasks listed, the goal was 50%. I’ll give myself a solid 56% (4.5 out of 8), since the 4Runner is not actually in the garage yet.
You’re welcome, I know you were dying to know how I did.
Grace,
Brian
The 2010 final 100five50 Post
Back in May I invited others to join me in the 100five50 Challenge; I know of about a dozen others who commented, texted, facebooked, emailed me or told me in person that they would join in. So, here we are, approximately 100 days after the start… how did you do?
I went back and re-read my post; one line that that stood out to me:
“So this year I start at about 220 and the goal this year is to get to and stay at about 200, but even this is just a loose goal, I just want to be in a good condition, regardless of the overall weight.“
I really like that quote, not by way of justifying my weight, but because I was able to accomplish that goal! I feel I am probably in the best condition of my adult life. Even though I was about 216 on the scale this morning, I am convinced that I simply need to change some of my eating disciplines in order for a little more weight to come off (I’d like to get to about 210), because my exercise discipline is going really well. I also wonder how much muscle weight I may have put on while losing some fat weight? I biked very aggressively over the last month (which dramatically increased my appetite as well).
Okay, so here are the final results…
100 Days
Memorial Day Weight (start): 222
Labor Day Weight (finish): 216
Five Days Per Week of Exercise (30 minutes of cardio minimum)
I was able to do that 10 of the 15 weeks (several other weeks had 3 or 4 days, two weeks in July had zero… traveling)
Because I was traveling there were days I could only go on a long walk, but my overall bike riding took me approximately:
June: 118 miles
July: 129 miles (including two weeks at the beginning with zero rides)
August: 190 miles (wow, I really did get aggressive..)
437 total.
50% of my normal carbs
Here is where I did not do great. I would guess that I cut carbs by about 25% overall… so, I know where I need to become more disciplined.
Ovearall, I feel great. I look forward to not being overly conscientious about it right now, though it has become so much more my lifestyle and not a “diet.” Maybe around Christmas I’ll create some other blitz month for anyone who wants to stay accountable to do together.
Thank you 100five5075, you’ve been good to me!
Grace,
Brian
Weekend Goal: 50%
I’ve quite the list of stuff that I’d like to accomplish over the long weekend… so, instead of feeling down if I don’t get them all done, I’m doing to be realistic… if I can get 50% of the following done then a celebratory dance you shall do… deal?
- Finish the rough draft of the book, Anywhere (Mission Prep Workbook for 2011)
- De-summer the back yard (pack up kiddie pool, take down shade/shelter, etc)
- Finish the new office organizing
- Clean Gutters
- Watch Husky Game
- Ride bike at least 2 out of the 3 days
- Closet re-organizing (get rid of clothes I will no longer wear)
- Clean/organize the garage enough that my 4Runner can get re-acquainted with the indoor feeling.
Update to come late Monday night or early Tuesday (after the weekend)…
Grace,
Brian
Three-For-Thursday: Returning Routines
Yesterday marked the beginning of school for my two oldest. Halle and Audrey were off to school and our new routine started. The last couple weeks have been somewhat tough, we’ve sort of felt like a plane on the tarmac, waiting to take off and get to our destination.
We’re up-up and away… The beginning of the school year for Elisabeth means some new freedoms (both girls in school all day) and some new challenges (namely, Will being a tw0-year-old boy who loves to get into EVERYTHING). For me, the end of the 2010 Youthmark Mission Ventures and some downtime/vacation time in August followed by the quick-turnaround to focus on the next year YMV’s has made me look forward to this new routine.
Today, I look at three returning routines in our life and why they make the “Three-For-Thursday.”
- Young Life and the new “Big Monday”: A couple years ago, after I resigned as a Youth Pastor and went full-time with Youthmark I began volunteering with Young Life. In just a couple weeks we’re launching “Big Monday.” Our club, followed by hang-time at DQ, followed by Campaigners (small groups) will make for a full Monday (BIG Monday), but it is an exciting time. I am stoked to be with Non-Christian and Unchurched teens. High School students are so full-of-life, yet find themselves searching for anything to fill-their-life. Building relationships, being creative with our programs and digging deeper into the life of Christ will be the purpose for Big Monday. Let’s go BIG!
- Sundays/Church Life: For about 20 months the Aaby family has called “Faith” home. Our new church in Kent has really been a great place to land after 16 years of being a Youth Pastor. Not being a vocational pastor, and being able to choose the church (rather than being chosen by a church in a sense) was very meaningful to me/us. We love our church home and I love being there. Though we were there most Sundays this summer, the sense of routine of heading into the fall seems to excite me. Will does great in his 2-year-old setting. The girls love the Children’s ministry, Elisabeth is getting more involved with the Women’s ministry and I find myself drawn to several key relationships at the church. I believe the 2010/2011 year is going to bring greater clarity as to the places we will serve. As the church is changing (which I believe a church should always be changing), I find myself getting more and more excited. I want to see something at our church that cannot be explained by any man or woman–only by the work of a wonderful triune God!
- Youth Pastor Networks: I love the people I get to work with. Sure, Buzz and Kirk (and other volunteers) are great to work with at Youthmark, but I’m talking about my Youth Leader family. On a weekly basis I meet with many youth leaders. I have some that are routine (weekly with one network, and monthly with another), but I have many others that I meet with from time to time. On top of this, there are some that I gather to meet with so that I can share with them the vision of Youthmark and why they may want to join us for a YMV. As I move into the fall, I’m very excited about the opportunity to renew these relationships and meet many new leaders who are committed to seeing the Gospel spread through teens!
Let the comfort of returning routines breed new life (and change) in each of us!
Grace,
Brian
A Quick 100five50 Update
Over the last week I was able to ride more aggressively than I have in a long time… but again, increase in the ol’ appetite, so no weight loss, but that’s okay, still feeling better and better…
Six rides totally 60 miles.
Weight: Remains around the 217-219 mark (depending on the time of day I weigh-in).
Still trying to cut the carbs, yet, my efforts get easily thwarted by wedding receptions, church picnics, back to school bbq’s and LOW will power.
One week to go in the 100five50, let’s make it the best week yet!
Grace,
Brian
100five50 Update; few weeks left
I haven’t updated the 100five50 in quite some time. So, here’s the scoop for anyone who doesn’t know what that little code may be…
About 15 months ago I was slightly adequately overweight. I was weighing in at about 245. I was thinking my ideal weight was about 200 to 210. Well, instead of trying WeightWatchers again (which really does work), I decided to try eating smart and actually exercising, instead of losing weight just by dieting.
So I started to walk.
I cut my carbs in half.
After several weeks I started to ride my bike instead of walking.
I tried to keep my carbs cut in half, though my appetite grew rapidly because of the riding.
I started all of this the day after Memorial Day 2009 and ended it (approximately 100 days later) on the day before Labor Day. I weighed in at about 205. About 40 lbs. I looked a lot different and felt pretty good too.
Over the next few months I probably gained about 7-8 back, I believe by the New Year I was doing pretty well, weighing around 215 and still biking. However, I worked my backside during the Holidays, not by riding, but by sitting. I did the majority of my writing for the 2010 YMV’s during the December and January time period. I know that this was the beginning of the end for me. The good news, I didn’t let anything get out of control… sure, I was back up to 225 by Memorial Day this year, but I’d say that a lot of that had to do with the lack of ability to exercise during a busy spring break time period. The last two weeks of May I didn’t care what I ate, knowing I was about to launch the 100five50 again (100 days, five days of exercise per week and 50% of my normal carbs).
This summer has really been a battle. I have done FANTASTIC when it comes to the riding. But I have done HORRIBLE when it comes to the food. I think the better name for my routine this summer is 100six100. I think the only reason I am down on my weight is because I have kept the metabolism just slightly faster than my appetite. So, with just two weeks to go, I am sitting at 217 (ideally I want to be under 210 and stay under 21o).
Here are the stats this last week:
Exercise: Rode 6 times, for a total of 51.5 miles.
Carbs: Who cares? I ate a lot.
I am really going to try the 50% carb thing over these last two weeks to see what happens, I believe it will prove to me that cutting the carbs will make the difference, but it will be a solid test on ol’ will (not my son, rather, my mind).
Grace,
Brian
She’s Back!!!… and reset!
Since Audrey helped her relax in Hawaii, Elisabeth is back and ready to blog again!
After more than a month off and with a remodeled look for her blog, MrsMommyAaby has re-entered cyberspace. I think she’ll stick around this time too! At least I hope so. She’s so cute. And funny. I think I like her… a lot (shhh, keep it a secret)!
Check out her blog here.
No promises that she’ll blog often, but my guess, based on what my sources tell me (and what her latest post seems to hint at), I think her wit will be on display more frequently! At least I hope so, because I see it everyday and I want to share it with others!
Grace,
Brian
Can We Go Back? Please?
Aloha was oh-so-fun.
A bit of Seattle (starbucks) on the Big Island
Grace,
Brian
Three-For-Thursday: Bang for the Small Bucks
The idea of creating a personal cost saving list came to me a long time ago, but I never got around to creating the post. Now that the Top 5 Tuesday has been reformatted, changed days and lost a couple points to become Three-For-Thursday I believe NOW is the time to go for it on the most bang for the buck idea. No special reasoning for NOW, just because…
So, today we’ll look at the best ways that I have tried to save some cash in small ways. These can obviously be adapted for your setting.
Side note to those in ministry: Over the years I have also seen many ministry cost-saving moves that have lacked integrity. Be sure you are checking copyright laws before borrowing, ripping and using materials owned by others (music, books, video curriculum). Even intellectual properties or things you heard should be credited to the original author (too often I hear an opening illustration that I KNOW didn’t happen to the person speaking because I heard the same detailed illustration earlier that week in a podcast).
So, here you go, three small cost-saving (and I believe integrity intact) tips for you.
- The Coffee Shop (and the free refill)! Many are amazed that I am able to “office” out of my local coffee shops. Well, part of the reason I do this has to do my desire to build relationship within the community I live/work. However, part of it also has to do with the “low rent” aspect. I have a small office at my house, but with three little ones and an endless list of stuff that I can/should be doing for the house, yard, etc. it is often hard to concentrate on work while at home. So, I head offsite to my caffeine-laden office. An office-space that costs me less than $100/month. Think about it this way, my most common drink is a 20 oz (hot or cold) sugar-free hazelnut drip coffee with a half inch of non-fat milk. My second most common drink is a large iced-tea (unsweetened, no added water, of course). Both of these drinks cost me less than $3. The beauty of these drinks, they both typically come with free refills as well (even at the Mothership, as long as you have a registered Starbucks card). So here’s the strategy for me laid out in an example: I will go to a nearby Starbucks in the morning and order my iced drink, perhaps get a couple hours of work in and as I leave for lunch I will refill (but not drink it). I arrive at home for lunch, place said drink in the fridge, then eat lunch, workout, shower and then head out for a new Starbucks with the refilled drink in hand (therefore, no need to order another drink).
- Sharing Fast Food (especially fries)! I discovered years ago when preparing for a Youth Staff dinner that I was providing that the $.99 menu can be a Youth Pastor’s best friend. However, I made the mistake of ordering about double the amount that I needed. Knowing that I eat a couple small burgers, large fries and a large drink, I knew that not everyone would eat like me, so I ordered about 1.5 sandwiches per person, an order of small fries for everyone and then went to a grocery store to get two liter bottles of Coke. When I arrived at the church I emptied all the fries into a large bowl and the sandwiches onto a tray. It was hilarious to see how much was left over. Literally half the fries were left, because when people put fries on a plate on their own they only grab a handful to fill the space left. Everyone pretty much grabbed just the one sandwich as well. So… some of the time when we go out for fast food now, we don’t even order anything for Will (my 2 year old son), he eats bits of everybody else’s food, and I won’t order fries for myself, knowing that I can finish off the leftovers from the kids. A $25 outing for fast food for our family has easily changed to $15-$17.
- Date-Night Exchange. Okay, so this one is just a theory that we have not yet practiced, but want to. We want to serve others in our life-situation (small kids, small budget) by providing free babysitting for the parents who need a date. And selfishly, we’d love the reciprocal as well. Some folk have the benefit of free babysitting from family, friends, neighbors (in fact we have this to some extent), but those “regulars” need a break too. We’d love to serve a couple by providing babysitting just so they can get the much needed one to three hour break. I know that for Elisabeth and me, sometimes that hour and half to grab a coffee, dessert and/or walk goes a long way for the reset sanctity button, but we have a hard time justifying spending $20 on babysitting just to get away for a couple hours together. Though we do love blessing young adult babysitters from time to time (and this is a great choice), there are times where it would be more beneficial for all to do the free-route and bless our kids with a play date as well! Anyone game?
There ya go, three more for this Thursday. Time for me to get my refill so I can go home to eat lunch before heading back to work… You have any cost-savings pointers?
Grace,
Brian
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