Category Random/Rant

Friday with Friends

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

Elisabeth and I had a great night with friends on Friday.

The evening started with dinner.  It was decent.  The window at the restaurant says, “Mexican Style Food.”  Interesting.  So was the food.  It wasn’t bad, just wasn’t the best.  Later, when I told a friend who works down near that restaurant that I had gone, he said, “yeah, we’ve all been there once.”

Then we made our way over to Calvary Chapel South where Tim Hawkins was doing a show.  Tim is a comedian, if you have not seen him here is a one minute sampling.

We had a great night, lots of laughter.  A much needed break.

Grace,

Brian

What is Your Cause?

Brian Aaby 3 Comments

Years ago a Southern California Pastor released a couple of books that caused millions to ponder the question of purpose…

Have you ever wondered what the purpose of your life is?  I have asked that question for myself.  And I know.

As a person who has placed my faith in Jesus (through His grace alone), I KNOW the Lord has left me here with purpose, with a cause, in fact, with THE Cause.

He tells me in Acts 1:8, “You will be my witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost…” He says in Matthew 28:19-20, “makes disciples…”

THE Cause is the rebranding of the 300+ year old name, “Great Commission” which in actuality is about a 2000 year-old command that Jesus Himself gave us.

This morning I gathered with eight Youth Pastors at a local coffee shop and I heard each of these Pastors share about their students who are now pumped about living out THE Cause.  Many re-introduced to this call at Dare 2 Share.  They relayed stories of students departing church on Sunday with the purpose of sharing the Grace of God with friends and strangers in their neighborhoods.  They told stories of students not just talking about it, but doing it.

The question to the Youth Pastors (and Youth Leaders/Parents):  Will you?

We want our students to live & share THE Cause, but as parents, leaders and Youth Pastors, are we?

I am committed to consumed by/for THE Cause.  It is my life… may my words, thoughts and actions reflect THAT Cause.

Youthmark is passionate for consumed by/for THE Cause.  It is our purpose!  May students/leaders/parents be trained for the 51 weeks of life outside the mission trip!  May we be about missionship (a missionary always, all ways a missionary)!

This isn’t about Youthmark.  It’s not about Dare 2 Share. It’s not about me/you. It’s about redemption, calling and purpose–it’s all about Jesus.

A note to those who don’t know know/think they have a relationship with Jesus: The Lord created you to be in relationship with Him.  Because you (and I, and everyone) has sinned, we have broken that relationship; you and I have turned our back on the God who loves us passionately.  Because He loves so passionately He sent His perfect Son, Jesus, to be our living sacrifice, a payment for our sin through His death on the cross–so that we may, once again, be in relationship with the Lord. This FREE and UNMERITED gift from the Lord came in Jesus’ death and resurrection.  We now may have life eternally with Him (starting now)!  If you have never placed your faith in Him, it would be my honor to help you to understand how you can do that.  Please email me at brian{at}youthmark{dot}com.

Let’s live/and speak out THE Cause!

Grace,

Brian

Today

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

Catch-up

Administrative catch-up day.

I prefer mustard, but did catch-up quite a bit.

Yes, I am a Dad and was a Pastor, therefore the cheese does flow.

I did do well… not caught up yet, but after a couple weeks of travel, I feel good about how much was accomplished today.

Grace,
Brian

YMV and Friends

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

Yesterday and today have provided a variety of meetings that I find 0h-so-exciting for the 2010 YMV season and for my own friendships and encouragement!  I count it a joy to have had these great times with some fantastic folk.  Here’s a glimpse of the folk I got to see.

Wednesday: My friend Mark Miller, was the guest speaker at chapel for Seattle Christian.  Instead of doing our normal Burien area network meeting, the group went to support Mark as he spoke.  He did a great job.  Fun to also hang with Nathan, both Marks, Craig and then grab lunch with several of them and have Chad show up as well.

After lunch I commuted up to Mt. Vernon for the afternoon with Joe Poppino.  Joe is the worship leader for the YMV Retreats this year!  He is recording some of his own stuff and should have an album produced by the time the retreats take place!  This is so exciting.  We got to plot, scheme and dream about the 2010 Retreats and the relationship between the speaking, music, atmosphere, electives, etc.  Fun times with Joe.

In addition, since I was in the area, I got in touch with my friend Mark Moder, he is the President of Youth Dynamics. He happened to be in town (half of his time is spent in ID), so we were able to schedule an impromptu coffee.  I praise the Lord for they way he is using Mark at YD and the progress that has taken place in the first year of Mark’s service as President of YD.

It was then time to head south to Edmonds where I was speaking to students and parents at Maplewood Presbyterian (they are doing an Alaska trip with us this year).  This was a fantastic time.  Please pray for the Youth Leader there, Tania.  She has a very sick aunt who will soon be going home to be with the Lord.

After the Edmonds speaking, I headed south on 99.  My friend Blaine lives in Shoreline and the two of us were able to connect for about an hour at at local joint called Darrel’s.  Blaine was a student in my Youth Group in Roseburg, OR (I also coached him in Soccer and Basketball). It is a lot of fun to see him as an almost 30 y/o, but it does make me feel pretty darn old now.

Then… I came home and had the best meeting of the day!  I got to hang out with Elisabeth!

Thursday: After a little daddy/daughter time with Halle (I take her to school most days) I had a phone appointment with Kirk Petersen (he works for Youthmark down south).  I headed south to South Hill and had coffee with Jon Wimmer.  Jon is taking his youth group to Mexico this summer on SERVE.  The ConvergeNW network is teaming together for this trip and has Youthmark doing the training package.  It was fantastic to connect with Jon.

After that meeting I got to catch up with Troy Asher at the same Starbucks.  Troy was a Youth Pastor, then he became the Discipleship Pastor and is now wearing both hats at his church. I really like this guy, he is a few years older than me, I’m hoping his wisdom wears off on me and that his gray hair does not!

Then I was off to the Spaghetti Factory in Tacoma with Brad Hostak.  B-Rad is once again taking his group on YMV.  It was great to connect and encourage one another.  I finally got to get him his Leader Notebook and a gift-pack I owed him.  I even took his prize for winning one of my blog contests… only I forgot to give him that and part of his gift-pack.  I guess we’ll just have to get Spaghetti Factory again!  Darn.

My last appointment of the two day stretch was  in University Place (Tacoma area), with Steve Imhof.  Great guy, looks like he will be joining us for a YMV this year for his group.  I’m excited because Steve had every intention of doing a YMV last year, but then he and his wife discovered she was pregnant with twins… Steve made the wise decision of staying around all summer after the birth (they already had another little girl under 2).  Wise move Steve.

Now, it’s home with my boy Will.  The gals are out with Elisabeth for some Mommy/Daughter time, Will and I are going to chill out at home and watch some hoops and drink some cold ones (Apple juice for him and Green Tea for me)!

Busy two days, but thankful for the encouragement these friends were to me!

Grace,
Brian

Car Conversation

Brian Aaby 2 Comments

Will and I went down to pick up Halle from school today; it took a couple extra minutes to get out of the busy parking lot, but the whole way home Will was jibber-jabbin’ away and I was listening to some music.  Halle was just quiet the whole 12-14 minutes. As we pulled into our neighborhood..

Me: Halle, why are you so quiet?

Halle: I’m just reading Daddy

Me: What are you reading?

Halle: My new book, got it from Scholastic Book Club today…

Me: Is it good?

Halle: So far, I’m on page 75.

Me: When did you start it?

Halle: In the parking lot, when we got in the car, when you picked me up.

My Thought (didn’t say this one out loud)… 75 pages in 12 minutes… She’s 8… I don’t think I had read 75 pages total when I was 8.

Sometimes my kids amaze me.

Grace,
Brian

How About You?

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

Came across a picture on a friends FB page today.

I firmly believe my walk with Jesus is grace-based.  However, I also understand that hearing from Him is sometimes comes in silence (prayer, meditation, on a walk, quietness/stillness)… but more often than not, it comes in Hearing His Word.

Does this picture hit too close to your heart?

I’m going to “listen” right now, as I jump into Colossians.

How are you “hearing” Him right now?

Grace,

Brian

Ahhhhh!

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

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

The Aftershock… This Is Now!

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

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

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