Whew, I knew you worried that my blogging hiatus would extend over two Tuesdays… Fret no longer, I’m back for the final Top 5 Tuesday of 2009.

As I prepare for preaching this coming Sunday, I have been listening to a variety of tunes as I study the Word.  As my iTunes “Genius” plays random selections from my playlist I have found myself worshipping in song and study, a pretty sweet combo!  Anyway, it gave me a top 5 idea… My top 5 songs I enjoyed singing in worship settings this last year.

The Criteria… these are all songs that I have sung in worship services this year.  I also included a “preview” of one that I think will make a similar list next year, because I plan on having Joe Poppino lead it at our Spring Retreats this year (I have yet to hear it done live in a service so I can’t include it in this top 5).

This is a list you may want to come back to a few times today, listen to one or two songs and then come back later; I linked them all through Youtube.

Without further ado… the list!

Sneak Peak at 2010: Hillsong United’s King of All Days. I’m listening to this one 2-3 times a day right now, better slow down before I get tired of it!

Honorable Mentions: I have seen him live and he made the top 5 as well, but Charlie Hall’s Center makes the HM list with ease.  Great concept/calling! In addition, Hillsong United’s The Stand. This done in conjunction with Mighty To Save is quite the combo!

Five: Jeremy Riddle’s Sweetly Broken. Reflective, contemplative and certainly a call to a gracious life.

Four: Kristian Stanfill’s Jesus Paid it All. Yep, that old hymn with a new build up and chorus.  The old-hymn, reminding us of the new life we have because of His death!

Three: Charlie Hall’s All We Need. Though this is a few years old, I had never heard it until the end of 2008 (at a winter retreat I was speaking at). Pretty simple message, catchy tune.

Two: Tim Hughes’ God of Justice. This was one of our closing songs at the retreats and is super-motivating in terms of the call, “we must go.”  What an honor to be called by God to share the most wonderful news ever!

One: Hillsong United’s Mighty To Save. It was certainly done a lot at churches and to be honest I might be a little tired of it right now, but really, over the course of the year, it stands out as the one that really caused me to think, pray, worship and drew me to His Word!

What do you think?  You have some songs that should make our “playlist” for 2010?

Grace,
Brian

I’ve been thinking about this post for awhile, but no matter how I word it it has seemed awkward and weird to rank friendships.  So, as you read this, please don’t see this as a ranking of my friends. If you do see it that way and comment on it as such, I’ll quickly create a new list of my top 5 enemies, and put you on it!  Ha.

The last 18 months have been quite exciting, I’m so thankful to God for the people he has had me interact with, and a number of those interactions have led to friendship and a lot of my previous acquaintances or loose friendships have turned into bona fide friendships.

The Criteria:  I am listing my top five friendships that have been created by my role with Youthmark, or at minimum the acquaintanceships that have moved to genuine friendships because of the role.  My apologies in advance to the scores of people who should be on the list that I was too lame to remember right now…(there, I just revealed my fear in creating this list)…

Without further ado, the list.

Honorable Mentions: This is the list that could go on forever, seeing as how there are plenty of Youth Pastors whom I now consider friends that I had not even met 18 months ago.  I think of guys like Rob in TX whom I just think the world of.  Oh, who could forget Jimmy in Hawaii? Mike and Wes here in Western WA or how about Josh in CA? This guy was so much fun to scout the Gulf with.  I could include a ton of people that I am forming friendships with as well, but the lines between Youthmark and networking begin to get skewed…

Derek serving his team

My wife has said, "Alan looks and sounds like a younger, skinnier Mark Driscoll" Good thing he works at Mars Hill!

Four: Alan. Though Alan has not done a YMV with me… yet, he was one of the first guys I got to sit with last year to begin to share the vision.  In a sense he was one of my first “cold calls.”  We met for coffee and he was going through… well, a lot at his church and in life at the time.  We spent a lot of time talking about life and ministry before a family emergency called him away.  Like I said, we haven’t connected on a Youthmark level yet, but God has blessed me and us (the Aabys) with new friends.  We have gotten together a couple times as couples; Alan’s wife Sarah is a sweetheart and we look forward to our next time together with them.

Joe likes Bananas.

Three: Joe. Though I had met him at a camp that I was the speaker for and he was the worship leader, our friendship has really formed through the Youthmark Missions Spring Retreats.  It is a privilege to have Joe secured for all seven of the Spring Retreats in the Spring of 2010.  He is a gifted worship leader who has the ability to hear the Spirit moving and not get in the way.  Beyond worship leading, he is a great daddy and husband.  I look forward to forming a friendship with more of his family–I know his Dad, a great man of God too!  Joe was also one of two MAJOR inspirations for me getting in shape.  Joe has lost a lot of weight in the last year… and has yet to find it. I’m hoping mine can’t be found either!

Told you he prays!

Two: Jess. Don’t know if I can be friends with Jess anymore, he has left Youth Ministry and become a Senior Pastor.  I know, what was he thinking?  Well, the good news, he has moved from Snohomish to Renton. I may have lost him in terms of the direct relationship with Youthmark for a season, but I now get to office with him (we are often at the same coffee shop).  He and Alisha (and kids) live just a few minutes away; may the family times begin!  Jess is big encouragement, a man of God who believes in prayer!  I love that and find it a blessing/privilege to pray for him. Jess and I have known each other for a few years, but it was his “Lead” role with Youthmark that really put us into our growing friendship.

Will thinks Aaron is hilarious too!

One: Aaron. We’ve been running in the same Youth Ministry circles for about 10 years.  The first eight-and-a-half we did a pretty good job of knowing of each other more than we knew each other.  That’s too bad, we have a lot of catching up to do now.  This is a man of God whom I have much respect for.  First, I love his honesty that is so mixed with quick wit–quite simply, Aaron can go from dead-serious to dropping in a good one-liner that you won’t get until you’re at home on your couch and you finally get it!  I love that.  He is a man who loves his family (he and Heather have six great kids).  He is a guy who loves his work and is a great Youth Pastor.  When I say great, understand I mean it.  I have seen a lot of Youth Pastors, Aaron is in the top 5% for sure!  Praise God.  Aaron is a faithful friend, not a week goes by without a word of encouragement or a text of humor! We share life together, this is fun. Oh, and last, he is one of Youthmark’s biggest fans.  Seriously, he’s like 6’4″.

I love what Youthmark has afforded me in terms of friendships.  It seemed a little silly to “rank” these friendships, and that was not the point at all, the point was to be encouraged and to be encouraged by these friendships and many others!

Hebrews tells us to encourage one another all the more as we see the day approaching.  These are all people who encourage me greatly.  Who is encouraging you?  Who are you encouraging?

Grace,
Brian

As many of you know, I’ve been spending many-an-hour in front of the mac-screen lately.  Plugging away at getting some books finished so they can be sent off for final edits and the rest of the publishing process. Well, the mind can only take so much time without needing a little distraction.  Some of these distractions are great, others start out great and then become consuming and some should just never be entertained at all.

For today’s Top 5, I’ll give you my top 5 time fillers.  The things, that if done in moderation, serve me as good break from the norm.  The criteria: these are all things I find myself doing to take a break from my writing/studying while at a coffee shop (since this is where much of my writing gets done).  Perhaps another top 5 will list my biggest hindrances!

Without further ado, the list…

Five: The iPhone. The quick phone call, text message, game of hearts or searching for a new app.  The iPhone really is a nice distraction and breaks concentration for just long enough to feel like I just had first recess back in elementary (you remember that really short 10 minute recess?).

Four: Virtual Meetings. Surfing through some Facebook pages, chatting online with a friend or following a few folk on Twitter, these are the virtual meetings I’m talking about.  Amazing, but in five minutes you can learn a lot from the quick read or iChat conversation.  I spend five minutes reading a favorite blog, or three minutes on your Facebook page looking at your recent pictures and then get back to my work… a nice little break with the virtual world.

Three: Blogging. Doing this blog has really been a blessing.  There are times where I wonder if it is something that I should do? However, I have really enjoyed the discipline part of it.  I’ve had nearly 31,000 visits to the blog in the 17 months, so I guess it serves some purpose in the lives of others, and I know that it allows me to exercise some writing muscles and keeps me thinking creatively.

Two: Impromptu Meetings from Real People. Of course I have the run-ins with friends, former church members, current church members, other Youth Pastors, students from Youth Groups, Youthmark or Young Life, etc. who just happen to come into the coffee shops I frequent.  Every now and then I have the intentional drop-by visit from friends or family who know where I am!  The little blessing of my son seeing me across the cafe and saying “Dadda, Dadda!” as he waddles toward me is awesome!  Getting a squeeze from Halle, an “I love you” from Audrey and a word of encouragement from Elisabeth during my day is a very welcome little surprise!

*Interesting that as I type this my friend Jess Champers, a local pastor just came in!  He was blessed to be that Real Person I just spoke of!

One: Sharing Jesus! I would guess that it averages out to about one-time per week that I have (or take) the opportunity to either initiate or respond to a conversation at my local coffee shops which leads to a witness opportunity.  Sometimes its a question about the superior Mac (vs. PC) that causes a conversation, other times its my open Bible sitting next to me and every now-and-then its eaves dropping on a conversation that needs to then be interrupted.

I guess it really isn’t time-killing, it’s a calling!  “Lord, may I take every opportunity to share you!”

Well, there you have it, the top distractions that serve as a blessing.  Of course numbers two thru five can serve as unnecessary distractions as well.  Balance is the key.  Speaking of balance, time to balance out this writing with some real writing now!

Hope I have served as a sufficient time-killer for you today!

Grace,
Brian

It’s been a busy day… Started way too early with a 6:30 meeting in Bellevue (did you know that there was a 6:30 besides the evening one?).  Then off to Lynwood for another meeting, only to get back home for a skype meeting with someone from Colorado (only we ended up doing the call on phones instead).  All this to say, it is 3:00 and I haven’t eaten lunch or posted my top 5 yet.

Well, as I found myself compromising and grabbing for the chips in the pantry, I thought to myself, “Hey, let’s kill two birds with one stone and eat a bad lunch and do my top 5.”  So, the subject today, Top five types of Chips!

Criteria: Common or at least known Chip types.

Without further ado, the list:

Five: Flaming Hot Cheetos. Ever want your mouth, tongue and fingertips to turn some sort of nuclear powered red-orange? FH Cheetos are the answer!  The perfect blend of the original little cheesy snack mixed with what I imagine dynamite would taste like if you could put it in a hot spice flavor!  Yum.  You like ’em?  I do!

Four: Fritos.  Really?  Yeah, this one surprised me too.  But, in recent years my taste buds have advanced and I find myself liking some new stuff!  For instance, I now like Chili.  Fritos+Chili= BFF.  Throw these bad boys on a taco salad and you have that extra little crunch you’ve been craving.  To me, it’s like the next best thing to #3 on my list… oh wait, it is the next best thing to #3 on the list. Speaking of #3…

Three: Nacho Cheese Doritos. The downfall to my diet.  There have been a couple times in my life where I have tried to lose some poundage by eating right.  For whatever reason my craving for these little triangles grew with each lb. lost.  Have you ever tried these dipped in a spicy mustard?  Awesome to say the least.  The nacho-bliss mixed with the spice of the mustard makes for a delectable morsel of goodness.

Two: Spicier Nacho Cheese Doritos. Read the above, now add “wow, even better, they added more spice.”

One: Baked Cheddar and Sour Cream Ruffles.  Ahh, the bag I just finished for my bad lunch!  Good stuff.  You get the impression you’re eating something healthy because they are baked!  Ha.  I’m not that deceived, though they are far more healthy than French Fries, so at least I have that going for me.  The one down side to these chips… finger shrapnel.  My keyboard could have easily become orange stained from the chemical-cheese substance that adheres to your fingers better than a band-aid.  But mmmm they taste good.

So, what do you think?  Agree with any of my choices? Adamantly opposed to any selection?  I want to hear about it!

Grace,
Brian

Somewhat predictable, yes, but c’mon, I knew you needed something to get past the mid-week doldrums (today is officially “midweek” because of the impending 4-day weekend).

Today I have the opportunity to rate the top five things about Thanksgiving.  The criteria for this one was pretty tough to come up with actually… questions like, do I include the Thanksgiving weekend or just the day? Do I allow something I did in the past to be in my current top five? etc.

Well, you’ll just have to wait and see the answers to those questions and more… without further ado, the list.

Five: The Leftovers. Ahh, Turkey will show up all weekend!  I love it! Of course the leftovers start with fixing a plate that looks very similar to what you had for your main meal, but by the time you are finishing your leftovers (for some of you this is in early December) you find Turkey showing up in soups, casseroles and pot-pies.

Some of us will resemble this this weekend!

Four: Sports on TV. Seeing as how we are a media-flooded society it seems there is ALWAYS some sporting event being shown live on TV.  However, I don’t pay attention to most of it.  On Thanksgiving Day and the weekend, I do.  C’mon, who, besides my friend Nathan, cares about the Detroit Lions?  Well, on Turkey Day I will.  I am not a Dallas Cowboy fan, but on Thanksgiving I’ll faithfully tune in and watch.  Beyond the football there are always great hoops games (college and NBA), college football games (including the toilet-bowl, otherwise known as “The Apple Cup”) and of course gymnastics!  Okay, not-s0-much on the last one… though Halle and Audrey would dig!

Three: Advent Time With The Family. A few years ago Elisabeth and I started a new family tradition by doing our own candlelight Advent time on the Sunday nights thru Advent.  So, this Sunday will kick that off.  I’m looking forward to seeing how Will reacts to the candle, the quiet and hearing the Christmas story.  Last year, one of the students I discipled through High School was hanging out with us and said that it was one of his best memories now!

What some malls look like in early October!

Two: The Kick-off to the Season.  I believe that Thanksgiving day marks the beginning of “The Holidays.”  I love Christmas music, Christmas lights, decorations and even peppermint-mochas, etc.  However, these things are meant to be celebrated, served, displayed/played and consumed (you figure out which noun goes with each verb) only from Thanksgiving to New Years Day.  Part of the purity of the season, to me, is the specific parameters of the season.  None of this Shopping Mall mentality of September 15 begins the season because one retailer starts selling Stocking ideas… let’s preserve the season by celebrating it only during the season (the one exception:  let’s celebrate Jesus at all times!)!

So, on Thanksgiving morning you’ll find me with a coffee beverage (probably with peppermint flavoring) in hand, swaying back and to the Christmas music blaring through our house as I begin the search for all of our Christmas decorations.  Welcome to the season!

One: The Meal.  If I were rating “complete meals” I would have to rate this one at the tops; though I love steak, I don’t know if the Turkey feast can be beat.  So, as I anticipate the day of thanks, I am certainly thankful for all of the above, but man-o-man, the Bird and the fixins certainly are something for which my glass is tipped in thanks.  Of course, there are a few exceptions to the rule of “the fixins” being the best.  I am not a “yam” guy and to be honest I can go without the cranberry sauce (okay, those of you who just cussed at me, repent, that was not necessary).  So yes, I love the meal, and the beauty of the 2009 meal, I am feeling great in terms of my health and weight, so I am not going to hold back, knowing that the bike-ride of Wednesday and of Friday will more than make up for the feast of Thursday!

What are some of your favorite things about this Holiday?

Come back tomorrow (Wednesday) for my special “Thanksgiving Blog Survey!”

And on Thursday I am dedicating the blog to “I am thankful” quotes… come back and participate!

Grace,
Brian

As I continue the series of Top Five on Tuesday I thought I’d invite you to our current hopes, dreams, wants & needs (okay, not really needs, but it rhymed well).  Today’s subject, the top 5 things we would do in our family if money were not an issue!

The criteria: the top 5 are less “dreams” and more reality of what we really would want to do if money were not much of an issue (or if it were there, here’s how we would responsibly handle the funds to meet the desires in the Aaby household.

Without further ado, this list.

Missing 3 Aabys!

Honorable Mention: A FANTASTIC and warm family vacation. Okay, this is probably the one indulgence that will show up on the list, but we’d love to get away for a great family vacation (someplace warm sounds good right about now).

Backyard bliss!

Five: A new deck! We love entertaining in the back yard.  The summer BBQ, time in the kiddie pool and easy access to the play area in the backyard would all be enhanced by a newly designed, fully functional deck!

countertops in kitchen and bathrooms are on the wish list...

Four: Several updates to the interior (kitchen, bathrooms, etc.). We love our house, but it certainly could use a few “new” touches if we ever wanted to sell it.  I always find it interesting that many people spend big time bucks to update their house in order to sell it (just so the flyer can say “updated”).  Well, my belief, update and enjoy for some time, then you can still put the all-important “updated” on the flyer, but the double bonus, you actually enjoyed the updates!

Oh, how I wish...

Three: New Fence/Landscaping. Our house has three different fence lines, one on the west side of the house (still in decent shape), the south side (falling over) and the west side (several boards falling out/out already).  On top of the fence-line there are several little landscaping improvements we need to make in order to keep the yard in okay shape.  The fence is the most immediate need, but how to approach our neighbors with the suggestion and then figuring out who is really responsible seems to prevent us from moving forward to quickly… that and the cost!

Santa needs a new landing surface at our place!

Two: New Roof. It’s funny to think back to 2004, when we moved back to WA (from AZ).  When we made an offer on our house we asked the current owners to consider replacing the roof… well, they didn’t do that and the house was too good to pass up, so we went forward.  Well, five years later and the roof is still the original 1989 Cedar shingled surface.  We’re praying it makes it through (at least) one more winter!

I'd take one of these!

One: Replacement Vehicle(s).  I am very thankful for our two wonderful Toyota vehicles.  The Avalon is now 11 years old, whereas her baby brother (the 4Runner) is 10 now.  I still suspect that they can go a good number of years, however, three growing kids and two aging (and higher mileage) cars does not make for a great equation.  So, if the money were there, I’d say we would first get Elisabeth into something larger (Sequoia, Highlander or dare-I-say, a Sienna… we’re not minivan fans, but might go to the dark-side if we have to).

Okay, which one did you want to pay for?  We’re taking sign-ups right now, hurry, only five options remain!

Grace,
Brian

Much has changed in the last few days.

As I stare out our back window at the now-barren trees and ponder the task of raking the leaves that blanket the grass that just a few short months ago was consistently getting pounded with the feet of my wee-little ones playing barefoot as they hopped in and out of their play-pool.

As I think about the bike-ride I’d like to take after work, I now must think about the hour at which my day begins in order for it to end with a ride that doesn’t include darkness.

The weather has changed.  The hours of lightness have changed. However, as I pitch YMV’s for 2010 I am consistently reminded of the mental images that made 2009.

Today, my top five will invite us back to the Youthmark Mission Venture images that stood out to me from the summer of 2009.  The stipulations for this top five:  these images must be from the actual YMV’s (in other words they don’t include spring retreat, scout trips, training, etc.).  These pics may not even be the most artistic or brilliant, but for whatever reason, they invite me to reminisce, dream and pray.

Without further ado, the list.

Honorable Mention:  NorCal Launch; Kirk, Brian and Aaron. In many ways I see this as the core-team of Youthmark right now.  This picture came shortly after the decision was made to bring Kirk on as part of Youthmark.  Aaron was a “Lead” for us last year and is probably the most avid Youth Pastor-supporter of Youthmark!  These guys bring me great joy and though we all look like we’re trying to be silly, I believe the picture depicts pure-joy.  This is what I felt at that moment.

Five: Hanalei, Hawaii. Here is the one “scenic” picture of the bunch.  If we would have had a second team in Hawaii there is no doubt I would have sent a team to Hanalei.  This little hippie-town made its mark on me during my January scout trip. On the north-end of Kauai, this tourist trap of a town houses locals who talk openly about anything and everything.  This picture will always remind me of the work I believe God is doing to spiritually remove the clouds of doubt and clear the skies for the Gospel to be proclaimed!

Four: The Welcome Gauntlet. This picture is from the MT/ID launch in late June.  The team from Lake Sawyer Christian created an impromptu welcome tunnel for the other five churches arriving.  It was quite the scene as teen-age strangers greeted each other in the name of Jesus!

Three: Surf’s Up! This image represents the 20+ other pictures I could present to depict the blessings we received the from the communities we served.  Here the team from Living Hope Christian Fellowship of Bothell was given the opportunity to learn how to surf on their last full-day in Kauai. It seems about every team came back with a story of an exciting adventure they received from the host community during the last days of their YMV!

Two: RoadGrip day one!  This was one of my favorite moments at each of the launches.  On Saturday morning we would release the students and staff to begin a journey through God’s Word for the week.  This picture is of Lindsay Knight (married to Youth Pastor Mark Knight of Burien Free Methodist). Lindsay found a great spot out in the grass in Dallas, TX to spend time alone with God.  In the distance you can see several others doing the same.

One: “The Picture of the Summer.” When this picture came to my inbox at the end of the summer I immediately turned to Elisabeth and said, “there’s the picture of the summer.”  I now know the story behind this picture and can tell you it truly represents what I think was the story of the summer.  God’s unending grace through the unexpected twists and turns we are presented.  Almost every team, and individual for that matter, came into the summer with the way we expected God to work.  Almost every team encountered something dramatic take place back home with family members (car accidents, sickness, hospitalizations and in this case, a death of a loved one).  These earthquakes of emotions presented opportunities to examine our foundation of faith.

I love the contemplation, reliance and worship this picture depicts.  May we all be found faithful to turn to the One who is our peace.

Which one do you like best?  Which one tells the best story?

Grace,
Brian

Let me start by saying the positives FAR outweigh (no pun intended) the negatives of my recent quest to get-in-shape. That is to say, get into a shape other than round.  However, the subject for today’s Top list is the top 5 negatives about the weight loss.  There are a few obvious ones, however, there are a few that could surprise.

About this time last year I had really decided that it was time to take some control over my eating habits and exercise.  It was just a decision, not one that I actually followed up on, but at least the decision was made.  I really didn’t want a doc to tell me at age 45, “you need to lose 50 pounds.”  Being in my mid 30’s I figured it was a lot easier to lose it now, than later. Long story short, and because of travel through the spring, I determined that Memorial Day to Labor Day would be my primary time to make it happen.

So far I am down about 30 pounds.  I am quite comfortable with my weight now, and will feel fine if I stay within 5 pounds either way of where I am as of today.

Again, most everything about the weight-loss is positive, so I’m not complaining, simply pointing out a few things I’ve noticed!

Without further ado, the list:

Honorable Mentions (the obvious): Not Eating the Stuff I Want. This actually hasn’t been too bad, but every now and again I really, really, really want to just dive in on something bad.  The good news now, I can!  As long as I don’t do it often and keep up the exercise I am golden, but it’s the digging in to often that I am concerned about!

Five: Biking Budget. I have put a lot of miles on my bike the last few months, so much so that the back tire is about to tear into shreds.  The whole bike is in need of a good tune-up and the fact that the weather has changed means that the clothing is changing.  I now need bike-gear for the winter.  This weight-loss can get expensive.

Four: The Compliments/Comments? For the most part I like them.  It’s very thoughtful and nice to hear that people think you look good having lost the weight.  But then it makes you self-conscious… was I that big/ugly/nasty before?  I know people mean the best… I think?  Ha.

Three: Clothing budget. First, I don’t buy a lot of new clothes to begin with, but now, I am forced to.  I think the most annoying part is the actual shopping for clothes.  I’m not one for trying things on, looking for the right sale, price comparisons, etc.  The very thought of spending a few hours, let alone many dollars on new clothes almost propels this one up the list.  Or, I can just look like I really love hip-hop and layer up boxers, hoop shorts and one more pair of boxers and let the jeans just hang half way down my back side.  Nah, I’ll go to the mall if I have to.

Two: My License. Seeing as how I JUST got my new license last December I am now stuck with that picture for years to come. I can’t wait until 2013… hmmm, perhaps I’ll unINTENTIONALLY lose it.  That picture must go bye-bye!

One: Resizing of Ring. My wedding ring is consistently sliding up my finger and I’ve nearly lost it a number of times.  I need to get this baby re-sized, stat!  The biggest negative, what if I gain weight?  Will I lose a finger because of circulation issues of I resize too small?  Oh, I got it, just don’t put the weight back on!  Good call.

So, there ya go.  Not too controversial I’d think?

I’d appreciate your prayers for me to continue the good disciplines!

Grace,
Brian

We’re just about a month away from the “Holiday Season.”  Of course the retail industry would have us believe we are already in the midst of the holiday season (Labor Day to Valentines Day is what I think “they” believe is the Holiday Season).  My criteria is Thanksgiving through New Years Day.

For today’s top five, I thought I’d take a look at my top five traditions/happenings that take place during the season.  These are things that perhaps reflect upon my upbringing and /or are things we do as an immediate family.

So, without further ado… the list:

Five: The new spiritual experiences with my kids.  Each year this one will probably move up the charts.  We do Advent together as a family.  Complete with our own lighting of the candles, Bible reading and discussion time.  Each year the conversations grow deeper and sometimes sillier (I can’t wait for some of the basic questions Will will provide next year).  Doing church on Christmas eve provides sweet memories and reading the Christmas Story of Luke 2 will continue to guide our focus!

Four: Increased board game times! I love board/dice/card games.  For whatever reason they just don’t happen a lot outside of the holidays.  My memory is filled with RISK, Monopoly and Clue (Master Detective, of course) games played during the holidays.  Each year I get together with 25-40 other guys for a couple big hearts tournaments during the holidays as well.  Can’t wait to play some more games this year!

Three: Reunions.  I love the impromptu and planned reunions we get to have around the holidays.  Having had two discipleship groups that I shepherded for a number of years I love the holidays as a time to get together, whether as a group or just with the individuals.  Not only do I have these times with guys I have discipled, but also with old high school or college friends.  The holidays are a breeding ground for some sweet reunions.

Two: Thanksgiving.  Because there is so much wrapped up in the entire day, from Turkey to football, from time with family to time taking naps.  I love it all.  I think Thanksgiving may just be my favorite holiday of them all (hmmm, perhaps another top 5 list later).

One: Christmas Morning Routine for my Immediate Family.  I loved the tradition I had with my family growing up; I believe Elisabeth would say the same for her family as well.  However, we have OUR OWN new tradition in our family.  We start with the stockings, the kids really look forward to the stockings, however, I think Mommy and Daddy enjoy the fun gifts we give in the stockings just as much as they do opening them.  After stockings it’s time to get dressed (somewhat nice) to go up to 67, one of our favorite breakfast places.  That’s right, we go out for Breakfast on Christmas!  After a long and enjoyable breakfast we come home to let the kids open their gifts!  So fun!

GRAND CHAMPION: JESUS. Because Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year are the trio-of-holidays that make up “The Holidays” I can’t help but think of the relationship I have with God the Father and God the Spirit through God the Son!  He is the reason for a New Year (as in, he is the reason we have the calendar we use).  He is the reason for our ultimate Thanksgiving (for eternal life in Him) and He is THE REASON for Christmas.  Thank you Jesus!

I love Jesus and I love the Holidays as a consistent reminder of His grace shown to me!

So, what are some of your favorite Holiday Season Favorites?

Grace,
Brian