Time in Yarmouth!!!

        Hello All!!!!   Well over the past couple of days i have spent my time down in Yarmouth.  I left wednesday morning around 8:45 and i arrived there at 12:15.  It was a good trip and i had no troubles at all.  When i pulled into town i was so excited to see everything again.  To see the rink and all the familiar stores and things.  I felt like i was home! (Indiana will always be my home, dont worry, haha)  I got to Bob and Gretha's house and went inside.  Bob was away fishing, but Gretha was home with her granddaughter Olivia.  Olivia is only 2 (i think) or maybe 3, but not older than that.  It was soooo great to see them again!   When i arrived in Yarmouth i was expecting the Mariners to be gone on the road, but when i got there Gretha had told me that their game was canceled for that night so they were not leaving until thursday.  She has 3 of the guys living at her house now, 2 of which were on the team when i was there and then the other one was not yet on the team when i was there.  I was excited but i also thought that it might be a bit weird to have the guys around.  They came up from upstairs and i said hi to the 2 that i knew already and we talked for a bit.  The three of them ended up leaving for practice around 1:30 and then getting back around 5 ish or so.  I spent all that time just talking with gretha and playing with Olivia.  So then after the guys got back from practice and Bob came home from fishing we ate dinner.  It was really great to be sitting around the table with them all and spending time with my old family.  Throughout the whole time i was there just talking to Gretha i would say that it just felt right to be there and it didn't feel like i left at all and she said the same thing as well, that it just felt right having me around again.  

  Later wednesday night the guys had a bunch of the guys from the team over to play poker.  It was a bit weird seeing them again but i didn't let my feelings get in the way and i spent most of the night with them and i am very very glad that i got to see alot of them again.  Especially one of my really good friends from the team  Lynden Proctor.  He got traded to Yarmouth from a team in Manitoba a couple weeks after i had been there and me and him clicked right away.  So it was really great to get to see him again.  After the poker game was all done and all the guys had left i spent a little time with Gretha before she went to bed.  Thursday morning the guys left for their 4 day road trip, so i could have my old room back! haha.  I just spent most of the day thursday hanging around the house with Gretha and Olivia and not really doing much, but i really loved just hanging around with them.  Thursday night Bob brought home fresh lobster that he had just caught earlier that day.  That was definitely the freshest lobster i had ever had.  It was easy eating it after a bit of help from the lobster experts (bob and gretha) haha.   I didn't get to spend a lot of time with bob since he leaves at 3:30 in the morning and then gets back at about 5 or 6 each night.  So i would spent just a little time with bob after dinner before he would fall asleep.   Friday i did just about the same thing as thursday, i just hung around the house for the most part just relaxing with Gretha and Olivia.   

  Wednesday night when all the guys were over and i had just been there for a couple hours i had such a desire to come back to Yarmouth again.  It was getting a bit overwhelming at first, but i snuck away for a little and just talked to the Lord to get my mind back in the right place.  I had to continually say to the Lord,  "thank you that you have me in East Hants for a purpose and for right now and that i am in the perfect will of God for my life right now!"  You have to continually remind yourself of that and continue to be thankful to the Lord for that each day.  That you are in the PERFECT will of God for your life right NOW!!!!  I was at peace for the rest of my time hanging with the guys.  I was very thankful to the Lord for that.  

  My trip back to East Hants took a bit longer than i had anticipated.  It should of only took about 3 and a half hours, but i left at 7:30 in the evening and arrived in East Hants at about 12:15 in the morning.  I missed an exit in Windsor so i had to find some new directions and go around another way.  Also when i got to Windsor it was really snowing hard and there was snow all over the ground.  I like driving in the snow alot, but i didnt like being lost for a bit.  But i ended up taking this exit and i stoped at an Irving ( a gas station) and the store was closed but this girl got her friend to help me out with trying to get back on the right path.  It was interesting, but i saw the favor of the Lord in my trip back to East Hants and it was great!

 

  One thing that i have been feeding on and just loving that Carol Affolter sent me in an email a while ago from one of Stanley's handouts is:   "Nothing just happens.  It is the will of God for us to understand that one of the reasons we have need of endurance, one of the reasons for trials in our lives, one of the reasons we experience delay is this:  God wants us to know Him and He wants us to see Him at work in us."    The one thing i really love from this is "Nothing just happens"  I remember listening to a message over the internet when Pastor Stanley was talking about that how nothing just happens, where its just a coincidence that you ran into that person or you ended up where you did.  Those things dont "just" happen.  The Lord is in control and He has a purpose for everything that is happening in your life.  That is what i saw in Yarmouth.  He had a purpose and a reason for the guys being there that extra night.  Also the GM of Yarmouth called Gretha during the day on wednesday and she told him that i was there, that just didnt happen.  The Lord has a purpose for all of that and i am excited to see what it will be. 

   I would still love to go back to Yarmouth before the deadline is up and i know that with the Lord this is very much possible.  He has kept a love for that town, that team in my heart all along and i have been asking the Lord to take me back there before the deadline is up.  Just like we have been learning about asking and continuing to ask.  I have been asking that and i have been persistent and will continue to be persistent, because we know that the Will of the Lord is the persistent prayer.  But dont think that i am not content with being in East Hants right now,  i am very very content with being here and excited to see what the Lord will do here while i am here.          "Not that i speak from want, for i have learned to be content in whatever circumstances i am."  - Phil 4:11               I was feeding on that scripture when i first got to Miramichi and i am continuing to feed on it now.  Its great to be content!    I also found another one today             "How blessed are the people who are so situated;  How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!"  - Ps 144:15          I love how it says   "so situated"  to be situated is great, to be content, at peace!

   So i am very very fine with being in East Hants, but i know i have the privilege to ASK.  So i am and continuing to ask the Lord to take me back to Yarmouth before January 10th.  If you would like to join me in that, that would be great!  

"Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart" - Ps 37:4  

  I will be playing my first game tonight with the Penguins at 7:30 (6:30 your time) and i am expecting EXCELLENCE!   See you all in a week!  ( I am coming home on the 14th!!!!!).  Bye for now!

Now in East Hants!

    I wrote this yesterday, but i only got a chance to post it today since the internet was down from the storm.  Just because i didn't arrive yesterday, i arrived 2 days ago now.  Just so you know.  

   So yesterday i arrived in East Hants.  I left Miramichi at 3:15 and i arrived here around 7.  It was a pretty good trip.  I used that time to catch up on some of the messages from back home that i havnt gotten to listen to yet and the time went by quickly.  I got to the rink and met the coach, his name is Jeff Fraser.  I then hung up my hockey gear in the dressing room and we left.  The owner/gm (general manager) Jack Ross (who was the owner of Yarmouth so i already know him) has put me with the coach.  I live in his basement with another player.  Its not a bad setup.  

  I was talking with the coach and he said that in this league the games and practice really slow down around this time.  A good amount of the kids on the team also go to university in Halifax so the league doesn't schedule many games around this time.  So it looks like i will only get to play 3 games with the team before i come home for christmas.  Also they only have 1 practice this week (tuesday), which i really dont like.  But i have already talked to the coach about trying to get some extra ice time throughout the week and he says that i should be able to find some other time to get out there.  I am used to practicing everyday which i really really like so this will be different.  But i think when i come back after christmas we will be practicing more.  Probably a couple times a week.  Also being on this team we play our last game of december on december 13th so i should be able to come home earlier than when i was in Miramichi.  The only reason i might be coming home a bit later is if Miramichi wants to call me up for some games after the 13th.  They play 3 games around this area after the 13th, but i would like to spend some more time at home if possible.  They will figure that out here in the next couple of days.  One nice thing about coming to this team is, i already know 5 guys on the team from Yarmouth.  Two of them played on the team and the other 3 were just there for training camp.  Its really nice already knowing some people instead of going to a completely new situation and not knowing anyone, like i have when i got to Yarmouth and then to Miramichi.  Its nice.  One of the kids on the team is Jon McArthur who was my roommate in Yarmouth for about a month.  So i know him pretty well.  

  I just talked to Bob and Gretha (my billets from Yarmouth) and i am going to go down and visit them on wednesday and stay over there for a couple days.  It is only 3 hours from here and i have the time since we don't have any other practices this week.  I just have to be back for saturdays home game.  I am really excited to see them again.  It will be a great couple of days down there!!

  The scripture that i am feeding on today is....   "Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for i am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for i am your God.  I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, i will help you; yes, i will hold you up and retain you with My [Victorious] right hand of rightness and justice."  - Isaiah 41:10 (Amp)   ENJOY!!!!!  I'll write later on.... 

http://penguins.nsjrb.org/  - this is the link to my new team.  They dont really update it that much.  

Getting started!

  Hello all!!!!  So I have taken Mary's idea to start a blog instead of writing out mass emails every once and a while.  This way you guys can keep up on what is new with me more often instead of every month or so when i get a chance to write an email.  So i think that this will be easier...

  There have been some new developments in my hockey career now that i would like to update you all on.  Yesterday (December 1st) i got to the rink around 1:40 to get on the bus for our game.  We were leaving at 2:00.  I put my pillow and my backpack on the bus and was heading into the rink to get my gear and put it on the bus when i was told by one of the trainers that the coach wanted to see me up in his office.  I started to head that way and right away i was calling out to the Lord and asking Him for His peace and saying to Him  " I know that you are in absolute control of my life" (i was asking the Lord for this because i was thinking that i was going to get traded).  I got up to his office and talked with him.  He told me that he has decided that it would be better for me if he sent me down to play Junior B ( a level below what i am playing) in East Hants (which is near halifax, about 4 hrs from Miramichi).  He said that he thinks that i am a good player and he believes that it would be better for my development if i would go play there.  I havnt been getting a lot of playing time here in Miramichi and he says that there i will be a number 1 or number 2 defenseman so i will get a lot of ice time.  He also said that he wants to keep me affiliated with the team, so that means that he can call me up for 10 games before the season is over and once the season is over for me in East Hants i will come back and finish off the season in Miramichi.   He told me that he liked how i played and he wants to keep me around thats why he is keeping me affiliated with the team, he said "if i didnt like you or think you were a good player i would just trade you and be done with you".  So that was encouraging.  Its good to hear that he sees something in my playing that he wants to keep me affiliated with the team.  

  So now today i am leaving for East Hants.  Its about a 4 hr ride for me.  I have my car all packed up and ready to go, i am just waiting for my billets to get home from their sons hockey practice so i can say bye to them.  

  This move has been a lot easier for me than the last time when i got traded to Miramichi from Yarmouth.  There's really not much to say other than,  i know that the Lord will work this all out for my good and i can just rest in His peace knowing that i am in the will of God.  I have one really good scripture i would like to share that i have been feeding on over the past couple days, my mom sent it to me in an email and it has just been perfect for me...   

.. be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support.  [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

     So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [ I will not fear or dread or be terrified].  What can man do to me?  -  Hebrews 13:5-6 (Amp)

  Its great to know that i can just be satisfied with my present circumstance because He will NEVER leave me without support never leave me helpless or forsake me.  Its absolutely wonderful!!  There is a bit of excitement in me for this new move because i am just wondering and excited to see what the Lord will do through this, in me and through me.  It just gets me excited.  I know it will be great!!

  I will be writing again soon to let you all know how the move went and how my new place is.  I am living with the coach and another player in East Hants, the owner already told me.  Bye!!!