1 week till Christmas break!

  This past week has been very good.  We had practice all week.  We were supposed to have this showcase tournament in Fitchburg, Ma this weekend.  We were to play games thursday night, Saturday and Sunday morning.  Thursday i was supposed to be going to a  "Selah" Concert with Nancy but with the game i wasnt able to go.  But thursday afternoon i got a call from my coach that the game was cancelled thursday night.  We were getting a bunch of rain thursday but i guess an hour north in Fitchburg they were getting icy rain.  So there was power outage all in the area. 

 So i was able to go.  I had a blast at the concert.  They were very enjoyable to watch.  I really enjoyed watching the piano player play.  His name is Allan Hall.  He was so in joy when he played and he was just having fun.  It was great for me to watch him, he was a good example of what i want to be doing when i am playing hockey.  But we had a great time at the concert.  

Friday i had practice like regular.  We were supposed to know if the game Saturday would be cancelled friday night.  Because the game saturday was at 8:30 in the morning ( i know crazy).  So i didnt hear from my coach or anyone so i assumed that the game was on.  So i got up at 5:15 and went to the game.  I got there at 7:30 and the rink doors were locked.  So i called the coach and he said that the game was cancelled.  2 of my teammates were supposed to call everyone to tell them.  I guess they forgot. haha.  So i drove right back home and stopped by L.L. Bean on the way and went shopping for a while.  Got some presents for people.  I had a good time just shopping by myself.  I went to Borders and read some hockey books then went to Bestbuy and looked at expensive tv's and played video games.  It was fun.  

Saturday morning i found out that Sundays game was cancelled as well.  So in a weekend where we were supposed to play 3 games we played none.  We didn't end up skating at all Saturday or Sunday either.  The coach just gave us those days off after the games were cancelled instead of trying to get a practice together.  

The Lord has been great to be this week as always!  Practices went really well.  I was working really hard and saw improvement.  Im glad for another week of practices until next weeks games.  I have really been feeding on the messages from the series  "Possessing the Land".  I listened to the first one "God has a plan for your life" and took notes on it and i have been reading over them and feeding on them.  Its been excellent.  This week i have been more aware, grabbed by, held by the fact that God has a plan for my life.  I just dont want to experience the things He has promised.  I want to possess them.  To follow the Lord fully like Joshua and Caleb.  Its so good.  I have been going deeper into trusting the Lord this week.  I have a peace that is about me,  a trust in Him that He has it ALL under control.  In spite of what it looks like.  Like last weekend they brought in another defenseman (bringing the total to 8)  and on top of that he is a 20 yr old defenseman.  So now we have 6 20 yr old defenseman (that wont be back next year) and 2 18 yr old defenseman.

It almost excites me though.  Circumstances in the natural seem to be getting more difficult, i mean i desire to get to that number 1 defenseman spot and now with 8 defenseman instead of 7 it  "looks" more difficult.  But i see it as a situation where the Lord wants to just prove Himself even more.  Where to the natural eyes it looks more difficult, but we know that NOTHING is impossible with the Lord.  So the Lord is letting the odds stack up against Him and then He will just do what He is famous for!

This is what i received from the Lord today  "Be excited daily in hockey and in everyday life to show the Lord off.  He lives through me and i need to be excited to show Him off each day.  His ability in me, His life, peace, comfort......."    I was excited by that.  So everyday this week i am going to be excited to Show the Lord off in my life.  

That was my week.  Im excited for another week and to hopefully play some games next weekend.  Games next weekend are Saturday night in Boston and Sunday afternoon in Springfield, Ma.  The game on Sunday is at 1.  So i will be heading home directly from there.  So i should get home around 1 am or so.  

Please continue praying for me this week, im thankful that you all do.  I have asked the Lord at the beginning of these 3 weeks back here that during this time i would start to rise in the depth chart for the defenseman.  Moving from the bottom to the top.  So with this last week upon us i would like to see that this week in practice.  

Thanks everyone!  Love you all,  see you soon!!!!!

First week back from Thanksgiving

So i had an interesting first week back here in Boston.  On my way back up here i heard the Lord say to me  "Dont go by your feelings".  In addition to a couple other things.  So this week i had a good time "not going by my feelings".  At the beginning of the week (monday)  i felt weak.  Physically and spiritually.  Physically because i got in very late sunday night.  I was supposed to get back here at 8p.m.  But with all the traffic i didn't end up getting back until 11 o clock at night.  It was not very much fun to spend all that extra time in the car, but the Lord very much helped me through it.  But with getting in so late i still had to get up the next morning for practice at 7 a.m.  But also i felt weak spiritually.  But the Lord gave me a great scripture,  "when i am weak, then i am strong".  I found physical strength from the Lord and the Lord gave much too that day in my private times.  Also i got an email from my dear brother Elijah Hughes and he gave me a great scripture that really encouraged me.  "for i am watching over my word to perform it."  I was greatly encouraged by that!

We had practice, monday, tuesday and thursday.  Wednesday we played an inter-squad scrimmage game.  The coach said that the inter-squad game would determine who would play in fridays game.  I played really well in the game and i had fun.  I had a good week of practices too.  

Friday i went to the game and i found out that i wasn't playing.  I was a bit surprised because i thought that i played really well in the inter-squad game.  But the Lord really helped me to be fine.  I had an opportunity before the game on friday to talk with one of my teammates about the Lord.  It was the 3rd goalie on the team.  He doesn't ever get to play, but he does always dress.  But the trainer forgot his jersey this game so he didn't get to dress.  So before the game we got to talking about the future and stuff and he asked me what i was looking to do next year.  I said i wanted to go to school.  I told him i was looking to have a strong second half of the season so i could be picked up by a good Div 1 school.  But in the midst of that conversation i saw an opportunity to talk with him about the Lord.  So i said that i was not worried about next year because i am trusting in the Lord.  He is catholic (we have talked a little bit before about the Lord, so i know he is catholic already).  But when i said that he was like "oh yeah man, thats so good.  Sometimes i find it hard to just let that control go but id like to"  I got to talk about the Word and how there is life and power in the word.  But it was a good short little conversation with him and effective to.  So i was pleased to be given that opportunity to be used.  

We won that game on friday 3-2.  Then saturday we played the same team again.  I wasn't sure what to expect for that game on saturday.  When i got to the game i found out that i wasn't dressing again.  The coach kept the lineup the same as the night before.  The Lord helped me again, as i was very fine.  But throughout that game i had to keep watch over my thoughts.  My mind was starting to wonder and think about things and it was not benefitting me at all! haha.  So when i got back home i needed to spend some time with the Lord.  I read about Joseph.  I got a couple things from Chapter 39 of Genesis.

2 "The Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man" 

3 "Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand" 

23 "whatever he did, the Lord made to prosper"

So as i was reading these i said, my situation wouldn't SEEM to say that i am a successful man.  But i am taking these as mine!  Saying that my teammates, my coach will see that the Lord is with me and how the Lord causes all that i do to prosper.  Something else that Pastor Stanley said in a meeting a couple weeks ago really helped me.  In the message "Press on to Glory"  he said  "Do you practice settling for less?".  Less than Gods best for you?  The Lord reminded me of that and it helped me so much.  God has so much more for me and He helps me grow in expectation of His best.  I was reminded by carol that growth is the Answer.  Growth comes in my private times with the Lord. 

But then today i was able to go to church with Mike and Nancy.  It was nice since i hadn't been there for a long time.  Then this afternoon at 2 we went over to a couple's house in the church for a worship/fellowship time.  It was a lot of fun really.  At first we just hung around and talked.  Then we sat around and had a time where people shared what they are thankful for and what the Lord is doing.  Then we had a short time of worship and people talking again.  After it was all over and we were about to wrap things up i felt from the Lord that i should speak.  The Lord put the words in my mouth and " The spirit of the Lord spoke by me" (2 Sam 23).  It was excellent to be used.  I talked with them about the blessing of Abraham that is on our lives in Genesis 12.  That this salvation is much greater than our present experience of it.  They seemed to be talking like we were in lack and that just getting by was alright.  So i was talking about how the Lord has the best in store for us and i was able to ask them the question that Pastor Stan had given to us  "Do you practice settling for less?"  But it was a good opportunity and i was very thankful.  

So that was my week.  Thank you all for praying continually for me.  What i have asked the Lord is that these 3 weeks (now 2) would be 3 weeks where i am moving from the 6th, 7th defenseman up to the top.  To the number 1 spot.  Not that i would be the number 1 defenseman before christmas break, but that i would be moving up in that direction.  So that is my expectation and if you all would want to join me in that that would be great!

Love you all!  See again very soon!

Games this upcoming weekend, friday, saturday and sunday.  Bye for now!