Adventures in church hockey

Well, this past weekend we had an adventure in church hockey!
So, I figured I would chronicle it... it made for a very eventful Saturday evening!
The team that we were playing against is always quite chippy (or one could say dirty). There ended up being quite a few penalties in the third period, which I was thankful for because it keeps some control in the game.
There was one guy in particular on the other team who was playing particularly dirty. If there was ever a scrum he was in there to "break it up" as in to give our guys a shove and was always complaining to the ref and at our players.
Well, with 5:19 left in the 3rd period this player had an altercation with a player from Bethany.
I asked our player how it happened and he said that the two of them were jostling in front of the net. This opposing player (lets call him Brett) claimed that our player (lets call him D) speared him in the groin. I asked D about this and he said that if he did, it was an accident. He said that they were jostling and then Brett went nuts and attacked him.
These kinds of things happen in the game, but what concerns me is what happened after. Brett received a penalty and D did not, which says something. Brett was crying blue murder and then looked at me and said, "If you don't take number 3 off the ice, he will come off bloody." The ref then ejected him from the game. The refs didn't hear what he said, but, his own players said to send him to the showers.
Then when Bethany was leaving the ice after the game, Brett was standing by the gate that Bethany comes off the ice at. There was a commotion as I was the last one off the ice and he was arguing with some of our players and spectators. He said that he was waiting to finish what he started with that little something or other or something to that effect...
I told the players and spectators to go inside and asked Brett how old he was. He said that that has nothing to do with it. He is a big guy, like 250 lbs minimum and the guy he was jostling with is like 5' 7". I then told Brett that these are young 18 year olds and he is much older, so he should move on and be mature. He then threatened to give me a black eye. Or as he put it, "A black eye to match the one you already have!" (I got hit with a stick in the eye with a stick a few weeks ago in a game of shinny... well, actually right under the eye, but my eye turned really black!)
He also threatened to fight one of the fans. This fan was not a younger college age fan, but was an adult who has a 21 year old son. I think the spectator was trying to tell Brett to stop beaking at our players and to move on. Brett said, "why don't you leave and mind your own business!" But when he was told to leave he said, "I am allowed to be here, it is public property!"
Brett was yelling at our players and complaining to the ref all game. This I can take, but I do not think there is any need to threaten my players, me or the spectators. D was afraid that Brett would be waiting for him outside the arena.
Anyway, it was quite the gong show to say the least! I wondered if I had said the wrong thing, but everyone told me I handled it very well. I guess he said that we were bunch of Grade 11s... well these Grade 11s beat you 9-3!
Good old church hockey eh!

Crazy!

I don't know if this is relevant to anyone... but, I was given a box of Turtles for Christmas, and usually I am very careful to check what kinds of nuts are in them, because I am very allergic to Brazil and Hazel nuts. Well, the person who gave me this box of chocolates knows about my allergies, so I never thought about it. So, the last week I have been eating a few a night. I noticed that they tasted different and my mouth tingled a tiny, tiny bit. I never thought anything of it, because I am slightly allergic to almost all nuts.
Well, last night I noticed that the box said "Hazel nuts" on it! So, I am very thankful that I did not go into anaphylactic shock! I guess I have started to grow out of my allergies... although I am not going to test it anymore, and gave the box of turtles to my brother. I am not going to try Brazil nuts anyway, because I think they might be quite a bit worse!

I am starting to look for jobs now... am going to apply for one in Ontario this weekend (although I would feel like a trader if I took it... Argos!) and one for a job in Africa! So, will see where God leads me... it will be hard to leave Bethany at the end of April, I do know that... it will get harder all the time!

God is good and He has led me where He has wanted me in the past. It is always so neat to look back after going somewhere and seeing how I was meant to be there for that time in my life, either for growth or to get the right contacts for future involvements or even just for the divine appointments that I was able to have while in that season and place. God has such an amazing plan for me! It is just hard right now, the transition phases are the worst... I look forward to settling down eventually!

A lesson from Padraig Harrington

I was thinking about the whole concept of "Audience of One" and then I was reminded of this story of Padraig Harrington... thought I could pass it on to you...

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." Galatians 4:6

One of my abiding memories of the sports year 2007 was Padraig Harrington’s Open Championship win. For those of you who are not familiar with the circumstances, Harrington was in command of the golf tournament, certain to win, when he reached the final hole. He then hit his ball into water with successive shots and seemed to have blown his chances. In the end he finished joint first and won the play-off.

As Harrington walked of the final hole in despair, thinking he had blown his chance to win, his young son came running over to him, Harrington picked him up and hugged him. Afterwards he said that the encounter had helped him get life in perspective: “My son didn’t care if I won or lost. I was still his daddy and he wanted to hug me”.

Harrington was winning his first major before a global TV audience of millions but in that moment he was focused on an audience of one – his young son who loved him unconditionally. What a picture of God who loves us when we win or when we lose, when we place with grace and when we don’t.

As we play our sport, we need to keep reminding ourselves that our identity is not in our success or our performance but in who we are as people, made in the image of the God, who loves us just as we are.

My Christmas Adventures

Christmas was quite the adventure this year! Some good and some bad, but lots of stories anyway… I figured I could share a few of the stories anyway!

I had a good time at home with my family before I left for my friend’s stag on the 27th. Was good just to relax with family and catch up on some reading and emailing… and snowboarding. I find it trying to be at home sometimes… I start to make my home in a new place, and my heart is there. Even though I have only live in Hepburn for 5 months, it still is starting to feel like home. So, it may be hard to leave in April!

So, I MCed my friend’s wedding, so that was a new experience, but I really enjoyed it, and I have been told that I did a good job to! I was going to get a T-shirt made that said “always an usher” on the front and then “never a groom” on the back, but I guess now I will have to get “and MC” on the side now! It was such an awesome wedding, one of those weddings that just seems right! They are both awesome, Godly people! It was so cool to see Erin go down the aisle to a song with the words, “If you love me, you must first love Jesus in me.” Those might not be the exact words, but you get the gist!

So, I just relaxed in Regina and caught up with people until New Years. I usually would try to sleep in and then do stuff with my good friend, Mike Johnston in the afternoons and evenings. And did some more reading. I bought a stand for my guitar and a capo. Now my bro, Nathan, won’t have to worry about stepping on my guitar because of me leaving it out! Now, just to learn how to play it!

I saw my friends who play pro hockey in the Czech Republic, awesome, godly women! So cool to hear the stories of how God is using them there! And my good friend VT, haven’t seen him since my convocation in June, but was able to visit with him 3 times in 2 days! Such a blessing! Even went to an authentic Vietnamese restaurant on Sunday.

And a few cool stories. I went to church on Sunday morning and it seemed like a lot of my friends were not around anymore, some have moved away or went home for the break or something. Well, I talked to a few friends who had just graduated from nursing and asked them what they were going to do for work. Well, there was one young lady who I know but have rarely talked to. I saw her standing there and I started asking her about her plans. She told me that she has her nursing practicum left, and is going to India January 5th. I told her that Bethany College 3rd year students are going there for missions January 5th. She got really excited and ran around the pews to be closer. She said that she got a visa from a Bethany student. I guess the government had sent my friend, Janell’s visa to Amanda… I don’t know how they mess that up! Anyway, Amanda looked Janell up on facebook and they were able to exchange stories and pray together. Small world! Who would think that Janell’s Visa and Passport would go to a person who I know, and that I would say more to Amanda than I ever have before! haha

Then, on New Years Eve my brother, Nathan, called my cell phone to tell me his car had started on fire an exploded! I guess he smelled smoke as he drove to the Wal-Mart in Kindersley but thought it was just a bon fire or something. He went into Wal-Mart and 5 minutes later there was a red alert for a white Mustang! There was a flame under the hood and everyone told him not to go near it. Everyone was running to their cars and driving away like it was a terrorist attack or something! He phoned the fire department, but by the time they got there it was a huge fire and his car is totaled! He was able to get his stuff out from inside, just not the trunk.

I even got to see the Saskatoon Blades defeat that Regina Pats 2-1 and was able to have a chat with a few Christian guys on the Blades!

There were many other adventures… but those are the ones I can talk about! Haha!