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The ripple effect

FCA Hockey has started ‘the ripple effect’ on social media that you can learn from here https://www.nscacademy.org/the-ripple-effect/
A ripple can be caused when you drop a rock in water. An uncountable amount of ripples follow the rock from the surface of the water to the bottom where the rock stops, yet the impact is still felt. We can use this example when implying our faith in God and what Jesus has sacrificed for everyone. His ripple has been a mighty wave for thousands of years. The ripple we're talking about from the article started with me in Allen, Texas when I witnessed the ripples a player named Gary Steffes spread for the glory of God. I then followed the kneeling prayer at center ice in home rinks, and on the blue line in away rinks. I’ve been doing that now for over 6 years now and have many players joining me over the years. My siblings for one have done this, and in youth hockey in TX and New England have many teammates, coaches, parents, refs, zam drivers, you name it have approached us asking why we kneel and if we were praying. I had an encounter with a kid my 1st year of juniors named Michael Willams that now goes to liberty university and was encouraged for ‘not being the only one’. My junior career for the most time has been alone and I was fine with that, but I wanted to do more. Over the 1st 2 seasons I had some guys pray with me but not at every game bases, yet in the locker they always ask me honest questions. Can you do this, can you do that, are you better than us, why don't you go party, the list goes on and started a ripple of preaching the gospel to my teammate. Also be a reliable teammate to take care of them if anything bad happens and even pray for them. I’ve learned that God's works are so big, I may not be getting instant gratification, but I receive way more than that. Even opponents, I tried to spread my faith. When guys chirp me I always tell them, “You need Jesus”, “Nice hit/ shot”, “God bless you” simply and 99% of them stopped which was funny. I also said sorry A LOT and was the nice guy that picked up gear on both sides. Yet with that, I still wanna play a hard, passionate, honest game. I am always willing to get into scrums to protect my teammates, drop the gloves if it comes down to it, maybe just a hit or a bump to let them know I’m serious. Now saying this, I needed to stay disciplined and have people keep me in check when a loose swear gets out, hurting a teammate, my sinful nature wanting to come out on a daily basis. My faith grew so much more heading to Utah the following 2 seasons. The 1st year I had my goalie praying with me as well as a in town rival team with one of my old teammates, Zak Albers. We played youth and high school hockey together in Texas and prayed together in every game, even in a divisional championship game which was a tough prayer, yet fulfilling and full of God's spirit. I had so many more conversations about my faith there mainly because of Utah being a morman based state, even living with a morman family which was hard but I learned so much through that experience. The second season, the rival team got a handful of Northstar Christian Academy players that grew our circle and showed our community unity and love for God. The amazing part in all of this is we all kneel for the same God, Jesus Christ our savior. The impact goes past the game but into families watching us and a kid like me searching for something that was right in front of my face. I pray that I can father the ‘ripple’ for God and his son that paid the price for all of our sins dying on a cross and rising from the grave. Do you feel the ripple?

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