Blog post #12

This is a picture of Mom and I after one of my games... enjoyed having her here, it was about 2 months ago but seems like yesterday, time flys...

The weekend of June 18 and 19 started a tough 3 week stretch of double headers, where we played 6 games in 16 days...
The first game was on June 18 we played the Perth Redbacks... it was a tough way to start the six game stretch by loosing 86-87... we were ahead the whole game and just lost it down the stretch... I finished with 24 points and 9 rebounds...
the next night we played at the Cockburn Cougars... It was a good night for us, kinda tough to play double headers but it was nice to get right back at it after loosing the night before... we won pretty easy that night 104-82, I finished with 24 points and 3 rebounds...

The next weekend we continued with double headers by playing on Friday at home vs Eastern Suns, a team that defeated us earlier in the season... We defeated them this time around 120-103... I finished with25 points and 9 rebounds...
The next night we traveled up to Stirling to play the Senators and we beat them in a sloppy fashion... We nearly let them back into after leading the whole game, it was a big learning experience for us, learning how to finish games better, winning 95-88... I finished with 24 points and 5 rebounds...

On Sunday June 27 after waking up, going to church coaching my WABL team, I was fortunate to be able to preach at the Sunday night service at Lakeside... I preached over Hebrews 11-12:2... was another great experience and loved the opportunity to share God's word with so many people... its also online on the Lakeside website, I will put the link on here for you to check out if you want...
http://lakeside.asn.au/index.php?option=com_docman&Itemid=132

The next weekend we had yet another double header, playing at Rockingham on Friday night... we played well this night and were in control from the beginning, winning 133-97, I had a career night scoring 50 points and having 8 rebounds...
the next night we played at home vs Kalgoorlie Giants, it was a hard fought game and we came out on top winning 101-90, I finished with 26 points and 3 rebounds...
after the weekend was over the league awarded me with the player of the week honors...

The next day was the 4th of July, was a great day of celebration... I woke up really early and went fishing on the ocean with a couple buddies from Lakeside... the Plenty brothers took me out on the ocean to see the sunrise and maybe catch a couple fish... we ended up catching a couple fish, but just hanging out with those guys was more important... here is a picture from that...


After fishing and help the guys clean up the fish... I went home, gathered myself and went to the Chegs house for a 4th of July get together... It was a great time becasue most of the AIA guys came over and we got to hang out for the first time in a while... we sat around had great food and drink and celebrated our nation in another coutry... great time of fellowship... here is a picture of the brothers in Australia...


this is it for now, up to this point in the blog there is only 2 weeks left in the season... lots tp talk about but that will be for another time... just want to leave you with one thing...

Matthew 5:19-Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

In my classes this verse has come up a lot... It really hit me today that we have a poor few of the Law of God, the Jews love the Law, that is why David in the Psalms says I delight in the Law and think about it all day and night... so much to say about this verse and the law but the professor in my classes puts it this way, the Law is grace to us, it leads us in the way God wants us to interact with Him and others, there is nothing evil about other than it exposes our sin and ultimately our need for a Savior because we fall short... that is were Jesus comes in he is the fulfilment of the Law, and I have hope in that because He lived the life I could not live and died the death I should have died in my place... Praise be our God and King and His Law...

Much love,
Ben

Blog post #11

Friends and family, this is gonna be long will try and keep it short...
First off, the picture is of my host family and a couple others, we have dinner every Monday night at my house... From left to right in the picture is Bobby Kempf, have mentioned him before he is a friend from the US playing in the same league, Simon Lokan, he is from South Australia playing for Lakeside, my host brother Micheal, he works as a personal trainer, Rachel, Micheal's girlfriend, Jane, my host Mom, she deserves much thanks and praise for putting me up, giving me a place to sleep and cooking food and being someone is always there, thanks you Jane!! then next is Luke Payne, he plays with me at Lakeside and is a good friend, he is from South Carolina...

The date I last reported goes all the way back to the end of May, a lot has happened since then...
on May 29 we played at Wanneroo, it was a tough night, we ended up loosing the game 103-97, partly because we didn't have Luke who was out that game with an injury, we were down most of the game and came back in the 2nd half... I finished with 35 points and 11 rebounds...
the next day my WABL team had to play down in Bumbury, which is over an hr drive south of Perth... was a bit of a long trip but enjoyed seeing the countryside and listening to a sermon on the way down there while drinking some coffee... also was able to visit and hang out with my friend Trey Clarkson who plays on the team down there... here is a picture from a tower overlooking the ocean with Trey...


The next weekend of June 5, we played at home vs the Geraldton Buccs, we won that game, 98-94, it was a tough game I finshed with 22points and 8 rebounds...
the next day I went down to Harvey, WA with my friend Casey Crevalone and his family, it was about a 2 hr drive to get there... it was in the country, on the farm they raised sheep and oranges... loved every second of it, we went down there and helped work the sheep, we docked their tails, put tags in, gave shots, and put bands on the males... also got to eat a ton of fresh oranges and had a bonfire at night with some of my buddies and the family from down there... great people!
here is a photo of me with the people we were helping...


The next weekend of June 12 we played at Perry Lakes, where my friend Bobby plays... I was not sure if I was gonna play in that game, I really hurt my ankle the week before, eventhough it didn't stop me from working sheep, haha... it was really swollen and in a lot of pain... but I fought through it and our team ended up winning 104-85, we played great as a team... I finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds...

more to report later.. still have a month to catch up on...

One thing to think about... Just a quote my friend said to me yesterday...
"it's easy to act like a Christian, it's hard to react like one."

Much love
Ben