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Last month, in the middle of May, I was driving home from Florida to Nova Scotia, and as I neared home I saw snow alongside the highway. Yes, snow, in the middle of May! It was appalling. But it isn’t because of the snow that I say it’s beginning to look like Christmas. I say this because we are only a few short days away from our first camp. It’s hard to believe, but indeed the time has come. I’m not sure about you but for me, “hockey camp eve” nearly mirrors the excitement of Christmas Eve. There is so much to be excited about. Camp truly is the best.

I can confidently compare camp with Christmas because what we offer at camp. Notice, I’m not saying winter holiday, or winter break, but Christmas! Let me explain my comparison. See, at hockey camp we offer the glitz and glamour of winter holiday. We have programs, events, and activities that will give the campers stories to tell their friends for years. At hockey camp, we are not afraid to have fun. For us staff, many times we are having just as much fun as the campers themselves! At hockey camp you play hockey for hours a day, with instruction from some of the best people in the game. At hockey camp you get to play games that not only prepare you for the upcoming season, but provides a lot of laughter. At hockey camp you experience joy that is difficult to explain to those that don’t attend camp.

However, hockey camp doesn’t just stop with fun and excitement. Like Christmas, it offers a chance to explore the deeper issues of the heart. The programs, events, and activities at camp are like the wrapping paper on a present which hides what we are really after. It is fun ripping it off, but the real joy comes when we see what’s inside. It’s great to have the fun and games and excitement, and we certainly have it, but at the end of the day our goal is to show hockey players the power of the cross.

I used to think that hockey camp was so great because it combined my two favorite things, Jesus and hockey. But as I’ve grown, I have come to realize that hockey camp is great because of Jesus, and hockey is an activity that simply brings us common ground and is something we enjoy.

Hockey camp is a place to hear some of the best people in the game of hockey share thier personal story. Hockey camp is a place where you can sit down with your peers and talk about the deepers things in life, and not just hockey. Hockey camp is a place where you can pray, both on and off the ice. Hockey camp is a place where the gospel is shared and showed. It’s this depth that matters in the end. C.S. Lewis wrote in one of his books that, “a stable once held something inside it that was bigger than our whole world.” Isn’t that the truth? When we study the birth of Jesus Christ we the real reason for Christmas and for our lives. It’s okay to enjoy the lights, the trees, the presents, the music, and much of what the holiday season offers, as long as the real Christmas is not lost. This is our intention at hockey camp and this is what truly makes us a unique hockey camp. With this balance, we can work on improving not just as hockey players, but improving as people too.

The camp countdown is on!! I know as tough as it is to get some sleep on Christmas Eve, make sure you get some sleep on “hockey camp eve” .You’re going to need it as we enjoy the 2015 HMI Hockey Camp.

Until next time,

The Intern

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