Blessed Assurance

I started a prayer journal this summer. Here's a little peak into my entry from Friday. Can you tell what kind of day I had? :-)

When I am anxious,
You are there.

When I am overwhelmed,
You are there.

When I am tired,
You are there.

When I am impatient,
You are there.

When I am frustrated,
You are there.

When I am lonely,
You are there.

When I am scared,
You are there.

When I am hurting,
You are there.

When I am fed up,
You are there.

When I am at my wits end,
You are there.

After the game Friday night, I had a brief encounter with an acquaintance who unknowingly addressed an issue I had been struggling with all week. What an amazing God we have. He loves me so much that he heard my heart's cry and provided assurance to me through this person. Just what I needed.

Football Update: Today starts week 4 of the season and we are still looking for our first win. I know it's not all about winning, but winning sure does make it more fun.

A True Freshman

A quick update on the player Greg was trying so desperately to keep at college ...

On Saturday morning Greg received a text from him saying "Today I play in my first college game as a true freshman."

Hooray! What a relief!

We hadn't heard from the player since my last update. He had simply quit responding to Greg's texts and didn't answer phone calls. We've learned that's the typical response when a player knows he's not making the best choice - he simply drops off the grid. And we're left to wonder. And pray.

Saturday we got an answer.

It's still early as our beloved player works toward his degree. There will be more trials. More prayers needed. But at least - as of Saturday - he was hanging in there.

Greg quickly wrote him back to say we're proud of him and that we will try to make a game this season.

It turns out this player's college team and the Waco Lions both lost this weekend. Losing is never fun, but I'm proud my coach knows that he's playing a game even bigger and more important than Texas high school football.

#thisiswhy

Happy Learning!

So at work everyone in my office is taking the Clifton StrengthsFinder test. I'm a big believer in these types of assessments. For me, they're usually spot on. This one in particular identifies your top 5 strengths and provides feedback on how to benefit from them.

My favorite strength that was revealed was Learner. It resonated so strongly with me. I'm always looking for the next learning adventure or challenge. In 2005 it was earning a master's degree. In 2007, learning about the dental industry. In 2010 it was earning APR certification. Right now I'm focused on enhancing my HTML skills.

If those aren't enough examples of my love of learning, here's another. My good friend and mentor, Heidi, gave me a book diary when I graduated from college. It's been lots of fun to keep track of what I've read over the years. Here's a glimpse into my 2014 log:

• Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• The Magician's Nephew
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 
• The Horse and His Boy
• Prince Caspian
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
• The Silver Chair
• The Last Battle
• What Difference Do It Make by Ron Hall
• Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly
• To Live is Christ by Beth Moore
• Believing God by Beth Moore
• When Reality Hits by Nancy Barry
• Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza
• Strengths-Based Leadership by Tom Rath
• Art Briles: Looking Up by Nick Eaton
• Letters to An American Lady by C.S. Lewis
• Hiring for Attitude by Mark Murphy (in progress) 

One of my all time favorite quotes is this one by Charlie "Tremendous" Jones:

“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”

Happy learning!

My Summer Vacation

I am super grateful for my mom this week. We roped her into watching both boys since their school is closed this week. She's reached hump day and is (mostly) still in one piece. So far the week has consisted of coloring macaroni and making necklaces, hours and hours of indoor kickball, playing "Kaboom!", watching Finding Nemo, and taping cardboard boxes together (this fascinates Keaton, don't ask me why!). I've dubbed this week my "summer vacation" and am definitely enjoying not having drop off/pick up duties.

Greg has been hard at work this week, too. Practices started, but he's also been trying to keep one of his former players from becoming a college dropout before school even begins. We're praying hard for this player we've invested in over the last several years. Getting a college education means more than just a diploma for him. It will literally change his family tree and break a cycle of poverty. It's always frustrating when people you care about are not making good choices. We are learning that this is a staple in our ministry. Pray for guidance on how to respond - whether this player makes the right choice or not.

And so it begins ...

We've been telling Keaton since January that after his birthday in July that it will be football season. Well, he turned 4 last week (I can't believe that!) and now we're moving on to football.

I have to admit there wasn't much fanfare this morning. Greg's been getting up and going to the field house most of the summer anyway, so nothing was out of the ordinary when he was up this morning.

Here are some of the early season thoughts running through my head ...

1. Plan a freezer cooking day
   This is so helpful when Greg doesn't get home until late and I'm feeding both kids on my own after a long day of school and work. Life is always better with a full tummy.


2. What will the kids wear to the games?
   I ordered special toddler-size shirts two season ago that Keaton wore each Friday. It's probably time to find something new since the logo on the front is about worn off. I'll need a few red outfits for Jake since he has a tendency to drool, spill food, etc. all over his clothes.


3. How can I convince Greg I need a treadmill/elliptical machine?
   Once he starts working late, it's hard to get outside in the evenings to walk. It would be so nice to have a machine I could use inside!

Last week I got a magnet with the season's schedule on it - one for the fridge at home and one for my mini fridge at work. If you want to come to a game, just let me know!

The Rudolphs - Season 7

My 7th season as a coaches wife begins in less than a week when Greg makes the annual trek to Coaches School.

A few years ago I started a tradition of getting Greg a small present to kick off the season. My first attempt was (what I thought) was a really cool razor:

He didn't really care for it. Last year it was a Tupperware glass like Si has on Duck Dynasty:

It went over a little better than the razor but is now abandoned in our cupboard.

The gift tradition might be my stab at getting pumped for the season. See, I never fully embrace the arrival of football. Sure, I'm excited for the weekly match ups, cooler weather and time spent with other wives. But mostly I'm nervous about the transition from a (somewhat) carefree summer mode to single parenthood. I miss my spouse.

Each season I've clung to the idea that Greg's profession is a ministry. That helps me justify the daily sacrifices we make as a family. Neither of us were trained for full time ministry, and I've always been the first to say that I'm not a great coaches wife.

Until this year.

God's been working on my heart this summer. I'm learning more about ministry itself - what it really looks like, not just my glorified perception. God has placed a few well-timed people in my life to provide support and encouragement.

So here we go! This year I'm excited to welcome the season and all the glories and hardships it will bring.

This is our life. Our ministry.

I hope you'll enjoy the journey with us.