The Redelsperger Family

  The year was 1995.  It was a time when big bangs and perms were on their way out, when music and fashion were in a very strange transition and these three high school students formed the bond of a lifetime. In the picture with my sister and me is a young woman named Yuka. She had come to our home on a one month stay two years prior. We enjoyed hosting her so much that my sister Alicia traveled the following summer to Yuka's house in Japan. We kept in touch through writing letters and sending care packages, so when Yuka expressed the desire to come to the United States and study with us for a year we jumped at the opportunity to host her again. She arrived for the school year in August and by May had bonded with our family in a significant way. Putting her on the plane to go home was a tearful event.   I've been reflecting on these experiences over the last few weeks because I recently took a job with  CETUSA . It will be my pleasure and joy to help host families...

October 4th, 2017 is a day that will be locked in my mind forever. The news   that my friend was gone didn't seem real. It seemed like a very bad dream and I wanted to wake up to find that it wasn't true. Even now, three months later, as life transitions into its new "normal" I find myself wondering how such a thing can happen. You can read about Rena's life here:  Obituary .  Rena had a deep and lasting impact on our community. I met Rena through school. Our kids went to Golden Eagle together. The very first time I met her I KNEW she was a dancer! It's something you can sense and see in her gracefulness and poise. My girls took classes with her for a semester when we first moved to Weed. Over the four years of knowing her I saw her love for Jesus shine through her love of dance. She never once shied away from sharing the gospel in her performances. As Grace began attending youth group, Rena and Danny were there making her feel welcome and included. At the f...

Merry Christmas! What a wonderful year it has been for our family!  As you may have read in our Christmas letter this coming year will be full of excitement as well.  In July of 2013 we will be moving to San Jose to begin a church plant called Basilea. For more information you can visit our website: www.basileachurch.com This year our biggest news (besides deciding to be church planters) is the fact that we are now free from the slavery of debt!  We finally paid off the last of our student loans and are experiencing the joy that comes from being debt free. The kids are very excited that we now get to start saving for the promised trip to Disneyland this coming year! Aaron is currently still the youth minister at the Cordova Church of Christ.  This past year he has postponed getting his Masters degree from Fuller while we paid off the last of the debt. It has been a sacrifice, but we hope that he can restart again soon paying for each class in cash in...

Another year has flown by and it's already time for our yearly Christmas update, but first a story about our Christmas card! This year for Thanksgiving , we did something a bit unconventional...we left town and went to stay the night at a hotel near the Calavaras Big Trees.  I thought there might be snow on the ground so I packed the kids snow gear "just in case".  When we arrived at the big trees there was over 12"!!!  This picture was taken on the "dancing stump" (called that because it's as big as a stage) done on the timer amidst two melt downs by the younger two kids.  I'm amazed everyone is looking at the camera and not crying!  What a fun memory, and it made for a perfect Christmas card picture...  and now for the "update"! Aaron has been very busy this year handling the responsibilities of youth ministry, small groups ministry, taking graduate classes, and preaching a 12 week sermon series this fall. (You can listen to them...

Every year. Every child. Every year is different. Every child is different. Every child is different every year! This is why we have decided to make our decisions about school based on those two things. We (like any other parent) want what's best for our children. What's best can sometimes change based on the circumstances. This year we felt it was best to keep Grace home for school. I am so very excited about it! We've had two days of school thus far and I'm loving it already. I know that not every day will be as smooth as these two have been, and that's okay with me. I know that there will be times that I am longing to "have a break", and days that I question my sanity. But above all that the foundational truth of the matter is this: IT'S NOT ABOUT ME! It's about her...

It's summer time! It's HOT... and that means it's time for lazy days outside watching the kids play in the pool or the sprinklers. I realize it's a sacrifice for me to give up valuable time to sit in my lawn chair with a good book and tanning lotion, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make! So here's to ice water in princess water bottles, sun tea and sprinklers!

This is my daughter.

It's a melancholy day. The rain drizzles from the sky and the slight flecks of them falling on the wet patio give it a cool sheen. Puddles start to form in the low places of the uneven ground, and worms emerge from their earthen homes. The sidewalk chalk is smudged and kindergarten sight words are not so readable now. I love the rain. Even the sound of cars passing by, sounds fresher in the rain. The smell of precipitation makes me happy. Today my children asked me why it's raining. I told them that "The clouds have too much water in them. When they have too much water, it falls from the sky creating rain. The rain waters the ground which makes things grow. Isn't our God great for creating such a perfect balance for our weather?" The words come easily and it's a simple explanation that satisfies the five and three year old curiosity, but I know there is more behind it than that. Their chatter fades in the background as I, myself wonder at the days ...

I'm reading a book by Michael Perry. It's called " Coop ". The man is really incredible. The story is really just his daily life, but the way that he words things makes you want to move to a farm and start writing a book of your own. He uses words like harrowing, impecunious, anecdotal, trilling and pristine. Not that these words are so intellectual that they can't be used, it's simply the way he uses them that draw a picture so clearly you feel like you are there in the moment. His conversion to "the Truth", recollections of growing up on a dairy farm, the birth of his daughter at home, each scene played out in capturing detail as he ponders some of the deeper things of life. It makes me want to write. I think it's why I like blogging so much. Each person has a story to tell, every day has a message. Anyone can write, it's just a matter of honing your skills and telling your story in a way that people want to read it. Since this is o...

I've been so caught up in the "makeover" that my homemaker blog is getting that I have neglected the family blog! I promise I'll have some updates posted soon!

One of the things I love about this "blogging community" is coming across gems. Posts written by perfect strangers, passionate about their cause, their life, their God. If you have the time, please take it to read Katie's post on the Body of Christ . Let us be changed to be more in His image...

I can hardly believe a year has gone by since our last family update . Every year at Christmas I enjoy taking the time to just sit back and reflect on the year that has passed. The children grow so quickly and change a lot in just 12 short months. This year has been full to say the least. The biggest news in our family is the addition of two more Redelspergers! Tana and Grey moved in with us on June 2nd, and it has been a joy having them here. Tana is a student at Sacramento City College, as well as working two jobs! She keeps us fully stocked in Starbucks coffee, and has an extremely contagious laugh! Grey is three years old and we love having him join in all our family fun. He likes to work outside in the yard with Uncle Aaron, as well as listening to stories. Our "little" family of seven is snug as can be in our quaint three bedroom home, and we feel the blessings of being near family daily. Aaron 's been a busy man this year. In addition to being an amazing husband...

It snowed last night in Rancho Cordova, CA. I wish a camera could have caught the joy on my kids faces when they saw it this morning... It's the simple things in life! You know, like snow on a slide. Poor, sad, deflated bouncy ball. I promise you will be used again one day! You look pretty with snow on you.

Last night as I was putting the girls to bed I told Noraa she could pick a Christmas story and told Gracy she could choose our Bible story. We finished reading "The Night Before Christmas" and then Gracy started flipping the pages of her children's Bible looking for her selection. Noraa sweetly whispers to Grace..." sthister, pick a Christmas one !", To which Grace promptly replies, " Silly Noraa, there aren't any Christmas stories in the Bible ." Oops. How did my five year old not know the reason for the season? So I gently opened the Bible to the beginning of the New Testament and said, " Actually Grace, there is a Christmas story in the Bible. In fact, the reason we celebrate Christmas isn't because of Santa Clause, presents, or the fun lights and trees, but because Jesus, God's own Son came to earth to be with us. Because we don't know when He was born, we choose to celebrate the day He was born, on Christmas " The...

Once upon a time, there was a wife. A "homemaker" to be more precise. And this wife, she had a husband. He was a very fine husband indeed. He was not just nice to look at but also truly a good hearted man. Well, one day this wife was having a bad day. A very bad day indeed . The husband asked his wife, " What can I do to make your day better ." But the wife did not know. " Nothing I suppose ." She said wearily The day wore on and though things improved some, the wife was inexplicably sad. The husband came home from work only to have to leave again for his Biblical Hebrew class. The wife fed the children and gave them all their baths. By herself she helped them brush their teeth, read the Bible and say their night time prayers. The husband came home at 10:30pm, and as he walked through the door... the wife's worries, frustrations and emotions of the day were all swept away. Because there in the husbands hands was a beautiful, fragrant and incredibl...

When you ask Sammy to say "I Love You", he puts his hand to his ear like this! (I think it's because he hears me say it on the phone to his daddy!) It melts me every time!

I love pictures. I found the coolest spot to take pictures in Old Sacramento, and the sun was behind the clouds so it was a perfect day for it. Unfortunately trying to get pictures of three kids who are not very photogenic, (Not to mention their parents!) presents a bit of a problem. Regardless I think they're pretty cute. Maybe when GranJan comes with her fancy camera we can head back down there and take some fancy pictures. In the mean time, here we are; unedited. Our "little" family of five! Grandma and Grandpa came for Thanksgiving, what a joy to have them here! Tana and Grey help complete our family!

The picture is a bit grainy, but you can see the general gist of it. This picture was taken my senior year ('97) at the Summit Ministries program in Manitou Springs, CO. My two friends, Garrett and Kevin and I went together. The Sunday before we were headed home, we hiked up the nearby mountain and had our own little communion service. Then we each had some individual prayer time. I didn't realize that Kevin had taken this picture of me during that prayer time, until he gave it to me the following Christmas in a frame. I came across it yesterday. Every time I see it I'm filled with fond memories (like the sweater being knit by Garrett's grandma)and I'm amazed at how long my hair was. I'm growing my hair out again...

Today as I was doing the dishes and Grace was sitting at the table doing her homework, I found myself humming this tune...and counting: 1. My loving, faithful, amazing husband 2. Running water 3. A dishwasher to do most of the work 4. Being able to stay home 5. Children to clean up after 6. The little things my kids say that brighten my day 7. Impromptu to "I love you"s 8. A friend who volunteers to drive you to WinCo at 8pm even when you have a Thanksgiving Day sized grocery list. 9. Money to buy not just the needs, but the "wants" as well. 10. Ears to hear 11. Eyes to see 12. A mouth to taste (I LOVE good food) 13. A nose to smell (even those stinky diapers!) 14. Hands to hold, to work, to play and to love with 15. Smiles (from anyone, but my kids smiles are my favorites!) 16. Laughter 17. Tears 18. Lessons learned 19. Guidance 20. Chocolate 21. A good book 22. The Good Book 23. My Church family 24. Agapeland 25. Potty trained children 26. Not potty trained chil...