The Redelsperger Family

If memory serves me correctly, it was in Chapel my Junior year at Cascade College. My good friend and suite-mate, Jill Dodson (who was given the voice of an angel) sang this song . It was a very trying semester for me and I was in a dark time emotionally. I had returned from my studies overseas and my best friend and room mate for the past two and half years, had transferred to Oklahoma Christian. I felt lonely, afraid, and sad. The lyrics and the way this song was presented showed me Light in my darkness. It pointed me to Him, guiding my thoughts toward not who I was, but who He is and that He believed in me. As I did the dishes the other day, I couldn't help but sing this song again and again, letting the words wash over me, cleansing me once again. He is able, more than able, to accomplish what concerns me today. He is able, more than able, to handle anything that comes my way. He is able, more than able, to do much more than I could ever dream. He is abl...

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." What a promise! What a comfort to know that our sins are forgiven when we confess them. There are so many sins in my life that sometimes I don't even know where to begin confession. Lately however I have realized the "root" of my sin, the heart of my unrighteousness. Are you ready for my bold confession? (I'm not sure it's prudent for a ministers wife to make confessions on a public blog, but since when have I ever been prudent?) I am a very selfish person. This is my confession. This is my sin, my nature, my being. It's been "about me" for so long, I hardly remember living a selfless life. At one time I was living a life focused on His will and His desire for me. This past Mothers Day someone mentioned from the pulpit how Mothers are a true reflection of Christ because of their selflessness. I was a ...

I'll admit it: I'm a sap! I cry at the drop of a hat these days. Maybe it's having the ridiculous fluctuation of hormones going through my body over the past five years and three pregnancies, or maybe I've always been this way. Though I honestly can't remember crying whenever I heard a touching song on the radio. In fact, I do remember rolling my eyes when this would happen to my mom or my sister. They were the sentimental ones, not me. (Butterfly kisses got them every time!) Or maybe it's the love I have been taught over the past five years. Having children certainly deepens the definition of the word love within a mothers heart. That being said, I would like to think that I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the lost of the world, but only recently it seems that every time I hear a song about the love of Jesus for the lost (the people that I interact with every day) I get an ache in my heart. I realize how much I'm not doing and ...

So recently I heard about a book called " Confessions of a Slacker Mom " by Muffy Mead- Ferro . I decided that I should check it out from the library since I tend to have some "slacker" tendencies of my own. I LOVE this book! There are lots of things I really like about it, so here is the list! 1. It's short. Because it's only 137 pages, it's a very quick read. In fact I read it during two interrupted nap sessions yesterday and today. 2. It's well thought out. Though it's all just thoughts from a mother of two, you can tell that this book was a labor of love for her. She's reflective which leads to a bit of sentimental reminiscing (which I love). In fact it tends to read a bit like a blog! 3. She's NOT a professional. She's not trying to be the next super psychologist telling you how to raise your kids, she's just a mommy sharing her epiphanies, and who doesn't need that every once in a great while! 4. She...

I had an epiphany this morning. As I went to use the restroom needing just a few moments to myself, I shut the door and my two year olds search for me began. This is when I realized that the moment you conceive a child your right to privacy and sense of self is null and void. From the very first ultrasound (hint: it's not done abdominally), when you are actually excited about your privacy being stripped away; to the delivery room when once again the joy and excitement vetos any issue you may have once had about privacy. (The garbage man could deliver your child or your best friends husband video tape the delivery and you could care less!) These are all experiences when I can understand the privacy bubble being breached; there is however a time after your first child has been born that you feel the urge to belong to yourself once more. It's after this moment that the longing to have even just a few moments becomes futile. They climb into your bed at night, snuggling themselves u...

Yesterday in MOPS, our speaker mentioned something in passing that I thought was really interesting. She said that women between the ages of 30 and 50 gain, on average, about 20-25 pounds! She asked us if we thought it came from: A. Eating an extra 5-10 calories a day B. Eating an extra 100-200 calories a day or C. Eating more than 200 extra calories each day. Astonishingly the answer was A. A measly 5-10 calorie difference in a 35 year old's diet can increase weight gain that significantly (according to the study that she referenced.) Though I forgot to ask her where she got her information, it was incredibly depressing. You see, the problem is this: I LOVE GOOD FOOD!!!! I love to cook and I love to make my food with "real" ingredients. Butter is one of my favorite things to cook with and add to many dishes. (Honestly I think it's way better for you than the dumb oils they try to push as being "healthy", the same oils that 60 years ago they used f...

Whew, today is a busy day. Have you ever heard someone say they've got a list "as long as my arm"? Today is one of those days for me. The list is never ending. Of course there are things on the list that are the ever present chores: dishes, sweeping & mopping, bathrooms, vacuuming, laundry etc. But today there's so much more I want to accomplish. I want to do more than just laundry and dishes, I want to do more than just tread water. I want to excel, I want to go beyond, I want to feel like I'm super mom! To just "get by" is fine for some days (because some days that's all I can do!), but not for today. Today is a day to get things done. No baby steps in the right direction, today I will leap to my destination, I will set the bar high and I will succeed! So, I guess I'd better get busy!