Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:49:48 -0500WeeblySun, 19 Apr 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/are-you-winning-the-race-toward-god​April 19, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
Have you ever noticed that the fastest one doesn't always win the race?  I'm reminded of the old legend of the tortoise and the hare.  The hare takes off like the jack rabbit that he is on the course set out before him.  Instead of keeping an eye on the prize, he zigzags from here to there, lollygagging around along the path set out.   Meanwhile, the tortoise plods along at a steadily slow pace in a straight line toward the prize.  You guessed it.  The tortoise wins!  Yeah, for the underdog!
 
In baseball, those who are power sluggers and home run hitters sometimes have the lowest batting average.  Every time they swing at the ball they're hoping for a home run and consequently, they strike out often.  Likewise, those who try to get rich quickly, often end up going broke.  Trust me on that one.  I've tried some of those get rich quick schemes and, though I didn't go broke, my investments didn't always work out so well.  In baseball, those who swing for singles often have the highest batting average.  When it comes to making money, swing for a lot of singles.  Work not for yourself.  Work for the glory of the Lord.  In the end, it all works out anyway.
 
In life, are we all not like the tortoise and the hare?  Running, hoping to win the prize.  In baseball, do you not think that every player envisions hitting a home run every time he's at the plate?  When it comes to making money, do we not all salivate and chase after it?  I'm here to tell you that the prize at the end of some race, a successful swing with the crack of the bat, the ca-ching of the cash register, are all meaningless, unless you know Jesus as your personal Savior.
 
Philippians 3:14 (NASB) speaks to the prize, the goal toward which we should all stretch.  “I press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  If you want to win the race, if you want to hit a home run, if you want treasure worth more than silver and gold, then ask yourself, “Am I reaching for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus?”
 
Now if you're honest with yourself about that question, life will come into focus.  You will realize that there is a very low probability your child will be a great track star, a professional football, or baseball player, or have the ability to make a bazillion dollars.  On the other hand, there is a 100% probability that one day your child will meet Jesus face to face.  How do you think that's going to work out for them when they say to Him, “My mom and dad took me to all these games on Sunday mornings.  I never learned about You in Sunday school or church”?  Just wondering…..
 
Pastor Allan
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved]]>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/falling-apart-partyApril 12, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
Here I am once again, sitting in the doctor's waiting room. ☹  I am not happy about it at all.  Too many doctor visits!
 
Why am I here?  Well, the short answer is that I'm getting older.  My brain thinks all of me is 36 years old.  My body is maturing faster in that it knows it's 76.  “Move!  Move faster!  You can do it!” says my brain.  My body tries to keep up.  The hard reality is that it cannot.
 
I feel like I'm falling apart!  I told Armona that I'm going to throw a “Falling Apart Party!” 😊  Anyone who has chronic pain, uses a cane or a crutch, or suffers from any other mental or physical ailment that plagues you, is invited.  I suspect my party is going to be well attended with lots of heads, some of which will be adorned with gray hair, some with no hair at all.  
 
If you are like me, it's like a tug of war is going on between my body and my brain.  My brain says to my body, “Yes, you can!”  My body says to my brain, “No, you can't!”  I don't know about you, but I'm cheering for my brain.  Never give in!  Never give up!  So, hang on body!  Be like the little engine that could, until you absolutely can't!  
 
Praising Jesus in and through whatever comes my way!
 
Love in Him,
Pastor Allan
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
]]>Sun, 05 Apr 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/what-is-your-legacyApril 5, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
I've always fancied myself wanting to be part of something spectacular and great, to be part of a historical event that makes a difference in the world.  I like to play chess, so I consider myself to be somewhat of a strategist, always thinking ahead as to what I might do to make a difference in the game, in life.
 
After much flopping and wallowing, trying to get the world's attention so that the spotlight might shine on me, I've come to this realization.  That is just not going to happen.  I think of all the notable men in history upon whom the spotlight once shone, Napoleon, George Washington, Winston Churchill, and even ruthless dictators like Adolf Hitler.  Now, all of these have one thing in common.  They are all dead.  Many of them left behind a grand legacy, others did not.  
 
So, as I think about my legacy, I have come to realize that I will not be a political world shaker or a changer.  However, if I have led or will lead just one person to Christ then I will shine like the stars of heaven.  “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”  (Daniel 12:3) 
 
I really think the people that shine the brightest, are the people that shine the light upon others.  Today is Easter and I shine the light on Christ Who has risen from the grave!  If you come to Christ today because of what I write, maybe the heavens will shine just a little brighter tonight.  If I only make the difference in the life of one, that is enough.
 
Just a nobody trying to tell everybody that somebody loves them.  That somebody is Jesus.
 
Love in Christ,
Pastor Allan
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
]]>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/the-crocodile-is-at-our-own-front-doorMarch 29, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
To the crocodile that is eating our neighbors down the street, do we confront him?  After all, he's not bothering us, just our distant neighbors.   Soon we notice that, one neighbor at a time, he advances closer to our own front door.  Not wanting to confront him, we appease him through negotiation.  Sir Winston Churchill said this about appeasers.  “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.”  

The United States is currently engaged in a war with Iran.  Whether we are politically for or against this war, let us consider the facts over the last 47 years since the Iranian revolution.  

1. Iran captured and held sixty-six Americans in 1979 and held them captive for 444 days.
2. 1983 U.S. Embassy bombing in Beirut, Lebanon resulted in 17 Americans killed.
3. 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, Lebanon resulted in 241 U.S. servicemen killed.
4. 1984 U.S. embassy building bombing in Beirut, Lebanon killed 23 Americans.
5. During the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Iran’s support of our opposition resulted in well over 1,000 American servicemen being killed.
6. In 2015 Iran provided al Qaida data to enable it to sabotage the USS Cole.  Though the ship was only damaged, 17 American sailors were killed. 

Of course, there are many other instances of atrocities that Iran has committed against the United States.  With all of these and more Iranian acts of war tolerated in the past, why is it now that we go to war with them?  Here's the simple answer.  The crocodile is at our own front door.

In good faith, President Trump had his negotiators trying to appease the crocodile, Iran.  Days before the bombings began, the Iranian negotiators bragged that they had a secret stash of 460 lbs. of enriched uranium available to make eleven atomic bombs.  Now do you not suppose one or two, maybe three atomic bombs would destroy all of Israel?  For a country that's been shouting, “Death to America, the great Satan” for the past 47 years, where would you expect those remaining atomic bombs might be exploded?  

We live in a broken world and war is part of that brokenness.  Though we be at war with Iran, who would, given the opportunity, do us great harm, we still pray that peace might reign.

The Psalmist tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  Pray that the Lord will bring peace to Iran and to our nation as well.
​
Love in Christ,
Pastor Allan
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved]]>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/accumulating-stuffMarch 22, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
Years and years ago after a lifetime of accumulating treasures and stuff, Armona’s mom and dad had a sale to dispose of their treasures and stuff to move to a smaller house in a bigger town.  They went from Pioneer, Iowa with a population of forty to Gilmore City, Iowa with a population of 400.  That move had to be a real culture shock. 😊
 
Now if you don't think a little town like Pioneer, Iowa can have a national impact, you are wrong.  Long ago there was a television show entitled Hee Haw.  During one of the segments of that television series, one of the actors would jump out of a cornfield and salute a small town in America.  How surprised we were when we heard the words, “Pioneer, Iowa!  S-a-l-u-t-e!” 
  
Now back to the main event, the sale.  As Armona and her sisters were going through the attic treasures of their parents, they discovered two scrapbooks of old postcards, some of them dating back to the 1910’s and 1920’s.  Thinking them to be worthless, they were ready to throw those scrapbooks of old postcards into the fire.  Not one to throw anything away, I said, “No!  Someone will buy those.”  
 
Thinking me to be a fool, believing those postcards had value, they all laughed at me.  Nevertheless, the scrapbook of postcards went on the auction table.  On the day of the auction, I resolved to buy those postcards, just to prove to everyone that I was not a fool and that those postcards did have value.  Honestly, I thought I could buy them for $5.  The auctioneer began his cry to sell the postcards and being caught up in the moment, I won the bid at $55.  Armona not realizing I was the successful bidder, later said to me, “Did you hear that some fool paid $55 for those postcards?”  About then, I had to sheepishly admit that I was the fool who paid that much money for them.  😊
 
There's an old wisdom saying that goes like this.  “A fool and his money are soon parted.”  I choose to think that I am no fool.  I just paid $55 for a lifetime of laughs.  The world needs more laughter!
 
Peace and grace… and laughter!
Pastor Allan
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
]]>Sun, 15 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/smartphonesMarch 15, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
Here is a surprising fact.  Did you know that the computing capability of the smartphone you carry in your pocket has about 1,000,000x the computing capability of the computer used to land the first men on the moon with Apollo 11 in 1969?  Isn't it too bad that man's intelligence has not expanded exponentially like the intelligence of a smartphone?
 
As with most things, the smartphone can be used for good or for bad.  Indeed, for our children, and of course for some adults, the usage of such a phone is addictive.  For instance, if ever you use Facebook, you soon realize that once you enter its forest, you are lost, seemingly forever, among the trees.  No wonder human production is low.  With its addiction, comes exposure to the dark side of the world.  As marijuana is a gateway drug to more debilitating drugs, exposure to one perverse website on a smartphone can lead to an addiction to whatever sin that website promotes.
 
And to think that many parents give a cell phone to their children at a very early age with no monitoring or supervision.  The usage of a smartphone by a child becomes the babysitter for the parent.  Do they not realize that once something is seen, it cannot be unseen?  You cannot unring a bell that has been rung.  Parents must know what their children see!
 
Anonymity often leads to boldness, and we often see this as the smartphone is all too often used as a bully pulpit.  Have we forgotten that words can be hurtful?  Those who write hurtful words often excuse their slanderous language under their right to, “freedom of speech.”   On September 12th, 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote, “That freedom of speech is a personal right.  However, it does not give a person the liberty to “affront, calumniate (vilify), and defame” a private person.”
 
As you consider Benjamin Franklin's wisdom, consider James 3:5 (LB).  “So also the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do.  A great forest can be set on fire with only one tiny spark.”  To those of you who use social media as your bully pulpit, may the Lord cool your tongue. 
   
In His Love,
Pastor Allan
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved]]>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/strange-thingsMarch 8, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
Here is a list of strange things that people do.  At least to me they seem strange.

• People go to the gymnasium to get exercise.  Isn't it strange that once they are there, so as to not walk too far, they want to park right by the entrance door?
• You go out to dinner with your friends and, unknowingly, one of them has a string of cheese dangling from their chin.  No one says a word.
• Those who preach tolerance are often among those who are most intolerant.
• Did you know that those who climb Mount Everest and suffer from hypothermia, being delusional and believing they are hot, often take off their clothes when it's fifty degrees below zero?  
• People who suffer from dehydration are not thirsty.
• Believe it or not, those with the least amount of money often spend the most.  Of course, they can't do that for long.
• Hurting people, often hurt people.  I guess it comes under the heading, “Misery loves company.”
• When boarding an airplane, isn't it strange that the people who sit in front are invited to board first?  And now boarding last, because you sit at the back of the plane, you must climb over all of those who boarded the plane earlier.  This makes no sense.    

 
Here's the strangest thing of all.  Jesus offers a hope and a future with a mansion just over the hilltop.  Yet people choose to reject His invitation and live in a house of fire that forever burns.  If you find yourself in that house of fire, run from it.  Jesus is already running toward you.  
 
Yes, the world seems like a strange place.  But we must remind ourselves that we are only aliens passing through this life of testing, and passing the test, heaven is our forever home.  Failing that test, we will forever live in the house of fire. 
 
Praying that your heavenly home is next to mine,
Pastor Allan
 
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved]]>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/god-is-still-in-controlMarch 1, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
October 7, 2023, seems to be a watershed moment in the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States and around the world.  On that date, Hamas launched a surprise attack on a music festival in southern Israel, brutally terrorizing and killing more than 1,200 innocent Jews.  At the same time, they captured 251 hostages, all treated brutally during their captivity for almost two years.  Of those taken hostage, 81 died in captivity.  To the nation of Israel, that sad day is a vivid reminder of the Holocaust during Hitler's reign.  
   
With that horrific event there should be, you would think, a worldwide outpouring of sympathy for the Jews of Israel.  Israel now in open warfare with Hamas, through false propaganda and lies, Hamas has over the last two years stirred up unwarranted sympathy for their cause.  You ask, “What is their cause?”  Their constitution calls for the annihilation of all Jews.  Furthermore, to accomplish that purpose, their constitution states that any negotiation for peace should only be used as a tool, a ploy, for the purpose of the elimination of Israel.  

Now suddenly, in the United States and around the world, there has arisen this spontaneous cry supporting Hamas and against Israel, “From the river to the sea!”  What does that mean?  Simply put, it means to kill all the Jews between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean Sea, the elimination of Israel.  Up until the last two years, most Jews outside of Israel have lived comfortably without persecution in their places of residence around the world.  During the last two years, there have been unprecedented acts of anti-Semitism. 
    
Though the sudden persecution of Jews around the world is indeed satanic, could it be that it accomplishes God's purpose?  Recently, I learned a new Hebrew word, and it is this, “aliyah.”  The basic meaning of that word means, “the Jews immigrating back to Israel.”  It is the Hebrew word describing the prophetic return of all the Jews scattered around the world back to their homeland, Israel.  “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land.  You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.”  (Ezekiel 36: 24 & 28)

We live in a world that seems to be out of control.  The fact of the matter is this.  God is still in control.  I believe that we are about to witness a great aliyah.    Praise be to Jesus!

To Abraham, God said this in Genesis 12:3.  “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.”  I stand on God's side, blessing Israel.
​
Pastor Allan
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
]]>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/price-of-freedomFebruary 22, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
I often think of how easy our life is in America, the home of the free and the brave.  We always expect the house to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer, conveniences abound all around.  Many people don’t even have to cook anymore.  A quick run to the restaurant of your choice and your meal is instantly in front of you.  For a few extra dollars they will even deliver your meal to your doorstep.  Freedom brings all these things.
 
Although freedom brings us an easy life, with it sometimes comes lethargy, gluttony, and laziness.  I think that is the unseen price which we pay.  It’s a hazard of freedom with no cost.  The fact of the matter is that freedom comes at the price of bravery.  Being brave and tough is not putting a ring in your nose, a tattoo on your arm, or limiting the command of the English language to one syllable words.  Bravery is much more.   
 
All too many of those who were brave and tough in the past, and provided for us today an easy life, have gone to the grave.  They are the ones who stormed Normandy beach, endured the cold in Korea, sweated in the jungles of Vietnam, and endured the deserts of Iraq.  These men and women were and are the brave heart of America.  Does America today have any brave hearted men and women from which to draw to fight the wars that might lie ahead?
 
If we want to look for an example as to who might be a tough, brave, and a real man, we need to look no further than Jesus.  The only piercings He ever had were in His hands and feet, and of course, the one in His side.  The only tattoo that He wore, is your name engraved on the palm of His hand. (Isaiah 49:16)  He could have run away from the battle of the cross.  He chose to stay and gain the victory for those who would believe in Him.  Are you brave enough to believe?
 
Bravely standing tall in the shadow of the Lord,
Pastor Allan
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
]]>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/jesus-is-our-life-jacketFebruary 15, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
“This book of the law shall not depart from thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, and thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.  Have I not commanded thee?  Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”  (Joshua 1:8-9 KJV)
 
These verses are the baptismal verses my parents picked for me when I was just a baby.  These prophetic verses have emboldened and given me good courage through my years in ministry.  As I proclaim the word of the Lord, I am not afraid.  I know that the Lord is with me wherever I go.
 
Because of my confidence in Him, I proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ crucified, Jesus Christ risen.  It is time for all of us to be bold and courageous in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ!  Boldness and courage are contagious.  No one follows a cowardly captain.
 
Instead, too many Christians remain silent, not wanting to offend anyone.  Shame on all of us for our silence.  We stand at the riverbank and pull the bodies that are floating by out of the river.  Should we not be running upstream to confront whoever is throwing them in?  Ah… but it takes courage to confront such evil.  Lacking courage, we silently watch the bodies float by.  In the face of evil, to be silent is to acquiesce to evil.  We cannot be like the Christians in Nazi Germany who sang only louder to drown out the death screams of the Jews in the death trains as they rumbled by the front door of the church.  
 
There are souls to save and there are too many floating by and everyone stands in silence.  Arise people of God and do something!  Throw them a life jacket!  That life jacket is Jesus Christ the Lord!
 
Being bold and courageous for Jesus!
Pastor Allan
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved]]>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/what-if​February 8, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
As I sit and contemplate the state of the world, I ask myself how things might be different if only, “What if?”
 
Recently in Minneapolis, “What if” Renee Good had just obeyed the ICE officer and had simply exited out of her car as requested?  “What if” the ICE officer who shot her had deescalated their encounter in a different manner?  I'm certain that neither of them anticipated the events that would happen to them that fateful day.  I am just as certain that both would change the outcome of their mutual tragedy, if only they could. 
 
Just as an aside, if ever we want to see the presence of Satan in a situation, we certainly see him here in Minneapolis at this encounter.  Renee Good was not without fault in that she disobeyed lawful authority.  The ICE officer had only moments to react to what he believed was a threat on his life, and his reaction resulted in the death of Renee Good.  If you watch and listen to the chaos surrounding that moment, there was cursing and confusion that only the devil could have perpetrated.  “What if” God had been present and not the devil?
 
What I have noticed about my “What if” scenarios, is that most of them end in tragedy.
 
“What if” President Putin really knew Jesus as his Savior?   Would he be raining down missiles indiscriminately upon the people of Ukraine?  “What if” any tyrant loved the Lord?  How much better would our world be?  We all know people who have met up with tragedy and we ask, “What if?”  “What if” they had only left five minutes earlier?  “What if” they had taken a different route?
 
Though we may all wish for different outcomes, we know that we can ask all the “What ifs” in the world, and still we cannot undo what has been done.  If you are an unbeliever and as you come to die and wonder to yourself “What if,” your outcome will end in the tragedy of hell.  You know the outcome of that scenario before you even wonder “What if.”  Why not ask, while you still live, “What if I give my life to the Lord?”  Do that and your life will not end in tragedy, but in glory.  
 
Love in Christ,
Pastor Allan 
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
]]>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/child-problem-or-parent-problemFebruary 1, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
There are things that grieve my heart.  One of which is that all too often we see the children of the church regularly attend Sunday School, complete confirmation, and along the way we hear them confess Jesus as Lord, then suddenly, it is as if the world yanks them away.  What remains, the only memory of them in the church is their confirmation picture.  From time to time, I peruse those confirmation pictures hanging on the wall and my heart hurts knowing that many, whose pictures I see, I confirmed, no longer attend church.  
 
If you are confirmed in the church, it is not at all like graduation.  You graduate from high school and that part of your life is done.  Confirmation is just the beginning of a lifelong journey of study and fellowship with Jesus.  The disciples didn't follow Jesus for three years and then after the crucifixion say to themselves, “Well, that's finally over.  I'll go back to being a fisherman and forget about the Lord.”  No!  They stayed in the Word and followed Jesus to their last breath.
 
I wish I knew what causes a child to walk away from church.  However, parental apathy toward Jesus is a heritage that is often passed down from parent to child.  If the parent doesn't attend church, how do any of us expect a child to come to know Jesus?  Deuteronomy 6 tells us that we must teach the word of the Lord diligently to our children.  If a parent fails to do that, teach the word of the Lord to his child, is not the parent leading the child astray?  Now if you, as a parent, don't think it's a big deal to teach your child about Jesus, hear what the Lord says to you in Matthew 18:6.  “… whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
 
In churches where there is in Sunday School a lack of children, there is not a “kid problem.”  Instead, what you have is a “parent problem.”  Parents who are unwilling to bring their child to Sunday School and church. 
 
Several years ago, on the church playground, a little girl about eight years old asked this question.  “Who is Jesus?”  She had never heard of the Lord.  Shame on that parent for not teaching this beautiful little girl about He Who can give her salvation.    
 
Come to Sunday School.  Come to church.
 
Pastor Allan
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
]]>Sun, 25 Jan 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/facing-hard-turns-in-our-livesJanuary 25, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
Have you ever driven down the road and suddenly and unexpectedly, there is a curve you must navigate?  Instinctively you know that you have to make a hard turn in the direction of the curve.  Life often does that to us.  I'm reminded of the song, Dead Skunk In The Middle Of The Road.  Once you see that stinky black and white ball of fur on the road ahead, you know if you don't make that hard right or hard left, you're going to be stink’n to high heaven. 😊
 
So, it is with my reflections.  I think I need to take a hard right or hard left in my writing style.  Over the last seventeen years, most of my reflections have revolved around lifetime memories that are sometimes entertaining, maybe funny, maybe not so funny, but almost always, I somehow twist them into a life lesson about Jesus.  Seventeen years…ummm….that means I've written over 800 reflections.  Wow!  That means I've written over 800 sermons as well.  I can guarantee you that every one of those sermons were about Jesus and your salvation.
 
To be honest, with every reflection about my past life experiences, it becomes harder to recall a past episode in my life about which to write.  I think there's two reasons for that.  Number one, I'm running out of memories about which to write.  Number two, it could be that my memory dial just isn't set on “total recall” anymore.  
 
Oh yes, there will continue to be Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius.  However, the style in which I write may, from time to time, be more serious and intentional.  It may be a comment on current events, and as a result of my opinions about which I write, my writing may, on occasion, generate disagreement.  However, I promise that every reflection will still be prepared and presented to the glory of the Lord. 
 
Here we go on a new adventure!  All to the glory of God!
 
Love in Christ,
Pastor Allan
​
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
]]>Sun, 18 Jan 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/come-back-to-churchJanuary 18, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
The reed grows tall and strong in the mire.  But drain the swamp and soon the reed withers and dies.  The freshly painted house, when neglected, soon fades and the paint begins to peel.  After that, the wood rots and the house eventually falls down.  The shiny new car loses its luster if never washed and polished.  The athlete quickly loses his physique and athleticism if he doesn't stay in shape and practice.  Let me add one more.  He who neglects his faith, maybe never had any faith at all.
 
I really don't care about the reed that grows in the mire, the paint on the house, the shiny new car that loses its luster, nor the athlete who loses his athleticism.  But what I do care about is your faith.  So how is it with your faith?
 
I recently read a disturbing article entitled, The Unchurching of America.  It recited a staggering statistic that each church body loses approximately 15% of its attendees each year.  It went on to say that many people are turning to online mysticism, tarot card reading, artificial intelligence and other hocus pocus inspirations, all on the internet.  Whatever happened to the daily reading of your Bible for inspiration and insight?
 
Whatever faith you have, you need to water it, keep it fresh, polish it, and practice it, just to keep it alive and growing.  You can't assume that faith will come to you.  You must seek after it as a treasured pearl of great value buried in a field.  Don't go looking for it in any place but a church that preaches the unaltered truth of Jesus Christ.  There is no fortune teller, no false teacher, no charlatan from whom you can learn and take a shortcut to gain faith.  You can't grow or nurture your faith if the church you attend just appeals to your emotion through a laser light show, fog on the stage, and music thumping in your chest.  Why do I say that?  “When the flash is gone, you got nothing.”  
 
I may be a lone voice in the wilderness, but as a nation, we need to push back on this alarming statistic that people are abandoning church.  As born-again Christians, we can’t sit by and watch people abandon their faith.  We need to tell them that it is only through Jesus by which they gain faith and grow their faith.  
 
In the name of Jesus… America come back to church, real church!
 
Pastor Allan
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved]]>Sun, 11 Jan 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/my-new-apple-watchJanuary 11, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
Isn't it funny how you can remember some things?  I remember my grandfather telling me that if I became a preacher, he would buy me a gold watch.  Well of course, I, now being a preacher, and he, not being around anymore, I had to buy my own gold watch.  Now, after 20 years or more, my trusty gold watch finally quit telling time.   As with any broken watch, it was right two times a day.  After its final tick-tock, I put it in the drawer thinking to myself I can live without a watch.
 
As the story unfolds, I went for my annual health physical several months ago.  Historically, I have a low heart rate.  So, if you see me get up fast from a chair and start stumbling around like I'm dizzy, it's because I am.  It's something I've learned to manage over the years without medication.  But while undergoing my physical, my doctor said to me about my low heart rate, “You should really buy an Apple Watch.  It will monitor your heart rate.  It will even set off an alarm if your heart rate is too low.”  Being a good patient, I went off to the store and bought an Apple Watch.
 
Now I've been thinking about this Apple Watch alarm that might go off if my heart rate slows.  What if I'm already unconscious when the alarm goes off?  What if my heart rate is zero and the alarm goes off?  What good is that?  Is my watch going to sound the alarm and say, “Looks like you might be dead.  You better think about waking up.”
  
Actually, I like this Apple Watch.  It tells me the number of steps I have walked during the day, how many calories I've burned, and then realizing that I am woefully lacking in exercise, it will even measure my mood.  My mood, after seeing my lack of activity, is usually that of depression. 😊  What it doesn't do is tell me when I am happy.  That makes me depressed.
 
In the end this Apple Watch is just a gadget.  It doesn't tell me the important thing of life, and that is my relationship with Jesus.  I pray that if I had a watch that measured such a relationship that it would always be showing a glass filled to the top.  How is your relationship with the Lord these days?  Is your glass only half full?  Work at trying to draw closer to God and He will fill your cup, even pressed down and heaping over.
 
Time to go!
Pastor Allan
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
]]>Sun, 04 Jan 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/cow-talesJanuary 4, 2026
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
As a boy on the farm, my dad had milk cows.  It was always my job to round up the cows and herd them into the barn.  In the summertime, it was easy to round up the girls and bring them in.  All I had to do was open the gate, tell my trusty dog, Sport, “Go get them,” and off into the pasture he would run to bring them home to the barn.
 
One night I remember sitting at the kitchen table and looking out toward the barnyard and there lay a cow with its legs sticking up in the air.  I said something to the effect that that was certainly unusual.  I had never seen this before.  My dad jumped up from the table with a kitchen knife and ran to the bloated cow.  If you're wondering what he did with the knife, he punctured the cow to relieve the trapped gas within.  The rendering truck came the next day to haul away the dead cow.
 
Ever after that episode, my cow job expanded.  Once Sport brought them into the barnyard, it was now up to me to keep the cows moving so that they would belch up the gas within and not bloat.  Maybe I should do that after I eat a big meal. 😊  After the girls had been walking around for a while, then I opened the barn door and what happened next was always amazing.  Every cow walked up to its stanchion, the same one every time.  Then as dad milked the cows by hand, I walked in front and just watched the cows.  I learned that it is better to stand in front of the cow when it's in its stanchion than to stand behind it.  I shouldn't have to explain the reason why. 😊
 
As my dad milked those cows, without fail, all the kitties would line up for a squirt of milk.  I remember his laugh.  Then one day there was no laughter as he stood between two cows, and they decided to put the squeeze on him.  That was a frightening moment as I remember him pounding his fists on them to separate.  In the crush of the moment, he could not breathe.
​
You can learn a lot about life in the barnyard and barn.  I wonder how long Jesus stayed in the barn in which he was born.  Such humble beginnings for He Who became the Savior of the world.  Thank you, Jesus for being the “way” to spend all eternity with You!
 
Love in Him,
Pastor Allan
 
©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
]]>Sun, 28 Dec 2025 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/unexpected-opportunitiesDecember 28, 2025
 
Reflections from the heart of Allan Redenius
Not too long ago, Armona and I had an occasion to stay at a motel.  So, as is our routine, we got up early and went down to have breakfast.  As I was pouring a cup of coffee, she was someplace within the complex getting her breakfast food.  I turned around and saw a table with a plate of food on it.  Believing it was Armona’s food, I pulled out a chair and sat down.  About that time a lady stood by the table and said to me, “Can I help you?”  Suddenly, realizing that this was not Armona’s food on the table at which I sat, I was embarrassed.  After the lady and I had a good laugh, I picked up my coffee and moved to another table. 😊
 
Our conversation continued with this lady.  I asked my usual ice breaker questions.  “What's your name?  Where are you from?”  Since I knew she was traveling, I asked, “Where are you going?”  She told us her name and that she and her husband were from Colorado and were traveling to Wisconsin where her husband was scheduled to have triple heart bypass surgery.  Whoa!  Thank you, Jesus, for opening an opportunity to be Your witness!
 
I asked if I could pray for her husband.  Of course, she was more than happy to bow her head, as I offered up a prayer for healing for her husband, Scott.  She was so appreciative and thankful.
 
I tell you this story so that you too might take advantage of unexpected opportunities to witness to the Lord.  As an evangelist or witness, sometimes you just must be bold and straightforward.  After all, what was the worst thing she could have told me when I asked if I could pray for her husband?  She could have said, “No!”  In which case I would have respected her request but still would have prayed silently for her husband's well-being.
  
I live by Joshua 1:9. “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous!  Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Oh yes, the Lord is my confidence!  Go ahead!  Put on your big boy, big girl pants and witness to the glory of Jesus!  When you do, He will cinch up your belt, and give you words of grace.
 
Love and blessings,
Pastor Allan
 
©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
]]>Sun, 21 Dec 2025 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/the-best-gift-everDecember 21, 2025
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
​
Dear Santa:
How many letters did I write to you at the North Pole when I was a child?  Despite my not so good penmanship, you were always able to read my wish list.  You were usually pretty good at delivering the present that I wanted the most, an electric train, a Magic 8 Ball, which was always good at answering whatever question you might ask.  It was artificial intelligence before its time.  I am sure there were other gifts including model cars that I can't remember right now.  By the way, I never did get my slotted race car set.  Thank you very much.
 
But you know what, Santa?  How is it that you could be in so many different places at the same time?  You were on the hayrack the day after Thanksgiving in my hometown with your, ho, ho, ho’s, and then I would read that you were in a different town at the exact same moment.  Kind of like Christmas.  You and your reindeer travel the whole wide world in a twenty-four hour period.  It's Christmas magic.  Dem’ dare reindeer are truly amazing.
 
Everything about Christmas is like living in a snow globe, everything seems so perfect.  Ice skaters gracefully twirling round and round, snow falling gently on the scene, and to think nobody looks cold.  But then after a while, the ice skaters coast to a stop, the snow stops falling, and I am reminded that all too soon, you Santa, retreat to the North Pole not to appear again until next year.  I wonder what you will bring me then?  
 
I still have my electric train, but it’s all rusty.  The Magic 8 Ball is long gone and just a memory.  But I do have one memorable Christmas gift from 1959.  If my house caught on fire, it is one of my treasures I would rescue from the flame.  You see, Santa, this is the only gift that never breaks or gets rusty.  It keeps on giving, not just Christmas after Christmas, but day after day.   It is a Holy Bible you left for me under grandpa and grandma’s aluminum Christmas tree long ago.  It's the best gift ever!
 
I thought I would just let you know the memories you brought into my life.
 
Merry Christmas!  
Pastor Allan
 
©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
]]>Sun, 14 Dec 2025 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/dont-let-anyone-steal-your-joyDecember 14, 2025
​
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
As I was walking along the edge of my woods the other day, I met a unicorn.  Now I know right away you are skeptical, but you weren't there.  Besides, it's my story. 😊
 
Like Winnie the Pooh, who has his 100-acre woods in which to live, I live near what I call my 12-acre woods.  In Pooh’s 100-acre woods, lives a menagerie of his friends, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit, Owl, and of course the unseen, always to be feared heffalumps and woozles, who steal your honey when you aren’t looking.  So, it is in my 12-acre woods.  I too have a menagerie of friends who sometimes come to visit me, Dory the Deer, Bobby the Bunny, Sammy the Squirrel, Owly Owl, among a host of others.  Two years ago, a heffalump disguised as a cougar ran by chasing Dory the Deer on a dead run.  For Dory, it was run, or be dead.
 
After years of peace and tranquility in my 12-acre woods, woozles have appeared.  Four woozles, disguised as hunters, have bought my 12-acre woods and now use it for their urban deer hunt.  All those who live around cheer as Dory and her friends are picked off from above.  Why?  “Because the deer are eating my petunias.”  There is sadness among my friends in my 12-acre woods.  
 
That sadness prompted Unicorn to come and meet me at the edge of my 12-acre woods.  She had the appearance like a horse, graceful and strong, bringing purity, magic, and an untamed wildness about her.  With her that day, she brought foreboding wisdom.  “Who will care about those who live in the 12-acre woods when you are no more?”  Indeed, the neighborhood cares more about petunias and woozles than those who live in my 12-acre woods.  I turned around and as magically as Unicorn appeared, she disappeared.
 
What's the lesson from this unicorn story?  Guard your heart, lest woozles and heffalumps move in and steal who you are.  You ask, “What do I have to lose?”  If you love Jesus, holiness and joy are on display in your life.  Don't let a woozle or a heffalump move into your neighborhood, called your heart.  They will steal your joy.
 
Looking out for my friends in the forest.  Looking out for you.  
 
Love and blessings,
Pastor Allan
 
©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved]]>Sun, 07 Dec 2025 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.firstcovfortdodge.org/pastorallansblog/one-day-can-change-your-lifeDecember 7, 2025
​
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
68 years ago, December 7, 1957, is a day that I remember.  It was the day my dad quit farming and had his “farm machinery auction.”  At first, I thought this would be an exciting day.  I didn’t have to go to school!  Dad had all the machinery lined up in the yard.  People were beginning to come and mill around and sort of, “kick the tires” on all his machinery.  There was a lunch wagon there and my mom even gave me money to buy a maid-rite.  I still hear the auctioneer’s cry, as the gavel slammed down, and he hollered out, “Sold!”  Despite it being cold, to a little boy, who really didn't understand, this was indeed exciting.  By the end of the day, all was quiet and the yard was empty.  
 
For me, this was the day I transitioned from being a “farm boy” to a “city kid.”  It meant leaving something old, what I knew and loved, and moving to something new and scary.  It was the day I left behind playing in the hay mow, being a gladiator of exceptional skill as I speared mice with a pitchfork in the silo, flying my fighter jet through canyons and clouds using an apple tree as the cockpit, raising tad poles in the cow tank, riding an imaginary horse fast as the wind through the grove as a cowboy chasing after imaginary bad guys.  Yes, this was the day of unexpected change. 
 
But the most heart-wrenching event of the day, was this.  Being told by mom and dad that my beloved companion and friend, he who was always at my side as protector and guide, my dog, Sport, would not be able to make the transition and live in the city.  “Sport is a farm dog.”  They were giving Sport to another farm family down the road.  I think we all sat around the table and cried.  I'm kind of tearing up even now as I write this memory. 
 
Our country remembers December 7 as a day that will live in infamy, the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.  Though that is a sacred date for our country to remember, for me, December 7 brings back a flood of other memories from my childhood.  “Who will give me 500, 600 or more?’  A hand goes up; the gavel slams down.  The auctioneer cries out, ‘Sold!”  
 
One day can change your life.  When the gavel comes down and your time is up in this world, are you ready for the next world?  Come to Jesus today!
 
Love,
Pastor Allan
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©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved]]>