|
July 19, 2026
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius He was powerful and majestic and, as the lion rules as king of the jungle, so he ruled and roamed the Great Plains of America. His thundering hooves could be heard for miles and miles. A cloud of dust announced his approaching path. The buffalo, big and strong as he was, provided food and warmth for the Indians, who roamed the plains with him. His meat provided food. His hide provided warmth and clothing. Out of his bones, the Indians made tools. The buffalo was revered by the Indians. He was included in many of their ancient stories, sometimes as a spiritual being. So, what happened to this great and majestic beast, the American bison? I am sad to report to you that it is estimated that upwards of 60 million buffalo were slaughtered in the 1800’s. The military believed that if they could eliminate the Indians’ food supply, the buffalo, they could control the movement of the Indians and win the wild west. Not only that, as trains carried passengers through the Great Plains, many passengers would shoot buffalo from the window of the train car in which they sat as they passed by. They considered it a great sport to shoot a helpless animal and leave its carcass to rot on the plains. I once knew a man who killed a polar bear and had its head and hide used as a throw rug in his office. One day he showed me the gun with which he killed the bear. In telling the story of the hunt, he said he was probably half a mile away when he shot the bear. I so wanted to tell him, “Now if you had killed that polar bear with a knife, I would really be impressed.” As I think about how Noah went through all of the work of building the ark to save the animals of the world and how God orchestrated the steps of all the animals of the earth to board the ark, it is quite an amazing story. When God told Adam and Eve to subdue the earth and rule over every living thing that moves on the earth (Genesis 1:28), I don't think He intended for mankind to brutally slaughter helpless animals to the point of extinction just for sport. Why is mankind so intent on destroying what God has preserved for him? I'll go hunting with you if you carry the carcass and use what you harvest. Unless you're hunting for polar bears, then I'm staying home. They can kill, you know. Love in Christ, Pastor Allan ©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
0 Comments
July 12, 2026
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius It's raining cats and dogs out and the coach says, “Allan, go out there to the baseball field and turn off the lights.” Why is it that I must be the one nominated to go out into the pouring rain and risk my life running between lightning strikes? With every lightning bolt, I looked like a pinball zig-zagging from the gymnasium to the baseball field. Not only that, but I was also certain that, when I pulled the lever to turn off the lights, I would get electrocuted. But hey, I’ll take one for the team! When I worked at Rollies Food Center, there was an empty building next door. One of the commodities, that Rollie kept in that building, was potatoes. He probably had a hundred, 100 LB bags of potatoes. On one hot sweltering day I hear this command. “Allan, go next door and break those 100 LB bags of potatoes down into 10 LB bags.” So, there I am in an 100° building bagging potatoes, many of which were rotten. Why didn't the coach go out and turn off the lights? He could have jumped in his car and gone around the block to turn them off. No, he can't do that. So, he sends me out into the rain for a three-block run. Why couldn't Rollie go next door and bag up those stinky rotten potatoes? No, he can't do that. He sends me over to do that very unpleasant job. From both of those experiences and others, I learned, that as a boss over someone else, not to ask that person to do something I am unwilling to do. Even as pastor, I plunge the toilet, shovel the sidewalk, and so many other things, many of which are not in my job description. Oh wait, do I have a job description? 😊 When it comes to work and doing things for others, I lean into this Bible verse from Colossians 3:23 (NASB). “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ Whom you serve.” If you are working for others, do your work as if working for the Lord, not for man. Keep on smiling, even if you're bagging rotten, stinky potatoes. Pastor Allan ©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved July 5, 2026
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius As I have been aging, I have noticed not everything lasts forever. Here's a sobering thought. More and more, I'm beginning to realize that about myself as well. I'm not going to last forever either. One day I'll fold up this tent in which I live and exchange it for a mansion in heaven. As I study and read about world history, there are no tyrants who terrorize forever. Likewise, Kings and Queens, whether they are good or bad, do not rule forever. Most of them are eventually peacefully deposed or meet with the same measure of fate by which they ruled. Some die by the most mysterious means, poison, unsolved assassinations, and some by natural causes. Then there are those rulers who die as God had prophesied. For instance, in 2nd Kings 9:30-37, we read about the death of Queen Jezebel. She was thrown out of a window, trampled by horses, and her body was eaten by dogs. This fulfilled Elijah’s prophecy as to the manner of her death in 1st Kings 21:23. On a more local level, I‘ve noticed that over the years those who once were important in the community no longer wear the same mantle. Once prominent attorneys and doctors have retired or are dead. Those who were once “big shots” are long forgotten. Those who were once big wheels, well, the air has gone out of their tires. I never wanted to be a big wheel. I always remember what dogs do to wheels. 😊 The folk group Peter, Paul, and Mary once sang a ballad, and part of the lyrics go like this. “Where have all the soldiers gone? Gone to graveyards every one.” I think it is good to remember that none of us are immortal and one day we will be no more. In the very end, whether you be king or commoner, the only thing that matters is not your position in life, but your position in eternity, heaven or hell. So, as I think about mortality, here's my advice. It's more important to make a life with Jesus than make a living. After all, “Gone to graveyards every one.” Lov’n Jesus, Pastor Allan ©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved June 28, 2026
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington DC, precisely every thirty minutes there is a changing of the guard. As the new guard assumes his position with his weapon over his shoulder, he marches exactly twenty-one steps, pauses, changes direction, and marches another twenty-one steps. The number of steps, twenty-one, symbolizes the twenty-one gun salute. Every movement of the guard is with precision and purpose. Each movement, symbolic of protecting and honoring he who lies within the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I knew a man who was a guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He once said that to keep their uniform pants from becoming wrinkled, as they rode the bus from the army base to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, they had to pull their pants down around their ankles. True or not, that's what he said. Maybe, with not so much ceremony, an old navy man once told me about General MacArthur wading ashore in the Philippines during World War II. We've all seen the picture of General MacArthur wading in his boots to come ashore to fulfill his promise of, “I shall return.” The ship upon which this man sailed and relayed the story, was nearby General MacArthur's famous, “coming ashore” moment. What he said was that it was all “staged.” There were cameras and photographers all around General MacArthur as he stepped into the water and waded ashore. True or not, that's what he said. I knew a man who served with General Patton’s 3rd Army at the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. Among the many stories that he told, I remember this one distinctly. This man was a tank commander under General Patton. Once he was under his tank repairing something that was broken and as he crawled out from underneath it and stood up, he was face to face with General Eisenhower. As any good private would do, he saluted. This is what General Eisenhower said to him. “Soldier, do not salute me. Should the Nazis see your salute, they know that I am a high-ranking soldier. Knowing that, I then become a target for any snipers that might be out there.” True or not, that's what he said. I know a man who is the commander of the Lord of hosts. To Him I do not salute, but bow down in awe and reverence. You might know Him as the King of kings and Lord of Lords. His name is Jesus. This I know to be true. In Him, Pastor Allan ©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved June 21, 2026
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Do you ever have visions or recollections from your youth, and now in your older age, you are not really sure if what your mind sees and recalls, really did happen? I know, already some of you are thinking to yourself, “He's not quite right.” 😊 Here are a couple of examples of what I'm talking about. Things that I think I have seen or may have happened in my youth, but now that I am older, I'm not really certain.
Those are just two memories, happenstances, that have been embedded within my mind for years and years. Are those memories real or not? How I wish I had asked mom and dad while they were still alive about some memories. There is one memory that never fades, but only grows stronger and brighter, that of Jesus Christ. I don't have to ask if He is real or imagined. I know that He is real. Do you? Precious memories… Pastor Allan ©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved June 14, 2026
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius I have not read President Trump's Art of the Deal. Had I read it, maybe I could have capitalized on his wisdom in a few “deals” that I have witnessed in my CPA life. Instead, what I've learned over the years about “deals,” I learned through the School of Hard Knocks. Let me give you a little “deal” wisdom I have learned over the course of time.
But let me tell you about the deal of a lifetime. Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins. With that forgiveness and, if you believe in Jesus, eternal life in heaven is yours. There is no eye winking, staring, negotiating, just the deal Jesus offers. It's only on the table so long as you are alive. Don't be a fool and pass up this deal! Jesus is the best deal around! Pastor Allan ©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved June 7, 2026
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius At ten in the morning there was no breeze at all, not a cloud in the sky, already it was hot at 96°. The corn was wilting, the flowers were drooping, people were sweating and gasping but worst of all, our three-tier wedding cake was melting, leaning as if to topple over at any moment. Yes, fifty-six years ago today, I married the love of my life, Armona! By two in the afternoon, it was 105°. With no air conditioning inside the church, it may have even been hotter. As I waited for the organ to begin playing, the clock to strike two, not because I was nervous, but hot, I must have drunk two gallons of water. Finally, the hour had come and the preacher said, “It's time.” That was my cue to take my position at the front of the church and await the presentation of my beautiful bride. I looked around and saw family gathered all around. Today I lament that most of them are no longer here. A smile from mom, a wink from dad, a couple of thumbs up from others, but now it was time to focus on my bride as she walked toward me down the aisle with a smile on her face. I could not have chosen better! I don't remember a word the preacher spoke other than answering his question with an, “I do!” Upon her finger I placed her wedding ring. Not visible to others, known only to us, engraved on the inside of the rings we exchanged were the words, “Everlasting Love.” Over the years, there could be no truer words that bind Armona and I together. The wedding is over, the cake is tipping, the ice cream is melting, but there is one good thing, the coffee is not getting cold. 😊 Of course, our friends had decorated our car. Away we went with a string of cans following. As we got into the car to leave, I saw a roll of toilet paper on the antenna. As we drove away, I noticed that the spool of toilet paper was unrolling. I looked in the rear view, and there was Armona’s dad, hanging on to the toilet paper as if he did not want to let go. Indeed, I am blessed to have a Proverbs 31 wife. Armona, you are the love of my life! Happy anniversary! (Don’t expect a card 😊😊) Everlasting Love! Not Pastor Allan…just Allan ©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved May 31, 2026
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius You got to be kidding me! I'm doing all this work, and you are getting credit for it? One day while in high school, Mrs. Brandt, our tough as nails English teacher, gave the class a multiple-choice quiz. As was his habit, once again Russell, who sat behind me, was copying all my answers. Somehow, Mrs. Brandt did not catch on as to what he was doing. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I circled all the wrong answers. Well of course, Russell finished the quiz at the exact same time that I did. He handed in his paper and left the room as I sat there waiting for him to leave. After he left, I changed my incorrect answers, that Russell copied, to what I believed to be the correct answers. Russell never could figure out why my grade was higher than his. If you happen to know Russell, don't tell him my secret. Oh well, since he died several years ago, it really doesn't matter. Russell may have been a better athlete than I was, but my English grade was higher than his. One day while in Mrs. Brandt's class, some of the guys thought it would be fun to chew tobacco and, while she had her back turned, they would then spit the wad out of the window. True to her reputation, tough as nails, she knew about their ruse and to their surprise, she shut the windows. By the time the class was over there were at least three or four of my classmates whose complexion was green as grass. No! I did not participate in that shenanigan. There may be other shenanigans in which I participated, but not that one. Though tough as nails, Mrs. Brandt taught me the importance of the use of proper English, punctuation, and sentence structure. How would I know way back then that she would be a building block for me today since, as a pastor, I now write daily? I might get the credit for which I write, but she is one of many to whom I give credit for my writing skill set. She also taught me not to chew tobacco in a closed room😊 By the way, anything I teach on Jesus and salvation, you are free to share with others. I promise I am only giving you the correct answers. Jesus saves! Love in Christ! Pastor Allan ©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved May 24, 2026
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius The end of May signals the end of the school year. When I was in grade school, May was a time of great concern. Would I pass and be promoted to the next academic year, or would I be held back to repeat that which I just did? I really didn't care about repeating the academics, but I surely didn't want to be left behind by my friends with a scarlet letter stamped on my forehead. Indeed, I held my breath every single year. You see, with a birthday in November, I was only four years old when I started kindergarten. Mrs. Brown, my kindergarten teacher, gave me plenty of frowny faces, even a frowny face for naps. If only she could see me now. Taking a nap is one thing I excel in. 😊 So, kindergarten set the stage for my annual May pass or fail anxiety. Not until I was a freshman in high school did my maturity and brainpower catch up with my classmates who were all older than me. I took my last high school math class as a sophomore. It was geometry and I thought it was all about flying paper airplanes when the teacher had his back turned and was scratching an equation I would never use on the chalkboard. Give me a break! I was into aerodynamics. 😊 Academics was not my thing, especially math and algebra. While in high school I would have been perfectly content to work as a meat cutter in Rollie’s grocery store the rest of my life. But somehow, by the grace of God, I ended up in college and five years after I took that aerodynamics class, I mean geometry class, I was introduced to quantitative analysis at the University of Iowa. Truly, it was by the grace of God that I passed that class. Now imagine, someone who doesn't like academics, who at one time struggled with math, ends up as a certified public accountant, a profession all about math. Did I tell you that in grade school I was a slow reader? Now today I read the Bible all the time. As I reflect over my life, I am truly amazed at what God has done. He guided me through school and college. He has given me a beautiful wife and family, and now as I close out my life, He has given me the greatest blessing of all, that of being a shepherd to His people. Again, He gives to me something about which I know nothing about, sheep. 😊 Blessed and highly favored, Pastor Allan ©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved May 17, 2026
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Did you know that I was a Boy Scout? Yes, I was a proud member of Troop 63, Titonka, Iowa. I earned several merit badges, which I was very proud of at the time, camping, bicycling, archery, and maybe even basket weaving. Oh yeah, basket weaving is a lifetime skill that has served me well. Not! As for bicycling, if I remember right, you had to ride some short distances and then one fifty-mile trek. I set my course to ride from home to Woden, Iowa, back to home, to Burt, Iowa and back to clock in my fifty-mile journey. Let me tell you I did all of that on a one speed bicycle. Here's the most exciting part of that journey. Of course, there were snacks and pop along the way to maintain my stamina. But, on my bicycle I had a speedometer. In those days that was quite a luxury. East of Burt, there is a very steep hill. What I remember about riding that hill is not the journey up the hill into Burt, but seeing my speedometer register 50 mph coming down the hill. To think, I did that without a helmet. Oh wait, I don't think helmets had been invented yet, and if there were helmets, they were not “cool.” As for camping out under the stars at night, I was the troop hero of one fine camping night. You see I had secret knowledge as to how to get a campfire going. While the rest of the troop were rubbing sticks together to get their campfires lit, I had brought along a secret ingredient by which to start my fire. I affectionately called it, Boy Scout Water. Pour a little of my secret sauce onto the wood, light a match, and poof, instant fire! All the troop jumped with joy when they saw my campfire with flames three feet high. You see, my Boy Scout Water was called gasoline. 😊 Now as I think about those days, it's a wonder I lived through them. Today, I don't carry around any Boy Scout Water to start a fire. I carry around the word of Jesus knowing that just His spark in someone's life, will set their life on fire to serve Him for a lifetime! How's the Holy Spirit fire in your life? Pastor Allan © 2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved May 10, 2026
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius I'm beginning to figure out why so many people are depressed and anxious. Here is the short of it. They have nothing to do! The last two weeks after my knee surgery, I've been pretty much immobile. Of course, my lovely wife, Armona, who is now the crutch under my arms, has helped to keep me from falling into the malady of depression. Without her, there would be no one to talk to, no shoulder to cry on, no one to tell me in a loving way, “This is only temporary…and it too shall pass.” We all need someone to come alongside us when things aren't going so well. We all need someone to throw us a life jacket when we are drowning. What I've discovered about being immobile is that about the only thing on television is the news. Watching and listening to the news hour after hour surely can be depressing. Being on the frontline of the progress of wars and rumors of wars, watching people, as their hearts grow cold, commit one atrocity upon another with the innocent as their prey, and of course, having a front row seat for natural disasters such as fires and earthquakes, is indeed depressing. Then of course there is the political drama that we all endure. Pull my hair out and scream! Where is my anti-depression drug? As I sit here, sometimes in my boredom, I remember what my dad and many of my older friends told me about retirement. “When you retire, you just can't go home and sit in your easy chair and do nothing. You must retire to something.” Even one of my older friends told me once upon a time that too many of his friends retire, go home, sit in their chair and six months later they are dead. That's a fate I am not going to endure, dying of boredom. There’s a praise song we've been singing at church, Made for More. Part of the lyrics go like this. “I wasn't made to be tending a grave.” If you're sitting around with nothing to do and you're bored out of your head, are you already, “tending a grave, your own?” There's no sense in just waiting to die. God made you for more. Turn off the news and relieve your anxiety by taking a walk with the Lord. He will guide your footsteps and lead you on paths of righteousness. Jesus is better than any anti-anxiety drug. He is your life jacket to keep you afloat. Love in Christ! Pastor Allan ©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved May 3, 2026
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Is the current war, in which the United States is engaged with Iran (biblical Persia), the beginning of the Ezekiel war of Gog and Magog? (Ezekiel 38 & 39) Always remember we need to look at world events through the lens of the Bible. The Bible is the only infallible book, the only book of truth upon which we can rely. Some might ask, “How do you know that to be true?” It is the only book in all of creation inspired by God. (II Timothy 3:16) As we look objectively at the facts of Epic Fury, we can see, with a little imagination, biblical prophecies beginning to unfold.
Keeping an eye on Jerusalem to see which way the world turns. Pastor Allan ©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved April 26, 2026
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Between one and ten, what is your pain level? Well duh... I just had knee replacement surgery. I'll tell you what my pain level is! It's 35!! If ever you need to have knee replacement surgery, just plan on a painful recovery. They don't tell you that at the beginning, probably for good reason. After a few days of recovery and doing absolutely nothing, the endorphins in my brain are beginning to fire, telling me to do something. So, to alleviate the pain, I'm trying to recall some of my childhood memories, some of which I may have recorded before.
Lov’n Jesus! Pastor Allan ©2026 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved 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 April 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 April 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 March 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.
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 March 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 March 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 March 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.
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 |
RSS Feed