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June 29, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius If I were to title this reflection, it would bear the title of, Escapades on a Mud Road. Kids of today don't even know what a mud road is. If you don't know, it's a road with no gravel, no blacktop, just two paths for your tires. It's bumpy, grassy, and when it rains, it's muddy. It's not the kind of road that the plastic cars of today can go on. When I was growing up, the steel cars driven then had no problem on a mud road. Your biggest concern was that hidden rock that stuck up in the middle of the path. Hit that hidden puppy and off comes your oil pan, and the sudden need for a new engine. On the mud road, you can practice your dirt track racing. On the mud road, there you can hone your skills in driving in the mud. On the mud road, you can practice driving through snowbanks until you hit one higher than the car. One thing about driving in the snow is that there is no stopping. No stopping until the snowbank is so high that the car won't go forward or backward. No escape from this monster snowbank, you can't even open the car door. Your only escape is to crawl out through the window. Of course, all these things about the mud road, I was told.😊 Believe that, and I have a bridge to sell you. Life can be kind of like those mud roads. An unproven path, bumpy, grassy, and sometimes treacherous, with hidden obstacles to trip you up, maybe sometimes trap you where you are. When you’re all alone, it's up to you to figure out how to get going again. Sometimes you are so alone that even calling 911 is an empty call. But then, you are not alone. No matter how stuck you are, how alone you might be, God can lift you up, lift you out and bring you to a place where the road is firm, smooth, and straight. God can do that, you know. The days of my driving on mud roads are over. I choose now to stay on the straight and narrow road, close to God. If you need a tow, I'm here. Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
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June 22, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius When I was a boy, I delivered the morning Des Moines Register newspaper. Rain or shine, hot or cold, every morning up before six. Ride my bicycle to pick up my bundle of papers for delivery, always on the bench outside the gas station downtown. Put them all in a bag and strap the bag onto the back fender of my bicycle, all forty pounds of them. During one summer, the city must have decided to put in a sewer system. There were no paved streets, only rough pathways upon which to ride. Whenever it rained those pathways turned into mud. The motto for the Pony Express was, “The mail must go through!” So, it was for me each and every day as both my bicycle and I were covered with either mud or snow every day. In less than one year, my bicycle was no longer new or shiny. How I was reminded of that when my good friend showed up with a brand-new Schwinn bicycle with white wall tires, silver fenders, hand brakes, a speedometer, 3 speeds, and even a thingy that when you pulled up on it, it rubbed against the tire and made a whistle. The best I could do to match that was only to put Topps baseball cards fastened with a clothes pin on my spokes to make a clickety clack sound. Ding dong me, I probably used a dozen Mickey Mantle cards just to hear that clickety clack noise. Why do I call myself a ding dong? I just read that a Mickey Mantle card recently sold on auction for over $12 million. That hurts! In the 10th commandment, the Lord tells us not to covet your neighbor’s possessions. Need to tell you, I was only a little jealous of my friend's bicycle. As we grew older, I had a 1956 Sherman tank called an Oldsmobile while my friend drove a 1963 Chevrolet Impala with the 327 souped up engine. Man could that thing fly! Over time this is what I learned about being jealous of my friend’s stuff. My friend spent his money and I looked pretty cool riding in his car. What's the best kind of hunting dog? The answer is, “Your friend’s hunting dog.” Still trying to look pretty cool...just a little older, 😊 Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved June 15, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Too many times, as a pastor I have walked through the Valley of the Shadow of Death with so many of my family, so many of my friends. No journey, no walk the same. But the end of the journey is always the same, one last gasp for air. What follows then is a serene silence. For loved ones left behind, suddenly it is the realization that, though they may think they have prepared for this moment, when it arrives, they are not. The silence and serenity of the moment is often broken with cries of anguish. To me, the moment of death is a most holy moment for those who love the Lord. Other than the moment of being born again, death has to be the second most holy moment in the life of a Christian. It is the moment they step into the presence of Jesus and see Him, for the first time, face to face. I've been there at numerous moments of death. There was a time when something within me caused me to look upward in the hopes of seeing an angel, there to receive the soul of the departed believer. At the moment of my mom's death, and for that matter, at the moment of my dad's death, both times I looked around the room for that elusive angel. Believe it or not, on both occasions I did see that angel. The first angel I saw was lying right there before me. Her name was Mom. Four years later, as my dad breathed his last, I saw another angel lying before me. His name was Dad. I no longer look around for that angel at the time of death. What now I see before me, in the face of my departed loved one or friend, is the face of Jesus in whose image we have all been created. Yes, death is a most holy moment for those who love the Lord. Ironically though, in the quiet, in the holiness, in the serenity of the moment, life barges in with no respect at all. There is laughter in the hall. The television has never been turned off and still drones on with the mundane news of the day. There is a frenzy and a hurry to call others as to what has happened. There is no time to sit in the quiet and reflect. No time to absorb the meaning of life. Here is some sage advice. At the death of a loved one, take a moment and be with God. After all, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants.” (Psalm 116:15) In His grip Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved June 8, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius As of yesterday, Armona and I have been married 55 years. I look back over those years and say to myself, “How blessed I am, that on the day I proposed to her, she said, ‘yes.” She has been and always will be, the Queen of my world. Like most young men and women starting out in the world, there was a lot of trial and error. I've looked for an instruction book on how to live life, but other than the Bible, there is none. We tried a lot of different things over our life together and some of those things worked out, and others, not so much. But here we are today, happily living our lives by the grace of God. We've laughed together at times like this. When we were first married, we lived in the country on the top of a hill, a steep hill. At the bottom of the hill, we had planted a garden and, in the fall, had plowed it up. One cold wintry night with a full moon overhead, with plenty of snow on the ground—that kind of evening, we decided to go sledding down that hill. Did you know that one sled with two people on board can zing down a steep hill at breakneck speed? Rushing wind in our faces, a fan of snow rising up behind, we raced toward the bottom, laughing all the way. Then in an instant, the runners of the sled hit the plowed ground, the sled stopped, and we kept on going. After rolling to a stop, the laughter had ceased and there was silence as I looked up toward the moon. “Are you OK?” I finally asked her. Suddenly, Mrs. Snowman stood up and started laughing😊. That's our life together. Of course, we’ve cried together at the death of loved ones and various other heartaches along the way. Those hard moments are part of life, and you just need to get through those times. That's exactly what we've done along the way. So, what's my advice to being happily married for a long time? It might be as simple as laughing together more than crying apart. By the way, you're going to need God by your side throughout your marriage. Every now and then, you need a miracle😊. Why do I have this feeling that if we were to go sledding today and come to a sudden stop, it might hurt more than it did 55 years ago? Happy anniversary, Armona! I love you! Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved June 1, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Today is graduation day for my eldest grandson. I dedicate this reflection to him. Micah, eighteen years ago, I was there to hear your borning cry. How fast have the years gone by. Only yesterday, a little boy taking a little step into kindergarten, now today, a grown man taking a giant step into life as an adult. As a little bird leaves the nest and learns to fly, so it is for you as you take that inaugural flight into adulthood. Excitement and fear at the same time as you take that first flight of independence. So, Micah, if I were to give a valedictorian speech the opening line would be, “We are all going to die.” With that opening salvo of words, for sure, those graduating would sit up and pay attention to what follows. Now that I have your attention, let me give you some advice for living your life.
I am proud of you, and I love you. Pastor Grandpa ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved May 25, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Those of us who are a tad bit older, when we were young, marveled at reading a comic book with the main character by the name of Dick Tracy. A detective who always solved crimes and got the villain. Of course, he had an advantage to his sleuth-like prowess. He had a telephone on his wrist into which he could talk. Then along came Captain Kirk in the Starship Enterprise in the made for TV series, Star Trek. He had a “communicator” strapped to his wrist into which he could talk and receive back a communication. What was fantasy then, is reality now. Did you know that the smartphone we carry in our pocket today, has more computing capability than the computers used on Apollo 11 as the astronauts hurtled toward the moon at breakneck speed? How many other things, that were once imagined, are now reality? Not too long-ago artificial intelligence was a long shot. Today people worry if artificial intelligence will take over the world. As I ponder about the future and how quickly knowledge is expanding, I wonder what will be the next blockbuster discovery? If only I could think of that which is obscure today that might be a necessity for tomorrow, I might have a shot at being a very rich man. What might that new discovery be that is waiting? I believe that it must be something that would be a necessity, inexpensive, and people always run out of it. The only thing I can think of that fits those criteria is toilet paper and it’s already been invented😊. Actually, I believe the next new discoveries will all evolve around technology and travel. Why do I believe this? As we approach the end of days, Daniel 12:4 (KJV) records for us the times in which we live. “… many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Are we not all traveling more than we ever thought imaginable? As to knowledge, it is increasing exponentially with each new piece of artificial intelligence programmed. Wait...or, does it program itself? Here is a reality check for you, something that is not fantasy. We are living in the days of Daniel 12:4. Just one more sign that Jesus is coming soon to take us home to heaven. You do have a ticket, right? Maybe that's the obscure thing today that is necessary for tomorrow. Jesus is a necessity in your life, He is free, and He will never run out of love for you. Are you ready to meet Jesus in the air? Love, Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved May 18, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Some days it's good to know that you are alive! Not too long ago a friend, I'll call him farmer Tim, invited Armona and I out for some casual Christian conversation and steaks. Sounds kind of like an evening for old people, right? Not so! The words that first appear in the movie Star Wars begin with, “In a galaxy far, far away.” As the evening began it was as if we had been transported to a far, far away place. First of all, the house, to which we had been invited, was in such a far, far away, hidden place, I don't even know how my friend found it to buy it. It's exactly the kind of place I'd like to live, in the woods, very secluded, serene, and beautiful. Upon arrival and after having a few minutes of casual conversation, and after meeting another invited couple, farmer Tim said, “Let's go on a ride in my 4x4’s through the woods.” About right here I began to feel like I was really alive as my heart started thumping faster, and my brain began thinking, “What have I gotten into?” Safety and caution to the wind, I climbed into one of those 4x4’s. Vroom! Off I went on a new adventure in life over hill and dale. As I bounced around in that 4x4 off road vehicle, through acres and acres and acres of trees and woods through which farmer Tim, obviously wanting to be Daniel Boone, had cut roads, well, sort of roads, I was really white knuckling it. Farmer Tim was in the lead and my new friend, that I had just met, was driving the 4x4 in which I was a passenger. Suddenly farmer Tim stopped ahead of us, walked back, and said to us, “Put the 4x4 in low. From here on, it's going to get a little dicey.” I know enough to know, that “low gear and dicey” means rough terrain ahead. I'm telling you, I did not know exactly what “dicey” really meant. As we bounced along, I could look out both sides of the vehicle and see at least a 50 foot drop. Suddenly, the 4x4 ahead of us disappeared from view as it began its descent down a very steep hill. Of course, we were right behind. If you've ever ridden a roller coaster and, as you crested the first drop, there's a sign that says, “Point of no return.” That's where I was, but only for a moment, a very brief moment. Did you know that an object falls at the rate of 32 feet per second, gaining 32 feet with every second? It didn't take very long to fall; I mean drive to the bottom of the hill. As we all gathered in the valley, I asked farmer Tim, “Do you even know where we are?” His reply went something like this. “Well yes, I do. We need to go back up that hill.” Gulp! Now I know what an astronaut feels like when he's on his back, strapped into a chair, going straight up in a rocket. About right here is when I realized that I was really alive. How did I know that? I thought I was going to die😊. I trusted farmer Tim, to lead us home, and he did. I am reminded that Jesus leads us home as well, if we just trust in Him, put our hand in His, and let Him lead. Life is an adventure. Don't be afraid to live it! Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved May 11, 2025
Reflections from the Heart Allan Redenius How often do we look back over our lives and for a few moments recognize people who have given us a break in one fashion or another? All too often, with our success we believe that it was through our own efforts that we have become successful. We tend to forget about those people who may have helped us along the way. Here are just a few examples of people who have helped me in my career. Let me preface what I say about these clients in my CPA career with, more than clients, they are my friends.
I will never forget the people who came alongside me and gave me a hand up. Thank you, Jesus, for bringing those people into my life! One more story about a man who gave me the biggest break of all. He saved my life. His name is Jesus, and He can save your life too! Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved May 4, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Before I began to preach on a weekly basis, I often wondered this about preachers. How in the world do they come up with a sermon every week? Now that I are 😊 a preacher, I still wonder that. As I think through this process of developing a sermon, I've come to this conclusion as to how it is done, at least for me. You see, I've not been to a seminary, I've not had any formal training in, here's a big word for you, hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is the ability to interpret and understand Biblical text. I'm just a plain old Joe with a love for the Lord who has a passion to tell people about Christ. So how do I do it? I must tell you; it is only by God's grace that I am able to compose a sermon at all. Sometimes, it works like this. I pick up my pen and begin to write these words. “Once upon a time…” and God takes over from there. The next time I put my pen down, wa-la, God has written a sermon for me. For a little boy in grade school who had difficulty reading and understanding, to graduating from high school in the bottom half of the class, who would guess? I am a product, indeed of God's blessing and favor. So, at my age, 75, why don't I retire? Here is one of many, but probably the most important reason I continue. Every week my sermon manuscript is mailed to approximately 40 people around the country, some to individuals in prison. From these people I get letters of encouragement, notes telling me how much my sermon manuscripts touch them. For some of them, especially those in prison, this is my way of reaching out from the outside to those on the inside and bringing the hope of Jesus Christ to them. I know too that some, to whom I mail my sermon manuscript, might not be saved. My fervent prayer is that what I preach in my sermon manuscript might, one day, lead them to Christ. Here's something that recently touched my heart. A very long time ago, I met a man in California who was having financial problems. I put my C.P.A. hat on and to make a long story short, I went to his house in California, together we prayed over his financial issues, and then proceeded step by step to resolve his money issues. After that time together and becoming friends, I began to mail my sermon and reflection to him on a weekly basis. Recently, he died. It was reported to me that he was reading one of my sermons when he died. I will never forget that picture. That, my friends, causes me to pause when I think about retirement. Doing the best I can with what the Lord gives me, Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved April 27, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius When I was younger, I loved the carnival. Every year, at Titonka Indian Days, the carnival came to town with all of its festivities. For me, as a youngster, it was all about riding the fastest horse on the merry-go-round. Once my steed was selected, I was Gene Autry and Roy Rogers all at one time. Though my horse may have been the fastest, it never mustered enough speed to pass those in front of me. As I grew older and bolder, I began to ride the scrambler and tilt-a-whirl. Finally, my courage graduated to the loop-o-plane. Since then, I've left Gene and Roy behind, with my horse tied up in the stable. Riding even a merry-go-round today would make me sick. I can't even turn around fast and stay vertical. 😊 As I grew a little older, and as they were assembling the rides, the “carney guys” would sometimes hire me to do little odd jobs for them. One year I worked in a cotton candy booth, spinning cotton candy. I didn’t like cotton candy then, don't like cotton candy now. On another occasion, one of the “carney guys” showed me his revolver. In retrospect, I should have told, “Top Gun” about this “carney guy,” and that he was pack’n. By the way, “Top Gun” was the one-armed town cop in Titonka. I don't think he ever carried a gun. At the Kossuth County Fair in Algona, Iowa, there were always these ducks in a cow tank. In case you're wondering, there is no such thing as a duck tank. Within the tank was a little slide with the ramp upon which the ducks could walk up to the top. Once those little ducks waddled up to the top of the ramp, there was this little kernel of corn for them to reach out for with their little bills. Of course, that kernel of corn was always just out of reach and as they s-t-r-e-c-h-e-d forward, they would lose their balance and slide down the slide. Once back in the water, those little ducks would swim around and begin their climb back up the ramp to repeat the whole process, over and over. They provided hours of entertainment for a lot of little boys, I'm sure. Now as a man, I think to myself, how many times have I done exactly the same thing as those little guys in the cow tank. Just like I stood around and laughed at those little ducks as they tried and tried again, I know people have laughed at me as I too have come just within reach of a goal, and as I think I'm almost there, suddenly I am not. There are a lot of life lessons to be learned at the carnival. Think about this the next time you're 100 feet up in the air on a ferris wheel. A 13-year-old helped put that thing together. Also, each of us needs to be more persistent like those little ducks in living our life, when you don't succeed the first time, try again. When you sin and backslide, God provides an “on ramp” for you to come back to Him and once again stand at the top with Him. Unlike that kernel of corn always just out of reach for those little ducks, God is always within reach. I think I can. I think I can. God knows I can. Pastor Allan ©2005 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved April 20, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius One of the things I've had to deal with in my life is a soft heart for people less fortunate than me. When someone experiences a calamity of some kind, often it is my heart's desire to lend a helping hand. I think to myself, “There, but by the grace of God, go I.” Sometimes I think to myself and wonder what I would do if money was not an issue. How would I help people if I was as rich as Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos? Both of whom have more money than a lot of countries. In Psalm 50:10 we are told, “God owns the cattle on a thousand hills.” Just to be funny, I say, “These guys own the rest of them.”😊 John Wesley, the founder of the original Methodist Church, once said this. “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” If all the world lived like that, what a better world it would be. In Matthew 26:11, Jesus said, “You will always have the poor with you.” So, even though I will help others in need as much as I can, it seems to me that if I spend all my dream money on the poor trying to raise them up out of poverty, there will still be poor people in the world. On the other hand, if I can proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the masses, though they be poor, at least some will be saved. Knowing Jesus will help many to recognize their own self-worth and thereby being encouraged by Christ, they will lift themselves up to a better life. For sure, if more people knew about Jesus there would not be such a high crime rate in our land, there would be less hate around the world. So, if Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos calls me to ask how to spend their money, I am going to tell them over a cup of coffee, to spread the word of Jesus. Of course, I expect that they will pay for my coffee. 😊 On the other hand, so that I am not in their debt, maybe I'll buy their cup of coffee. As you look at your own priorities in spending your money, are you spending it wisely to help evangelize the world? None of us may be as rich as the richest among us, but with the little we have, we can accomplish so much for God's Kingdom. Giving to God isn't as much about lifting others up as it is being obedient to the word of the Lord. “Bring all your tithes to the storehouse...” (Malachi 3:10) Blessed be the name of the Lord! Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved April 13, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius I like to think that I'm a practical, pragmatic, no nonsense kind of guy. Common sense is a priority in my life, black is black, white is white. I often offer my grandsons a course in common sense, especially when they do something, not smart. Of course, they laugh at me when I offer up my antiquated advice, things I've learned through the School of Hard Knocks. Believe me, in that school, sometimes I had to take a class more than once. Common sense tells me to do things right the first time. To do it once, and then again, a second time, is a waste of time. Common sense tells me to always know where my shoes are in the house. What if a tornado is coming and I need to run for my life to the basement? I can't be spending precious moments looking for my dad-gum shoes. Common sense tells me not to parachute out of a perfectly good airplane, even if jumping in tandem and harnessed to an experienced skydiver. It's easy enough to die without even trying. Common sense tells me not to go scuba diving with sharks. Why? Same reason I don't go parachuting. When the elevator door opens, common sense compels me to look and make sure there is a floor there before stepping onboard. Think about it. Here's another no brainer. It's better to spend eternity in heaven than hell. I shouldn't even have to explain that one. On the other hand, there are people who use no common sense and are oblivious to what lies up the road ahead. There is always a fork in the road just ahead. Common sense would tell you to take the fork that leads to heaven. However, there are a lot of people who have no sense at all and take the turn that leads to hell. If you're looking for a book of common sense, read the Book of Proverbs. It just makes sense.😊 If you need more common sense, ask me. I got plenty. Has anyone seen my shoes? 😊 Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved April 6, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Be it high school graduation or college graduation, the season is soon upon us. I think about those who might be blessed to be the valedictorian of their class. For sure, I was not one of them 😊. I was just one of the plain ordinary guys who graduated in the class of 1967. I graduated not with credentials of high standing, my letter jacket not weighed down with trophies for my athletic prowess, but for some reason as I walked down the aisle to the band playing Pomp and Circumstance, with a classmate I didn't even like, I felt this sense of accomplishment for things of the past, and a sense of anticipation of things to come in the future. With graduation, every valedictorian is given the honor of presenting a speech to the class. Today, I have no idea what the speech was that my class valedictorian, Valerie, gave to our 1967 graduates. It was probably like most speeches from one classmate to another. If I were to summarize all of the valedictorian speeches, it probably would be something like this. “Lookout world, here we come!” Though Valerie’s 1967 graduating class speech may have been important for the moment, 25 years later at a class reunion, one of the common folk, like me, gave the most memorable speech. Each of us stood up and shared our life journey. Then it was Karen’s turn to share her story. As her story unfolded the room became quiet. She told us that she had cancer and was soon going to die. There were many tears, mine included. As she closed, she said something like this. “We were together for 12 years of our lives. You are all my friends. Jesus is my Lord and Savior and I'm not afraid of dying. I know I will be in heaven with Him. When you die, I want you to be there with me.” Gulp… “Karen, though 30 years too late, I thank you for your brave witness.” If I were to write a valedictorian speech today, it would focus on the end of the journey and not the beginning. When it is all said and done, only what's been done for Christ will last. Come to Jesus! Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved March 30, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius You can hear his breathing, a deep, haunting kind of gasp. His very presence raises the hair on the back of your neck, tingles down your spine. Like the wavy, shimmering heat on a summer afternoon that you see on the hot asphalt up ahead, you know that it is there, but when you get there, it is not. Like a parched desert your mouth is suddenly dry. A voice within you tells you, “This is wrong, turn and run!” All of these things, a warning to you, danger lies ahead! The Holy Spirit within you rising up to tell you that he with whom you are about to battle, is unseen, elusive, deceptive, cunning, ruthless, and that if you continue on course, he will claim victory over you as you willingly surrender that which is most precious and dear, your soul. Don't move, stay where you're at, like one caught in quicksand, there is no escape. Are you caught in the web that you have weaved, no matter the fight, there you are trapped? Soon, the spider comes out from his hidden place to spin his web around you, to claim you as his own. He, the spider, is the one whose presence you felt but could not see. The warning signs were all about. The snare had been set, the cage prepared, but the sweetness of the lure, all too tempting. Realizing the gravity, the seriousness of where you find yourself, you look for an escape, and there is none. Thrash around in the quicksand, the more you sink. As you try to free yourself from the web you have weaved, the tighter its grip. You cry out, “Is there any escape, any rescue?” Try by your own power, your own might, your own ingenuity, there is no escape, no rescue. However, there is One Who holds the key to free you from the cage, the sin, in which you are trapped. His name is Jesus. Call upon Him and He brings the sweet aroma of freedom and salvation. The Lord Himself will deliver you from the spider who so wants to devour you, to claim you as his own. Only Jesus can lift you out of the bowels of hell to the glory of heaven. What are you waiting for? Hating the spider, Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved March 23, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Growing up on the farm in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s gave to me a treasure hoard of memories that few children today will ever experience. Instead of being lost in the black hole of the Internet and playing some sort of video game with no real reward, I was outside chasing chickens, raising rabbits, slopping hogs, and when I wasn't doing my chores, I was playing in the barn. One of my many chores was to throw bales of hay down from the haymow for the feeding of the cows. There was only one danger in that chore. I had to be careful not to slip and fall down the chute, twenty feet to the cement floor below where the bales of hay landed. In spite of being hot in the summer and cold in the winter, the haymow was the best place to be. It was there you could swing on the hay rope as if you were Tarzan. If you could hang on, with a hoop and a holler from one end of the barn to the other, you could swing. There were treasures in the haymow to be found. Shh… do you hear the muffled meows of the new kitty litter? Move a few bales, and there you would find them, all scrunched together to keep warm. Play with them for a few minutes, and the next day look for them all over again. Mama cat, once her litter was found, always moved them to a new hiding place. It was in the haymow that you could catch pigeons in the dark of night. Quietly climb high into the rafters where they roost, shine a bright light into their eyes, reach out and they were yours. “Gotcha!” Put them in a cage, feed them, take care of them, and soon they were my friends. Often, I would intentionally leave the cage door open. Some flew around during the day and came back in the evening, while others never returned. Now that I'm older, of course I do not play in the haymow any longer. You can't even find a barn anymore. But like searching for newborn kittens or blinding pigeons, today I search for lost souls who have hidden themselves in their sin. I shine the bright light of Jesus, not to blind people, but for them to clearly see the freedom and salvation that Christ brings. If you come to Christ, the door to His nest is always open. Choose to live in the lair of Satan and the door to your prison is never open but always shut and locked. Jesus is the only escape. Living life to the full! Reaching out to those who need to be saved. Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved March 16, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius So, I've been thinking about my name, Allan Redenius. As for my first name, Allan, there are only about fifteen ways to spell it. There is Alan, Allen, Alyn, and of course the spelling my parents gave to me, Allan. OK, maybe the number fifteen is an over exaggeration, but you get the point. Invariably, when someone else, other than me, spells my name, it is always wrong. Now, if you want to write me a check, out of the generosity of your heart, I'll cash it no matter how you spell my name. 😊 Over my lifetime, I've been called a lot of names, and when compared to those, I think I'll stick with Allan. Now, as for my last name, who in the world would ever pick the name Redenius? Even Armona, when we got married, tried to convince me to change my last name to her maiden name, Frank. If I had done that, there certainly would be much more ink in the world today. My grandfather migrated from Germany with that last name. My grandmother’s maiden name was Huisinga. My mom’s maiden name was Stecker. Her dad, my grandpa, was born in Germany too. His first name couldn't be more German, Folkert. So, since I’m German, the name Redenius fits my heritage. A man from Germany once told me that the name Redenius means, “redneck.” Maybe my ancestors have a story to tell? On the other hand, he may have been the redneck and was just pulling my leg. At any rate, I know who I am. No matter my name, I am a child of God. I am in the lineage of Jesus. And to think, I didn't even have to pay $100 to ancestry.com to figure that out. Jesus even knows my name. “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; You are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1) Do you belong to the family of Jesus? Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved March 9, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Let me tell you about my recent near-death experience. We've all used the phrase at some point in our life, when experiencing some sort of pain, “I think I'm going to die.” Or, we might say something like, “I think it's the big one, Elizabeth!” Those expressions, I no longer take lightly. While getting ready for dinner a couple of weeks ago, I really did think it was the big one and that I really was going to die. Suddenly, without warning, it felt like my lung was being pulled out of my chest through a keyhole. After Armona took my blood pressure, and seeing that it was through the roof, she said, “I'm taking you to the hospital right now!” Of course, macho me, said, “I don't need to go to the hospital. This will go away.” She was insistent, packed me in the car, and raced to the hospital. Thank you Armona, for saving my life! (Maybe she would have driven slower if I had a big life insurance policy 😊) What I did not realize at the time was that I was experiencing a pulmonary embolism. If you don't know, that is a blood clot in your lung which oftentimes lodges in your heart, causing death. After my emergency care and, at my internist for a follow up, she said to me, “Do you know how fortunate you are to be alive?” Indeed, I am blessed to share this experience. As the first wave of pain came on, my first cry for help was not to Armona, but to my Lord. It went something like this. “Help me Jesus!” Like pulling your hand off a hot stove, crying out to Jesus was not something I had to think about, it was automatic. This near-death experience causes me to wonder, to whom do people cry out for help who do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior? I am now more acutely aware that you can die in a nanosecond. For some, there is no time to cry out for help. One moment alive here on earth, the next, standing before the Lord in judgment. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) If you haven't cried out to Jesus during life for Him to help you and save you, it will be too late for you to cry out after you're dead. Just giving you a little advice to live by…eternal life is Jesus’ gift to you! Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved March 2, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius When I was in 7th and 8th grade, I delivered the early morning Des Moines Register newspaper. Up before 6:00 AM, hop on the bicycle, then bee-line it to the park bench where the newspapers could always be found for delivery. Zing around town in rapid fashion to complete my route before school started. I don't know how I inherited that job, but more than once I tried to quit, but my dad said, “It's good for you to have a job and some responsibility.” In the long run, as with most things, he was right. I guess I should have been thankful for this paper route, which I started at 6:00 AM. At least it was a couple of hours later than starting at 4:00 AM to deliver milk around town from the Creamery. I can still hear those milk jars clanging together as I carried them, two in each hand, to the milk boxes scattered around town. It was there, in the quiet of the early morning, that I began to make weather observations and predict the weather. A breeze from the east was a sure indicator of rain to follow. If there was no dew in the grass, it generally meant rain ahead as well. Green, stormy clouds meant, hail is a-comin’. My weather forecasts, back then, were just about as successful as weather forecasts today, about 50%. To think I didn't have computers, radars, nor a degree in meteorology. Have you ever thought that those who forecast the weather are themselves in a prophetless business? What the prophets of old forecasted, always came to be. Not so with the weathermen today. My experience and observations of my youth still compel me to be watchful of weather indicators today. Now my observations see a new storm on the horizon. I'm not sure as to the date when the Lord might return and rescue us from that soon approaching storm. I still get up early every morning and ask of the Lord, “Is this the day?” One thing I know about the weather. You need to be ready for whatever comes. Are you ready for the certain return of Jesus in the not-too-distant future? Keeping an eye on the Eastern sky. It is there we will first see Jesus walking on the clouds coming for us. Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved February 23, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Oftentimes our memory plays tricks on us. Things that were obviously disassociated sometimes blur together as if happening simultaneously. Here is a for instance. As a little boy of maybe six or seven, I remember being on the roof of the house with my dad as he shingled. Not that I was that much help I'm sure, but I was there. Based on my age, the memory then would be about in the years 1955 to 1957. So, here's the disassociated memory that doesn't quite fit into that time slot. As my dad was pounding the nails through the shingles, my brain remembers that the song Johnny Cash made popular, Ring of Fire was playing while we were up on that roof. As I investigate, Johnny Cash didn't release that song until 1963. Besides that, there was no such thing as a transistor radio at that time to carry up onto the roof, even to listen to music. So, this is my quandary. Which memory is correct? Was I even on the roof? Why is that song associated with that memory? Here is another memory that just doesn't quite make sense. We lived in an old farmhouse and my bedroom was upstairs. In the morning, instead of walking down the steps, I floated down the steps. Instead of Aladdin and his magic carpet upon which he rode, it was Allan walking on air. I know, I know that gravity makes this an impossible memory. But it's my memory and I like the idea of once doing what no one else can. Here's another memory that sometimes reappears when the mist clears. Not far from our farmhouse, a bridge collapsed. My recollection is that it folded as the letter “V.” At the bottom of the folded bridge, the “V”, there was an old Ford Model A car. Is this memory real or is it an overactive imagination? I need to go now. There are men in white suits coming to take me away 😊😊😊 Praying, I brought a smile to your face! Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved February 16, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius As I write this reflection, it is February 1, 2025. It is the 62nd anniversary of the death of my grandfather, on February 1, 1963. For me it is a day that will live in infamy, never to be forgotten. He was a man tall in stature, wise in the world, and one who had, to me at least, no faults. Although, I do remember him going to the pool hall to play cards with his friends😊 But, this was his most important quality. He loved Jesus. He is living proof that a testimony about Jesus given during life, lives beyond death. I give him credit for speaking the blessing of ministry into my life. At about 11 years of age, he said to me, “If you become a pastor, I will buy you a gold watch.” Over 60 years later, I remember well the words he spoke into my life so long ago. Obviously, his words spoke louder into my life than any gold watch ever could. On the morning of his death, while in school, I heard the church bell toll. Instantly, I knew that the sound of the toll was to honor him. I still could recite to you every detail of the day of his funeral, from sobbing through the old hymn How Great Thou Art (whenever I sing that song even today, a tear comes to my eye), to the teardrop that fell on his lapel from my eye as I said my final goodbye, to wondering why we were leaving him all alone in the cold at the cemetery, while we drove away. There are men and women in your life that leave a lasting impression upon those whom they touch. My grandfather was such a man. Probably, a bigger man today in my memory, than the day he died. Because he loved the Lord, I love the Lord. My prayer today is that I could be such a man for my grandsons…for you. As the end of my life draws near, one of the many joys of entering heaven will be the homecoming, the family reunion I celebrate with Jesus and that great cloud of witnesses of family and friends that have gone before me. If you come there after me, you will find my grandpa, and the rest of my family and friends, bowing at the feet of Jesus. It is there you will find me too. Love in Christ, Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved |
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