Category Archives: animals

by Anthony Baker | June 17, 2017 · 2:17 pm

An Update On Jack (and answered prayer)

On Tuesday, June 6, our little dog, Jack, was attacked in our front yard by a roaming pit bull mix (I despise that dog). On June 7, the day after, I published a post entitled “Praying for an Animal” and addressed the biblical reasons for doing so.

Here are some photos of how bad he was messed up.

Jack had approximately 15 puncture wounds, a couple of which went into the muscle – these were the most troubling.

There was so much damage that drain tubes had to be inserted all over his little body so that fluid could drain. He had multiple staples holding his wounds together.

Most concerning was his back, because it was there that the skin was literally pulled away from the muscle beneath. Between that and the punctured muscle, the vet warned us this might not end well.

However, despite how crazy it might have seemed, the evening of the 7th we prayed for Jack, even anointing his little furry head with oil. Want to know what happened next?

The first thing Thursday morning the 8th Jack was sitting up and wanting to play with his favorite toy, a chewed-up cheetah!

Now, just a week and four days later…today…in our back yard…I filmed a camera-shy little Jack. You judge for yourself whether or not God answered our prayers.

Thank you, everybody, for your kind thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes. I believe Jack is going to be fine 🙂

5 Comments

Filed under animals, Prayer

Tagged as Animals, dogs, prayer

by Anthony Baker | June 7, 2017 · 11:20 pm

Praying for an Animal

I know I’ve got guest posts being posted, but I had to share something with you, something that I did tonight.

You see, my daughter’s little dog, Jack, was attacked in our yard by another dog that has been walking unattended through the neighborhood. Jack is a small dog, only about 12 pounds, and the dog that attacked him was a larger pit-bull mix. Ugly, too.

According to the vet to which my wife and daughter took Jack today, he had around 15 puncture wounds, torn skin, and possibly some muscle damage. Jack has been in a lot of pain, very weak, and very pitiful.

It’s been difficult for us, too.

So, this afternoon, before I came home from work, I told my wife that we would be praying for Jack this evening. She agreed. She also agreed with me that there was nothing unbiblical about doing so, either.

Have you ever prayed over a wounded pet? Have you ever anointed one with oil and prayed for one while being on Facebook Live? Well, that’s what I did tonight.

What do you think about praying for this little dog? Do you think it was silly thing to do? Do you think it was sacrilegious? If so, let give you some things to think about.

First, there is nothing too big or too small, nothing too important or insignificant, to keep us from praying to our Heavenly Father. Are you a parent? Tell me, when your little children drew a picture that made no sense, did it still thrill you when they brought it to you as a gift, all proud? Did you think it was beautiful, even though others may have thought is was scribble?

God is our Abba, our Father, so don’t you think it pleases Him when we bring ANYTHING to him in prayer? Of course it does! That shows Him we care about something and we want Him to care, too! It shows Him that we have faith in Him to take care of something, something we have no control over. It shows that we believe in Him enough to take our petitions to Him, not someone else.

Do you think a hurt little dog is insignificant? Guess what, how big do you think your biggest prayer request is in the light of Omnipotent God? EVERY need we have is small to Him!

Secondly, what do you think about praying for a dog? Do you think it is crazy to ask God to heal a dog? Do you think that matters nothing to Him? Well, what about how He takes note of every sparrow that falls (Matthew 10:29; Luke 12:6)? What about the time He chastised Jonah for not even caring about the cattle that could have been killed (Jonah 4:11)? What about how one of the characteristics of a righteous man is how he cares for his animals (Proverbs 12:10)? Need I go on?

When the Lord created all living things, what did He say? He said, “It is good.” God cares for His creation, and that is why He expects us to take care of it and tend it. If God made our little dog, then He cares for our little dog.

Third, there’s this thing called faith. Are you aware that whenever we put our faith in the Lord for anything, that brings Him glory? Our trust in Him to do something we can’t shows our dependency on Him (Psalm 57:2).

Fourth, God cares about us. That’s the biggie. God, our Father in Heaven, is so much better of a father than we could ever be (Matt. 7:11; Luke 11:13). When our children hurt, that hurts us. Likewise, when we hurt, it must pain our Father. Does he not collect our tears (Psalm 56:8).

So, I prayed for our little dog. I even anointed him with oil when I prayed – as a symbol of faith (believe me, I understand the context of the passages, so you don’t have to offer any exegesis). I prayed, and I believe, that my Father, little Jack’s Creator, will heal him and raise him back up.

So, for my daughter’s sake, and for the glory of the Lord, will you say a pray for Jack, our little dog? He is in pain, has multiple wounds, some of which are down into the muscle. A large portion of his back had the skin pulled away from the muscle. He even has multiple tube protruding from his body in order to help his wounds to drain. He also has multiple staples all over his body.

Thank you for caring.

Poor little guy even has to endure a “cone of shame.”

24 Comments

Filed under animals, Prayer

Tagged as Animals, dogs, Pets, prayer

by Anthony Baker | October 17, 2016 · 1:41 pm

Five Years of Monkeying Around

The Notification

This morning I received a sweet little notification from Facebook. It was little reminder of a video I made introducing the “Monday Monkey” segments to my blog.

Sometimes these Facebook notifications are fun. Other times they depress me. I don’t know how to interpret this one. 5 years? Has it really been that long? Then, on the other hand, 5 years ago seems like an eternity.

It’s amazing the flood of water that can run under a bridge in 5 years, isn’t?

The First Official Video

The following week my daughters and I worked on putting together the very first “Monday Monkey” video. The purpose, as stated above, was twofold: 1) to insert a little fun into the mix; 2) to increase subscription numbers – to over 100. As best as I can tell, both goals were met…eventually.

In this first video you will see my middle daughter, Katie, playing the part of a teacher. Ironically, she is now a music education major (junior) at Bryan College in Dayton, TN.

It literally took us about 3 hours to film this little 1-minute video! Ahh, memories 😉

“Monkey Questions”

I’m Totally Heartbroken

Many of you know what it is like to lose a pet. Many of you know what it is like to lose a family member. Some of you may understand what it is like when you lose a pet that is more than just an animal, but a family member. Well, that’s what my wife and I are going through.

Friday morning our daughter Katie let our little dogs out to do their business…two came back inside, but one didn’t. When I got home from Atlanta Friday night, little Nugget was still nowhere to be found.

We enlisted the aid of neighbors and a couple of church members to help look. All of us drove around our entire neighborhood, calling, praying, and just hoping there would be some sign…but nothing. And now it’s Monday.

Nugget is a Chorkie (Chihuahua/Yorkie), and in a disturbing “coincidence” two other Yorkies are missing from our same part of town. Was he stolen? Will we find him for sale online? We are hoping.

But another possibility is that our little Nugget, a precious little dog we’ve had since October of 2009, when he was only 2 months old, was taken by a coyote. If that’s what happened, well…

You see, a coyote has been seen a couple of times around our house. One night just a week or so ago my wife and daughters came home, got out of the car, and found themselves being threatened by what they thought at first was a fox (they were wrong – it was much bigger than that). It was at that time Nugget, the bravest little dog you’ve ever seen – a dog whose chased off large dogs and dear – wasted no time tearing off after the coyote, running it out of the yard.

My fear is that the coyote showed back up early Friday morning and Nugget got into a fight he couldn’t win. If that’s the case, our little dog died a hero. And if I find that coyote, I’m going to give it a taste of multiple gut-shattering personal defense 9mm rounds. Yes, I will.

Nugget was such a good little dog. For example, he was always obedient and house trained. If we came to the stairs, either in the house or outside, Nugget would always stand and wait for us to go down first…he would never trip us. When offered treats along with the other two dogs, Nugget would always sit back away from them and patiently wait his turn.

“No, I don’t want a steak biscuit.”

Nugget loved to go for a ride. Many times on Saturdays I would go out to McDonald’s for a cup of coffee. Nugget knew where I was going and would insist to ride along. When I’d get to the drive through Nugget would stand on my leg, put his front paws and head out the window, and practically place his own order – chicken nuggets. And whenever we went to Chick-fil-A, his favorite was a small scoop of ice cream.

Nugget was the only one who would stay up late into the night with my wife during tax season. He would stay right with her, either by her feet or on a little bed she made on her desk. Wherever she would go he would follow. And, yes, he slept with us.

He didn’t shed. He rarely did anything that got him into trouble. He loved to run and be chased. He loved to be held. He thought of himself as more human than the other dogs, for toys were out of the question – he just wanted to be with us.

I know it may sound crazy, but losing Nugget, although not a human child, is almost as painful as losing a human loved one. Nugget was my “little boy.” Because we lived in a house with so many females, Nugget and I would have our “guy time.” Now my little buddy is gone, and there are tears in my eyes and a broken heart in my chest.

My wife and I both are very heartbroken.

Now, some of you may find all this ridiculous. I mean, Nugget was just an animal, right? Sure, but God has created us with the ability to show emotion, to grow attached, and even to love little animals that are so faithful. After all, it could be argued that the best earthly example of agape love is a faithful dog.

One year old in 2010.

Making a profile pic.

Christmas pajamas – for dogs, too.

Learned behavior? It was always MY pillow, too!

Jack and Nugget arguing about something, I know not what.

Running out to meet me as I got off the bus.

Always ready to play.

Waiting to place his order, Nugget would even expect chicken from the bank.

After all the other Easter Sunday family pics, Nugget got to be in one, too.

And, should you read this and think of yourself more spiritual than one who would be heartbroken over a dog, consider the following verses:

And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and [also] much cattle? – Jonah 4:11

A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked [are] cruel. – Proverbs 12:10

We will miss you, Nugget. You were the best.

Sleep well, buddy. You earned it.

11 Comments

Filed under animals, Life/Death, Struggles and Trials

Tagged as dogs, Loss, pet owners, Pets, sorrow, Yorkie

by Anthony Baker | August 22, 2016 · 6:30 am

Monday Monkey in Zimbabwe

I’m BACK!

On Friday afternoon of last week I felt the wheels of the Boeing 727 (I think) hit the Atlanta airport runway. It was the final touchdown that came after a long, long trip back on Ethiopian Air from Harare, Zimbabwe. Seriously, the worst part of my trip to Africa was just getting there and getting back home – too many hours in airplanes!

Nevertheless, I made it back, and I’m happy to be back in the USA.

So many of you prayed. Others were able to lend financial support. No matter what you did, if you helped in any way, the trip to Africa was more than a success – it was a victory! And all of you had a part.

Monkey in Africa

If you know me at all, you know that I could not pass up an opportunity to take Mr. Monkey to Africa. I mean, if he couldn’t fit in there, where else could he feel at home? A zoo?

Mr. Monkey went out with me to several places, not the least of which was to church. But before we went to church, there were times when he was able to climb real African trees…

He got to visit a real African kitchen made out of mud and thatch…

And he got to ride in a mini-bus with the local praise team from Chinhoyi Baptist Church.

Mr. Monkey got to make plenty of friends, too. So many children were drawn to him and amazed with expressions. Even one of the pastors had to try his hand – literally – at bringing Mr. Monkey to life.

Who’s Unique?

The message of the video I’ve attached is that Mr. Monkey (Buddy) was not entirely unique, for he was made in a Chinese factory on an assembly line. The children, however, were most certainly unique and one-of-a-kind.

The following video was filmed with my iPad Mini 2. The camera woman was the pastor’s wife, Mary. More about these dear folks in a later post.

Oh, by the way, there were 367 people who prayed to receive Jesus Christ on this evangelistic trip. If that doesn’t qualify as an unmitigated success, I don’t know what does. And more about that later, too.

4 Comments

Filed under animals, Countries, Monday Monkey

Tagged as Africa. Missions, Chinhoyi, Monkey, zimbabwe

by Anthony Baker | August 9, 2016 · 7:00 am

“I Just Wanna Be a Sheep”

The following post was written by a fellow blogger from New Zealand, Johanna. Unfortunately, Johanna was not in a place where she could access my blog to add her post, so she emailed me the text. Johanna blogs at Isaiah 41v10. Be sure to pay her a visit…she may have some more shepherding advice on hand 😉

‘I just wanna be a sheep’

I come from a country that is famous for its sheep. New Zealand used to have more than 70 million sheep. Now the number is about 29 million, according to teara.govt.nz. August is the best time of year to see the sheep, as it is late winter, when the ewes are lambing. It is delightful to watch the lambs gambolling in the fields playfully, so different from their sedate mothers.

Thinking about sheep gets me pondering all the Biblical references to sheep. The way we farm sheep here in NZ is quite different from 1st Century Palestine or how David cared for his father’s sheep before he became king of Ancient Israel. These differences can teach us something about our relationship with God.

Shepherds in the Bible

It’s clear from reading the Bible texts that the good shepherds in those days (like David) had a small number of valued sheep, each one of which was known by the shepherd, and who knew the shepherd and followed him.

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. “ (Luke 15:4-6 ESV)

Jesus also talks about the shepherd’s relationship to his sheep in John 10:3-4, where he says, “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. “

Contrast this with modern farming, where a farmer will often have hundreds, if not thousands of sheep. They live in fields fenced by barbed wire. They are seen as stupid animals, that the shepherd herds by using dogs to make them obey his will. You do not see a shepherd leading his sheep, instead driving them in front of him. They have an eartag with a number to identify them to the sheep farmer.

To me this speaks of two different ways of relating to God.

What kind of sheep are you?

One kind is motivated by fear, and kept safe by barbed wire. These fences are like the extra rules that we make for ourselves or that others make for us, to keep us safe and away from sin. But they also keep us from following the Shepherd to green pastures. Instead we are boxed in where the grass has been overgrazed, living on stale hay.

Some sheep break out, thinking that the grass looks greener elsewhere, and end up on a busy road or in a ditch. This is like those who break away from legalism to do their own thing, or those who fear the Shepherd and his voice, and shipwreck their lives as a result. Both are far from the Shepherd.

The Good Shepherd’s sheep are motivated by love for their Shepherd. They trust him to keep them safe and fed, and they follow him wherever he leads. He leads them to green pastures and restores their souls. He protects them in the darkest valleys and lays down his life for them. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth.”

Jesus is not a factory farmer. He wants us to know his voice and follow him out of love. He doesn’t want us to be penned in by traditions or extra rules, but instead to walk with him to green pastures and fresh water.

Will you follow him?

That’s Anthony on the far left. He always has to get his nose in the picture.

3 Comments

Filed under animals, Bible Study, Christian Living

Tagged as boundaries, Christianity, freedom, Jesus, Legalism, love of God, Sheep

by Anthony Baker | August 8, 2016 · 9:07 am

Equal Access Relief Room

Here I am in the terminal of the Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. As of this writing I still have an hour or two before boarding a 777 in route to Ethiopia, then Zimbabwe.

Please make sure to check out the guest posts which I’ve scheduled over the next week or so.

Now, the reason I’m writing this post while sitting in the airport is because I saw something I’ve never seen before.

I guess when men and women can use the bathroom of their choice, depending on how they identify at any given moment, I’m glad our animals now have a place to relieve themselves.

But what if, after all this travel, I feel DOG TIRED?

Just a thought. But how do you flush that hydrant?

4 Comments

Filed under America, animals, Culture Wars, Uncategorized

Tagged as Animals, equality, Pets

by Anthony Baker | August 4, 2016 · 7:00 am

Some Choose the Thorny Path

Wise Solomon

It never fails to amaze me how people get themselves into trouble. But if the truth be known, many of those who end up getting hurt, whether it be physically or emotionally, chose the wrong path. Wise King Solomon put it this way…

There are thorns and snares on the path of the crooked; the one who guards himself stays far from them. – Proverbs 22:5 HCSB

Below are two stories about two different paths. Both contain dogs, but only one has a happy ending.

Whose Fault?

People who drink and drive should expect problems down the road. People who use illegal drugs should expect problems, also. Why is it, then, when these people get caught, harassed, or arrested by law enforcement, they blame the whole thing on the police?

Recently a man’s dog was shot and killed. After seeing his owner arrested for mouthing off to machine gun-toting policemen who had surrounded the house of a criminal, the 80 pound Rottweiler decided to attack. What was the arresting officer supposed to do but defend himself? Yet, the community where this happened is calling for the policeman to be punished. Why? Because a fool who couldn’t keep his foolish mouth shut forgot to restrain his killer dog?

Taking a Different Path

The above story reminds me of something that happened to me years ago. One night our German Shepherd was acting like a stranger was close by. There had been some suspicious activity down the street already, so I took my shotgun (we lived out in the county) and walked with my dog through the shadows around our house over toward the street.

Just before we came out of the shadows, I saw six policemen with M-16 assault rifles walking in my direction. Little did I know they were looking for a criminal who had just shot at another policeman.

My heart nearly stopped. “Oh God…please don’t let them see me…for the love of all that’s holy, dog, pleeeeezzzzz don’t bark…”

The dog stayed silent… We both survived.

I quietly took a different path.

Why So Sad?

Prayer

This morning I had the opportunity to meet with several other pastors from our area for a time of prayer. We met at White Oak Baptist Church where Dr. Tony Wilson is pastor.

Let me just say, it’s a great thing when pastors can get together and pray for each other, without having to worry about being jealous. Too many pastors are jealous of the ministries of their peers, but it shouldn’t be that way. We should be praying for each other and for the greater good of the Kingdom.

Picture

While we were there in the kitchen area of the church where we met to pray, I noticed several tables covered with stuffed animals and a few toys. Evidently, all of these were about to be taken to Jamaica on a mission trip.

Something about those piles of stuffed toys made me pause. I don’t know why – maybe it was all the color catching my eye – but I had to take a picture.

Once I finished editing this picture (with BeFunky), I looked at it and then realized that this was probably the saddest picture I’ve ever seen in my life! I just couldn’t figure out why.

UPDATE: I figured out why this picture makes me feel sad. The little teddy bear all alone, just tossed on a pile of other unloved toys. It’s just lying there, staring upwards with unblinking eyes, wondering where everybody has gone, unable even to right itself. Abandoned.

Good grief. I’ve got issues.

What are your thoughts? (about the picture, that is)

7 Comments

Filed under animals, Prayer

Tagged as Jamaica, photography, prayer, toys

by Anthony Baker | December 10, 2015 · 9:46 am

The Least of These

Monkey Videos

It crossed my mind just today that it would be great to do another Monday Monkey video for this Christmas. But I have to admit, for some reason or another my creative mind has numbed. Call it producer’s bock, I guess.

If you would like to take a look at some funny, creative, and totally idiotic videos, click on the Monkey Archive tab above. However, one video that is not included in the archive is the one you are about to see.

The attached Monday Monkey video was made 2 years ago, when Haley was a little younger and when she still had long hair. Ah, memories 😦

There is a message to this video, so feel free to share it.

Remember those who are in need. Merry Christmas!

Category Archives: animals

An Update On Jack (and answered prayer)

Praying for an Animal