My niece, Susan, named my famous oatmeal cookies “The Church Cookies” because I bake them every weekend and take them to the fellowship hour at Faith EPC. Check us out on the web in Kingstowne. By the way, the menu is from a short missionary trip to Australia, not from the church.

The morning walk with my dog Bernie, the Schnauzer, brought great surprise. This baby bird was lying on the street. No tree was nearby. How did this happen? I quickly placed him in my big hand and headed home. My wife gently said “What shall we do with him?” as tears filled her eyes. “He’s just a little baby, we can’t let him die.”
I had no ideas but she said “I’ll take him to the science teacher at the elementary school.”
So off we went. I stayed in the car. My wife had placed him on some cotton balls in a little wooden bowl. She reported to me when she returned to the car that the school nurse looked at him and the science teacher was called. Mission accomplished.
Now my wife began to sob. “What’s the deal?” I asked.
“It is so strange” she replied, “that I would be so concerned about a baby bird when people are killing their babies…”

Today is Sunday. The Master left on Thursday. Bernie mourned all day. Wouldn’t eat or drink water. I worried a little about this but I had to teach piano lessons and so he was alone in his room. Each time the front door would open for my students, he would bark. He thought it was the Master returning.
Friday came. The dog food and the fresh water remained untouched. I became concerned after my friend Millie told me that their dog died mourning after their daughter left for college.
“You got to be kidding,” I exclaimed.
“No,” she answered “That’s what the vet told us.”
So I redoubled my efforts to get him to eat and drink. No avail. Finally on Saturday I tried a little piece of ice cube. At first, he would have nothing to do with it and then he took it. I went shopping and when I returned the food and water were still untouched.
Well, today is Sunday. I pulled out a squirt bottle and filled it with water. I pried his mouth open and squirted. He was not happy and I knew that would never work. Okay, what about a gourmet breakfast? I fried 3 strips of bacon and then poured some of the bacon drippings in the skillet and scrambled 2 eggs for him. I crumbled the bacon over the eggs and placed it in front of him. Whooppee!!!! He began to eat. I knew the smell of bacon would surely do wonders for even a dog.
I watched him eat. I had a bowl of oatmeal for myself but when he looked up at me for more food I began to feed him spoons of oatmeal. Soon he had eaten all my oatmel. It was then I decided to fry myself a pancake with butter and sugar-free syrup. He still was waiting and watching me eat.
“Okay, Bernie, it’s your day.” And I gave him some of my pancake.
He left me alone and then he returned with one of his toys. He looked like he was laughing. His 3 days of mourning were over.

P.S. Tonight I gave him cup of warm milk as prescribed by Nurse Sue. He lapped it up!
His Master returns tomorrow and what a reunion that will be!!!!!!

“HE IS RISEN” and the answer comes back “HE IS RISEN INDEED”.

I have seen an elephant uproot a small tree at the Fig Tree Lodge in Kenya but this is the first picture of a elephant with grass.

Who will win the fight?

When we were kids we thought zebra were horses with pajamas.

“Don’t bother me, it’s early in the morning!”

The cape buffalo is a very mean spirited animal. You need to be alert.

Mike was awarded the James D. Kennedy Christian Statesmanship Award in 2008. May God give us more great statesmen!