Daily Photo Parable

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, April 28, 2026

When leafing through the pages of a North American field guide, the beginning birder can be overwhelmed by the seemingly vast number of small, grayish-green birds that fill its pages.  The White-eyed Vireo is one that would fall into that group.  But it does have one distinguishing characteristic that separates it from all the others, it has a distinctive white eye.  If there were no other field marks, that would be sufficient, for there is only one other perching bird in North America that sports this eye color and the rest of its features would prevent confusion.

There are times when we like being distinctive, unique, different from the rest of the crowd.  But there are other times when we would like to blend into the fabric of life so no one would notice.  What makes the difference?  Risking the danger of painting with too broad a brush, let me venture a guess.  I suspect it frequently hinges upon whether or not we are proud of that which sets us apart.

The arbitrary line between a cult, a sect, and a denomination can be a very subtle one.  They are, after all, humanly devised terms to help categorize.  When the early Christian church first came into being it could have properly been identified as any of the three.  Should we be stressing those qualities or beliefs that set us apart from other persuasions?  I guess it just depends upon how important those distinctives are to you.

Photo ©2011 and Commentary ©2026 by Chuck Davis
Monday, April 27, 2026

Over the past year, I have shared several images of the Granite Mountain Fire Lookout. It sits upon a solid foundation of granite boulders. Though buffeted by fierce winds and wild storms, once inside, it provides a place of safety. As this photograph suggests, getting to the Lookout may involve dangerous territory. At this time of year, getting to safety requires diligence and careful route finding.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8 KJV).

The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10 KJV).

Even as God provides a plan for safety, Satan places dangerous obstacles along our path. When confronted by danger, call upon the name of the Lord and be safe.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Shelley Schurch
Sabbath and Sunday, April 25 and 26, 2026

One of my first teen-age non-babysitting jobs was as a vacation fill-in clerk-typist in the State Fire Marshall’s office in my hometown of Juneau, Alaska. The next four summers I worked for the Forest Service, not in an adventurous outpost as a fire watcher in a national forest, but as a clerk-typist and receptionist in the Finance Office on the fifth floor of the Federal Building.

These entry-level jobs helped with college finances, and gave me a life-long fondness for Smokey Bear and his admonitions, such as, “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires!” and “Smokey’s Friends Don’t Play With Matches!”

I thought of my friend Smokey when I first saw this painting. It seems to depict a fire still blazing its destructive way through a forest. The mood is grim and bleak, dramatic and traumatic. I puzzle over why this particular piece of art was chosen for this wall, because this scene is what greets us as we enter our medical clinic’s reception and waiting room.

During each visit, as I wait for my appointment, I furrow my brow. I remember clinics of my younger years which featured calming pastel walls and large tanks where fish swam serenely around and around.

I picture a committee reviewing several potential art purchases for this new clinic and choosing this one: “Yes! Let’s go for the dark and stark approach this time!” The choice seems so odd to me that, rather than cast a gloomy shadow on my clinic visits, it makes me laugh!

Both my husband and I are blessed with wonderful medical providers. We tell the Lord, and them, that we are grateful for them. As a counterweight to their gloomy waiting room décor, they “bring the sunshine” of their listening and caring, along with their expertise, to our visits.

I heard that phrase recently. I was driving home with a lot on my mind, and I was planning to share some of that with my husband when I got home. I can’t remember the specifics, which is a good thing for both you and me. I know I was planning to mention some rather negative news or feelings. Suddenly I heard that phrase, not spoken audibly, but yet clearly to my mind: “Bring the sunshine.”

Well. That brought me up short. This called for a course correction. So by the time I arrived home, I walked in the door minus the gloom. I remember a song from my childhood, “Brighten the Corner Where You Are.” I guess I need to bring that song with me into my adulthood, too!

I believe the Holy Spirit was nudging me that day to “bring the sunshine” – the same Holy Spirit who inspired the following Scriptures, all from the book of Proverbs:

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22 NIV)

. . . the cheerful heart has a continual feast. (Proverbs 15:15b)

Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones. (Proverbs 15:30)

As we step out into a brand-new week, we carry our personal weather with us. I’m going to try to remember to bring the sunshine, not the forest fire!

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, April 24, 2026

What’s pictured in the photo above probably has no meaning to you. In fact, the color of the little item reclining on a page of my pocket notebook doesn’t really come through clearly. It looks black, but it’s really a very dark green. And it’s nearly an inch long.

If, like us, you make a practice of putting up and decorating a medium-sized artificial Christmas tree each year, a familiar look may be coming into your eyes. Yes, this is a solitary fake needle from our tree, and even though we finally carry the de-decorated tree as carefully as possible back to the garage, and even though we think we’ve vacuumed up all the detritus, we still find these needles throughout the year, in unexpected places.

When I find one, I gnash my teeth and fling it into the trash, as I did with this one after I snapped the photo. Yet I know that when the garbage truck arrives, and transports this needle to wherever they take it, it will not decay or dissolve until a lot of heat is applied to it.

Actually, this was the first such needle I’ve discovered in several week, so maybe we’re gaining ground on them. But I suppose what I should do, as my fingers hover above the trash can, is thank the Lord for the season it represents, and for the truly eternal green of Eden’s meadows.

Heaven is a real place, after all, far more than the artifice which surrounds us now. Why not enjoy a preview of that happy place by clicking the link just below?

https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/heaven

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, April 23, 2026

In this image taken at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, these otherwise ordinary looking rocks fluoresce when UV light shines on them. Some of the rock types include Fluorite Calcite and Hardystonite Calcite among others.

While thinking about how these rocks emanate visible light by fluorescing when a less visible UV light hits them, I pondered how that relates to the way we reflect light from Jesus.

A couple things come to mind. Considering how natural history focuses on adaptation and survival of the fittest, there may be one more ingredient necessary before humans can become truly healthy and beautiful. That thing possibly could be the act of being willing and desiring God’s goodness to work through them. That final ingredient is so hard to qualify but turns out to be essential.

The second thing I pondered is the fact that we have a hard time seeing God’s light even though it is all around us. However, when someone goes above and beyond the necessary polite actions we expect, and they truly care about the well-being of people around them, something special happens. We see the light reflected from a higher source. They fluoresce.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, April 22, 2026

It’s sights like this, a blooming crabapple tree, that remind me of creation. In Genesis 8, we read about a kind of “new creation” unfolding. The floodwaters have finally receded after covering the entire earth, and life must begin again reproducing, growing, and taking root once more.

As Noah steps off the great vessel, his first act is to build an altar, offering a sacrifice to God in gratitude for His protection and faithful guidance.

Verses 20-22:

The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

 “As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease.”

I love the promise God gave to Noah, his family, and all of mankind moving forward: “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest… will never cease.”

And just like that, we can count on the flowers to bloom at their appointed times. We look forward to our spring blooms, our summer crops, and our fall fruits, all made possible because we serve a loving and all‑powerful God.

Thank You, God!

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, April 21, 2026

The Apostle John uses graphic language to describe the final wretched convulsions of the earth before Christ’s Second Coming.  Chapter 16 of Revelation pronounces in vivid detail the impact of the seven bowls of God’s anger poured out upon the earth.  The second of these bowls is described thusly: “The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.” (verse 3 NIV)

In a very small way we saw this played out at Bear River National Wildlife Refuge in Utah. Each year the directors of the refuge drain a small portion of the sanctuary as part of their management plan.  This results in a concentration of fish which in turn accelerates the depletion of oxygen in the water.

We were not aware of this when we first sighted a Turkey Vulture perched on what appeared to be a log, but upon closer examination discovered it was no log but rather a fish.  As we continued we saw perhaps 1000 large carp, either dead or dying, due to lack of oxygen.

The truism offered by Jesus in Matthew 24:28 became apparent: “Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.” (NIV)  Not only vultures but California Gulls and White Pelican gathered around this ghoulish banquet, most too satiated to continue feeding.

Without an adequate understanding of the refuge’s overall plan, I have no way of properly evaluating their efforts.  What I do know is that in the scene portrayed in Revelation, all upon whom these bowls were poured out refused to change their hearts and give glory to a deserving God.  Such is the destructive nature of sin and those who hold to it.