Daily Photo Parable

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, April 18, 2025

Thursday morning of this week, the sun was perfectly angled to produce the shadow of a stern masculine profile on a neighborhood garage door I noticed on a walk. Can you spot him? If I were to meet this person as a real human being, I can picture him as being absolutely sure of himself, perfectly brave and resolute, seemingly unafraid of the black jagged “something” approaching from the right to smite him.

One of the Bible’s clearest end-time teachings is that events will get worse before they get better. Jesus often insisted that only those with the kind of resolve supplied by a close connection with the Holy Spirit will make it triumphantly through.

To read some deeply encouraging verses about this, click the link just below:

https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/signs-times

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Darren Milam
Wednesday and Thursday, April 16 and 17, 2025

Have you ever found yourself uncertain about something? Of course—you’re not alone. That hesitation often comes from past experiences or simply a lack of knowledge. But uncertainty isn’t always a negative thing. Sometimes, like when standing at the edge of a cliff, doubt serves as wisdom, urging caution.

However, there are moments when doubt stems from a lack of faith. While skepticism has its place, there are certain things—and certain people—we should trust completely. At the top of that list is God. In Hosea 6 (NIV), we’re given a powerful reminder of where our certainty should be placed and who we can always rely on.

Verse 3 says:

“Let us acknowledge the Lord:
let us press on to acknowledge Him.
As surely as the sun rises, he will appear:
He will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.”

The verse speaks to the uncertainty the Israelites faced—unsure of how God would provide for and protect them. Hosea reassured them of God’s unwavering presence, using the rhythm of the seasons as an illustration. Just as winter gives way to spring in a reliable order, so too can they trust in God’s faithfulness.

The image from my front yard beautifully reflects this truth. The winter rain nourished the earth, bringing forth the vibrant beauty of spring, seen in the delicate cherry blossoms. The light that dances across the petals and leaves is morning sunshine—a reminder that just as the sun rises each day, God is ever-present with us.

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, April 15, 2025

It’s just a guess, but my hunch is that few of us have ever gotten a black eye from fisticuffs with another individual. Of course that doesn’t mean we haven’t received a figurative one. In fact, it’s quite likely that we’ve all been punched in such a way that our self-esteem has taken a beating. Those verbal jabs, those put-downs that hit their mark all leave a mark whether they are visible or not. Even instances that could hardly qualify as a punch, such as simply being overlooked, can do damage to one’s ego.

I know it’s not the same, but the Golden-cheeked Woodpecker appears to be perpetually cursed, or blessed, with a black eye. In fact, it’s a field mark that sets it apart from other woodpeckers in Mexico where it is endemic.

I suspect this is what Christ was talking about in His Sermon on the Mount when addressing those seated around Him. “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” (Matthew 5:39 NIV) Some have taken this to condone being a victim of abuse, but I think Christ’s words had a different intent.

Notice the word the NIV uses to describe the engagement, “slap”. This type of action is not intended so much to inflict damage as to convey insult. So Christ may have been saying, “As an identifying mark of one of My followers, don’t let insults so damage your self-image that you lose your true identity.”

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, Sunday, Monday, April 12 – 14, 2025

A little over a year ago, an 18-year-old driver going 112 miles per hour smashed into a mini-van at an intersection in our area, killing a mother and three children. The teen has now pled guilty to four counts of vehicular homicide as well as two counts of vehicular assault.

Immediately after the accident, family and friends created a memorial display a few feet away from the intersection. It has changed themes over the past year, and what you see above is a photo I snapped a little over a week ago.

Notice the yellow ribbons tied to the tree branches? They’re a symbol of a beloved one’s absence and the wish that he or she could return. At the sidewalk’s edge are two or three dozen plastic pinwheels, and beyond these are what look like real daffodils.

Every time I drive by this memorial, my heart goes out to the bereaved families. And since Easter is just a week away, my thoughts turn to another death-memorial, the cross of Jesus, where another innocent Victim was sacrificed.

The display in the photo was created so that people won’t forget. It’s the same way with the cross of Jesus. Let’s take some time to remember the Savior and why He came to live among us and die for us. Go to the link directly below:

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

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, April 11, 2025

A bit over a week ago on a morning walk, I glanced up and spotted this truly impressive jet contrail. I’d never seen anything exactly like it. I’ve often noticed contrails spread and scattered by the upper air, but never in such an artistic pattern – almost like calligraphy.

This whole photo speaks of creativity. The airliner which caused the contrail came together through the creative efforts of aircraft designers and other technicians. The house whose roof we can see was carefully planned and constructed.

But the trees, and the tint of the sky, not to mention the ice crystals which make up the brush-swirl, are all God’s artistry. And all we can do is stare in awe, and study the scene for all the evidences God does truly care.

As Ida L. Reed’s children’s song puts it:

O the lark sings in the meadow,
In the pleasant, flow-ry meadow,
And a happy song sings he!
Perched upon a bough so slender,
Hear him sing in accents tender,
“Oh He cares, God cares for me.”

God cares for me,
Bright is the day before me,
And ev’rywhere I go
Right well I know
His loving care is o’er me.
— Ida L. Reed

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, April 10, 2025

I’m drawn to mountain scenes, so when Mount Rainier appeared in this view of Seattle from the Space Needle, I had to snap a picture.

Even when presented with modern achievements, God’s nature draws us just like Mount Rainier draws our attention.

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.
Psalm 65:8

Let’s think about God’s wonders and goodness as we move forward in our modern environment.

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, April 9, 2025

We all know the way God promised the galaxy that He would never cover the planet with water, after the flood. It was a beautiful rainbow. Ever wonder why He chose that symbol? Why did He choose all the colors to show His promise? I won’t pretend to know the reason, but I am certainly thankful for the creative approach and all the incredible colors.

Genesis 9:13 -15

I have sent my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

Not in the form of a rainbow, but instead God has created these jaw-dropping colors in flowers and foliage. These English Daisies show off the red, yellow, and various shades of pink, surrounded by the lush green leaves. The image doesn’t capture the full spectrum of the color palette, but it certainly has a few of the selections.

When we come across these colors in nature, we know that God created these colors, these are God’s colors. He specifically chose these hues for our enjoyment. What a wonderful way of thinking of yet another form of communication we can receive from our Father.