Daily Photo Parable

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Don’t let the less-than-perfect image quality distract you. Instead, focus on what is happening in the photo.

For a brief moment, this Anna’s hummingbird sat perfectly still, and the surrounding foliage nearly swallowed it up. The tiny bird seems to disappear into the background. If you’ve seen Anna’s hummingbirds before, you know they are anything but dull. Their iridescent green feathers can shine brilliantly, and the males are known for the striking metallic red coloring on their heads.

The camouflage captured here is not really a defense strategy of the species. It was simply a matter of timing, perspective, and the angle of my lens. In reality, these birds rely more on their speed and agility than concealment. Their incredible ability to hover, dart, and maneuver makes them difficult targets.

Yet in this single moment, the hummingbird blends almost completely into its surroundings.

Literally a second later, the scene changed. With sunlight overhead and blue sky behind it, the same bird hovered while feeding on nectar, and those reflective green feathers suddenly became impossible to miss. What had blended in now stood out beautifully.

That contrast raises an interesting question for us: Are we meant to blend in or stand out?

A familiar children’s song encourages us to “let our light shine.” The song is rooted in Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount:

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16

Both the message of This Little Light of Mine and the words of Jesus point us in the same direction. We were not created to hide what God is doing in our lives. Rather, we are called to live in a way that reflects His goodness to others.

The hummingbird in this photo may have blended into its surroundings for a moment, but it was never meant to stay hidden. Neither are we. Let your light shine.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Each of us carries many names or titles as it were.  At the same time we could be both a father and a son; a confidant and a confessor; an employee and employer.  And these roles need not be in conflict, simply filling different roles as needed.  There are times when names change simply because the focus of the observer shifts.  The White-tipped Dove received its name that way.  Formerly known as the White-fronted Dove, this shy species generally prefers to stay hidden in the thick scrub undergrowth it calls home.  A common resident in much of Latin America, it barely makes its way into the United States where it is most frequently seen along the Rio Grande.  Both names are appropriate enough, white-tipped offering a description of the tail feathers while white-fronted refers to its white forehead.  Since the accompanying photograph fails to highlight either of these characteristics, one is left to wonder why the change.

However, there are other times when roles or names seem incompatible.  It’s difficult to conceive of a situation where a person in the U.S. Navy would qualify as both a Petty Officer 3^rd Class and a Fleet Admiral simultaneously.  For the sake of clarity, these terms would be mutually exclusive.  But let’s try one that comes closer to home: what about saint and sinner?  A greater disparity can hardly be imagined, and yet that’s where we find ourselves – both a saint and a sinner in the same breath.  Lest you doubt, Paul addresses the believers a number of times as saints (see 1 Corinthians 9:1 for an example) and you know from the two letters addressed to them their lives were hardly exemplary.

Perhaps this is another example similar to the dove, where the focus of the individual is the determining factor.  When I look at myself, or at you for that matter, I’m inclined to see all the warts, blemishes, broken promises, and failures that cumulatively stack up on top of each other. When God looks at me He sees an entirely different image.  It’s not just that His vision is so much better than ours, it’s that His love is so much greater than ours.  For this reason, those of us who have chosen to make Him Lord of our lives are seen with the robe of His righteousness wrapped around us.  We are seen Saints of the Most High.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday and Monday, August 30 and 31, 2026

I’ve carried this tag around in my purse for several years, and will continue to do so. I remember the day I was taking tags off a couple of new shirts we’d bought for my husband, and how I paused to read this one before I threw it away. It charmed me, so I kept it instead.

In case you can’t easily read the photo, here’s what kept the tag out of the wastebasket: “The special dye and wash process creates the broken-in comfort you expect. Apparent deviations should not be considered a defect, but part of the unique character of a well-aged product. Over time, additional fading may occur, but the quality will never fade.”

I found this reassuring when I read it, and now that I am several years older, it’s even more comforting. Phrases like “broken-in comfort,” “unique character,” and “well-aged” seem to put growing older in such a positive light. (I’d completely forgotten these words were designed to sell a shirt, not reframe the aging process!)

The tag’s last sentence seems to be a promise – unfading quality! Rather than dwindling or diminishing as the years escalate, I can stay strong in ways that matter.

Lest you think I have a habit of looking to clothing tags for my words of encouragement (somewhat like depending on the little slip of paper in a fortune cookie), I have a better habit of turning to God’s words. Here are a few of my favorite Scripture passages about aging, from God’s perspective:

Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. (Isaiah 46:4 NKJV)

But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in Your hand . . . (Psalms 31:14-15)

Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
(Psalm 92:13-15)

And, as we step out into this brand-new week, we can remember that – no matter our age — each day brings us one day closer to His Coming!

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, August 27, 2026

Friday afternoon of this week I spotted this tiny white plant growth of some kind. I’ve put my pocket Bic pen beside it for scale.

Take a look at the pen for a moment. Do you see how straight its lines are? I have used this exact kind of pen – the black Bic Crystal — for writing since my college days, and I’ve always anchored it to my shirt pocket with that exact style of clip. Need to make a note? Pinch the clip, remove the pen, and write. Works every time.

Now take a look at the little white plant. Shelley and I were walking together at the time, and I asked her what she thought it was. She commented dubiously that it looked like coral.

But what struck me was that it does not have machine-straight lines like the pen. Instead, just like most bushes and trees, it begins with a stem, and grows out in branches. Life moves out through the network, and nourishes and adds to the organism.

The more I think of this, the more I grow quiet with awe. How does this plant know how to grow in this way? Why hasn’t it crumbled apart?

To me, the obvious answer is that this plant – even in its diminutive size – is responding to the programming of its superhuman Creator. Down through the centuries, God not only nurtured plant and animal and human existence, but He also enlisted the help of human beings using pen and ink to record some essential facts about Himself.

Want to read or review some of these facts?  Click the link just below.
https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/creation-and-evolution

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, August 27, 2026

This past Sunday I caught a couple of delightful photos. Crows, as you probably know, are considered to be very intelligent birds. But I observed how relatively clueless not just one but two can be.

In the shot above, you can see that a crow has landed beside a bulging bag, and seems to be announcing its presence with a triumphant caw!

Since I had also observed a nearby road-work sign, its tripod collapsed and its sign face-down, I deduced that the bag probably contained nothing but sand, and that the bag is nothing more than ballast to keep the sign from being blown over once it’s erected.

In less than a minute (according to my phone-camera’s time-stamp), Crow One was joined by Crow Two, who landed on top of the bag and began doing its own research with stabs from its beak.

I think this is a perfect parable about the power of influence. Crow One made what he thought was a lucky discovery, and rather than pecking away until he discovered the sand, made noise. Crow Two, unable to resist the temptation, swooped down, and the two of them began to waste their time together.

The Bible has quite a bit to say about temptation, and how to avoid it. Check out the link just below:

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

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, August 25, 2026

It’s an interesting question.  Why do most of us see bands of color when we look at a rainbow, even though the rainbow contains a continuum of colors across the visible spectrum?  Speculation has it that we categorize what our sensory organs receive in order to make sense out of this abundance of information.  Recent research has found that birds have the ability to distinguish between degrees of carotenoid-based colors, say between orange and red, but it has also been found that birds tend to categorize, just as we do, into groups.

Colors are used by birds to attract mates. There is evidence to show that in at least some species females are attracted to males that sport the brightest colors.  This is particularly true of reds since carotenoids are not created by the bird itself but must be obtained from the food it finds. Thus, good color would not only indicate good foraging abilities but also good health.  The key enzyme that is needed to metabolize carotenoids is also required for the bird’s immune system to function properly.  The inference is that this color indicates a healthy partner who is able to pass on those same qualities to its offspring.  This evolutionary model may have some validity, but one should be careful how far they follow this line of reasoning.  From all appearances, this male Summer Tanager appears to be in good health.  Not only is he eating right but he’s also following good hygiene practices.

There is a spiritual danger of following this same type of reasoning.  Am I “red” enough to qualify for heaven?  Am I good enough to be saved?  After all, Jesus sets the standard very high when He tells us that we must be as perfect as our Father in heaven.  (Matthew 5:48)  The simple answer is, we too, like the birds, must get our “redness” from a source outside ourselves. Thank God that the One who set the standard is also the same One who provides the fulfillment.