Daily Photo Parable

Photo ©2004 and Commentary ©2026 by Chuck Davis
Monday, October 12, 2026

Today’s photo displays a nice example of the Red-Belted Conk (Fomitopsis pinicola). This is just one type of “Shelf Fungus” common across the Pacific Northwest. This hard, woody shelf grows on both dead and living conifers. It is easily recognized by the bright reddish orange, “varnished,” band running along its lower margin.

In Pacific Northwest folklore, shelf fungi were believed to absorb or reflect human thoughts and words. They were thought to literally “echo” back negative intentions, thereby acting as a shield to protect people from those who wished them harm. As such, many of the varieties of shelf fungi, artist conks, (and other names) were called by some of the native peoples by a name that translates to “echo” and they carried deep spiritual significance.

The Bible contains many passages wherein God is described as our protector. One of my favorites: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1 KJV). I encourage you to share some of your favorite “God is my protector” verses with someone this week.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, October 11, 2026

What do you see when you look at this shadow on our neighborhood trail? I first saw a cross, and then I saw the off-ramps.

Near the base of the cross was a shadow leading to the right, and above that were more of the same. I saw them as paths leading away from the cross, easy off-ramps.

Perhaps this came to mind because I’d recently been reading about Jesus’ baptism:

 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17 NKJV)

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit all together in a moment of supreme joy – immediately followed by the wilderness, the forty days and nights of fasting, and ravenous hunger.

Who then appears? Who has been waiting for this moment?

The diabolical deceiver, long ago hurled out of heaven:

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9 NKJV)

He has been busy deceiving and destroying ever since, and revved into high gear when Jesus was born. He has been stalking Him since birth, and is now ready to take advantage of His weak and weary condition.

He is ready to offer off-ramps to Jesus.

Off-ramp #1 speaks to His obvious need: “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

Off-ramp #2, spoken from the highest point of the temple, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.” 

Off-ramp #3 —  Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:8-9 NIV)

Notice how all the off-ramps are if-ramps. The devil, who had successfully and fatally planted doubt in Eve’s mind in Eden, tries to do the same here. “If you are the Son of God . . . if you will bow down and worship me.”

Despite all this bedevilment, Jesus in His weakness met each “If” with strong words from the solid word of God: “It is written . . .”

Three times the devil offered Him off-ramps, easy ways to avoid the pain and humiliation of the cross. Fresh from His baptism, Jesus could bypass the hard road ahead and accept all the kingdoms of the world as a gift Satan promised he could deliver.

I like to say that Jesus was cross-eyed and mission-minded. He kept His mind and His heart focused firmly on His Father, spending long nights in prayer to receive from Him the strength and power to resist any and all temptations that would take Him off course.

And there were so many, including one we can never face: He resisted the temptation to use His divine power for His own benefit. He poured it out, as He received it from His Father, for the blessing of others, but not for Himself.

As we step out into this brand new week, we must keep an eye out for any off-ramps the devil may offer us, any temptations to stray from walking with Jesus, by keeping both eyes, and our faith, fixed on our Savior.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen. (Jude 24, 25)

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, October 10, 2026

Quick quiz question: What’s wrong with the above photo?

I spotted this garbage-can display a few weeks ago in our neighborhood, and since I’ve been a resident here for several years, I immediately noticed what was wrong. Can you spot it?

Here’s what I think. Since there are two green, two blue, and two gray containers, I’m almost certain that they belong to two side-by-side neighbors. (I mean, what kind of regular household would generate this mindboggling amount of weekly waste?)

Okay, so what’s the big deal? Why can’t two neighbors cuddle their waste bins together in this companionable way? Well, if they made a habit of this, they’d get dinged by the trash-picker-uppers. That’s because the rules say that bins must be left a couple of feet apart so that a trash-truck’s metal grabber-arms can have room to get a good grip before heaving the bin up and dumping it in the truck.

My thought is that the bins were separated in the usual way, emptied by the successive trucks, and later a mildly obsessive kid wandered by from school and decided to re-order them to his or her liking, maybe as a joke.

Here’s the parable point, or at least one of them. You and I need soul-trash-removal on a regular basis, and we need to allow the celestial Recycler elbow-room to do what He does best. Sometimes this means putting distance between us and other influences so that God can clean us up.

For more info about this, click the link just below:

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

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, October 9, 2026

Thursday morning of this week, I saw this heart-warming sight. A man and a little boy (probably dad and son) were walking slowly down the sidewalk across the street from me, and I couldn’t resist snapping this picture once they were past me.

What was so touching was how slowly Dad was walking. His normal stride would have been four times the boy’s, yet he was going only as fast as his son could go.

Did you know that in the four Gospels, Jesus referred to God as “Father” right around 200 times total? He rarely called God anything else, because that’s how He wanted us to think of the King of the Universe.

Many years ago, a man named John Hopp (who is so non-famous as not to be found on Wikipedia or Google) wrote the lyrics to a gentle melody in the form of a prayer to God the Father:

Father, lead me day by day,
Ever in Thine own sweet way;
Teach me to be pure and true;
Show me what I ought to do.

When in danger, make me brave;
Make me know that Thou canst save;
Keep me safe by Thy dear side;
Let me in Thy love abide.

When I’m tempted to do wrong,
Make me steadfast, wise, and strong;
And when all alone I stand,
Shield me with Thy mighty hand.

May I do the good I know,
Be Thy loving child below,
Then at last go home to Thee,
Evermore Thy child to be.

— John Hopp

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, October 8, 2026

It is always great to see Mount Rainier come into view, and I can’t help but take a few pictures. Here is a Bible verse that seems to fit the picture well.

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.
Isaiah 26:4

It is easy to forget to trust in God. It seems like that is why verses like this are so powerful. They take something that is way bigger than us and relate it to God so we can get a better sense.  Mount Rainier has not gone anywhere in a long time. God promises He never will.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, October 7, 2026

If you’ve ever visited Yosemite National Park, you likely recognize this granite monolith. For those who haven’t, it’s called El Capitan, or “The Captain.” It is one of the park’s most iconic landmarks, known for its towering 3,000-foot granite face, breathtaking views from every angle, and world-renowned climbing routes.

In the first image, just above and to the right of the tree line, hidden in the shadows, are the climbers featured in the second image. At first glance, they appear as little more than tiny specks against the massive face of El Capitan. Yet those specks are people slowly making their way upward, connected by ropes, carrying supplies, and trusting their equipment with every move they make.

The pack hanging below (between the two) may even contain the collapsible platforms they will use to sleep while suspended from the granite wall. Depending on the route, reaching the summit can take several days. Every step requires planning, skill, endurance, and an incredible amount of trust.

Standing in Yosemite Valley, it’s easy to become captivated by the beauty of El Capitan itself. The textures, colors, shadows, and sheer size of the rock command your attention. But when you notice those tiny climbers on its face, another thought begins to emerge. How much trust must they have in the ropes that hold them, the anchors secured in the rock, their equipment, and even their own strength? That level of trust is remarkable.

As I watched them climbing, I couldn’t help but think about where I place my own trust. In life, we often put our confidence in our abilities, our plans, our finances, our health, or the things we can see and touch. Yet all of those can fail. Scripture reminds us that there is a firmer foundation available to us:

Proverbs 3:5 & 6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Those climbers were literally putting their lives in the hands of something they trusted. Something we need to ask ourselves – Do we trust God with the same confidence? When the path is steep, uncertain, or even a little frightening, are we relying on our own strength, or placing  faith in the One who never fails?

The climbers will eventually reach the summit of El Capitan. My prayer is that, whatever mountain is in front of us, we will learn to trust the Lord with the same determination, knowing that His grip on us is far more secure than any rope could ever be.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Like a Noble Savage in a James Fenimore Cooper novel who was able to vanish unseen into the woodwork, so too for me was the Indian Plum.  Even from childhood I liked knowing the names of plants and animals I found in the woods, but somehow this small tree didn’t register in my thinking until much later in life.  Even then I failed to make the connection between this shrub with drooping clusters of flowers that was among the earliest to bloom, and that same species which bore olive-sized fruit that started out pale orange before ripening into a bluish black.  Maybe that’s because during the summer months it’s not nearly as distinctive as its spring and fall appearance, blending in well with willows and other growth in a variety of wooded settings.

It is known by a variety of names including Osoberry (because bears love them), Indian Peach, Squaw Plum, Skunkbush, and Bird Cherry.  Native Americans ate the fruit fresh, dried, and cooked, even though it can have a bitter after-taste.  Perhaps that keeps consumption limited, which may not be so bad since its leaves, seeds, and even the fruit may contain small quantities of hydrogen cyanide.  Somehow or other, we have come up with the idea that if it tastes bad, it must be good for us.  As a result, it has been used to treat tuberculosis, stomach aches, rheumatism, macular degeneration, as a laxative, and even to prevent cancer.  Who knows if it really works or not, but it does contain decent amounts of vitamins C and K.

When people are hurting they will resort to almost any proffered solution in hopes that their actions will prove to be beneficial.  Some of these are rational, others are not.  But without hope, no one can prosper.  Hope, itself, is a healing agent.  However, Micah seems to have the best idea:  “But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” (Micah 7:7 NIV)