Daily Photo Parable

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, February 2, 2025

I enjoy Christmas trees, ours and others. If I were in your home, gazing upon your tree (no, I don’t expect yours is still up, although ours is), I would like nothing better than a tour of your tree. I want to hear the story behind your ornaments.

I hope you are like-minded, because I want to give you a partial tour of our tree. Let’s make it an “I Spy.”

Do you spy:

1) The ornament I made in grade school? Hint: it’s a Styrofoam ball with random décor poked into it. #WhatWasIThinking

2) A Teddy bear named Theodore? My bedtime stuffed bear companions were Theodore and Sluggo. My father named them, and would weave fanciful stories in which Theodore was the perennial hero and Sluggo the bungling villain. Sluggo is also on the tree, but out of camera view. My father would think that was appropriate.

3) A mailman dressed in dark blue, holding an envelope? This little wooden ornament honors the way my husband and I met, after a mutual friend gave him my address and letters began flying back and forth between Nebraska and Alaska.

4) A red truck in a snowy scene with a Christmas tree on board? This ornament is special because a good and talented friend crafted it, knowing I liked the fabric’s artist.

5) A church? Centered on the tree, and central to my life, all these years.

6) A needlepointed candle? Another hand-crafted gift, this one is from a batch of six that a beloved boss stitched for me forty-three years ago. A brilliant teacher, administrator, mentor, and European Study Tour leader, she volunteered every Sabbath as a greeter at the Kindergarten Sabbath School door.

7) David and Goliath? This one is new this year, discovered in a little nook in a secondhand store. It says: “Then said David, ‘This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand.’ And David took a stone, and slang it, and David smote the Philistine in his forehead and slew him.” I think of this as our “slang, smote, slew” ornament; I believe it’s the only violence on our tree.

8) Two girls together, one with an apronful of apples? A long ago gift from one of my dearest friends, who just recently moved into a memory care unit. She still remembers me when I call, but I brace myself for the day she doesn’t. And I comfort myself with the fact that when Jesus comes, our minds and bodies will be fully restored – even upgraded.

9) Three hearts? There are many more on the tree, because, as Christina Rossetti’s poem says, “Love came down at Christmas.”

10) Two wooden nativities? One is from my oldest sister; she bought it in Jerusalem where they traveled while on vacation from their mission tour in Kenya. This is our first Christmas without her. The nativity reminds me that Jesus came, not to give us a food-filled, fun and festive holiday but to give us eternal life, with reunions galore on Resurrection Day.

Yes, I know today is Groundhog Day. Maybe next year I’ll track down one of those critters, ask it to pose for my camera, and write about it. But this year, I’m thinking about our Christmas tree, and all the memories I see amidst the colored lights. As I’ve mused on them, I realize they’re not just memories; they’re blessings.

I spy God, Giver of all good gifts.

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, February 1, 2025

A couple of weeks ago a pizza place near our neighborhood closed its doors. Shelley and I felt pangs of nostalgia when we heard about this. We moved to this area in 2005, and since it’s on our route home we would glance at its readerboard sign, which you see in the photo. Most often we’d see messages like “WELCOME TIGERS” or “HB MINDY” or (when things seemed hopeful for baseball playoffs) “GO MARINERS.” On the sign’s opposite side would be news about the latest pizza deal, and most recently, “NOW ON DOORDASH.”

One year, as our anniversary neared, Shelley surreptitiously arranged with the management to post a congratulatory message to me (in response to one I’d posted to her years ago on a readerboard near the seminary I was attending). To her surprise, I drove cluelessly past the Shakey’s sign that day. She had to drive me back so I could read it!

So why am I bringing up the Shakey’s closure? Mainly to reflect on how sad it is when a popular gathering place has to shut down. (At the end of this blog I’ll insert a link to a news article about the closure.)

But the main reason is to reassure myself – and you – that not everything is so temporary. God has prepared a city for us to live in, if we want to be there, and it will be triumphantly permanent. Here’s what the Bible says:

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (Revelation 21:10 – 14 NKJV)

That’s the home Jesus told His disciples He was going to prepare for them, in the first few verses of John 14. To read more of what the Bible says about heaven, including how you can reserve a place there, click the link just below. (And if you’d like, glance at the Shakey’s story just below it.)

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

https://mynorthwest.com/history/lines-bust-out-the-door-last-western-washington-shakeys-is-set-close/4030469

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, January 31, 2025

A few minutes ago, as I started writing this blog, I felt a sharp pang of disappointment. It’s because, squinting closely at the drugstore photo above, I discovered that the product’s name isn’t “Afterlife” but “Allerlife.” Were you tricked too? See how the loop of the first “e” swoops back through the “l” to its left, making it look like a “t,” and even swoops as far as the first “l,” making it seem like an “f”?

Oh, I was hoping so much for “Afterlife.” Marketers these days get really creative when thinking up brand names, and it would have been so perfect . . . .

Well, reality is reality. But let’s just pretend for a minute that it’s truly “Afterlife.” The left box bears the green title “Vitality,” and the right box has a blue “Sleep.”

So which is it? Will the afterlife be a time of vitality, or will it merely be the sleep of death and nothing more?

Actually, it’s a bit of both—in the right order. Since our minds weren’t designed to die, it’s natural to be uncomfortable with it. What we need is a solid review of what the Bible says our afterlife will be. Take a few minutes right now to click the link below and scroll through it.

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

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, January 30, 2025

When contemplating various issues, it is often useful to look at them from different perspectives. The phrase “Turn the Tables” comes to mind. The common definition of this phrase is to reverse the situation between two opposing parties. Maybe one person has the upper hand, but the other person finds some way to get the upper hand instead.

But what if there is a way to get the upper hand simply by changing our thought process and consider the problem from a different perspective?

Consider the words of Jesus.

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
Mark 9:35

I like the way Jesus turns the tables by explaining that maybe the goal is not struggling to be first, but by putting other people first we can achieve the ultimate goal. Happiness comes to mind.

Another perspective is that when enough people follow this principle (to some degree now and completely in heaven) then we each have many servants helping us while we do what we can to help others. That is a lot better than only serving ourselves.

On the picture, it has been nice this week to have clear weather to enjoy the gifts of God that everyone receives freely.

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Just recently, I was flying back from a quick trip to Utah, the Beehive State. On the return flight, I had the chance to see this view out my (very dirty) window. For those who live in the area, you’ll easily recognize Mt. Rainier, which stands at just over 14,000 feet. If you ever get the chance to see the mountain, whether up close or from high above, take it.

As I gazed out the window (the very dirty one), I started thinking about the flood and how God covered the entire planet with water. Let me repeat that – the entire planet…..covered by water. That’s a lot of water. Just think, Mt. Rainier isn’t even the tallest mountain, and it needed 14,000 feet of water to cover it. When we look at other parts of the world, we see hundreds of mountains that are taller, with Mt. Everest being the tallest at over 29,000 feet. That’s like stacking two Mt. Rainiers on top of each other. That’s a lot of water. In fact, the water from the flood not only covered the tops of the mountains but also rose an additional 15 cubits (23 feet)!

Genesis 7:19-21

They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits. Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind.

When I think of the volume of water needed to cover mountains that are 5.5 miles high, plus an additional 23 feet (presumably to ensure the ark wouldn’t run aground), it’s incredibly impressive. It’s incredibly powerful. That’s the God we serve. He is both incredibly impressive and powerful. If He can cover the globe with all that water, what can He do for you? You are just a prayer away from finding out. Go ask.

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Think of couples in the Bible that seemed to have little in common. We could start with Samson and Delilah. It seems they had different objectives from the very start. Ahab and Jezebel came from different religious and cultural backgrounds as did Esther and Ahasuerus. Isaac and Rebecca faced the challenge of age disparity as he was 40 when they first met, and, according to Jewish tradition, she was but 14. Nabal and Abigail didn’t see eye to eye on how tightly the purse strings should be held, and Hosea and Gomer, well, they were just different. Some would suggest that opposites attract, and while there may be a gram of truth in that statement, I’m pretty sure the odds-makers wouldn’t bet on it.

When offering that pearl of wisdom, it’s quite likely the reference was directed first and foremost to physical appearances. And nature can certainly offer us many examples of this. Ducks and those in the pheasant family are almost all dimorphic with the plumage of male and female differing dramatically. But this also occurs sporadically in many other families. In these cases, it often appears like the female got the short end of the stick, but I’d be hard pressed to select a winner between the male and female Great Curassow. Each has features we, and apparently the curassows themselves, find attractive. The female’s plumage is variable, coming in three morphs, while the male is consistently black. Visually, I think I’d have to vote for the barred crest and tail of the female over the male’s yellow knob on the bill.

But, just as with humans, there are more important considerations than just appearance. A monogamous species that may live up to 24 years, both partners must show themselves to be dependable. The male may seek to attract a female’s attention by building a nest, or in other cases they will construct the small nest together. Twenty days after the eggs hatch fledging occurs, followed soon after by independence, but the young may remain with the family for an extended period of time. When threatened by hunting, illegal pet trafficking, competition from introduced species, fire or hurricanes, survival needs more than just a pretty face.

Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Cheryl Boardman
Monday, January 27, 2025

I like to be prepared. I’m not very good at just winging it. I like check lists! In other words, I like to have all of my ducks lined up in a row.

If I’m going on a trip, I like to have maps and guidebooks. I like to know what birds and animals and flowers I’m likely to see at the time I’m planning to go. I like to see what the weather is supposed to be like and make up an itinerary with a plan of where I’ll stay and where I’ll eat and what activities I plan to do along the way.

If my trip involves a ferry or a border crossing, I like to be prepared for that ahead of time as well.

This doesn’t mean I don’t change my plan or that I don’t have a plan B but I do like to have a plan.

Proverbs gives us some advice:

Do your best, prepare for the worst—
then trust God to bring victory.
Proverbs 21:31 (The Message)