Daily Photo Parable

Hope for the Lost

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Cheryl Boardman
Monday, October 28, 2024

I saw this fish years ago when I was at the Seattle Aquarium. I think it is a striped surfperch.

This fish was NOT part of the aquarium display, however. It was a wild fish that had somehow made its way up the fish ladder that was meant for salmon. Part of the fish ladder had a window so that people who were looking at the aquarium displays could see the salmon swimming up the fish ladder.

This small fish just looks totally lost and bewildered and like it was wondering how it got there and how it could get out of there and back into its familiar environment in Puget Sound!

Do you ever have those feelings of wondering how you got to where you are and what would be the best way to get out of the situation you find yourself in? I like these verses in Psalm 36:

God’s love is meteoric,
his loyalty astronomic,
His purpose titanic,
his verdicts oceanic.
Yet in his largeness
nothing gets lost;
Not a man, not a mouse,
slips through the cracks.
Psalm 36:5-6 (The Message)

We’re Going to a Wedding

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, October 27, 2024

We’re going to a wedding. I’m looking forward to it.

I know the where and when and some of the who. Most importantly, I know the bride and groom and their families. I know a few of their guests; the rest of the guest list will be a surprise.

As I anticipate the wedding, I try to picture it. It’s an evening event, so I’m sure there will be lovely light. Candles, maybe? Lots of little twinkling fairy lights? There will be music, I know. Nothing sets a mood like music. There will be vows of love and loyalty, promises made, prayers offered over the couple.

After the wedding, the reception. There will be food. There will be speeches.

Most of all, there will be joy.

At every wedding I attend, I look back over my shoulder and I look ahead.

I look back to May 14, 1978, to our wedding. I love the photo of the two of us beginners, encircled by the protective, loving arms of Jesus.

I look ahead:

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” (Revelation 19:6, 7 NIV)

We’re going to a wedding. I’m looking forward to it.

I know the where and some of the who, especially the Who. I know Jesus is the Lamb of God. I know He’s been waiting for the bride, His chosen people who have chosen to respond to His love and fully follow Him. I know some of the guests; the rest will be a surprise.

I like to picture it:

There will be light lovelier than our eyes have known on this sin-darkened planet, and music more glorious than our ears have ever heard. Vows of love and loyalty have already been pledged, and lived out, even through the most challenging circumstances.

The promise has been kept. Jesus has come again, and taken us Home.

There will be a wedding banquet.

Most of all, there will be joy.

Many years ago we received a postcard that urged us to “Save the Date!” I’d never seen a card like this and it slightly puzzled me. We already knew about my nephew’s upcoming wedding; he and his fiancée had even asked my husband to be their “marrying minister.”

So we were already saving the date. What puzzled me was this casual postcard, instead of the more formal wedding invitations I was accustomed to receiving.

I cautiously asked the mother of the groom, my sister, about this, and she assured me that invitations with further details were forthcoming. This postcard was a preliminary heads-up.

I’ve been saving the date for Jesus’ coming, and the wedding of the Lamb, for a long time now, without actually knowing the date. The Bible tells us signs that give us a literal heads up that we’re getting close.

When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. (Luke 21:28 NIV)

We’re going to a wedding. I’m looking forward to it.

 

 

The Flow of History

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, October 26, 2024

On the way back from our church retreat this past weekend near Anacortes, Washington, Shelley and I stopped at the tourist-friendly little town of La Conner. On the east side of Main Street, in the open air but covered with a well-built portico, is this cross-section of an old-growth tree. In 1958 it was rescued from being cut up into firewood, and was dated and put on display. Along the rings are mounted small labels telling what happened at various stages of its growth.

This tree began to grow in AD 1210, five years before the Magna Carta was signed. It was 23 years old when China first used gunpowder as a weapon, and 61 years old when Marco Polo began his 24-year journey through Asia. It was more than 200 years old when Gutenberg invented the printing press.

This second photo shows a view of the right-hand part of the tree-slice, with labels indicating when events happens. But notice something interesting. See all those white lines? The labels themselves are spread along the rings, but notice where their lines end up – mostly near the right-hand (or most recent) edge.

Examples of these near-the-edge events: Invention of the telephone (1876), invention of the light bulb (1879), Ford’s first gas-powered car (1896), Einstein first publishes the theory of relativity (1905), first TV station (1926), polio vaccine (1952).

As this tree’s flow of history shows, there’s been an incredible acceleration of knowledge in just the last couple of centuries, possibly in fulfillment of Daniel 12:4:

“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

And the Bible gives many more signs that Jesus’ return is near. Read many of them at this link:
https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/signs-jesus-coming

You’ve Got This!

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, October 25, 2024

I couldn’t help but grin, a couple of weeks ago, when I saw this sign. It’s one of several exhortations posted in the windows of an urgent-care clinic, designed to encourage the sufferer to take heart and enter that clinic for treatment.

Normally, of course, “You’ve got this!” is an uplifting sentiment: “You can do it! You’re more than equal to this challenge!” But my grin – which might even have morphed into a giggle – happened when I recast this sign into a mournful diagnosis: “The flu? COVID? Sciatica? Beri-beri? You’ve got this! And we can fix it!”

The Heavenly Physician, in the Bible, lays out a diagnosis more deadly than any other ailment on the planet: sin. “You’ve got this,” He reminds the entire human race. But all through Scripture, He lets us know that because of the sacrifice of His Son, God’s got this!

For a detailed series of Bible texts about sin and how it can be cured, click the link just below. Follow up with the links at the end as well for further information!

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

 

God Knows Us

Photo ©2024 by Chelsea Jurgensen
Commentary ©2024 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, October 24, 2024

The mane on this Norwegian Fjord horse has been trimmed to reveal a pattern of dark hair sandwiched by light hair. These horses seem to be sturdy and fun to ride.

It makes me think of the Bible verse about our hair.

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Luke 12:6-7

It seems like these verses use language even a child can understand. But if we really think about it, it offers wonderful assurance that God knows each of us and does not forget us. Taken in context with verses before these, we get the idea there is more than just our lives on earth. God has our eternal spiritual interests in mind.

Maybe we can be more like the Norwegian Fjord horses and be sturdy in our spiritual lives and fun to be around with the knowledge that God knows and cares about each one of us.

High Atop the Mountains

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, October 23, 2024

This past weekend we had a chance to visit family in the Salt Lake City area. One of the days we were there was a beautiful one(as you can see). This view is of the Wasatch Range, with some early snow powdering the top of the range. The view from the cornfield and pumpkin patch (where I took the image from), shows the height of the range looming from above (just over 11,000 feet).

In this verse we see a glimpse of who our God is. We see how He loves us. We see just how compassionate He is for us.

Isaiah 54:10

Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Just like this mountain range in northern Utah, God cannot nor will not be shaken. He sees all of us from above. He is there, watching over us. He sees any issues we are about to face, any decisions we will contemplate. He is steady and all-loving. What a perfect picture of a loving Father.

Sri Lanka Frogmouth

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Frogmouths aren’t what you’d call your average bird. Their bizarre appearance is unusual enough to catch the attention of the most blasé observer casually leafing through the pages of a glossy nature book while waiting at the doctor’s office. And that’s something of a paradox, because its look is designed to keep it from being seen, to literally cause it to blend into the woodwork.

And this Sri Lanka Frogmouth is no exception. But the photographers want us to look up and take notice, so they isolate the bird, making it impossible to miss. Under normal circumstances, 99 out of 100 of us would walk by where it sits frozen in position to keep it from being detected until evening shadows appear and it can go about its work of catching insects and getting on with life. If inadvertently disturbed, the bird may slowly raise its head till its bill is pointing upward, thus mimicking a broken branch. The deception is complete.

So how was our guide able to lead us down a pathway, cross a small stream, then stop at a clump of bamboo, and confidently point to where the camouflaged bird sat when it was so well hidden? It has something to do with the bird’s behavior and the observer’s attention to detail. While the bird is silent throughout the daylight hours, at dawn and dusk it gives its distinctive call. This has been variously described as “loud, cackly and frog like,” “loud, screechy which drops in volume and ends in a series of hiccups,” and a horrible scratchy scream.”

Besides this, it commonly uses the same roosting spot for months. This means the guide simply has to carefully note where those strange notes were coming from, and then return later on to magically pull this nearly invisible bird out of the bushes for his grateful clients.

I’m not really sure I would want to use this Frogmouth as a role model for modeling ideal Christian behavior, but maybe the guide’s attention to detail might be worth imitating. Careful study and observation can mean that at a later time one may have the opportunity to share with others something they will find to be worthwhile and even valued. Yes, I think their example is something worth copying.

Blog Archives

You’ve Got This!

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Maylan Schurch Friday, October 25, 2024 I couldn’t help but grin, a couple of weeks ago, when I saw this sign. It’s one of several exhortations posted in the windows of an urgent-care clinic, designed to encourage the sufferer to take...

God Knows Us

Photo ©2024 by Chelsea Jurgensen Commentary ©2024 by Russell Jurgensen Thursday, October 24, 2024 The mane on this Norwegian Fjord horse has been trimmed to reveal a pattern of dark hair sandwiched by light hair. These horses seem to be sturdy and fun to ride. It...

High Atop the Mountains

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Darren Milam Wednesday, October 23, 2024 This past weekend we had a chance to visit family in the Salt Lake City area. One of the days we were there was a beautiful one(as you can see). This view is of the Wasatch Range, with some early...

Sri Lanka Frogmouth

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Robert Howson Tuesday, October 22, 2024 Frogmouths aren’t what you’d call your average bird. Their bizarre appearance is unusual enough to catch the attention of the most blasé observer casually leafing through the pages of a glossy...

A Description of God

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Cheryl Boardman Monday, October 21, 2024 This photo was taken at Englishman River falls on Vancouver Island. It was fall so the river was not as full as it would have been in spring but it was still really beautiful. I like the nature...

Beyond the Bush

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Shelley Schurch Sunday, October 20, 2024 He was standing in the little garden spot between his front step and the sidewalk my husband and I were standing on, stretching a bit from the weeding he’d been doing before we stopped to greet...

Reduced?

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Maylan Schurch Sabbath, October 19, 2024 First of all, my abject apologies for thrusting us unceremoniously into the Christmas season with the photo above. It was actually this past January that I spotted this gingerbread cookie in the...

The Mighty Mustang!

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Maylan Schurch Friday, October 18, 2024 A bit over a year ago on a morning walk, I was startled to see this dynamic red Mustang in a driveway I was passing. What startled me wasn’t the car’s model, nor its color, but the electric charging...

Initiative

Photo ©2024 by Chelsea Jurgensen Commentary ©2024by Russell Jurgensen It's not certain how this horse got hold of a carrot stick. Maybe the horse thought it was her turn to take control of the training for a while. She seems to have a playful look in her eye. As my...

How Do You Reflect?

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Darren Milam Wednesday, October 16, 2024 You might recognize this lighthouse—Cape Neddick Light in York, Maine—as it's quite iconic. In fact, I've used it in a previous photo parable. However, this specific image hasn't been shared...