Daily Photo Parable

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, December 7, 2024

Just about a month ago I received an email from one of our church members who leads a committee. His email was a standard request for committee members to attend a meeting online. Nothing out of the ordinary.

However, at the end of the email were some responses. You’ve seen the usual kind—they most often say things like “Thanks, I’ll be there,” or “Sorry I can’t make it.” In other words, the polite responses you might give in person.

But look at the ones in the photo above. I have absolutely no clue what in the message might have triggered their negative tone. Often the Artificial Intelligence machinery catches, or thinks it catches, clues from the email’s subject or phrasing, and generates what it thinks are appropriate options.

Well, none of these were appropriate. And they showed that the AI machinery just didn’t have a clue. It wasn’t really listening.

Listening—really listening—is not only a valuable skill to use, but is the deepest possible compliment to the person you’re using it with. I remember Chuck, one of our church members, talking with me in our noisy church foyer. Actually, I was the one doing the talking, and Chuck stood there, eyes riveted on my face, his voice making understanding and comprehending noises in response. And when he did respond, he paused thoughtfully to make sure his replies were carefully thought through.

Did you know that the Bible talks about how important listening is? Check out the three verses at the link just below.

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

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, December 6, 2024

Several months ago I noticed this banana skin splayed over the asphalt in our neighborhood. It reminded me of how in old slapstick comedy routines, the banana peel could often cause the literal downfall of a nose-in-the-air or otherwise inattentive walker.

You could think of temptation like a banana peel. There it is, in the middle of life’s walkways, and if you don’t keep your eyes open, it might trip you up.

Fortunately, the Bible gives a thorough, point-by-point tutorial on avoiding temptation. Take a moment to read through the verses at the link just below:

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

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, December 5, 2024

In winter when there is frost it is nice to see a little sunlight like in the background of this photo.

I looked for verses about light and found the following.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12

Even as we are in the shorter days of December it is interesting to look for light. More comforting, is to look for light from God as we go about our lives.

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Take a moment to view this image. It’s not about the picture I took, but the main subject – this beautiful hibiscus. Yes, the color is pleasant, and the highlights are nice, but look at the symmetry. Why am I asking you to concentrate on this element? The biggest reason is I want you to see the design, the planned design. It’s practically perfect. The petals, the ridges, the curves – all of it.

My point is that this flower was designed. It wasn’t a seed that fell to the ground, grew, and blossomed by mere chance. No, this was hand-crafted to grow, bloom, close at night, and reopen in the morning to catch the sunlight. A masterful Creator planned this out. All the tiny details were organized to provide something beautiful for us to view. Wow. What a gift! It’s a gift I certainly don’t deserve. We may not deserve it, but God wanted us to have it, and for that, I am very thankful.

Colossians 1:16

“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”

All things were designed and created by God, for Him, and given to us. Thank you, God, for all of it.

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all live consistently. (And I intentionally ended that sentence with a period instead of a question mark.) That’s what we all strive for but seldom achieve. Certainly there are those days when we are on a spiritual high, but we also have those times when our spiritual life seems to nosedive.

I’ll use the Black-headed Gull as an example of this. To begin with, the uninitiated might refer to it as a seagull. But this would be incorrect, for it isn’t a pelagic species, as it is seldom seen at sea far from the coasts. It used to have the word “Common” attached to the beginning of its name, but that would be correct only if referring to the Old World. It’s estimated there may be as many as 400 non-breeders in North America along with 40 which nest, but that is hardly common when spread out over the continent. Here in Washington we have only12 accepted records, so not really common. And as far as being black-headed, that’s really only true for mature birds and then only during the breeding season.

Those of us that call ourselves Christian long for a life that matches our name, but so often we fail to achieve this. Ninety-nine years after California Gulls delivered the Mormon pioneers, this Old World species accomplished a parallel feat in Perthshire, Scotland, by consuming a plague of caterpillars. But much of the time they are content to opportunistically feed on refuse at the local garbage dump. Paul addresses this gap between the “is and the ought”. The Message paraphrases the last part of Romans 14:23 this way: “If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you believe, then it’s wrong.” That’s pretty clear, isn’t it? Thank God for His grace, grace that covers those visits to the dump and grace that motivates us to live gratefully.

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Cheryl Boardman
Monday, December 2, 2024

I saw these mallards just crowding a little slough at Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta, BC. I think that perhaps someone had been feeding them prior to my arrival on the scene. Anyway, they were just milling around in the water.

I like these verses from Psalm 148 where it talks about how all the creatures of the earth, including flying birds and us, should praise the Lord and explains why we should.

Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and women,
old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
And he has raised up for his people a horn,
the praise of all his faithful servants,
of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Praise the Lord.
Psalm 148:7-14 NIV

Photo and Commentary ©2024 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath and Sunday, November 30 and December 1, 2024

As I drove along a street in Seattle’s Kenmore area this past July, I saw a blinking police car stopped in a lane ahead of me. I slowed down, then cautiously crept past. It was then that I saw what the police were protecting me from. Evidently, a gravel truck driver hadn’t secured the tailgate on his vehicle, and when he got a green light, his forward lunge had forced a bunch of gravel out the back.

A block later, I saw the same thing. Another red light had paused the truck, another green had lurched it forward, and another, smaller gravel batch had tumbled down.

As I think about this chain of spills, I wonder how the police handled it. Hearing about what happened, an experienced officer probably thought ahead to future intersections where the same thing might happen, and maybe took steps to get a buddy to pull the trucker over to avoid further rock-and-gravel piles.

But even more striking—and even more ludicrous if you think of it that way—is the mental image of the clueless driver, maybe whistling, maybe listening to the radio, completely oblivious to the havoc he was trailing behind him!

Having traveled for several decades along life’s metaphorical streets, I too have left a trail of such spills from time to time. Often I’ve not even realized their effect. But when I have, I’ve shrunk in shame.

That’s when the Bible texts at the following link bring great relief.

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