Daily Photo Parable

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, March 10, 2026

One has to wonder how many caught the irony brought on by the Boa Constrictor slithering between the folded linen napkins; not the irony of the snake’s behavior, but the paradox of the human reaction to the event.

But first, let’s establish the setting.  We were staying at an upscale eco-lodge set in the middle of a Costa Rican rainforest.  The resort was nicer than the more humble accommodations we usually frequented and all had been done to ensure the travelers’ comfort while immersing them in the heart of the jungle.  Polished hardwood walkways connected the various cabins scattered throughout the tropical foliage.  A variety of dining options were provided onsite and we had selected Italian for that night’s dinner.  Planners had designed the dining room with open air access to the jumble of vines and broad-leafed plants growing just out of reach of the vacationers which also gave them intimate access to the colorful birds and exotic sounds coming from the forest.

We had almost finished our Lasagna Primavera when a noticeable reaction spread through others enjoying their dining experience. One after another we rose from our table to gather closer to the latest guest.  It’s quite likely the reaction would have been considerably different if the snake had been a mature female which average between 7 and 10 feet and can weigh up to 60 pounds, but this one was much less intimidating.  One of the resort naturalists calmly used his snake stick to encourage our visitor to head back into more suitable habitat.  Thinking the name Boa Constrictor was just a generic name for all snakes of that sort, I asked him what species it was and he informed me it was a Boa Constrictor.  It turns out it is one of the few animals whose common English name is the same as its scientific binomial name.

Thinking back on our encounter gave me cause to ponder my own and others’ reaction to this reptile.  Humans had voluntarily placed themselves in the middle of a tropical jungle which all sorts of creatures called home.  We had removed impediments to these creatures so we could enjoy close encounters with them while dining at our leisure.  But then we were shocked when one of them should have crossed that invisible line into “our” territory.  How strange.  But no stranger than when we place ourselves on that “Old Serpent’s” ground and enjoying tempting ourselves.  How strange and how foolish.  Common sense tells us if we wish to avoid falling to temptation, the wisest plan is to avoid putting ourselves on Satan’s ground.

Photo ©2010 and Commentary ©2026 by Chuck Davis
Monday, March 9, 2026

One might think that the damage in today’s photo was caused by careless disregard of the forest.  But it is not what it seems.  The platform that was chopped into the trunk of this tree is just one example of more that fifteen trees with similar holes that I have found in the Commonwealth Basin near Snoqualmie Pass.  It is a remnant of commercial fur trapping that took place until the early 1950’s.  The trapper used the platform to place bait and a trap in hopes of catching a fur bearing animal. Typical targets in this area included: fishers, pine martens, weasels, ermines and other similar animals.  Now within the boundaries of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, all commercial activity is prohibited.  As the trees age, the old “Trapper Trees” are disappearing.

“Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4 NIV).  Many today discount the Bible account because they find no modern evidence. To their detriment, they ignore the extensive objective support of archeological finds.

Today’s photo is a caution. At some point all signs of trapping in the Basin will disappear. Like with the Bible, skeptics might then discount the historical accounts of this activity. I encourage you to read all of 2 Peter 3 for the rest of the story.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, March 8, 2026

I remember the feeling of desolation, and the fact that I was in a very large, unfamiliar space. I was almost three years old and my mother and two older sisters were with me, aware of my grief and sorrow.

My mother later filled in the gaps of this snippet of a memory. We were away from my father and our southeastern Alaskan home, traveling by steamship and then trains to visit my mother’s family in eastern Washington and my father’s family in Nevada. (I pause to marvel at my mother’s bravery to undertake this long trip with three children.)

She told me I was remembering being in a large train station, in Salt Lake City, I think, at the point where I discovered my favorite toy friend was missing. More than missing, gone for good. I’ve heard that our earliest memories are usually marked by trauma, and it’s true that the few memories I have of this long trip are ones I would describe as toddler-sized trauma.

This long ago memory resurfaced when we saw this stuffed elephant on our morning walk. It looked like he’d been carefully placed on this large rock, one of many that rim our neighborhood park, so that whoever lost him could find him.

He was still there the next day, and the day after. Rain was threatening, so I moved him a  few feet away to shield him under a tree but keep him visible to any search party.

He’s not there anymore, and my fond hope is that he has been reunited with the child who possibly loved him as much as I loved my favorite toy.

The elephant’s pose made him look patient, as if he knew he’d been forgotten but was serenely waiting for his person to come retrieve him.

It reminded me of two things. First, the oft-repeated assertion that an elephant never forgets. Wanting to check the fact or fiction of this statement, I read anecdotes from several elephant sanctuaries and zoological societies, and research from scientists – all fascinating, and all confirming the strength and length of elephants’ memories, plus their excellent problem-solving skills, sophisticated communication systems, empathy, and compassion.

It seemed ironic that this little elephant, a symbol of never forgetting, had been forgotten.

And second, this reminded me of Jesus:

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?

Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands . . .”

(Isaiah 49:15-16a NIV)

The Easter season is drawing near, a time when we are invited to think – and feel – deeply about the chosen death of Jesus, who chose to take the nails in his hands and feet, and die a death that would secure eternal life for all of us who choose to embrace Him and His sacrifice.

It may seem like a strange stretch to connect a forgotten stuffed elephant, waiting on a rock, with the Lamb of God, who is also our Mighty Rock of Ages, but I happily accept all reminders of how much Jesus loves us, and how much He longs for us to return that love.

As we step out into this new week, remember to live loved, because you are!

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, March 7, 2026

This past Tuesday, on our way out of a Redmond bookstore, Shelley and I noticed this utterly sweet scene – two dogs (maybe siblings?) waiting patiently at an open car window while their owner  shopped inside.

What’s striking to me is not only how cute they are, but how trusting their owner is. These pups aren’t imprisoned behind glass, and if they were so inclined, they could tumble out the window and vanish into the city. But they haven’t, and their owner knows they won’t.

And they have each other. And they obviously get along. There’s no space between them – the smaller dog doesn’t seem to mind actually being compressed against the window frame.

If waiting needs to happen, that’s the best way – fellowship, friendship, closeness. And since waiting is something hopeful Christians must do, we need to take notes.

The Bible has a certain amount to say about waiting. Some of its verses can be found at the link just below:

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

Photo and Commentary (c)2026 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, March 6, 2026

I couldn’t resist yet another “mixed messaging” blog. One of my wife’s former bosses — a teacher — liked to repeat this sentence: “The brain is a pattern-seeking device.”

So as soon as I saw this fascinating Elantra in a parking lot this past Tuesday, I couldn’t resist snapping its photo. And just now, as I’m about to upload it as Friday’s “Daily Photo Parable,” I whited out the license plate and then spent a few minutes zooming in on these bumper stickers in search of a unifying theme, or pattern.

I couldn’t find one. If I were forced to come up with one, maybe I could put it this way: “This person likes bumper stickers and obsessively applies them to whatever space is still available.” Since this car is also parked squarely in a handicapped spot (and there was no such emblem on the license plate), I can also deduce the personality of a person who isn’t exactly scrupulous about following the rules. And the two blue bungie cords signal either that the person doesn’t have the cash to fix the trunk lock, or doesn’t carry anything of value within it.

So what’s this person’s guiding life philosophy? Maybe there isn’t one. Maybe bumper-sticker choices aren’t that big of a deal.

But when it comes to the spiritual life, God has always insisted that we be decisively clear about whose side we’re on. Check out the verses at the link below.

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

Photo ©2010 and Commentary ©2026 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, March 5, 2026

When walking by this monkey puzzle tree, I happened to look up to see a colorful halo around the moon. Just below the moon, Jupiter shines through the clouds as a bright dot. Scenes like this make me think of heaven. These verses seem to fit.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55: 8,9

We might sometimes wonder if God’s commands are important to our everyday situations. I like how these verses point out that our level of thinking does not fully comprehend God’s thoughts. We really should closely examine the core things in the Bible like the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 and God’s command to love our neighbor. There is so much to think about and ponder. But when we do it gives us a clearer lens to view the world.

Photo ©2010 and Commentary ©2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday and Wednesday, March 2 and 3, 2026

Religious groups, rightly or wrongly, may find that just their name can carry a powerful influence in support or opposition to an idea or cause.  This may be done intentionally or simply come about through popular association by the public.  During the Middle Ages the Dominican Order established a convent in Paris.  Due to its location, this convent took on the name Jacobins and from this beginning the nickname became associated with the entire Dominican Order.  But the usage of this name did not stop there for it spread far beyond the parameters of the church.

The first of these that we’ll look at is the name often directly associated with the French Revolution, the Jacobin Club or simply Jacobins.  This revolutionary political movement held sway during the Reign of Terror when more than 10,000 people were put on trial and executed for what was seen as political crimes.  It’s important to note this movement had nothing directly to do with the Dominicans other than their first meeting was held in that convent.  Nevertheless, the name stuck.

On a more positive note, the Jacobin name was used some 50 or so years before Robespierre and his friends took over to describe a rather large hummingbird of the American tropics.  The White-necked Jacobin derives its name from the real or imagined similarity to the cowled habit worn by the Jacobin Dominicans in eighteenth-century France.  The white collar on the nape is often hard to see, but it too made its way into the common name of the bird.

All this should make us ponder how our own church might be perceived by the public.  The story is told of an incident when Dwight D. Eisenhower met with a small group of Adventists and, trying to be sociable, reached back into his memory to try and make some connection that would establish common ground.  The best he could come up with was something like “Aren’t you the ones that do something with peanut butter?”  I suppose it’s a bit better than being aligned with the Reign of Terror, but maybe not much.