Daily Photo Parable

Photo ©2010 and Commentary ©2026 by Chuck Davis
Monday, March 2, 2026

I have photographed the “Falls on Commonwealth Creek” numerous times. On each occasion the falls presents a different face. In the spring when the snows are melting the flow can be enormous, to the point that the supporting rocks are completely engulfed. In the cold of winter, I have witnessed the falls completely frozen with no flow visible. In the driest part of summer, the stream may barely dribble down the rocks. Different views, but the same place.

The ever-changing views of this place draw me back. Our walk with Christ can be similar. Each encounter with Him provides us with something new. New but the same:

• “For I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6 KJV).
• ^“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17 KJV).
• “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 KJV).

Every time I visit the Falls on Commonwealth Creek, I learn something new, some subtle change in its flow. Every day, we can gain experience, something new about God, but learning new things about Him will never change who He is. Throughout eternity, we will continue to learn, but I suspect we will never fully understand Him or the overwhelming love that moved Him to die for us.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, March 1, 2026

It all began on December 27, 2025. A dear friend surprised me with a beautiful floral arrangement in a wide cylindrical vase. I was delighted with the Christmas bouquet, which contained several varieties of flowers with a small amount of greenery to back them up.

I put the arrangement on the counter in our kitchen where I could admire it often and tend it well. That meant keeping the water fresh, and removing flowers when they began to wilt. So my floral gift remained fresh and vibrant, while slowly diminishing in size and variety of blooms. I enjoyed it for weeks into the new year, even as it dwindled.

Finally we were down to baby’s breath (why is it called that?) and two sprays of greenery, so I transferred these to the small vase in the photo above. I finally wearied of the baby’s breath and tossed it, but decided to keep the foliage, because it stayed as fresh as the day I first received my gift.

Two weeks later I peered closely at the perky greenery, wondering if it was too perky! It looked suspiciously fresh, except for a small amount of yellow at its tips. Was that yellow there to start with, unnoticed with all the blooms in the bouquet? Was I staring at fake foliage? Perky plastic?

How embarrassing! I realized I’d been fooled by foliage. There it was, innocently standing in water it didn’t need and couldn’t use. I thought of emailing the kind friend who had given me the flowers, to tell her how we had enjoyed them for many weeks, and how I’d kept the remaining greenery in water to keep it alive, not realizing the joke was on me!

I didn’t get around to emailing my friend right away, and then I was glad I hadn’t – because I flip-flopped on my foliage thoughts. The yellow on my greenery seemed to have grown . . . or was I imagining that? I called in my husband for consultation and we huddled over the foliage to decide for sure whether it was fake or fresh. He even brought out his large magnifying glass. I peeled off one leaf, we dug into one of the stems with our fingernails. We still couldn’t tell what we had on our hands. It felt strong and fake . . . maybe.

It seemed so silly for two reasonably intelligent adults to be flummoxed by foliage! I finally thought of putting both stems in a plastic bag, which I tied shut. Today is now a few days later, and what you see in the photo is all that remains of my beautiful Christmas bouquet – two stems of yellowed greenery that limply fall over when I remove them from the vase.

At last we know that we have two stems of real greenery that remained resilient for over six weeks, only fading when deprived of air. I am relieved to be done with this dilemma, and ready to move on.

But not before mentioning that it has made me think of the time and thought and energy I have expended, trying to discern the true nature of my foliage. And its true nature has no impact on my present or future life!

How thankful I am that for the really important stuff, for what actually matters to my present and future life, God promises clarity:

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32 NKJV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” (John 14:6-7)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

As we step into a new day, a new week, and a new month, how good it is to know that God will guide and provide as we trust in Him, with all our hearts!

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, February 28, 2026

This Thursday morning I’d just started my usual post-breakfast walk when I spotted this delightful poster taped to a light pole. In the photo, a smiling young girl walks a little dog, and listed below are the guidelines for the services provided. Along the right side of the paper are tabs which can be torn off for the convenience of the potential client.

In very small print at the bottom, we discover that this is a two-girl company. The first girl, “Olive,” is 9 years old, and has assumed the roles of president and treasurer. The other girl is 8, and serves as secretary.

I don’t know how successful this dog-walking team will be, but they’ve started strong (and probably with parental support), and seem ready for business. They’ll learn a lot as they go, and what they learn will help them in other endeavors in the future.

In His parables and comments, Jesus spent a surprising amount of time talking about work, business, and other practical matters, and often used these illustrations to direct attention to His Father. God created us to find great satisfaction in being of service.

At the link below you’ll find some of what the Bible says about work.

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

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, February 27, 2026

Every week or so in our neighborhood, one or another enterprising businesses spread around a bit of advertising. Within the last couple of days, I discovered lots of plastic baggies containing the above offer to provide someone to “thatch, aerate and rejuvenate your lawn.”

What jolted me was what else one of these bags contained. Most of the bags contained one or two smaller pebbles, allowing the advertiser to be able to fling them from a car window and be projected by the ballast the stones provided.

However, in the case of the bag in my photo, can you imagine what would happen if the enclosed rock actually struck a potential client in the head? That would be “messaging” with a punch, resulting in a possible clinic visit!

Sadly, some Christians attempt to share their faith in such direct and abrupt ways that they do more damage than they need to. God is a God of love, and anyone who cares about Him and His message needs to reflect that love.

At the link below are a few Bible sentences about how to do this.

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

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, February 26, 2026

A simple cedar log section can have many uses. It could be a home for a small animal. It could be cleaned and turned into a traditional drum by stretching some leather over it. It could be used briefly for a cozy fire on a winter evening. Or it could become a display in a children’s classroom, among other things.

This log reminds me of Bible verses that can be applied in nearly any situation.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ — Matthew 22:37-39

It is hard to define love, but fortunately we can use it all the time to make our own lives and others’ lives better.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, February 25, 2026

This past week, we were “lucky” enough to have a bit of snowfall that covered the trees, ground and rooftops for the better part of 3 days. The accumulation didn’t interfere with our daily activities but did provide a beautiful backdrop to our local area.

As you can see from the image, the trees were backlit from the gorgeous sun-filled blue sky. The scene gives a chilly feel, with the dark contrasts of the evergreen boughs, the stark blue sky and the white flakes clinging to the branches.

God is the creator of such a scene. It’s not painted or printed and hung on a wall. No, the canvas God uses is His very creations – air, sky, trees, light. A masterful example of the beauty He creates for our eyes to take in. What a welcome surprise, and sight to behold.

Life is filled with similar welcome surprises. This past week, in our Sabbath School class, we were studying the Trinity and specifically, the Holy Spirit. When it comes to the trinity, specifically the Holy Spirit is known as the Helper, the Comforter, Counselor, and Advocate. Of all those defined characteristics and titles, do we associate them with being negative? No, they are all positive definitions.

God is with us always. The Holy Spirit was sent to us to ensure we were close. We know for a fact we don’t always visually see God, but we can see His presence. We can see the beauty He creates and shares. We see His works in our lives. We feel His presence, as we look to be comforted. We hear His voice, as we ask for counsel. God can surprise us each and every day. I, for one, will welcome those surprises. Will you do the same?

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, February 24, 2026

If you’ve ever taken a psychological test to determine your personality type, you may have come away feeling like a Bananaquit.  Yes, you were friendly, outgoing, adaptable to new situations, and maybe even attractive, but you also seemed to fit into many of the other categories as well.  It was just hard to know where you really fit.  That’s where you might best identify with this Latin American bird.  Before we had the tools offered by 21^st century molecular genetics, this species was variously classified as a sparrow, or alternatively, grouped with the warblers.  Now it is recognized as a specialized tanager.  And within that species, 41 subspecies are recognized!

Fortunately for the Bananaquit, it doesn’t have to worry about classification and can continue enjoying life in the tropics.  It does have a specialized lifestyle, dangling upside down from flowers while searching for nectar or gleaning insects and spiders from the foliage.  It will also come to hummingbird feeders to feed on the sugar-water offered there.  Because it may become quite tame after repeated contact with humans, it has become a favorite with many and has been named the official bird of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Unlike this friendly bird, we humans are prone to compare ourselves with those around us to see how we measure up.  While there may be times when that is appropriate, it doesn’t have any place in assessing our spiritual growth according to the Apostle Paul: “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.  When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” (2 Corinthians 10:12 NIV)  And one last thing; there’s one other way we are like the Bananaquits; the collective term for a group of these birds is a “bunch”.  How appropriate!