Daily Photo Parable

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday and Monday, July 5 and 6, 2026

I’m writing this on July 4. It’s evening, so the bombs are bursting in air.

There’s something about a holiday that takes you back. I’m remembering the 4th of July parades of my childhood, where firemen would throw wrapped candy from their trucks, a marching band would bring the music (“It’s not a parade without a band,” my mother would always say), handmade floats of all kinds rolled before us, kids rode their decorated bikes, and my father made sure we were standing straight and tall, hands on hearts, when the flag passed by.

When the last of the parade moved out of sight and sound, the fun was not over. There was the 4-H Fair, with all sorts of booths and food. The only two I remember are the one where you slung a fishing pole over a hung-up sheet, and reeled it back in when someone attached a small brown bag of goodies to it with a clothespin, and the cotton candy, which visually promised more than it delivered. I can’t remember any other delicacy which brought such annual disappointment.

And then . . . the city fireworks! Late at night, when at last our southeastern Alaskan skies had darkened sufficiently, a spectacular show! I marveled at the beauty, while bracing for the ka-booms. But as explosion after explosion shook the skies, I always knew what would happen the next day, and why.

I knew it would rain. I didn’t know the word “meteorologist,” but I could trace cause and effect. If you shook the heavens that hard, of course you would bring on the rain.

I don’t remember the word “fireworks” being mentioned in the Bible, but some spectacular sky sights are recorded (especially in the Old Testament) and predicted (especially in Revelation).

The shook-up skies of my childhood 4th of Julys remind me of the Biblical descriptions of the heavens being shaken, and I relish each account. Here’s one of my favorites:

The introduction attributes this to David, when he “spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.” And what a dramatic deliverance he describes!

In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
He mounted the cherubim and flew;
He soared on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him —
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare 
at your rebuke, Lord,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
(Psalm 18:1-19 NKJV)

I, too, am delighted! David cried out to God for help, and God heard and most emphatically and immediately answered! David’s call, God’s response – how satisfying! And how we would like the same experience, every time we call out our distress to God!

It’s the waiting that’s hard, or the seeming silence from God’s throne room. We want God to answer now, to “soar on the wings of the wind” to rescue us! In those times we encourage ourselves to hold on, as we remember how God has heard and answered in the past.

I’m thinking that the next time I call out to God (which may be tomorrow!), I’m going to write it down as my psalm to Him, and also write out my description of His response, no matter when or how it happens. There may not be thunderbolts and shaken heavens involved, but I will write it as I see it!

As we step out into this brand-new week, perhaps needing to catch up on sleep due to the Fourth’s fireworks, we slip our hands into the nail-scarred hands of the One who loves us, listens to us, and takes action in answer to our call.

P.S. The photo above is my close-up of a most beautiful floral arrangement by the talented Denise Childs, prepared for our worship service this morning. For a more complete view, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPXsKvLCAhA&t=4710s

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, July 4, 2026

Scattered throughout our housing development I’ll once in a while spot neighbors who’ve ventured into solar power. This usually takes the form of three or four modest panels directed toward the east or south, and I have sometimes wondered just how much power they generate.

But this past Tuesday I noticed the above home. Its roof slants toward the east, and if I’ve arrived at a correct tally, I count 28 solar panels ready to bathe in the morning sunlight if such there be. The homeowner wants to take as much advantage as possible of the power from on high.

Though our nation’s Founders were something of a mixed bag when it came to religious preference and practice, they seemed united enough about the existent of some kind of God, so united that they mentioned Him within the first 20 words into the preamble to the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness . . . .

In other words, in crafting this dreadfully daring declaration, they were invoking a Power from on High.

And when you think of it, God Himself has provided us with a declaration of independence from Satan and his power and his attitudes. It’s the Holy Bible, numbering about 735,000 words, filled with stories and wisdom and laws which show us God, and how much He loves us, and wants us free.

Check out this link:

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

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, July 3, 2026

Every night a week ago (June 22 – 26), Shelley and I spent over three hours helping with our congregation’s Vacation Bible School. This year the title was “Rainforest Falls,” and the program was filled with great scenery and many stories about animals and birds who inhabited a rainforest – and of course constant references to God the Creator and Helper and Redeemer.

I cautiously accepted the role of Flit Flutterby, PhD, the self-proclaimed “world’s greatest authority on butterflies.” Dr. Flutterby had come to the rainforest, armed with binoculars and a butterfly net, to hunt for a rare species which (it turned out) had sharp teeth and craved not only flower nectar but also peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

Night after night Dr. Flutterby ranged to and fro, seeking his elusive prey, pausing to converse with a woman (played by my wife Shelley), who was leading the VBS kids on a “tour” through the forest. What you see in the photo above is my handprinted cue card for Thursday’s episode (Shelley’s cues are in green, mine in blue), wherein Dr. Flutterby has gone to the length of attaching a large pair of silken butterfly wings to himself, hopefully flapping them in the attempt to lure the butterfly close enough to capture it. “If the butterfly sees me,” I snarl in sinister anticipation, “maybe he’ll come to know me, and then WHAM! I’ve got him!”

Shelley gently points out that WHAM! doesn’t seem like the kind of behavior a new friend deserves. God wants to be our friend too, but He truly loves us, and will treat us graciously. I compliment her on how well she seems to know the Creator.

By the way, I’d like to express my appreciation to the many VBS staffers – who themselves understand and reflect the Creator’s love in such irresistible ways, and who spent their week giving the children large doses of God’s love. Thank you, friends, for acting out God’s friendship!

Have you reviewed recently what the Bible says about God and His love? Click the link below if it’s been awhile.
https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/love

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, July 2, 2026

You may have heard comparisons of the game of chess to the game of life. I can see how useful it could be to apply the logic of the game to the logic we employ every day. In chess, a player tries to carefully consider all possible moves for their turn. If possible, they might consider their opponent’s next move and even try to think about several moves ahead.  Similarly, in life, we might try to consider the ramifications of choices we make and try to find the moves that advance us to our future goals.

I’d like to focus on the concept of fun while playing chess. To many people, chess is not fun. It might even be a battle. It is probably healthy to avoid too much tension while playing. One thing that definitely would not be fun is if we did not play by the rules. If our opponent moved their pawns sideways and backwards, that would entirely ruin the game. We would not have a foundation to work with.

As we go through life, we are kind of learning the rules. Some people might find they can get ahead temporarily by breaking civil rules.  We might also break God’s rules to love our neighbors. But we might question if it is fun. It may seem like it at the time.

Perhaps the way to really have fun is to play by the rules. After all, a chess board has a simple eight rows by eight columns but could have a whopping 10^120 (1 with 120 zeros after it) possible different chess games played with legal moves. That’s more than a googol.

Our lives have many more possible options than that. So, it is entirely possible to learn the rules that count and find ways to have a terrific time doing it.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, July 1, 2026

A couple of weeks ago, I started the project shown in the image. Eventually, it will become a small patio made of concrete pavers, with a picnic table where we can sit and enjoy our garden. But as you can see, it’s far from finished. There are still several steps before I can call it complete.

The first step (pictured above) is leveling the space. The ground has a slight slope, so it needs to be even before anything else can happen.

Next (pictured immediately above) will come layers of crushed gravel (about half a ton) and sand (another quarter ton), each carefully leveled and compacted.

Finally, the patio will be topped with 70 concrete pavers (pictured – at the 50 paver stage), totaling roughly three-quarters of a ton.

There’s still a lot of work ahead. It’s clearly not finished.

When I look at this project, I can’t help but think about my own life, especially my spiritual walk. I know I’m not finished, and more importantly, I know God isn’t finished with me.

I’m grateful that, despite my imperfections, God continues to shape me. Like this project, there are still steps ahead – areas to level, rough edges to smooth out. When I allow Him to work, I trust the Master Builder to mold and refine me into something better.

And the best part? He is committed to finishing what He started.

How about you? Are you willing to let Him continue the work in your life?  If so, pray and give God permission to finish the job!

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, June 30, 2026

“Bizarre” could be the word you might use to describe one of America’s most common shorebirds, the American Woodcock.  To begin with, you wouldn’t find it along the shore.  Instead you’d need to look in moist, brushy areas or in damp fields nearby young forests.  It does appear somewhat like a snipe, only its features are more exaggerated.  To begin with, its large eyes are placed high on its head.  This enables it to see danger even when its long bill is probing deeply into the soil in search of earthworms.  Its field of vision is probably the largest of any bird, encompassing 360º in the horizontal plane and 180º in the vertical plane.

Another area where it would qualify for Guinness World Records involves its flight. Although it is most famous for its acrobatic spiraling courtship flights where it zigzags across the sky, it also sets a record for the slowest flight speed ever recorded for an avian species at five miles per hour.  Amazing it could stay airborne!  But for most of us, what brings the broadest smile to our faces is the way it moves.  This bird has “got soul.”  Whether walking about or just standing in one place, the woodcock invariably returns to an odd rocking motion that is like no other.  Some, trying to develop a reason for such wasted energy, suggest it may be creating vibrations that will disturb the earthworms it seeks into moving.  This goes along with the idea that it can hear this movement underground. Support for this idea stems from the fact that the bird’s ears are placed forward, between its eyes and bill, an ideal place for such investigation.

Those who believe God doesn’t love variety and have a sense of humor must have never seen a woodcock.  Maybe it’s they who need to open their eyes, and their ears.

Photo ©2011 and Commentary ©2026 by Chuck Davis
Monday, June 29, 2026

Like the Coyote in our photo today, I am taking a break.

On June 21, 2026, my older brother, Buzz, and I started hiking south from the Siskiyou Summit trailhead of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Lone Pine, California is our end goal. Our hike consists of nearly one-thousand miles. I hope to re-join you sometime in September with Photo Parables, drawn from views of Mt. Shasta, Lassen Volcanic National Park, and the Desolation Wilderness in the Lake Tahoe area. Finally, I look forward to capturing images of the high elevation stretches through the Sierra Nevada mountains with a potential side-trip up Mt. Whitney.

In 2018, I retired, and less than a month later, I began my longtime dream of hiking from Mexico to Canada (2,653 miles). That first year, I made it to Walker Pass near the southern entrance to the Sierras. Circumstances brought me home at that point and then becoming bored, I started hiking the Washington sections from the “Bridge of the Gods” to Stevens Pass. In 2019, I completed the rest of Washington (Stevens Pass to Manning Park, Canada). By 2024 I had completed nearly all of Oregon.

With God’s blessing, a successful trip to Lone Pine means that I will have completed every mile of the PCT. Your prayers for our health and safety during this journey will be greatly appreciated – CD.