Daily Photo Parable

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Friday and Sabbath, June 19 and 20, 2026

 Around the corner just outside our cul-de-sac is a large community park, with a basketball hoop, a tennis (or pickleball) net, and swings and other large kid toys, plus lots and lots of grass.

Passing the park is the first part of Shelley’s and my daily walk, and it’s always interesting to see who’s there. There might be moms and kids, or teens shooting hoops, or a couple of sweaty pickleball zealots.

But maybe the most dependable park patrons are the robins. The earlier in the day it is, the early-bird-worm-getters are out in force, sometimes five to ten birds. Robins aren’t very shy, and they are seldom spooked if humans come close to where they’re pecking the grass.

But I’ve always noticed that whenever they’re not pecking, they’re standing at attention, keeping alert. I’m no ornithologist, so don’t know how true it is that this upright stance means that the bird is listening for worms burrowing beneath the soil. But whatever the reason, they all do it.

Keeping alert, of course, is something that humans need to do, especially those interested in what’s been called the great controversy between Christ and Satan. And the Bible has much to say about this vigilance. Here are several links to passages which remind us to keep watch.

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

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

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

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

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

 Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, June 18, 2026

 It turns out that 3D printers are great for doing activities with kids. My four-year-old granddaughter scanned through a list of models that could be printed. Her discerning eye passed over the dinosaurs, dragons, and plastic swords to find this model of Hei Hei the chicken from the Moana movie.

I was concerned it was a little too complicated for a 3D printer, but she confidently stated it was okay, and it would print fine. So after downloading the model and adjusting a few options in the printer software, this first image shows what came out of the printer.

At first glance it looks like maybe some kind of tree is choking the poor chicken, and the tail and feet don’t look natural at all. Those odd features turn out to be supports the printer software adds to hold up parts of the chicken while it is printed.

With the help of a small pliers, the supporting pieces are pulled off to reveal the actual chicken in the second image. You can see the discarded pile of supports.

Finally, in the third photo, the chicken is starting to receive some color, but it is not complete yet.

This process of 3D printing makes me think about our lives when we struggle with habits and focus too much on ourselves when thinking about our spirituality. That is like the first photo.

Then when we learn that God freely forgives us and the most important thing God wants from us is to love others, we start to shed those restraining ideas like in the second photo.

As we learn what God’s plan of love is all about, we start to see the real color in our lives. But because we still have a lot to learn, and our environment may not be fully loving, we are never quite finished. The thing that matters is the process of heading in that direction.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, June 17, 2026

These images are unique and need a bit of explanation.

A week ago, a crow left this chicken bone in our water feature in our garden. At first glance, it felt very intentional, almost like an offering or gift. Naturally, I wanted to return the favor and added a couple of shiny objects (aluminum foil) where the crow could retrieve them. A returned gesture, a shared understanding.

The crow didn’t return to take the gift.

What if I was wrong? I didn’t know for certain that the crow left the bone for me, as a reward. What if instead the crow just didn’t want it anymore and left it like trash?

In fact, there was no specific signal. There was confirmation or relationship built around continual exchanges. Maybe it was just a picked-over chicken bone in my water feature. I was the one that created the story. I made the decision of its meaning.

Proverbs 3:5:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

Have you ever had a moment when something showed up in your life — an opportunity, a conversation, a setback — and you immediately labeled it as a sign, a blessing, or God clearly telling you something? I’ll be the first to admit, I know I have.

Don’t get me wrong, there are times God does want to tell us something, He does provide opportunities and there will be setbacks that will allow us to move forward, in the correct direction. How do we know which is a gift and which is life just happening? The easiest answer is — our relationship with Jesus.

In my scenario with my mystery crow, what if I had been out in the garden, watching the crow swoop down and leave the gift – cawing – with their excitement to interact and “communicate” with me. What if I had taken the time to fully understand their intention?

It’s no different than our relationship with Jesus. Pausing, to interact, to listen and to fully understand.  The truth would be revealed — I wouldn’t need to guess or create my own story. No, it would be clear. The opportunity, the setback, the message — I would know what and how I should approach the gift that was presented to me.

I encourage you to pray for wisdom and patience, and “….lean not on your own understanding.” Amen.

 Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, June 16, 2026

 Words have a way of taking on different shades of meaning when used in different contexts.  Take for example this picture of a Chipping Sparrow, framed by an old log  hollowed out by the passage of time. The portrait of the sparrow is acceptable, if not special, but it offers greater visual impact when it is outlined by the log.  When we hang pictures on the wall, we frame them for the exact same reason, to showcase and accentuate them.

Try looking at the same word in another context.  We’ll focus on Hebrews 11:3 for this example:  “By faith we understand that the worlds have been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen hath not been made out of things which appear.” (ASV)  In this setting we understand that “framed” means made, just as when a carpenter frames up a house, he is building the basic structural makings of the building.

Just for fun, let’s try looking at this same verse but using the interpretation of “framed” as it was used in the first example.  We’ll also take the liberty to morph the phrase “word of God” to mean the Bible, or His word.  It’s a stretch, but perhaps not too far.  With this construct we could paraphrase the verse to read this way:  “By faith, when we read the book of nature, we can see God at work, just like when we read His words in the Bible.”  I know, in so doing we’ve lost the original intent of the writer, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t found an insight worth considering.  Blaise Pascal, in his work Pensées, written in 1669, expressed the same idea only with more finesse:  “As nature is an image of grace, He has done in the bounties of nature what He would do in those of grace, in order that we might judge that He could make the invisible, since He made the visible excellently.”

Photo ©2011 and Commentary ©2026 by Chuck Davis
Monday, June 15, 2026

Building on the theme of the past few weeks, today’s photo is once again from the flanks of Mt. Adams. The scene scans southward to display Mt. Hood in the background. The foreground captures mountain wildflowers, while alpine firs and hemlocks complete the rest of the image. On this day, at this moment, I was basking in God’s goodness.

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him (Psalm 34:8 KJV).

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever (Psalm 107:1 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).

Praise God who created me and filled me with the strength and skill to reach places like this where He reveals Himself. Seek Him today and you will find Him. You too can bask in His goodness.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, June 14, 2026

We’re going to miss them. That’s because we live several blocks away from where they’ve been working. Our neighbors who live in the midst of this massive work project, with its noise and inconveniences, are looking forward to the workers’ departure. Grateful for their work (replacing all the deteriorating water pipes beneath neighborhood streets), but eager for it to be accomplished.

But we’ll miss them because it’s been both educational and entertaining to watch them at work. We’ve adjusted the route of our twice-daily walks so we can get a close view each day of their progress, while being respectful and careful not to get in their way.

Noticing our obvious interest, the co-owner of the company who won the bid for this project stopped one morning, climbed down from his truck, and explained the whole project in detail.

This past week they scraped out two inches of pavement on several streets and poured in new pavement. The photo you see above shows about half the equipment at work that day; the paving was happening out of sight around the bend, and involved machinery we’ve never seen before.

As fascinated as I’ve been with this project, I know who would have loved watching it even more: my father. He would have lingered longer and asked more questions and made more comments. I chuckle as I picture him standing there, hands in his pockets, smiling and talking away.

And then I have to chuckle a second time because I realize, I am my father’s daughter. I’ve inherited from him the sometimes challenging combination of shyness and a love for talking with people.

With Father’s Day on the near horizon, I’ve been thinking about what else he and I hold in common. I’ve enjoyed compiling a partial list:

We shared a love of words, puzzles, picnics, children, gardening, stories, family, dogs, reading, laughter, beaches, curiosity, taking photos, and my mother’s apple pie.

We also shared a family resemblance, what my mother described as, “You have your father’s broad face.” I remember wailing as a child, “But I don’t want a fat face!” My mother would gently correct me, “It’s not fat, dear. It’s broad.” I was not comforted.

I thought of this many years later when I attended an aunt’s memorial service. Relatives came from states away, so it became a mini-reunion. I grew up in Alaska; most of my father’s siblings and their families lived in his home state of Nevada, and our paths had seldom crossed.

After the service my Uncle Paul approached me with a big grin. He exclaimed, “As soon as I saw you, I knew who you were – you look just like your father!”

I wasn’t sure how to take this. I was in my mid-thirties then, and when I woke up and got ready for the day I was not aiming to look like a seventy-five year old man! But Uncle Paul seemed so happy about this resemblance that I couldn’t help but join in his enjoyment.

When I get to musing, my mind often shifts to the Bible, to those stories oft-told, or words Jesus said. You can probably guess how my uncle’s words stirred my mind – “You look just like your father!”

Remember when Philip said:

“Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:8-9 NIV)

That is a close resemblance! And one I have long appreciated. When I wonder what God is like, I only have to look at Jesus. Son of God, He looked just like His Father. Their character is one and the same.

Here’s where my musing gets serious: How about my character? Is there any family resemblance to my Father?

Today is Flag Day, and again I picture my father. Whenever a flag marched by in parade, he was quick to stand to attention, hand on his heart. Because he taught me, I do the same, now with the prickle of tears in my eyes – a love for my country mingled with homesickness for my father.

My Heavenly Father understands all this, collects my tears, and gently reminds me of heaven ahead, where all tears will be wiped away, and reunions will be permanent.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, June 12, 2026

After a visit to someone’s home this past Thursday, Shelley wanted to stop by a nearby Hobby Lobby, so that’s what we did. Shelley was laser-focused on graduation cards and a VBS prop, but normally “Hob Lob” contains little to hold my personal gaze. Yet I wandered in behind her.

Turning a corner I found myself transfixed by the sight you see above. Hob Lob’s aisles are very long, and this one – from one end to the other – contained an astounding array of hats. They subdivided themselves into two basic categories, cowboy and baseball, and I found myself wondering what all this variegated headgear could possibly have to do with either hobbies or lobbies.

Well, Hob Lob has evidently discovered that they sell well, so there they were. And three seconds after I spotted them, my mental Daily Photo Parable machinery kicked into gear. “We all wear lots of hats, don’t we?” I mused. Some of us wear work hats (which don’t seem to be well represented here). Others wear hats which announce civil authority, such as those worn by the police. Still others wear hiker’s hats, which repel sun and rain as needed. And of course sports fans most likely wear what announces and honors their favorite teams.

What hat – metaphorically – are you wearing at the moment? Is your personality an attention-loving one, or would you rather be self-effacing enough so people won’t pay you much mind? Is your “hat” one you’d feel comfortable wearing both to work and to church?

The Bible has a few pieces of advice about our appearance, and I found it helpful to check them out. Click the link just below:

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