Daily Photo Parable

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday and Monday, September 13 and 14, 2026

“SorryforallthebadthingsI’vedoneuntoyou.”

That’s how they said it, as if it were all one word. And they said it fast.

I’ve always enjoyed this story my husband tells from his childhood days. He’s the oldest of four siblings, with a span of seven years from youngest to oldest, two boys and two girls.

During their younger years they developed a nightly practice, which their parents had nothing to do with. As they climbed the stairs to their bedrooms they would say to each other, “I’m sorry for all the bad things I’ve done unto you.” Only they rattled it off rapidly.

(I especially enjoy the inclusion of the word “unto.” I think it elevates the apology, giving it a King James touch.)

And speaking of touch, it touches my heart that these four children decided that, on their way to bed each night, they should make a clean sweep of their day with mutual apologies. Some might criticize this rapid-fire apology as lacking specifics, but I think their young hearts were in the right place, and they had plenty of time for maturity to teach them more about apologies and confessions and repentance. Meanwhile, I’m happy to cut them some slack.

However, I’m not as generous when it comes to Jesus’ disciples. I am not prone to cut them slack when I read Bible passages that show them, more than once, arguing amongst themselves about who would be the greatest, who would shine brightest and best in the coming kingdom. Even within hours of Jesus’ arrest and trials, we hear this:

Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. (Luke 22:24 NKJV) (See their facial expressions in my photo above, courtesy of my husband’s sketching talent!)

With amazing patience, Jesus responded to their grumbling and grouching over their positions in His kingdom:

And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. (Luke 22:25-26)

And then, seeing that His words were not enough, Jesus shows them what He means.

The story unfolds in John 13, with these tender words:

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. (John 13:1)

He loved them so much that He needed them to understand that one of the keys to His kingdom was humble, heartfelt service to others.

They had gathered to celebrate the Passover with its special meal, but apparently the customary servant was missing. Who would wash their feet? Certainly not the disciples, still simmering in their unhappiness with each other.

And so, John tells us in his eyewitness account, Jesus took off his cloak, wrapped a towel around His waist, poured water into a basin, and knelt down to wash and dry the feet of twelve men, twelve friends, twelve people He loved “to the end.”

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. (John 13:12-15)

How would you feel if you’d been one of the twelve, and Jesus had washed your feet, fully knowing you’d been fussing and fuming about something you shouldn’t have even been thinking about? How did they respond?

I like to think their hearts were softened, and their attitudes shifted. I like to think that they apologized to Jesus and to each other. I don’t know that.

What I do know is that before the terrors of the night were over, one of them had betrayed Him, one had denied Him, and all of them had abandoned Him after His arrest.

And yet, when He defeated death and rose triumphant from the grave, eleven of them turned back to Him, and He welcomed them with arms wide open in forgiveness. He must have been so eager to return to His Father, and the peace and joy of heaven, but He lingered on this earth for forty days, doing all He could to equip His disciples for their mission of preaching the gospel and inviting Jews and Gentiles into His kingdom.

They still had a lot to learn about that kingdom, but they were getting a good grip on God’s grace, and forgiveness.  I, too, have a lot to learn, and I thank the Lord for each new day to discover more about His character and His kingdom.

Lord, please teach us how we can best shine for You here and now, as we look forward to There and Then.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, September 12, 2026

Friday morning of this week I was trudging along on my customary after-breakfast walk when I came across this scene. I’ve white-blocked-out the address for privacy’s sake, but for several years this home has been unoccupied. The mold-crusted minivan you see, along with an elderly sedan beside it, hasn’t budged, and though none of the vehicles’ tires is actually flat, they’re all bulging low. The potted plants you see are of ancient vintage, and the only thing that is done to the lawn is an occasional cursory mowing job, no doubt performed by someone desperately trying to keep the neighborhood’s property value from sagging.

But there’s one bright spot – yellow in fact – tacked between the garage doors. I know exactly what it is, because another was affixed to my own garage earlier this week. It’s a detailed offer to perform any of several services (and now I’m reading from my own copy) including gutter and roof cleaning, blowing and driveway washing, caring for decks and fences and retaining walls, as well as de-thatching and aerating and fertilizing the lawn.

There on the garage door is The Offer, patiently waiting for someone to find it and call the number. But there’s nobody home.

What’s interesting is the name of the lawn service company: Adonay’s Lawn Services. I’m sure it’s the purest coincidence, but Adonai (spelled with an “i” instead of a “y” at the end) is one of the Hebrew words used for “Lord” in the Old Testament. It’s not as important as Yahweh, but even nowadays when faithful Jews read Hebrew Bible aloud, they don’t pronounce the name Yahweh, considering it too sacred to utter. Instead, they use Adonai.

However you pronounce His name, the Lord Himself has a standing offer to revive your soul. He created it, and He is the only one qualified to give it an Eden makeover. To find out how to cooperate with Him, click the link just below:

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

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, September 11, 2026

A couple of days ago my eye was caught first of all by this bumper sticker’s colors, and then by the flash of iridescence from the letters. And then I grinned as I saw the message. Usually we cordially tell each other to “have a great day.” But the author of this sticker is rather brutal: “Have the day you deserve.”

Kind of sticks in your mind, doesn’t it? After all, what kind of day does any of us actually deserve?

The Bible has the answer, in the link below. None of us really “deserves” a good day. But a loving God, whose Son provided redemption for us, gives us courage to live in the light of His day! Don’t forget to click this link:

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

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, September 10, 2026

These old stumps at Rattlesnake Lake give testament that in the past there were huge forests of old growth trees. Loggers cut the notches in the side where they inserted planks to stand on while cutting the tree. Now the notches look like eyes, and the stumps look like melancholy old men keeping watch.

Unlike old stumps that are no longer alive, people have some ability to do things and decide how they live. I like the following verse.

Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
Titus 2:2

When we think about people that we like to be around, I often think of the word “thoughtful.”  We kind of want people around us to be thoughtful, and it makes sense that we also try to be thoughtful as an example.

The stumps in the photo have plenty of time to think if they could. Likewise, we can watch and think about what the Bible teaches and consider the traits that make us pleasant to be around. When you have a chance, read the rest of Titus 2 for more information about living while we wait for the Lord.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Darren Milam
Wednesday, September 9, 2026

This past weekend, I visited Marina Beach Park in Edmonds. If you’ve been there, you know it’s a beautiful spot to watch the ferries pass by, enjoy views of the Olympic Mountains, walk along the shoreline, or simply pause and take in God’s creation.

When I captured this image, my attention was focused on the gentle waves rolling onto the beach. Later, while reviewing the photo, something else caught my eye: the smooth rocks scattered along the shore and the sand surrounding them. Over time, many of those rocks will be worn down by water and weather, eventually becoming tiny grains of sand.

That reminded me of David’s words in Psalm 139:

Psalm 139:17-18 (NKJV)

“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.”

David wasn’t focused on the sand itself. He was using it to illustrate something impossible to measure God’s thoughts, care, and attention toward His people. Just as no one could realistically count every grain of sand on a beach, David recognized that he could never fully comprehend the depth of God’s concern for him.

That’s who our God is. He knows each of us personally. He cares for each of us completely. No one is overlooked. No one is forgotten.

As I looked at the sand in this image, I was reminded that God’s love, care, and thoughts toward us are more numerous than we could ever count.

Thank You, Lord, for knowing me, caring for me, and always being right beside me.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, September 8, 2026

For most, it would appear to be an attractive male Red-winged Blackbird, but if one looks more carefully, you’ll notice the epaulets on the wing of the Tri-colored Blackbird are a scarlet red, not the orange-red seen on the Redwings.  Also, the band below the epaulet is a clear white rather than the yellow sported by its more common relative.  At one time it was considered to be the most abundant bird in southern California, but its numbers have dropped dramatically.  Still, probably 95 percent of the global population is found there.  One of the primary reasons for concern is the communal nature of the species.  Just like the Passenger Pigeon, this behavior makes it more vulnerable to extinction.

This gregarious nature leads them to build their nests close together, sometimes only a foot or two apart in freshwater marshes among the cattails.  Rather than gathering food from the nearby wetland, the adults routinely travel up to three miles searching for rich food sources. To induce the young to leave the comfortable confines of the nesting area, adults may return from foraging with food, but instead of directly offering food to the young, they will fly away from the colony with the hungry young in hot pursuit.

The young Tricolors may have to leave their comfortable nests in order to learn needed life lessons, but the Children of Israel and we today have no such excuse.  Notice how Moses explained this to his people.  “And you can’t say, ‘How can we obey the Lord’s commands:  They are across the sea, and someone must go across, then bring them back and explain them to us.’  No, these commands are nearby and you know them by heart.  All you have to do is obey!”  (Deuteronomy 30:13-14 CEV)

Certainly, lack of information is not what causes our mistakes; it’s our own stubborn nature.  The really good news is that God is willing to change that nature, to give us a desire for goodness:  “I will take away your stubborn heart and give you a new heart and a desire to be faithful.  You will have only pure thoughts, because I will put my Spirit in you and make you eager to obey my laws and teachings.”  (Ezekiel 36:26-27 CEV)  Good news indeed!

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday and Monday, September 6 and 7, 2026

Can you think of a sight or sound or taste or smell or touch that’s guaranteed to make you smile?

Just thinking about such a list makes me smile! I know that the sound of a baby laughing will always do that for me, and the taste of apple pie like my mother used to make. My list is much longer than that, though.

Last week I stood still in the middle of Carpinito Bros Farm Stand, a garden center and local produce market, and smiled. I was gazing at beautiful begonias in a multitude of colors. I turned to the produce area, and my eyes and smile widened at all the colors that I knew tasted even better than they looked – peaches, nectarines, plums, apples, melons, pears, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, lemons, limes, avocados, radishes, broccoli, cucumbers, cilantro, carrots, zucchini blossoms, beets, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, garlic, green beans, corn on the cob, and more!

I felt rich in the midst of all that goodness.

While I appreciate grocery stores, I don’t usually stand still in their produce aisles and grin. I think that’s because those stores stock so much more than fresh fruit and veggies, and there’s a lot of hustle-bustle and other commerce going on around me.

But there in the farm stand, it was easy to feel surrounded by God’s goodness. I remembered the invitation to “Taste and see that the Lord is good . . .” (Psalm 34:8 NIV).

Considering the context in which this psalm was written (David on the run from King Saul’s army), and the last half of the verse, “ . . . blessed is the one who takes refuge in him,” I think David was tasting the goodness of God’s protection.

However, I think we can literally taste and see God’s goodness in the incredible variety of food He has created for our enjoyment.

And we can also listen and see, smell and see, touch and see, and look and see! God’s goodness is all around us! How easy it is to get mired down in the messiness of life, and the chaos and tragedies we hear about each day. Not only hear about, but experience!

I tend toward the melancholic, so I know I need to tend to the health of my body, mind, and soul by choosing my focus each day. As we step out into this brand-new week, I plan to begin each morning by saying out loud, “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” and then keeping all my senses alert to experience that goodness, and give thanks.