Daily Photo Parable

On a recent flight from Seattle to Salt Lake City, I glanced out the small window and saw this scene. The plane had just risen above the cloud cover, with the sun beginning to set behind us. As you can see, or perhaps not see, the clouds stretched endlessly, covering everything below. There was nothing visible except layers of white and gray, masses of tiny water droplets.

In that moment, the lyrics to “Above All” (famously sung by artists like Michael W. Smith) came to mind:
Above all powers, above all kings, above all nature and all created things…

God is, in fact, above all things.

There I was, literally above the clouds, seemingly above everything, yet reminded that God is (rightly so) above all. That perspective was grounding and humbling at the same time.

I’m incredibly grateful for that realization. How else are we able to accomplish anything, truly anything, without our Creator? The short answer is: we’re not. We rely on Him for all things. We need to rely on Him.

The song goes on:
You took the fall and thought of me, above all.

Pause for a moment and let those words sink in.

Picture the scene, Jesus coming to our rescue in human form, ultimately giving His life on the cross. He took the fall that should have been ours. And in that defining moment, He thought of us, above all.

Thank you, God, for all that You do for me. Thank You for being above all, and still caring for me.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, May 25, 2026

Hollywood seems to have a way of doing that, of causing you to turn around and take notice of that which you might otherwise have ignored.  Such was the case as we drove along a rural road in Utah.  A road sign proclaimed in bold letters, “Childhood home of Butch Cassidy”.  It’s doubtful the name would have prompted a response had Hollywood not capitalized on the romanticized version of train robber/bank robber, Robert Leroy Parker, also known as Butch Cassidy.  But turn around we did since the absence of traffic allowed a leisurely U-turn.

The old farmhouse, restored by historical preservationists, differs little from others of the same era near Circleville, Utah where his Mormon parents raised him.  His early life appears to have been boringly uneventful, leaving home in his early teens to find work on several of the nearby ranches.  It’s strange to think how his life would have gone unnoticed except for the bad choices he made which resulted in the deaths of several law officers.

It’s easy to be lured by the thought that if you really want to be noticed then you’ve got to break a few rules.  Even our U-turn on that grassy stretch of highway seems to reinforce that idea.  But Solomon helps us put things into perspective: “Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.”  (Ecclesiastes 8:12 NIV)   And in the case of Butch, it’s quite likely that he did not live a long life but died a violent death in Bolivia so ensuring him a place as an infamous icon of the Wild West.

Photo ©2011 and Commentary ©2026 by Chuck Davis
Monday, May 25, 2026

Today’s parable concludes a series of three photos that I captured on August 13, 2011. The first one was taken at 8:26pm, the second at 8:30pm and this one at 8:45pm. You may recall that these photos were taken at the conclusion of the Sabbath. For me, this series demands that we go back to the beginning.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1 KJV).

The creation story in Genesis is fascinating. We read about the tremendous things that God did, what he made. He spoke, and it became. Now, I would like you to consider the story from a distinct perspective. Read Genesis chapter one again, but this time focus not on what HE did, but observe and concentrate on what God saw.

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good … (Genesis 1:31 KJV).

A photograph only holds meaning by what we see. I hope that in the photos I have shared, you have seen a portion of what God saw on the evening of the sixth day. Then take a Rest to contemplate what He has done to give us an opportunity to see it once again, fully renewed.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Shelley Schurch
Sunday, May 24, 2026

What do you think this says – NOW or MON?

We came across these letters on our morning walk last week. A big variety of heavy equipment and trucks have taken over our neighborhood lately, rumbling through the streets, loudly working on a massive water pipe replacement project for many blocks around.

Before they started breaking up the asphalt, workers came through the neighborhood on a quiet mission, marking the streets and front yards with yellow, blue, green, and orange letters and symbols. We know some of these identify gas lines, but the majority of the signage is a foreign language to us.

Except the word you see in the photo! That looks like plain English, except I’m not sure which English word it is!

We saw these letters last Sunday, so maybe they spell the word MON, meaning, “This marks the spot where we start work on Monday.” But that seems a bit odd. So does the word NOW. Maybe these are initials that stand for something only water pipe replacement people can decipher.

I realize I’ll probably never know what these letters signify. I also realize that it doesn’t matter. I need to be content that those who need to know will get the message, and the world can continue reliably rotating on its axis without me needing to know.

I’m curious, though.

Since I recently read the last chapters of the gospel of John, I thought of someone else who was curious, and expressed a need to know. Peter responded to Jesus taking him aside for a walk in which He told Peter about his future by asking,

“Lord, what about him [John]?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” (John 21:21-22 NIV)

Peter didn’t need to know John’s future. Jesus made that clear, and also emphasized where Peter needed to direct his attention.

And then, during another post-Resurrection gathering:

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts1:4-8)

They didn’t need to know times or dates. They did need to hear the incredible news that they were about to receive Holy Spirit power!

And now we come to Exhibit A for a curious person who didn’t have a need to know. She had everything she needed, and more. Eve lived in Eden, in Paradise. God walked and talked with her and her husband Adam.

Eve lacked nothing . . . but she could be persuaded that she did:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. (Genesis 3:1-6a)

Staring at three letters and wanting to know if they spell MON or NOW is a harmless curiosity on my part, but staring into a serpent’s eyes and wondering if he’s right about God keeping something good from her was a deadly curiosity on Eve’s part.

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. (Genesis 3:20)

And yet, her distrust of God’s words and motives brought all the dying.

I wonder about things. I like to ask questions. I want to know the rest of the story. That’s true for me as I move through my day, and that’s true for me as I read through my Bible. And in life and in God’s Word, there’s much to wonder about.

I think God is fine with my wondering, but I don’t want it to wander into distrusting. There’s a line there, and I want to stay on this side of it.

As we walk out into a brand-new week, may we grow deeper in our trust of the One who walks with us, and waits for us.

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, May 23, 2026

Earlier this month on a walk, Shelley and I noticed this bush of flowers. With a clueless layman’s confidence, I’ve decided they’re roses, but they may not be. So don’t quote me.

However, what caught my attention was that on this one bush there were flowers in varying stages of growth. At the top is what looks like an almost-mature bloom, while the buds further down are either getting close to “popping” or quite a ways behind.

Okay. Which of these are the true roses (if roses are what they are), and which aren’t? You know the answer, right? They’re all the same flower, just in different stages of development.

As a farm boy, I watched fuzzy yellow baby chicks grow into white-feathered chickens. Again, all were “perfect” at whatever stage they were at.

The Bible gives tremendous encouragement to those of us who long to mature spiritually. Click the link below for three verses which should build confidence:

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

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, May 22, 2026

A couple of weeks ago I stopped at one of those gas stations which only has a small building basically big enough for the attendant. But at this point the attendant was gone, and a sign said he or she would be back in 10 minutes.

While I was waiting, I noticed this strip of warning messages taped to the inside of the window. Reading from left to right, the first message is a plea for civility. The second message tries to dampen the hopes of those who think they can acquire some cash. The third message threatens retribution to criminals, the fourth repeats the warning that only a tiny amount of cash is available, and the fifth insists that Someone Is Watching You.

As I stood there waiting, glancing uneasily around from time to time, I was thinking how sad it was that these messages even had to be posted. But God has had to post – and carve into stone, and repeat – similar warnings.

Do you feel a bit restless knowing that God has laws He wants followed? The more you learn about His law, the more you understand that it not only safeguards the culture but is truly an expression of His love.

Want an encouraging refresher course on this topic? Click the link just below:

https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/topics/law-god

Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, May 21, 2026

This flowering tree caught my attention in the church parking because of the pink petals on the ground. Looking up, this amazing view met my eyes and then my phone’s camera sensor. Once again, the landscape planners knew what they were doing when they selected these trees to plant in a row.

It is always fun to spot flowers where a backlight is shining through. In this case, it reminded me of an article in the May 9, 2026 issue of New Scientist titled “Quantum Crystals.” In the 1970’s, explorers found some crystals in a cave near Anarak, Iran where light reflected as a bluish-green glow. After the initial excitement of finding a new mineral, the crystals were set aside.  Recently scientists have been analyzing them for their special quantum properties which I don’t really understand. The hope is that it will lead to better quantum computers.

As the creator, God intricately knows the properties of light and how it interacts with matter. Just look at the flowers around us this spring.  I believe they inspire a healthy dose of wonder and discovery in learning about the natural reality where we live.

Considering that God fully understands physical light, we can look at his teaching as light for interacting with others that he also fully understands. John 1:4 says, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” Let’s admit we don’t understand nature, or God’s teaching about love, but we can keep digging for more knowledge.