Daily Photo Parable

Photo ©2010 and Commentary ©2026 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, March 5, 2026

When walking by this monkey puzzle tree, I happened to look up to see a colorful halo around the moon. Just below the moon, Jupiter shines through the clouds as a bright dot. Scenes like this make me think of heaven. These verses seem to fit.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55: 8,9

We might sometimes wonder if God’s commands are important to our everyday situations. I like how these verses point out that our level of thinking does not fully comprehend God’s thoughts. We really should closely examine the core things in the Bible like the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 and God’s command to love our neighbor. There is so much to think about and ponder. But when we do it gives us a clearer lens to view the world.

Photo ©2010 and Commentary ©2026 by Robert Howson
Tuesday and Wednesday, March 2 and 3, 2026

Religious groups, rightly or wrongly, may find that just their name can carry a powerful influence in support or opposition to an idea or cause.  This may be done intentionally or simply come about through popular association by the public.  During the Middle Ages the Dominican Order established a convent in Paris.  Due to its location, this convent took on the name Jacobins and from this beginning the nickname became associated with the entire Dominican Order.  But the usage of this name did not stop there for it spread far beyond the parameters of the church.

The first of these that we’ll look at is the name often directly associated with the French Revolution, the Jacobin Club or simply Jacobins.  This revolutionary political movement held sway during the Reign of Terror when more than 10,000 people were put on trial and executed for what was seen as political crimes.  It’s important to note this movement had nothing directly to do with the Dominicans other than their first meeting was held in that convent.  Nevertheless, the name stuck.

On a more positive note, the Jacobin name was used some 50 or so years before Robespierre and his friends took over to describe a rather large hummingbird of the American tropics.  The White-necked Jacobin derives its name from the real or imagined similarity to the cowled habit worn by the Jacobin Dominicans in eighteenth-century France.  The white collar on the nape is often hard to see, but it too made its way into the common name of the bird.

All this should make us ponder how our own church might be perceived by the public.  The story is told of an incident when Dwight D. Eisenhower met with a small group of Adventists and, trying to be sociable, reached back into his memory to try and make some connection that would establish common ground.  The best he could come up with was something like “Aren’t you the ones that do something with peanut butter?”  I suppose it’s a bit better than being aligned with the Reign of Terror, but maybe not much.

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.