bible – Paul J. Palma

When Humility Leads to Mercy

As our tour atop the Maid of the Mist charted the Niagara River, we were suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of smallness. The 90-foot vessel, filled to capacity with 600 other eager spectators, rounded the meander to reveal the breathtaking wonder of the Niagara Falls. We were first inundated by the billows of mist. I steadied myContinue reading “When Humility Leads to Mercy”

The Weight You Don’t Have to Carry

We were loading the car for our annual summer trip north. Each year we go to upstate New York to visit my side of the family and then onward to Vermont for my wife’s side. As we broke down the packing instructions for the kids, we emphasized “bring just enough for 14 days.” Since myContinue reading “The Weight You Don’t Have to Carry”

God’s Encore

One of the occasions my wife and I enjoy most is our children’s school choral concerts. After the concert, we stand and clap as loud and for as long as we can. We’ve sometimes stood clapping with the audience long enough to earn an “encore.” To our utter delight, the choir comes back and singsContinue reading “God’s Encore”

Standing Strong Amid Life’s Floodwaters

Ask any successful architect and they will tell you that the most important part of a building is not the façade but the foundation. Perhaps the most well-known example of a foundation failure is the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. While this medieval edifice makes the top of the sight-seeing list for many visitingContinue reading “Standing Strong Amid Life’s Floodwaters”

Triumphant Humility

Few would consider voluntarily moving into the slums to be the path to notoriety. But that is precisely the course the Albanian nun Sister Teresa (1910 – 97) took. She was sent by her convent to Calcutta, India, where she taught at a school among the well-to-do. Affectionately known as Mother Teresa, she followed herContinue reading “Triumphant Humility”

Standing on the Lookout: Anticipating Christ’s Arrival

If you leave our Cavanese pup, Sammy, unattended long enough he will most certainly venture to the window in our sun porch. The kids have officially designated the spot as “Sammy’s Lookout.” We think it comes from a built-in watchdog instinct. If he sees or hears another creature such as another dog or passing squirrel,Continue reading “Standing on the Lookout: Anticipating Christ’s Arrival”

More Wondrous Still

On a mild, clear summer night, our family loves to gaze into the evening sky and look for any of the dozens of resplendent star constellations. After minutes of searching, the kids will grin ear to ear upon discovering the Big Dipper. On any given night, there are some 4,500 stars visible from the onlooker’s horizon.Continue reading “More Wondrous Still”