curses on YouTube

stinkin YouTube. i made this memories video from the winter retreat with my kids (shown below), and they muted the audio because of "copyright infringement." the dumbest thing ever. i understand them wanting to keep people from posting TV shows and such, but this is just some pictures with music behind! the fools. well, here it is for your enjoyment. take that, YouTube. you can't find me everywhere!

DVR - the epitome of creation

tv bores me. there are still some good shows on, but i think the reality show era has run its course. have you ever seen Biggest Loser? i love the show (go filipe and sione!), but the way they dddddrrrrrrrraaaaaaaagggggggg it out... are you kidding me? they begin the show with "last week on Biggest Loser," and then right before every commercial, they tell you what's coming after the commercial. right after the commercial, they show you what just happened before the commercial. seriously?

i enjoyed the auditions for season 8 of American Idol, but i don't think i'm going to watch much of the show. it took them two hours to have 12 people sing one song each and hear the judges' comments. THEN they had another full one-hour show just to tell us which 3 of the 12 got the most votes. God bless DVR.

do you ever wish you had a DVR for your life? a rewind, a pause, a fast forward? what are you doing with your moments? would you spend three of your valuable hours on American Idol... each week?

i'm not always the best at using my time wisely. but seeing that really put some stuff in perspective. i hope it does the same for you. spend the moments where they matter. oh, and root for Danny.

wicked(ness)

i went and saw Wicked yesterday with my family. it was AMAZING! the music - addicting! the sets - astounding! the story - captivating! it did make me think, though...

when i opened up the promo book my mom bought, i saw this quote: "are people born wicked or is wickedness thrust upon them?" (don't worry... i won't spoil anything for those of you that haven't seen it) it's pretty clear from the quote that the play aims to show that the wicked witch was forced into her wickedness - that she had no intention to be wicked but eventually had no choice but to be wicked. although this concept works for the play and we do create some understanding for the witch, this idea is a bunch of hooie.

you always have a choice. elphaba (the witch) had a choice. sure, people made her out to be wicked, but she did not have to adopt what was "thrust" upon her. too often, we use that same excuse for ourselves. "i didn't want to be bad... i was forced to be!" garbage. pure garbage.

i can't get enough of the new cd by RED (redmusiconline.com) called Innocence & Instinct. the first song is called "Fight Inside," which is one of my favorites on the album. here's some of the lyrics:

enemy / familiar friend / my beginning and my end / knowing truth / whispering lies / and it hurts again / what i fear and what i try / the words i say and what i hide / all the pain / i want it to end / but i want it again / and it finds me / the fight inside is coursing through my veins / and it's raging / the fight inside is breaking me again

wickedness is not thrust upon you. it's a battle. it's something you fight for and against. you know what the right thing is to do, but often, you don't do it. it happened me today at work. i wanted to get work done, but i wanted to play dumb games on my comupter. it's a fight.

maybe you agree. maybe you don't. either way, let me know what you think with your comments below...

The answer to "Boy or girl?"

We had the ultrasound. Here's our answer:





Many blessings, and no, we’re not telling the name yet – you will find out when the baby is born! Don’t forget to submit your guesses for the baby pool (date, weight, and length). The winner gets a Starbucks card!

Boy or girl?

Hey all! Sorry it's been so long since I've sent out an update, but life continues to fly by! If you haven't heard, Laura and I are expecting Baby #1 in July! We find out on Thursday (Jan. 29) whether it's a boy or girl, and we're taking YOUR votes! Let us know what you think! We are also excited to hear your opinion on the date the baby is born (due date is July 11), the weight, and the length (remember, I'm 6'9"). Feel free to send back as many or as few guesses as you like - more than anything, we'd be glad to hear from you!

MY GUESS
Sex:
Date:
Weight:
Length:

Laura is feeling well. She has gotten past the hump of the "morning sickness" phase, though she still doesn't always feel 100%. More than anything, she's excited about being a mommy! I am working as the associate pastor of the church we have been attending for the past year and a half (Neighborhood Bible Church in San Jose - http://www.nbcsj.org/), and my main focus is middle school students. We are right across the fence from a public middle school, and yesterday I volunteered for the first time in one of their after school programs. I could instantly tell that God is going to use this opportunity for His glory!

We are currently on the prowl for our own place. In the transition from my last job to this one, we were financially unable to keep up our rent, so we have been living with my parents for the past few months. We will be sure to get out our new address (when we have one), but a safe place to always reach us by snail mail is my parent’s address:

7072 Blue Hill Dr.
San Jose, CA 95129

Many blessings to you all! We certainly hope to hear from you, and if you're in the Bay Area for any reason, we'd love to meet up for a meal or coffee (we love both)!

In Him and for Him,
Ben Palm (for Laura and baby)

i'm winning bread!

it's official! i have a job! i accepted the offer to be the (ready for my crazy long title?) Associate Pastor to Youth and Families at Neighborhood Bible Church (http://www.nbcsj.org/) in San Jose! woohoo! i get to work with my good buddy dave, my good buddy jeff, and my sister hannah (when she gets back from Denmark)! how cool is that!

more than anything, i'm glad the process is over. it has been a stressful time for laura and i, but we made it. we're packing up our stuff to move in with my parents for a few months while we work on getting enough income to be back on our own (this job is only part time).

thanks for your prayers if you offered them!

don't miss the goodness!

i love playing cards. one of my favorite games is called nerts. it is basically a version of speed solitaire. you have to keep track of many things all at the same time, so it is a very fast-paced game. if you're too focused on playing one card, you could easily miss an opportunity to play another card or cards, and that could mess up your whole game.

i have had a one-track mind this past month. i have been focused on one thing - what i thought God should have been giving me - a job. i have been waiting for that goodness, and i almost missed other good things that God has given me recently. God gave me some opportunities to preach - one coming this Sunday! God gave me safety just yesterday - i was inches from being hit by another car, but God spared me! God gave me work - i have been added to the substitute roster at The King's Academy!

if i had been too focused on the fact that i don't have the job i want, i would have missed those opportunities. i would have turned down those speaking engagements. i wouldn't have seen God's hand in protecting me. i wouldn't have applied for work at King's.

notice the good that God is giving instead of just waiting for the good that you want. you could miss something amazing.

patience should no longer be a virtue.

why should i be looked down upon just because i'm having a hard time waiting? i've never looked down on someone because they're pushing people out of the way to get to a toilet in time. sure, i laugh at them. i laugh hard (especially when the person running is my little sister Grace, because it happens to her more often than anyone else i know. she's like the michael phelps of having to pee NOW.).

i can see when the inability to wait can be a problem. people get a little crazy on Black Friday (the day after thanksgiving), and red lights are meant to be stopped at, no matter how clear you think it is. in fact, i respect patient people - mostly because i am not one. i can never understand why they're willing to get in the long line at the store or why they want to drive under (YIKES!) the speed limit. more power to them. however...

i am having a hard time waiting. the end of my time at advent (my current job) is near, and I have nothing lined up. that's right. nothing. i am wanting answers. my friends are wanting answers. this was a unique weekend for me in the way that i got to see a lot of people i usually don't talk to. i was in a friend's wedding, i saw some out-of-town relatives, and i saw a lot of people at church i hadn't seen in a while. they all asked the same question, "so, what are you up to these days?" my answer? "i don't know." it was not a satisfying answer to give, nor was it a satisfying answer for them to hear.

i am quickly running out of patience. please pray that God will give me a little boost. even better, pray that i will get an ANSWER! i think i'd rather have the latter...

risk... and trusting God

"it all began with a risk / cause Your desire is for this / to be loved and to love is what everything is all about" - ten shekel shirt, risk

God took a risk on us. so we need to be willing to take risks for Him. risks that further His kingdom. risks that follow His purpose for our lives.

i have taken a couple risks for God. i took one recently. i thought God was leading me in a certain direction. it turns out He wasn't. or at least it seems that way. it makes it hard for me to know what to do because the option i thought i had is no longer an option.

i have learned that God is good. He has provided for me in ways i never expected or thought possible. when i get in tough spots like this, i have to trust that God will be good again. i know He will, because He's faithful and He loves me. sometimes it's just hard to trust.

Psalm 13 has been my lifeline this past month. here it is in all its wisdom...

How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

i pray this encourages you just as much as it did me.