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Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn't know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing.
After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup. Turning to her he asked. "Daughter, what do you see?" Potatoes, eggs, and coffee," she hastily replied. "Look closer", he said, "and touch the potatoes." She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face. "Father, what does this mean?" she asked. He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity - the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently. The potato went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new. "Which are you," he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.
Which one are you?
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Submitted by bencross on Tue, 2007-02-20 09:07.
This would be my first time experiencing a vocal contest of this magnitude. There 
were about 175 - 200 contestants with only two slots left to fill. One of the judges for the even was Ron Grant - Senior A&R Executive for Sony Music.
Jonathan Slocumb was there making his guest appearance. He had jokes, and some new ones at that. He had us singing various songs, and some of the people didn't know the lyrics and that is when the fun started.
One song was "America (My Country Tis of Thee)". The lyrics are:
My country,' tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing; land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside let freedom ring!
One contestant got caught!!!!! This is what she sung and tried to get away with it:
My country,' tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing; land where my fathers died, land of the Crimson Tide, from every mountainside let freedom ring!
Jonathan was all over that like white on rice!!!! A prime example of us not learning the proper words to a song. We had a blast.
The talent in the room was excellent. Yes, there were a few William Hung's there, and we got the laughs. However, it was an adventure to experience.
Neither I or Tiffany Edmonds were selected as the finalist or alternates. It's all good. We did have the pleasure of meeting Britney (from Atlanta). She was there auditioning as well. I'm sure that her mother was glad to see her baby return home safely.
You can read more about the event right here.
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Submitted by bencross on Sun, 2006-07-30 06:42.
Now that I have changed my hosting server, It will take a few more days/weeks to get all the content mapped so that it is displayed properly.
There are a few fixes that we need to do as well...(i.e. Shout Out is broken, I can't find the webmail server, etc...). However, we are working to get all of these issues resolved in a timely manner.
Continue to check back on our progress.
Thanks
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Submitted by bencross on Wed, 2006-06-14 12:56.
I am in the process of having my site moved to another hosting company. If you attempt to access the site one day and it's not there, don't be alarmed. Just check back in a few days and it should be there. The move will be taking place in a few days or within a week from today.
Thanks
Benjamin
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Submitted by bencross on Fri, 2006-05-26 14:10.
I heard this on today (9 April 2006), and I thought that it was a life changing statement.
"Your good is better and your better is blessed."
This is to say that
your change from your previous behavior is
better. And because of that, your
better is a
tramendous blessing to others and to yourself.
What a powerful word. What an eye opener. Food for thought and spiritual growth.
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Submitted by bencross on Sun, 2006-04-09 17:40.
I've just completed recording two songs this past week. WOW. This was a real good workout for me and my vocals.
Kenny Wilson did a great job on helping me with the music. The brother has talent. Carlos Cooper also added his touch to one of the selections. Thanks for the great organ lines. That was just what the song needed.
This is just the start of something bigger.
I should know something on Monday about the finished product. It will be great to hear the mix and all.
Great job guys.
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Submitted by bencross on Sat, 2006-01-14 20:53.
Please don’t forget to catch the show this Thursday evening, December 15, @ 9:00PM. The “Voices of Praise” will be on with Willie K doing “Oh Holy Night” from last year, and yours truly will be making an appearance as a solo artist this year.
Make sure to tell all your friends to watch the show.
Quote:
"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." -- Charles Dickens (A Christmas Carol)
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Submitted by bencross on Mon, 2005-12-12 15:47.
You are invited to join in on the Celebration of Christmas at the City of Refuge Christian Church of Hawaii.
We will be having our Christmas Concert on December 18 at 4:30 p.m. Emme Tomimbang will be our host for the evening. We are expecting many special guest on this evening, and that would be all of you...our extended family and friends.
On December 21 at 7 p.m. we will hold our annual Christmas Play and Musical. There will be singing, dancing, and many other things happening on this evening. We have invited others in the community to come and celebrate Christmas with us.
Tell you friends and family members about the celebration. We would love to see all of you.
The City of Refuge
Christian Church of Hawaii
94-897 Waipahu Street
808.677.5677
Click here for driving directions
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Submitted by bencross on Wed, 2005-11-30 18:44.
I wanted to let you know that on Sunday, 27 November 2005, I was the winner of the Al Waterson and You Karaoke Contest down at Don Ho’s Island Grill (Aloha Towers).
There were 10 contestants in the competition (one for every month up to October). Each contestant had up to 5 minutes to perform a song. There was a panel of four judges who judged each performance on various areas (entertaining, vocal skills and sound, interaction with audience, professionalism, marketable, etc…). The judges judging the competition were producers, writers, bandleaders, vocal coaches, promoters…just to name a few of their credentials.
It took three times doing this contest before it became my time. It was worth the wait. I would do it all over again. There's nothing like loving what you do.
I would like to thank Christ Jesus my Lord and Savior because without His grace and mercy, none of this would have been possible. Thank you to my wife and family for all their time, energy, support, shoulders, wiping my tears, etc… all these years. I love all of you. In addition to these above, I would like to thank Al Waterson and Nancy Bernal. Thank you for all your encouragement and dedication for these past three years. Thank you for believing in me. Honestly Nancy, I really tried hard to smile more on last night (ha ha ha ha).
There aren’t enough words to express the many feelings I am experiencing now. Truly, I have been waiting for this moment. WOW! It is finally here.
You know what really made the difference for me on last night (27 November 2005)? The many comments on how my song touched their hearts, how the lyrics of the song were so powerful, and how they could feel God’s presence through the words.
If I have not said it enough, I want to make sure that people who hear me sing leaves with a message of hope, love, peace, etc… There is nothing like lifting the heart of a nation with your voice.
Please make no mistake in thinking that I take the gift that God has given me lightly. I take it very seriously. It is through this gift that I shall proclaim His name and bring Him glory.
Thanks to all of you that came out to support me in my efforts (my church family, friends, fans, etc...). You made the evening much easier. This is just the beginning of many and greater things happening through me and for me. God is good.
I would like to send a shout out to Mr. Matsumoto and his wife. You have been right there by my side in every competition (Hawaii Stars and Al Waterson) these past three years. You are an example of perseverance. You've never stopped going the distance even when things weren't that favorable. Hang in there my friend.
A special thank you goes out to Hanabi Media (Sam and Nat) for giving me some place to post and share my life with the world. You're the best. I really do appreciate your friendship and encouragement for this past year.
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Submitted by bencross on Mon, 2005-11-28 12:51.
The day and hour has arrived. WOW… We are about to have the final show down at Don Ho’s Island Grill. Al Waterson’s and You present the 2005 Karaoke Finals for the Adults. There are about 4 hours remaining before it all begins. This is so exciting.
One would think that I would be on pins and needles right about now. To me it’s about getting on that stage and giving it your all. If you give your best, then nothing else matters. Is it about walking away with the prizes or knowing that you left something with the audience that will change their lives or perspective on things.
To all the contestants that will be competing with me on this evening, I hope you all the best. Keep in mind that we all are winners because we made it to the end.
In closing, the scripture comes to mind, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
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Submitted by bencross on Sun, 2005-11-27 19:29.
