NOAH \ˈnō-uh\ n. peaceful, comforter, rest

PV Men's Retreat 6/6/08 to 6/7/08

2008-06-10T14:21:00.000-07:00

Themes and Topics

Jesus Christ + Nothing
Human "beings" vs. human "doings" (God Loves us for who we are in Christ)
Who are you? Really... (not, "What do you do")
Brokenness is a gift from God

Removes our idols and what we are clinging to rather than God
Model: communion, feeding of the 5000, and us

Take, Bless, Break, Give

Joel's Action Steps

Refocus my life to line up with my priorities
Focus on being with Jesus vs. doing (time waiting on the Lord)

Psalm 18

2008-04-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

This is from my morning devotional with Henry Medina:

Psalm 18 is a beautiful/powerful Psalm with rich meaning and symbolism.

I see this chapter as a microcosm of God's plan of salvation for mankind.

It starts with David entangled in sin (v4-6). Then God invades earth and wins the victory (v7-16). We have been rescued (v17-19) and we are Justified in God's sight according to Christ's righteousness (v20-28). Now that we are restored to God we now embark on a journey of Sanctification to battle a defeated foe through God's strength (v29-45). It ends with David's beautiful response of thanksgiving to his Savior, his Rock, and his God (v46-50)

link to Psalm 18 (biblegateway)

Yosemite

2008-04-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

Blessings

2008-04-15T05:49:00.000-07:00

To be expanded later:

Noah
Selling Car
Building Salon
Patnodes moving to City in the Hills
New Job
Financial Provision
etc

Week 1

2008-04-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

Check everyone's progress online at: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pH5YohsL4UlOAp-wOGX-kDA

Don't forget to send in your $$ if you are still interested in being involved

Tip of the Week: Drink your body weight number in ounces everyday (200 lb = 200 ounces). Sometimes when you think you are hungry your body is actually only craving water.

Family Weight Loss Challenge - Goals

2008-04-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

	Joel	Steve	JC	Travis	Ric	Rick	Paul
Goal	5.00%	9.52%	6.00%	1.00%	6.50%	3.85%	9.51%

	Rece	Kellie	Linda	Anna	Melissa	Jessica	Karen
Goal	7.50%	7.50%	8.00%	15.00%	9.60%	5.10%	9.00%

It Has Begun!!!

Track the progress as we go: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pH5YohsL4UlOAp-wOGX-kDA
Download a Weight Loss Tracker: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pH5YohsL4UlN9X_sVtd23fA

Family Weight Loss Challenge

2008-04-05T05:45:00.000-07:00

Hello there friends and family,

I have decided to put together a little friendly weight loss competition. The winner will get a gift certificate to a spa to do whatever you want, and a free head message, shampoo-blow dry from me…(if I don’t win of course). You’ll also get to sit in our new state of the art message chair. Sound good??? Here’s the details.

Everyone puts in $20.00, and that goes to the gift certificate. You will have three months starting April 1^st to lose as much weight as you can, ANY way you want. You will then send me your first weeks body weight percentage loss. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TELL ME YOUR WEIGHT. Every week I will send out an email telling you the percentage of all the other people. So that way you will know who is ahead of you. This makes it fair for every one!! There is only one rule. You have to use the same scale start to finish, you have to weigh yourself at the same time of day and you have to wear the same thing every time. sound good??? Okay then, I know I'm not the only one who want to loss weight….so lets do this together!!!

Rece

our latest photos

2008-03-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

You are invited to view Joel's photo gallery.


View Joel's Gallery

Proverbs 17

2008-03-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

1 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.

2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son, and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.

4 A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue. Watch who you are listening to

5 He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

6 Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

7 Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool— how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

8 A bribe (gift) is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

9 He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

10 A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool. Don’t’ fight it and get defensive (or worse – attack)

11 An evil man is bent only on rebellion; a merciless official will be sent against him.

12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.

13 If a man pays back evil for good,
evil will never leave his house.

14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

15 Acquitting the guilty & condemning the innocent- the LORD detests them both.

16 Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom? Use wealth to gain wisdom

17 A (true) friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

18 A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.

19 He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction.

20 A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

21 To have a fool for a son brings grief;
there is no joy for the father of a fool.

22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

23 A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice.

24 A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

25 A foolish son brings grief to his father & bitterness to the one who bore him.

26 It is not good to punish an innocent man, or to flog officials for their integrity.

27 A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.

2008-03-13T16:28:00.002-07:00

Jesus and Satan were having an on-going argument about who was better on the computer. The y had been going at it for days, and frankly God was tired of hearing all the bickering.

Finally fed up, God said, 'THAT'S IT! I have had enough. I am going to set up a test that will run for two hours, and from those results, I will judge who does the better job.'

So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.

They moused.

They faxed.

They e-mailed.

They e-mailed with attachments.

They downloaded.

They did spreadsheets!

They wrote reports.

They created labels and cards.

They created charts and graphs.

They did some genealogy reports

They did every job known to man.

Jesus worked with heavenly efficiency and Satan was faster than hell.

Then, ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and, of course, the power went off.

Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the underworld.

Jesus just sighed.

Finally the electricity came back on, and each of them restarted their computers. Satan started searching frantically, screaming:

'It's gone! It's all GONE! 'I lost everything when the power went out!'

Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past two hours of work.

Satan observed this and became irate.

'Wait!' he screamed. 'That's not fair! He cheated! How come he has all his work and I don't have any?'

God just shrugged and said,

JESUS SAVES

Beautiful San Diego

2008-03-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

We just got back from our 1st trip since Noah was born. We went and visited friends in San Diego and we had a wonderful time. We stayed with Heather and we got to meet Jackson. I think he is officially the best baby we have seen. He never cries, never fusses, and rarely even poops. He is a cutie for sure! He is smiling and jumping like crazy in his "Johny Jump Up". There is so much to look forward with with Noah.

We headed down early Friday morning and went to the Wild Animal Park. It was a beautiful, cool morning and we had an awesome time. The Lion exhibit had seven new cubs and we also saw a 2 day old giraffe. After the park we had lunch with Kayla and then went and say our friends at Media All Stars and Bamboo Salon.

On Saturday we went to the home and garden show and hung out with Tim and Alicia. Alicia was struggling with a little morning sickness, but she toughed it out and came to see us. Later that afternoon I played tennis with Matt and Terry. On Sunday we went to CBC and saw a lot of our friends there. We got to meet Dennis and Amy's new baby (he is going to be a football player for sure) and we found out the Krista was pregnant as well - So many babies!!

The Importance of Instruction (Pvb 13)

2008-02-13T08:11:00.000-08:00

¹ A wise son heeds his father's instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke. Part of a father’s job is to rebuke

² From the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the unfaithful have a craving for violence. Power in the tongue

³ He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

⁴ The sluggard craves & gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied. Because they work for it & because God honors diligence (rule that governs the righteous & unrighteous alike)

⁵ The righteous hate what is false,
but the wicked bring shame & disgrace.

⁶ Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

⁷ One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. Live humbly no matter how much you have, don’t live a showy life

⁸ A man's riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat. There are dangers associated with wealth

⁹ The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

¹⁰ Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. Remember this!

¹¹ Dishonest money dwindles away,
but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. Prudent, consistent investing – steady plodding

¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Do not withhold good from people

¹³ He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded.

¹⁴ The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death. Seek this out

¹⁵ Good understanding wins favor,
but the way of the unfaithful is hard. Take time to be one of understanding

¹⁶ Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly. Don’t be quick to act (or speak)

¹⁷ A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.

¹⁸ He who ignores discipline comes to poverty & shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.

¹⁹ A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil. Change is hard, but important

²⁰ He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. Walk with the wise – seek them out

²¹ Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.

²² A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous.

²³ A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away.

²⁴ He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. This applies to business as well

²⁵ The righteous eat to their hearts' content, but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.

Prayer Focus for Bakersfield

2008-02-12T09:36:00.000-08:00

KLA Prayer Time 2/18/08

Persistence "...persistent calling upon the Lord breaks through every stronghold of the devil, for nothing is impossible with God." Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, Jim Cymbala p.66

Pray for the men and women in law enforcement involved in gang suppression

Matthew 5:9(NIV) [Jesus said] "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God"

Pray for the families impacted by default's and foreclosures

1 Peter 5:11 "Be shepherds of God's flock that are under your care, serving as overseers - not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be"

Truth of Fear

2008-02-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

So what is the one thing that cripples us? What is it that no matter how great we are, or how many gifts we have, we hide in a corner hoping for someone or something to helps us out of our hurts, pain, self doubt, worry. Fear is the name of the great crippler. It enfolds around us and holds us back from doing and being God's best. We must explore these thoughts of fear and call them out for what they really are. They are lies from the enemy trying desperately to damage us; keeping us from being affective warriors for God.

Pain and fear some how are always in the back of our minds. We try so hard to avoid them. We would do anything not to have this pain in our lives. Sometimes we try to avoid it so much that we end up drawing more attention to it. Giving pain and fear a window gives it an opportunity to thrive in our hearts and minds. Can we avoid it all together…yes. We can be free from fear! We can have victory. Of course the enemy will always try to use it against us. But once we can identify it for what it is, it we can begin to have victory. You will need the help of God; you can’t do it alone, no matter how much will-power you have. Will-power can only bring you to the point of wanting freedom. But once you bring God on board He can repair the way you think, and how your spirit feels. Then He can begin to recondition you for hope, love and healing. And not only hope, love and healing, but He can then use you to touch others and impact the kingdom of God in ways you never knew possible. - Rece Davies

Proverbs 8

2008-02-08T15:54:00.000-08:00

Wisdom's Call

1 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? (not hidded – clear – if you are listening)

2 On the heights along the way, where the paths meet (decisions), she takes her stand;

3 beside the gates leading into the city,
at the entrances, she cries aloud:

4 "To you, O men, I call out;
I raise my voice to all mankind. (not just Christians (not the HS) woven into the fabric of the world – Logos)

5 You who are simple, gain prudence;
you who are foolish, gain understanding.

6 Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right. (you can miss it)

7 My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.

8 All the words of my mouth are just; none of them are crooked or perverse.

9 To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge.

10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,

11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

12 "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.

13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.

15 By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just;

16 by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth.

17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

18 With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.

19 My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.

20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,

21 bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.

22 "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old

23 I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.

24 When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water;

25 before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth,

26 before he made the earth or its fields
or any of the dust of the world.

27 I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,

28 when he established the clouds above & fixed securely the fountains of the deep

29 when he gave the sea its boundary
so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.

30 Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence,

31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.

32 "Now then, my sons, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.

33 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.

34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.

35 For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD.

36 But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death."

Richard "Noah" Davies

2008-01-22T08:37:00.001-08:00

Welcome Baby Noah

Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, Bakersfield, CA

8:05pm Jan 18, 2008
8lb 2oz, 20in

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