In Kove’s Blog I process my thoughts, share things I am learning and events from our life. I also share about Publishing, Christmas is About Jesus, and Easter. Below are the current categories and a brief description.

Categories First Posts I introduce the category, hopefully letting you know if you can relate to my writing.

Scripture Confessions takes a scripture and gives an example of a personalized confession of the verse or passage.

Sermon Notes - just that my notes anf thoughts from Sunday's message

Ideas to Share things we are doing in our home and family to live our faith. I pray our sharing will help you live yours as well.

Glimpses of My Week maybe lessons, learned, favorite photos, pretty much anything!

Cleaning My Heart is areas of growth and change I see in myself.

Refreshing shares devotional thoughts to refresh your spirit in Jesus.

Refuge is thoughts on practical ways God is indeed our refuge.

Just Me will show thoughts and ideas I wanted to share, but wasn't sure where they fit

Countdown to Christmas, Focus on Jesus is a series of posts that share extended thoughts and activity ideas to go along with the devotional book.

Christmas is About Jesus contains the activity ideas as well as posts about the devotional book.

CIAJ Reviews and Events has reviews of the devotion and updates on future events.

One Thing, only one thing. I get easily overwhelmed so I try to just take one thing from a book or a message to focus on.

Education houses posts about our thoughts and experiences educating at home as a family.

Publishing records my journey through publishing my first book and future projects.

Easter devotions on how the things in the stores and in the media around Easter can focus us on Jesus.

You can share your thoughts with me in the comments.

I am blessed to sit under wonderful men of God in my local church. I am blessed every time I sit under their teaching. I always take notes, but don't always review them like I would like. This category will be a place for me to record my thoughts as I review my notes from Sunday. They are my thoughts on the message. If I do direct quotes I will do my best to give credit. I pray the lessons I learned will bless you as well.

Sunday, September 11, 2011 Pastor Paul

John 14:15 "if you love me, keep my commandments."

Our motivation for a godly life comes as a response to the love of God shown to us, ultimately, in Jesus sacrificial death.

Love is the motivation. Law is the tutor. Consequences are not for motivation, though they are needed and useful.

Loving Jesus is not enough to carry out what he said in this verse. We have to know the commands to follow them. 

Just obeying without loving is fruitless. We end up with religious activity rather than a relationship of true discipleship. 

Show up with Jesus everywhere you go.

Jesus commands bring life to us when we obey them.

We love in response to God's love. We lose love when we lose our focus on God's love for us.

Learn to move into relationship, how to connect - with God and people.

Confessing scripture, speaking in agreement with God, is key to transforming your mind to the mind of Christ. Verses are listed in italics. Below each verse or set of verses is a confession or prayer of those scriptures to get you started.

O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. Ps 84:12

I do trust in You, God,the Lord of hosts- therefore I am blessed.

Easter is fast approaching. Between the date changing every year and the busyness of spring it too often sneaks up on me. It is far too important to let it simply slip by. I don't like to discount it with only a special service at church and a family dinner. How do we give this celebration more attention?

Some churches and families observe Lent which can be helpful to bring the focus on the meaning and history behind the season. Our family has done various things over the years, partially depending on when I remembered. Resurrection Eggs were a great tool for telling the story in a memorable way when they were younger. The children can open the eggs and hold something to remember each element of the story. I liked to just have them out as a toy because they learned to put everything in the right order and would even quiz each other about what each piece was for. Be sure your children are beyond the stage of putting things in their mouths to use Resurrection Eggs unsupervised.

Easter Story Cookies were very memorable for my children. In the process of making cookies you lead them through the Biblical story. They even have to leave the cookies in the oven overnight like Jesus was in the tomb.

The Tale of Three Trees is a favorite book to read at Easter.

This year we are venturing through Trail to the Tree by Ann Voskamp. She begins with Creation to explain the need for Jesus sacrifice. Each day’s format is to listen, linger, lift, live. She also incorporates classic art for each day’s devotion. I think you can still get a free link from her site using my link above.

I will be posting devotions to help your children focus on Jesus as they see all the Easter decorations this season.

Jesus is Alive!

I wanted a place to share thoughts that may not really fit anywhere or really matter to anyone. I often feel I need to have ideas "finished" or "polished" jsut so before I can post them, thus I do not post many of they ideas I have.  So here I plan to post, even incomplete things, then if I decide God wants me to do more with something I can polish it up.

Every week of November there will be items to help you prepare to focus on Jesus this Christmas season. In December there will be activity ideas to go along with the devotions. You are welcome to share ideas about how your family focuses on Jesus or ask for suggestions from other readers. I think there will be two groups for comment, one @ www.KovesCove.com where you can comment on the blog and one on facebook where you can comment or participate in discussion topics.

Spread the word and watch for the first message next week “Developing Thankfulness”.