Koxie's Diaries

  Trophies and crowns have always been symbols of human achievement and honor. Whether it's a golden cup or a crown on the head of a newly crowned monarch, these items speak of value and significance. A trophy is an emblem of triumph often earned after great effort, it gives a sense of accomplishment and recognition. A crown, though more commonly associated with royalty and inherited power, is also a symbol of dignity, authority, and honor. It distinguishes a king from his subjects and is a visible sign of status and reverence. Both trophies and crowns are often made from precious metals such as gold and are adorned with rare gems to enhance their beauty and symbolic worth. Coronation crowns, in particular, are rarely worn; they are kept secure, only brought out for the most significant ceremonial moments. Those who receive such symbols often display them proudly and guard them closely. But here’s the deeper question:  what do these “crowns” represent in our personal lives? ...

The other day, while taking my early morning walk around my estate, I noticed a security guard in a soldier's uniform, stationed outside a high-fenced mansion clearly belonging to a “big man.” The uniform he wore was old, torn, and looked like it hadn’t been washed in weeks. It was obvious he hadn’t bathed either. His hair was unkempt, his shirt half-buttoned with a pot belly sticking out, worn-out bathroom slippers on his feet, and a chewing stick dangling from his mouth. He sat lazily under a tree, staring at passersby with an air of authority, as if he truly believed he was someone to be feared or revered. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and muttered to myself, “So this one too would call himself a soldier in an army? Wow!” To him, he was the authority in charge of that neighborhood and expected respect. But I couldn’t help wondering: if a gang of armed robbers were to attack that house, would he be able to command any respect or put up a fight, especially looking the...

Recently I preached a message called The Enemy called Mediocrity in church. The message was God's specific word to me for the year 2013. It felt like He was preaching to me! He was screaming at me and scolding me to get my butt off my sedentary lifestyle and live my life to the full; to empty myself of all that He had deposited in me so that I don't go to my grave full. I dare say my life hasn't been the same since that day and I feel I must put this message up somewhere where it can be accessed and read by someone... someday... Who knows, by reading this, your life might receive that same dramatic change mine did. Below is an excerpt from that message:  Mediocrity means moderate to inferior in quality; lacking exceptional quality or ability; having undesirable or negative qualities; not very good or great, ordinary, average, second-rate, insignificant. Mediocrity is a silent, yet deadly enemy of man’s destiny and purpose; many fall into its trap at some point ...

Our Church was saddened to learn this week of the death of one of our most valued members, Someone Else. Someone's passing creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Else has been with us for many years and for every one of those years, Someone did far more than a normal person's share of the work. Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend, there was one name on everyone's list: "Let Someone Else do it." Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results; "Someone Else can work with that group." It was common knowledge that Someone Else was among the most liberal givers in our church. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed Someone Else would make up the difference. Someone Else was a wonderful person, sometimes appearing superhuman. Were the truth known, everybody expected too much of Someone Else. Now Someone Else is gone. We wonder wha...

My mother used to ask me, "What is the most important part of the body?" Through the years, I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct answer. When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us as humans, so I said, "My ears, Mommy." She said, "No. Many people are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon." Several years passed before she asked me again. This time I told her, "Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes." She looked at me and told me, "You are learning fast, but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind." Stumped again, I continued my quest for knowledge. Over the years, Mother asked me a couple more times and always her answer was, "No, but you are getting smarter every year, my child." Then last year, my grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying. Even my father cried. I remember ...

IT'S QUIET. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose. I choose love . . . No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves. I choose joy . . . I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical . . . the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God...