Koxie's Diaries

1. Life is like a meter; it just keeps ticking whether you are doing something or just standing still. SO DO SOMETHING! 2. Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair but manifestations of strength and resolution. SO ACT! 3. I would not exchange the laughter of my heart for the fortunes of the multitudes. 4. Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength. 5. When you get to the end of all the light that you know and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: either you will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught how to fly. 6. When you make people angry, they act in accordance with their baser instincts, often violently and irrationally. When you inspire people, they act in accordance with their higher instincts, sensibly and rationally. Also, anger is transient, whereas inspiration sometimes has a life-long effect. So Strive to inspire people. 7. The most important thing is to be wh

We all receive tons of mails that often overwhelm us and a good number of these mails are forwarded to us by our friends and loved ones. After reading these "friendly" mails (if we ever have the time to do so) we often smile, giggle, laugh or outrightly delete such mails without ever giving what we read a thought thereafter. Even the story below, you may have seen before. I however find the short story below of the WOODEN BOWL quite instructive on living and relationships. After reading this story, let us take a few moments to think about the essence of the story. I guarantee you that you will remember this tale tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now. THE WOODEN BOWL A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficu

I've learned - that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them. I've learned- that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back. I've learned- that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it. I've learned- that it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts. I've learned- that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you'd better know something. I've learned- that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do. I've learned- that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life. I've learned- that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be. I've learned- that you can keep going long after you can't. I've learned- that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. I've learned- that either you control your

This is an inspiring story on the Joy of Motherhood. A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she held him, she sang: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be. The baby grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was two years old, and he ran all around the house. He pulled all the books off the shelves. He pulled all the food out of the refrigerator and he took his mother's watch and flushed it down the toilet. Sometimes his mother would say, "this kid is driving me CRAZY!" But at night time, when that two-year-old was quiet, she opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor, looked up over the side of his bed; and if he was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I&#

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

He came to the world that was his own, but his own people did not accept him. John 1:11 LONG AGO, OR maybe not so long ago, there was a tribe in a dark, cold cavern. The cave dwellers would huddle together and cry against the chill. Loud and long they wailed. It was all they did. It was all they knew to do. The sounds in the cave were mournful, but the people didn't know it, for they had never known joy. The spirit in the cave was death, but the people didn't know it, for they had never known life. But then, one day, they heard a different voice. "I have heard your cries," it announced. "I have felt your chill and seen your darkness. I have come to help." The cave people grew quiet. They had never heard this voice. Hope sounded strange to their ears. "How can we know you have come to help?" "Trust me," he answered. "I have what you need." The cave people peered through the darkness at the figure of the stranger. He was sta

Hi, I read the article below in an e-newsletter I usually subscribe to and it humbled me. The writer aptly describes what so many Christians (myself including) are currently experiencing in this ever evolving, gadget-filled and computerized world we live in. I have received a rather rude awakening to the truth that though I am IN THIS WORLD, I am not OF THIS WORLD and I sincerely pray that as we all read this, we will “rewind the tape” and get back to living a vigilant and set-apart life on earth while we continue to await our father’s return. As Christian believers, we're called to live set-apart lives. To be holy as God is holy; to be in the world, but not of the world. God is the source of all holiness, and in order to live a set-apart life, we must spend time with Him so we can be fueled by His Holy Spirit. I don't know what your days look like, but mine are pretty full. They start early and end late. Once the sun rises, it seems that coffee isn't the only thing bre

I didn't like the preacher I sat by on the plane. I know, I know. You're supposed to like everyone, but this fellow ...The plane was crowded. It was a Sunday afternoon, and I was tired from Sunday-morning services. I was speaking that evening in Atlanta and had planned on taking a nap on the flight. But this fellow had other ideas. Though he had been assigned another seat, he took the one next to me since it was closer to the front. And when he took it, he took every inch of it—and then some. Knowing I couldn't sleep, I figured I'd review my thoughts for the evening lesson, so I opened my Bible. "What ya' studying there, buddy?" I told him, but he never heard. "The church is lost," he declared. "Hellbound and heartsick." Turns out he is an evangelist. He speaks in a different church every weekend. "I wake 'em up," he growled. "Christians are asleep. They don't pray. They don't love. They don't care.&qu

What if you were told this morning that today was to be your last day on earth? How would you spend its fleeting hours? Whom would you insist on seeing? Where would you insist on going? Who would you insist on being with in your last moments? Would your behavior differ radically from what it usually is? Someone has wisely said, “ You should treat every day as if it’s your last one, because one of these days you’re going to be right .” There’s no getting around it. Whether our earthly life ends by accident, illness, the ravages of age, or our Lord’s return, one of these days will be our last. That’s why we should guard so carefully the things we do and the words we say. We ought to be tying up the loose ends of long-neglected matters by expressing our love and gratitude to others, by seeking reconciliation with an alienated friend, or by sharing the gospel with a neighbor. Perhaps you’ve even been putting off accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior until some mo

SERENITY PRAYER God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen. This beautiful prayer was written by a man named Reinhold Niebuhr in 1943. The words have special meaning to those who are often “looking for peace” at a time of turmoil, despair, or uncertainty in their lives. The prayer goes on to speak of accepting, courage, and wisdom. It all comes down to asking and allowing God to give us these things. In other words, it is surrendering to Him. The second part reminds us that our trust needs to be in Go

Who is there like you oh Lord God of the heavens and the earth? Who else can do the things you do? Who can decree a thing and it comes to pass? Really who can compare with our God? Who else can remain faithful and true even when a partner is unfaithful? His promises are yea and amen from eternity to eternity. Not a single word from His mouth falls to the ground without being fulfilled. He’s blessings towards His beloved children are without repentance. He changes times, seasons and destinies and yet is called the unchanging God. He is ever so gentle, loving, forgiving, understanding, patient, committed and faithful. He is the Almighty, the maker of the heavens and the earth; the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End; the First and the Last; the ruler of all things. And in all this, the one thing that amazes me the most is the fact that He has given us the authority to call Him ABBA, FATHER!! I remember receiving the news 20 years ago today of the ghastly accident that cut short t

I found this article quite interesting and instructive. As I share it, I hope it provides guidance to some people as we all navigate through this life on our journey Home in eternity. ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S LETTER TO HIS SON'S TEACHER Respected Teacher, My son starts school today. It is all going to be strange and new to him for a while and I wish you would treat him gently. It is an adventure that might take him across continents. All adventures that probably include wars, tragedy and sorrow. To live this life will require faith, love and courage. So dear Teacher, will you please take him by his hand and teach him things he will have to know, teaching him - but gently, if you can. My son will have to learn I know that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for ever scoundrel there is a hero; that for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader. Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend. It will take time, I know; but teach him, if you

Wow, it’s such a joy being counted amongst the living in 2010! Being a witness to the first year of a brand new decade! With the vibes I’m getting, it promises to be a year filled with pleasant surprises, open doors, breakthroughs and so much more. I have made up my mind that this year, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (not even myself) will stop me from reaching my set goals. I have also made up my mind that this year, every labour of mine will bring forth profiting, every opportunity I have lost in years past will be restored to me a hundred fold. All my determination notwithstanding, I know there’ll always be challenges along the way, hindrances that the devil will set before me to stop me from achieving my God-given goals and dreams for the year. It happens every single year and I find myself overcoming some of them (challenges) and being overcome by some of them. Many times, half way through the year, I ask myself how I could have been so silly as to set such unrealistic goals and then I find