Like many women, Denise Cox wears a number of different hats.
She is a married mother of five children.
“God has blessed our family with [three] adopted children, and I am a huge advocate for helping kids be in a forever family,” said Cox, through e-mail correspondence. “There are so many children who need a loving home, and I love helping to connect children in families.”
Cox is also the GraceKidz coordinator at Grace Fellowship Church, working with hundreds of “amazing” volunteers supporting the church’s children’s ministry.
“I am passionate about reaching this next generation - impacting them with the truth of all that God has created them to be! I want Sundays at GraceKidz and Wednesdays at KidzLife to be the happiest days of a child's week.”
That’s not all. Cox, who has children at Brookwood High School, serves on the School Council there. She is also the River Oak Rapids swim team bullpen lady.
Her very full life doesn’t leave much room for extra hobbies, but Cox finds a way to enjoy -- and smile about -- all aspects of her schedule and responsibilities.
“Being a mother of five, my hobbies include laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, and running errands. While in line at carpool, I love to play Words with Friends. I also love getting up early in the mornings to read - that's my fuel for the day. In cooler weather, I love to walk,” she said.
Staying connected with the family is an important mission. The family dinner “is a big deal in our house. I cook dinner most every night and we sit down and eat real food together. I love to intentionally spend time with my family and do life together with them," she said.
The Pennsylvania-born Cox lived in South Carolina during high school and college, moving to the Atlanta area when she married her husband, Doug, whom she married 25 years ago. She said working with children and being a teacher have been lifelong loves.
“Kids are honest, straight-forward, and a lot of fun,” Cox said. “They listen well and tell great stories - they give good hugs too! Children are our future, and I love knowing that what I do can make an eternal difference not only in their lives but also in their childrens' lives and in future generations. We reproduce who we are.”
When it comes to inspirational women, Cox has several in her life.
“I've learned so much from my mom,” she said. “Her step-by-step directions and quotes ring through my head: ‘It's easier to do things right the first time.’ ‘Finish the job all the way.’”
She said she is a huge fan of online organizational coach FlyLady: “I love a clean house, and let's face it, you've gotta have a system!”
Cox also admires Jody Hoffman, first lady at Grace, one of the women --- along with the motivating Donna Winship -- who taught her “about listening to God - how to truly hear from Him,” she said.
Cox has also read about Amy Carmichael, a missionary to India, and how she rescued at-risk children. She, too, has inspired her.
"We often think of at risk children being in other countries, but there are plenty of children right here in our own area that we can reach out to and make a difference,” she said.
In the end, it's faith that drives these efforts.
“There are so many voices comin' at me all throughout the day," Cox said, "and sometimes I just have to stop and listen to what God is saying to me."
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