Your Daily Cup of Inspiration!

You Think You Need It

Sometimes God allows things to be snatched away from us that we think we absolutely can't do without. Has that ever happened to you? If so, doesn't it feel like someone snatched the rug right from under you?

Usually, these moments push us to the brink and frustrate us, because it's never easy to lose something or someone you think you need. Whether that need is perceived or real, is really inconsequential. It doesn't matter because, if you're convinced that it's necessary, that's true for you. But sometimes, you think you need it when you don't. And when God allows it to be stripped away, He's not doing that to hurt you, but rather, to help you, so you'll really come into your own.

Trust me, I'm speaking from experience.

In fact, I want to share something that just happened to me very, very recently... Continue reading... You can find out more by clicking on the link to read my letter to you in the brand new July/August issue of EEW Magazine that's live online right now.  There are lots of excellent features for you to read, so please be sure to check out www.eewmagazine.com today.

As always, thanks for reading, and until next time, may you be empowered to prosper!

Dianna Hobbs

www.eewmagazine.com

Just Surrender

Inside of a great devotional book I recently read called Simply Wisdom: Tidbits of Inspiration for your journey, new author, Kennisha Hill, shares a great story about how she had once relentlessly pursued a particular career path she believed was from the Lord. Everything looked like it was going to work out, but then, it didn't. Initially, Kennisha  was crushed and broken, not understanding why the situation didn't work in her favor the way she had hoped it would. 

Later on, however, Kennisha would come to understand that, even though she wanted things to go a different way, in the end, God is sovereign and His ways are best. You know, we all come to a point in our lives when our preferences, desires, and passions don't always line up with God's. We want to dictate when, where, and how things manifest, but that's not the way it works. No matter who you are, there will come a point in time when your plans will be interrupted and you'll be forced to change course... like it or not.

Although this is an inescapable truth, so many people waste time and energy combing over life's minutia, in the hopes of ensuring that all things work together according to their plan and timetable. But that's just not a realistic expectation to have, nor is it one that is consistent with the will and method of God.

God wants us to surrender to His plan and purpose. Unfortunately,  many of us want to be in the driver's seat all the time and leave God relegated to the passenger side of our "vehicle," or worse yet, we stick Him in the back seat. In many cases, we don't want Jesus to take the wheel   until we hit a big bump in the road.

But God wants to be in control of our lives all day, everyday. He wants us to just surrender. In order for that to happen though, we have to say yes, no matter what the cost. Sometimes, we'll want to go left and God will say, nope, go right. On other occasions we'll want to move forward and God will say, not so fast! Back up instead. Now, of course, no one really enjoys giving up their own agenda and adopting one that appears to be the exact opposite of all they want and need. Yet and still, we all come to that place in our lives... that is, if we're true servants of the most high God.

So, let me encourage you today with this. The situation you're facing today that appears to be a setback, may very well be a blessing in disguise. Undoubtedly, you and I naturally believe we know what we need, but we really don't; only God does. He knows that our passions can lead us down the wrong road, and so, He says no, wait, or stop altogether in order to protect us.

That's why it is imperative that we submit to the will of the Father. Despite how much our flesh cries out against it, we must recognize that God already has our lives mapped out. He sees and knows the things we cannot see and know, and it's only when we surrender everything to Him, that we can truly benefit from all He has to give.

Our prayer needs to be the same prayer that Jesus prayed: "...not my will but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). As you embrace His will for your life, you'll simultaneously be embracing your ultimate destiny in Him.

Just surrender. God will do the rest.

As always, thanks for reading, and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!

Dianna Hobbs

www.eewmagazine.com

It's Your Network

I've gotta get a new phone...again. *Deep extended sigh* For some people, this would be a cause for celebration, but not me. I don't enjoy frequent change. I like consistency, predictability, and normalcy. It makes me feel stable.

Anyway, for those of you who have followed this blog for at least three months, you know all about how my last phone conked out on me and I was forced to upgrade. Well, in the process of upgrading, my husband and I changed networks. We transitioned from Sprint to Nextel... which didn't seem like too big a deal, since both networks are essentially handled by the same company.

We absolutely loved Sprint. So we figured, hey, Nextel's right in the family; this shouldn't be a problem, right?

Well... that's where we were wrong. *Deep sigh with an extended grunt on the end through clenched teeth this time*

Apparently, Sprint runs on a digital network, while Nextel runs on analog--a completely different system. As a result, I've been experiencing all kinds of delays when receiving text messages and emails. Calls drop for no apparent reason and sometimes, the calls, texts, voice messages, and emails, never even come through at all.

Finally, after an extended period of haggling and frustration, Kenya and I have decided we've had enough. We're going  right back where we came from... to Sprint. From this ordeal, we've learned that, just because people phones are in the same family, doesn't mean they are the same.

Just as is the case with the phone saga, if we're not careful, we can run into trouble by changing our "network" of relationships, alliances, and connections. You see, oftentimes, in our pursuit of productivity and forward progression, we unwittingly get tied to people and things that are not of God and this causes all kinds of problems. That's why it behooves us to be careful about jumping into things, without being certain about whether or not we really need to move in a particular direction.

We need the Lord to order our steps and guide our choices. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way" (Psalm 37:23 KJV). Ask yourself; are my steps being ordered, or am I ordering my own steps?

I can't speak for anybody else, but I know that some of my most difficult tests and trials have come as a result of launching out into something on my own, without being led by God to do so. From those trying times, I've learned that our lives can quickly be filled with contention, strife and unnecessary drama, if we get connected to the wrong network.

If I was in church I would say, "Look at your neighbor and tell 'em, it's your network..." 

As a result, on occasion, God will challenge us to reconstruct our circle, discontinue some relationships, and redefine key roles.  In such cases, if we obey, we'll experience the blessings of the Lord, including more peace and joy.

Listen; every connection that seems good isn't good and unless we're sure we've heard from God, we need to be careful about who and what we get tied to. I encourage you to allow the Lord to enlighten you and show you which path you need to take. 

As always, thanks for reading, and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!

Dianna Hobbs

www.eewmagazine.com

What's Inside?

I re-connected with an old friend yesterday whom I had not seen in a long time. Before meeting up, she said over the phone, "When you see me, you're gonna get a big surprise..." Trust me when I tell you, after she arrived at my house, I was not at all expecting what I saw.

You see, my friend lost an enormous amount of weight, which completely transformed her look. I stood there on my porch with my mouth hanging open, unable to utter words...at least for a few seconds. It was pretty remarkable and she looks fantastic.

But after the initial shock of the dramatic weight loss passed and we began talking, I realized how much about my dear friend and how we relate to each other, had not changed. Though she looks different outwardly, my old friend I know and love is the same on the inside and we never missed a beat.

It's what's inside of her that draws me to her friendship. It is her pure heart, compassion, and love of life's simple pleasures... the things that really count.

That made me think about something that  I want you to always remember...it is what goes on inside of us that makes us who we are. Our authentic self is not tied to what we wear, where we live, what we drive, what's in our bank account, or the image we put out. Rather, it is the "hidden man of the heart" that determines our make up.

So many times, we focus on the external, but God is more concerned about our internal state of being. What's going on in our hearts and minds? What emotional issues are we struggling with? What hurts have yet to be healed? These are the things that matter most and not all the other stuff we focus on.

Today, I encourage you to allow God to work on your insides. Let Him renew your mind, mend your heart, change your outlook, and shift your focus. Stop being so preoccupied with superficial things, which cause unnecessary anxiety and worry and tap into your true self.  You'll find that as the inward transformation takes place, all the other things will begin lining up for you.

Now, let me warn you. Being more introspective and inward-focused will force you to deal with some issues and come face-to-face with yourself. Although that can be uncomfortable sometimes, it's worth the discomfort. That is, if you really want to know what drives you, motivates you, and makes you unique. I want you to begin to ask God to reveal the whole of who you are and work on those internal rough patches that need repair.

If you ask Him, He'll reveal what's really going on and transform you from the inside out. "The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7 KJV).

So, what's inside? Joy? Peace? Worry? Faith? Doubt? Anger? Bitterness? Goodness? Unforgiveness? Love and compassion?

Ask God what's inside... only He knows and only He can repair those otherwise unreachable areas in need of restoration. 

As always, thanks for reading, and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!

Update: By the way, the anointing of God met us mightily at Covenant of Grace Ministries. Souls were saved and the people of God were refreshed! Thank you all for your prayers.

Dianna Hobbs

www.eewmagazine.com

Impromptu Assignment

Yesterday, as I was coming out of the store I ran into an old acquaintance from High School. Since I graduated from High School nearly 15 years ago, when I saw her I didn't immediately recognize her. It was her inquisitive look and focused stare, however, that grabbed my attention.

"What's your name?" she said, as she walked slowly toward me.

"Dianna Hobbs," I replied with a smile, trying my hardest to figure out who she was. Then, she proceeded to tell me her name and the name of the school we'd graduated from together. "Oh, my goodness!" I yelled out, "I haven't seen you in years!"

We embraced and laughed. "You look great," I said, as I proceeded to ask how she'd been doing.

"Well," she hesitated as I watched the smile melt away from her face. It was instantly replaced with a look of dismay and deep sadness. Through her gold-rimmed glasses, I could see the piercing agony in her eyes. I wondered why her countenance had changed so abruptly. The words she uttered next would let me know why.

 "My husband just divorced me and left me unexpectedly with the children," she blurted out.

"I-I'm so sorry to hear that," I stammered nearly dropping my keys and my French Vanilla Cappuccino. I didn't expect her to say that. As you know, most times, when you ask someone how they're doing, they don't give anything other than a one-word generic response. Even when someone needs to, they're reluctant to expose their hidden pain.

 "I was living out of state," she continued and now, my family just brought me back home to try to figure things out." Her eyes glazed over as she fought back tears. As I'm sure you can imagine, my heart broke for her. "I'm really at the lowest point in my life," she said sadly, before pausing for a moment.

"Mommy, who's this lady?" A small voice rang out. It was her  young daughter walking in front her older brother, eying me curiously. Her mother didn't seem to notice that her daughter had just asked her a question; she was lost in the conversation. I quickly turned my attention back to my old classmate, praying silently as I listened. I knew she was distressed, distraught, and at the point of breaking down.

"I believe God had you to run into me today," I told her. I shared a few other things with her that the Lord placed on my heart.  Once I got back to my car, I continued praying for her that God would uphold her through this difficult season.

Had I been too caught up in what I was on my way to do, or the fact that the whole thing was initially a bit awkward and off-putting, I could've missed what God wanted me to do in that moment.  Although I was in a rush when I bumped into her, I knew she needed me to stop and listen... God wanted me to stop and listen too, and speak into her life as well.

Sometimes, I believe the Lord will interrupt the flow of your day and give you an impromptu assignment. But you have to be sensitive and obedient to Him in order to give Him a yes, whether comfortable or not.

Although I wasn't expecting a woman I had not seen in over a decade to begin opening up to me in a public parking lot outside of the store, I knew that our paths had crossed with purpose. She needed a listening ear... someone to pray for her...someone to care.

That experience yesterday impacted me and reminded me that we always have to be prepared for ministry. You don't know who needs you, or who's on the verge of an emotional collapse. You don't know when God will specifically assign you to someone that's broken and hurting. Who knows when you'll experience a brief encounter of the God-kind, that requires you to dispense with your plans and avail yourself to someone else?

Today, I admonish you to be open to whatever way the Lord wants to use you. That impromptu assignment just might change the course of someone else's life... even your own.

As always, thanks for reading, and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!

Dianna Hobbs

www.eewmagazine.com

He Goes Before You

In media, which is my line of work, I deal with  lots of publicists, attorneys, managers, and representatives for artists, authors, speakers, pastors, entrepreneurs and organizations. These professionals are hired to go out ahead of their clients and mold perception, do damage control when necessary, and build that client's brand. It is their duty to make sure that the individual or organization they represent receives as much publicity, favor, and positive press, as possible.

Without proper representation, however, many of the people you read about in the newspaper and magazines; watch on television; listen to on the radio; or even support financially through donations & purchasing of their products and services; would not be positioned so prominently.

It is the power that their liaisons possess, that enable them to occupy the world's stage under such favorable circumstances. Trust me when I tell you, they have people working behind the scenes and pulling strings to make things come together. Well, today I want you to know that, although you may not have a hired team of representatives to go before you and do your bidding, there is one greater than them all who's "pulling strings" on your behalf...

The Lord is with you and He goes before you and causes things to fall in place for you. Though you may not know everything or everybody you "need" to know in order to arrive at the place God called you to be, He is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. It is His all-encompassing knowledge, power, and presence that makes the manifestation of your destiny possible.

That's why you have no need to fret or worry about what the future holds. God's got it all in control. He's making ways out of no way, opening doors you can't see, and drawing people and resources to you, that you otherwise wouldn't have access to. You don't need to seek favor with people, when you have favor with God. "If God before us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31b)

No matter who you are, what your station may be in life, or what challenges you might be facing; God wants you to know He's with you. He's already mapped out your steps; you need only walk along the path.

As always, thanks for reading, and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!

Dianna Hobbs

www.eewmagazine.com

An Isolated Incident

Around my house, waffles are a big hit with the kids in the morning. They'll eat them everyday if I let them, without any complaints. At least, that had been the case before Kyla (The 10 year old) decided she no longer wanted them last week. She told me, with a grimace on her face, "They make me nauseous Mom."

Apparently, on this particular morning after eating breakfast, her stomach felt a bit unsettled. Since she was eating waffles when the mysterious queasy feeling manifested, by association, she sees the waffles as the culprit and ultimately, the cause of her queasiness. Consequently, she doesn't want to eat them anymore. According to her reports , each time she has eaten waffles since the incident (except for once out of the three other times), she experiences the same sickish feeling.  

I think, more than anything, that first occurrence biased her against the waffles and now, she doesn't enjoy what she once really liked eating. In her mind, they make her sick. She's managed to take an isolated incident and turn it into a precedent.

How many times have we all done that?

Something transpires that we don't like, so we begin to paint the canvas of our lives with broad strokes. We generalize and categorize people, places, and things based upon non-related occurrences. As a result, we forfeit opportunities, sever relationships, and misread people because we expect the thing that once "made us sick," to happen again. We make the mistake of determining the outcome based upon a past experience. God doesn't want us to be that way.

I believe God is trying to help somebody today...somebody that's getting ready to dismiss something that He sent because of preconceived notions. But don't do it; don't do it; don't do it.

Let God lead you and show you the reality of the situation; you may be surprised to find that it's not at all what you think.

I implore you. Don't allow yourself to be defined by one  isolated event; rather, tell yourself, "That was then and this is now."

You've moved on. You're over it. You've gotten past it.

You're now mature enough to know that your experience was an isolated incident, but it's a new day. So, approach it with a new expectation and a new outlook... and watch God do a new thing in your life!

I'll leave you with this: ^"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth" (Isaiah 43:18,19a NIV).

As always, thanks for reading, and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!

Dianna Hobbs

www.eewmagazine.com

One Wrong Turn

I was driving back home from an appointment yesterday about an hour and a half away from where I live. Everything was going fine until I mistakenly took the wrong exit and ended up getting way off course. I drove and drove, only to end up right back where I started... literally. As you might imagine, I was not happy about getting lost. But thankfully, though delayed, I eventually made a safe, albeit, very late arrival.

As I prepared to blog today, I thought about how that one wrong turn changed my entire course, but also taught me something in the process. You see, when I came to that same place along my path the second go 'round,  I knew exactly what to do, or should I say, what not to do? I was wiser and more watchful on road trip #2.

Sometimes, though inconvenient, I think that wrong turns help us learn and develop. While they do tend to set us back a bit, they also teach us profound lessons about the consequences of our choices. Thank God setbacks don't last forever...not if we extract the applicable lessons from them. Sure, they may cause us to arrive at our destination a bit later than we had hoped or planned, but that's alright. If we learn from the decision that caused the delay in the first place, chances are, we won't repeat that mistake again.

And that's what true growth is... messing up, getting up, and wising up. Amen?

So, if you've ever felt like you've lost something valuable due to one wrong turn, I'm here to tell you not to remain stuck in the past. Rather, concentrate on how thankful you are for the knowledge and wisdom you now have that you didn't possess before.

If you're anything like me, bet you won't take that wrong turn again, will you?

My point exactly...

As always, thanks for reading, and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!

Dianna Hobbs
www.eewmagazine.com

Don't Dig It Up Again

Yesterday turned out to be a wonderfully relaxing day. The kids had a great time playing in the dirt; they seemed to take special delight in digging up worms and collecting piles of earth for them to burrow in. They must have found at least 20-30 worms. As I'm sure you can imagine, they all got a real good scrubbing after their adventures!

One of the most interesting things I noticed is, after digging up their worms, they'd put them into a makeshift mountain of dirt they gathered and cover them up; thus, denying themselves access.

Kenya and I smiled as we watched all four of them huddled together, peering down at the home they had proudly "built" for their worms.

 "I wish we could play with them," Kaiah sighed... as if she was expressly prohibited from digging up the worms she and her siblings had caught in the first place.

Somehow, in their minds, once they buried the worms, that was it. It was over. There was no digging them up again.

I wonder; how much better off would we be if we knew how to bury some stuff and never dig it up again? Just like those earthworms, what if we released our past issues, offenses, and negative memories and reckoned them dead and buried?

Wouldn't we experience a greater sense of wholeness?

I think we would. That is, if we let things go the proper way. You see, some of us bury things we don't want to deal with and cover them up only until something triggers that pain again. That's not the kind of "burying" I'm speaking of. Rather, I'm dealing with forgiveness and the ability to move forward without digging up things from the past over and over again.

Unfortunately, we often hang on to things that have happened to us: Past failures, mistreatment, abuse, heartbreak, and disillusionment. Sadly, by not letting these things go, the unresolved issues plague our minds, causing us to dwell in a perpetual state of regret, bitterness, hurt, and even anxiety about the future based on what happened in the past.

I know somebody can relate to that right now.

But God wants us to be free from all of the things that bind us up and keep us stuck in days of old. He wants us to be delivered from the yoke of bondage that keeps us tied to negative events in our personal history. The Father wants to awaken you and me to a new freedom that only comes from letting go of the past.

Bury what needs to be buried, and don't dig it up again. Sure, some things may have been severely painful, but still, God is able to set you free from the hurt. He'll pick you back up after you've been let down.

Today, if there's something you need to bury, then do it. Don't let it hold you back any longer. Don't hold onto it another day.

Bury the grudge; bury the hurt; bury the failure; and bury the negative thoughts. Once the burial is complete, then a resurrection can take place... resurrection of your joy, peace, love, productivity and fulfillment.

As always, thanks for reading, and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!

Dianna Hobbs
www.eewmagazine.com

BE the Change...

Last night my 3 year old, Kaleb, came to me complaining.

"It hurts," he whimpered while pointing to a spot on his big toe. Initially,  I couldn't see what he was talking about. "Show Mommy again," I said leaning in closer and squinting at Kaleb's toe, which seemed to be perfectly fine. But when he pointed directly to the the area that was ailing him the second time around, I could clearly recognize what was wrong.

Right underneath the surface of his skin on top of his big toe, was a thin, brown sliver of wood. Immediately I knew. He had gotten a splinter lodged in his foot, most likely from crawling around on the natural hardwood floors, rolling his little Matchbox cars through the house.

I knew exactly what to do; it was something I'd seen my mother do "hundreds" of times when I was a young girl living at home.

I got a sterilized needle and some tweezers and went to work. With my needle, I gently lifted the skin and exposed the wood that was trapped underneath it. Then, I got a good grip on that wooden sliver with my tweezers and with a steady hand, pulled it out. Although it was mildly uncomfortable for Kaleb, causing him to let out a few "Ow's,"  after about three minutes, that pointy little stick was dislodged and plucked out.

I was able to do that so easily, though, because I had seen it modeled for me over and over again by my mother. It's pretty easy to master something that's been repeatedly demonstrated for you, right?

But what about when you're faced with the responsibility of carrying out a task  for which you have no point of reference? How do you deal with that?

It's something you and I must consider because, many times, God will challenge us to step up to the plate and pursue a course we've never seen anyone close to us go after. During these times, God will force us outside our comfort zone and push us to change the pervasive patterns we've seen all our lives. He nudges us toward our destiny by encouraging and admonishing us to BE the change, rather than the conformer.

I know it's not easy to be a change agent. Trust me I do. Yet, it's necessary in order for us to seize and lay hold of everything God wants to do for, in, and through us in the earth.  Without a doubt, it's very easy to feel unsure of ourselves when placed in unfamiliar predicaments.  But I'm here to let you know that, feeling unstable doesn't mean you're unable.

I'll say that again.

Feeling unstable doesn't mean you're unable.

You can be the change God is calling for. It doesn't matter that you haven't seen what you'll become before. No matter what has happened with others, I believe God has something different and better in store for you.

You've got to believe and know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He's already equipped and empowered you to do great and mighty things for the Kingdom. It might not be as simple as plucking out a splinter after witnessing it countless times; nevertheless,  whatever your assignment, you can successfully complete it.

You have it in you. God has given you all the tools and resources you need to effect change in your family, your neighborhood, your community, and the world at large.

Don't look anywhere else for the change this world needs. Instead, you rise up and BE the change.

As always, thanks for reading, and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!

Dianna Hobbs
www.eewmagazine.com