Your Daily Cup of Inspiration!

Know Better AND Do Better

I was up until 4:00 this morning without any hint of sleepiness. The culprit? That nice, hot cup of coffee I enjoyed at around 10:00 PM. Yeah, I know. I shouldn’t have done it, but I ignored my better judgment and paid for it by losing a full night’s sleep. And this morning, I felt awful when it was time to drag myself out of bed. The cool draft in the house felt 10x colder. My eyes were fighting to stay closed. My reasoning ability was totally impaired (I didn’t know what day it was!). And my warm blanket was telling me to ignore all my obligations and rest my tired-well-deserving-of-another-week-of-sleep body. Yawn. Although pumping my blood full of sleep-stealing caffeine wasn’t the brightest idea, it’s not an earth-shattering misstep. I’ll go to bed early tonight… and choose decaf in... Read more →

Thoughtful Thursdays: 10-28-2010

I wish I could post all the requests I receive every week, but they would be too numerous. So I choose 5 each week to share with the collective body of believers who read the Daily Cup of Inspiration. As you read these requests today, please take a moment to consider the pain and the dire needs of others. Your prayers make such a great difference in the lives of those who are hurting, broken, and suffering. Please join me in praying for the following individuals on our ‘Thoughtful Thursdays’ list today: 1. Kimberly wrote: Hi Dianna. Thank you for taking time to read my prayer request. My father killed himself a year ago. The police found him in his home with an empty bottle of pills at his bedside. This is the day my world shattered. My father was... Read more →

God's Hand Is In It

A couple years back, my little sister Alesha, who is an amazing vocalist, entered into a Christian talent competition. I found out late that she would be competing and my schedule was jam packed. I really couldn’t afford to take time out for it (It was an all day event!), but I wanted to be there for my baby sis. Hesitantly, I rearranged my schedule and cancelled a few things to devote my day to supporting Alesha. I remember sitting in that theater looking around at a sea of red chairs feeling a little anxious about all the work I needed to be doing. But eventually, I relaxed and allowed myself to just be in the moment. Although Alesha didn’t win the competition, she did an amazing job, we had a blast and met some very interesting people—one of them... Read more →

God-Ordained Moments

I got a message on Facebook yesterday from a woman who had been trying to contact the consulting firm I own, Hobbs Ministries. For some reason, she could not get through to my staff on the office phone lines and no one had responded to her email message. After reading through her email I felt so, so awful. I immediately sent an apology and directed her to the appropriate staff contact. When I looked into the situation further, I had my assistant Ari check for this woman’s original email, which had somehow gotten caught in our spam filters. Well, Ari set up a phone consultation with her and I felt led to take the call personally. Initially, I focused on giving her some guidance about developing her brand. Before we hung up, however, the conversation shifted. She told me about... Read more →

He is in Control

I missed you guys on Friday! It was quite a busy day shooting the video for Purpose and I didn’t have a chance to blog. My days and weeks have been a bit cluttered lately, but the Lord is giving me strength day by day. Well, the video shoot went exceptionally well, so thanks to all of you who prayed! There were so many things that just fell into place that my team and I didn’t even plan out. God did it. The schedule we set up ended up being totally rearranged. Opportunities we hadn’t even thought of manifested. The Lord brought things together that we didn’t strategize, anticipate, or coordinate just to remind all of us that He is sovereign and in control. Each of us needs that type reminder from time to time. You know, I had to... Read more →

Thoughtful Thursdays: October 21

Before we get into today’s list I want to say how much I appreciate and thank God for the opportunity to touch your life, albeit from afar, every weekday through this blog. But my greatest joy and priviledge is to stand in faith with you, believing God to supply your every need. I don’t take this time of prayer on “Thoughtful Thursdays” lightly; I feel humbled to read over such personal prayer requests—both private and public—and seek God on your behalf. Today, please join me in praying for the following individuals: 1. Joy Taylor-Hunt wrote: My sister Sheila was diagnosed with breast cancer a few weeks ago and we just found out that it is in stage 4. The doctors cannot operate and have only given her 3-6 months to live. I lost my mother to breast cancer just 5... Read more →

Wait It Out

Whenever advertisers send toy catalogs to our house, my husband Kenya and I quickly toss them out. We have 4 children and do not believe in spending money frivolously. No ma’am. No sir. So the unsolicited kiddie mags get tossed out as soon as they get pulled out of the mailbox. I know all too well how skilled these toy makers are at separating moms and dads from their money by getting to the kids first. It’s a tried and true method to get parents to spend big bucks. Well guys, Kenya slipped up the other day and ruined our fool-proof plan. When a catalog mysteriously showed up in the mail—which has been happening a lot more frequently lately with the holiday season right up on us—he mistakenly left it out. And one of the munchkins found it before he... Read more →

Press Through Anyway

10 minutes after leaving for his morning run at the crack of dawn, my husband Kenya returned home yesterday drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. I knew he had broken his pattern—he never comes back that quickly. “What’s the matter babe?” I asked as he stood bent over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. “My ankle,” he huffed. “I twisted my ankle while I was running.” I knew he had some pretty important meetings scheduled for the day, and from the looks of things, he would need to reschedule them all. “Are you okay? Are you gonna be able to walk on it?” I inquired worriedly. “Yeah, I think so. I’ll be alright. I was running along my normal path and there was a deep groove underneath a patch of grass,” he explained while wiping... Read more →

Everyday is an Opportunity

All day long, since I woke up this morning, I’ve been dealing with a dull nagging headache and a twinge of discomfort in my throat. I also have a nice amount of work screaming out, “Finish me!” Well, a little while ago, someone got in touch with me just to let me know that I had impacted their life through my music and ministry. Although the light aching in my head and throat didn’t subside after getting that message, the reminder came at a perfect time. It gave me the boost I need to press through my slightly-under-the-weather-day and carry out the assignments I have committed myself to completing. After all, someone needs to be encouraged. You know, after that person reached out to me, what they had to say made me think about the importance of using our lives…... Read more →

Thoughtful Thursdays: October 14

Today, there’s an old hymn ringing in my soul that says, “The blood that gives me strength from day to day… it will never lose its power.” And as we pray for all those listed on our “Thoughtful Thursdays” prayer list today, I want you to remember that no matter what we go through or what hardships we face in this life, His blood never loses its power to heal, deliver, and set free. Amen? With that in mind, please join me in praying for the following individuals: 1. Cherise Butler wrote: Please pray for God’s peace. I lost my baby and this is the 3rd miscarriage for me and my husband. I see other women with babies and I feel so angry because I don’t understand why I cannot have a child. I am struggling to hold on to... Read more →

A Word Awaits You

Today, I was busy doing something when a song started playing in my head; but I wasn’t very familiar with it. This happens from time-to-time. God will drop a little melody in my heart that I’ll have to go and look up in order to hear the full lyrical content. Well, I went on over to YouTube and typed in the words I kept hearing repeated in my head. “Your latter will be greater than the rest…” The search results brought up music from an artist named Martha Munizzi. Essentially, the words encourage the listener to know that the best is yet to come! After listening I began thanking God for the comforting word He spoke to me through that song. You see, I’m in the process of working on a project that I started a while ago. The first... Read more →

Your Purpose Requires a "Yes"

Yesterday, I learned from my record label that, this month, I have to do another video shoot for my upcoming album, for which I’ll be disclosing the release date soon. I hope you’ll be able to come to the CD release concert in Buffalo, New York next year! It promises to be an awesome time of ministry and fellowship. Well, the song Purpose, which is really close to my heart, is the single the team and I will be shooting the video for. I posted it below just in case you’ve never heard it. Now, if you’ve listened to the song, you know it’s about how my life is meaningless if I’m not in God’s will. I wrote it from a place of distress as I was torn about actively pursuing the music ministry. Before surrendering to God’s will, deep... Read more →

Wait Until Your Birthday

I celebrated my husband Kenya’s birthday over the week-end. We had a great time. One of the best things about birthday celebrations—both his and mine—is the part where we receive gifts from the children. Only, in our house, the children don’t buy us anything. Instead, they make us gifts using only their creative imaginations. We get cards, paper dolls, and books they’ve made. All sorts of sweet little things. It’s always so cool to see what they come up with. So anyway, our daughter Kaiah who is 9 years old, knocked on our bedroom door Saturday—the day before Kenya’s birthday. When she came inside, she was holding a white piece of paper. “Daddy, I need you to hold your head down please,” she announced. “Okay baby,” Kenya responded and hung his head low. Kaiah very gently placed a crown she... Read more →

Hope in God's Word

“…It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4 KJV) Sometimes I overhear the children talking. They say the funniest things during their little “private” conversations, too. But today, the conversation was a bit more serious. Kedar and Kaleb were discussing their deceased paternal grandmother, “Grandma Rosie.” Since I tuned into the conversation a little late, I’m not quite sure how the two of them started chatting about this topic. But, the first thing I heard was 7-year-old Kedar say, “Grandma Rosie is dead.” “Can we see ‘hoe’ (her)?” 4-year-old Kaleb asked his big brother with an inquisitive look. “No, because she’s in heaven. Yaaay!” Kedar replied with a genuine burst of excitement. “We will see her when we go to heaven!!” “Oh, okay,” Kaleb... Read more →

Thoughtful Thursdays: October 7

Remember last week I posted a prayer request on behalf of someone close to me who needed God to bring a situation full circle? Well, guess what? Prayer changes things my friend. God turned that thing around and it’s all good now. I love the way HE works. So today, we’re praying for 5 more people on our Thoughtful Thursdays list. And remember, if you need prayer, don’t hesitate to submit your request. Click here to learn how. A father named Tony writes: After my wife Pauline died of Cancer 3 years ago, I knew it would be hard but I didn’t think I would lose my daughter too. Although my daughter did not die physically she is distant and unwilling to talk. She is 18 now and is on the wrong path completely. Every time I try to get... Read more →

The Daily Cup of Inspiration Has Moved

This blog has been moved! Please visit buzz.eewmagazine.com and click on the "The Daily Cup of Inspiration" tab to read the blog daily. Look forward to seeing you over there :-) Read more →

Don't be Ashamed to Use It!

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin…” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT) “Look mommy I made an ice cream truck!” my 7-year-old son, Kedar, shouted out excitedly during arts and crafts time. Sure enough, he had sketched a detailed picture of a box-shaped four-wheel vehicle complete with images of cones of every kind. “Alright now!” I said reaching my hand out for a high-five. “You did an awesome job!” “Thank you!” Kedar’s eyes beamed with pride as he flashed a wide grin showing off his snags on both sides of his upper row of teeth. Then my 4-year-old, Kaleb, said, “Me too mommy! Look! I made a ice-keem truck too!” I looked at Kaleb’s scribbled picture. “See the cone right there mommy?!” he pointed to an odd shape he had drawn. Of course I... Read more →

Submission Precedes Elevation

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6 NKJV) I posted one of my old blog headers above. It’s evolved quite a bit over time, huh? And, you probably noticed that this site is a little bit different from the one I most recently had. Although the designers managed to keep a few elements from my previous blog design in tact, I’m still adjusting to this one. Up until this point, I had been utilizing the same blog since the very beginning of my blogging journey more than 3 years ago. You know, after all the posts I wrote on my other blog were imported into this new format, the technicians said, “Do you know you have over 1,000 posts you’ve written?” No, I didn’t know that. Somewhere... Read more →

You Must Change with the Change...

I woke up today to the sound of gentle rain beating against the foggy window pane with beads of condensation sitting on it. The overcast sky made me want to lie in bed a few moments longer. After all, rainy weather is the best kind for sleeping. At least I think so. But I managed to peel myself out of bed anyway, immediately feeling the cold chill in the perfectly silent atmosphere. Quickly, I grabbed my favorite blue knit sweater, slipped it on, zipped it up, and hugged myself tightly. Summer time is really gone, I thought. And now, the manifestations are really beginning to show up in the weather forecast. I can’t complain, though. Buffalo weather can be brutally cold; and it’s just now starting to cool down significantly. I suppose the residents of “The City of Good Neighbors”... Read more →

Patience through the Process

I really love peanut butter. And my idea of a great snack is a slice of wheat toast with a nice coat of Jif. I know it might not sound that appetizing, but I guess I never outgrew my affinity for peanut butter from when I was a little girl. See, when I was a kid, my siblings and I thought peanut butter on the spoon was just as good a treat as penny candy from the store. No bread. No jelly. Just peanut butter and a tablespoon. Well, anyway, it might be a kiddie snack, but I still like my peanut butter toast. Do not judge me. :-) So yesterday, when my toast popped up, I hurriedly opened the jar, because the peanut butter MUST go on the toast while it’s still hot of course. In went the butter... Read more →