Are You Running from What God Has Called You to Do?

Ladies, I can raise my hand on this one! I believe the Lord has been calling me for years to start working in Ministry, but I was so caught up with what people might say or think about me; or how unequipped I felt I was. Because listen, if you have known me waaaaaay back then, or even a few years back you would feel me……But now I know that I had to go through those things to get to where I am now, so he could use every part of me. Other people saw in me, what I couldn’t see in myself. I’m so thankful that I have people who nurtured this side I’m on now; to help me learn, grow and study the Word of God with confidence.

The sooner we answer our calling in whatever The Lord has called us to do, the sooner we are able to reach back and help/mentor/minister to the ones that have been waiting for us. I believe God has already assigned people to us that we are supposed to help during this lifetime. God uses everything we go through in this life for His glory.

Isaiah 55: 8-9 (CSB): 8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways”. This is the Lord’s declaration. 9“For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

So, ladies let’s use everything the Lord has given us and apply it to our calling: The good, the bad, the hurt & pain and everything else we acquired along the way. Do you know how far our reach can be!?!? It’s time to overcome our shame, insecurities and the critics…. because in this day and age, everyone is saying something about anyone! We are no different…. especially as Christians in this society.


Ephesians 2:10 (NLT): 10For we are God’s Masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the things he planned for us long ago.

Here’s the Ephesians breakdown from the NLT Life Application Study Bible:

“We are God’s Masterpiece (work of art, workmanship). He alone masterminds our salvation. He
works powerfully and creatively in us. He uses us as his canvas. If God considers us his
masterpiece, we dare not treat ourselves or others with disrespect or as inferior work”.

Let us show up and answer the call! Some of us are the change we are waiting to see in our
schools, churches, political offices, corporations and neighborhoods. Let’s do it all and give God
the glory!

Yvonne Hobbs,


Growing Gracefully

He Who Lit the Stars

evening prayer

And He said, ‘my presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest’. Exodus 33:14

Photo by Matheus Bertelli on Pexels.com

Father,

as another day comes to an end,

I am grateful for all the ways you have provided for me and protected me from harm.

I am humbled to know what the one who lit every star in the night sky cares for me.

I ask that you would grant rest to my body and mind,

that I would wake up in the morning refreshed and renewed with a heart ready to serve you.

Thank you for extending your wisdom and grace to me today.

When I stop to think about your unconditional love,

I am filled with awe.

How wonderful it is to know you and find rest in your arms tonight.

In Jesus name, Amen

Fresh Dew in You

Morning prayer

O satisfy us in the morning with your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. ~ Psalm 90:14

Photo by Roberto Nickson on Pexels.com

Father, thank you for this new morning and the privilege of beginning the day with you.

As today unfolds, give me wisdom to handle every situation I encounter.

Let my speech be seasoned with grace and my thoughts pleasing to you.

I am grateful to know that regardless of where this day takes me, you will be right there with me.

There is no shortage of good things in your presence.

In Jesus name, Amen

Consecration: What is It and Why is it So Important?

Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Joshua 3:5

If you are a church attendee (or have been one in the past), the word “consecration” is probably familiar to you. Likely, this is something your church community implemented, usually during the month of January. Although this term is commonly referenced in a traditional church setting, you do not need to be part of a local church body to partake in spiritual consecration (although ALL believers should be a part of a local church body. But that’s a different conversation for a different day.) It’s for this reason I wanted to take a moment to take about consecration: what it means to the believer and why EVERY believer in Christ should partake.

What exactly is consecration?

Consecration is the spiritual act of setting aside your own personal pleasures for an extended period of time, to focus on spiritual growth and holiness (becoming one with God).

When should I do consecration and how long should I do it?

Consecration can be done at any time and for any duration of time. However, most church bodies dedicate the entire month of January for consecration. As the Bishop at my house of worship teaches, using January – the first month of the year – to do your consecration holds significant weight because it demonstrates to the Lord that you are using January – the first month of a new year – as a First Fruit; a sacrifice on to Him to show Him that He is first in your life. January is also a time in which we all “reset” after the holidays. Therefore, it is a great opportunity to get your spiritual disciplines (daily prayer, scripture mediations, fasting, etc.) back on track.

Why is dedicating time for consecration important?

Consecration can be viewed as a time of “purification” and “holiness”. It’s a time to get re-focused on who really matters (Jesus) and what really matter (our relationship with God and the purposes for which we’ve been created and called). When we kill the noise of “busyness” and make time to consistently communion with our Father in Heaven, we begin to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit living inside us more clearly. When there is no static on the line, we can clearly hear the Holy Spirit tell us what moves we need to make in this upcoming year to position us for success in God. I heard a preacher once say, “we cannot have success in God without (1) Obedience to His Word, (2) Submission to His Will, and (3) Accountability for our actions. The only way to achieve success in God, is to do things God’s way.” Consecration puts our spirits in a prostrate position to be disciplined in obeying, submitting, and being accountable. It puts us back in position of discipline to do things God’s way.

Also, when we place a hard stop on many of the secular things that keep our daily lives busy, we realize how much time we spent doing things that are not spiritually edifying us. In fact, much of the time spent in our day is not edifying in any sense. Scrolling social media hours at a time is not edifying us in any sense. Improper management of social media is a time waster and (in some cases) is toxin to our souls and spirits. Consecration will also reveal to us who and what need to be permanently removed from our lives, because they are growth killers.

What actions do I need to take to consecrate myself to the Lord?

Consecration requires commitment, focus, and discipline. We cannot fully consecrate ourselves to the Lord without these things. Once you are committed to being focused and disciplined, determine the time frame of your consecration. I believe January is best for the reasons I described above. Next, determine at what times you will pray, mediate on the Word of God, listen to worship music, and listen to the spoken word of God from a Bible teaching preacher. If you are fasting from social media, do not using social media to listen to preachers. This will only put you in a position of temptation to begin scrolling and looking at secular things. If possible, try to listen to a podcast or television sermon. Lastly and most importantly, get your heart in a prostrate position so you can hear and receive an audible word from God. This is not a time for you to share what God has spoken to you for someone else. This time of consecration is all about you so that God can continue to strengthen, grow, and do a great work in you!

What are things I should refrain from doing during my time of consecration?

Consecration should be a time set aside for holiness. Therefore, you should refrain from any and everything that is not edifying to God. This includes binge watching secular things on television and social media, listening to secular music, involving yourself in secular conversations that are not edifying.

Drinking any amount of alcohol is also not encouraged during consecration as we want to keep the temple holy and spiritual lines of communication between ourselves, and God open.

The refraining from sex with your husband (women) or wife (men) should be an agreed upon decision. While it is biblical to refrain from sex during consecration it is to be agreed upon and only for a short period (see 1 Corinthians 7:5).

You may also choose to refrain from eating certain pleasure foods or fast for a specific timeframe during the day. This is an especially good idea for us who NEED to detox after all that unhealthy holiday binge eating!

How You Do It Is Up to You

When and how you choose to consecrate yourself to the Lord, is ultimately between you and God. Just remember consecration is meant to be an intimate time between yourself and your creator that should not be taken lightly. Pray to God and ask Him how He would like you to dedicate yourself to Him and stick to that sacrificial time. Be disciplined in prayer, study, and fasting. When it’s over, you will feel a refreshing, an anointing, a power within you that you have never felt before.

See you in 30 days,

Christ led Diva

Baby Steps

Once we become NEW believers in Christ Jesus and surrender our lives to him, we must understand that the real changes in our lives don’t happen overnight. Many of us will still be fighting against our old habits, bad behaviors and demons within. Please know, the real transformation happens during the journey as we go through trials and tribulations. I always say, “progression, not perfection”.

Yvonne Hobbs


The Bibles says, “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4 CSB).


As a new believer in Christ, our foundation is the Word of God…The Bible! Get in the Word of God daily…. even if it’s just a few scriptures/verse a day. Find you a Bible translation that works for you, and get to know God and The Lord, Jesus Christ, whom you’ve chosen to trust and believe in. The Word tells you exactly who they are and how much you are loved by them.


When you are seeking knowledge and understanding when you are on this journey, don’t hesitate to surround yourselves with other believers in Christ. We need each other on this Christian walk. We need those who will pray for us and that will show us grace when we stumble. Enjoy this walk with our Lord. Grow strong in your faith and know that you are loved!

Last thing……. Pray! Pray! Pray!!!! Prayer is essential to our Faith: 1st Thess 5:16-18 CSB: “Rejoice always, pray consistently, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Yvonne Hobbs,

Gracefully Growing

7 Day Plan to Knock the Walls Down

Coming to Christ as a new believer is hard. How do you let Him into your heart after all the pain you’ve been through in your life? My fellow sister in Christ, Tamisha Thadys, shares a 7 day strategy you can use to knock the walls surrounding your heart down, and let Jesus in.

Tamisha Thadys

Day 1: When you feel like crying and giving up because whatever it is your dealing with is getting too hard, wake up and pray. Before you head out the door, pray, and before you go to bed pray. Tell God what’s weighing heaving on your heart to start. Ask him to help you know who He is. Then pray before bed; thank God for helping you get through the first day.

Day 2: Continue what you started on day one, but now open up a Bible before bed; the phone app works too. And pick a Bible passage and read it. Read it slowly and in pieces to help you understand what it is your reading. If you don’t understand what it is you’re reading, reach out to a friend or family member that is faithfully involved in the church and ask for guidance with your passage. Don’t forget to say your prayers before bed.

Day 3: Pick one friend or family member that you trust, that’s also involved in a church and talk to them about your mission to learn more about God. If they’re also trustworthy, open up to them about your problems. You never know you might be talking to an Angel in disguise. Follow days 1 and 2 still. Keep choosing a different passage everyday. Today on day 3, smile more. Even if you feel like there is nothing to smile about. Just smile. Randomly thank God for all he does. Scream thank you Jesus when you’re alone and by yourself. If your comfortable shout it so everyone can hear it, but if not alone is perfectly fine.

Day 4: While still doing days 1 through 3, relax some. Hopefully by this day, you’ve begin to start having faith the size of a mustard seed. Share with more people what you’re doing. Don’t just share with anyone, at this stage you need servants of God to rejoice with you on this new journey. Listen to an online YouTube sermon from a local church, maybe one you’ve heard of. Don’t just hear it listen to it. And listen to gospel music while cleaning, or cooking. And again, end your night in prayer.

Day 5: Now that you have days 1 through 4 down. Use this today to make a list on what questions you may have about God, the church, the Bible, Moses, or whatever comes to mind. On this day, you will not complain at all about your situation or problems. By this time you should have turned them over to God in prayer. In prayer just talk to God. No need to ask him for anything, He already knows what we need. Just talk to him like you would do a friend. And if by now you have not given your problems to God by Day 4, let that be your mission for Day 5 as well. Also on Day 5, Watch a sermon when you wake up, and find one for bed before prayer. It doesn’t have to like a hour sermon, find a 15 -20 min clip or something. Watch it while you are in the bath, or listen to it while you’re in the shower.

Day 6: If you’re comfortable enough, look around for a local church you can attend for one day. There is no harm in going to church to get to know Jesus/God. Go as you are. Problems and all. Take a friend. Or even have a friend or family member recommend their church. Continue days 1 -5 as well.

Day 7: Sit back and reflect on days 1 – 6. Think about what you were feeling, and how you are feeling now. Has your mood changed? What can you improve? Is it enough for you to want to continue this journey? Are you ready to slowly start accepting Jesus and his word? Did you feel that wall come down some? If you answered yes to any of these, keep repeating these steps. Keep in mind that there us no perfect prayer. It can be as long or as short as you need it to be. A prayer doesn’t have to be on your knees, and can be driving, it can be with you laying in bed, the shower, anywhere. Wherever and whenever you feel like talking to God, just do it. It doesn’t even have to be out loud either. While driving and you got your gospel music blasting in the speakers, pray to yourself. “OH Heavenly Father thank you for this day and everyday you’ve given me, help me Lord to understand and live by your word. In your name I Pray, Amen”  It’s as simple as that.