Classical Homemaking: Blessed at Home #13: Finding Inspiration

Thank you for stopping by our 13th week of Blessed At Home. We sure appreciate everyone who has visited and shared our articles on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Please visit the Contributor Page to read more about this excellent ministry from some of your favorite homemaking bloggers.

Today's featured contributor is Tauna @ Proverbial Homemaker:

Tauna, Proverbial Homemaker

I am wife to a wonderful husband and mom to a small brood of sweet children. Both my husband and I are native to the Northwest and live in beautiful Oregon.

I'm an ordinary woman who loves an extraordinary God. One who changes, redeems, transforms, and loves like crazy. I write this blog for Him as well as to be an encouragement to you!

It is my hope that you'll find support and encouragement atProverbial Homemaker.

Here are some things I write about:

Following Jesus
Biblical marriage and parenting
Homeschooling (pre-k/k/early elem.)
Loving and serving others
Making our homes a haven for our families (from a recovering messy)
Gardening (from a recovering brown thumb)

You will not see perfection there. My life walking with Jesus began in my adulthood, and much to my surprise and delight, He completely transformed me.

This journey as His daughter and pursuing the call of wife and mom is a recent one. Truly, me being a wife, mom and homemaker proves that anything is possible with God.

As He guides me, I promise honesty and transparency, and to share what I'm learning from Him and the wise people He's placed in my life.

Today's topic is, Finding Inspiration

Jennifer, Mama Economics

I truly enjoyed praying and mulling over this question the past few days. I love when I am challenged to clearly define who I am. As with everything in my life, I am nothing without Christ. My life begins and ends with Him on the cross. I was quite surprised at how many outlets I found for inspiration in my life, but there was one significant common link.

Specifically, I find inspiration from great literature, praise and worship songs, cleaning, exercising, my children, church, fellowship with like-minded believers, my daily quiet time with the Lord, the still moments of the night when sleep eludes, a fierce thunderstorm, a spectacular sunset, or the magnificent mountains that encompass our home. The list could easily continue, but all are rooted in Christ.

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

As believers, God is sufficient to inspire us to greatness. With the gift of inspiration comes the responsibility of using it wisely. Let us be mindful to make the most of our days while we are on this side of Heaven. We must purpose to honor and bring glory to God through all our words and deeds. Life is not a matter of searching for inspiration, but rather acknowledging Christ as the Author and Creator and following through with the perfect plans He has laid before each of us.

When Christ inspires our days, He provides true fulfillment and an enriched life that allows us plenty of opportunities to be His faithful servants.

Mrs. Smith, Just a Country Girl

Inspiration is such a fun thing to me. If you look around, every
single person gets their inspiration from somewhere else. :) It's
really great! God uses so many different things and people to inspire us! Of course, we all can say the Bible inspires us, and really, that should be our #1 source. So I'm just going to move on from that, because of course I find much inspiration in the Bible; especially the book of Ephesians.

Did you ever meet some people who are just SO inspiring? Or see someone on tv, or hear them on the radio, etc? Did you say, "Man, I wish I could act more like that person!" It's okay to be inspired by people; in fact, I think it's a GOOD thing, as long as you're just being inspired and not idolizing them.

I find a lot of inspiration from Big Kenny of Big & Rich, as some of you may know. If you see my blog post from 2 days ago, you will see that he inspires me. :) As I said in that post, God speaks to each
of us differently, which is so cool to me. What speaks to me may not speak to you, and that's okay! However, we can still share that inspiration, because it will probably speak to someone else, even if we never know who that someone is.

Now the reason I believe that God chose Big Kenny as my source of inspiration is probably because we think alike and live our lives a lot the same...other than he is a rich, famous man and I'm a poor, unknown female. ha, ha. See, God knew that I wasn't going to hear His words through a very prim, proper, quiet soul. Sadly, I just wouldn't have.

I am a bit of an eccentric, energetic person with lots
of goals and dreams...so that's what He speaks to me through. A person of that nature, but with a strong spirit who preaches the Word of God through his music and life. :) I find the man very inspiring
because he is the "Ambassador of Love" and reaches out to so many people in need; preaching as he goes. How cool it would be to do that! And I CAN do it, to a point. Of course the whole world isn't
going to see me do it because I'm not famous. But I'm not supposed to be. I can reach out to the people God puts in my path and preach of love and other Godly things, being inspired by the music God shares with me.

I don't know about you, but I don't find a whole lot of inspiration in this broken world. So when I do find someone who's doing it right, it's so refreshing to me! I want to be that kind of person--the person that someone looks at and says, "Wow, she's just living the way she is being called to live and is so happy-go-lucky and positive."

Am I that person? Not yet. And I will probably never get there all the way. But, I'm striving to be that person, because that's who God is calling me to be. He made me quirky and full of energy for a
reason. I may not know that reason now, but that's okay. I just need to keep on keeping on.

Wherever you find God speaking to you; whoever He is using to get His message across; embrace it. Take it to heart. God will use the most surprising people or things to speak to you. And others won't
understand. That's okay! It's YOUR message from God; not theirs. Take what you can from it and go forward, friends! You, too, can be an inspiration to someone. :)

Misty, Simply Helping Him

In being a Princess of The King, I am inspired to live daily striving to serve Him through my words and actions, thereby revealing my love for Him.

In being a help meet, I am inspired when my husband continually works hard for our family. It inspires me to remain equally diligent at home with the kiddos and chores awaiting me.

As a mother, I am inspired to be better, in seeing the smiles on my kiddos face when I've truly "hit the nail on the head" for them.

In being a woman, I am inspired by my mother and the Proverbs 31 woman, to which I will never be equal to, yet yearn to be more like them each day.

In being a photographer, I am inspired by the beauty of the world God has created. In the sunrise, dew drops on the petals, and waves crashing against the sand. All around us is inspiration waiting to be seen, may our eyes be opened to all the beauty He's blessed us with.

Kate, Teaching What Is Good

I find inspiration in many little things. For blogging, it comes from my family or the mentoring I do or from scripture. For my mentoring, it comes from stories I've lived through and the scriptures. For my family it comes from encouragement from others and from the scriptures.

Anybody else seeing a pattern here?

The Lord gives me insight and inspiration from His Word. Sometimes from odd parts of the Word, sometimes from the straightforward parts. But the absolutely positive thing is that His Word inspires me in my life. It inspires me

to be better than I am
to be stronger than I am
to be wiser than I am
to live more faithful than I am

There are times when I've tried to read the scriptures in order to GET inspiration. And I've found God doesn't really work as a Vending Machine! He likes to do things in the way that changes ME. That usually means pruning and transforming me long before I ever get anything else that is share-worthy.

RATS!

I would much rather turn on music, light some candles, open The Book and BAM! Inspiration flows. God seems to prefer I open The Book, He turns on the light of Truth, I get really uncomfortable, I see some sin in my life and I am compelled to repent. This always eventually leads to inspiration. He'll bring it back again and again in stories or imagery or analogies for my life and to share with others.

So, I guess you can say that inspiration in my life is found in my flaws - as the Lord works to remold, transform and re-invent my life in the image of Jesus. I'd still rather it came from a much easier route...but this one allows the inspiration to be real and true and life-changing for me and for others.

Where does YOUR inspiration come from?

Meghan, First Comes Love

The very notion of inspiration is as elusive and intangible as inspiration itself. The Free Dictionary defines inspiration as “stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity.” I found that definition…less than inspiring.

The Ultimate Inspiration, the one that moves us – mind, soul, and spirit – is Jesus Christ Himself. All creativity originates from Him, the original Creator.

But how does He inspire us? Sometimes through His word or His direct revelation, that whisper in the depths of our spirits. A lot of inspiration alights on us like the gentleness of a butterfly on a bloom if we are sensitive to its landing.

The sweet scent of a baby.

The gentle plunk of raindrops on the roof.

The steam rising from an early morning mug of a favorite beverage.

The steady ascent of a ladybug on a blade of grass.

A phrase from a Wesley hymn sung heartily on Sunday morning.

The enthusiasm of children’s voices singing of Jesus’ love.

A comment of encouragement.

The gentle touch of holding hands.

The vivacious fuschia of a petunia blossom.

The crumble of garden dirt through fingers.

The chittering of a squirrel.

The simple melodies of a piano practice session.