Inspiration, or a Lack Thereof

Dear Friends,

I am sitting at the counter in my kitchen, staring at my computer screen, and I have no idea what to write about. I haven't blogged in over a week (so sorry!) and I feel as though I could go a few more days without it. It is one of those days I feel I just do not have very much to say. If my Mom is reading this, she is laughing, because I always have something to say. I am feeling grossly uninspired today, and every topic I come upon seems passe, trite, or lackluster. So I decided: I will whine about my lack of inspiration in the first paragraph of this blog, and then elaborate on what it is that truly inspires me.

1. Quotes

I am clinically obsessed with quotes. I blame my dear friend Hannah for leading me to this obsession, but I do not at all regret the hours I have spent writing down favorite quotes in my quote journal (yes, I do have one of those) and poring over websites like imgfave.com to find new and exciting compilations of words. Sometimes, on days like today, when we are feeling uninspired or simply do not have the right words for our situation, we can turn to the wise minds of others for insight and inspiration.

2. Beauty in Nature

I love nature and its wonders, both big and small, never cease to amaze and inspire me. The sights that invoke the beauty of God's creation draw breath into my lungs in a gasp and inspiration into my soul. I have traveled quite a bit for a nineteen year old, due to my wonderful family vacations and the Singing Angels tours I went on. I have seen this beauty in the woods at Yosemite National Park, on a cruise ship through the Scandinavian seas, on the streets of Tallinn, Estonia, and on the shores of Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes. Nature is a true gift and it keeps me grounded and inspired.

3. My little brother

Read my Mom's blog post here for the entire story: http://www.maidenjane.blogspot.com/2012/11/thoughts-on-life-on-boys-school-and.html

4. Jesus Christ

This guy is amazing. Call me a Jesus freak, but I believe in Him and all that He gives to us. He died so that we might live. There is nothing more inspirational.

5. True love

I am the most realistic hopeless romantic you will ever meet. How's that for a dichotomy? I can't explain myself in any other words, as confusing as they may sound. I am the first person to tell a girl to not rely on a man and to remember to never settle. I am also the first girl to squeal and "aww" at a romantic tale. It really makes no sense, but I digress. True love inspires me to no end. Romantic love is not the only type of love that I adore. The love between best friends, between a parent and a child, and between Christ and his children all amaze me. One of my favorite quotes by C.S. Lewis sums this up quite succinctly: 

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

What inspires you? Leave me a comment!

Words Truly,

Maggie