A Little Coffee, Art, Prayer, and Spilling Out! Who Inspires You?

I missed ya'll on Monday... I try to post consistently on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and one recap on Saturday mornings but our house finally got hit with a bit of yuckiness over the weekend! So Monday - well - I needed a day to not have to think, much less write or be witty! Thankfully... I am feeling much better, even if still not completely up for the task!

Today's Coffee for your Heart prompt comes in the form of a question from Holley Gerth:

"Who Inspires you?"

My initial thought is who DOESN'T inspire me? I know it sounds flippant and witty sarcastic, but really - I think if we are looking for inspiration, God will pour it out all around us... the key is to start looking.  Open your eyes and hands and heart and ask God to rain down inspiration into your every day life so you can spill it out wherever you go! After all - we are called to be conduits, yes?  

So fill 'er (or him) up and leak out! (See? Witty!)

I am most in my element... most in my calling, when I am well caffeinated and flinging out encouragement, handing out hope, and pointing you to the Lover of my soul... who is madly in love with you, as well.  And not surprisingly, I'm ok with that!  

It's just sort of how He is!

I can tap out a list of people who inspire online real quick like and it would be impressive. I mean - honestly - there are a lot of incredible people who inspire me online. (Just check out any given weekend post where I link back to people who have blessed me.) But I think as wonderful as those people are... and as honored as I am to have been able to actually meet a few of them in real life - I am convinced that it is vitally important to find inspiration in the real-live-flesh-and-blood people around you.  The ones you can see and feel and touch... the ones whom you know and learn from and follow Him with. 

I think finding people who inspire us on to greatness is key to us actually moving on and doing great things. 

However, I also think that there is insane value in knowing them on both good days and bad days... in seeing them all made up and all stressed out... in knowing their real life routine and their dreams held up high... in seeing them broken down, and lifted up. To live your real life with them. For that is what we are hungering for, is it not? To live an authentic life that is inspired, and that inspires? I know for me - it is! I want my one life to count... and in a big way, sure - if that works out - but more importantly, in a million little ways! (Thanks, Emily!) 

The people who inspire me the most in my real life are the people who have invested in me, and in whom I am invested.  And that list starts from within my real home. I have talked of them before... you can read a post that I wrote last year about the Dreamers in my Life here.  These truly are the people who inspire. I see them day in and day out and I know how much it costs them to continue on in their pursuit of all God has for them.  They remind me to celebrate the good days, but that it's actually the hard days that make us stronger. We stretch and grow and our faith is tested and we don't love it. But we learn that it's through those seasons that we gain the resolve that is so needed when we lean in to the dreams God has whispered in to our sleepy hearts!

I am inspired by friends who share my passion... who, like me, feel called to pray... called to make art - like actual, trembling-paintbrush-in-hand,-following-His-lead art... who feel called to prophesy... who feel like God gives them words and who can know what His plan is with them once they are penned down, but they pen them down anyway. They remind me to just keep swimming... God is all about showing us how to find joy in the journey and He loves to show us that every one of our days can count for something. We have purpose and while we may not feel like we are stepping fully into our Destiny or our Dreams, we know when we follow His lead, we are stepping into more of Him and He can be trusted to light our path, and walk with us along the way!  They remind me to Dive right on in, with Him... and with them... they chant with me - sometimes brave, and sometimes shaking, "Let's Do this Thing!"

I could make a list here - specifically - of who inspires me. But here's the deal... they know it! They know that they inspire me, and do you know why? Because I make it a point to tell them! Consistently. As in, "Hey - you know what? You really inspire me!"  

Because who doesn't need to hear this? I mean, really?  Who couldn't use a little confirmation that their life matters... that they make a difference... that whatever it is that inspires us through them, we see God in that... in them! Who couldn't use a little encouragement that in their every day living, they are stirring us up to greatness... to want to do great things! Whether that be travel, or teach, or love and parent, or laundry and errands... if there is someone in your life who blows you away with their every day giftings and inspires you to strive to be better... to be more of who you know you can be... tell them!

Please - for the love of God - tell them!

(I'm looking at you, friend! I'm lookin' right at you!)

Linking up, talking of who inspires and sharing a cup of coffee with Holley Gerth and the Community at:

and with Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory where we are identifying our Love Idols and reminding each other that we are #preapproved.

So, who inspires you? Give them a little Shout Out in the Comments below! I'd love to know about them and how they inspire you!