Maple Alps

Women of Intention

Women of Intention Week Five: Motherhood

Women of IntentionAmanda Walter | Maple Alps4 Comments

Welcome to another week (week five) of the series, Women of Intention! Maple Alps is featuring a woman who will talk about intentionality in specific areas in her life over the next fifteen weeks. So glad you've decided to stop by! For more information, and a list of topics, visit our introduction post HERE

#WomenOfIntention16 Women of Intention Week Five: Motherhood and Intentionality

Gina Poirier

This week's Intentional Woman:

Today, we are going to hear from Gina of Holding the Distaff

I enjoyed getting to know Gina, and hearing all about her adventures in motherhood and the passion she has for homeschooling her children and teaching them important life values and lessons. I'm certain you will enjoy getting to know her too!

Once you're done reading, be sure to not only check out her blog, Holding the Distaff, but also share your thoughts (and if you want, the post too!).

Find Gina on TwitterInstagram and Facebook.


Tell us a bit about yourself: What are your passions, work and interests?

I'm a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom of three kids, ages 3, 5 and 6 ½. I wear many hats: managing our home, writing and editing, homeschooling and being involved in our church and community.

I'm most passionate about helping the people in my life find purpose and meaning—hence my blog's tagline, "inspiration in the everyday." There are a lot of practical ways I do this, including writing, volunteering, having people in our home, or just enjoying deep conversations over coffee.

 

How do you practice intentionality in your life as a mother?

It's funny you use the word "intentionality" because up until a few years ago I would have had no idea what that meant. But being a mother has forced me to think about the concept frequently. Am I just coasting along this parenting journey, hoping everything turns out okay (Okay, yes sometimes!)? Or do I plan our days thoughtfully and parent with purpose? I think we'd all like to practice the latter.

One challenging decision I wrestled with recently as a mother was whether we should homeschool. My husband was homeschooled from kindergarten through twelfth grade, and when I met him I didn't even know that was a thing. Frankly, it seemed weird. But over the years he convinced me to give it a shot. And now, two years into it, we love it. It helps me to be intentional because I have so many opportunities to spend quality time with my kids. We have great conversations, explore together and simply enjoy the act of learning. It's a natural extension of my parenting.

I'll add that being intentional as a parent doesn't mean you have to plan out every waking hour with meaningful life lessons. It does mean you have an end-goal in mind when you're living out your life day to day. I want my kids to love God, to be compassionate, to be responsible stewards, and to pursue their passions whole-heartedly. Homeschooling gives us a lot of opportunity to explore these things.

 

What is the hardest part of being a mother? The easiest? The most rewarding?

The hardest part (and probably every mom will tell you this) is that you never get time off. Even when I get that sacred hour or two away apart from them, I'm thinking about those rascals. Your body, mind and soul permanently belong to these other little beings.

The easiest part is loving up on them. I'm not a very physically affectionate person, but for the most part I could snuggle with my babies for hours (except when they're squirmy and it's 3 a.m.). 

The most rewarding part is watching in awe as these little people grow and blossom into big people. They are each so uniquely beautiful in multiple ways, and I marvel at them daily. 

 
 

How would you say intentionality as a mother has affected other areas of your life?

Intentionality in motherhood has helped me see that the little moments count. It might not seem like I'm doing much when I spend my days changing diapers and wiping noses, but then I blink and my babies are growing into incredible little people and thriving. I realize that all those seemingly insignificant moments are quite powerful when added together. The same applies to my marriage, my relationships and my work. If I can just keep working at the little things, I will eventually see big changes.

 

What would you say to encourage a mother who is struggling with intentionality in this area of her life?

Several things. First, take some time and think about what your end goals are with your parenting. What kinds of people do you want your children to be? A lot of Christians say they just want their kids to be faithful—but what does a faithful life look like? Think about this, pray about it and write it down.

Second, remember that we all have days when we feel like we are barely keeping our heads above water, especially when we have little babies. We can't find matching socks let alone try to have some sort of vision for our parenting. Don't worry, those days will pass. But if you're past the baby stage and you're still struggling, ask yourself if you have enough breathing room in your schedule. Do you have downtime with your kids, opportunities to have great conversations? Those are the times when the rubber hits the road in your parenting. Sometimes they're planned, but more often they're not. Make space to just be with your kids.

 
 

Lastly, just rely on God's word, the Bible, and pray for and with your kids daily. I think of Deuteronomy 6:4–9, which paints a picture of how a family that follows God is constantly saturated in his commandments. If you want to raise kids to be lifelong believers, you have to model what that looks like. Start with your own faith walk, and then share it with them. Are siblings arguing—or are you arguing? Talk about what Jesus said about serving one another in John 13:1–17. Have them pray for each other. Are they having bad attitudes about doing chores? Talk about what Jesus said about "going the extra mile" in Matthew 5:41. These truths in scripture are more powerful than any clever thoughts we can pull together on our own. The more we lean on God, the more natural it is to be intentional.


What about you? Are you a mother intentional about motherhood? Why don't you tell us about it in the comments, and connect with us on social media?

(Don't forget to use the hashtag #WomenOfIntention16 so no one misses it!)

 

Women of Intention Week Four: Family

Women of Intention, RelationshipsAmanda Walter | Maple Alps4 Comments

Welcome to week four of the series, Women of Intention! Over the next fifteen weeks, Maple Alps will feature a woman who will talk about intentionality in specific areas in her life. So glad you've decided to stop by! For more information, and a list of topics, visit our introduction post HERE

#WomenOfIntention16 Women of Intention Week Four: Intentionality in Your Family

Women of Intention Week Four: Family

This week's Intentional Woman:

Today, we are talking with Justine: blogger and owner of Little Dove Creations, an adorable homemade apparel and accessory shop!

Justine is an amazing wife and mother and I am excited to share her interview with you today!

Once you're done reading, be sure to not only check out her shop and blog, Little Dove Blog, but also share your thoughts (and if you want, the post too!).

Find Justine on TwitterInstagram and Facebook.


 

Tell Us A Bit About Yourself: What are your passions, work and interests?

I love to bake yummy things, make pretty things, watch funny things, and read clever things. Most of my “spare time” right now is spent on my business—Little Dove Creations—where I blog and create unique and custom clothing for tiny babes all the way to adults.

I truly thought a lot about this question and I really feel like my passions all come back to one thing… wanting to be a better person; wanting to be a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend.

I love to bake and create yummy things in the kitchen. Why? Because I love to do that service for my family. I love to create and craft and DIY. Why? Because I strive to make our home a fun, functional, and inspirational space for our family. I love to work on my blog and my online shop. Why? Because it pushes me and tests my limits. I believe that all these things are helping me to be a better person and that is why I’m passionate about them.

 

As a mother and wife, why would you say intentionality within the family context is important? How does that practically look for your family?

One day I was sitting on the couch with my children—I don’t remember why; it’s very rare that I’m sitting on the couch in the middle of the day. My three year old came over asking me for a hug and to sit in my lap. I pulled her into my lap and then picked up my phone to scroll through my email and Instagram feed—you know, the important stuff—when she whipped her head around and said, “Put the phone down!” I had been chastised by my own daughter for not being present in the moment, for not being intentional with my time.

Time passes by so quickly. The time when your children are small is especially fleeting. That is why it is so vital to a happy and healthy family relationship to know what is important and to make that your focus. Sounds easy enough, right? But life, as it so often does, gets in the way. Especially in today’s world of technology and social media screaming at us from every direction, it is easy to get lost in a fog and realize that your actions are no longer pointing towards your ultimate goal anymore.

The first thing you have to know is what your goal is. For us a major goal is family time. This includes spending more time together, enjoying being with each other, and being kinder with each other… something that I have learned is that sometimes quantity DOES matter more than quality. As in the above example, my daughter just wanted to sit in my lap. She wasn’t asking for a story to be read (in fact, I think she was watching a cartoon); she wasn’t asking for me to spend time working on an art project; she wasn’t asking for me to make her a snack; she wasn’t asking for ANYTHING other than for me to make a small space in my present moment (and lap) for her.

 

I imagine with four little ones, things tend to get a little crazy at times. How do you stay mindful when situations that are more stressful arise?

Somebody once told my husband that we had too many kids. I’ll let that sink in for a minute.

Our kids—as wonderful as they are—are far from perfect and our lives are pretty chaotic. However, I don’t believe your family planning is anyone else’s business as long as everyone is financially and emotionally cared for. The funny thing is that in those particularly trying times when I feel like I’m going to lose it, oftentimes it’s my kids that bring me back down and center my focus.

I think that my Heavenly Father knew I’d need help so he sent me my sweet son (who can melt my heart with a hug), my eldest daughter (who calls me to repentance with her words), my two year old little ham (who helps me remember to find the humour in situations and remember what actually matters), and my baby girl (who is a daily reminder that I’ve been entrusted with a great responsibility).

 

How else does your mindfulness translate into your every-day activities and work?

One of the things that I’ve been working on lately is separating my work and home life. I have to remember that my first and greatest job title is that of mother; it’s really more than a job as I see it as my calling here on earth. My other job (blogger, small business owner) should come second to that—always.

This balancing act used to be easier when all my kids were still napping, but now that two out of four don’t and the blogging is taking up more time… it’s a struggle; one that I’m continually battling with since I don’t want to miss my children’s childhood because I was sitting behind a computer screen.

For me I know I need to distance myself from my phone and computer more when my family is around. Simple things like folding laundry in the same room as my children rather than away in a room, or REALLY trying to not work on computer stuff while my kids are awake and active are good jumping off points to being more present and intentional with our family time.

 

What would you say to encourage someone who is struggling with intentionality in the area of family in their life?

Nobody is perfect; we are all just a work in progress. I’d been tricked (as I think many of us are) into thinking that the only moments with our kids that count are the “Instagram worthy” ones—the snapshots of frosting cookies with our children or taking them on walks to the park for a nature scavenger hunt. Don’t get me wrong, those things are wonderful! But what our kids (especially our young ones) need is quite simply our time; as much time as possible.

I think we all have our own “ah-ha” moment, where we realize that we will never be perfect or have perfect lives, perfect houses, or perfect kids. That’s just not reality—that is not the reason we’ve been sent to this earth. We were sent here to learn and grow. It’s very freeing when you have that moment! Once you realize that, then I think you enjoy being with your kids more; you enjoy being more present and intentional with your time. So give your kids all the time you can before they stop asking for it, okay?


What about you? Are you intentional in your family setting? Why don't you tell us about it in the comments, or connect with us on social media?

(Don't forget to use the hashtag #WomenOfIntention16 so no one misses it!)

Women of Intention Week Three: Intentional Marriage & [Romantic] Relationships

Women of Intention, RelationshipsAmanda Walter | Maple Alps6 Comments

Welcome to week three of the series, Women of Intention! Over the next fifteen weeks, Maple Alps will feature a woman who will talk about intentionality in specific areas in her life. We are all so glad you've decided to stop by! For more information, and a list of topics, visit our introduction post HERE

Women of Intention Week Three: Intentional Marriages & Romantic Relationships

This week's Intentional Woman:

Today, we are talking with the one and only Toya Carter of Mrs. Toya Carter

She has a wealth of knowledge, holding a Master's in counseling and 10 years of experience, and I'm so glad she was more than willing to talk with us today!

Once you're done reading, be sure to not only check out her blog, but share your thoughts (and if you want, the post too!).

Find Toya on TwitterInstagram and Facebook.


Women of Intention

Tell us a bit about yourself: What are you passions, work and interests?

Hi, I am Toya, a wife, mom, therapist, coach, blogger, author, and speaker. I wear many hats. I am passionate about relationships, mental health, and self-care. I am a relationship and empowerment coach specializing in helping women to walk and live in their purpose while still excelling in their romantic relationships.

 

Among other things on your blog, you talk about marriage. What would you say are some practical ways in which we can be intentional in marriage?

First it starts with wanting a great marriage. When you decide you want a great marriage doing the work to make your marriage great feels less like a chore, and more like a choice. Then I suggest thinking about what you can do to improve in your marriage right now. Is it more communication, sex, money? Whatever it is I would start there and work to make improvements daily. For example, if it is sex incorporate sex into your week on purpose. If it is communication make it a point to have a conversation with your husband uninterrupted to simply check in and see how he is doing or how you can support him. At my house we “go dark for dinner.” This means no phones or other technology while we are having dinner. You would be surprised how much more you have to say when you are not staring in your phone. The best thing you can do is figure out what you are lacking and work diligently to improve it.

Maple Alps; Women of Intention: Intentional Romantic Relationships

What do you tell your clients who are not being intentional in their romantic relationships? 

We have to be intentional with our relationships, because being intentional dictates our behaviour. For example if I only want to be your friend I am not going to approach or interact with you like I would if I wanted to be romantically involved with you. This is a hard concept for some people to grasp. They think it makes you sound too calculated, or as if you are manipulative. I disagree. Being intentional in your relationships allows you to save time. If you do not see a relationship going anywhere, platonic or otherwise, do not waste your time. Time is a commodity you can never get back.

If we thought of all our past relationships that did not work, I am sure we saw signs. Signs that he/she just wasn’t the one. This doesn’t mean they were bad people it means they were not for us. I tell my single clients all the time to date a person who wants what they want. If the ultimate goal is to get married, dating an emotionally unavailable man, or a man who has told you he does not want to get married is a waste of time. Instead intentionally date a man who is seeking a wife.

 

How would you say being intentional in your marriage has benefited you and your husband personally?

The intimacy, physical and otherwise, is better. I feel like we are more in tuned with one another because we work at it. We know we are blessed to have each other so we take care of one another.

What would you say to encourage someone who is struggling with intentionality in this area of their life?

I would say to first pray about it. Then get really clear about what it is that you are struggling with. To combat a problem, you have to know what it is. For example, if you are feeling disconnected from your husband work daily to get the connection back. A couple of options are increase text messages throughout the day, or go on a date somewhere he will enjoy. Set the intention to have an outstanding marriage and then make it happen. Write down what an outstanding marriage looks like to you and work toward it daily. Writing it down makes it real, and it can help with clarity. 


What about you? Are you intentional about your marriage? Why don't you tell us about it in the comments, or connect with us on social media?

(Don't forget to use the hashtag #WomenOfIntention16 so no one misses it!)

Women of Intention Week Two: Intentional Eating

Women of Intention, HealthAmanda Walter | Maple Alps22 Comments

Welcome to week two of the series, Women of Intention! Over the next fifteen weeks, Maple Alps will feature a woman who will talk about intentionality in specific areas in her life. We are all so glad you've decided to stop by! For more information, and a list of topics, visit our introduction post HERE

Women of Intention Week 2 Intentional Eating

This week's Intentional Woman:

Today we meet Mandi from Nosh and Nurture: a mama-to-be with a passion for nutrition!

I am so excited to share her interview with all of you today! She will be sharing her thoughts and experience living and maintaining a life of intentional health, specifically regarding what we eat. 

Once you're done reading, be sure to not only check out her blog, but share your thoughts (and if you want, the post too!).

Find Mandi on TwitterInstagram and Facebook.


 
 

Tell us a bit about yourself: What are you passions, work and interests?

I adore travel! My biggest passion is just seeking new adventures with my husband and seeing the beautiful world God created. I also love cooking, helping people lead healthier lives and reading real books and magazines. My work is also a passion of mine. I am a professional journalist and a certified nutritionist. By day I am the managing editor for Basic Magazine, and nights and weekends I am running my nutrition business N³ and my blog, www.NoshandNurture.com where I help clients and readers create healthy, well rounded lives through food, fitness and overall wellness.

 

As someone who didn’t always eat a healthy diet, and as a personal nutritionist, how have you seen the negative effects of not being intentional about what we eat?

The learning process has been amazingly eye opening and astonishing to me. I think the biggest shocker was that I thought I did always eat healthy. I was never a soda drinker or fast food eater, but what I once thought was healthy, when I really went back and read the labels, I realized how clueless I was. It's become a mission of mine to not only tell people what they should be eating, but TEACH them how to research what's really in their food and dig deeper to learn about the food industry in America. Because, it's not all unicorns and rainbows. Far from it, and it's up to us to be proactive and keep a healthy food source available to our children and grandchildren.

Intentional Eating Fresh Orange Juice Maple Alps

I love how on your blog you talk about clean eating as a way of serving God. How does this translate into being intentional about what you eat and put into your body?

When I got sick in 2011, and my body started to break down before I even hit thirty, the only person I could turn to was God. Inflammation, pain, allergies, anxiety and extreme fatigue took me down when I was just a newlywed and I fell to my knees crying to Him many times as I was passed from Dr. to Dr. being prescribed medication I didn't want to take and felt I shouldn't take. God led me to answers I never would have thought to seek on my own. Natural remedies, supplements, naturopaths and healthy food options that reversed SO many of my symptoms. His blessings gave me my life back, I owe Him my life and in that I honour Him through taking care of this body. And I hope to encourage others to do the same.

 
 

How else does your mindfulness translate into your every-day activities and work?

I start my day intentionally by sitting at the breakfast table before turning on the computer or my phone and I do my devotions. I pray over my food and all I'm thankful for. I give Him my day and my work. I pray over my husband, those on my prayer list and our soon to be baby and it helps me focus my "why" on Him each day. My blog came from His path for me, my background before getting sick was very different. I was a touring pop recording artist with a record deal and just not living a healthy lifestyle. He's led me to so much better, His dreams became my new dreams and I adore this path and helping others find their health.

 

What would you say to encourage someone who is struggling with intentionality in this area of their life?

That it's all about baby steps. That there are days I still struggle or forget who to look to. It's in our nature, we are human. Extend to yourself grace, and keep a journal. Keeping a journal or a planner helps to keep me organized and reminds me when I get off track. Take time in your day, even if it's 10 minutes to try to connect to your why. Be it through prayer, meditation, or taking a quick walk just to center yourself and find quiet to refresh.


What about you? Do you eat, or strive to eat intentionally? Why don't you tell us about it in the comments, or connect with us on social media?

(Don't forget to use the hashtag #WomenOfIntention16 so no one misses it!)

Women of Intention Week One: Intentional Faith

Women of Intention, FaithAmanda Walter | Maple Alps10 Comments

Welcome to week one of the series, Women of Intention! Over the next fifteen weeks, Maple Alps will feature a woman who will talk about intentionality in specific areas in her life. We are all so glad you've decided to stop by! For more information, and a list of topics, visit our introduction post HERE

Women of Intention Week One Intentional Faith
 

Women of Intention: Kayla Nelson

This Week's Intentional Woman:

It was so fun and inspiring getting to know Kayla from The Accidental Nomad Life! As you will soon find out, she is an open and honest, sincere and serving soul who seeks (with a lot of enthusiasm!) to encourage and inspire others.

I am so excited to share her interview with all of you today! She will be sharing her thoughts and experience living and maintaining a life of intentional growing faith. 

Once you're done reading, be sure to not only check out her blog, but share your thoughts (and if you want, the post too!).

Find Kayla on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.


 
Women of Intention
 

Tell us a bit about yourself: What are you passions, work and interests?

Well I'll start with work since I don't "work" haha! I have the privilege of being at home full time with my three boys so I guess a big passion of mine is naturally to raise my children, but even more to raise them up to be men of God. My heart's prayer is that they would be men like Paul - wise, passionate, relentless men that stand up for all the things of Christ. Outside of that, my passions and interests always criss-cross a little. I have a passion for missions but no calling to go so I often find myself supporting missions through my design work. I love designing!! I love artsy things, scrapbooking, stamping, rearranging my house (seriously this is one of my biggest hobbies! haha!), gardening is a new one for me -  I'm planting a really big garden this spring and I am sooooooooooo excited for it!!! I also have a passion for people in general. I have the gift of encouragement and I ADORE using it, it works well with my love language of giving. 

 

How do you intentionally live a faith-filled life? Did you always live this way, or was it/is it a process?

It's kind of a process. My heart always wanted to but I had to do a lot of searching. I don’t know that I can say confidently that, "Yes, I am intentionally living a faith-filled life…" I have a lot of flaws and roadblocks that I am still working through, but I feel like my heart is in the right place. I think the main thing is to keep your focus heaven-ward. Focus on living for the end and for the work for Christ. I'm still not good at spending time each and every day in the Word, but the things that I do outside of that, I look for Christ in. I try to measure what I'm doing to what the Scriptures say. If it doesn't line up, it's really not important. It is hard to check everything every day, but that is also a process. 

 
 

What is the hardest part about living your faith? The easiest?

For me, the hardest part of my faith has been working through my identity process; finding out who I was in Christ all over again as a young adult. This had a hand in my anger which is what I struggle with the greatest. There is definitely a place for anger as a Christ follower, but I have a tendency to react out of my anger which makes it wrong.

The easiest part, I would probably have to say, is my love language and spiritual gift. I love encouraging people and offering hospitality out of that and my love language criss-crosses that through gifting in hospitality; opening our home regularly for game nights or youth group kids or whatever it might be. My favourite part about this is that my husband is gifted in the same way so we can work together side-by-side to host and serve together!

 

I love how you have a creative journalling Bible and how you make your experiences in God’s Word so personal and creative. How does this tie into your intentional faith?

It has freed me to be who my Heavenly Father created me to be. I can spend time in His Word and hear Him speak to me while connecting with a passion that He put in my heart which I think is so very beautiful. I just love that our generation has found ways to do just that: connect with the Father in ways that He gifted us and instilled in us. What a fun God we serve!!! 

Creative Bible Journaling #WomenOfIntention16 Women of Intention

What practical advice would you give someone who is struggling in this area of their life?

Keep working! Search your heart, find the things one by one that you are struggling with and give them to Him one by one. Jesus took on everyone's sin all at once but since we are merely finite humans, we can only do things bit by bit. Baby steps. I want you to know that THAT'S OK!!!! Rome wasn't built in a day - (haha - so cliché but I love it!) maybe you have a lot to work through. Jesus is still there, He's still proud of you and he's NOT going to leave you. So just keep your heart in the direction of serving Him and focused on Him and bit by bit you will make it through.


What about you? Do you live, or strive to live, a faith-filled life? Why don't you tell us about it in the comments, or connect with us on social media?

(Don't forget to use the hashtag #WomenOfIntention16 so no one misses it!)