Intentionality Spotlight: Blog Love: Transparency Blog

Today starts a new segment on Maple Alps: Intentionality Spotlight! Similar to Women of Intention, different bloggers will be featured in an interview style. Unlike Women of Intention, the focus will be more on their blogs themselves, as well as an area of intentionality in their life.

I am excited to kick off this series with Hanha of Transparency Blog. It has been a blast getting to know her enthusiastic self (and doing an interview with her over at her blog here too!) and I am excited to introduce her to all of you. Stay until the end to find out how you can follow her amazing blog as well!

First some easy stuff: Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your work, passions, and interests?

Hi, my name is Hanha and I am the writer behind Transparency Blog! To fit everything in one nutshell, I am basically super passionate about encouraging others and sharing the love of Christ - like I met Jesus and now there’s no turning back like the old hymn says haha. I graduated from the University of National Champions—Go Heels!— and I’m currently pursuing plans to become a physician in the near future, either in family medicine or pediatrics.

A few fun facts? I’m addicted to Grey’s Anatomy. I have a special place in my heart for tacos, and podcasts are my present obsession. In my spare time, I daydream about places I can travel and I love connecting with friends on Instagram. Come say hi!

You write a beautiful blog on faith. How did you come to begin Transparency Blog, and what is your goal for it as a blog? Did you always intend this to be your blog’s focus?

Thank you so much! Beginning Transparency Blog was a process. A PROCESS! I started writing when I got to college in 2012, and when I say writing, I signed into my google account and used it as an expressive means to write prayers and talk to God. I would literally throw on some worship music and just write, or should I say complain? Haha (Freshman year was rough, okay?!)

But it wasn’t until I saw a friend share a post from her own blog that I thought about the idea. So then there was the whole battle with whether or not to make my blog public. I fought insecurities like, “What if no one reads it? What if my friends judge me? And how will mine be different since everyone and their mom is blogging nowadays?” You can read more about that here, but somehow I did it, and it took about 2 years to take that leap of faith.

A year of on-and-off posting, and then pride set in. I started to research all the ways that I could make my blog famous, and lost sight of the sole purpose of my why, which was to talk about how great Jesus is. So I stopped - out of nowhere and for awhile. I basically gave up, and decided to just leave it alone.

That was in 2015, but something changed this year. I made it one of my personal goals to get back into blogging, and this time I wanted to be more consistent and have the right intentions. I battled with another round of insecurities, but it only took about 3-4 months because God and some friends basically encouraged me by saying it didn’t matter if my blog grew or not, or if people read it. What mattered is that I was being obedient to what God was telling me to do, which was to write what he placed on my heart.

I originally wanted to focus my time on Instagram - posting consistently and engaging with other people, but 3 weeks in, I felt led to write more. Some captions were just entirely too long to be captioned, and it was difficult to place all the links I wanted to share. So here I am! It’s June 2017, and I finally feel like I’m exactly where God wants me to be. And I also feel like I’m walking boldly in my calling as well.

Transparency Blog has always been about writing about my faith because it’s purpose is to give Jesus all the glory that He righteously deserves. It’s why I chose the name Transparency because I want to be transparent about my life in order to encourage other believers to pursue Christ with their whole heart.

My primary goal is to honestly be obedient to whatever God has for me. But secondary to that, it is my prayer to inspire other Christians by reminding them that they are deeply loved, that they are important, and that someone cares about them. I want them to know that they aren’t alone on this journey, and that there is a community for them if they ever find themselves needing one.

I love how you write so passionately and intentionally about your faith and the lessons you learn from what you read in the Bible and your life. How do you decide on what topics to share about?

Believe it or not, I honestly do not know. HA! Plot twist. Sometimes, I write what God has placed on my heart and other times I share stories and try to figure out how I can connect them back to faith. And I love sharing stories about the lives of other people. I think that we can all learn from each other, because we each have something unique to offer! Even at church, testimonies are some of the most powerful examples of God’s grace and faithfulness.  

Seriously, anything that talks about the power of God and how amazing He is, is fair game. And what’s even better is that God is alive! The lessons keep coming, and the more we seek Him, the more He will transform the renewing of our minds so that we can become more like Him. So being led by the Holy Spirit is the best way I decide on what to write about. But then again, because I’ve just recently started to get back into blogging, I’m beginning to find my niche and figure out what topics my readers want to read more about.

What is one specific area in your life you find that intentionality is critical? How do you exercise mindfulness in it?

PRAYER! Prayer is absolutely huge for me, and I would say worship is too. I truly believe that we are called to have a heart of worship, and I think the best way to worship is through prayer. I think that it is through prayer that God speaks to us, connects with us, and shows us just how much He cares for us.

For me, I make an effort to spend time with the Lord in prayer at least every 2 days. I’m constantly talking with God throughout the day, but I’m talking about truly taking 15-20 minutes to sit, meditate, and worship Him. That has honestly been life-changing for me. I’ve cried my hardest tears sitting at the feet of Jesus, and they are the same moments where I have found restoration and redemption through Him.

We get to witness how sufficient His grace is through prayer, and it reminds me of my favorite quote, “Once a man was asked, ‘What did you gain by regularly praying to God?’ The man replied, ‘Nothing… but let me tell you what I lost: anger, ego, greed, depression, insecurity, and fear of death.’ Sometimes, the answer to our prayers is not gaining but losing, which ultimately is the gain.”

 

If you could give one piece of advice about prayer to someone who struggles with it, what would you tell them?

Get yourself a prayer journal. That has also been completely life-changing for me. In my prayer journal, I write down everything, and I mean EVERYTHING! From sermon notes, to my personal prayer requests, other people’s prayer requests, my dreams, and the visions God has given me for my life.

The best and most humbling part is that God has answered every single one of the prayers that I have wrote down. Even with the specific job that I was looking for, God answered it and I sit in awe of His power. I will note that most of my prayers have dealt with the posture of my heart, but I do believe that God is extremely faithful in all things.

So if you’re struggling with spending time with God everyday and being intentional with your prayer life, then I think a prayer journal is a great incentive to start. It may be difficult at first, but as you look back on the things you’ve wrote, you get to see God’s faithfulness and provision. You also get to see how much you grow over time, even in areas that you forgot you even prayed about.

Everyone always talks about creating a vision board at the beginning of the year, but those visions and dreams do not have to stop after January 1st. Habakkuk 2:2 says, ‘Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.” He says that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), so why not write what God shares with you each and every day and be a witness to His power?

When you have something to write down, it holds you more accountable to your habit. For me, it’s definitely a little awkward when I notice I’ve missed a few days. And honestly, that feeling of witnessing God provide over and over again becomes addictive. The more He answered my prayers, the more I wanted to write everything down. So I challenge you to activate your faith because God really can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us!

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Find Hanha at her website, Transparency Blog and on Instagram

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The Three C's of Long Distance Dating

Last year I wrote on the truth about long distance relationships. I talked about some key things to remember when being so far away from loved ones and we concluded that while long distance relationships were hard, they were a good thing too.

Since that post, I received numerous messages from readers asking me to write more on the topic of long distance, but especially in dating relationships. Today, I answer these concerns and will share 3 Cs for surviving a long distance relationship.

Spending pretty much 3 out of 3 years of my now husband and I’s dating relationship with the ocean between us gave us plenty of time to get good at long distance. We, of course, failed at times to keep it smooth sailing, but now that we look back on everything we went through, we are happy for the trials. The hardships made our relationship stronger, and we are grateful.

Without further ado: The Three C’s of LDRs.

1) Communication

If there is one thing you take from this post, take this one. Communication is a very important part of a successful relationship - long distance or not! Since you do not have the privilege of seeing each other every day, it is important to learn how to communicate. In these days, we might consider texts and messages and snaps “communication,” but let me venture to say that these many avenues are not always the best way to communicate. Carve out time in the week to talk “face-to-face” via Skype or FaceTime. Call each other if you’re in the same country (or have a great phone plan). Write heartfelt letters and emails and share your thoughts and talk about your day - even the mundane stuff. It's crazy, but even if you didn’t experience a day or event with your significant other, you will still be able to relate later when they retell it to someone else because you were kind of "there" when it happened. 

2) Creativity

Make it fun! Think care packages, fun apps, surprise visits and creative from-a-distance dates. These are all things that couples who are always near each other can’t do! I mean, no one in their right mind would have a movie marathon virtually when they’re 2 streets away - right? That’s just crazy. I remember one time I showed up for J’s 25th birthday to surprise him. I spent a couple hundred dollars and travelled 15 hours to another continent just to see him turn white like he had seen a ghost and be in shock for the next 3 hours, but it was totally worth it.

Here are a few things to get your creativity going:

• Birthday care packages

• Surprise visits

• Schedule times to pray together (or for each other)

• Download fun Apps (we used one called Couple. They even have a "thumb kiss" feature! So fun, we still use it.)

• Read the same book within the same time frame (read it together, or read it apart and discuss it later!)

• Watch a movie together (you can even mute each other and just have each other's faces on a screen)

• Eat dinner together (cook the same meal and eat at a table together via Skype)

• Keep each other accountable for exercising, etc (the Runtastic app let's you cheer on your friends as they're out and about)

• Have a scrapbook you take turns keeping and exchanging when you visit or in the mail

• Remember (or make) important dates/anniversaries and celebrate them
  

3) Commitment

Being all in is the only way to make a long distance relationship work. Remember that love is a decision. There will be days when you don’t want to talk to the other person. There will be times of frustration and hurt. There might even be feelings of envy and suspicion, but remember your commitment, and trust theirs.

See? Long distance doesn’t have to be so hard. Just remember that communication, creativity and commitment are key.

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Are you/Have you been in a long distance relationship? How did you make it through? We'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

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Healthy Vegan Snacks for the Road: 3 Easy Recipes

Eating healthy on the road is a feat. Whether you’re on a road trip, on a hike or you’ve decided to get out of town for a few days, you still need to take care of what you’re going to eat while travelling. Sure, you can always go for some greasy junk food in diners along the way, but you better believe that those calories will stay right where you are and they’re not that good for you to begin with. This is why we come to you with healthy vegan snacks suggestions that are perfect when you’re hitting the road and you need to eat right.

Yummy Vegan Granola Bars

There are many recipes for granola bars that taste great and are really filling, but we decided for this chocolate chip one that is very easy to make and can last for a few days. With these, you don’t have to buy chocolate bars or any other sweet; they’re scrumptious enough.

what you'll need:

• 1½ cup of oats

• 1 cup of pitted dates

• ¼ cup of maple syrup

• ¼ cup of almond butter

• ¼ cup of vegan chocolate chips

• ½ cup of raw cashews

• ½ cup of raw almonds.

what to do:

Bake the oats for up to 15 minutes in the oven, the temperature should be 350 degrees F. While they’re toasting, pulse out cashews and almonds in your food processor just until they’re in chunks and then mix them with roasted oats in a bowl.

After that, take your dates and use your food processor to make them pasty and finely chopped, and then add them into the bowl as well.

Take a saucepan where you can warm up the maple syrup and peanut butter (on a low heat) and then pour it over the oats, nuts and dates mixture. It’s mixing time, so don’t give up until you get a well-combined sticky mess. Line a tray with parchment paper, pour the mixture into it and press it down firmly, after which it’s time for the chocolate chips. When you’ve pressed them into the mixture too, you should put it all into the freezer for about 10-15 minutes. After the granola is hardened, you can cut it into even pieces, put it in a plastic container and take it on the road with you.

Fresh Veggies and Hummus

Though it might be a bit rough to preserve fresh veggies for a longer period of time, you can always restock on the go and it’s actually more affordable than buying chips and snacks. Carrot sticks and celery are always a good way to go, because they don’t have to be refrigerated to stay nice and crunchy, but you can also go for some sliced bell pepper, cauliflower and even cucumber. You can add some spices into the combination and we always suggest taking some hummus along with you because let’s face it, hummus goes well with everything. If you want to go all out and make your own hummus, there are some excellent recipes out there, but we’re giving you our favorite and simplest one. Anybody like garlic?

what you'll need:

what to do:

Take your garlic bulb and cut off the top, so that you can clearly see the cloves. Generously drizzle olive oil over it, add a bit of salt and wrap it in aluminum foil. Roast it in the oven at 375 degrees F for an hour.

When the garlic is done, make sure to gently squeeze it out of the peel and put all the creamy garlicky goodness into the food processor. Add the rest of the listed ingredients into the processor and then mix it until it gets smooth and hummus-like. Get it into a container and you’ve got yourself a healthy and delicious vegan dip.

• 1 large garlic bulb

• 2 cans of chickpeas (don’t forget to rinse them)

• juice of 1 lemon

• 3 tbsp. tahini

• ¼ cup water

• 3 tablespoons EVOO

• ¼ teaspoon of sea salt

Energy Bite

These little balls of joy and taste are a great way to go when you’re craving something sweet, and there’s no vegan treat in sight. Besides, nothing beats eating healthy food you’ve made yourself. Here’s one recipe that can be taken anywhere you go, it won’t get bad easily and it’s filling. When you’re on the road and filling a bit hungry, reach for these ginger-fueled energy bites and enjoy.

what you'll need:

what to do:

Put the walnuts into the food processor and pulse until they’re chopped well. Add the dates and pulse continually so that you get a mixture that resembles a dough. Chuck in the rest of the ingredients and mix until you’re satisfied with what you have, after which you can roll the dough into balls and have them on the go. Portion yield: 15+ gingerbread bites.

• 1 cup of quick oats

• 2 tbsp. of maple syrup

• 1¼ cup of walnut pieces

• 3 tsp. of ground ginger

• 2 tbsp. of blackstrap molasses

• 1 cup of dates

• ½ tsp. of sea salt

• 2 tbsp. of cinnamon

As you can see, preparing vegan snacks for the road doesn’t have to be complicated nor expensive. These munches are simple to make, they will help you stay full longer and what’s most important, they will allow you to eat healthy even when the conditions for it are not ideal. 

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Monica Nichols is a 32-year-old fashion designer and freelance writer from Omaha, Nebraska. She's been writing for www.diet.st since 2014, and in her free time, she likes making pottery and playing with her pet cat.

Connect with Monica: Blog // Twitter

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Asian Style Noodle Salad

Since the weather has warmed up tremendously, I'm more eager for cold, fresh salads to be on the table. I also have a crazy huge weakness for all things pasta, so although I would love chomping on tomatoes and cucumbers all summer (oh my. I'm hungry now!), once in a while, I crave some starch!

Pasta, however, does not provide the crunch I crave come summertime. My mom always makes this delicious Asian salad with ramen and a delicious ginger dressing, so I decided to do a take on it and see what I could come up with. 

It has been a crazy summer, and since this can be whipped up quickly in a pinch, this is perfect. The dressing can be made ahead for even faster assembly.

Simple Asain-Style Noodle Salad

What You Need:

• 4 ounces chopped or grated carrots

• 12 ounces (or more!) chopped red cabbage

• 12 ounces chopped broccoli

• About 8 ounces whole wheat pasta (I used soba noodles)

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar (or lemon juice)

• 3 TBSP agave nectar

• 3 TBSP natural creamy peanut butter

• 3 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce

• 2 tsp minced garlic

• 1 TBSP minced fresh ginger

• 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

What to Do:

1. Cook the noodles until al dente (follow package directions).

2. Drain and rinse with cool water and transfer to a large serving bowl.

3. Add the red cabbage, broccoli and carrots.

4. Whisk together the olive oil, rice vinegar, peanut butter, agave, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.

5. Pour over the noodle mixture and toss to combine.

6. Add the peanuts and cilantro.

7. Serve chilled.

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What's your favourite summertime salad? 

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Productive Things to do Instead of Netflix

In the last few years, we have truly been convicted about entertainment (especially in the form of movies and television). Not only has it proven to be quite time-consuming, but the things that are coming out have not reflected the kind of life we have been called to and strive to live. A lot of entertainment these days promotes a way of life that goes against the Bible. Lying, cheating, stealing, killing, and so much more sin is glorified in most of it, and the more I decide to live the way Christ calls me to live, the more seeing these things saddens and disgusts me.

If we only have a limited amount of time here on earth, shouldn’t we think more about what we spend time on? The psalmist asks the Lord in Psalm 90:12 to, "teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." The average American spends over 5 hours a day watching television. It goes without saying that the start of online streaming didn’t decrease this time any. Now anyone can stream anything on any device from anywhere! How insane!

I do not want to reach the end of my life and realize I wasted hours of my life on mindless entertainment that does nothing for the good of those around me.

Don’t get me wrong: I am not bashing everything that is recorded or on television. There are certainly things produced that are informative and wholesome. I personally enjoy inspiring true stories. I do not, however, endorse the overuse and the indulgent hours spent in front of a screen - good content or not.

There are so many things to do besides stream hour upon hour of Netflix - something I have absolutely been guilty of. I came up with a list of alternatives, but I am sure you could easily add hundreds of items to it depending on your interests.

In the end, there is one thing I look to when choosing my activities or even the shows I watch. My filter is found in the Bible in Philippians 4:8:

" Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

• Read a book

• Take an online course

• Or a course in person

• Go outside

• Take a walk

• Join a gym

• Learn a hobby

• Cook something new

• Pray

• Call a friend

• Write a card or a letter

• Get Creative

• Play music

• Hospitality (invite someone over)

• Community Service

• Write or journal

• Invent a recipe

• Try a new recipe

• Make some art

• Pick flowers

• Learn how to keep a garden

• Volunteer

• Clean your house

• Ride your bike

• Study the Bible

• Drive somewhere new in town

• Enjoy the outdoors

• Read Maple Alps ;)

• Travel somewhere new

• Spend extra time with family

• Revisit your budget

• Learn something new

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What kinds of things do you do instead of watching television or streaming Netflix?

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