I love Chip and Joanna Gaines.

They are a couple that lives in the Waco, Texas area and have the HGTV show “Fixer Upper,” which focuses on Joanna’s design ideas and Chips construction skills.

I find the show very entertaining to watch because the couple can take an older home and transform it in to something wonderful.

In addition to this very successful show, the couple also owns some retail properties in Waco that sometimes are highlighted during episodes. They also publish the “Magnolia Journal Magazine.”

I picked up a copy of the latest edition on Thursday to glance through and check out the pictures, and I noticed towards the back of the periodical that there was a piece on intentional living.

The feature highlighted several people’s perspectives of this lifestyle.

This idea of living intentionally intrigued me, so I decided to do a Google search to explore this concept a bit more.

What I found was that to live intentionally means you are purposeful in word and action and that you live a life that is meaningful and fulfilling to you.

It also means actively interacting and engaging with your life.

On lifeyourway.net, Mandi Ehman described intentional living as knowing why you do what you do and why you don’t do what you don’t do.

Sounds confusing, but when you think about it, it makes since.

In this fast paced society in which we exist, there often seems little time to ruminate over our actions. We just act, sometimes not even realizing why.

I wondered what kind of decisions and choices I would make if I took a little more time to contemplate, meditate and marinate instead of quickly checking things off on my to-do list.

Surely there would be fewer times I would cheat myself out of opportunities with friends and family.

And maybe I could say yes to something even if I think I am too busy.

This intentional living also means I need to spend more time living in the moment.

On the simpleandsoul.com website, Lisa Avellan wrote that her grandmother lived intentionally by making every moment count.

“She never missed a teachable moment, never let a beautiful night be spent inside and never guarded her heart. She never allowed the words ‘bored’ or ‘can’t’ because she believed in imagination and perseverance,” Avellan wrote.

How inspiring!

This year for Lent, I chose not to give up chocolate or sweets but committed to focusing on my spiritual life.

I think trying to live intentionally may be something I strive to do, also.

And like my little Texas couple I have grown to admire, maybe I can take something a little old and make it wonderful!

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. You may reach her at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.