Welcome To CornerStone Life
As women, we are multi-faceted.
My hope is this blog will encourage you and give you hope and direction in every area of your life.
A Look Back to Look Forward
Okay, so I’m a few weeks late with this post … but it’s still January so I think it is timely! For the past several years, somewhere in the last week of the year or the first week of the new year, I intentionally carve out a day to reflect and plan. Each year it seems to evolve a little more which has made it more meaningful as the years go by. I used to only look forward to plan my upcoming year. But when I added reflecting on the past year as well, it was a game changer. As
A Christmas Letter Legacy
I have always loved the power of the written word. As an avid reader, the words on a page can transport me to another place or teach me ideas in a whole new way. As a writer, they are a way for me to pass my experiences on to my reader in hope they find encouragement for their life. As a mom and wife, they are a way for me to bless, encourage and share a little wisdom with my family through the legacy of my words to them. Three years ago, I began the practice of writing each of
How I’m Refuting Election Fears
Four years ago this past summer, I was going through a personal crisis with fear. I had input coming in from several sources that were pushing my mind to unhealthy thoughts causing crippling fear and anxiety. Plus, it was an election year … need I say more?? As someone who had never dealt with these feelings in my 50+ years, I was totally taken off-guard. I wrote about that a bit in Fear … Living in an Uncertain World and the tools I used to get my mind back to thoughts that were healthy and pure. Since then, I have learned to
Beyond Your Borders
Are you familiar with that yearning to do something of significance with your life? Yes, we know we are making a difference in our family member’s lives, and possibly a few other close relationships. You may even possibly have a job that brings you fulfillment that way. But do you sometimes feel the need to do more, to reach beyond your borders on a larger scale? There are so many avenues to influence others and show the light of Jesus. It could be through using the creative talents God has blessed you with to share with the world. My youngest
A Time to Laugh
Life is hard. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. Every single one of us has experienced hard. Your hard may have lasted weeks, months, years or decades … it could still be in full swing right now. I know … I’ve been there too. The hard where you don’t know how you will make it through until the end of your days. But I have to tell you … a time to laugh and a time to dance and a time for happiness will come again. I didn’t believe it either, but now I’ve lived it. Hard
My Favorite Podcasts – Words That Fill My Soul
Now don’t laugh … but until about two years ago, I had no idea what a podcast was, where it was, how you would listen to it, and where you could learn about it. Yeah … a little behind the times! But now … I have found they are a great way to fill my soul on a regular basis. I may listen as I’m out on my morning walk (once it no longer feels like Death Valley outside!), while I’m putting on my make-up, or fixing dinner. So I thought I would just share a few of my favorites.
10 Steps for Healthy Conflict Resolution
Last weekend I experienced a beautiful thing. Back story: whenever one of our husband’s goes out of town, my sisters and myself, along with my mom, plan a girl’s weekend at the temporarily single person’s home. This time we were able to squeeze in a fun 24-hour get-away. We talk, play games, eat, share what’s going on in our lives, help and support each other through our current challenges usually including a time of prayer. Occasionally, a “discussion” arises that is unexpected and takes us by surprise. This was one of those times. But what I witnessed was beautiful healthy
The Value of a One-Word Prayer
We have all experienced times of great pain, disappointment, or confusion – and maybe you’re in one of those valley’s right now? I know when I have been in those seasons, there are times I cannot even form a sentence to pray to God. What I find myself saying over and over again is simply His name, “Jesus!” The value of that one-word prayer has sustained me many, many times. As I say His name over and over again, my mind will regularly tune into a song I sung throughout my childhood and thankfully, the words are still ingrained. “Jesus,
Be Present ~ What Does That Really Mean?
For the past few years, in early December I begin praying and thinking about what I want my “word” for the next year to be. Something that inspires me to more—a word that can be a filter for the way I live my life and the decisions I make. A couple years ago, God kept showing me, “Be Present.” But what does that really mean? As a Queen of multi-tasking, there were always things I could be “doing” when I was having a conversation with someone, both on the phone or in person. Because there was always more “to do” than
Living Above the Clouds
We just got home from a wonderful, refreshing vacation. Two weeks in the Pacific Northwest was a balm to the soul with the giant, green trees and vast ocean waves—soul-giving to these desert dwellers. But the plane ride home is what is staying with me this week as well. I have always loved how white, billowy and cotton-like the clouds look once you break through them with magnificent rays of sunshine coming from above. As we flew out of Denver on our layover, the skies were dark, and the underside of the clouds were gray and ominous looking. It appeared
What I’m Currently Reading — Summer, 2020
If you’ve read many of my previous posts, you know I’m an avid reader. If adulting wasn’t so time consuming, I would probably read for hours each day! I love to learn! And I love a good story! So I thought I would begin a regular series of what I’m currently reading during each season to encourage you to pick up a book instead of turning on the television. Before I lose those of you who do not consider yourself to be readers or simply believe you don’t have the time, here’s an interesting statistic for you. Did you know
Timeless Truth–Poems to Encourage
Several years ago, my younger sister walked through a devastating life change. Everything in her world was turned upside down. She now had to choose between searching out truth through the God she had known in her youth or allowing herself to crumble under the weight of the pain and loss. She chose truth! And in walking in that truth, she has blessed so many over the last decade with her poem writing and her speaking. Today I want to share a few of her poems with you that I believe may help you as you move through each day.
7 Healthy & Clean DIY Substitutes I Use
When I began re-vamping my health a few years ago, I quickly realized that it needed to go beyond just the products I was putting into my mouth. As I became more aware of chemicals and the excess ingredients in most personal and cleaning products I used, I began the hunt for ones I could easily replace. These 7 that I’ve listed are the ones I’ve used the most consistently and for the longest. Other products I have switched to purchasing cleaner versions instead, but these have been great because they not only are better for me but save a
When People Just Need a Listening Ear
I’m sure you, like me, many times find the pain and suffering of your friends and family to be overwhelming. My first instinct is to offer advice (which is many times simply my opinion) and my desire is to try to alleviate their pain. Neither of those are bad things, but are they the best things? What if all I’m called upon to do, and all they really need, is a listening ear? I just finished a book by Bob Beaudine called 2 Chairs. The premise is the importance and life-changing possibilities from meeting with Jesus daily, visualizing Him in
Healthy Summer Desserts
What would life be without dessert?? Boring, I say!!! My Pinterest binder of recipes (you can find more in my post Organizing My Pinterest Recipes) is about one-third desserts and all other food categories make up the other two-thirds. When I began my health journey several years ago and found out I had intolerances to both dairy and wheat, my doctor turned me on to the website www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com. What a lifesaver! You will find several of the healthy summer desserts I share are from this wonderful site. So the recipes I chose to share in this post are all either
Quarantine Reflections – Positives We Can Take Into the Future
As lives and schedules begin to return to “normal” over the next few months, I’ve heard from several who are asking, “Do we want to return to what we were doing before we were forced to slow down?” For many, the answer is a huge NO. But if we’re not intentional enough to stop and reflect and then create a plan, in a very short time, we will find ourselves back in the same rat race. So what lessons can we take from this recent mandatory quarantine as we move into the future? Lesson #1: Slowing Down is Not a
Serenity Prayer: Lessons from the Last 8 Lines
Most of us are probably familiar with the first four lines of the Serenity Prayer. But how many of us are familiar with the last eight? When I read the remainder of this prayer that was written almost 80+ years ago by Reinhold Niebuhr, it caught my attention and has stayed with me whenever I found myself in a time of crisis. I would say America, which means all of us, is currently in a time of crisis, wouldn’t you? The Serenity Prayer has been used by Alcoholics Anonymous and many other 12-step programs for decades. I’m sure you’ve seen
Favorite Summer Salads
There’s nothing better than a light, refreshing salad during the hot summer months. And in Arizona our hot months are HOT and LONG! So our summer salad vs. winter soup ideas need to be up to the challenge. Here are our family’s favorite summer salad recipes, and they are always crowd pleasers whenever they are shared with friends. As I stated in my One Dish Stove-Top Recipes post, I’m including the original post along with changes I have made for either taste, health, or dietary reasons. Enjoy! Cold or Side Salads ~ some may be great for side dishes and
Strengthening Family Connections as Adults
I LOVE my family!! And I know not everyone can say that. But for many, I suspect, you have decent relationships with your parents, siblings, adult children, but the busyness of their lives and yours makes it hard to connect consistently. I want to share some ideas of what we have done in our family to keep our relationships strong. I would love to hear your stories in the comments. Be Intentional This has to be at the core, bottom line, back bone of making this work. If you wait for someone else to plan a time or try to
Gardening for Dummies: Tower Garden is the Answer
I have always wanted to have the fresh vegetables from a garden but the work and time involved would prevent me from moving forward. As someone who really does NOT like to get her hands dirty (literally!) and any flowers I’ve ever tried to grow always died quickly, I had resigned myself to gardening not being in my future. Then I saw the Tower Garden—it looked perfect for a beginner like me! A compact, keep-my-hands-dirt-free, aeroponic gardening system. It sounded perfect … until I saw the cost. I knew and agreed with all the research on its cost effectiveness over
