Author: Vikki Lynn Sorensen

By day, I work a fulltime job in corporate America. By night, I'm a fulltime couch potato. I love to read, write, embroider, crochet and watch British mysteries. When I do leave the house, it's to either go to church or to buy yarn and books. I'm a firm believer that buying books and buying yarn are hobbies on their own. I'm also the single mom (happily divorced for more than 15 glorious years) of two fabulous young women, rescue mom of one dog and rescue grandma to one black cat. My older daughter, Shelby is high-functioning autistic and an avid gamer. My younger daughter, Emilie, is married and lives with her husband about three hours away from me and is an avid baker. Both love Jesus fiercely and in their own way.

Moments and Musings

Steeped in God: Finding Joy in Today

Posted on January 7, 2026December 11, 2025 by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

Some mornings, I wake up and life feels…ordinary. Or maybe a little heavy. The house is quiet for a moment, and I sip my coffee, watching sunlight spill across the kitchen table, thinking of all I have—and yet sometimes still feeling restless. Psalm 118:24 gently reminds me: this day is a gift from God.

“This is the day the Lord has made…” Every single day. Not just the spectacular days when everything goes right, but also the mundane, messy, ordinary ones. The days filled with dishes and laundry, phone calls and errands, or the moments spent watching my granddaughter toddle across the room with pure delight. God made this day, just as it is, with all its ups and downs, and He invites me to recognize it as His handiwork.

“…we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Rejoicing is not always effortless. Sometimes it takes conscious effort to shift my perspective from what’s missing or what’s hard, to what’s present and good. That’s where I come back to one of my favorite images: being steeped in God like a tea bag in hot water. When a tea bag is placed in the water, it doesn’t fight the process—it releases its flavor, coloring and enriching the liquid around it. In the same way, when I immerse myself in God—through prayer, scripture, gratitude, and simply noticing His presence—He saturates my heart with His love, joy, patience, and peace.

The more I let Him steep into me, the more my ordinary moments begin to taste extraordinary. The laughter of my daughters becomes sweeter. The quiet presence of my family at home feels comforting and grounding. Even the small things—my granddaughter’s tiny hands clasped in mine, the first sip of my morning coffee, the turning of a page in a book I love—become opportunities to savor God’s goodness.

Being steeped in God doesn’t mean that challenges disappear. Bills still need to be paid, deadlines still loom, and sometimes hearts still ache. But when I am fully immersed in Him, I carry a flavor of His presence with me into every interaction, every task, and every moment of life. My joy doesn’t depend on circumstances—it flows from the One who made the day.

Today, I want to be fully steeped in God. To let Him infuse me so that my heart, mind, and spirit are saturated with His love. To recognize the blessings around me, both big and small, and let gratitude and rejoicing become my natural response. Life is not perfect—but this day is God’s, and in Him, it can be beautiful.

Prayer:

“Lord, help me to be steeped in You today. Immerse me in Your presence so that Your love, joy, and peace flow through every part of my life. Teach me to see the blessings in the ordinary moments and to rejoice fully in the day You have made. May my life reflect Your goodness, and may my heart be glad in You. Amen.”

Moments and Musings

Five Things I Want My Granddaughter to Know About Me

Posted on January 6, 2026December 24, 2025 by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

Sweet girl,
You are still tiny. You don’t know my name yet, except maybe “that lady who smells like coffee and hugs.” But one day, when you’re older and wondering who this grandma of yours really is, I want you to know a few very important things.

Preferably before I sneak you an extra snack.

1. I’ve Always Got Your Back

Always. Forever. No fine print.

No matter what happens in your life—scraped knees, broken hearts, middle school drama, or that one questionable haircut—I am in your corner. Loudly. Enthusiastically. Possibly with snacks.

I will cheer you on, defend you when you need defending, and quietly help you clean up messes without making you feel small. I won’t always agree with you, but I will always love you.

“The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” —Psalm 121:8

And if the Lord is watching over you, you can bet Grandma is too—probably from the sidelines with a coffee.

2. I’ve Always Got Your Parents’ Back (Yes, Really)

This one might surprise you someday.

Your parents love you fiercely and are doing their very best—even on the days they’re tired, unsure, or Googling things at midnight. I will support them, pray for them, and stand with them, because loving you well means loving the people raising you.

That said… I reserve the right to occasionally say, “Well, Grandma might’ve handled that differently,” after bedtime.

“Children are a heritage from the Lord.” —Psalm 127:3

You are a gift, and your parents are the stewards of that gift. I’m here to help—never to undermine.

(But I will still give you an extra hug.)

3. I Will Always Be Praying for You

Even when you don’t know it. Especially when you don’t know it.

I will pray over your health, your heart, your friendships, your faith, and your future. I will pray when you’re happy and when you’re hurting. When words fail you, prayer won’t fail me.

You will be covered in prayer like a cozy blanket—warm, steady, and wrapped tight.

“I thank my God every time I remember you.” —Philippians 1:3

Sometimes my prayers will be specific. Sometimes they’ll just be, “Lord, help her.” But they will always be constant.

4. I Will Always Have Fun Snacks

This is not a metaphor. This is a promise.

My house will be a safe place, a soft place, and a snacky place. There will be things your parents don’t usually buy. There will be treats that appear when you’re sad, bored, celebrating, or “just because.”

I believe snacks are love in edible form.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” —Psalm 34:8

And yes, sometimes that goodness looks like cookies.

5. I Will Keep All Your Secrets

All of them.
Well… almost all of them.

I will be a safe place for your thoughts, your fears, your dreams, and your questions. You can talk to me without worrying I’ll shame you or laugh at you (unless you want me to laugh with you).

If something is too big for just us, I’ll help you find the right way to share it—but I will never betray your trust.

“A friend loves at all times.” —Proverbs 17:17

And Grandma is your friend for life.

Sweet girl, I don’t know what kind of world you’ll grow up in. I don’t know all the challenges you’ll face or the joys that will surprise you. But I do know this:

You will always be loved.
You will always be prayed for.
You will always be welcomed.
You will always have snacks.

And I will always be your grandma—right here, with my arms open and my heart full.

Amen and pass the cookies. 🍪💗

© 2025 VikkiLynnSorensen. All Rights Reserved.

Crochet

My First Set

Posted on January 3, 2026December 24, 2025 by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

If you know anything about me and my love for crochet, you know the C2C (corner-to-corner) stitch is my favorite. Up until now, I’ve made one scarf and several blankets using this stitch—and honestly, I’m always looking for an excuse to use it again.

One of my goals for 2026 is to focus on smaller, more manageable projects, especially wearable items. I decided to get a jump on that goal by creating my very first scarf set.

This set is made with Lion Brand Heartland Tweed yarn in Mount Rainier, using a 5 mm crochet hook. The gloves and scarf are both done in the C2C stitch. There’s no pattern for those—I completely freehanded them. The hat is a simple double-crochet repeat made using a pattern by Kylee Keller.

I absolutely love how this set turned out. It feels cozy, wearable, and like the beginning of a whole new chapter of projects. 🧶✨

© 2025 VikkiLynnStitches. All Rights Reserved.

Faith, Food and Forward Steps

New Monthly Series: Faith, Food and Forward Steps

Posted on January 1, 2026December 30, 2025 by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

I’ve been a plus-size girl for as long as I can remember.

There was only one season in my life when I lost a significant amount of weight. Then I got married. Then I had two babies—back to back. And since then? It’s been a struggle.

Depression hit me hard.
Anxiety hit me hard.
Divorce hit me hard.

My girls and I moved home to live with my mom. Things evened out for a while, but then we suddenly lost her in 2018. Grief took control—of my heart, my habits, and my eating. Being alone more often, carrying the full weight of life for myself and my girls, and trying to survive the loss of my mom led me back to food for comfort.

Then Covid hit in 2020.

We were all sent home and told to stay home. While my faith in God was strong, being thrown completely out of my routine—work, church, people—took a toll on me. Suddenly, I had an excuse not to do anything about my weight. After all, I wasn’t seeing anyone anyway. (I know I wasn’t alone in that.)

Through all of this, I’ve learned something important about myself:
I’m not just an emotional eater—I’m also a boredom eater.

That’s one of the reasons crochet and embroidery are so important to me now. Keeping my hands busy helps keep me out of the kitchen. It gives my mind somewhere else to land.

And then menopause showed up.

Now the whole idea of “losing weight” feels less like progress and more like losing all over again. Only this time, instead of losing pounds, it feels like I’m losing the battle altogether.

A Different Kind of Goal

For 2026, I’m choosing a different focus.

Instead of obsessing over the scale, I’m setting a goal to get healthier—one habit at a time.

That means:

Breaking unhealthy habits
Creating better ones
Eating cleaner
Eating to fuel my body, not punish it
Moving my body so I can do more with my body

And my biggest motivation?

My granddaughter.

I don’t want to be the grandma who watches from the chair. I want to be the grandma who:

Rides bikes
Teaches her to roller skate (something I loved when I was younger)
Takes walks and shows her nature
Points out all the beauty God created

I don’t want to be too tired.
I don’t want to be unable.
I don’t want to miss out.

Why This Series

So I’m starting this monthly series: Faith, Food and Forward Steps.

Maybe you’ll want to do this with me.
Maybe you’ll share recipes.
Maybe you’ll share a movement tip or two.

I know I’m not the only woman navigating weight struggles, menopause, emotional eating, or the mental toll that comes with all of it.

Each month, I’ll check in here and share:

How my month went
What worked well
What I need to do more of
What I need to stop doing
How this journey is affecting my mental health and self-esteem
What I’m learning along the way

I’ll be sharing recipes here—but let’s be clear, they are not original. I don’t create recipes. I follow them. Occasionally. Mostly because I really don’t like cooking.
And for accountability, I’ll also share pounds lost—or gained.

While my heart is focused on health, I also understand that physical changes often follow consistent, healthier choices.

Giving It to God

Above all, I’m giving this whole journey to God.

He can help change my desires.
He can help me choose nourishing food.
He can heal damage done over years of carrying extra weight.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit… Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
—1 Corinthians 6:19–20

I’m not too old.
I’m not too far gone.
It’s not too late.

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.”
—Philippians 1:6

A Gentle Invitation

If any part of this story sounds like yours, you’re not alone.

I’d love for this space to be a place of encouragement—not comparison, not pressure, and definitely not perfection. Just real women taking small, faithful steps toward better health.

If you’re willing, I invite you to:

Share one small habit you’re working on this month
Leave a recipe, movement idea, or encouragement in the comments
Or simply say, “I’m walking this road too.”

You don’t have to do everything.
You don’t have to do it perfectly.
You just have to keep showing up.

Let’s cheer each other on—one step, one choice, one month at a time. 💛

Moments and Musings

The Year I Get Intentional: My 2026 Goals Revealed

Posted on December 30, 2025December 10, 2025 by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

I’ve always loved the beginning of a new year. It feels like a clean slate—full of new opportunities, new growth, new joy, and best of all… new goals.

I’m not a resolutions person. Resolutions feel like promises I make to myself that eventually drift away. But goals? Goals demand action. They call for intention. They push me to move, not just talk.

And 2026? It’s going to be a big year for me. I can feel it.

When I started researching and brainstorming what I wanted for 2026, I won’t lie—I got overwhelmed. There’s so much I want to do, and the older I get, the faster time seems to move. So I narrowed each area of my life to three goals. Do I know exactly how I’ll measure them yet? Nope. But I trust God to keep me honest, guide my steps, and help me stay on track.

Before anything else, I surrender every goal to Jesus. Above all, I want His plans more than mine. God’s ways are better, higher, and infinitely wiser. My life verse is Jeremiah 29:11:

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.”

It’s not too late. Not ever.

So here are my goals for 2026:

Career
• Learn a new skill that will enhance my career—Excel, AI, and others—and earn a certification
• Officially launch my creative business, Vikki Lynn Stitches, with online ordering, digital art, patterns, and even online classes
• Learn how to monetize my blog

Financial
• Increase my giving
• Commit to no unnecessary spending
• Pay off all debt—including my car

Health
• Be active for 30 minutes each day
• Include vegetables in two meals each day
• Commit to only one sweet treat per week

Mental Health
• Do a one-week digital detox every month
• Complete a Bible study at least three times a week
• Travel worry-free

Creativity
• Complete at least 20 crochet blankets
• Finish all pre-bought embroidery patterns
• Learn to draw
• Create at least 20 new embroidery patterns
• Publish at least two articles per month on FaithLoveJoy.com

2026 will be all about stepping outside my comfort zone. Consistency has never been my strength, but with prayer, discipline, and faith, I know these goals can become reality.

What about you?
What goals are you setting for 2026?
What do you want the new year to look like?
And what tools are you using to stay accountable and track your progress?