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.

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?

Moments and Musings

My Word for 2026: Content

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

At the end of each year, God gives me a word to carry into the new one.
It’s not a goal or a resolution—it’s an invitation.
Something to focus on. Something to press into. Something to grow in.

For 2026, that word is content.

And no, I don’t mean content like social media posts or blog writing.
I mean content as a state of mind and heart.
Being at peace. Resting. Fully appreciating all God has done and living in the moment He’s placed me in.

This has been a lifelong struggle for me.

I’ve often lived with one foot in my current season and one foot in the next—always wanting more, better, different, or extraordinary. Always looking ahead. Always imagining what could be instead of fully receiving what is.

Scripture speaks directly to this tension:

“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
— Philippians 4:12–13

The peak of this struggle came when my granddaughter was born. Suddenly, I found myself deeply unhappy with some of my choices. All I could think about was her. All I wanted was to be near her. My heart ached with longing, and instead of bringing that ache to God, I let it settle into discontent.

I won’t sugarcoat it—I spent the better part of this year living in that headspace.

Until recently, when God very clearly told me to stop.
Not gently.
Not subtly.
But firmly—like only a loving Father can.

In that moment, I realized something painful but necessary: I wasn’t just making myself miserable. I was affecting the people around me. My restlessness was spilling over. My discontent was contagious.

So I cried out to God and asked for forgiveness.
And then I humbled myself and did the same with those closest to me.

That’s when God gave me my word.

He reminded me that everything I have, I once prayed for.
I asked Him to move mountains—and He did.
I begged Him for provision, stability, healing, and direction—and He answered.

So who was I to suddenly find fault with the very life I had laid at His feet?

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
— 1 Timothy 6:6

Is my life perfect? No.
But perfection was never promised here.

True perfection waits for us in Heaven.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
— Ecclesiastes 3:11

My life is relatively easy, and I am deeply grateful for that. I am blessed beyond measure, and I know—without a doubt—that God is not finished with me yet.

So while 2026 will be a big and busy year, it will also be a restful one—at least where my heart and emotional health are concerned.

I am choosing not to miss the moments God gives me because I’m too busy living five steps ahead. I want to be present. I want to notice the small things. I want to fully inhabit the season I’m standing in.

That doesn’t mean I won’t look ahead.

I will—wisely and prayerfully.

I’ll look ahead to seek God’s direction.
I’ll look ahead to plan.
I’ll look ahead knowing that every plan I make is ultimately placed back in His hands.

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”
— Proverbs 16:9

But more than anything, I want to be here.
Right now.
Right where God has me.

Right in the center of His will.

A Gentle Reflection for You

As you look toward a new year, I invite you to ask yourself:

Where have I been restless instead of grateful?
What prayers has God already answered that I may be overlooking?
What would it look like to rest—not in circumstances—but in God’s faithfulness?

Maybe God has a word for you too.
Maybe it’s content.
Maybe it’s something else entirely.

Whatever it is, I pray you’ll listen—and lean in.

Because there is deep peace found when we stop striving for the next thing and start trusting God with this one.

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”
— Hebrews 13:5

If this resonated with you, I’d love to hear—what word are you carrying into the new year? 💛

Moments and Musings

The Year That Stretched Me: A Reflection

Posted on December 26, 2025December 10, 2025 by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

As 2025 comes to a close, I like to take time to reflect on the year—what it’s taught me, how it’s stretched me, and what I’m carrying with me into 2026.

2025 was a year of change. Beautiful, emotional, uncomfortable, growing kind of change.

The highlight of my year was becoming a grandmother. It has brought me more joy than I ever imagined, but it also stirred up unexpected emotions. I found myself wishing I lived closer to my daughter and her family. I want to be the one who pops over to help when the baby is fussy, who babysits at a moment’s notice, who gives my daughter an afternoon off when she’s overwhelmed. Those longings led to moments of, “I’m not happy here.”

Since I bought a house with my sister last year, my living situation is set for a while. But what surprised me was the wave of grief I felt—grief over not being there for my daughter and granddaughter in the way my heart wanted. So I took those feelings to God, and He gently gave me my word for 2026: content.

Not “content” as in social media content—but content as in satisfied, at peace, rooted in gratitude.

I found myself thinking about my own mother, and how different our situations are. When my girls were born, I lived in Texas—over 1,100 miles away from her. She was a three-hour plane ride away from her granddaughters. I’m a three-hour car ride away from mine. She saw my girls once a year. I see little Sophia at least once a month. My mom saw her granddaughters grow up in pictures I mailed to her. I get daily photos and videos sent instantly to my phone.

In so many ways, technology has become my best friend. My mom didn’t have this. I’m blessed. And God reminded me of that. He reminded me that if needed, I can be in the car and with my granddaughter in just a few hours. And, bonus—there’s an Amtrak route from Joliet to Springfield, which my daughter has already taken several times for quick visits.

God also started pruning things in me—little things, but things that were stealing my peace. Like stressing over the temperature in the house. Menopause is unpredictable, and I can’t expect everyone around me to match my changing thermometer. What used to feel big has become small, and I’m learning to just let it be.

I started school this year—and then realized school isn’t for me right now. But I also learned something important: I actually AM smart enough. That lesson alone was worth it.

I’ve set some goals for 2026 that touch my physical well-being, my mental health, and my creativity. And I’ve been leaning more into what God wants me to do, not just what I want to do. One thing He made clear? I’ve become very whiny this year. Very complainy.

One day while walking the dog and having my usual “I’m not happy with my life” internal rant, the Holy Spirit cut me off with a loud, clear “STOP COMPLAINING.” And I literally stopped in my tracks. He was right. I’ve been complaining about things that many people are praying for—a good job, a beautiful home, stability. That realization shifted something deep in me. And with that shift, God started giving me ideas on how to improve both my home and my work life.

This season of pruning hasn’t always felt good—but correction rarely does. Yet I’m grateful for it. A loving father corrects His children, and I know I am deeply loved by God. This season has helped me release old hurts I didn’t even know I was carrying.

2025 was also a year of unexpected provision. My car accident ultimately allowed me to pay off almost all my debt—aside from buying a new car. And that new car has been such a blessing, not only to me but also to my family. My sister and I were also able to refinance the house. Now I’m this close to being debt-free except for my home and my car. My stretch goal for 2026? Pay off that car.

It’s a big goal—but I serve a big God, and He finishes what He starts.

As for this Christmas season, for the first time in many years, all my shopping was done in cash and kept beautifully simple. With my home decorated and the presents wrapped early, I’ve spent the rest of the year wrapped in the comfort and coziness of my home, surrounded by as much family as can be here.

2025 has been a challenging year of personal growth, but a meaningful one. I’m finally starting to feel more like the version of Vikki that God wants me to be.

And I can’t wait to see what 2026 brings.