Posted in Moments and Musings

Five Things I Want My Granddaughter to Know About Me

Posted on 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.
Posted in Crochet

My First Set

Posted on 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.
© 2025 VikkiLynnStitches. All Rights Reserved.
© 2025 VikkiLynnStitches. All Rights Reserved.

Posted in Faith, Food and Forward Steps

New Monthly Series: Faith, Food and Forward Steps

Posted on 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. 💛

Photo by Nadine Primeau on Unsplash
Posted in Moments and Musings

The Year I Get Intentional: My 2026 Goals Revealed

Posted on 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?

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Posted in Moments and Musings

My Word for 2026: Content

Posted on 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? 💛

Photo by fotografu on Unsplash