christian life – Faith Love n Joy

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.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

Moments and Musings

Footprints in the Snow

Posted on September 22, 2025October 7, 2025 by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

One morning after it’d snowed overnight, my older sister and I were getting ready to walk to school. Hats, boots, gloves, scarves…much of which we’d take off once we were out of Mom’s sight because cool kids don’t wear hats and gloves. The snow was deep. Plowing and shoveling hadn’t been done just yet in our neighborhood. My mother commissioned my sister to watch over me as we walked to school. Then she told me to be sure to walk in my sister’s footsteps to help me navigate my way through the snow.

My sister was at that age where lugging her little sister around wasn’t considered cool. Typical sibling relationships. Her answer to my mother’s directive was to make sure those footsteps were as wild as she could make them. She pointed her feet inwards, and she pointed her feet outwards. She took super huge steps and walked in a zigzag. Anything to make it hard for me to follow. Again, typical sibling relationship stuff. I fought hard to keep up with her and she laughed watching me mimic her unusual walking pattern.

We laugh about it now as we’re older and wiser. We share a home where she is my best friend, my fellow prayer warrior and one of my favorite people on this planet. I still think she’s cool.

Recently, I’ve been marinating on that word “follow” during my morning Bible study. Following Jesus and what all it means. As a natural over-thinker, I’ve wasted a lot of time looking for the perfect answer.

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

Following Jesus isn’t about my ability. It’s also not about being perfect. In fact, God keeps telling me to stop focusing on perfection. Just take one step and then the next and the next. When I asked where these steps would lead, He reminded me of this story.

Even though I knew my destination, the snow was falling so heavy I couldn’t really see where I was going. I didn’t know if I was on concrete or grass. I wasn’t sure if I was in the street or on a sidewalk. The only thing that helped me get to school that day were those footprints.

I said to God, “That was crazy! Her feet were all over the place, and I had to step in wherever and however she planted her foot.” God said, “But she knew how to get there, so all you had to do was trust her.”

Trust her? Yes. I did then and I still do.

Walking in the footsteps of Jesus doesn’t always feel like it’s a straight shot to our destination. In fact, many times, we’re not sure what the destination is, outside of Heaven. There are times when we have to jump to make it to the next step. Call it a leap of faith, if you will. There are also times when we may need to take steps that don’t make sense to us at all. But God knows where he’s taking us even when we don’t. And all he asks us to do is follow him.

If you’re in a similar season, let me encourage you. We may not see the destination but it’s important to find joy in the journey. That all sounds very Hallmark-y, I know but it’s also true. Every day, God shows me the next step to take. My part is to be obedient. I take a step, then the next and the next and soon, I see the path. Like any path in a forest, you can’t always see where you’re going but that’s not as important as staying on the path. When I think back on that day now, trying to walk in my sister’s footprints was fun!

“So be very careful to act exactly as God commands you. Don’t veer off to the right or the left. Walk straight down the road God commands so that you’ll have a good life and live a long time in the land that you’re about to possess.” Deuteronomy 5:33, MSG

Each day we follow Jesus brings us closer and closer to God and He uses each moment for His glory and His honor. Following Jesus can seem hard some days but remember, God’s not interested in perfection. He’s interested in obedience. We don’t have to figure out where to go or how to get there. All we need to do is trust Him, stay on the path and walk in His footprints.

Moments and Musings

February 2025

Posted on February 28, 2025May 27, 2025 by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

When I started out with this idea of posting a monthly life update, I didn’t mean to be so inconsistent. However, here I am, almost four months later, and just now finding time to write again.

I’m not going to try to backtrack too much. My family enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving and a quiet, comfortable Christmas. 2024 ended with a bang as I was involved in my first car wreck since my early twenties. I spent most of January dealing with the fall out of that.

God is so very faithful! Even when we are not. I still feel so undeserving of his total provision and yet, this car accident is proof of that very thing. Provision! I spoke it out immediately. I believed it immediately. God has surpassed by expectations.

And He’s not done yet! There is still more to come!!

At the beginning of February, I held a baby shower for my baby girl and her husband. My home filled to overflowing with so many folks who came out to celebrate. Of course, my anxiety and perfectionism kicked in causing me several panicky moments. (Oh, when will I ever learn!) My sister and niece came up from Tennessee and it was such a blessing to have them here! I love it when we can be together!

Emilie and Ben were blessed multiple times over with so many gifts. My sister, who has organized corporate parties, helped me with the food. My stepmom brought a lovely fruit tray, and we had perfect weather. What a wonderful day for them!

We finally got some winter weather in the form of about 4 inches of snow and a couple ice “events”. I love snow but I love it most on the weekends when I don’t have to go out anywhere. As a Midwest girl, born and raised, I know how to drive in the snow and I’m not afraid. However, I don’t like others who drive in any bad weather like they’re in a hurry to meet Jesus. It doesn’t help that I’m also still suffering from some residual trauma from my accident so driving has its challenging moments on dry pavement, let alone in slippery conditions.

I purchased a new car – I had to, really, as my other car was totaled. But I’m loving my new car, and I plan to pay her off and drive her until bits and pieces are falling out behind me. She’s a 2022 Hyundai Sonata and she’s a comfort car! Definitely one of the most luxurious cars I’ve ever owned so I’m very happy with her. Again, God’s perfect provision!

On a financial note, I’ve waged war against my debt. I don’t have a lot of it but what I do have, I’ve decided to put as much as I can towards getting it paid off. I’ve been using Dave Ramsey’s snowball method and already have paid off 2 credit cards! I have one more to go and then a small personal loan (I know, it’s a complete no-no!). Money has been on my mind lately as I’ve put some big goals into place. While praying about it, I felt God challenge me to go big in my giving and go even bigger in my faith.

So, God told me to ask BIG. And I did. I’m 56 years old. I want to retire when I’m supposed to and when I do, I want the house that I just bought last year to be completely paid off. I want to own nothing to no one. No house mortgage. No car payment. I want to be completely debt free by the time I retire.

Creatively, I struggled just a wee bit. I have way too many incomplete projects and more ideas and plans than I can shake a stick at. I also have a deficit of knowledge where some much-needed technology is concerned (like Procreate and learning to read crochet patterns). I allowed it to all bash me about mentally and put me in a bit of a funk. So, I took a weekend off from crafting, put my phone down (no Pinterest) and did some reading. I haven’t spent a weekend with a book in a really long time. It felt really good to get back into the old groove and even better not having a crochet needle in my hand, if only for a little while.

I read The Crow Trap, which is the first of the Vera Stanhope books by Ann Cleeves. It’s a long read as Ann doesn’t rush when introducing her characters. In fact, the character of Vera Stanhope isn’t fully realized until you’re almost halfway through the book. It was very good and, after finishing that, quickly picked up the next one in the series called Telling Tales. Again, it didn’t take me long to get through it. All in all, I was pleased to have my reading mojo back.

I can’t tell what helped me creatively more, reading or not spinning through Pinterest. I think I might give myself a social media break for lent and just refocus a bit. More God. More Word. More ideas. More finishing what I started. That’s a big goal for me for 2025. I don’t mind having a few projects going at once, but I have many more than that at the moment and it’s starting to grate against my anxiety. Too many tabs are open and I need to close a few.

After another long really cold snap, we’re finally warming up. It’s giving me Spring vibes in a huge way. This is the time of year when I count down to when the clocks turn back, and I wait for the snow to melt, revealing an ugly brown carpet of mud and dead grass. Spring is an ugly time of year as far as I’m concerned. However, I’m ready to put away the heavy coats, scarves, hats and gloves in favor of rain jackets, umbrellas and Wellingtons. It’s time to come out of hibernation, get out in the sunshine and take some walks. Already, I’ve noticed new blooms on the trees and increased birdsong. I can’t wait to sit outside and soak it all up.

February ended on a super high note! And you can read all about it here! I’m absolutely in love! God is so very good. And this next season of my life is about to be the best yet!

Photo courtesy of Glen Carrie via Unsplash.com

Moments and Musings

Hello, 55!

Posted on October 9, 2023October 28, 2024 by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

Today is my birthday and I’m turning 55 years old.

It looks different than I thought it would look. My mother isn’t here to celebrate with me and my younger daughter is married now and lives three hours away. However, I’m very excited about this particular birthday as I’m now in the pre-stages of senior citizen-hood and I’m looking forward it. I know most people don’t like getting older. However, I’m a firm believer in embracing each year. I run up to it, hug it tightly, welcome it in and offer it some tea. I like to make each year feel right at home.

In the spirit of my birthday, allow a moment of self-indulgence as I list 55 things I’ve learned and discovered over the last 55 years of my life:

Jesus first. Always, Jesus first. Without Jesus, nothing works.
Make your plans and dream your dreams but then give them over to God. He will add His love and perfection to each one and give it back to you more beautiful than you ever imagined.
Life is better with dog.
Sometimes, you need time to sit in silence and just breathe.
Grief is lifelong. Although, its waves aren’t always as powerful as they are in the beginning.
Call people. Stop using apps to stay in touch. (I’m still learning this one.)
Tears are release and healing. Sometimes, I make time for them. When I don’t, they seem to make time for me.
A good ghost story is always a good thing!
There aren’t enough good ghost stories.
Blue is the best color in the world, followed closely by green.
Pray early for your kids spouses. And pray often.
The world may tell you God needs to change with the times but God is the same, yesterday, today and forever. He never changes. He doesn’t have to.
The best steak is filet mignon and the best way to eat it is medium well.
You can eat anything you want. You just need to watch the portion.
A good walk or a good bike ride is the best physical stress reliever.
A good talk with The Father is the best emotional stress reliever.
A home should have many many blankets.
The British write the best mysteries.
It’s ok to speak the Truth. But it’s not only to be unloving.
I fully plan to be the woman known for cycling through the neighborhood on her bike with flowers in her basket and a straw hat on her head.
Take heart, God is in the midst of it all and He knows the way out.
Crochet is life. Also, I don’t know how to knit.
Embroidery is secondary to crochet. Because I still don’t know how to knit.
It’s better to excel at one or two things than to be mediocre at a lot of things.
I always looked forward to life in a 55+ community.
Moving in with my 2 older sisters means I’ll be living in my own 55+ community. LOL
Fresca is the best soda.
Tea should be a staple in every home.
Coffee should be a staple in every home.
Chocolate should be a staple in every home.
I’ll never understand people who don’t like ice cream.
Hot chocolate should always be topped with whipped cream and cinnamon.
Christmas is the best holiday ever.
We should always make friends with crows. They remember and will bring you stuff.
There’s nothing wrong with counting down to special days.
The next season will always be better than your current one.
Never rush through your current season.
Menopause will make your feel like you’re going crazy. Take heart, dear lady, you are!
Being the youngest in the family doesn’t mean I’m privileged or spoiled; it means I have others to look up to and learn from.
Always spend time with your family.
It’s an honor and a privileged to hold a loved one’s hand while they go home to Jesus.
Funerals and weddings either bring out the very best in people or the very worst.
The world is unkind. Don’t be like the world.
You don’t need to make a difference in the world as a whole; just start with your world right where you’re at.
Prayer isn’t always a labored thing. Sometimes, it’s a moment by moment quiet conversation with God.
The inner voice speaking encouragement and direction to you most likely is the Holy Spirit.
I don’t believe in mean dogs; only mean people who make dogs mean.
Cats are like teenagers.
I believe there’s no perfection to be found in being creative. That’s why I create; to tame my perfectionist ways. Also, so I won’t eat too much ice cream.
I will miss my mother for the rest of the my life. 49 years with her wasn’t long enough.
I look forward to being a grandma someday.
Laughter truly is contagious. One should laugh every day.
You don’t need a big house to be happy. Comfort and contentment can be found in the smallest of spaces.
In any loving home, there’s always room for one more.
Everyone should have cake and ice cream on their birthday.

Happy Birthday to me!

Photo by Robert Anderson on Unsplash

Moments and Musings

Doubting Thomas

Posted on June 22, 2023May 27, 2025 by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

Our story begins in John 20: 24-27 NLT

One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

I remember as a child reading these verses in school and thinking how bad Thomas was for not believing. Actually, that’s how it was taught to me. The nuns would stand over us with their pointer sticks telling us not to be anything like “Doubting Thomas” or else…..

So, I judged Thomas, just as I was taught to do, for his imperfections. I boasted within myself saying, “I wouldn’t have acted like that. I’d have been better. Done better. Acted better.” I spent years sitting on my self-righteous throne, tarnished crown on my head wondering if we’ll meet Thomas in Heaven someday.

But I wasn’t there over 2000 years ago. I didn’t see the one I called Teacher and Messiah die a violent and cruel death. I don’t know what it’s like to walk away from that experience filled with fear and doubt, possibly running and hiding for my life. I don’t know the confusion of seeing him alive only 8 days later.

I’ve been studying this recently and found myself focusing more on Jesus’ reaction to Thomas’s doubts. Jesus didn’t judge Thomas. He wasn’t mad. He wasn’t disappointed. He wasn’t discouraged. Others in that room might have. And I sure did for a very long time.

Jesus didn’t. He loved him. And I imagine Jesus knew Thomas would give him the side-eye treatment. It was no surprise to Him so He was prepared. He responded as a only a Savior would – excited for Thomas to believe and wanting him to know beyond all knowing, deep in his heart of hearts, that Jesus was real and He was alive.

So, unlike how I was taught, when Jesus tells Thomas to feel his hands, feet and side, it wasn’t an admonishment; it was an invitation. Full of love. Full of forgiveness. Full of faith enough to cover Thomas’s unbelief.

I believe Jesus was so full of joy that He welcomed showing Himself to Thomas. And He was thrilled when Thomas accepted His invitation and believed.

What a wonderful, loving, faithful Savior we have!

Photo by Jackson David via Unsplash