Tag: christian

Posted in Moments and Musings

Time To Change

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

The time change is coming. Turning back the clocks, gaining that one precious hour of sleep if only for one night. We’ll pay for it come the Spring but for now, every one looks forward to that one glorious hour. It’s an important thing, this hour.

It’s that hour that pulls the darkness of the winter forward pushing back the light. In the darkness, the earth will reset itself. It’s a quiet, reflective time. Time to rest, stay indoors and just breathe. Time for hot chocolate, cinnamon tea, soft blankets and cozy fires.

For me, I both love and dread this time. I require light and a lot of it. For years, I’ve struggled with a bit of seasonal depression. It’s a slight feeling of gloominess. Fall beauty starts to fade, giving way to a colorless, monochromatic time. Evenings become a little harder to get through than in other seasons. I find, as I get older, that I’m more of a skylark than a night owl.

This year will be different than others that have gone by. The menopause blues like to have a swipe at me now and again. And with my younger daughter married and living three hours away and my other daughter working an overnight job, I’m alone…a lot! Add that plus a time change to the menopause blues and it’s a triple whammy ending in many tear filled evenings.

But I recognize all this so I decided to do somethings to try to head this all off at the pass.

  1. More movement – I really don’t like walking around my beautiful little lake because there’s bugs and there’s snakes. Not poisonous but they’re there and I’m good staying away. So I bought a hula dancing DVD. I needed something that would be good for me but also be fun. I may look for more dance DVDs. I’m sure I’ll look like a buffoon but I’ll be up, I’ll be moving and I’ll be having fun.
  2. Journaling – I’m back to it and it makes me happy to write down my thoughts and feelings. It also helps me to look back and see how far I’ve come.
  3. Bible Study – This is a no brainer. More God, more peace. I remember when my mom passed and I sat down on my bed, dejected and said, “Ok, God, I cry ‘uncle’.” God immediately spoke to my heart and said, “Stop crying ‘uncle’ and start crying Father.” He is the great encourager and I go to a church full of happy, imperfect people. I plan to be one of them.
  4. Celebrate the season – I mentioned earlier this is the time of the year when the earth resets itself. I’m determined to do the same. Reflect more. Go deeper. Let go. Seek to find. God is in every season.
  5. Create – I find I’m more contented when I’m creating something. Crochet isn’t just the means to another blanket in the house; it’s the process of allowing my hands to do something other than eat while my brain engages in a different way. I look at the world a little differently. I overcome the habit of perfection when I’m crafting.
  6. Call – As in pick up the phone and call people. More conversations mean less loneliness.
  7. Enjoy My Food – I don’t subscribe to a diet. I never have and never will. Food is to be enjoyed. Plain and simple. I’m going to experiment with new recipes and new techniques using my hands, like bread making.
  8. Light My Home – I love candles. All kinds of candles. And I love candle holders. Bright, crystal or glass holders that reflect the light from the candle. And while I use flameless candles, my preference is real candles. (Unscented, please)
  9. Selfcare – I really think all the above is selfcare in one form or another. But some things I’d like to be more intentional about. Giving myself a facial, or a manicure. Something that makes me feel pretty.
  10. Hallmark Christmas Movies – Too early? That’s ok. They’re full of cheese and ever so predictable but each one puts a smile on my face and makes me happy. It helps me to focus on all that’s ahead, like lights, color, family, food and giving.

The very last, and probably most important, thing I’ll do is remember that this is only a season. It’s not forever. Like every season, it will end and a new one will be welcomed. Also, like every season, it has a purpose and definition.

So tell me – do you love or strongly dislike this time of year when the days grow shorter and darker? Or are you indifferent? Do you celebrate anything special, outside of the obvious? What does any change of season look like to you?

Photo by Emanuel Ekström on Unsplash

Posted in Moments and Musings

Hello, 55!

Posted on 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:

  1. Jesus first. Always, Jesus first. Without Jesus, nothing works.
  2. 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.
  3. Life is better with dog.
  4. Sometimes, you need time to sit in silence and just breathe.
  5. Grief is lifelong. Although, its waves aren’t always as powerful as they are in the beginning.
  6. Call people. Stop using apps to stay in touch. (I’m still learning this one.)
  7. Tears are release and healing. Sometimes, I make time for them. When I don’t, they seem to make time for me.
  8. A good ghost story is always a good thing!
  9. There aren’t enough good ghost stories.
  10. Blue is the best color in the world, followed closely by green.
  11. Pray early for your kids spouses. And pray often.
  12. 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.
  13. The best steak is filet mignon and the best way to eat it is medium well.
  14. You can eat anything you want. You just need to watch the portion.
  15. A good walk or a good bike ride is the best physical stress reliever.
  16. A good talk with The Father is the best emotional stress reliever.
  17. A home should have many many blankets.
  18. The British write the best mysteries.
  19. It’s ok to speak the Truth. But it’s not only to be unloving.
  20. 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.
  21. Take heart, God is in the midst of it all and He knows the way out.
  22. Crochet is life. Also, I don’t know how to knit.
  23. Embroidery is secondary to crochet. Because I still don’t know how to knit.
  24. It’s better to excel at one or two things than to be mediocre at a lot of things.
  25. I always looked forward to life in a 55+ community.
  26. Moving in with my 2 older sisters means I’ll be living in my own 55+ community. LOL
  27. Fresca is the best soda.
  28. Tea should be a staple in every home.
  29. Coffee should be a staple in every home.
  30. Chocolate should be a staple in every home.
  31. I’ll never understand people who don’t like ice cream.
  32. Hot chocolate should always be topped with whipped cream and cinnamon.
  33. Christmas is the best holiday ever.
  34. We should always make friends with crows. They remember and will bring you stuff.
  35. There’s nothing wrong with counting down to special days.
  36. The next season will always be better than your current one.
  37. Never rush through your current season.
  38. Menopause will make your feel like you’re going crazy. Take heart, dear lady, you are!
  39. 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.
  40. Always spend time with your family.
  41. It’s an honor and a privileged to hold a loved one’s hand while they go home to Jesus.
  42. Funerals and weddings either bring out the very best in people or the very worst.
  43. The world is unkind. Don’t be like the world.
  44. You don’t need to make a difference in the world as a whole; just start with your world right where you’re at.
  45. Prayer isn’t always a labored thing. Sometimes, it’s a moment by moment quiet conversation with God.
  46. The inner voice speaking encouragement and direction to you most likely is the Holy Spirit.
  47. I don’t believe in mean dogs; only mean people who make dogs mean.
  48. Cats are like teenagers.
  49. 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.
  50. I will miss my mother for the rest of the my life. 49 years with her wasn’t long enough.
  51. I look forward to being a grandma someday.
  52. Laughter truly is contagious. One should laugh every day.
  53. You don’t need a big house to be happy. Comfort and contentment can be found in the smallest of spaces.
  54. In any loving home, there’s always room for one more.
  55. Everyone should have cake and ice cream on their birthday.

Happy Birthday to me!

Photo by Robert Anderson on Unsplash

Posted in Moments and Musings

Refilling The Glass

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

One of my favorite Christmas movies is The Bishop’s Wife. There’s a scene – my mom’s favorite – where Cary Grant’s character, Dudley, counsels Professor Wutheridge (played by Monty Woolley). They’re drinking wine and Wutheridge goes to refill Dudley’s glass (and his own) only to find it already full. During the scene, we see Dudley waive his finger in the background using his angel abilities to refill not only their glasses but the bottle as well.

I was thinking about this on my morning walk with Percy as I saying my ‘good mornings’ to God. (I don’t have super wordy prayers with God anymore unless I’m led by the Spirit. But I do like to have real conversations with Him during the day.) So there I was, walking and thinking about how this is a brand new day and a lovely morning when suddenly, a quote from Anne of Green Gables popped into my head-

“Tomorrow is fresh, with no mistakes in it.” ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery

And I felt a sense of relief and peace. If you’re a Failed Perfectionist, like I am, you’ll know what I’m talking about here. It’s refreshing to learn you get a horde of brand new chances each morning. After all, we probably fell asleep the previous night after using some distraction to keep our brains from highlighting for us all the ways we failed. So waking up to a brand new day feeling like the white board has been wiped clean is pretty important. Then this verse popped into my brain from Lamentations chapter 3, verses 22-23 (ESV):

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

God’s mercy is new every morning. Every morning, there is a fresh batch of undeserved favor available. Without fail.

For someone who is serially hard on herself, I decided to let this run around my brain for a while. I felt the Holy Spirit showing me that, just like Dudley refilled Prof. Wutheridge’s glass over and over, God’s mercy and grace is replenished for us continually. Grace, favor, mercy, love – they never run out. Every time we use a supply of any of these, God instantly refills. And He never waits for morning to do it, either.

I know this might sound simple and contrite to some but God knows me and He knows how I think. I feel like He gives me these examples so my very process-driven brain can fully grasp what his Word is saying is to me. He knows I’m a visual learner and need things to be drilled down for me. He’s aware that lack of understand leads to frustration which leads to giving up.

He knows us perfectionists so well!

Think about this as you go into your weekend. Think about this as you wake up tomorrow morning. There’s brand new, shiny, unused mercy ready for you and it is more than enough for your day. It will never run out. It will never grow stale. You will never reach the bottom of the glass or the bottle. They will always be refilled.

He is a God of more than enough.

Posted in Moments and Musings

Doubting Thomas

Posted on 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

Posted in Moments and Musings

Everything is New

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Cor 5:17

Can I make a confession? This is a verse I have often discarded as “well, that’s great but I’ve been born again for a while now so…..this only applies to new Christians”.

However, today I was looking for verses that deal with starting a new season and this popped up in my search. I was about to swipe left on it when the Spirit stopped me and said, “wait! This IS for you. I’m doing something new in you right now. And five minutes from now, I’ll still be doing something new. And tomorrow, I’ll still be doing something new.”

Isn’t that just THE BEST news ever?

Lately, I feel like everything wrong with me has been highlighted, underlines and bolded in my brain. It’s a cruel voice circling around and around saying:

You’re not good enough.

You’re not pretty enough.

You’re too old.

You’re too dumb.

You’re not like everyone else.

You’re too fat.

You’re a failure.

This is quickly followed up by another voice, full of condemnation that says, “and what’s worse, you know better but you don’t read the Word enough, don’t pray enough and so God isn’t/can’t use you.” . And before long, if you listen enough to these voices, you stop believe the encouragement being spoken into your life every day by people who love you and know better.

It’s no secret that the devil lies. It’s no secret he wants you to feel isolated, depressed and lonely. It’s no secret that he uses comparison to accomplish all of this. HOWEVER, it’s also no secret that God has overcome evil. It’s no secret that our Heavenly Father knows when we’re feeling low and unloved and worthless. It’s no secret that He’s a very present help in a time of need and He uses His people to remind us who we are in Him.

I’ve spent a lifetime battling being a perfectionist and a lifetime failing at being perfect. (Imagine that!) Very recently, during a walk with my dog, God shouted to me to stop being so hard on myself. He already died for me. He already approves of me. He already loves me and nothing can stop that. Furthermore, He’s not done with me. And until Jesus comes, He never will be. And all I need to do is accept and receive. Easier said than done somedays but, like billions of other people on this planet, I’m a work in progress.

So why write this blog? And why does this verse suddenly mean so much?

Because Jesus. Plain and simple. The old is gone and the new is here because of Jesus. I used to look at this verse in a very linear way – as a one and done type of thing. You’re born again and BOOM, you’re new….end scene. Figure it out. Read your Bible. Pray….lather, rinse, repeat.

In Revelations 21:5. Jesus said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” The word behold means “to see or observe especially something remarkable” (Oxford Dictionary). The word making is “the process of producing something” but more importantly, it’s an action word in the verse.

So let’s answer my above questions –

Why write this blog? Because I know I’m not the only one experiencing this. I know there are others, like me, who are wanting something new so desperately we can taste it but our perfectionist, process-driven brains are frustrated because there is no such thing as a one-size fits all perfect process and it haunts us. Jesus died once for all but we are not a one size fits all species. Thankfully, God is not a one size fits all God.

Why this verse? Because it’s critical for us to know the old things are gone and the new things are here. It’s a process that happens over and over again. God is the King of removing the old and making the new. We need help daily to remove the old and refill with something new.

Jesus is the new. He’s here. Now. And He is enough.

Photo by Aaron Burden via Unsplash