Tag: Jesus

Posted in Moments and Musings

August 2024

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

Happy September! I don’t know about you but I’m so ready to see the end of summer. I know the official start of fall isn’t until September 21, but I tend to celebrate the meteorological calendar a bit more. It just makes more sense to me.

That means Fall is here!!

I have to tell you; out of all the seasons, summer is my least favorite. As a 55-year-old woman living in the heart of her menopause years, the heat and I are not friends. The idea of walking outside and breathing in water is not fun. I’m not a fan of the oppressiveness high humidity lends to a hot day. August always feels like it’s the hottest month of the year for no good reason other than just to be August.

You may have guessed by now – August is my least favorite month. I’m way too antsy for Fall. Around halfway through the month, I suddenly get a craving for pumpkin flavored things. I want to wear boots and scarves and curl up in oversized thick sweaters on a rainy day.

William Faulkner said:

“Some days in late August at home are like this, the air thin and eager like this, with something in it sad and nostalgic and familiar.”

That pretty much sums up my general emotional state except the air was not thin. It was very hot and humid with heat indexes up to 115 degrees. But it was nostalgic, in a way.

I feel like I’ve come full circle somehow. When my mom was alive, my girls and I would join her every Saturday evening for Mass at St. Gilbert’s church. Then afterwards, we always went to a neighborhood restaurant for dinner. Living out my faith beside my mom was very special to me, especially during the holidays.

Living so close to my dad and stepmom, I’ve started to attend Saturday night Mass with them along with my sister and occasionally my daughter, Shelby. Afterwards, we find a local restaurant and enjoy a meal together. It’s amazing how much comes back to me and how much of my Catholic faith never left. I feel my mom sharing this with me in a way and I absolutely love how much it means to my 91 year old Dad to have his kids and grandkids attending with him. It’s changed me.

Of course, I will always love my other church, and I watch the recordings of services during the week online but being with my dad and sharing this with him is something I know I’ll remember and cherish long after he’s in the arms of Jesus.

As I stated earlier, August is not my favorite month. Covid visited me at the beginning of the month, so that was fun. I felt like death warmed over and the congestion was just great (insert sarcasm). Mucinex was a huge life saver for me as was my sister who, during her time off work, took my daughter to work and picked her up for me so I could get as much rest as possible. She also took care of my dog so…huge shout out thanks to Kathleen! She was the MVP of my covid week. I joked that I went back to Mass and came home with Covid but I’m not too sure people thought that funny, so I stopped. It must have just been a coincidence that the first time I went to Mass since my mom’s passing and the next day, I started feeling ill.

I also stayed down here in my room in the basement for a whole week which was a very hot week at that. Thankfully, as my fever broke, so did the weather and it was total joy to be back in the living room with my family.

Just a quick note. I was very careful to stay away from my family as much as possible however, I would do that regardless of whether it was covid or a simple cold. We all lead busy lives and a huge part of that includes my 91-year-old dad, who doesn’t need to get sick. Plus, being sick sucks and I’m not interested in spreading it around. There are more people living with me now, so I felt it best to be prudent.

But enough of that! I’m much better now, Praise God!

August did bring me the sweetest news ever.

I am going to be a grandma!!

Yes, my daughter and son-in-law are expecting their first child in March 2025. I’m beyond thrilled and so very excited for them. Emilie is truly living the life she’s prayed for all her life, and I am so thankful to God for all the blessings pouring out on them. They also bought their first house! God is just so good.

It’s times like this when I wish my mom was still here. Of course, I always wish for her and always will. Since she died, everything good that happens, every joyful moment, is always tainted with a tiny particle of grief and longing. I imagine it always will be.

Nevertheless, this baby is already a blessing and will be the first of a new generation in our family. I can’t wait to meet him or her! I can’t wait to be “Grammy”! Now more than ever, I need to get serious about getting into shape. I want no restrictions on the number of activities I can do with my grandbabies. I want to do it all with them!

Which brings us to the goal-setting part of this gab fest. I love setting goals! I love to plan out what I want to do with my life. I love to write it down on a list and then cross off tasks as I complete them. Therefore, here’s some goals I have going into September.

Be content. I love my new home so much. It’s not perfect. It doesn’t have to be. This house has brought me the best of both worlds. I can be alone, if I want some alone time. Or I can be with people. Before moving here, I decided living alone was really not for me.  

Now, I’m not talking about being in a relationship. I’m NOT relationship material. I’m not interested. I’m way too old and romance isn’t really my strong suit, so I steer clear. If I want romance in my life, I’m more than happy to grab a mug of tea and embrace the couch life while watching the Hallmark channel. There, I can stream romance at any time of the year and in any season.

Prioritize my health. I’m not joining any diet culture or keeping track of everything I eat. That really only stresses me out which leads to more unhealthy eating. Just taking longer and longer walks as the days grow cold. Encouraging those in my household to do the same. Focus more on portions than the actual contents of my plate. Forgive myself for bad food moments.

Be a better steward of my money. The closer I get to 65, the more I realize that I do want to experience some retirement years before going home to Jesus. I want to crochet, embroider, travel all over, and be at my grandbabies’ beck and call. That’s my plan. Some changes I’m committing myself to make may seem small, but everyone has to start somewhere.

For example, I’ve been able to cancel some streaming services and started using my library more. Hoopla is a wonderful app and much of what I like to watch is available for free almost anytime I want.

Coffee is a huge expense for me. Not only do I like all the frou-frou coffees, but I also tend to buy a pastry to go with it. Thanks to the wonder of Pinterest, I’ve found some easy recipes I want to try. I also discovered a few cool techniques. That, combined with the fact that Shelby used to work for Starbucks and knows several tips and tricks herself, should help save money.

Finally, I’m declaring a yarn buying ban in September. We’ll see if I actually meet this goal. I have so much yarn!!

Increase my skill as an artist. Artist! I choke on that word! I still cannot define myself as an artist of any kind since I’ve never really created anything original. I do want to be praying on that, though. I know there’s a purpose for this desire to create something. I want to be a blessing and am actively seeking opportunities.

Enhance my personal sense of style. Working from home so much really has put a huge dent in my sense of fashion. I have no idea what I like anymore and would like to put more of an effort into dressing up more for Mass, other church events and even going out to Friday night dinners.

For far too long, I’ve looked in the mirror only to see a fat, frumpy, middle-aged woman looking back. I’m ready to change that. I see plus-sized women all around me who are beautiful having a strong sense of classical fashion and I want in on it. I’ve always prided myself on being a Walmart girl and you know what? There’s nothing wrong with that when that’s all your budget allows. At this time of my life, I want a little more. I want to make quality purchases on quality clothing that will carry me into my grandma years. I want to be beautiful, and I want clothes that make me feel beautiful.

Take one Pinterest idea and make it a reality. While it’s fun to scroll through Pinterest and pin idea after idea, I find doing too much of it makes me restless. I want to be a doer, not just a pinner. I want to make my dreams a reality even if it is just something decorative to hang on a wall.

Well, the coffee pot is empty now as is my coffee mug. I hope you enjoyed this first gab session! Maybe you have a cool coffee recipe or a crochet pattern. Feel free to drop me a note and share anything that’s on your heart. Prayer requests included. I’m happy to be praying with you and for you for anything you may be believing God for.

Happy September!

Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

    Posted in Moments and Musings

    Three Months Later…

    Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

    Hello all! I’m back from a bit of a break. Three months, to be exact. I didn’t plan it and I certainly haven’t been idle. These months have been a bit crazy.

    So first, I moved into a new home. It takes time to settle into a new space. From unpacking to repacking stuff you thought you needed but now realize you can live without to decorating, it’s all very joyful, very tiring and very time consuming. There are new routines to discover and build. I moved to a completely new area so I’m learning my way around the town. I am adjusting to a new work from home space. My dog also needed some TLC as he sniffed and smelled his way around his new digs. I’m living with family members I haven’t lived with for years and years and while we get along, living with them is definitely different from visiting with them. We moved closer to my dad and stepmom so that was also an adjustment. I’m even adjusting to new weather patterns as weather here on the south side tends to be a bit more dramatic than what I’ve been used to. Isn’t that something?

    Then the cicadas came. Boy, did they ever. My neighborhood was swarmed with them. They covered our trees, flew in our faces and were so very loud. I’m not a huge bug fan so this was not fun for me at all. Each morning, I rose early to get Percy out on his first long walk of the day while they were still clicking away in their sleep. Once they woke up, it was a quick run out, praying for Percy to be quick about his business before heading into the garage to shake myself down, not wanting to invite any of these things into my new home. I managed but my poor sister didn’t fare as well. After doing some gardening, she brought one into the house, clinging precariously to her jeans. Thankfully, my older sister was able to quickly show it the door. In steamy hot temperatures, I covered myself head to toe each time to walk Percy and even then, I still had to pull a few off of me. I hate bugs! I hate cicadas!

    Shelby’s hours changed and since I’m her ride to and from work, my sleep hours changed as well. She went from working 8pm to 630am to 5am to 130pm. I get up at 4am now during the week which I’m not a fan of. But I am a fan of Shelby (😊) so I endure. It’s actually been good for our bank accounts as before, we were running through Stan’s Donuts, Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks on the way home when she got off at 630am. We no longer do that as many places are still closed at 430am when we’re leaving. So yay for more money. We only have about 6 different ways to make and enjoy coffee here in our new home so why we still feel we need to buy coffee out is beyond me. Yet, I do it as often as I can.

    Coffee and yarn are two pleasure purchases for me. I can never have enough of either.

    Shelby and I found a new church – yes, even that changed for us. I love meeting new people and then I don’t like meeting new people. I always feel like I wear everything that’s wrong with me on the outside, like a paper tag clipped to clothing. And it all points to them deciding I’m not worth knowing. Ah…the fear of rejection. Someday, this too shall be conquered within my soul, and I’ll be the beaming ray of sunshine I long to be without any hesitation or hindrance. So far, the only way I know to overcome this is to dive into the deep end, put myself out there and just be me.

    I’ve also been crocheting a lot. I haven’t touched an embroidery needle since we moved. I’ve bought patterns but there’s been no actual execution. Crochet, planning crochet, buying yarn, and looking up new patterns has been a huge focus for me at the moment.

    And then, as if that wasn’t enough, I treated myself to a Nintendo Switch Lite. I bought the game Animal Crossing; New Horizons. What a time suck!! But so much fun!!! I struggle with enjoying things like this because I always feel I SHOULD be productive, even in my down time. I tend to be pretty hard on myself so giving myself permission to do something fun like this has been…well…nice. I’m enjoying it.

    So, what’s next? Getting back to Friday Fives, because they’re conversational and I like a good quiz. Posts showing more crochet projects and what I’m working on. I went on a small trip recently that was really fun and informative. And some personal news to share as soon as I’m able.

    Until then, have faith in God that everything’s going to be ok, give yourself some love because you deserve it and find joy in imperfect things (and people).

    Posted in Moments and Musings

    This New Season

    Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

    A few short years ago, both my girls were planning to get a place of their own. I sat looking through apartment listings (just for fun), looking at one-bedroom places and dreaming of how I would decorate it without any input from anyone else. I pinned meals “for the single gal” to my Pinterest page and thought about how grand it would be to have the whole TV all to myself.

    I could do what I wanted when I wanted. The ultimate single life.

    We moved in here and shortly after, Emilie got married. And then there were two.

    Emilie has always been my “big idea” girl. Big dreams. Bigger plans. So full of sparkling conversation. She outwardly expresses everything and this lead to hours upon hours of endless chatter. She filled my days with talking. I honestly can’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t talking. So many late night talks, some full of fear but most filled with faith and a lot of tears.

    But Shelby isn’t like that. She doesn’t have huge dreams.

    Shelby works an overnight job and sleeps during the day. She has her own set of nerdy friends she prefers to spend time with, which is very normal for a girl like her. I want to give her that
    space. I don’t want her to feel like she’s her mother’s entertainment committee. The few times she’s decided to spend her day with me has been a gift and I’ve made the most of it. Her big ambition right now is to work, make some money, and play video games with her friends. Even when she is with me, she’s quiet. There’s never been a ton of conversation that’s
    happened between us.

    So, my home when from being loud to being very quiet.

    In the beginning, I took advantage of it. But it wasn’t long before conversations with Jesus
    turned into mindless chatter with either myself or with the dog. (He doesn’t ever engage. He usually just licks himself and finds a new comfortable space on my chair.)

    Now, that season is ending. I just bought a house with my sister. And my other sister (there’s four of us girls in my family) will be moving in with us along with Shelby. My very quiet, boring existence is about to be replaced with conversation and activity once more.

    I can’t wait!

    Moving to my current home was a huge blessing. We moved right in the middle of 2020 from a super small apartment to this one. My old apartment was only a mile away from the home we shared with my mom for 12 years. It was the home that healed us from a painful divorce. It was my mother’s house and for 12 years, we were secure and stable.

    Then we lost her and everything changed.

    The two years we spent in that first apartment after she died were so full of grief and pain and adjustment and just emptiness. We had no family nearby. My girls and I clung to each other and together, we held onto Jesus. But that grief – it was so hard to heal. I remember when we moved into this place, it almost felt like I was leaving my grief behind. So much closer to my sister, this place gave me breathing room, and not just literally.

    It changed everything.

    Being close to people who I loved and who loved me was the healing balm I needed. We healed together, in a way. God blessed us so much in this place and in this current season.

    God gave me this season and I have not squandered it.

    But now it’s time for the next step in my life. To go back to living in a space where I can put color on my walls and have my own laundry (it’s the little things). I won’t just be close to family; I’ll be living with family and closest I’ve been to my dad and stepmom in decades.

    The challenge now is to stay in an attitude of gratitude. I’ve got just under 2 months until we move into our house – hopefully, our forever home.

    Seasonal transitions are hard because the closer you get to the new season, the less tolerant you are of the season you’re in. It’s easy to get edgy and start to dislike what once was a blessing.

    I’m determined not to let that happen to me. I love my home. I love every minute here. And before I leave, I want to pray over it, touch each wall and walk its floors one more time. I want to leave a bit of Jesus here. I want the next family to feel peace, love, comfort, and healing when they want through the door – just as I did.

    When I get to my new home, I’ll do the same. Touch the walls. Walk the floors. Speak Jesus to it all. This home was a home of healing but the next home…that will be a home full of joy!

    Photo by Tierra Mallorca on Unsplash

    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