From This Moment: A Novel

Kim Vogel Sawyer

Feb 2021 · Sold by WaterBrook

About this ebook

A lost ring brings together two wounded souls—a youth minister haunted by the past and a spunky church custodian—in this heartwarming romance from the bestselling author of The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow.
 
A Kansas State Library Notable Book • “Kim Vogel Sawyer is an amazing storyteller who crafts each of her stories with page-turning excitement and rich character development.”—Tracie Peterson, bestselling author of the Golden Gate Secrets series

Growing up in the foster care system, Jase Edgar always dreamed of one day starting his own family. But his fiancée's untimely death shattered his plans. Moving to Kansas and serving as a youth minister should be a fresh start, but he can't seem to set aside his doubts about God's goodness long enough to embrace his new life.

Newly-appointed church custodian, Lori Fowler is battling her own challenges. Her strained relationship with her father and her struggles with overeating convince her she's not worthy enough for love. When an Amish weaver enlists their help locating the owner of a ring found among the donated clothing she uses as fabric, Jase and Lori find themselves drawn to each other. But will they be able to release the past and move forward from this moment into a joyful future?

Ratings and reviews

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the electronic copy of From This Moment by Kim Vogel Sawyer. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced them. From This Moment is a heartfelt Christian novel with endearing characters and an emotional plot that has a great Christian message. The pacing pulled me into the story from the beginning and kept me engaged until the end. Lori Fowler is one of the main characters. She has a crush on the new youth minister, and when she’s given the chance to clean the church part-time, she sees it as a way to become friends with him. Her character is sweet and innocent, and she is also a good friend to the recent addition at the quilt shop where she works during the day. Kenzie is a young woman who left her Amish roots during her rumspringa because she discovered a different path for her faith. While working on a new rug from scraps of discarded clothing, Kenzie finds an engagement ring in the pocket of a pair of jeans. This ring becomes an intricate part of the plot. I enjoyed her character a great deal and loved her gentle influence on Lori. Jase Edgar is the new youth minister. He lost his sweetheart in a car crash and is looking for a fresh start, which he finds with his new position. I truly enjoyed his character as he works with the teens at the church. He accepts Lori’s hand of friendship and looks beyond her physical appearance to the beautiful soul hidden inside her. Ms. Sawyer brings out several difficult topics involving a troubled teen Jase counsels, Lori’s body image issues, her compulsive relationship with food, and her estrangement with her family. Kenzie’s guilt over leaving her Amish family that she hasn’t seen them for years. There’s a strong message of Christ’s acceptance and love woven into this soul-searching tale. If you enjoy Christian fiction with characters that will touch your heart, then you will love From This Moment as much as I did. Kim Vogel Sawyer is an amazing author, and this novel is one I would read again. Happy reading!

From This Moment by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a heartwarming and emotional novel. It is well-written with developed characters. The point-of-view switches between our main characters: Pastor Kraft, Jase, Kenzie, and Lori. We get to know each of them along with other members of the congregation. It gives us a chance to learn about their issues and struggles. From This Moment is an emotional novel. Jase is struggling with his faith after the loss of his fiancé, Rachel. Lori is a bubbly, friendly woman who still misses her mother. She deals with her problems by indulging in food. Lori is smitten with Jase from the moment she saw him. Kenzie may have left her Amish community behind, but she cannot give up everything she learned. When she finds a ring in donated clothing, Kenzie is determined to find the ring’s owner. Kenzie has not seen her family in years, and she misses them. I enjoyed getting to know each character as they worked through their struggles. From This Moment deals with love, acceptance, friendship, faith, humility, hope, and loss. We get to see God at work and what happens when we follow the path He has set out for us. We see that God truly does work in mysterious ways. I enjoyed reading this touching story. I especially liked the descriptions of Kenzie’s loom, the process of making the rugs, and how it made Kenzie feel. Kenzie’s brownie recipe is included. Kim Vogel Sawyer has given us a compelling story with From This Moment that you will not want to put down.

DELIGHTFUL! This is a wonderful inspirational book that demonstrates how God works in, around, over, through, because of and in spite of ALL our circumstances! It is the story of three young adults who find themselves in the same small church in Kansas. It was one of those friendships that was God-ordained, for such a time as this. They are three souls who have been battered by circumstances in their pasts but each are diligently working on a closer personal relationship with God. Jase is the youth minister who is dealing with his own doubts about God’s goodness after losing his fiancée in a tragic accident. Lori is the newly appointed church custodian with no self worth and terrible relationship with her father and compensates by overeating. Their friend Kenzie has left the Amish world and has come to live among believers. She is feeling very convicted to return to her family and share the Gospel but has to come up with a financial plan for a bus ticket. Sawyer weaves a beautiful story of redemption in the lives of all three of these characters through an unlikely set of circumstances. Even though each of her characters has major flaws, she draws on their strengths and allows them to work together for a common goal and in the end, they each come away with a renewed faith. Also, Sawyer allows the characters to question God in some things and shows how God brings the right people in your life to encourage you and mentor you. I particularly enjoyed this book as I have worked in some type of youth ministry for the past 45 years. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by WaterBrook Publishers. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

About the author

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a highly acclaimed bestselling author with more than one million books in print in seven different languages. Her titles have earned numerous accolades including the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers' Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Kim lives in central Kansas with her retired military husband, Don, where she continues to write gentle stories of hope. She enjoys spending time with her three daughters and her grandchildren.