From This Moment : Kim Vogel Sawyer

 Kim Vogel Sawyer has done it again, she has gifted her readers with another heartwarming story of a spiritual journey that ends in witness and joy for both the characters and her readers.  Every time I hear of a new Kim Vogel Sawyer novel, I get so excited to read it.  So when "From This Moment" was released for early review I immediately requested it!  I received a copy from Waterbrook and Multnomah as a member of their launch team for an honest review. 

Jase Edgar is a new youth pastor at the Bradlyville Kansas Beech Street Bible Fellowship.  Having recently suffered a tragic loss, he goes to his new position in search of a faith he feels has left him and a way to start over again.  

Brother Kraft, the church's senior pastor takes Jase under his wing as he introduces him to the congregation, the students he will be teaching, and the ladies of the church.  In the process, he meets two young women, Kenzie and Lori, best friends who each are walking through their faith journey with different struggles.  

Lori has a verbally abusive father and her mother is deceased.  She binge eats to fill the void of parental love and approval in her life.  She wears a mask of joyful exuberance but inside she is lost and seeking comfort in whatever she can find.

Kenzie is a young woman whose roots run deep in the Amish community.  Kenzie left her family and friends in Indiana to find work and ended up in Baileyville Kansas working for a quilt shop, and making rugs on an antique loom to donate to missions in her free time. Kenzie has accepted Christ and knows the truth of saving through pure grace, but she knows her family back in the Amish community does not.  She wants to witness to them but doesn't know how. 

Through God's healing mercy and grace, all the characters in Sawyer's book find hope, acceptance, and fulfillment and continue to witness to God's everlasting love for his children.

Every Sawyer novel is special to me, but living in Hutchinson Kansas, this book is even more so.  Baileyville Kansas in the story is set near Wichita Kansas, just as Hutchinson is in reality.  I could relate to not only the characters but also to the setting and this brought an even deeper familiarity for me as I read the story.  With each of her novels, there are moments that the story seems to speak to my heart, I make a connection with the struggles of the characters and as they strengthen their spiritual journey, I feel my faith also strengthen.

"From This Moment" will be released on February 23, 2021. Reader, if you are searching for a story of hope and healing, read Sawyer's new release.  Trust me, you will not be disappointed. 

Ink and Willow: 40 days of Intentional Living

 I am so impressed by the product line of Christian stationery, journals, and other creative resources offered by the company Ink and Willow.  The latest item that inspired me from their company is a journal, "40 days of Intentional Living, A challenge to cultivate faith through devotions, journaling, and prayer." I received a copy of this journal as part of the Ink and Willow launch team for an honest review.

When I opened the journal I was charmed.  The format is well organized and easy to use.  The journal offers a bible verse, a devotion and a page designed to journal thoughts and insights taken from the readings.  

I think that I will focus using this journal primarily during the season of lent, beginning next week, but really any time of the year would be a good time to use the journal.  

I appreciate the quality and value as well.  If you are looking for a way to enhance your spiritual journey through journaling, then explore all the products of the Ink and Willow line at www.InkandWillow,com

Centered: Trading Your Plans for A Life That Matters

 Jason Brown is a brave man, not many men could do and make the choices that he did in his life. Thankfully, he shares his life journey with his readers in his book, "Centered: Trading Your Plans for a Life that Matters."  I received a free digital copy of his book from the publisher, Waterbrook & Multnomah, as part of their launch team for an honest review.  

Brown grew up in Henderson, North Carolina, and attended the University of North Carolina where he played football.  Brown followed his college football career by being drafted into the NFL by the Baltimore Ravens in 2005.  Later he became a free agent and was signed to the Las Angeles Rams for 37.5 million dollars.  Brown was the highest-paid center in the league in 2009.  Three years after this amazing feat, he turned his back on his NFL career and purchased a huge thousand-acre farm in North Carolina. His farm became a success and he donates almost all that he grows to those in need. 

What would possess a man who has a dream career in the NFL to give it all up to return to his family's roots and farm the land?   Two words...God and prayer.  He named his farm "First Fruits", the term from the bible that refers to what the people in the bible were to give to God, the first fruits of their labors.  He and his wife Tay intended to give away the "first fruits" of their labors to people in need.  

Throughout the novel, the reader walks the path with Brown as he tells his family's story. He begins with his grandparent's lives, living in the south, and progresses to his own upbringing and schooling.  He explains his passage into the NFL and his exodus into the life of a farmer.  All interwoven with his faith and assurance that in all his endeavors he was following God's will.  

I strongly recommend reading Brown's book, Centered.  I sincerely enjoyed it and will definitely share it with others!

 @wisefarmerbrown, @firstfruitsfarmnc,  #centered