From This Moment - Kim Vogel Sawyer Page 0,114
She sent it to me! Isn’t that the sweetest thing ever?”
He tapped the end of her nose with his fingertip and shook his head. “Nope. You, Lori Fowler, are the sweetest thing ever. And don’t you forget it.”
She wouldn’t. Oh, no, she surely wouldn’t.
1 stick of unsalted butter
½ cup coconut oil (or a second stick of butter)
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons sour cream
¾ cup sifted Dutch cocoa powder
⅔ cup all-purpose (NOT self-rising) flour
8 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped into chunks
Preheat oven to 350°F; line an 8 × 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Melt the butter and coconut oil over low heat. Watch to make sure the butter doesn’t brown. When the butter and oil are liquid, remove from heat.
Add the sugars and salt to the pan; stir until the mixture is smooth and has cooled a bit.
Use a hand mixer to beat in the vanilla, eggs, and sour cream (at least 2 minutes on medium, until the batter is frothy, almost like a meringue).
Sift the Dutch cocoa powder and flour together. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour-cocoa mixture into the wet ingredients until just incorporated. DO NOT overmix.
Gently fold in the chocolate chunks (you can add ½ cup chopped nutmeat, if desired).
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake to preferred doneness: 30 minutes for a gooey center; 35 minutes for a fudgy center; 40 minutes for a chewy center (Kenzie’s were fudgy). Cool completely (important: if you need to speed the process, since they’ll be hard to resist, set uncovered pan in the refrigerator) before cutting into 16 squares with a warm, dry, clean knife.
1. Jase receives a piece of advice from Merlin Kraft shortly after his arrival in Bradleyville: “God raises us up for His purposes so we have the opportunity to experience and share His power in a human life….You might feel like your plans have been lost, but His plans are never forsaken. He will use you for His glory, and it’ll be for your good, too.” Have your plans ever crumbled? How did you adapt to the change in direction? Did you uncover new strength, wisdom, or ministry in the change?
2. How did Jase’s tumultuous childhood prepare him to minister to the youth at Beech Street Bible Fellowship?
3. What role did Brother Tony play in Jase’s life? Do you have a mentor who has inspired and guided you? Have you taken the time to thank this person for his or her influence? Have you ever mentored someone else? How has this blessed and challenged your life?
4. Kenzie left her Amish farm for the city and changed her name, but she held on to some elements of her simplistic upbringing. Why do you think she didn’t cast off everything from her former life? Do you think she will stay in Indiana or come back to Kansas? Why?
5. Lori lost her mother when she was young, which left a hole in her life that she tried to fill with food. Why was this unhelpful? When you’re feeling empty, how do you fill yourself? What role does God want to play in being our filler?
6. Because of her physical appearance, Lori felt unworthy. Society places great value on physical appearance. How does this align with Scripture? How can we help our daughters or the young women in our lives view themselves as valuable?
7. Jase used Jeremiah 29:11–13 as the basis for his first sermon at Beech Street. Are these verses familiar to you? Do you believe God is found when we seek Him even from a place of bitter anger? In what ways did God reveal to Jase hope and a future? How has He revealed hope and a future to you?
8. Merlin contemplated the question, If God already has life pathways mapped, does prayer change the circumstance? How would you answer the question? What scriptures support your viewpoint?
9. Pretend a year has passed since Kenzie left for Indiana and Jase delivered his first sermon. Where do you see Kenzie, Jase, Lori, Merlin, and Cullen now?
This one is for the posse, with a special nod to Eileen, who planted the first story seed
I always thank family first. So thanks, Mom, for all the prayers. They continue to bolster me even though you’re no longer with me on earth. I miss you so much. Save me a seat (and a scoop of potato salad) at that banqueting table. Daddy, thank you for being such a great example of the heavenly Father. Believing in a God who truly loves me was an easy concept to accept because you love me so well. Don, thanks for your willingness to take care of yourself, the pets, and the house so I can escape into story world. That Dog and I are glad you’re here. As for my girls and my precious granddarlings, I love you more than I love chocolate, kittens, and sunsets, and that’s sayin’ something.
For more than a decade, the wonderful ladies I refer to as “the posse” have been my cheerleaders, prayer warriors, partners in adventure, and critique-group members. Were it not for an article in a magazine and a full-of-laughter “what if” session, this story would not have come to life. So, Eileen, Connie, Margie, Darlene, and Jalana, thank you for the laughter and inspiration. Love y’all muchly.
And I’ve got to give extra props to Eileen, who found the article in the first place. She asked over and over, “When’re you gonna write that story?” Well, it’s written now, but she won’t see it. She graduated to heaven in the middle of the edits. But that only means she’s seeing more glorious things than a printed book. I miss you, my Texas tornado pal, but I’ll see you soonly.
Gratitude and fond affection for my first minister, Merlin Kraft, and his wife, Leah, who were like surrogate grandparents to me. Merlin, thank you for mentoring my dad—I reaped the benefits of your gentle guidance; and, Leah, I treasure my first Christmas dress, which you so lovingly sewed for me. (Of course, the rabbit-shaped birthday cake is long gone! As is your unforgettable meatloaf.) Although both of you now reside in heaven, your influence lives on. And to Merlin and Leah’s children, thank you for letting me borrow their names for this book. It was a joy to revisit them in memory while I wrote.
To the young adult Sunday school class at First Southern Baptist Church, thanks to those who graciously approved the use of your names for Lori’s class in the story. It added a personal touch that made my heart smile. You are our future! I hope you all know how important you are. It’s a joy to watch you grow in Jesus.
I am ever grateful for the prayers and support offered by my Sunday school ladies and the Lit & Latte book club members. You mean more to me than you’ll ever know.
Thanks to my team at WaterBrook who work with me and help grow me as a writer. I appreciate all of you.
Oh, and to Sharlene, thanks for the expression yikes trikes. It fit Lori so perfectly.
Finally, and most importantly, thank You, God, for being my completer. You are my strength, my comforter, and the one who fills me up. Thank You for seeing something of value in this tarnished vessel. May any praise or glory be reflected back to You.
Books by Kim Vogel Sawyer
Beneath a Prairie Moon
Bringing Maggie Home
Echoes of Mercy
Grace and the Preacher
Just As I Am
The Grace That Leads Us Home
Guide Me Home
The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow
Ours for a Season
Room for Hope
A Silken Thread
Through the Deep Waters
Unveiling the Past
What Once Was Lost
When Grace Sings
When Love Returns
When Mercy Rains
In 1966, Kim Vogel Sawyer told her kindergarten teacher that someday people would check out her books in libraries. That little-girl dream came true in 2006 with the release of Waiting for Summer’s Return. Since then, Kim has watched God expand her dream beyond her childhood imaginings. With more than fifty titles on library shelves and more than 1.5 million copies of her books in print worldwide, she enjoys a full-time writing and speaking ministry. Kim and her retired military husband, Don, are empty nesters living in a small town in Kansas, the setting of many of Kim’s novels. When she isn’t writing, Kim stays active serving in her church’s women’s and music ministries, crafting quilts, petting cats, and spoiling her quiverful of granddarlings. You can learn more about Kim’s writing at www.kimvogelsawyer.com.