Unexpected Christmas Hero ~ Review & Giveaway @alandkathi #ChristmasGiftGuide

Unexpected Christmas Hero

Kathi Macias

Christian Fiction/Christmas

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Back of the book:

Josie Meyers thinks she is living the American dream when she marries a nice, handsome man with a promising future. The dream quickly becomes a nightmare when Josie becomes a widow and must deal with the fallout of her husband’s decisions. She soon finds that she and her two small children are forced to live on the streets and in homeless shelters.

While the scenes surrounding Josie are filled with Christmas decorations and carols, Josie finds herself struggling with the demands of caring for her two small children. She is forced to lean on the experience and lives of other homeless people she meets. What she doesn’t know is that the influence of one homeless man in particular is about to change the course of her life and lead her home to the One who waits for her. He becomes her unexpected Christmas hero.

About the author:

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Twitter @alandkathi 

Website kathimacias.com

Though I'm a wife, mother, grandmother, and yes, great grandmother, I also ride on the back of my hubby's Harley and am known as "Easy Writer." (Update: Hubby sold Harley and bought a 2005 sunburst orange Corvette, so I'm still "Easy Writer" but in comfort now!)

My thoughts:

I have once again been profoundly affected by a Kathi Macias novel. This time she delves into the world of homelessness. I’ve never experienced this personally so there were aspects of the situation that I had never thought about.

Josie is busy living the good life when out of the blue her world begins to shift. First she loses her mother then her husband becomes ill and she loses him as well. The breaking point comes when her home is foreclosed upon. She and her two young children are forced to learn to navigate the system in order to survive.

Because of her limited funds there are times when she and her children sleep in an alley behind a dry cleaner’s shop. As a mother, how could you ever sleep? You would constantly be jerking yourself awake to make sure your children were okay. Sleeping in a homeless shelter probably wouldn’t be much better. Of course you are warmer and relatively safer, but being surrounded by desperate people that you don’t know would be very unsettling.

The story delves into so many areas, such as obtaining nourishment and lodging. Have you ever thought about how you would spend your daytime hours, especially with two little children in tow? How do you go about getting out of these circumstances? The situation seems dire.

Just when I was totally overwhelmed with grief for this family, a ray of sunshine began to peak through. God began to weave people into their lives that would change them and ultimately draw them unto Himself. The most profound pairing was that of Rick and this family. Rick is a homeless Vietnam veteran that suffers from some mental disabilities. Rick chooses the streets rather than a veteran’s home where he would most likely spend his days on mind numbing medication.

Through Rick we are able to glimpse what total dependence upon God looks like. It seems like an oxymoron to be jealous of what a homeless man has, but that is exactly how I felt. Rick embodied the Christ-like character of laying down his life so that others may obtain life.

As I sit here writing this I am completely overwhelmed with feelings. This story will of course make me view the homeless and their situation differently. It will also make me take a look at my reliance upon God to provide my every need. I urge you to get this book and let it speak to you.

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on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally

and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance

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Giveaway:

One reader will win their own copy of Unexpected Christmas Hero!  Open to US only 18+. Giveaway will end on 12/03/2012 at 12:01am EST. Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to be entered.

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