OUT OF ASHES by T.K. CHAPIN

It is refreshing to be able to welcome a character back like Kane. He is such a great character with a big heart. He seems to always be the guy to defend his buddies without thought to his own well being. After a wrong desicion in a bar leads to his arrest, he gets suspended from his job at the fire station for a few days. When he receives a call from his sister that their mom is not doing well, he makes a trip to go visit her. Kane's mom is a very faithful woman who knows when she dies she will be in heaven , but Kane still has some unbelief.

Kane's mom suggests that he let his nephew  Christopher, stay with him for a few days, so his sister can spend some time with her.  Christopher is all for some bonding time with his uncle. They head out to the park to play baseball when an unexpected power outage happens. We find Kane meeting a lovey young woman named Kristen. She is very active in her church and has a son . Is this the woman who might help  Kane  find his way back to God?  As the story progresses the author does a great job of showing us how we have to wait on God's perfect timing for things to happen. We have all had that urge to move ahead of God, but find ourselves making things worse.

Kane finds himself dealing with a tragedy that overwhelms him and he turns to alcohol to help him deal with it. He tries to find comfort in drinking, but the pain is still there. Who will be able to reach Kane and help him turn his life around? Can he surrender to God or stay on the destructive path his life is headed? There is a secret that his mom has been hiding for a very long time . Can this secret lead to an out of control Kane, or will he finally trust God ?

The story is packed with characters who lose their faith and try to find their way home with trails along the way. It's not always easy when we find ourselves in desperation, but God is always there with open arms waiting for us. I love reading how Kane tries to do things as the world would, but as he slowly changes the transformation is very inspiring. One of the hardest things we all struggle with is forgiveness. The author does a powerful job of showing how forgiveness can set you free and help you heal from past hurts. I always look forward to reading books from this author, because the message within each story is encouraging to everyone. We have heard the saying that "people never change." but as you read this book you realize how untrue that statement is. We can all change but we alone are the only one who can make that decision. Kane is a great character to read and follow as he looks for help to change his old habits and be a better person.  I look forward to the next book in this outstanding series.

I received a copy of this book from Librarything for an honest review.