This was one of the hardest books I have ever read. It is very candid and personal story shared by a woman who never thought her life would change so much by one trip to the doctor. Helo(pronounced Halo) has been having trouble with her hearing. After an MRI was performed it revealed that a tumor had wrapped around the carotid artery in her brain. I cannot imagine the emotions she just have gone through after receiving the devastating news

After meeting with doctors and discussing her options, surgery was the course of action. The surgery was successful but complications would soon set in. Her brain began to swell and quick action was needed to relieve the pressure. Halo went through many days of pain and finally an emergency technique had to be used. They needed to bring the swelling down, before life threatening complications could lessen her chance of survival.

Halo would find herself in the hospital for eight long weeks recovering from surgery and complications. I am amazed at her endurance and unwavering faith she had during this experience. Her priorities changed and she learned how to really trust God, continue her faith and allow God to use her. She has been able to share her experience with others that are facing brain surgery or are recovering from it. Her strong comittment to helping others is very encouraging and will make a big difference to others.

She is not a complainer and won't allow complaining around her. God chose her to take this path and He also equipped her to bring hope to others.. As you read her story, find strength in knowing that "God will never leave you nor forsake you." "Our hope is in the Lord." Thst is where Halo found the endurance to run this race and to share with others that even if you are going through a life threatening illness, God is there to give you strength, and renew your faith.

What we take for granted, Halo had to relearn. There were times as she was in therapy trying to catch a ball, that the task seemed overwhelming. But she never gave up and beat the odds. She is a survivor and a testimony of what hope, faith and prayer can accomplish.

"Hope found in God is the only place where searching for it stops." Helo Matzelle

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit and the author for an honest review. ( )

Title: Halo Found Hope
Author: Helo Matzelle
Website: http://halofoundhope.com/
Pages: 228
Year: 10/2014
Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing
My Rating: 4 stars
Being a sibling of someone who went through three brain surgeries, one of which was an emergency to save her life, naturally I was drawn to hear a testimony of what God had done in this story. Hope seems to flourish amidst a soil of trial, trouble and tears. Halo Found Hope is one such memoir that reminds us of that fact stated previously.
Helo shares transparently a large part of her journey from a healthy, active, vibrant woman with many responsibilities to a woman hoping to see her children grow up. The type of tumor Helo had happens once in a couple of million discovered tumors. She shares her heart with readers, and the effect it had on her husband, children and others. Helo has a new normal for her life that was birthed from the removal and substantial rehab she had to endure.
Yet the book isn’t just about her trials, it is more about what God revealed to her. How God revealed He was teaching her through the many months of hard work to get self-sufficient to a degree. Helo learned about whom she is and how God communicates His truth to her every day. Helo is a woman who is a witness to what God does, not just at the moment of trial but every day we live here on our journey towards home.
There are parts to her story I cannot relate to physically, but the heart to know God more is one I truly relate with daily. Proverbs 16:9 came to my mind as I read the memoir, and it says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” So it is with Helo and is true of all who seek God.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it 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 with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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