"Trust in Christmas".
Rachel Manning, 30, commercial architect and designer, has lost her vision, passion and now her job, due to overwhelming grief after losing her mother. Now, both her parents are gone and with them, Rachel's joy has seeped out of every aspect of her life.
Jake Sanders, 33, widower and father of two precocious and adorable children, Molly 9, and Danny, 7 is also drowning in sorrow and debt from his wife's medical bills. Life for Jake is hollow and the echoes of the golden, loving past make the present---a place he wants to escape.
For guidance, Rachel turns to Pastor Fitzgerald, 75, who is physically crumbling, just like his church, Holy Redeemer. Inspiration floods Rachel with a vision of re-furbishing her church. To raise money, she plans a Christmas Bazaar and a Children's Christmas Pageant where she meets Molly and Danny. She is taken immediately with Molly who tells her that her mother died and her father is sad and mad. He refuses to enter the church. Rachel kindly helps the kids win lead parts in the play.
One night while cleaning her attic, Rachel finds her father's Santa costume and when she puts it on, she turns into Santa Claus--literally. She's fat! She's jolly, and sounds like her father.
Rachel, dressed as Santa, rings a bell for donations in front of the church, where she meets Jake and sees Molly and Danny.
Rachel's heart goes out to Jake, her own sorrow eases as she tries to cheer Jake each time they meet. But he thinks she's Santa! And when he speaks with her when she's Rachel, he is angry that she has meddled in his little family's life!
As Christmas draws closer, Rachel realizes that her creative efforts are not enough to rebuild her church, save her beloved Pastor and pull her congregation back together.
Worst of all, she has lost hope that her Christmas wish for a family of her own will not come true.