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Grace Where You Are
Drawing from beloved scriptural accounts and writing in the lyrical style of Even This, Emily Belle Freeman shares her understanding of how Jesus will meet you where you are, as you are, but He doesn't intend to leave you there. Instead, the Savior offers divine grace to heal wounds and elevate souls.
Grace Where You Are is filled with inspired scripture, gentle moments of reflection and meditation, and opportunities for personal application. Spending some time in its pages will help you to recognize that no matter where you are in your life's journey, Christ will come to you when you feel you fall short, extending His divine grace and providing so much more than what you lack.
Grace Where You Are is filled with inspired scripture, gentle moments of reflection and meditation, and opportunities for personal application. Spending some time in its pages will help you to recognize that no matter where you are in your life's journey, Christ will come to you when you feel you fall short, extending His divine grace and providing so much more than what you lack.
121 pages, Hardcover
Published March 1, 2020
106 people are currently reading
1150 people want to read
About the author
Emily Belle Freeman
43 books274 followersEmily Freeman and Simon Dewey collaborated on the bestselling book The Ten Virgins. For nearly 20 years, Emily has addressed groups of women as a writer, songwriter, and motivational speaker. Her deep love of the scriptures comes from a strong desire to find their application in modern-day life. Emily and her husband, Greg, are the parents of four children and live in Lehi, Utah.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews
May 14, 2020
Emily Belle Freeman is my friend, even though she does not even know me. ;-)
Through her online study groups, her personal stories, her gift with words. . .I am learning about grace. Grace. . .where I am.
Through her online study groups, her personal stories, her gift with words. . .I am learning about grace. Grace. . .where I am.
August 11, 2022
This is Nonfiction/Religion. I like this author. I listen to her weekly podcast. I've read her other books. I follow her on Social Media. She has a unique and grounded perspective. I love that about her. I always feel uplifted.
So with that said, the stories in this book are stories that I've heard before. She also used a lot of quotes from other speakers. So at times this felt repetitive. Still worth the read, but I wasn't as wowed by this as I have been by some of her other avenues. So 3 stars.
So with that said, the stories in this book are stories that I've heard before. She also used a lot of quotes from other speakers. So at times this felt repetitive. Still worth the read, but I wasn't as wowed by this as I have been by some of her other avenues. So 3 stars.
September 23, 2020
I’ve been anticipating Emily Belle Freeman’s latest book for several years. The topic of grace is such an important one, and she illustrates what it means and how it works in our lives with a number of memorable stories, both scriptural and otherwise.
I certainly would recommend this book to anyone who wants to study more about grace. It’s a quick read, but it will prompt additional study and reflection.
I certainly would recommend this book to anyone who wants to study more about grace. It’s a quick read, but it will prompt additional study and reflection.
May 12, 2020
4.5 stars. I was caught off guard as to how much I reflect on this book since I finished listening to it and am considering re-listening to it again soon. The idea that Christ meets us where we are, no matter where we are at the moment, is a powerful concept and the stories Freeman uses to support this give me much to consider and reflect on.
December 31, 2023
Gifted by Paul Canova, one of the only church books that has actually resonated with me deeply. Still return to this often, highly recommend.
January 12, 2021
Beautiful and uplifting book. Great one to start my year with.
July 17, 2020
This author's writing style is not my favorite, but she is an institute/seminary teacher and I'm quite a few years past that age! Having said that, however, this book is wonderful, and I will be reading it over again and again. I especially was touched by her challenge to look back over my life and identify the times when the grace of Jesus Christ enabled me to go forward and achieve or overcome. Also, to learn all the names in the scriptures that are names of Christ and consider what it really means to take His name upon me.
March 28, 2020
The point of this book was beautiful and the stories illustrate it beautifully. I especially loved the “go to Jerusalem” passage. There was one tiny mention of mortality acting upon us that I feel is not correct. I don’t believe He just let’s it happen to us. At least not all the time, every time. He is the architect of all plans, including what happens to us individually. I feel very strongly that He is in the details of our lives because He is the only one who knows which hard things will help us learn and grow best. I don’t think it has to be all or nothing. People’s choices will affect us, but there are some big , hard things that He has us go through that were planned by Him and Him alone from the beginning. Other than that, I enjoyed this book immensely.
March 7, 2020
I love Emily Freeman!!!! This book made me sob!!! It met me right where I was!! Emily has such a talent with words!! Loved it!!!
May 15, 2020
Loved it - it must have been the right time for me to read this as I got teary in almost every chapter.
May 12, 2020
I'm a sucker for books that have my name in the title. But that's not the only reason I read this book. First, it was a recommendation from the Deseret Book employee. And second... well, that's a bigger explanation.
At the April 2020 General Conference, President Nelson recommended we ask ourselves what questions we want answered at the conference. I usually take notes during conference, but this time I wrote down questions along with my notes. After conference was over, I read through the questions to figure out what I wanted to do next. Keep in mind, this is NOT typical for me. I don't usually walk away from conference with big plans to improve myself.
What I decided to do next? Learn more about Jesus Christ. Even though a member my whole life, I know this is something I need to work on and learn more about. This book seemed like a good step toward understanding Christ's grace.
More back story--the shelter-at-home due to COVID 19 has been hard on my mental health. I seem to be cycling through a depression episode about every five days. And it sucks! Then, here comes Mother's Day. Whoopee. Not a favorite holiday of mine, for sure. So the combination of stuck at home, no church, all the emotions around Mother's Day - depression episode. Big time.
I look around my house and there's this book that I had purchased just the week before - Grace Where You Are. "Pick it up. Read it." Something whispered to me. So I did. And the battle began.
Depression is different for everyone. Mine feels a lot like my depression and all the negativity and "give up-ness" associated with it battles with the hope and goodness I know still exist. As I read this book, I could literally feel the battle raging in my emotions, heart and mind.
I don't have the words, I simply do not have the words to explain the change that came over me as I read. So many emotions. So many ah-ha moments. So much... love.
Grace isn't earned; it is given. Freely. Openly. With love and understanding.
It felt like everything I thought I knew about God's grace was not wrong so much as misunderstood. I realized that I thought I had to be at a certain level of righteousness before I could receive any grace. That. Is. Not. How. It. Works.
The woman caught in adultery? Christ offered her grace in that moment. The woman at the well? Christ offered her grace in that moment. Paul on the road to Damascus? Offered grace. Christ didn't wait for them to attain a specified amount of righteousness before he gave them this gift. He offered grace where they were, in that moment. He will come find you where you are and offer this beautiful gift of love, forgiveness, understanding, peace and becoming.
What does He ask? That you believe in Him. That you believe Him. That he can save you, help you, forgive you, understand you, give you peace, and love you right now.
I don't know that everyone will have the same experience I had. But I am so grateful for learning more about God's love for me as an individual and how He will come to me where I am right now. He doesn't expect me to stay there. He is a loving being that wants me to become something more. But he's okay with starting where I am right now.
At the April 2020 General Conference, President Nelson recommended we ask ourselves what questions we want answered at the conference. I usually take notes during conference, but this time I wrote down questions along with my notes. After conference was over, I read through the questions to figure out what I wanted to do next. Keep in mind, this is NOT typical for me. I don't usually walk away from conference with big plans to improve myself.
What I decided to do next? Learn more about Jesus Christ. Even though a member my whole life, I know this is something I need to work on and learn more about. This book seemed like a good step toward understanding Christ's grace.
More back story--the shelter-at-home due to COVID 19 has been hard on my mental health. I seem to be cycling through a depression episode about every five days. And it sucks! Then, here comes Mother's Day. Whoopee. Not a favorite holiday of mine, for sure. So the combination of stuck at home, no church, all the emotions around Mother's Day - depression episode. Big time.
I look around my house and there's this book that I had purchased just the week before - Grace Where You Are. "Pick it up. Read it." Something whispered to me. So I did. And the battle began.
Depression is different for everyone. Mine feels a lot like my depression and all the negativity and "give up-ness" associated with it battles with the hope and goodness I know still exist. As I read this book, I could literally feel the battle raging in my emotions, heart and mind.
I don't have the words, I simply do not have the words to explain the change that came over me as I read. So many emotions. So many ah-ha moments. So much... love.
Grace isn't earned; it is given. Freely. Openly. With love and understanding.
It felt like everything I thought I knew about God's grace was not wrong so much as misunderstood. I realized that I thought I had to be at a certain level of righteousness before I could receive any grace. That. Is. Not. How. It. Works.
The woman caught in adultery? Christ offered her grace in that moment. The woman at the well? Christ offered her grace in that moment. Paul on the road to Damascus? Offered grace. Christ didn't wait for them to attain a specified amount of righteousness before he gave them this gift. He offered grace where they were, in that moment. He will come find you where you are and offer this beautiful gift of love, forgiveness, understanding, peace and becoming.
What does He ask? That you believe in Him. That you believe Him. That he can save you, help you, forgive you, understand you, give you peace, and love you right now.
I don't know that everyone will have the same experience I had. But I am so grateful for learning more about God's love for me as an individual and how He will come to me where I am right now. He doesn't expect me to stay there. He is a loving being that wants me to become something more. But he's okay with starting where I am right now.
May 20, 2020
I heard this book being referenced/recommended twice in a week--the first time by Vanessa Quigley at her LDS Business College Devotional where she spoke on Grace. The 2nd time was through the podcast of Sunday on Monday, by Tammy Uzelac Hall Episode 19. So on Sunday morning, I decided to give it a go. I have Deseret Bookshelf Plus, so it was free. And I loved it! And it was so quick (2.5 hours), that I was able to finish it while cooking breakfast and prep-cooking lunch!
This would make a great book for our Christian book group.
I've already developed an admiration for Emily Belle Freeman through her Youtube channel--Don't Miss This which provides scripture study for the Come Follow Me Lessons. She has such a love of the Savior and of the scriptures. I am really enriched by her testimony.
This book is filled with wonderful stories and scriptures that illustrate Christ's power of grace in our lives. Not only the grace that saves sinners, but also the grace that bestows blessings.
The thing I learned the most about grace is a new understanding of when Christ's grace enters my life. I had erroneously thought that God sat back and watched me do "all that I could do" and then after that He filled in the rest of the space I couldn't fill with his grace. But in truth, his grace is always there helping us as we are trying to do all we can do. We aren't doing it alone. We are doing it with Christ's help. We notice it most of all in our moments of trial and hardship.
Also, I loved the concept of Christ meeting us where we are at--which is why he condescended below all things (love) so that he could meet us in those low difficult places.
Here are a few great questions from the book which would make great discussion points:
1)What part of everyday life keeps you from feasting at the Master's table?
2) Where is the place God has designed to protect you and for your rescue? Where is your cove? This is in reference to a sandbar that was formed thousands of years before the Martin Handcart Company would use it for shelter. Remember that the Savior hasn't left us alone--particularly when we feel discouraged or overwhelmed.
3) When we take the sacrament we take His name upon us. Which name? Look in the Bible Dictionary for a list of Christ's names and decide which name you need to take on you that week. Emily decided to pick Shiloh one week which means tranquil in Hebrew. Shiloh brings peace in the surrounding storm.
4) Come broken - The Lord will meet you where you are, just as you are. He's not going to leave you there. He will help to fix you. He will walk you home.
Highly recommend to all people who'd like to understand more about grace and Christ's enabling power in their lives. It's short, entertaining, and full of the spirit. I'll definitely be re-reading it.
This would make a great book for our Christian book group.
I've already developed an admiration for Emily Belle Freeman through her Youtube channel--Don't Miss This which provides scripture study for the Come Follow Me Lessons. She has such a love of the Savior and of the scriptures. I am really enriched by her testimony.
This book is filled with wonderful stories and scriptures that illustrate Christ's power of grace in our lives. Not only the grace that saves sinners, but also the grace that bestows blessings.
The thing I learned the most about grace is a new understanding of when Christ's grace enters my life. I had erroneously thought that God sat back and watched me do "all that I could do" and then after that He filled in the rest of the space I couldn't fill with his grace. But in truth, his grace is always there helping us as we are trying to do all we can do. We aren't doing it alone. We are doing it with Christ's help. We notice it most of all in our moments of trial and hardship.
Also, I loved the concept of Christ meeting us where we are at--which is why he condescended below all things (love) so that he could meet us in those low difficult places.
Here are a few great questions from the book which would make great discussion points:
1)What part of everyday life keeps you from feasting at the Master's table?
2) Where is the place God has designed to protect you and for your rescue? Where is your cove? This is in reference to a sandbar that was formed thousands of years before the Martin Handcart Company would use it for shelter. Remember that the Savior hasn't left us alone--particularly when we feel discouraged or overwhelmed.
3) When we take the sacrament we take His name upon us. Which name? Look in the Bible Dictionary for a list of Christ's names and decide which name you need to take on you that week. Emily decided to pick Shiloh one week which means tranquil in Hebrew. Shiloh brings peace in the surrounding storm.
4) Come broken - The Lord will meet you where you are, just as you are. He's not going to leave you there. He will help to fix you. He will walk you home.
Highly recommend to all people who'd like to understand more about grace and Christ's enabling power in their lives. It's short, entertaining, and full of the spirit. I'll definitely be re-reading it.
March 19, 2020
Do you have moments that are frozen in time in your mind? Almost as if your brain knows in the very moment that it has to record every little detail because you will look back on it for the rest of your life?
Sounds dramatic, I know. But guys, I. Kid. You. Not. I had a moment just like that when I met Emily Belle Freeman for the first time.
I have loved her teaching and writing style for years, and when I was given the chance to have VIP seats at a TOFW with her as a presenter, I may or may not have had a fan girl moment, complete with sparkle fingers and squeals that would have even made my teenage daughter proud.
On the night of the event, I looked around the large auditorium to see if I could catch a glimpse of her from afar, but no. Figuring she was backstage, I struck up a conversation to the women seated right next to me until the event started. I was just telling them how excited I was to be hearing one of my favorite teachers teach LIVE, when the moment happened. Without even turning around, I knew, I just KNEW she was standing right behind be. Somethings just can’t be explained. I stopped mid sentence and whispered to my new friends, “She’s right behind me, isn’t she?”
***Ok, at this point of the story I should say that I fully recognize it sounds like I am completely insane, bordering on stalkerish (is that even a word?). Let me assure that this behavior is not the norm for me. At all. Seriously, I’m normal. Promise.***
When I turned around and saw her looking right at me waving hi, I froze. For the first time in my whole life I was at a loss for words. After staring at her for what I’m sure were about ten of the most awkward seconds ever recorded in heaven, I *believe* I mumbled something intelligent like “taco,” while nodding my head so fast I probably gave myself a concussion. She politely smiled, then moved on to greet the next lucky guests.
That was it.
Such a random moment that should be on the top of my most embarrassing moments list, yet I love and admire her so much, it’s one of my favorite moments ever 😂. Even though our interaction was short and sweet, deep down I’m pretty sure we both know we are BFFs.
Whew! That was a long and wordy introduction just to say I really loved this short, sweet, uplifting book.
......but I might be a little bias. ;)
Sounds dramatic, I know. But guys, I. Kid. You. Not. I had a moment just like that when I met Emily Belle Freeman for the first time.
I have loved her teaching and writing style for years, and when I was given the chance to have VIP seats at a TOFW with her as a presenter, I may or may not have had a fan girl moment, complete with sparkle fingers and squeals that would have even made my teenage daughter proud.
On the night of the event, I looked around the large auditorium to see if I could catch a glimpse of her from afar, but no. Figuring she was backstage, I struck up a conversation to the women seated right next to me until the event started. I was just telling them how excited I was to be hearing one of my favorite teachers teach LIVE, when the moment happened. Without even turning around, I knew, I just KNEW she was standing right behind be. Somethings just can’t be explained. I stopped mid sentence and whispered to my new friends, “She’s right behind me, isn’t she?”
***Ok, at this point of the story I should say that I fully recognize it sounds like I am completely insane, bordering on stalkerish (is that even a word?). Let me assure that this behavior is not the norm for me. At all. Seriously, I’m normal. Promise.***
When I turned around and saw her looking right at me waving hi, I froze. For the first time in my whole life I was at a loss for words. After staring at her for what I’m sure were about ten of the most awkward seconds ever recorded in heaven, I *believe* I mumbled something intelligent like “taco,” while nodding my head so fast I probably gave myself a concussion. She politely smiled, then moved on to greet the next lucky guests.
That was it.
Such a random moment that should be on the top of my most embarrassing moments list, yet I love and admire her so much, it’s one of my favorite moments ever 😂. Even though our interaction was short and sweet, deep down I’m pretty sure we both know we are BFFs.
Whew! That was a long and wordy introduction just to say I really loved this short, sweet, uplifting book.
......but I might be a little bias. ;)
October 19, 2023
I LOVED this book! My favorite new book I’ve read in awhile. Emily Belle Freeman has achieved such a mastery of the topic of grace, but she doesn’t express what she knows in an academic way. Rather, I felt like we were sitting together, talking about it as old friends. I really appreciated the writing prompts she included throughout the book, and highly recommend doing them as you read. I know some people have the complaint that she’s spoken on some of the topics included in the book in other settings, but I don’t see that as a problem at all. Exploring those topics in a book gives room for her to expand on them in was she hasn’t had the space to in other settings, and she weaves the topics together in such an effective way to give greater insight to the meaning of grace as a whole. It’s also a book that I feel I’ll be able to revisit over and over again in the future and glean new meaning from it based on whatever life circumstances I find myself in at the time.
August 31, 2020
Got a bit repetative but I loved the deeper understanding of grace that I gleaned from the book. It has a very simply explained writing style so it was easy to grasp. I remember graduating from high school and realized that I knew nearly nothing about the atonement yet it was super important, I just didn't understaned how or wy. So a friend gave me a 5 page paper about the atonement and found it very difficult to understand. I wish this book would have been around when I was just begining my adult years. It would have cleared up so many misconceptions and helped me seek for grace to bless my life.
May 27, 2020
4 1/2 stars. This is a beautiful exploration of grace in a very understandable and approachable way. I was already familiar with most of the stories Freeman shares from other times I've heard her speak (and Don't Miss This), but they were good reminders and this is one I would like to have on my bookshelf to refer to again.
June 16, 2021
A gift from a friend, I enjoyed this book that reminded me of beautiful concepts in lovely language. I enjoyed the author's writing style. It was a quick read, but one I want to go back to and digest more slowly another time. It is uplifting and affirming and speaks warmly and confidently about the Savior's ability to meet us where we individually are, freely providing grace and love to all.
September 6, 2020
For me, right now, this was both needed and perfect. ♥️
March 26, 2021
Beautiful! I will return to this again and again. For anyone who needs to feel Not Alone or Not Forgotten or Not Enough...this is your read.
April 15, 2022
So good. I love Emily. Her book helped me feel so much closer to my Savior and taught me SO MUCH about grace. “All we can do” is believe Christ. Grace is all we cannot do. Love it🤍
February 5, 2023
Really good thoughts about Christ meeting you where you are. Not having to "qualify" for that relationship. Short but really well done.
March 26, 2024
3.5 stars. Had some inspiring thoughts and stories but also felt repetitive.
February 12, 2025
Emily Belle Freeman has a way of speaking my language.
July 2, 2020
This is a short book about God's grace for all people. I enjoyed the personal experiences and other stories of how grace can transform people or help us through the storms of life.
July 26, 2025
Incredibly beautiful book!
July 28, 2025
This was a good book with some wonderful and thought-provoking insights about grace. Here are some of my favorites:
"He waits, right there where I am, in the center of my own story, ready for those broken moments. He knows there will be broken moments. He knows there will be more than one... He offers grace (p. 2)."
"There are some things in life I am certain of. Grace is one of those things. Here is what I believe: Grace is not just for the salvation of sinners, but also for the bestowal of blessings. It is given through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He was willing to come down, and come in, to help each of us become.. His grace is the gift of transformationd. An endowment of strength. Divine assistance. An enabling power. The elevating of souls and the healing of hearts. Grace is His favor, and His kindness, and the tenderness with which He extends His mercies. It is His touch on our heart and how we reflect that within our life. Grace is always there, but we notice it most in our weakness. In our brokenness (p. 3)."
"When Jesus comes to the table, He looks around to see who is missing, and then He starts extending invitations. He is the Savior, the Giver of Grace, and He wants everyone to partake of the gift He offers--deliverance, protection, healing, preservation, even being made whole (p. 11)."
"The invitation to receive grace is extended to each of us in whatever place we are in... Grace is an invitation to come as you are. Grace is the promise that there is still room. Grace is radical generosity. Grace is the healing and restoring that is abundant in Christ. Grace is a place at the table (p. 12)."
"Six of the papers have the drawings you would imagine if someone asked you to draw out the plan of salvation--circles, and arrows, and life, and death. The premortal existence and paradise. You know... But one paper has just one word, written in bold black letters across the blank white paper: JESUS. God's plan. From the very beginning. The thought of it still captures my heart. Just Jesus. Healing for ashes. Hope over hurt. Strength in weakness. The Answer. The Finisher. JESUS. God's plan for getting us home (p. 15)."
"When we are lost, He comes to find us. When we are broken, He means to make us whole. When all is darkness, He brings life-giving light. He is the Grace Giver--and His is a journey that transforms lives, and changes hearts, and heals. He wants to heal you. If we really want to understand grace, it is imperative for us to understand Jesus Christ--who He is, what He does, and why He does it (p. 17)."
"Elder David A. Bednar begins describing a gospel principle in a way I can visualize. He explains that this tree, the tree of life, represents Jesus--His ministry, atoning sacrifice, and Resurrection. He teaches us that the fruit of the tree can be considered a symbol for the blessings that come through the Savior's Atonement (p. 21)."
"The Father knew we needed to experience mortality in order to progress. Mortality included lessons that couldn't be learned in heaven (p. 24)."
"I have come to believe God doesn't give us cancer, or Down Syndrome, or blindness, or anxiety and depression; morality does. Entering mortality means biological facors, cells that could mutate, and illnesses or addictions that could cause harm. It means loved ones will die. It means accidents, and poor choices, and struggles that could leave us wounded (p. 24)."
"The Father knew that mortality would be a hard and heart-wrenching journey, but He didn't leave us to walk thorugh it alone. We must remember that there was more than just two significant trees in the first garden; there was also a plan. JESUS. The Father planned a rescue (p. 25)."
"I want to understand more about this condescension called love, about the reality of a love so strong it would compel a Savior to descent to the level of His followers in order to provide a rescue. To come into the darkest places and the deepest hurts in order to lift each one of us. To extend to each of us His enabling grace (p. 27)."
"I realize this is love, this is condesension--the birth, the healing ministry, and the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (p. 29)."
"'Come sit with me. Come talk to me about Jesus.'... On Sunday it will be Easter, and she asks me to tell her what I have been studying. My thoughts fill up with Jesus. I remind her how I am fascinated by the stories in which Jesus meets people where they are... 'I found one more... It is a tender one. My favorite discovery of Easter... Remember the criminal?... Jesus met him on his cross' (p. 31)."
"I still feel like I'm not enough for everything that has been placed in front of me. And maybe we never are enough (p. 36)."
"'By grace... we are saved, after all we can do.'... 'I've spent my entire adult life trying to figure out what I am supposed to DO' (p. 36)."
"There, in the middle of a temple courtyard, He extended His grace. Grace in the form of forgiveness. Grace in invitation to a new way of life... What had this woman done to qualify for grace? She had been caught in the very act. What was her 'all she could do'? None of it made sense, and yet, clearly, His grace had been extended (p. 40)."
"What had Saul done to qualify for grace in that moment? (p. 41)"
"The Savior asked one thing of the father. There was only one requirement for the healing to take place: believe. And yet, even that simple request was more than the father was capable of... The Lord saw the broken father, saw his doubt, saw his unbelief, and still He extended grace. Even though the father could not completely live up to the only request the Savior had given. Even when his 'after all' was not enough (p. 42)."
"These three people didn't have to do anything. Grace was extended exactly where they were and exacctly as they were (p. 43)."
"Maybe you have alwasy wondered about the 'after all we can do.'... Let's take a minute to study Nephi's sermon... Watch for the one phrase Nephi repeats over and over again in chapter 25...
* 'They shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the Atonement' (v. 16)
* 'That day shall come that they shall believe in Christ' (v. 16)
* 'We labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ' (v. 23)
* 'We believe in Christ' (v. 24)
* 'For the right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not' (v. 28) (p. 46)."
"What if the most ipmortant line isn't 'all we can do'; what if the most important line in that verse is 'believe in Christ'? (p. 46)"
"If we are saved by grace after all we can do, and all we can do is believe in Christ, what, then, does it mean to believe? (p. 47)"
"For the two girls sitting on the couch in my family room, the thought of beliving in Christ is almost as hard as climbing into that wheelbarrow [to cross Niagara Falls]. It will require testing His promises, trusting that He really will follow through. It means we have to believe that He will meet us where we are and then take us to the places we wouldn't be able to get to on our own. Through His grace (p. 51)."
"Sometimes the only way home when you are lost is for someone to come take your hand and lead you there (p. 55)."
"Not knowing where to go, he knelt down to pray and then he started to walk (p. 56)."
"Aren't we all waiting for a rescue? For a way back? Don't we all want to go home? (p. 57)"
"The Greek word for 'work' is katergazomai; it means 'to finish or accomplish.' 'Salvation' comes from the Greek word sozo, which means 'to rescue, to deliver, to heal, and to save' (p. 58)."
"We don't work out our salvation on our own--God worketh in us (p. 59)."
"Our Father knew the only way back for each of us from this mortal experience would require a Deliverer who was willing to come from heaven to where we were, into the lost places, extending the enabling grace that would help us get back home (p. 59)."
"'How shall I deliver thee, Israel?' (Hosea 11:8, p. 60)"
"'Let us therefore come boldy unto the throne of grace. That we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need' (Hebrews 4:16, p. 61)."
"It is Sunday, and she stands at the front of the room with a stack of papers in her hand an dher heart full of the lessons that can only be learned from a life walked intimately with God. We trust her to teach us because of the life she has lived... She asks us to be vulnerable, this woman who has laid out her soul to us, and so we will... 'I want you to finish this statement with the first word that comes to mind... Lately I have felt...'... Why did so many of us write the same word? Overwhelmed... There are other words too. Stressed. Tired. Inadequate. Defeated. Lacing in some respect. Discouraged. Sad. Alone. Searching. Lonely... A handful of happy answers are found in the bowl, but the majority of the rseponses are similar to these... This is a group of women who need more than just an understanding of grace; these women need to learn what it actually means to live in grace (p. 62)."
"If it were possible, I would invite you to come meet my friend Kris, who has such a beautiful vision of God and grace. It would be a summer's evening, and we would sit down on my front porch to talk about these things. My friend woudl ask you to describe what your story looks like, where your heart is right now. That is her way. You might say there are things that disqualify you from receiving His grace, and she would answer that those things don't matter. She would tell you the God she believes in is bigger than those things... It doesn't matter how empty your reserves... how deep the dark place... how far you've wandered... how discrouaging the ache... Everyone has a story, a need, a lack, a place of inadequacy... Perhaps He sees you trying to follow your dreams and live your best life, how you want to make a difference. He knows the desires of your heart and the imagination of your thougths and how you wonder if you have what it takes to succeed. His grace has the power to lift and enable you (p. 64)."
"He sees you aching from the loss, how you mourn the memories you'll never make together, the life moments they will never see... His grace has the power to bring the healing... He seess you trying to mend the rift... He sees you longing for what will copmlete you and fearing it will never come. How you yearn for love, for companionship, to find security. How you are still walking the journey alone. His grace has the power to encircle you with love, with confidence, with peace. He sees you trying to overcome hurt... He sees you embarking on a journey driven by faith... He sees you (p. 66)."
"My friend Kris would tell you that He sees you even if you don't see Him (p. 67)."
"You don't have to have a complete understanding for His grace to being its work in you (p. 68)."
"'And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer' (Genesis 21:20). And sometimes God doesn't take away the wilderness (p. 70)."
"'It's quite a phenomenon... This is one of the only three locations like this in the entire world... It's very rare... for a sandbar to form in the midst of a cove like this. The conditions have to be just right.' I look at the cove with different eyes now. What were the odds that five hundred people stranded on the plains would arrive at this precise location in the world on the even of a five-day storm? That sandbar in the middle of the cove was situated in just the right location to provide shelter from the wind. It is what saved many lives that would have otherwise been lost (p. 72)."
"It is not the first time the Lord has provided a rescue by means of an unexplained phenomenon (p. 72)."
"When you think about God's grace, remember this: there is nothing that threatens the might of our God. He will use any means to rescue His people--a cove, chariots of fire, even a well in the middle of the wilderness... He is willing to redeem at any cost... God sent His own Son to rescue us. The Hebrew word for 'redeem' is padah: 'to preserve, deliver, or rescue, by any means' (p. 72)."
"I believe the Lord knew about the storm and the need for shelter long before Martin wever even built his handcart (p. 73)."
"Where is your cove? Where is the well in your wilderness? Where is the place God has deisgned for your refuge and for your rescue?... We can find His grace in the darkest storms, in our wilderness places, in our wandering. He has prmised to rescue us, heal us, and deliver us by any means (p. 74)."
"The Lord didn't come into the wilderness just once (p. 74)."
"'Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound' (Romans 5:20, p. 79)."
"In those moments when you wonder if your past might destroy you, remember there is One who sees the good that might otherwise be concealed (p. 83)."
"'Is any thing too hard for the Lord?' (Genesis 18:14, p. 83)"
"'What is grace?'... 'It's an enabling power that comes through Christ.'... 'It's what makes up the difference.'... 'Grace is what you cannot do' (p. 84)."
"It is a prayer I have prayed a hundred times--Lord, I don't know what to do (p. 86)."
"Can you think of times when the Lord has stood guard over you? When His grace has kept you, protected you, held you safe? (p. 86)"
"Do you ever need that reminder? You have not been forgotten by God. He has promised to keep you--keep you safe... watched over... protected through His grace (p. 89)."
"God knows who we are, as tiny and insignificent as we might feel. We are precious to Him. Our value in His eyes is beyond our ability to comprehend. Where we see imperfections, He sees possibilities. What we view as inadequate, He can turn into abudnance. What we determine to be a failure, He knows is a proving ground for faith (p. 89)."
"Perhaps there are hard things you are battling right now. Things you carry, that only you know the depth of. We don't often atlk about the hard things--the job we don't love, or how we are trying to manage a failing relationship, or the worry over how we will pay the bills. We don't talk about how we have set aside dreams and yearnings in order to meet the needs that are constantly pressing in... what about those ideas you carry in your heart? The gifts you've been given and hope to bring forth, but you don't knjow how or when because of all the juggling, and running late, and over-committing... if that's where you are, then sit down for a minute, take a deep breath, an dlet me remind you of an important truth: grace is what you cannot do (p. 90)."
"Belivee that He hears every prayer tha tyou pray. Believe that His Spirit is guiding your path. Believe that you are already enough. Let His grace keep you (p. 91)."
"'All of these hard days and the sleepless nights, all of the pain and the heartbreak, all of the not knowing what to do for the past few months has drawn me closer to Christ. I have already prayed the prayer I would have offered at the Western Wall. I have come ot know Jesus better through this trial than I have my whole life. This has been my Jerusalem.'... What is your Jerusalem? What has led you to know Jesus intimately? (p. 94)"
"'And God is able to make all grace abound toward you' (2 Corinthians 9:8, p. 98)."
"Emmanuel. Mighty One. Carpenter. The Light. The Lord from Heaven... Shiloh... I spend the whole week studying the name I took during the sacrament, until I know it so well it becomes a part of me... And which name will you take? (p. 101)"
"Take His name... (p. 102)"
"What should we do with Garett? It is a question I cannot answer on my own. I kneel down to pray. The answer comes instantly. Bring him home. So I call Greg, and they load up the back of the truck, and Garett moves in (p. 106)."
"I remember the heated late-night discussions, the letting go of all the bad friends, the setting of goals, the working through the demons and the damage of his past. I remembe rhow evfery day in those beginning months I would ask the Lord, What shoudl we do with Garett? and how the SPirit would answer bakc, Just love him... 'It's the hardest thing I've ever done... I wouldn't be who I am... That decision changed our life. It changed all of us' (p. 107)."
"People think it was Greg who met Garett on the curb that day in August 2011, but really, it was the Lord. He met Garett where he was, as he was, but He didn't intent to leave him there. He extended grace, and surrounded Garett with exactly what he needed to become exactly who God knew he could be. It's who God is. It's what the grace of God does (p. 109)."
"'Love God with all of your might, mind and strength, then is His grace sufficient for you' (Moroni 10:32, p. 112)."
"What I have longed for most in those moments is for my life to be put back togehter in one afternoon. It has never happened that way. The Savior allows us to come broken. He sits with us and mends our hearts. He offers healing. He extends an enabling power that gives us strength beyong our own. He fills the empty places. He makes what was broken strong again. This is the process of grace... Grace is not an event; it's a story (p. 116)."
"He waits, right there where I am, in the center of my own story, ready for those broken moments. He knows there will be broken moments. He knows there will be more than one... He offers grace (p. 2)."
"There are some things in life I am certain of. Grace is one of those things. Here is what I believe: Grace is not just for the salvation of sinners, but also for the bestowal of blessings. It is given through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He was willing to come down, and come in, to help each of us become.. His grace is the gift of transformationd. An endowment of strength. Divine assistance. An enabling power. The elevating of souls and the healing of hearts. Grace is His favor, and His kindness, and the tenderness with which He extends His mercies. It is His touch on our heart and how we reflect that within our life. Grace is always there, but we notice it most in our weakness. In our brokenness (p. 3)."
"When Jesus comes to the table, He looks around to see who is missing, and then He starts extending invitations. He is the Savior, the Giver of Grace, and He wants everyone to partake of the gift He offers--deliverance, protection, healing, preservation, even being made whole (p. 11)."
"The invitation to receive grace is extended to each of us in whatever place we are in... Grace is an invitation to come as you are. Grace is the promise that there is still room. Grace is radical generosity. Grace is the healing and restoring that is abundant in Christ. Grace is a place at the table (p. 12)."
"Six of the papers have the drawings you would imagine if someone asked you to draw out the plan of salvation--circles, and arrows, and life, and death. The premortal existence and paradise. You know... But one paper has just one word, written in bold black letters across the blank white paper: JESUS. God's plan. From the very beginning. The thought of it still captures my heart. Just Jesus. Healing for ashes. Hope over hurt. Strength in weakness. The Answer. The Finisher. JESUS. God's plan for getting us home (p. 15)."
"When we are lost, He comes to find us. When we are broken, He means to make us whole. When all is darkness, He brings life-giving light. He is the Grace Giver--and His is a journey that transforms lives, and changes hearts, and heals. He wants to heal you. If we really want to understand grace, it is imperative for us to understand Jesus Christ--who He is, what He does, and why He does it (p. 17)."
"Elder David A. Bednar begins describing a gospel principle in a way I can visualize. He explains that this tree, the tree of life, represents Jesus--His ministry, atoning sacrifice, and Resurrection. He teaches us that the fruit of the tree can be considered a symbol for the blessings that come through the Savior's Atonement (p. 21)."
"The Father knew we needed to experience mortality in order to progress. Mortality included lessons that couldn't be learned in heaven (p. 24)."
"I have come to believe God doesn't give us cancer, or Down Syndrome, or blindness, or anxiety and depression; morality does. Entering mortality means biological facors, cells that could mutate, and illnesses or addictions that could cause harm. It means loved ones will die. It means accidents, and poor choices, and struggles that could leave us wounded (p. 24)."
"The Father knew that mortality would be a hard and heart-wrenching journey, but He didn't leave us to walk thorugh it alone. We must remember that there was more than just two significant trees in the first garden; there was also a plan. JESUS. The Father planned a rescue (p. 25)."
"I want to understand more about this condescension called love, about the reality of a love so strong it would compel a Savior to descent to the level of His followers in order to provide a rescue. To come into the darkest places and the deepest hurts in order to lift each one of us. To extend to each of us His enabling grace (p. 27)."
"I realize this is love, this is condesension--the birth, the healing ministry, and the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (p. 29)."
"'Come sit with me. Come talk to me about Jesus.'... On Sunday it will be Easter, and she asks me to tell her what I have been studying. My thoughts fill up with Jesus. I remind her how I am fascinated by the stories in which Jesus meets people where they are... 'I found one more... It is a tender one. My favorite discovery of Easter... Remember the criminal?... Jesus met him on his cross' (p. 31)."
"I still feel like I'm not enough for everything that has been placed in front of me. And maybe we never are enough (p. 36)."
"'By grace... we are saved, after all we can do.'... 'I've spent my entire adult life trying to figure out what I am supposed to DO' (p. 36)."
"There, in the middle of a temple courtyard, He extended His grace. Grace in the form of forgiveness. Grace in invitation to a new way of life... What had this woman done to qualify for grace? She had been caught in the very act. What was her 'all she could do'? None of it made sense, and yet, clearly, His grace had been extended (p. 40)."
"What had Saul done to qualify for grace in that moment? (p. 41)"
"The Savior asked one thing of the father. There was only one requirement for the healing to take place: believe. And yet, even that simple request was more than the father was capable of... The Lord saw the broken father, saw his doubt, saw his unbelief, and still He extended grace. Even though the father could not completely live up to the only request the Savior had given. Even when his 'after all' was not enough (p. 42)."
"These three people didn't have to do anything. Grace was extended exactly where they were and exacctly as they were (p. 43)."
"Maybe you have alwasy wondered about the 'after all we can do.'... Let's take a minute to study Nephi's sermon... Watch for the one phrase Nephi repeats over and over again in chapter 25...
* 'They shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the Atonement' (v. 16)
* 'That day shall come that they shall believe in Christ' (v. 16)
* 'We labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ' (v. 23)
* 'We believe in Christ' (v. 24)
* 'For the right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not' (v. 28) (p. 46)."
"What if the most ipmortant line isn't 'all we can do'; what if the most important line in that verse is 'believe in Christ'? (p. 46)"
"If we are saved by grace after all we can do, and all we can do is believe in Christ, what, then, does it mean to believe? (p. 47)"
"For the two girls sitting on the couch in my family room, the thought of beliving in Christ is almost as hard as climbing into that wheelbarrow [to cross Niagara Falls]. It will require testing His promises, trusting that He really will follow through. It means we have to believe that He will meet us where we are and then take us to the places we wouldn't be able to get to on our own. Through His grace (p. 51)."
"Sometimes the only way home when you are lost is for someone to come take your hand and lead you there (p. 55)."
"Not knowing where to go, he knelt down to pray and then he started to walk (p. 56)."
"Aren't we all waiting for a rescue? For a way back? Don't we all want to go home? (p. 57)"
"The Greek word for 'work' is katergazomai; it means 'to finish or accomplish.' 'Salvation' comes from the Greek word sozo, which means 'to rescue, to deliver, to heal, and to save' (p. 58)."
"We don't work out our salvation on our own--God worketh in us (p. 59)."
"Our Father knew the only way back for each of us from this mortal experience would require a Deliverer who was willing to come from heaven to where we were, into the lost places, extending the enabling grace that would help us get back home (p. 59)."
"'How shall I deliver thee, Israel?' (Hosea 11:8, p. 60)"
"'Let us therefore come boldy unto the throne of grace. That we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need' (Hebrews 4:16, p. 61)."
"It is Sunday, and she stands at the front of the room with a stack of papers in her hand an dher heart full of the lessons that can only be learned from a life walked intimately with God. We trust her to teach us because of the life she has lived... She asks us to be vulnerable, this woman who has laid out her soul to us, and so we will... 'I want you to finish this statement with the first word that comes to mind... Lately I have felt...'... Why did so many of us write the same word? Overwhelmed... There are other words too. Stressed. Tired. Inadequate. Defeated. Lacing in some respect. Discouraged. Sad. Alone. Searching. Lonely... A handful of happy answers are found in the bowl, but the majority of the rseponses are similar to these... This is a group of women who need more than just an understanding of grace; these women need to learn what it actually means to live in grace (p. 62)."
"If it were possible, I would invite you to come meet my friend Kris, who has such a beautiful vision of God and grace. It would be a summer's evening, and we would sit down on my front porch to talk about these things. My friend woudl ask you to describe what your story looks like, where your heart is right now. That is her way. You might say there are things that disqualify you from receiving His grace, and she would answer that those things don't matter. She would tell you the God she believes in is bigger than those things... It doesn't matter how empty your reserves... how deep the dark place... how far you've wandered... how discrouaging the ache... Everyone has a story, a need, a lack, a place of inadequacy... Perhaps He sees you trying to follow your dreams and live your best life, how you want to make a difference. He knows the desires of your heart and the imagination of your thougths and how you wonder if you have what it takes to succeed. His grace has the power to lift and enable you (p. 64)."
"He sees you aching from the loss, how you mourn the memories you'll never make together, the life moments they will never see... His grace has the power to bring the healing... He seess you trying to mend the rift... He sees you longing for what will copmlete you and fearing it will never come. How you yearn for love, for companionship, to find security. How you are still walking the journey alone. His grace has the power to encircle you with love, with confidence, with peace. He sees you trying to overcome hurt... He sees you embarking on a journey driven by faith... He sees you (p. 66)."
"My friend Kris would tell you that He sees you even if you don't see Him (p. 67)."
"You don't have to have a complete understanding for His grace to being its work in you (p. 68)."
"'And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer' (Genesis 21:20). And sometimes God doesn't take away the wilderness (p. 70)."
"'It's quite a phenomenon... This is one of the only three locations like this in the entire world... It's very rare... for a sandbar to form in the midst of a cove like this. The conditions have to be just right.' I look at the cove with different eyes now. What were the odds that five hundred people stranded on the plains would arrive at this precise location in the world on the even of a five-day storm? That sandbar in the middle of the cove was situated in just the right location to provide shelter from the wind. It is what saved many lives that would have otherwise been lost (p. 72)."
"It is not the first time the Lord has provided a rescue by means of an unexplained phenomenon (p. 72)."
"When you think about God's grace, remember this: there is nothing that threatens the might of our God. He will use any means to rescue His people--a cove, chariots of fire, even a well in the middle of the wilderness... He is willing to redeem at any cost... God sent His own Son to rescue us. The Hebrew word for 'redeem' is padah: 'to preserve, deliver, or rescue, by any means' (p. 72)."
"I believe the Lord knew about the storm and the need for shelter long before Martin wever even built his handcart (p. 73)."
"Where is your cove? Where is the well in your wilderness? Where is the place God has deisgned for your refuge and for your rescue?... We can find His grace in the darkest storms, in our wilderness places, in our wandering. He has prmised to rescue us, heal us, and deliver us by any means (p. 74)."
"The Lord didn't come into the wilderness just once (p. 74)."
"'Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound' (Romans 5:20, p. 79)."
"In those moments when you wonder if your past might destroy you, remember there is One who sees the good that might otherwise be concealed (p. 83)."
"'Is any thing too hard for the Lord?' (Genesis 18:14, p. 83)"
"'What is grace?'... 'It's an enabling power that comes through Christ.'... 'It's what makes up the difference.'... 'Grace is what you cannot do' (p. 84)."
"It is a prayer I have prayed a hundred times--Lord, I don't know what to do (p. 86)."
"Can you think of times when the Lord has stood guard over you? When His grace has kept you, protected you, held you safe? (p. 86)"
"Do you ever need that reminder? You have not been forgotten by God. He has promised to keep you--keep you safe... watched over... protected through His grace (p. 89)."
"God knows who we are, as tiny and insignificent as we might feel. We are precious to Him. Our value in His eyes is beyond our ability to comprehend. Where we see imperfections, He sees possibilities. What we view as inadequate, He can turn into abudnance. What we determine to be a failure, He knows is a proving ground for faith (p. 89)."
"Perhaps there are hard things you are battling right now. Things you carry, that only you know the depth of. We don't often atlk about the hard things--the job we don't love, or how we are trying to manage a failing relationship, or the worry over how we will pay the bills. We don't talk about how we have set aside dreams and yearnings in order to meet the needs that are constantly pressing in... what about those ideas you carry in your heart? The gifts you've been given and hope to bring forth, but you don't knjow how or when because of all the juggling, and running late, and over-committing... if that's where you are, then sit down for a minute, take a deep breath, an dlet me remind you of an important truth: grace is what you cannot do (p. 90)."
"Belivee that He hears every prayer tha tyou pray. Believe that His Spirit is guiding your path. Believe that you are already enough. Let His grace keep you (p. 91)."
"'All of these hard days and the sleepless nights, all of the pain and the heartbreak, all of the not knowing what to do for the past few months has drawn me closer to Christ. I have already prayed the prayer I would have offered at the Western Wall. I have come ot know Jesus better through this trial than I have my whole life. This has been my Jerusalem.'... What is your Jerusalem? What has led you to know Jesus intimately? (p. 94)"
"'And God is able to make all grace abound toward you' (2 Corinthians 9:8, p. 98)."
"Emmanuel. Mighty One. Carpenter. The Light. The Lord from Heaven... Shiloh... I spend the whole week studying the name I took during the sacrament, until I know it so well it becomes a part of me... And which name will you take? (p. 101)"
"Take His name... (p. 102)"
"What should we do with Garett? It is a question I cannot answer on my own. I kneel down to pray. The answer comes instantly. Bring him home. So I call Greg, and they load up the back of the truck, and Garett moves in (p. 106)."
"I remember the heated late-night discussions, the letting go of all the bad friends, the setting of goals, the working through the demons and the damage of his past. I remembe rhow evfery day in those beginning months I would ask the Lord, What shoudl we do with Garett? and how the SPirit would answer bakc, Just love him... 'It's the hardest thing I've ever done... I wouldn't be who I am... That decision changed our life. It changed all of us' (p. 107)."
"People think it was Greg who met Garett on the curb that day in August 2011, but really, it was the Lord. He met Garett where he was, as he was, but He didn't intent to leave him there. He extended grace, and surrounded Garett with exactly what he needed to become exactly who God knew he could be. It's who God is. It's what the grace of God does (p. 109)."
"'Love God with all of your might, mind and strength, then is His grace sufficient for you' (Moroni 10:32, p. 112)."
"What I have longed for most in those moments is for my life to be put back togehter in one afternoon. It has never happened that way. The Savior allows us to come broken. He sits with us and mends our hearts. He offers healing. He extends an enabling power that gives us strength beyong our own. He fills the empty places. He makes what was broken strong again. This is the process of grace... Grace is not an event; it's a story (p. 116)."
January 12, 2021
I loved listening to this short, but beautiful book about grace. I loved the stories she used to illustrate how Jesus Christ meets us where we are at and how to accept that grace. Highly recommend.
March 4, 2021
Loved this so much.
May 31, 2025
I loved this book so much. It touched my heart and soul.
May 17, 2020
I listened to this book. Not only will I be re-listening to it, I will be buying it in print.
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