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Eyes Up: How to Trust God’s Heart by Tracing His Hand
“Where were you, God? I can't see your hand in my story. Have you ever really shown up for me? Your heart might be good, but just not to me. ”
If you've thought these things, you aren't alone. Author and speaker Alexandra Hoover has been in that dark place too. In her debut book, Eyes Up , she reveals that God offers a clear way out—by getting your eyes off your surroundings and raising them up to the Ebenezer stone moments in your life. Ebenezer stone by Ebenezer stone, God did this for Alexandra, helping her trace his grace. He lifted her eyes to see the places He had met her and helped her along, even in the darkest parts of the story, and on top of that, He casted vision for her mission and purpose as a member of His family. And now, in Eyes Up, you can experience the very same thing as you learn Are you ready to finally see God's hand at work in countless moments that lay behind you—and more than that, trust His heart and see His vision for the moments ahead? Then look up with Alexandra to the Ebenezer stones that God has not only built in your story, but wants to use in mighty, missional ways.
If you've thought these things, you aren't alone. Author and speaker Alexandra Hoover has been in that dark place too. In her debut book, Eyes Up , she reveals that God offers a clear way out—by getting your eyes off your surroundings and raising them up to the Ebenezer stone moments in your life. Ebenezer stone by Ebenezer stone, God did this for Alexandra, helping her trace his grace. He lifted her eyes to see the places He had met her and helped her along, even in the darkest parts of the story, and on top of that, He casted vision for her mission and purpose as a member of His family. And now, in Eyes Up, you can experience the very same thing as you learn Are you ready to finally see God's hand at work in countless moments that lay behind you—and more than that, trust His heart and see His vision for the moments ahead? Then look up with Alexandra to the Ebenezer stones that God has not only built in your story, but wants to use in mighty, missional ways.
224 pages, Paperback
Published May 24, 2022
22 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Hoover
4 books11 followersAlexandra Hoover is a compassionate writer, a sought-after speaker, and the author of Eyes Up and Without Wavering. With a heart for inspiring others, she combines biblical wisdom, practical insights, and a deep passion for helping people navigate life's challenges with faith and hope. A proud Latina, Alexandra serves her local church and is pursuing a master of arts in women and theology at Northern Seminary. As a wife and mother of three, she treasures balancing family life with ministry, finding joy in serving, and inspiring others. To learn more, visit AlexandraVHoover.com or connect on social media @AlexandraVHoover.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 18, 2022
Read this for my small group & we all LOVED it 🙌🏼
God picked this book out for us & I’d explain in detail how it all came to be, but it’d take too long lol. I’m just grateful how Jesus met me & my Bible study girlies through Alexandra’s words.
God picked this book out for us & I’d explain in detail how it all came to be, but it’d take too long lol. I’m just grateful how Jesus met me & my Bible study girlies through Alexandra’s words.
August 25, 2022
Have you ever felt lost? Scared? Disoriented or discouraged? Overlooked or confused? Then Eyes Up is for you. Articulate and eloquent, this book is firmly anchored in a biblical worldview that’s marinated in grace. Drenched in hope and saturated in truth, it’s simply extraordinary.
The book’s main premise comes from a paraphrased quote by Charles Spurgeon: “God is too good to be unkind and He’s too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”
Packed with practical insights and timely reminders, Eyes Up draws from “Ebenezer” stones of remembrance from the author’s own life as it carefully fleshes out the principles and precepts presented in the text. The purpose of an “Ebenezer stone,” writes the author, is “to trace the places God showed up. To prove to you that God isn’t just good, He is good to YOU.”
Eyes Up urges readers to “Chart your Ebenezers” and “mark you story,” remembering when God showed up and worked in ways both large and small in your own life. It shows how walking in faith isn’t done by seeing but by remembering and looking backwards at all the other “Ebenezers” in your journey and where God met you. It gently reminds us that faith doesn’t need sight. It can last in the dark. And that our sight will never be able to take us where faith can.
Because “He will always show up.”
This book doesn’t pull any punches. It asks the tough questions: “Where was God in this?” “Where are You, God? Why have you left me all alone?” It tackles crises of faith and other personal dilemmas head-on.
There are no canned answers or trite cliches here. No pie-in-the-sky, bye-and-bye breezy bloviating. This is rubber-meets-the-road honest. It’s raw and it’s real. Tightly written with a conversational, chatty style, the text overflows with warmth and authenticity. It includes a discussion of spiritual gifts, where and how believers fit in the Body of Christ, and why and how to “multiply your story” and share your “Ebenezers.” Chapters conclude with lists of questions to prompt further thought and personal reflection.
This a wonderful must-read. If you want to know how and why your story matters, dive in. Reading this book will make you feel like you just swam in an ocean of grace and danced through a fountain of hope.
Indeed, Eyes Up is an exceptional achievement. I didn’t want it to end. Look for more from this talented author. Cuz this one’s a keeper
The book’s main premise comes from a paraphrased quote by Charles Spurgeon: “God is too good to be unkind and He’s too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”
Packed with practical insights and timely reminders, Eyes Up draws from “Ebenezer” stones of remembrance from the author’s own life as it carefully fleshes out the principles and precepts presented in the text. The purpose of an “Ebenezer stone,” writes the author, is “to trace the places God showed up. To prove to you that God isn’t just good, He is good to YOU.”
Eyes Up urges readers to “Chart your Ebenezers” and “mark you story,” remembering when God showed up and worked in ways both large and small in your own life. It shows how walking in faith isn’t done by seeing but by remembering and looking backwards at all the other “Ebenezers” in your journey and where God met you. It gently reminds us that faith doesn’t need sight. It can last in the dark. And that our sight will never be able to take us where faith can.
Because “He will always show up.”
This book doesn’t pull any punches. It asks the tough questions: “Where was God in this?” “Where are You, God? Why have you left me all alone?” It tackles crises of faith and other personal dilemmas head-on.
There are no canned answers or trite cliches here. No pie-in-the-sky, bye-and-bye breezy bloviating. This is rubber-meets-the-road honest. It’s raw and it’s real. Tightly written with a conversational, chatty style, the text overflows with warmth and authenticity. It includes a discussion of spiritual gifts, where and how believers fit in the Body of Christ, and why and how to “multiply your story” and share your “Ebenezers.” Chapters conclude with lists of questions to prompt further thought and personal reflection.
This a wonderful must-read. If you want to know how and why your story matters, dive in. Reading this book will make you feel like you just swam in an ocean of grace and danced through a fountain of hope.
Indeed, Eyes Up is an exceptional achievement. I didn’t want it to end. Look for more from this talented author. Cuz this one’s a keeper
December 24, 2023
Refreshing, whispers of encouragement. It is a reminder that what we see is temporal. Instead, look up… see that God is for you and doing good in a through you. That this was His purpose all along. We just need to get our eyes off of what we can see.
I am always looking for books that help me deepen my relationship with Christ. Books that will help me as I transform to become more like Christ. This book has many nuggets that stopped me in my tracks; it made me challenge what I believed and said to myself, made me look away from what I believed was the answer or solution, to what Christ might be doing in my life
differently, and it encouraged me that through it all Jesus is good and for me. This is a book that I am
Wanting to go back through and marinate on the nuggets of truth woven throughout. Christ is the centerpiece of our story and He shines throughout this book.
I am always looking for books that help me deepen my relationship with Christ. Books that will help me as I transform to become more like Christ. This book has many nuggets that stopped me in my tracks; it made me challenge what I believed and said to myself, made me look away from what I believed was the answer or solution, to what Christ might be doing in my life
differently, and it encouraged me that through it all Jesus is good and for me. This is a book that I am
Wanting to go back through and marinate on the nuggets of truth woven throughout. Christ is the centerpiece of our story and He shines throughout this book.
November 1, 2023
Read it as a part of my woman’s collective group at church. The author is very long winded with many grammatical errors throughout. What can be said in a paragraph is drawn out for 20 pages. It was insightful and made me dig deeper into my relationship with Jesus.
July 22, 2025
Finished the last three chapters in what would seem to be a timely manner.
I would recommend this book to those who need some Godly encouragement.
I highlighted throughout the entire book. Which is an indicator that it’s a good one, especially when I can’t highlight fast enough.
Here are some of my fav in no particular order.
————————————
“Tracing those moments, painful as it is for me, reveals the handprints of God in the dark places the world says He could never possibly be at work. But what the world can’t understand, is just how much the Shepherd loves the sheep and just how familiar He is with the valley.”
“He gets to decide the characters and the seasons and the way things go down. Because He’s God. And we are not this doesn’t mean he’s not compassionate to our cries. And it doesn’t mean He isn’t kind. It means He’s the one in control.”
“The longing we have for abundance isn’t a need for more or better things, but to be loved, seen, and valued.“
“I’m not her, over there, managing the stuff she has to manage. I’m me, right here, taking care of the stuff I’ve been given to manage.”
“When glorifying God in all that we do becomes our priority, our reason to breathe and to live, comparison begins to slip away because all you can think about is how good God has been and will be.”
I would recommend this book to those who need some Godly encouragement.
I highlighted throughout the entire book. Which is an indicator that it’s a good one, especially when I can’t highlight fast enough.
Here are some of my fav in no particular order.
————————————
“Tracing those moments, painful as it is for me, reveals the handprints of God in the dark places the world says He could never possibly be at work. But what the world can’t understand, is just how much the Shepherd loves the sheep and just how familiar He is with the valley.”
“He gets to decide the characters and the seasons and the way things go down. Because He’s God. And we are not this doesn’t mean he’s not compassionate to our cries. And it doesn’t mean He isn’t kind. It means He’s the one in control.”
“The longing we have for abundance isn’t a need for more or better things, but to be loved, seen, and valued.“
“I’m not her, over there, managing the stuff she has to manage. I’m me, right here, taking care of the stuff I’ve been given to manage.”
“When glorifying God in all that we do becomes our priority, our reason to breathe and to live, comparison begins to slip away because all you can think about is how good God has been and will be.”
March 14, 2022
I was encouraged and challenged on every page of Eyes Up by Alexandra Hoover. The book centers around the idea that our stories matter to God, to ourselves, and to each other. The author challenges readers to find the Ebenezer moments in our stories that point us to God, despite the hardships we all face. I really appreciated her questions at the end of each chapter. They weren't cheesy, and would be great discussion for a small group. She uses scripture in encouraging ways to challenge us to see how our stories can be pointed back to Jesus - and how was there all along even at times when we thought He was not. My only complaint is that there was a good deal of emphasis on sharing stories in community at the end of the book. I do think that is important, but the author did not address safety as part of that. If you are not safe in relationship or in the church, sharing your story can be dangerous/damaging and it would have been nice to have that mentioned. Overall though, this is an encouraging book I will return to in order to savor.
Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the advanced ebook copy to read. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the advanced ebook copy to read. All opinions are my own.
September 26, 2022
Alexandra Hoover takes you on a journey through your own life. She teaches you how to map out the different stones in your life and how God worked through them. She challenges you to share your story, find your gifts, and multiply the body of Christ. A very encouraging read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2023
Wonderful book full of Biblical wisdom and truth. Highly recommend!
February 23, 2023
This book had some really good insight and was biblically sound, but I listened to the Audible audio book read from the writer and that ruined it for me. I love to hear from the writers, but in this case it was really distracting. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears the entire book. I think I would have gotten more out if it by just reading it rather than listening to it. Just get the book!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews