“God’s grace is not flashy or loud; it quietly redeems what’s broken.” In this episode of Living the Grace Life, Bible teacher and author Mariel Davenport invites us into the story of Ruth — a tender, powerful picture of God’s pursuit, redemption, and grace when we have nothing to offer Him.

Once an atheist, Mariel shares how Scripture transformed her faith and how Ruth’s story reveals a God who draws near to the disqualified, the weary, and the empty-handed. Together, we explore how God’s grace meets us in ordinary faithfulness, how community shapes spiritual formation, and how Scripture becomes a living encounter with a pursuing God.

If you’ve ever wondered whether God could really be after you — especially in seasons of loss, doubt, or spiritual dryness — this conversation will remind you that grace is already moving toward you.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Feeling disqualified yet pursued by God anyway
• Grace in the story of Ruth and God's redemptive love
• How community shapes faith and spiritual growth
• Mariel's TEND method for meaningful Bible Study
• TENDing through Psalm 23 in seasons of uncertainty

If you’ve ever felt too far gone, empty-handed, or unsure where you belong with God, Mariel offers a gentle, hope-filled reminder: grace does its best work in unlikely places — and God is already moving toward you.

“God is after the heart of each one of us."

"We are all the ones who have nothing to offer God. But He pursues us and under His wings we come to take refuge."

"God's grace is not flashy or loud; it quietly redeems what's broken.”

The Book of Ruth

🌿Mariel Davenport's Bible Study Ruth: Finding Grace in the Unexpected 🌿TEND Method Guide 🌿Tending Together Online Community 🎶 Mariel's go-to grace song: How Can You Not by Leanna Crawford

Website: marieldavenport.com Instagram: @marieldavenport Facebook: @MarielDavenportAuthor

Ep. 69 How to Love Your Morning | Jennifer Dukes Lee Ep. 59 Chased by Grace | Crystal Mayo Ep. 51 The Grace Thread in Everyday Life | Eric Nevins

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Do mornings motivate you, or do you kind of dread them? What if loving your morning has nothing to do with waking up earlier and everything to do with waking up differently? In this episode, we talk about how to love your morning in a grace-filled, life-giving way that helps you start your day with peace, intention, and joy.

Jennifer Dukes Lee, author of How to Love Your Morning (April 2026), believes that being a morning person has nothing to do with the hands on the clock, but rather how you wake up. Having researched the 200 mornings that appear in the Bible, she has concluded that not only are you a morning person, but God is too!

In our conversation, we talk about:

• Jennifer's journey from being an agnostic news reporter to a Good News news reporter
• Four morning archetypes and their impact on how we start the day
• The distinction between a routine and a ritual
• Morning rituals to keep you grounded in grace
• Jennifer's 5-minute Quiet Time Template

Jennifer is a best-selling author, a fan of queso, bright lipstick, and singing loudly to songs with great harmony. She lives on a fifth-generation farm in Iowa with her husband, where together they've grown crops, pigs, two beautiful humans, and an enduring faith.

If you've ever struggled with how to love your morning, let today's conversation help you reframe how you experience the start of your day--with real grace for your real life.

“If you have something to wake up for, it's easier to put your feet on the floor.”

"God is always there. He doesn't come in the measure of time [you] spend with him. "

"We see a God who seems to have a soft spot for mornings, an invitation into hopefulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23 "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Psalm 30:5 "For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."

Genesis 1:3 "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light."

🌿Jennifer Dukes Lee's Book (April 2006, available now for pre-order): How to Love Your Morning 🌿5-Minute Quiet Time Template 🌿Additional FREE Resources 🎶 Jennifer's go-to grace song: Your Grace Still Amazes Me by Phillips Craig and Dean

Website: jenniferdukeslee.com Instagram: jenniferdukeslee Facebook: JenniferDukesLee

Ep. 59 Chased by Grace | Carol McLeod Ep. 41 What if Doubt is Part of Faith? | Niki Hardy Ep. 25 Divine Detour and Deepened Faith | Lori Ann Wood

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Are you longing for a gentle, thoughtful start to your year? These two reflection questions for a grace-filled year offer space to breathe, and to notice and invite God into what’s truly life-giving. January doesn’t magically erase December’s grief, stress, or exhaustion—but it does offer a quiet invitation to pause, reflect, and listen for what your soul needs as you enter a new season.

In this episode, I share how I’ve learned to appreciate January not as a month of pressure and hustle, but as a tender reset where God meets us in the quiet. Inspired by Emily P. Freeman’s reminder that “reflection is a lifestyle, not a one-time event,” I walk through two simple yet deeply grounding questions that help uncover what God is teaching, restoring, and nurturing in us.

1️⃣ What was life-giving? 2️⃣ What was life-draining?

I share honestly from my own reflections—like the ways ignoring food sensitivities and trying to manage other people’s emotions drained life from me this past year. And I talk about the gentle, grace-filled practices that breathed life back in: breath prayers, worship songs, and choosing a word of the year.

These questions aren’t about performance or perfection. They are an invitation into grace, awareness, and partnering with God as He leads you forward.

• Why January can feel hard—and how God meets us there

• Why reflection isn’t about being “late” or “behind”

• How these two simple questions can reshape your spiritual and emotional health

• Real-life examples of draining patterns and life-giving rhythms

• Encouragement to move into the year with compassion, clarity, and grace

Whether you’re grieving, hopeful, exhausted, or somewhere in between, you’re not behind. You’re right on time. And God is with you—inviting you to notice, breathe, and step forward in grace with Him.

🎶So Much Grace by Jonathan David & Melissa Helser

🎶Roses by Andrew Ripp

Ep. 21 A Word of the Year to Transform Your 2025 | Jennifer Sakata Ep. 8 Live Slowly: A Gentle Invitation to Exhale | Jody H. Grubbs Ep. 24 The Power of New Beginnings in Genesis 1 | Jennifer Sakata

🎁 My FREE gift to you: Prayers That Change Us 📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content & episode updates ⭐ If this episode resonated with you, leave a review and share it with a friend!