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The news coming out of Moore, Oklahoma is heart breaking. The latest report estimates over 20 people have been killed, at least 9 are children.

As the debris settle from the tornado that has uprooted hundreds, so too does the shock and grief and utter disbelief and hopelessness over the community's losses.

Some are thinking, "How can this be happening? Where is God?"

"How will I ever get through this?"

When we go through tragedy, how can we hold onto the promises of God?

This is something that Max Lucado is going to be unpacking in the coming months ...

All of Max's programs speak to my heart and I found that especially true for his upcoming message on May 13^th:

 "God never promises to remove us from struggle, He does promise to change the way we look at them."

 Wow. I mean, it makes sense but how often do we look at things in that way? So often we (I) think that as believers, we should be covered somehow from challenges. Until something happens - then I think that God will (and should) sweep in and majestically answer our prayers, solve the problem, take care of things.

 Sometimes ...

The journey of understanding and embracing Grace continues as we approach the season of Easter.

"Come to the Cross - An Easter Special with Max Lucado", is the next chapter in the edification of Grace. Max dives even deeper into what he calls the "waves of grace" by explaining the heartbeat of Jesus.

Imagine, the heartbeat of Jesus.

Expounding on the truth of "Christ in me," Max shares that the promise of Grace that God gives to each of us transforms our heart to the heart of Jesus.

Our heartbeat is His heartbeat. Truly and fully.

What an incredible vision that ...

There is a new "where were you" moment that has been forever etched into human history. Just like "where were you" when the Twin Towers fell (in my apartment senior year of college, sitting on my couch, watching the news), we now add "where were you" when you heard of Sandy Hook.

A place we've never heard of before. But, at a location almost all of us can relate to: an elementary school. Tragedy so painful, we almost can't talk about it lest we start to tear. Being a new mom myself, the despair I feel for the ...

Grace is defined as simple elegance or refinement of movement.  To do honor or credit to someone or something by one's presence.

Grace is something that we need all year long, however it's always good to remember that Grace first came to us in a manger. In the cold. There was straw and there were animals.

And the birth of Jesus.

Christmas is when Grace came to earth that night and Grace has been with us every day since. Never ending, always available and full of love.

This Christmas you can hear the story of Grace in Max ...

Hurricane Sandy has brought into stark reality just how human we really are. Mortal and unable to altar the path and force of such a monumental storm, all we can do is get as out-of-the-way as possible, prepare, and pray.

As the death toll is now almost at 60 lives my heart goes those families who have lost loved ones, as well as homes and possessions. Some of it lost by the winds, rain, and floods of the storm and still others destroyed by the aftermath -- such as those homes lost to fire in ...