The Connection Corner
A daily source of encouragement and inspiration to connect your heart to hope and faith.
Daily Devotional
The Hot Water TestSeptember 16, 2026 - 7:00 am
Don’t Rehearse The RegretSeptember 15, 2026 - 7:00 am
Look Up, It’s Not OverSeptember 14, 2026 - 7:00 am
Come As You AreSeptember 13, 2026 - 7:00 am
Leave Hope Wherever You GoSeptember 12, 2026 - 7:00 am
United We Still StandSeptember 11, 2026 - 7:00 am
Jesus Cares About That TooSeptember 10, 2026 - 7:00 am
Don’t Judge the Book by its CoverSeptember 9, 2026 - 7:00 am
A Refreshing Plot TwistSeptember 8, 2026 - 7:00 am
Can You Sit with MeSeptember 7, 2026 - 7:00 am
HEART OF THE ARTIST
The Secret to Being BlessedSeptember 6, 2026 - 7:00 am
The Hardest HallelujahAugust 30, 2026 - 7:00 am
Meet Me in the ValleyAugust 9, 2026 - 7:00 am
Holding on Through HeartbreakJuly 5, 2026 - 7:00 am
Faith That Falls ForwardJune 18, 2026 - 7:00 am
STORIES ABOUT SONGS
- Come As You AreSeptember 13, 2026 - 7:00 am
- The Hardest HallelujahAugust 30, 2026 - 7:00 am
The Fight Nobody SeesAugust 23, 2026 - 7:00 am
One Way Through the ChaosJuly 26, 2026 - 7:00 am
The Gospel Still Changes EverythingJuly 12, 2026 - 7:00 am
Stories About Songs
- Come As You AreSeptember 13, 2026 - 7:00 am
- The Hardest HallelujahAugust 30, 2026 - 7:00 am
- The Fight Nobody SeesAugust 23, 2026 - 7:00 am
- One Way Through the ChaosJuly 26, 2026 - 7:00 am
- The Gospel Still Changes EverythingJuly 12, 2026 - 7:00 am
Faith That Falls Forward
Daily Devotional, Heart of the ArtistI have a distinct memory of learning how to ride my bike. I was ready to race down the driveway the moment my dad removed the training wheels.
Instead of reaching the speed of a cheetah, I lost my balance and started to fall. But the moment before I hit the ground, I felt these tree trunk-sized arms catch me and lift me back onto my bike.
It was my dad. There he was, blocking the sun out of my face while looking down at me, smiling. He laughed and said, “Try again.”
In seconds, I was pedaling off, only to fall again. Each time, my dad was there, catching me at just the right moment, over and over. Of course, as a little girl I was afraid of falling, but I also trusted that when my dad was near, I would be okay.
I had faith he would catch me.
Since learning to ride my bike, I’ve fallen down a lot in life.
Growing up in church, I learned that God is a faithful Father. Even so, there are still moments when I wonder if He’ll really come through for me. What if He’s tired of picking me up? What if He’s frustrated that I keep making the same mistakes?
Thankfully, God isn’t that way.
His faithfulness isn’t based on my performance. His love doesn’t run out when I stumble. It stretches farther than I can measure—higher than the heavens and steadier than my footing has ever been.
But you and I are in good company because God’s got us.
When I find myself in a season of doubt, I often think about the story of Peter walking on water to meet Jesus. Even though Peter’s faith wavered, God was still faithful. The same God who reached for Peter in the middle of the waves is reaching for you in the middle of yours
So, when you feel unsteady, remember this:
God’s faithfulness is not fragile.
It isn’t shaken by your doubts, your questions, or your repeated falls.
Just like my dad standing behind that bicycle, God is closer than you think.
He’s steady when you’re not.
He’s faithful when your faith feels small.
And He’s still teaching you how to ride.
— LeAnna Crawford
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Lyrics:
I try to pray but the words aren’t coming out the way they used to
Did I lose my faith God do I still trust You (mmm)
I try to worship but when I lift my hands it all just feels so empty
Is it the heavy of the world or is it just me (mmm)
Though I’ve sung a thousand times
You’re perfect and You’ll never leave leave my side
Can I be honest
I just wanna know that You still got this
When all I’m holding onto is a promise
God You promised
That You’ll never leave me
When I’m scared of the dark You’re right there with me
Your kindness never fails, it’s always reaching after me
But right now, God all I need
Is to be honest
Oh I’ve heard stories of you showing up when it was least expected
Every time you prove your timing always perfect – and the wait was worth it
Again and again and again – see your power coming through
You bring life to what is dead – no there’s nothing You can’t do
I believe you did it then – so won’t You do it now
Can I be honest
I just wanna know that You still got this
When all I’m holding onto is a promise
God You promised
That You’ll never leave me
When I’m scared of the dark You’re right there with me
Your kindness never fails, it’s always reaching after me
But right now, God all I need
Is to be honest
Is Your breath when I can’t breathe
Your eyes when I can’t see
An anchor as the waves crash all around
Be my heart when I can’t feel
And show me something real
Just one taste of heaven here and now
Can I be honest
Can I be honest
I just wanna know that You still got this
When all I’m holding onto is a promise
God you promised
That you’ll never leave me
When I’m scared of the dark You’re right there with me
Your kindness never fails, it’s always reaching after me
But right now, God all I need
But right now, God all I need
Planning What Matters Most
UncategorizedMy dad has retired, but he hasn’t stopped. I got to catch up with him on vacation.
And he was talking about how… “Yeah, I’m not working eight to five anymore, but I’ve scheduled in time in my day to help others.”
He said, “Maybe it’s somebody in my community who needs a ride somewhere. Maybe they need help moving. I don’t know, whatever it is, I prioritize it and schedule it in my day.
That really touched me.
He didn’t just retire. He reorganized his life around people.
And I thought, “Okay… that is a whole new definition of being the hands and feet of Jesus.”
It’s not serving spontaneously or only when it’s convenient. It’s not squeezed in if there’s extra time.
No, it’s chosen. It’s planned. It’s built in.
It’s letting everything you do be shaped by love.
Because following Christ doesn’t just change what we believe. It reshapes what we prioritize. It changes what makes it onto our calendars, into our budgets, and into our everyday lives.
My dad understands something that can be easy to miss: love isn’t just a feeling. Love is an action. And sometimes the most loving thing you can do is make room for people before they ever ask for your help.
So maybe today is a good day to ask yourself: Who has God placed in my life that I can serve?
Maybe it’s a neighbor who needs a hand. Maybe it’s a friend who needs a phone call. Maybe it’s someone who’s been carrying a burden alone.
Whatever it looks like, don’t wait for someday.
Make room for love today.
Because when love becomes a priority instead of an afterthought, people notice.
And so does God.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Shame Says Run & Grace Says Come
Daily Devotional, Denise PaganoI have an uncle I adore. His name is Uncle Wayland.
Yeah, kind of like Waylon Jennings, if you will, right? And if I did something I shouldn’t have as a kid, he didn’t yell at me or lecture. All he had to do was look at me and say, “Denise, I am so disappointed.”
That was it.
Instant tears. Every single time. I’m a 54-year-old woman, and if he said something like that to me, I’d still be sobbing.
It’s because when you love somebody, and they’re disappointed in you… oh man, that hits deep.
We tend to project that same disappointment onto God when we fall short. I think we imagine Him talking to us the same way. Like when we mess up or lose our temper or doubt or just feel like we’re not doing life very well, we picture Him shaking His head saying, “Ugh, I expected better out of you.”
But that picture of God isn’t actually the one we see in Jesus.
Because that’s not the way Jesus responds to people in the Bible. When people were struggling or failing or exhausted, He moved towards them, not away. And not with crossed arms or a heavy sigh, but with something steadier… something that feels a whole lot more like a good father kneeling down, softening his voice, and pulling his child in close instead of pushing them away.
God doesn’t respond to our failures by pushing us away. Instead, He meets us with compassion and invites us closer, even when we feel least deserving of it.
So, if today feels like one of those days when you’re convinced God must be disappointed in you, remember this: the voice of shame pushes you away, but the voice of Jesus always calls you closer.
And maybe the next time that old, familiar feeling creeps in, you don’t run the other direction like you used to. Maybe you stay. Maybe you lean in just a little.
Not because you’ve got it all together, but because you’re beginning to believe that He already knows you don’t.
And He loves you still.
He hasn’t stepped back an inch.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT