The Connection Corner

Joy After the Valley

Jude 1:24 — Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.

You didn’t get here easily. No, you’ve walked through loss. You’ve walked through a diagnosis or a heartbreak, and the fact is, you’re still standing.

Friend, that’s not luck. That is the grace of God. It’s the kind of joy that comes after you’ve seen God carry you through something you thought was going to break you.

And I think you’re more grounded after that.

Now, it doesn’t mean you forget the valley. It just means the valley doesn’t get to win. I think those of us (and I’m going to include myself in this) that deal with anxiety, have to remind ourselves that the valley doesn’t get to win.

We have to remind ourselves that God is our refuge and strength. He says it right in His Word. You don’t forget the valley, but it doesn’t get the final word. And one day you look back and realize: He was faithful even there.

And somewhere in the middle of the breaking, before you could even find the right words, He was already leaning in—hearing, answering, and moving toward you.

And friend, that’s the kind of joy that feels unshakable.

So, when you feel the difficulty of the valley again, you don’t have to clean it up or carry it alone. You can come honest, even desperate, and trust that God’s mercy meets you.

Not later…

Right there.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

What valley has God already carried you through that reminds you of His faithfulness today?
Where are you tempted to believe the valley is “winning” in your life right now?
What would it look like to come honestly before God instead of trying to carry everything alone?
How has hardship deepened your trust in God’s presence?
What does “unshakable joy” mean to you personally?

May 18, 2026/by Denise Pagano

When Silence Finds a Song

Daily Devotional, Heart of the Artist, Stories About Songs

Isaiah 65:24 — I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!

No singing in the house—that was the rule.

Jamie MacDonald’s parents had already split up when she was young, and somewhere in the aftermath, her voice became something to hide. She was a kid who loved to sing, but she learned to swallow it—the music, the feelings, all of it.

But at age twelve, at youth camp, something broke through anyway. She felt the nearness of God in a way she couldn’t explain. He wasn’t distant or cold. No, He was close and personal.

But she went home, and real life got loud again. That closeness faded into the background.

By sixteen, she had dropped out of high school. Life became unstable—partying, drugs, just trying to survive. The people around her were unraveling too. Some overdosed. Some ended up in jail. Some didn’t make it out at all.

“I’m tired of that life,” she finally said in the weight of it all. “I remember what You spoke to me, God… and I want to live for You.”

That’s where things began to change.

Not all at once. Not perfectly. She quietly started showing up. She read her Bible, slipped quietly into church, and let God begin rebuilding what had been worn down. Over time, doors opened. She led worship. Served on mission trips. She even helped with prison ministry, where she saw something she’d never forget. She saw women clinging to truth in the prisons like it was oxygen.

Five years later, after spending time caring for her father through Parkinson’s and dementia, she returned to Nashville carrying carrying profound heartbreak and a deep need for healing.

And that’s where the song “Desperate” was born.

Not as a performance, but a real prayer.

“I’m not asking… I’m begging.”

Because somewhere along the way, she realized something she didn’t know before. Life was no longer about staying quiet or praying perfect prayers. It was about being real.

Even as a girl forced into silence, God had been leaning in the whole time. Listening before she could finish the sentence. Moving toward her before she found the right words. He’s the kind of God who answers before we call, who hears even the prayers we can barely get out.

And maybe that’s where this meets you. Not in having the right words. Not in having it all together.

But in letting yourself be honest right where you are, trusting that even your most desperate prayers are already being heard…

And right now, in your desperation, you are already being held.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Have you ever felt like you needed to hide parts of yourself from God or others?
What does this devotional teach us about God’s response to desperate prayers?
Why do you think honesty before God matters more than having “perfect” prayers?
Have you experienced a season where God was working in your life before you fully recognized it?
What would it look like for you to bring your real struggles honestly before God today?

L Y R I C S:

I’m at the end of myself and I’m
Tired I’ve tried all that I know to do
Right now it’s just by a thread but I’m
Hangin’ onto You

I’m running outta hope
I need a miracle
And if I ever needed You it’s right now

Oh God I’m desperate
Down on my knees
Send help from Heaven
Cuz that’s what I need
Redeem this wreckage
Restore my peace
I’m not asking I’m begging
Lord come through for me

I need Heaven and I’m
Desperate
Desperate
Oh, I need Heaven
Need Heaven and

I’ve prayed all the prayers I can pray but I
I won’t stop knocking til You open the door
You can move a mountain, You can calm a storm
I know You can cause I’ve seen it before

Oh God I’m desperate
Down on my knees
Send help from Heaven
Cuz that’s what I need
Redeem this wreckage
Restore my peace
I’m not asking I’m begging
Lord come through for me

I need Heaven and I’m
Desperate
Desperate
Oh, I need Heaven
Need Heaven and
I’m
Desperate
Desperate
Oh, I need Heaven
Need Heaven and I

Oh
And You’re my only hope
I need a miracle
If I ever needed You it’s right now
Oh God I’m desperate
Down on my knees
Send help from Heaven
Cuz that’s what I need
Redeem this wreckage
Restore my peace
I’m not asking I’m begging
Lord come through for me

I need Heaven and I’m
Desperate
Desperate
Oh, I need Heaven
Need Heaven and I’m
Desperate
Desperate
Oh, I need Heaven
Need Heaven and I

More About Jamie MacDonald in her interview with Rita Springer on her podcast, Worship is My Weapon

May 17, 2026/by Kirstie Ford

Miles and Miles of Wonder

Daily Devotional, David Hall

Psalm 8:1 — O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.

The sky never repeats itself, and somehow that says everything.

Right after college, home still meant my childhood bedroom. My sister Lindsay had just started at ULM, and I was in that strange in-between—done with college, grateful to be home, but not quite sure what came next.

So I made a habit of escaping.

My sister and I would hit the interstate and head west toward Ruston. Windows cracked, music up, we’d talk about everything and nothing—classes, dreams, the future waiting somewhere out there. We had no plan. No destination.

Just one goal.

Chasing sunsets.

Have you ever done that? You can almost feel it before you see it.

The sun dipping low, stretching gold across the fields. Then orange. Then streaks of violet painting the horizon. It never rushed, but it never lingered either. You had to pay attention or you’d miss it.

It never gets old.

We started those drives knowing what we were chasing, but never really knowing what we’d get. And that was the thrill.

Somewhere along those miles, it became clear—our God is a master creator. His handiwork fills the sky every evening. And if you take a moment to notice, there’s more beauty than you can predict, and more wonder than you can control.

The heavens are always saying something, if you’re willing to look up. His glory stretches farther than your plans and bigger than whatever you’re trying to figure out next.

Creation keeps pointing back to Him.

And maybe that’s the invitation. Not to have it all mapped out. Not to rush past the moment. Just to notice. Because even now, His colors are breaking out all around you— unmistakable and daily.

And if you lift your eyes, even for a second, you might catch it.

He is still the God of wonders, and His glory still fills the earth.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

When was the last time you slowed down enough to truly notice God’s creation?
How does creation help reveal the majesty and creativity of God to you?
Are there moments in your life where you’ve been so focused on the future that you missed the beauty right in front of you?
What does Psalm 8:1 teach us about God’s glory and presence in the world around us?
How can you intentionally “look up” and notice God’s wonder in your everyday life this week?

May 16, 2026/by David Hall