The Connection Corner

Keeping it Together-ish

Nahum 1:7 – The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in Him.

Am I a bad parent? I don’t know. Are you?

We all ask questions like that. Maybe not about parenting specifically, but about whatever we do. Some obsess about it. Just check Facebook.

Maybe they have a point. Odds are, you’re holed up in your favorite safe space—think bathroom—reading this right now. You’re well aware you’re needed in the next room to break up a family quarrel, and yes, reading in the bathroom could be interpreted as avoidance.

But this is your time. It’s sacred.

You’re enjoying your own little spa moment, sitting in an empty bathtub, one hand holding your phone, the other buried in the bag of M&M’s no one else in the house knows about.

But this isn’t what you would call wasting time. People don’t waste time anymore. We’ve renamed it. We call it recharging, resetting or decompressing. Whatever it is, you won’t beat yourself up about it. You’ve earned a few minutes of alone time.

Now, what was the question again? Ah, yes … Am I a bad parent?

Well, I’m not always the best role model. One time I told my son to behave like a man, so he took a nap on the couch. I’m not proud of that. Does that make me a bad parent? I don’t know.

But am I a good parent? I mean, my kids have most of their teeth. They’ve never shown up at school in their underwear—okay, once. But they were homeschooled, so no real harm done.

Let’s be honest: every generation of caregivers has found ways to check out to get some “fresh air.” So…Dad, Mom, teacher, coach…there’s nothing villainous about a needing to get away. The heroic thing is that you keep returning.

Parenting—like many callings in life—is about faithfulness. Half the battle is just showing up. So engage. Retreat. Recharge. Return. Engage again. Just keep being present.

And most importantly, we know where the M&M’s are.

— Tim Hawkins

Tim Hawkins will be at First West on October 9.

For information, go to our EVENTS PAGE!

September 10, 2025/by David Hall

Tiny Mouse, Big God

Daily Devotional, Lauren Kitchens-Steward

Matthew 6:26 – “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.”

The kids and I found a baby mouse once. It was so small it would not have filled a teaspoon. Now, if you know me, you know exactly what happened next. I am a big-time animal rescuer.

You might ask, “Why in the world would you want to keep a mouse alive?”

Well, I will tell you why. I love all of God’s creatures. Every single one. I see an animal on the road, and it buckles me every single time.

We got to work straight away. I rubbed its belly with a warm Q-tip, tucked it in a basket with a towel and heating pad, and fed it kitten milk every two to three hours. I even turned to my friends on Facebook for advice. That is how I learned you can use a small paint brush for feeding (less chance of it choking that way).

But despite all of it, the baby passed away anyway. I will not lie. That hurt. This was the second mouse we lost in few months. There was even a baby bunny in the yard not long ago.

I am tired of death. Sometimes I am just so ready for Jesus to return so nothing else has to die.

It was never supposed to be like this. Back in the garden, Adam named them all saying, “you are a tiger” and “you are a mouse” and none of them knew what death was.

That day will come again. God knows every ache that we feel in our chest, and I know He is righting every wrong.

I mean it.

Because I know there’s no way I’m better than God at anything.

If I can be over here giving Q-Tip belly rubs and paint brush dinners to a rodent, then I know God is infinitely better than that.

If He cares for the sparrow—and yes, the baby mouse—then I know He cares for me.

And that is what gets me through today.

September 9, 2025/by Lauren Kitchens-Steward

Finding Family in Faith

Bri Dunn, Daily Devotional

Psalms 68:5-6a — “Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families; He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.”

I was anxious, yet so ready for this day to come. It was a day I had dreamt of for many years but unsure if I would ever see it.

Our son, Lennox was being dedicated to the Lord. Our church does it special for each baby. They have stood in the gap for us and prayed for this child long before he was born, so when we stepped onto that stage, it felt like a win for everyone.

My pastor spoke blessings over him, even sharing what his name meant. It was the kind of moment you wish you could hold on to and save for later. I couldn’t help but look around and glance at all the faces in the crowd of people who showed up for us.

Although many were there, I felt a pit in my stomach for who wasn’t. My family. None of them. They live hours away, and our lives aren’t as intertwined as they once were.

The hardest part was knowing my mom would have been there, cheering the loudest, if she could. But she is already in Heaven.

I almost found myself drifting to a place of despair, but in that moment the pastor called family and close friends up. That was the moment I remembered I was surrounded by love.

No, my loved ones could not be replaced, but I was amazed at how God had multiplied my community shoulder to shoulder with us. Praying.

As I looked to my right and left, I saw and felt the strength of those friends who had become family who I know will help us raise him in love.

And I’m sitting with this truth today. Yes, there will be tough moments in life where those you love cannot be there for you, but Jesus already knows and has already gone before you. He is preparing community for you through the Body of Christ.

You do not have to walk this alone or figure it out by yourself. He sends the right people before you even realize you need them. So, look around. Who is already standing beside you today?

September 8, 2025/by Bri Dunn