The Connection Corner
A daily source of encouragement and inspiration to connect your heart to hope and faith.
Daily Devotional
Hope in Life’s RiptidesAugust 6, 2026 - 7:00 am
Kindness Delivered to Your DoorAugust 5, 2026 - 7:00 am
The Greener Grass TrapAugust 4, 2026 - 7:00 am
Fireworks Fade, Freedom LastsAugust 3, 2026 - 7:00 am
The Power of a PauseAugust 2, 2026 - 7:00 am
What To Do with Unanswered PrayersAugust 1, 2026 - 7:00 am
Rescued From Life’s RiptideJuly 31, 2026 - 7:00 am
Clear Truth in an Upside-Down WorldJuly 30, 2026 - 7:00 am
Wisdom Works When You ListenJuly 29, 2026 - 7:00 am
Trusting God in the FreefallJuly 28, 2026 - 7:00 am
HEART OF THE ARTIST
Holding on Through HeartbreakJuly 5, 2026 - 7:00 am
Faith That Falls ForwardJune 18, 2026 - 7:00 am
From Dusty Bibles to Daily BreadJune 14, 2026 - 7:00 am
Leaving No SurvivorsJune 7, 2026 - 7:00 am
When Joy Fills RoomsMay 31, 2026 - 7:00 am
STORIES ABOUT SONGS
One Way Through the ChaosJuly 26, 2026 - 7:00 am
The Gospel Still Changes EverythingJuly 12, 2026 - 7:00 am
The Beauty in the Broken RoadJune 28, 2026 - 7:00 am- From Dusty Bibles to Daily BreadJune 14, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Leaving No SurvivorsJune 7, 2026 - 7:00 am
Stories About Songs
- One Way Through the ChaosJuly 26, 2026 - 7:00 am
- The Gospel Still Changes EverythingJuly 12, 2026 - 7:00 am
- The Beauty in the Broken RoadJune 28, 2026 - 7:00 am
- From Dusty Bibles to Daily BreadJune 14, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Leaving No SurvivorsJune 7, 2026 - 7:00 am
When God Says, “It’s Time”
Daily Devotional, Lisa WilliamsJ.D. stood in front of the mirror, gathering his long hair into a loose ponytail. He had waited years for this—the chance to grow it out. His Christian school had always required boys to have short hair, but once we started homeschooling, he finally had the chance to let it grow. And so, he did.
I didn’t mind it much. It was just hair, and a chance for him to figure out who he was and wanted to be. Despite the challenges of being mistaken for a girl, I knew it was crucial to support his journey of self-expression and independence. But as time passed, I found myself wondering if I was doing the right thing.
Then, one evening, he came to me and said, “Mom, do you think I should cut my hair?”
I hesitated. “Well, what do you think?”
He shrugged. “I think I want to, but I am just not sure when.”
Everything in me wanted to say, Now! Right now is a great time! But instead, I swallowed my eagerness and smiled. “Whenever you’re ready, just let me know.”
Weeks passed. If I ever mentioned it, his answer was the same: “Not yet.” Then, one day, he walked into my home office with his face clouded with uncertainty. “Mom, I want to cut my hair… but I’m scared. It feels like part of my identity. I don’t know who I am without it. Will you pray for me?”
So, we prayed. For clarity. For peace. For him to hear God’s voice.
The next day at work, I got a text. “Mom, I was talking to my teacher, and she told me she had a dream that I cut my hair. I think this is what I want to do! I’m ready.”
That night, as the scissors snipped through each lock, J.D. lifted his head as he studied his reflection. His smile said everything. You see, it was never about the hair, but all about how he saw himself in God’s eyes. Now, he had his answer.
Years have passed since that moment, and J.D. now stands on the edge of adulthood, facing bigger decisions than a haircut. But when I think back to that night, I am reminded: If God could guide him then, He can guide him now. And He can do the same for all of us.
Because no decision—big or small—falls outside of His care.
Choosing Love Over Comfort
Daily Devotional, Sarah HallThe second the car starts, the blast of cold air hits me like a wave. I fold my arms, pressing them tightly against my chest, trying to hold in the warmth.
David does not seem to notice. He sits comfortably, one hand on the wheel, humming absently to the song on the radio. I could not take it anymore, so I reached for the air dial and turned up the heat.
A few moments later, David casually turns it back down.
I say nothing. He says nothing. But my jaw tightens just slightly.
Why does he always do that? Why can’t he be the one to adjust?
I cross my arms, staring out the window, watching the world blur past in streaks of green and gray. I could argue. I want to argue. It is not about the air. Not really. It is about the principle.
But then, a thought sneaks in—Do you really have to win this?
Yes, I want to be comfortable. I want to be considered. I want my way! But after I thought about it, I realized that love—real love—doesn’t demand its way. It does not keep score or measure degrees of fairness. So, I reach into the back seat, pull a blanket over my legs, and let the cold air stay.
Jesus laid down everything for us. He did not demand His way. He gave everything. His life. His comfort. His rights.
And here I am, learning that love means choosing someone else’s well-being over my own. It is not easy. But in the moments I choose to give instead of receive, I reflect a love so much greater than my own.
So, today—maybe right now—there’s a moment where you can take the road of love too. Not because you have to, but because you can. Because love, at its core, is a choice.
A Love That Runs Toward You
Daily Devotional, David HallThe father spotted the boy before anyone else did.
A speck on the horizon. A figure too thin, too tired, and walking with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
His son.
He jumped to his feet before his mind caught up. Then he was running—running like a fool or like a man who had never been wronged or his heart shattered.
And when he reached the boy, he did not stop. He embraced him with arms wide open and buried his face in his son’s filthy hair, drinking in the moment he prayed for a thousand times.
The boy started talking, voice shaking, eyes on the ground. “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you—”
But the father did not let him finish.
“Bring a robe!” He said, “The best one! And a ring for his hand, and for Heaven’s sake, fire up the grill. We’re celebrating tonight!”
Because his son was home.
No speeches. No groveling. No earning his way back. Just love, poured out without measure.
And that is exactly how God loves you.
Maybe you feel like you have gone too far. Like you have messed up too much and need to earn your way back. But God is not waiting for you to clean yourself up first.
He just wants you home.
So, if you have been running from Him, and if you have been carrying shame too heavy to bear, hear this:
You don’t have to prove a thing.
Just turn toward Him—He’s already on His way to you.