The Connection Corner
A daily source of encouragement and inspiration to connect your heart to hope and faith.
Daily Devotional
Alone Was Never the AnswerJune 27, 2026 - 7:00 am- Packing Blessings Till They OverflowJune 26, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Mountain, Meet Your MakerJune 25, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Having Fun is Serious BusinessJune 24, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Pause Before You PostJune 23, 2026 - 7:00 am
- No Rebrand RequiredJune 22, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Daughter, I See YouJune 21, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Joy At The DoorJune 20, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Forgiveness Finds A WayJune 19, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Faith That Falls ForwardJune 18, 2026 - 7:00 am
Heart of the Artist
- 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
- Paddleboards and PraiseMay 24, 2026 - 7:00 am
Stories About Songs
- 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 Joy Fills RoomsMay 31, 2026 - 7:00 am
- Paddleboards and PraiseMay 24, 2026 - 7:00 am
The Little Red Nosed Love Story
Daily Devotional, David HallIf you listen closely, you can almost hear it—the soft chime of sleigh bells drifting across time. Before Rudolph ever blinked his bright red nose on television screens, there was a man who needed a bit of light himself.
It was the winter of 1939 in Chicago. Outside, carolers sang, department store windows were dressed with tinsel, and a million hopes were hung on the idea that this Christmas would feel different.
Inside Montgomery Ward, Robert L. May sat at his cluttered desk, staring at the falling snow. His wife was ill, and his daughter, little Barbara, watched him fight to stay cheerful.
When his boss asked him to write a holiday storybook for the store’s giveaway, he sighed.
What story could he possibly tell?
But that’s the funny thing about Christmas—it tends to show up right when you’ve nearly given up on it.
He thought about what it meant to be different, to stand out in a world that doesn’t quite understand you. And then, like a snowflake landing on his sleeve, an idea appeared—a reindeer with a glowing red nose.
He wrote late into the nights, describing that little reindeer who was laughed at, left out, and yet chosen to lead the sleigh through the darkest storm. He didn’t know it yet, but he was writing about himself—and maybe about all of us who have ever felt like we didn’t quite fit.
When his daughter heard it, she clapped her hands and said, “Daddy, that’s wonderful!” That year, Montgomery Ward printed more than two million copies. Families read the story aloud by the fire, and children’s laughter mingled with the crackle of the radio.
Fast forward twenty-five years: Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass brought the tale to life on television with stop-motion “Animagic.” In a little studio in Tokyo, animators moved tiny puppets, one frame at a time, for months.
Rudolph’s nose glowed for real. The Island of Misfit Toys, the Bumble, even Hermey the elf who wanted to be a dentist—all reminded us that God’s kingdom values those who feel different, overlooked, or broken. Every misfit is loved and has a place in His plan.
And isn’t that exactly what we read in scripture? Love walks with the lost, lifts the lonely, and turns what others call weakness into light.
So, this Christmas, maybe you can be a little like Rudolph.
Notice the person others pass by, struggling. Speak a word of kindness, offer a seat at the table, or shine your light for someone walking through the dark. Love has a way of glowing brightest when the world is dim. It has a way of guiding people home.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 teaches us “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
That’s the kind of love Rudolph’s story reflects—not flashy or self-seeking, but patient, kind, and willing to shine for someone else’s sake.
And most importantly, love is what keeps Christmas shining all year long.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Sharing Jesus on the Journey
Daily Devotional, Kirstie FordSome memories stay vivid even after decades. When I think back to my childhood, I see those December days when my mom would take my sister and me to the mall, not to shop, but for something called Journey to Bethlehem.
She would guide us past the food court, the kiosks, and the holiday crowds until we reached a corner display that felt worlds away. A local church hosted it each year, and the moment we stepped inside, the atmosphere changed. It was like stepping back in time.
I remember the cool feel of clay jars beneath my fingers and the earthy scent of hay. People in long robes greeted us with words like “Shalom” that sounded ancient yet comforting, and we got to pet so many animals.
I loved every second of it.
It was there that the story of Jesus’ birth would stir inside me in a way no words could capture.
Years later, I found myself walking that same path with my own girls. They moved slowly, reaching out to touch the baskets, asking questions about how families lived so long ago without cars or warm beds. I talked about the miles people walked, the hardships mothers endured, and the courage it took to survive in a world that offered so little comfort.
Halfway through, I felt the weight of what I needed to pass on. I had no formal gospel lesson prepared. I only had the walk, my childhood memories, and the chance to let them feel it for themselves.
So, as we wandered through the recreated streets, I narrated the story of the Nativity as best as I knew how. I noticed something shift in their eyes. They were beginning to understand the lengths God went to as He chose to enter a world so ordinary and hard, just to meet us where we are.
I thought of the words from 2 Timothy 4:5: “Keep a clear mind in every situation, do the work of an evangelist… fully carry out the ministry God has given you.”
Walking this path reminded me that ministry often looks like this—staying present, even when it’s imperfect. Telling the story as best you can. Walking with people you love and helping them experience the same Jesus you know and love for themselves.
Now it is our tradition. Every year, my husband and I look for ways like this to help our girls discover the story in fresh new ways. And each time, I am reminded that the length’s God goes for us. His love is always so immense and intentional.
If He would come all that way, maybe the small steps we take can help someone else find their way toward Him. Because, truth be told, this is one story that is never too old, too simple, or too small to change a heart.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Don’t Miss The Gift
Daily DevotionalThis happened when she was very young and newly married. One December afternoon, while her husband was out, she spotted a silver box perched on the top shelf of his closet. It shimmered in a way that made self-control feel optional. She told herself to walk away, but…she didn’t.
She lifted the box like someone who had mastered the art of “just peeking.” The paper came off in perfect strips. Inside lay a plush robe.
Her excitement fizzled immediately. It was so thoughtful, but that color? She hated it. She slipped the robe back into the box, drove to the store, exchanged it for a shade she preferred, returned home, and wrapped it with meticulous care. She placed it exactly where she had found it.
By the next morning, guilt settled over her like a damp fog. Questions kept circling her head. What kind of woman does this? What would he think when she opened it on Christmas Day?
She worried herself sick for days.
Then Christmas morning arrived. They sat together in a cheerful mess of ribbon and discarded paper, coffee warming their hands, and when he noticed the one remaining package. He asked, “Do you want to open your last gift?”
Hesitantly, she lifted the silver box and began to unravel. She cried through the ribbon. She stained the paper with tears. As she held up the robe, she apologized again and again from the depths of her soul.
He blinked. “What? It’s a robe. I thought you’d like it.”
And right there, her remorse curdled.
Men! Do they even notice anything?
“How could you?” she cried. She was so offended, she avoided him for the rest of the day.
That’s how the story goes, and it still makes me laugh. Not at her—but at how familiar her reaction feels. I know what it’s like to leap to conclusions, assume disappointment, and miss the tenderness behind someone’s good intentions.
This story highlights something very human: we are tempted, fickle, and quick to judge. But even when we sin, have regrets, or harbor offenses, Christ came at Christmas to teach us a better way.
“He (Christ) gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds” (Titus 2:14).
It tells of a love that offers itself before we earn it or understand it. It is love given without hesitation, even when we misjudge it, mishandle it, or try to trade it for something more comfortable.
So let that story about a simple robe uncover what we often miss. Let be an invitation to remember that Christ already gave the perfect gift. It’s already there, for all of us, waiting for us to simply open, appreciate, and welcome in our hearts.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT