The Connection Corner

The Back-to-School Basics

Proverbs 3:27 — “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.”

I am not sure I would enjoy back-to-school shopping these days.

I loved it back in the 80s. Back then, it was crayons instead of Chromebooks, aisles of clothes instead of apps, and number two pencils instead of passwords.

Mom and I would walk through the sliding glass doors of the department store, greeted by a blast of cool air and the smell of leather from the shoe department.

Racks of corduroy and plaid lined the aisles, and hangers clicked as families sorted through sizes. Over the store speakers, Cyndi Lauper or Huey Lewis played just loud enough for you to hum along.

We had our list—handwritten on notebook paper—tucked in Mom’s purse. There was no downloading a four-page PDF. No mobile app to check. Just a ballpoint pen to cross off items one by one.

I would head into the dressing room with armfuls of clothes, and she would wait outside, tilting her head and giving that look that said yes, no, or “maybe if it’s on sale.”

Sometimes we argued. I was sure those parachute pants were the answer to everything, but she disagreed. Still, we always left with our bags full and our spirits intact.

Those trips were more than errands. They were conversations in the car, food court pretzels with too much salt, and Coke Icees. They were the quiet moments when I knew, without her saying it, that she understood me better than anyone else.

Now, I see parents and adults in the thick of it—shopping from their phones in the pickup line, grabbing dinner between practices, and juggling logins and checklists. And I know many of them are wondering if they are making a difference in the lives of people God put in their lives.

But what if I told you that you still can?

Because for my mom, school shopping in the 80s was about building my confidence. That is what was top of her list. She also showed me she was glad to spend time with me. And she was curious. She asked questions that led to deeper connection.

See, that is something we are all still capable of doing. God is still equipping adults today to plant seeds for His kingdom.

So maybe the real question is not where you should shop but asking yourself: “whose backpack am I filling?”

September 4, 2025/by Tammi Arender

How Love Builds A Home

Daily Devotional, Lauren Kitchens-Steward

Proverbs 11:25 — “A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water.”

The first time Gloria saw them, they were sitting close together, five little boys with eyes too old for their years. They had been left behind, and no one wanted them because they came as a set.

She had no husband and no savings worth talking about, but she had love. She knew it was not meant to stay locked up in her heart. So, Gloria brought them home.

Segun came first. Then Tunde. Then the twins, Ikenna and Ifeanyi, who doubled the noise in the house overnight. Last was Chuka, the baby, with his wide grin and sticky fingers.

It was not easy. There were hospital visits. School fees that never seemed to end. Nights when the cupboards were nearly bare. But there was also laughter—so much laughter. There were rainy days when they danced barefoot in the yard. There were Sunday mornings filled with biscuits and gravy and the sound of gospel music pouring out the windows.

They grew up faster than she wanted them to. One became a builder. Another started a charity. One moved far away to teach. Two wore police badges. But no matter where they went, they always came back home.

Then one day, they told Gloria to close her eyes.

Segun took his mother’s hand. Gravel crunched under their shoes as they led her forward.

When Gloria opened her eyes, she saw it. A brand-new house.

Now her brand-new house.

“You gave us a home when no one else would,” Tunde said. “Now it is our turn.”

She held her hands close to her heart, tears forming in her eyes.

She saw that God never lets love come back empty. She had given with the little she had, and God gave her a life richer than she could have ever imagined.

And I cannot help but wonder—if love can do this in that mother’s corner of the world, what could it do in yours?

September 3, 2025/by Lauren Kitchens-Steward

Spark the Change, Sister

Daily Devotional, Sarah Hall

Luke 6:38 — “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

It was day one of the Live Original Conference. The covered plaza outside the Monroe civic center buzzed with the sound of women gathering, all coming to experience Jesus.

Knowing it would be a long day, I jumped into the concessions line to grab a drink. A few feet away, I spotted my friend Jade, and we started catching up.

The line moved slowly, but the conference was about to begin. When we finally reached the counter, the cashier told Jade they did not take Apple Pay. Her face fell. To get her drink, she would have to leave the line, find her debit card, and likely miss part of the opening event.

So I said, pulling out my card, “Don’t worry about it.”

She tried to say she would pay me back, but something inside nudged me to just help her—no strings attached.

I shook my head. “No, really. It’s on me.”

The next day, I found myself circling the merch booth, eyeing a hat I liked. I picked it up five times, then set it down again. Then I ran into Jade—already wearing that same hat.

I told her how much I liked it, and she smiled. “Do you want one?” she asked. Apparently, someone had gifted hers, and she wanted to do the same for me.

As I held that hat, I thought back to the concession line. It felt like a full circle moment.

No one planned it. No one kept score. But somehow, the kindness I gave away found its way back. That is the power of generosity—it does not stay in one place. It travels. It multiplies.

And it is never wasted. Sometimes the smallest spark can light up a whole community. God can use one act of generosity to cause a domino effect that shows back up when you least expect it.

This is the best part. You do not have to plan it. Someone just has to start it.

So why not you?

September 2, 2025/by Sarah Hall