gratitude

Gratitude For the Journey

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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My Daily Musings-June 11th, 2026

Shakespeare once said, “I cried when I had no shoes, but I stopped crying when I saw a man without legs. Life is full of blessings, sometimes we don’t value it.”

This quote reminds me that there is always someone facing challenges I may not see. When I recognize the hardships of others, it helps me become more grateful for the blessings in my own life.

At the same time, I have learned that we shouldn’t dismiss our own struggles. Every person carries different burdens, and the trials we face can feel heavy because we live with them every day. Comparing suffering rarely helps. Instead, perhaps we can choose both gratitude for our blessings and compassion for ourselves and others.

What blessings might you be overlooking today? And how can you show yourself the same kindness and understanding that you would offer to someone else facing a difficult trial?

Completely Known, Completely Loved

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Backstory:
Each night before bed, I try to offer a prayer of gratitude. As I reflect on the blessings of the day, my thoughts often turn to something much greater than the things I have been given. I find myself overwhelmed by the reality that my Heavenly Father knows me perfectly—the good, the bad, the weaknesses, the mistakes, the fears, and the struggles—and yet He loves me completely. The more I think about the gift of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, the more grateful I become for a love that I cannot fully comprehend but deeply feel. 

Completely Known, Completely Loved

My dear Father in Heaven,
I love You without question.
I feel Your love with me through my day,
And feeling that amount of love is more than I can say.

Knowing that You love me so much
Helps me feel hope through Your Heavenly Touch.
But then I remember who I really am on the inside,
And I wonder why with me, You choose to reside.

Father, I am so flawed and weak 
That I don’t know why to me, You want to speak.
You know the thoughts and intents of my heart,
And You know that from You I never want to depart.

You love me so much that You sacrificed Your Beloved Son,
So that through Him, I can again be with You when this life is done.
I can’t imagine the amount of love You give to me,
But I can feel Your love every time I come to You on bended knee.

Please, Father, help me overcome all of my weaknesses that weigh me down 
Because I feel so flawed and overwhelmed that I think I might drown.
Even though I can’t imagine why You love me as much as You do,
Help me to feel hope in my soul so that I can see myself from Your Loving View.

The Takeaway: God's love is not based on our perfection. He knows us completely and loves us completely. Through Jesus Christ, our weaknesses, mistakes, and shortcomings do not have the final say. As we sincerely strive to repent, improve, and follow Him, His grace makes up the difference. Sometimes the greatest blessing to be grateful for is simply being loved by God.

Watch my YouTube short on this topic here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1ZGOPLbYMg

Moving Beyond the Rearview Mirror

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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It is so easy to let our thoughts drift backward—lingering on mistakes, missed opportunities, or even just “the way things used to be.” But when we spend too much time in the past, we often lose the ability to see the blessings right in front of us.

Moving forward isn’t about ignoring our history; it’s about deciding that our present gratitude and our future hope deserve more of our attention than our past regrets. Peace comes when we stop looking back and start looking up. Today, I am choosing to be grateful for the “now” and hopeful for the “next.”

I’d love to hear from you: How do you pull yourself back into the present when the past feels heavy? What is one thing you are hopeful for this week? Please reply and let’s talk in the comments!

When You Smile, You See More

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My Daily Musings-April 22nd, 2026

Sometimes the simplest invitations can stay with us.

On our family call this week, my dad asked us to finish the phrase, “When you smile…”
I found myself thinking—when you smile, you become more aware of your blessings. You begin to notice the quiet beauties all around you.

I try to live with gratitude in my heart. But if I’m honest, some days are harder than others. When my health isn’t good, it’s easy to feel weighed down. And yet, even on those days, I still pray and thank my Heavenly Father for what I do have.

Because maybe gratitude matters most on the days it feels hardest to find.

Even on something as simple as a walk with my dog, Coco—I’m reminded of this. She stops constantly to sniff, to look, to explore. Sometimes I get frustrated because I just want to keep moving. But maybe she’s seeing something I’m missing.

Maybe I need to slow down too.

What if the beauty we’re searching for is already right in front of us?
What if gratitude isn’t found in having more, but in noticing more?

Even on the hard days… especially on the hard days… there is still something to be thankful for.

The Greatest Gift of All

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

Thank you for subscribing-may these words bring a quiet moment of peace and reflection to your day.

My Daily Musings-April 8th, 2026

Sometimes the sweetest gifts come on the most ordinary days.

A simple box of jewelry, a few pieces once worn and loved, passed from one set of hands to another. Not because of a holiday or a celebration—but simply because someone thought of you. Because they knew what you would love.

And somehow, that makes it mean even more.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve started to realize that the most meaningful gifts aren’t the ones with a price tag—they’re the ones filled with thought, memory, and love. A grandmother’s jewelry box. A mother’s quiet kindness. Small things that carry deep significance.

It makes me think of the greatest gift ever given.

Our Heavenly Father didn’t give us something small or simple—He gave us His Beloved Son. A gift given not because we earned it, but because He knew we would need it. Because He loves us.

How often do we pause to truly consider that gift?

Do we recognize His hand not only in the grand, sacred moments, but also in the quiet, everyday reminders of love around us?

Maybe the gifts we give and receive here are just small reflections of the greatest gift of all—meant to remind us that we are known, remembered, and deeply loved.