Refuge & Strength

Lord, Save Me

/ Christine Maynor / 1 Comment

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

Melodies & Musings

I have been thinking about Jesus being my refuge and strength. I wrote a poem a while back about Jesus being our lifeboat when the waters of life are stormy. I have always loved the story in the Bible of when some of Jesus’ disciples were in a boat and a big storm came. They saw a man walking on the water and they noticed that it was Jesus. As Jesus came closer to them, Peter asked Jesus if he could come to Him on the water. Jesus told him to come. As long as Peter kept his eyes on the Savior, Peter was fine. But the moment his gaze strayed from Jesus, he started to sink. Then, in despair as he was sinking, Peter cried, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately stretched forth His hand to lift Peter up. This story can be found in Matthew 14:28-31. The show The Chosen does a really good job of portraying this story.

One thing I find interesting about this story is that as long as Peter had his eyes on the Savior, he wasn’t afraid and he could walk on the water. But as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus, he started to sink and he was afraid. This can be applied to our lives. Even though we have trials that are hard and sometimes scary, as long as we keep our eyes on our Savior, we shouldn’t fear and we can endure anything that comes our way. But if our gaze strays from Jesus, then we will be afraid and we won’t know where to turn for help.

Another thing that is interesting to me about this story is that when Peter cried out to Jesus to save him because he was afraid and sinking, Jesus immediately lifted him up out of the water. He didn’t wait so that Peter could learn a lesson; He immediately came to his aid. When we are in the midst of hard trials and we reach out to the Savior for help, He will be there in an instant to save us from the troubled waters.

Have you ever felt like Peter, beginning to sink beneath the troubles of life and crying out, “Lord, save me”? How did you see the Savior’s hand reaching for you? What helps you keep your eyes on Jesus when the storms around you become frightening?

Here’s the poem I wrote a while back about Jesus being our lifeboat: https://faithcenteredinspiration.com/2026/01/17/our-ultimate-lifeboat/

Here’s a short video of me reading part of the poem:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hJq7kg-J6AM

The Miracle of Still Standing

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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

Backstory:
This writing was inspired by a conversation with a dear friend who is a breast cancer survivor. She is a living miracle, but she still lives with the lasting effects of her treatments every day. In many ways, I can relate through my own health struggles. There are days when the weight of it all feels heavy, and hope feels distant. But she reminded me of something powerful—miracles don’t always mean the struggle is taken away. Sometimes, the miracle is that we are still here, still standing, still believing.

The Miracle of Still Standing

If you ever feel like the dark night will never go away,
And the weight of your burdens on your shoulders will always stay.
If you ever get so lost in your emotional state
And you get tired of your blessings having to wait.

If you feel the cold of winter seep into your soul,
Because your burdens are taking an emotional toll.
If you feel tired of situations in your life staying the same
And you feel like you are off your game.

If you feel like you are constantly on your own
And like your worries and cares are not known.
Just remember that you are Beloved of your Father
Because your cries to Him are never a bother.

Even on days when your struggles seem more visible,
Just remember that every day you keep going is a miracle.
The fact that you get out of bed every morning is proof that you are strong,
Even when you feel like everything in your life is going wrong.

Because the dark night always turns into day,
And even in the dead of winter, spring will always come your way.
Just trust that your Heavenly Father has you in His Loving embrace,
And He will always be by your side to help you run your race.

The Takeaway: We all have days that feel dark and heavy, like a long night or a never-ending winter. But just as morning always comes and spring always follows, there is a promise that light and life will return. The miracle is not always in being healed, but in being held. It’s in God’s presence in our lives—the strength to rise each day, the faith to keep going, and the quiet assurance that we are never alone and always deeply loved.

Failure Is Not the End

/ 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-March 14th, 2026

“Do not be embarrassed of your failures…
learn from them and start again.”

Sometimes we can be very hard on ourselves. We see our mistakes, our weaknesses, and the ways we fall short, and we feel discouraged. But the truth is that none of us came to this earth to be perfect. We came here to learn.

Our Heavenly Father knew we would stumble. He knew we would make mistakes. That is exactly why He gave us a Savior. Through Jesus Christ, our failures do not have to define us—they can refine us.

Every time we fall and choose to stand up again, we grow a little stronger. Every time we turn back to Him, we move a little closer to becoming the people He knows we can be.

So don’t be ashamed of your failures. Let them teach you. Let them humble you. And then begin again—with faith, with hope, and with the quiet knowledge that you are deeply loved.