He Is the Greatest Gift

January 28, 2026February 17, 2026 / Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Backstory:
We all love getting gifts, whether it’s for our birthday, Mother’s Day or Christmas. I was thinking about gifts that we give to each other for Christmas. Then I thought of the most amazing gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Then I was wondering, “What gifts can I give my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, not only at Christmastime but all year round? How can I pay back the best gift ever given, my Savior?”

He Is the Greatest Gift

We all love to get gifts and hopefully we like to give gifts as well,
So pondering on gifts I thought that the greatest gift ever that we could never sell.
I think the greatest gift we have been given is the baby in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago and this story we should always tell,
Our loving Heavenly Father chose to give us the gift of His Beloved Son and this should make our hearts with love swell.

What can we give back to our Heavenly Father for giving us this amazing gift?
We can give him all of our heart to help others heart’s lift.
I think to give Him what He wants from us we need to our priorities shift,
For if we focus more on how we can help others then maybe our spirits won’t feel so adrift.
We can give other people our forgiveness,
For our Heavenly Father always forgives us and we need to for Him be a better witness.
We should love others more instead of always being interested in their business,
We should be more concerned about how we can lift them when they have an illness.

We can also give our Father our whole hearts in serving Him,
For when we are serving others our problems won’t seem so grim.
Then we will see someone else’s perspective on their lives and how deep in their trials they swim,
And maybe from that perspective our trials will seem more slim.

I think no matter what I do I will never be able to pay back the gift of my Savior,
But maybe to start, I can be my best self and change my behavior.
Even though I will never pay back that gift I shouldn’t feel like a failure,
I will feel good about myself if I try my best and be a better team player.

The Takeaway: At Christmastime and other times of the year we should remember the wonderful gift of our Savior to the world. We should focus on Him and what we can give back to Him because of His precious gift to us. Because of Him, there is always hope.

The Light and Warmth of Christ

January 28, 2026February 17, 2026 / Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Backstory:
I listened to a couple of audiobooks of Christmas regency romance novellas. It was mentioned in a couple of those novellas about a Yule Log at Christmas time. So I looked this up to see if it was a tradition during the regency era in England. It was for a while. They would cut down a very large piece of wood, decorate it with greenery, ribbons or carved symbols and they would bring it into the home with a small ceremony. They would sometimes briefly sit on it which meant good luck. Then they would burn it in their fireplace. The log was seen as “untouched power” or a blessing waiting to be released. Sitting on it before it burned was a way to receive the blessing firsthand and it symbolically joined the household to the light and warmth that would come.

The Light and Warmth of Christ

Just like sitting on the Yule Log was a small act of trust because the luck hadn’t come yet,
We often sit in the almost moments before we see the answer or the light of our trust in Christ is set.
The Yule Log became a symbol of hopeful waiting for blessings to come,
Before Jesus came to the earth as a baby, believers waited in darkness wondering where hope would come from.

Because Jesus came to the earth we now have a witness that there is a light in the darkness,
Even though we might have days when we feel discouraged, there is always a light because of Jesus’goodness.
Before the Yule Log burned, the people were physically connected to the place where the light and warmth would soon begin,
We can draw near to Christ-the true Light of the World even before we feel His warmth on our skin.

Sometimes Christmas is about seeking Jesus in simple, quiet ways
Like kneeling, praying, waiting and trusting so that our spirits won’t be in a haze.
The Yule Log became like the manger-humble and simple but soon to glow with divine light,
For us the light we seek especially at Christmastime because of Jesus is within our sight.

Families sat on the log before it was lit as a sign of readiness to receive of blessings awaiting them,
We can prepare room in our hearts for the light that Christ can bring to us like a precious gem.
A plain log became a source of warmth, protection and blessings only once the fire kindled it,
Jesus came in the most ordinary way and yet He became the Light of the World that can always be lit.

So when you have a day when all you see around you is darkness and despair,
Just know that the beautiful Light of your Savior for you will always be there.
Because of Jesus, even on your darkest day, there is always hope,
Even though you will still have hard days, you can more easily cope.

The Takeaway: In tradition, sitting on the Yule Log didn’t create the blessing-it simply positioned them to receive it. We don’t create salvation or grace; we simply come close enough to Christ to be changed by Him. I think the purpose of why we celebrate Christmas is so that we can feel the warmth and hope of the Light of the World, or our Savior Jesus Christ more in our lives.

Changed From Within

January 28, 2026February 17, 2026 / Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Backstory:
One of the best Christmas stories in my opinion is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I try to reread it every year around Christmastime. It has such a good message that is important for each one of us to remember. I was thinking the other day about the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge at the end of that book. Dickens writes that Scrooge “became as good as a friend, as good a master and as good as man as the good old city knew.” Scrooge’s story is a reminder of what the Savior can do with any heart-yours, mine, or even those we worry about. Dickens’ tale is really a testimony of hope and that healing, change and redemption are real.

Changed From Within

In the beloved tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, his change came from a deep shift of his heart,
He looked through his past, his present and his future and didn’t like any part.
Through Christ, the Atonement can change our hearts if we let it,
When we turn to Him, He can soften our hearts so that we can change more than just a bit.

The 3 spirits held up a mirror to Scrooge’s life
And he knew that if he didn’t change things quickly then he would eternally be filled with strife.
Our Savior can lovingly show us who we really are and who we can become,
Then we can see what blessings could be ours if we will just to His loving arms come.

Scrooge woke up Christmas morning filled with joy and the hope of a second chance,
He knew that if he changed his behavior then his transformation could advance.
Because of the Atonement of our Savior, every day is a second chance for everyone,
And no one is too far gone in His loving eyes because He loves us each more than a ton.

Scrooge ended the book overflowing with joy
And he was a great friend and neighbor for everyone around him to enjoy.
Because of our Savior’s sacrifice we can feel peace, light and purpose to be in a better mood,
And we can feel the joy of being forgiven, healed and spiritually renewed.

Dickens’ tale is really a testimony of hope
And it can teach us how to change so that we can more easily cope.
There is always hope for us no matter what we do,
And because of our Savior we don’t have to feel blue.

The Takeaway: We can learn a lot from the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. He was able to change his life, and to feel joy and hope that he had never felt before. When Christ transforms us, we can become instruments of His love to help other people just like Scrooge did.

Standing Tall with Jesus

January 28, 2026February 17, 2026 / Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Backstory:
One of my favorite Christmas movies is Mr. Krueger’s Christmas starring Jimmy Stewart. I love the scene when his character, Mr. Krueger is talking with the baby Jesus. He said to the baby that he could hold his head high because Jesus was his closest friend. About the filming of this scene, Jimmy Stewart said that it was deeply personal and that he wanted the scene done right, with genuine emotion. I agree with Mr. Krueger that we, as Christians, can hold our heads high because Jesus can be our closest friend.

Standing Tall with Jesus

Mr. Krueger didn’t earn Christ’s friendship by being impressive or important,
But his faith in Jesus had never become dormant.
We offer Jesus what we can-
Our kindness, service and love for others as our plan.

We can hold our heads high because we are known to Jesus,
And we are loved by Him even though He knows our every weakness.
We belong to Jesus, even on days when we feel unseen or inadequate,
For His love for us is always passionate.

We don’t need the world’s approval
Since it isn’t all that useful.
As long as we know that we belong to our Savior,
We can hold our heads high and know that we are always in His favor.

At Christmastime, the nativity isn’t just a scene to be admired
It’s an invitation to be near to Jesus so we can feel inspired.
His birth signals to us His desire to be near
Not just at Christmastime, but throughout the year.

If we believe Jesus is our closest friend
Then we are never alone in the end.
Our every sorrow and tear are understood by Him,
And our trials in this life won’t seem so grim.

The Takeaway: We can all hold our heads high if we believe that Jesus is our closest friend. That assurance allows us to lift our eyes-during Christmastime and throughout the year-because we walk with the Light of the World. And because of that knowledge, we can feel more hope and joy even in our darkest moments.

Learning to Adore Jesus

January 28, 2026February 17, 2026 / Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Backstory:
One day I was thinking about the Christmas hymn, O Come, Let Us Adore Him. I thought to myself that I know that Jesus definitely adores me. Sometimes I can’t imagine why because I am so human. But I know that He is super kind and compassionate and that He sees the best in me. So I asked myself, “how can I show Jesus that I adore Him like He adores me not just at Christmastime but throughout the year?” I looked at the meaning of “adore" and it is to worship, to bow before, or to give one’s heart in reverence.

Learning to Adore Jesus?

When we sing, “O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord,
We are not just inviting people to look at the baby Jesus in one accord.
We are inviting them to recognize His divinity as our Redeemer and Savior,
And to offer our hearts to Him, not just our voices, so that we can change our behavior.

This is a call for all of us to worship Jesus as our God,
For we can win any battle with Him in our cheering squad.
The shepherds, the wise men and the angels were all called to adore Him,
And we are also called to do the same so the light inside us will never dim.

They were led by a bright star in the sky,
But they didn’t stop to think why.
They just obeyed the call and went to worship the baby,
Even though it might have seemed a little crazy.

In our day, we can adore Jesus by remembering His Atoning Sacrifice for us,
That He purchased our struggles and pains for a huge price and He didn’t make a fuss.
We can adore Him by looking toward Him for our strength and hope,
Then in our trials we can more easily cope.

We can adore Jesus by trusting that we are in His Loving and Capable Hands,
And that with us He always stands.
We can adore Him by becoming more kind, forgiving and compassionate towards other people,
So that our lives can feel less chaotic and more peaceful.

The Takeaway: When we hear the words, “O come, let us adore Him” at Christmastime, we should also hear Jesus whisper back to us, “I have adored you first.” This feeling should make us want to be closer to our Beloved Savior and to be more like Him. We can learn a lot from His example of how He adores us so that we can more properly adore Him.