Following Jesus As My Guide

September 10, 2026September 10, 2026 / Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Melodies & Musings

As I read through this poem I wrote a while back comparing following the North Star versus following Jesus to navigate our lives, I wondered, “How does following Jesus help me in my life? How can I serve Him better and be an instrument in His hands?”

Knowing that Jesus is always beside me whenever I need Him is a big comfort to me, especially on the harder days with my health. It would make my life easier if I could truly see Him there beside me, but then I guess I wouldn’t need to have faith. I try to be more like Jesus as I navigate my daily life. But I fail so often and I make so many mistakes. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the process of overcoming my weaknesses and shortcomings. But what really fills my heart and soul with hope and peace is that because of Jesus’ atonement, I always have another chance to try again. I can always pick myself back up every time I fall. Jesus will be there to help pick me up when I fall.

I try to notice the needs of those around me. But sometimes I get so caught up in my own problems that I fail to notice the needs of others. I pray multiple times a day that I can notice the needs of those around me and be an instrument in my Heavenly Father’s hands to help His children.

Here’s the link to my poem, Finding True North: https://faithcenteredinspiration.com/2026/01/14/jesus-as-our-north-star/

Watch the YouTube Short of me reading part of the poem here:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YsVKp4YW6PA

A Hymn of Grateful Praise

September 2, 2026September 2, 2026 / Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Melodies & Musings

When English poet Folliott Pierpoint sat on a hilltop overlooking the countryside in 1864, the surrounding beauty inspired him to write a simple song of gratitude—one that still speaks to us today. That hymn is For the Beauty of the Earth.

The melody of this hymn is beautiful. But the words really help me be grateful for the many blessings I have in my life. I especially love the words to the first verse.

For the beauty of the earth,

For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

I have always loved the beauties of nature. Looking at the beautiful mountains in Northern Utah where I live fills my soul with gratitude. The beautiful blue skies and even some puffy white clouds help me be grateful. But what really fills my soul with gratitude is the love of my Heavenly Father who loved me before my birth. He loves me no matter what. He will love me with a perfect love I can’t even begin to imagine throughout eternity. He created this earth for me and for all of us to enjoy its beauty.

What is one small detail in nature or your daily life that made you pause and give thanks today? What is one line from a hymn that always fills your heart with gratitude?

Here’s a YouTube Short of me singing the first verse:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0Fy-2XZinaM

Lord, Save Me

August 27, 2026August 27, 2026 / Christine Maynor / 1 Comment

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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

Abide With Me Every Hour

August 26, 2026August 26, 2026 / Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Melodies & Musings

For a long time, I have loved the hymn I Need Thee Every Hour. I especially love the words to the third verse.

I need thee ev’ry hour,
In joy or pain.
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

I need thee, oh, I need thee;
Ev’ry hour I need thee!
Oh, bless me now, my Savior;
I come to thee!

The reason this verse resonates with me so much is because I really do need my Savior every hour. I need Him when I feel joy. Most of the time, He is the source of my joy. Without Jesus, even happy moments are fleeting or without purpose. I really need Him when I feel pain. Because I have a chronic illness, pain is a part of my daily life with my body. But I think it’s also talking about pain in my heart or soul. Jesus can help me with that kind of pain more than anyone can. He has felt the pain and emotional trauma that I experience, so only He can help me heal. Without Jesus, suffering would feel purposeless and unbearable.

Then the next part of the verse includes my Word of the Year, Abide. I need my Savior to come quickly to my aid and abide with me. I don’t ever want Him to leave me. I researched the line, “Or life is vain”, and I learned that vain in this context means empty, futile, without substance, or lacking true purpose. I feel this deep in my soul. I can’t imagine my life without Jesus. Life would feel empty and without a purpose if I didn’t have Jesus to abide with me. If it weren’t for Jesus’ atoning sacrifice, life would be empty because there wouldn’t be hope for me to change, repent and become better.

When Annie S. Hawks wrote those words, the line “Or life is vain” can be understood as a declaration of total dependence. It expresses that without Christ’s presence (abiding with you through both the bright moments of joy and the heavy seasons of pain), all of earthly life’s achievements, efforts, and experiences ultimately lack permanent weight or eternal meaning.

Then the chorus expresses my feelings about my Savior so well. I need Him every hour. I feel like this is a prayer to Jesus telling Him how much I need Him, every hour of every day. Then it asks Jesus to bless me and stay with me when I reach out to Him.

When have you felt your Savior’s presence most strongly in your life? What does “I need Thee every hour” mean to you personally?

Here’s the short video of me singing this verse acapella:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lfDmm8t_mGM

When Jesus Calls

August 18, 2026August 18, 2026 / Christine Maynor / 1 Comment

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Melodies & Musings

A while back, I wrote a poem about how Jesus is our Good Shepherd and we are His beloved sheep. You can find the link to that poem at the bottom of this post. As I reread that poem and thought about the message, I wondered if I am in tune enough with Jesus to hear His voice when He calls me?

Sometimes we get so distracted by other things in this life that we might lose track of the important things. Even though the things that we do for our home and family are important, listening for and hearing Jesus’ voice should be among the most important thing in our lives.

We should prioritize spiritual things above anything else. As we learn more about Jesus and learn from His example, I think we will become more in tune to His voice. Then when He calls us to do something, we can be ready.

What helps you stay spiritually in tune with Jesus when life becomes busy and distracting? Have you ever felt Jesus guiding you toward something you might not have recognized if you hadn’t been listening?

Here’s the link to the poem about this topic:https://faithcenteredinspiration.com/2026/01/17/the-good-shepherd/

Here’s a link to the YouTube video of me reading part of the poem:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5Kr4_vOyTvA