Christ as our refuge

Hope Will Bloom Again

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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My Daily Musings-April 7th, 2026

There was a story shared on Music and the Spoken Word about a woman who was struggling—discouraged and unsure if things would ever get better. While I don’t remember every detail, one truth stood out clearly: because of Jesus Christ, there is always hope.

Life doesn’t always unfold the way we expect. Sometimes prayers feel unanswered, people let us down, or loved ones wander paths we never imagined for them. In those moments, it’s easy to wonder if things will ever feel right again. Have you ever found yourself quietly asking, Will this ever get better?

But just like spring follows even the longest, coldest winter, hope always returns. Flowers bloom again. Light breaks through the darkness. And because of Jesus Christ, that hope isn’t wishful thinking—it’s a promise.

Even on the days when discouragement feels heavy, we are never alone. Our Heavenly Father understands every hurt, every worry, every silent tear. Have you taken a moment to turn to Him and share what’s on your heart?

Because of Him, there is always light. There is always healing. And there is always hope—especially on the days we need it most.

A Song Only Jesus Knows

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

Backstory:
After hearing a talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, one line from a beloved hymn lingered in my heart: “Jesus listening can hear the songs I cannot sing.” It made me reflect on the unseen battles we fight—the silent grief, the daily endurance, and the prayers we don’t have words for. This writing was born from those quiet places, where only the Savior truly understands.

A Song Only Jesus Knows

We all have feelings that we keep inside
Where all of our worries and stresses reside.
We don’t always share what is heavy or deep, 
And some of those secrets are lonely to keep.

Some days we feel like we can’t sing a song, 
Because everything around us seems to go wrong. 
There’s only One who truly knows every part, 
While we try so hard to hide what's in our heart.

Jesus knows how we feel at any given moment, 
A peace that He sends as a sacred atonement. 
He suffered in the Garden for our every pain, 
And He knows how to lead us out of the rain.


Jesus knows the deepest longings of our heart,
And He will always help us make a fresh new start.
He hears the prayers that we cry when we are weary
And He knows how we feel when our world seems dreary.

When the darkness in our heart is more than we can bear
Jesus will be our light and for us He will always be there.
So, on the days when no one understands you,
Just trust that Jesus will help you see from a more Heavenly View.

The Takeaway: There are parts of our hearts that words can’t reach. But the Savior hears them anyway. He knows your silent struggles, your unseen battles, and your deepest longings—and He stays with you through all of it.

Moving Closer to the Light

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My Daily Musings-March 23rd, 2026

God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

When darkness and despair begin to creep into our hearts, it can feel heavy and overwhelming. But light doesn’t coexist with darkness—it chases it away.

I’ve felt that in my own life. On the hardest days, especially with my health, when I turn to my Heavenly Father in prayer, something shifts. The weight doesn’t always disappear instantly, but His light begins to fill the space where the darkness was. My soul feels a little brighter, a little lighter.

What would happen if, instead of sitting in the darkness, we moved closer to the Light?

Where in your life do you need a little more of His light today?

He doesn’t expect us to find our way out alone. He simply invites us to come closer—and in Him, there is no darkness.

Faith Over Fear in the Waiting

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My Daily Musings-March 21st, 2026

There are days when my health feels like a waiting game—waiting for appointments, waiting for answers, waiting for the next step. Living with an autoimmune disease means I’m often in and out of doctors’ offices, hoping for help and relief from symptoms that make everyday life harder.

I’m grateful for the doctors who truly care. But in the quiet moments—when I’m waiting for test results or wondering what comes next—it’s easy for worry to creep in. It’s hard not to stress when so much feels uncertain.

Those are the moments when I turn to prayer the most.

Because even when I don’t have answers yet, I know my Heavenly Father does. He sees the full picture that I can’t. He understands the timing that I struggle to trust.

So I keep reminding myself: I don’t have to have everything figured out—I just need to trust the One who does.

How do you find peace in the waiting?
What helps you trust God’s timing when life feels uncertain?

The Miracle of Still Standing

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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.

The Bridge Back to Heaven

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My Daily Musings-March 16th, 2026

Sometimes I think about this quote: “Only Jesus could build a bridge to heaven with just two pieces of wood.”

Those two pieces of wood formed the cross. What looked like an instrument of suffering became the very thing that made our return to Heavenly Father possible.

A bridge connects two places that would otherwise be impossible to reach. Without a bridge, the water is too deep or the distance too far. In the same way, the gap between our imperfect lives and the perfection of Heaven is something we could never cross on our own.

But Jesus built the bridge.

Through His Atonement, His sacrifice, and His love, He made a way for us to return home to our Heavenly Father. Every step of repentance, every prayer for help, and every effort to follow Him is a step we take across that bridge.

I am so grateful that when the distance felt impossible, the Savior made a way.

One Week Away! A Story I’ve Been Waiting to Share!

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Community Conversations

One week from today, I’m stepping out from behind the keyboard and into the studio.

Back in January, I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with the team at Latter-day Lights. We talked about the moments that tested my faith, the grace that caught me when I fell, and the stories behind the poetry you read here every week.

It’s one thing to write these words; it’s another to speak them out loud. I’m a little nervous, but mostly, I’m deeply grateful for the chance to share my heart with a broader community.

The episode drops next Sunday, March 22nd!

I’ll be sending the direct link as soon as it’s live. In the meantime, I’d love to know: If you could ask me one thing about my journey or my writing process, what would it be? I might just answer it in a follow-up post!

Softly He Calls Me Home

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Backstory:
While memorizing the words of the hymn “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling” with my mom, I was struck by the way the words describe the Savior’s voice. At first, He calls softly and tenderly, like a gentle whisper to the heart. But as the hymn continues, His invitation becomes more earnest and pleading. It reminded me of the parable of the prodigal son and how much the Savior longs for each of us to come home to Him. His love is patient, but it is also persistent. He never stops calling us back to Him and He never will.

Softly He Calls Me Home

We are human and we make mistakes every day,
And we need Jesus to redeem us more than we could ever say.
Our Father sent His Son to this fallen world
Where the fiery darts of the adversary are constantly being hurled.

Jesus loves each one of us so much
And He suffered so that we could feel His loving touch.
Jesus is constantly calling us to Him
So that the light in our lives never grows dim.

He starts out calling to us softly and tenderly like a whisper in our heart,
He patiently waits for us to answer Him so we can have a fresh new start.
He is constantly calling to us from up above,
And we can feel His love resting upon us like a peaceful dove.

Even if we don’t hear His soft call the first time or two,
He won’t ever give up because He loves me and you.
He’ll keep on calling no matter what it takes,
Even though every time we ignore Him, His heart breaks.

But He will never give up calling to us
A truth of His mercy we must always discuss.
Until that great day when we see Him again
And He will embrace us every woman and man.

The Takeaway: The Savior’s voice may begin as a quiet whisper, but His love never gives up on us. Whether we feel near to Him or far away, He is always calling us to return. Because of His mercy and forgiveness, we never need to linger in the distance. We can always turn toward Him and come home.

The Seeds We Cannot Count

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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My Daily Musings-March 9th, 2026

There is a saying that you can count the seeds in an apple, but you can’t count the apples that will come from just one seed.

I’ve been thinking about how true that is in our own lives. We may see only one small act — a smile, a kind comment, a quick message, a moment of patience — but we cannot see how far that kindness will travel.

How many hearts might be strengthened because you chose to be gentle?
How many days might be softened because you chose to speak hope?

We interact with people every day, both online and in person. We never truly know who is barely holding on. A simple act of love could be the very thing that helps someone keep going instead of giving up.

Just like we can’t measure how many apples come from one seed, we can’t measure the good our influence carries into the world.

So keep planting kindness. Heaven sees the harvest, even when we cannot.

The Beauty in the Struggle

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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My Daily Musings-March 8th, 2026

Think about your favorite stories — the books you reread, the shows you love, the movies that make you cheer. Somewhere in each one, there is always a struggle. The hero or heroine faces something hard, something that seems impossible. And when they finally overcome it, we rejoice with them. The victory feels sweeter because of the trial.

What if our lives are meant to follow that same pattern?

We might say we would choose the easier path if we could. We may wish for fewer tears, fewer setbacks, fewer stretching moments. But would the joy feel as deep without the struggle that came before it? Would we recognize the miracle if we had never wrestled in the waiting?

Life was never meant to be easy — but it was never meant to be lonely either. Our Heavenly Father and our Savior walk with us through every chapter. They see the whole story when we can only see the page we’re on.

Maybe the hard parts aren’t interruptions to the story.

Maybe they are the story — the very moments that prepare us to rejoice.