Daily habits

Holding On to Faith Through the Hard Days

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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My Daily Musings-April 16th, 2026

Sometimes a simple phrase can settle deep into your soul and stay there.

Recently, I heard someone say, “No matter what happens in your life, stay in your faith. Don’t let your faith suffer because of your trials.” And I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.

Trials are something we all face—none of us are exempt. Some are visible, others are quietly carried each day. For me, the struggle with my health is constant. Some days my faith feels strong and steady, and other days it feels fragile. There are moments when I wonder how much longer I can keep going, or when I feel deeply alone.

But then morning comes.

And I make a choice.

I choose to wake up with my faith still in place.

Not perfect, not unshaken—but still there.

Still reaching. Still believing.

What if faith isn’t about never wavering, but about not letting go? What if it’s about returning, again and again, to trust in our Heavenly Father and in Jesus Christ, even after the hardest days?

Our faith is something living. It needs care, attention, and intention. It’s not meant to sit untouched—it’s meant to be nurtured, protected, and held onto, especially when life feels the heaviest.

So maybe the question isn’t “Will my faith ever be tested?”
Maybe it’s “When it is, will I hold on?”

Just As I Am Is Enough

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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My Daily Musings-March 27th, 2026

Today I’m thinking about how much we chase perfection.

Perfect hair.
Perfect makeup.
The “put together” version of ourselves we feel safe showing to the world.

But lately, I’ve felt gentle nudges from my Heavenly Father to step outside of that.

Recording my podcast interview back in January was far outside my comfort zone—especially knowing it would be on video. And then just yesterday, I felt another nudge to do something even simpler, but somehow just as hard: show up as I really am. No makeup, hair in a ponytail, a little tired… and still share a message.

And I did.

Not because I felt confident—but because I felt prompted.

As I’ve gotten older, I’m starting to understand something more clearly:
we were never asked to be perfect before we show up.

Our Heavenly Father already knows us completely—and He loves us exactly as we are. Not the polished version. Not the filtered version. The real one.

So maybe there’s space for us to offer that same grace to ourselves.

What if we let ourselves be seen, even on the days we don’t feel our best?
What if sharing our light has less to do with how we look—and more to do with simply being willing?

Maybe “just as I am” is more than enough.

Tending the Garden of My Mind

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My Daily Musings-March 26th, 2026

There’s a thought I’ve been sitting with today: our minds are like gardens.

We try to plant good things—faith, hope, gratitude, kindness. But no matter how carefully we tend it, weeds still grow. Negative thoughts creep in quietly, taking up space we didn’t invite them to fill.

What stood out to me is this: we can’t just pull the weeds and expect them to stay gone. If the soil is left empty, they’ll come right back.

Instead, we have to replace them.

When we fill our minds with truth, light, and goodness, it leaves less room for the weeds to grow. Just like a garden full of flowers and vegetables protects the soil, a mind rooted in good things becomes stronger and more peaceful.

So I’ve been asking myself:
What am I planting in my mind each day?
And when I notice weeds, what am I choosing to grow in their place?

Maybe the goal isn’t a perfectly weed-free garden—but a well-tended one, full enough of light that the weeds don’t stand a chance to take over.

The Seeds We Cannot Count

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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.

Building in the Sunshine: What’s Your One Plank?

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Community Conversations

We often focus on the storm, but I’ve been thinking more about the sunshine.

Noah didn’t start building the Ark when the clouds turned grey. He built it during the long, hot days when the sky was clear and—to everyone else—there wasn’t a raindrop in sight. His safety during the flood was the result of a thousand quiet, mundane days of hammer and nails.

In my own life, I’ve realized that my “ark” isn’t built in a crisis. It’s built in the early mornings when I’d rather sleep but choose to open my scriptures instead. It’s built in the moments I choose a soft answer over a sharp one. These are the daily habits that keep us afloat when the rains eventually come.

I’m currently working on my “patience plank”—trying to find the Lord’s hand in the delays rather than just checking items off my to-do list. It’s a slow build, but I know it’s necessary.

💬 Let’s Walk Together

To my subscribers: I’d love to hear from you today. Noah’s obedience was a daily commitment, one plank at a time.

What is one small habit or “spiritual plank” you are adding to your foundation right now to stay prepared for life’s storms? Please share in the comments below so we can encourage one another!