Following Jesus

He Is Life

/ 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-August 27th, 2026

“We don’t follow Jesus to have a perfect life. We follow Him because He is life. Peace in chaos. Hope in heartbreak. Light in the dark.”

This quote really resonated with me and made me ponder the meaning. It is true that following Jesus doesn’t guarantee us a perfect life. We are meant to have trials in this life because that is how we grow and develop our faith. I love that this quote says that “We follow Him because He is life.” I agree with that so much. Jesus brings hope and joy into our lives. If it weren’t for Jesus, there wouldn’t be much purpose or hope in our lives.

I know I write about my chronic illness a lot, but that’s because it affects my life every day. On my hardest days, I try to stay positive and keep hope alive in my heart. My hope always comes from Jesus. Because of Him, there is hope that the sun will rise in the morning. Because of Him, even on my hardest days with my health, there is hope for a better day tomorrow.

We all have trials in this life. Because of Jesus, we can feel peace during chaos, hope in heartbreak, and light in the dark. I think of those I know who struggle with depression and anxiety. I don’t know exactly how you feel, even though I have felt anxiety and depression at times. During dark times in my life, I knew that there was hope because of my faith in Jesus. Following Him doesn’t make our lives instantly easier, but with Him beside us, we can endure our trials with hope and faith for the future.

How has following Jesus brought you peace, hope, or light during a difficult season of your life? When life feels overwhelming, what helps you hold on to hope?

The Greatest Love of All

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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

Backstory: Today at church, this scripture leapt out at me. John 15:13: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” It made me think that Jesus has so much love for us that He laid down His life for us. But also, everything He did when He was on the earth was because of love. When He healed and taught people, He did it out of love for them. Then I wondered, “What can I learn about love from Jesus’ example? How can I love people better?”

The Greatest Love of All

Jesus was on the earth thousands of years ago,
He was the best example for the people to know.
Everything He did was out of great love
That came from His Father above.

Jesus taught the people and He went about doing good,
And His message was clearly and well understood.
He taught them how to love and forgive one another,
And how to be kind to their sister and brother.

Jesus healed everyone no matter their background,
And where He was, peace could always be found.
One woman was healed by just touching His hem,
Restored by the love that bloomed softly in Him.

He showed us great love in Gethsemane’s shade,
When the weight of our sorrows upon Him was laid.
Then He died on the cross and rose again three days later,
So that we could have a way back to our Creator.

Jesus is the perfect example to us today
Of how to love others as we go on our way.
We should be kind and loving to everyone,
Because of the example of Jesus, the Beloved Son.

The Takeaway: The perfect example of love came from our Savior, Jesus Christ. He ministered to and healed people, no matter their background. He suffered for us in the Garden of Gethsemane and died on the cross as the perfect expression of love. We should follow His example and be kind and loving to everyone we meet.

Watch the YouTube video of me reading part of the poem here:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DZXGr4HawrI

A Place Prepared For You

/ 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-August 12th, 2026

I read John 14:2 again today and it really intrigued me this time.

It reads, “In my Father’s house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you.”

It’s always been interesting to me how I can read a scripture many times and it just hits me differently one time than any other time. I think this verse intrigued me this time for a couple of reasons.

Jesus said this to His disciples at the Last Supper. I learned that the Greek word for “mansions” is monai, which can mean dwelling places, rooms, or abiding places. Since I have been focusing on “Abide” as my word of the year, this translation really resonated with me. So basically, what Jesus is telling us is that we can abide with Him and His Father in heaven, after our lives on earth.

When Jesus was on the earth, He picked so many different people to be His apostles, from a few fishermen to a tax collector and a Zealot who had a very different political background than the others.

Then Jesus wasn’t particular about whom He blessed and healed. He healed the poor, the rich, men and women, Jews and Gentiles. So basically, all are welcome to “abide” with Him, no matter our background, our wealth, our family, etc.

But We need to do our part and follow Jesus, keep His commandments and do the things we know we should do. Then we can abide with Him and our Heavenly Father after this life on earth is done.

What does it mean to you to “abide” with Jesus? How does knowing that Jesus’ invitation is open to everyone bring you comfort or hope?

Because I Know Him

/ Christine Maynor / 1 Comment

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

Backstory:
While watching The Chosen, I was touched by a conversation between Philip and Matthew. When Philip asked Matthew what he did before following Jesus, Matthew replied that he had been a tax collector. Philip gently reminded him that what mattered wasn't who he had been before meeting the Messiah, but who he was becoming because of Him. That conversation made me wonder: even though I can't walk beside Jesus as His disciples did, is knowing Him changing me? As I learn more about the Savior and strive to follow Him, am I becoming a little more like Him each day? 

Because I Know Him

As I strive to follow and be more like my Savior,
I must ask myself can I see changes in my behavior?
Am I becoming more kind and loving toward others
In this world that we share as sisters and brothers?

Am I becoming more patient with others on our journey?
Am I showing myself more patience and mercy?
Do I think before I speak when my thoughts are unkind?
Am I thinking the way Jesus would of the rest of mankind?

Am I seeing everyone around me through the lens of love,
Like Jesus would if He were here from up above?
Am I serving my fellowmen willingly like Jesus would?
Because He would look at everyone and just see the good.

Am I loving and giving myself more grace
As I look in the mirror at my imperfect face?
Am I becoming more faithful as I walk through every day?
Or does my faith depend on the lack of troubles that come my way?

I may not be able to see the change in my behavior,
But I hope that my transformation is visible to my Savior.
It doesn’t matter who I was before I met Jesus,
But what matters is that I am trying to overcome my every weakness.

The Takeaway: Spiritual growth is often difficult to see in ourselves. We may still notice our weaknesses and shortcomings, but Jesus sees every small step we take toward Him. The true measure of discipleship is not where we started, but who we are becoming through His grace. As we continue to know, love, and follow Him, He quietly shapes our hearts to become more like His. 

Watch my YouTube short on this topic here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/o76M3IAsMrE