Genesis

The Beauty in the Struggle

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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.

A Lamp for My Feet

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My Daily Musings-March 7th, 2026

There are days when the darkness doesn’t just surround us—it settles inside us. Circumstances feel heavy. Trials seem unending. We wonder if we will ever feel light again.

Psalms 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

I love that it says a lamp for my feet. Not a floodlight for the whole journey. Just enough light for the next step. Sometimes that’s all we’re given—the strength and clarity for one small step forward.

When was the last time you let His word light just the next step instead of demanding to see the entire path? What might change if we trusted that even a small flicker of light is enough?

For me, the scriptures always bring light back into my soul. Even when the darkness feels thick, His word gently reminds me that I am not walking alone. The light may be quiet, but it is constant.

And sometimes, one small beam of light is all we need to keep going.

Tender Mercies While We Wait

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Backstory:
Abraham and Sarah were promised a son, but the promise didn’t come quickly. There were long years of waiting — years of watching others receive what they had prayed for. When Sarah laughed at the angel’s words, I imagine it was the sound of hope stretched thin. I understand that kind of waiting. There are miracles I have prayed for that have not come in the way I expected. Some days I still wonder if they ever will. But most days I try to be grateful for what I have and the every day tender mercies that come my way.

Tender Mercies While We Wait

Abraham and Sarah waited so long for their miracle to occur,
It was probably way longer than they would prefer.
However, they had no choice but to wait
And at times their hearts bore a heavy weight.

When the angel told them they would have a son in their old age,
Their first reaction was to laugh because it seemed funny at their stage.
They were finally blessed with a son
And their long wait was done.

We sometimes have to wait for blessings to come,
Even when we feel we’ve earned more than some.
Some have to wait a long time to get married,
And their dreams of that life might feel buried.

Some people like me, have to endure years of infertility
Even though they press through that time with dignity.
Some face every day with chronic illness
And they might doubt in the stillness.

Even though we have to wait longer than we would like to
We need to seek a higher, Heavenly view.
We should notice the every day tender mercies that come our way,
So that while we wait, our emotional sky won’t seem so gray.

The Takeaway: While we wait for the miracles we once imagined, we can learn to notice the quieter ones — the strength to keep going, the peace that steadies us, the kindness that arrives at just the right time. Maybe not all miracles change our circumstances. Some simply carry us through them.

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

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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!

Christ, My Ark

/ 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-Feb.18th, 2026

Christ, My Ark

I’ve been thinking about Noah and the ark — and how much faith that must have required.

There was no rain yet. No visible storm. Just a command from God and a clear sky overhead.

And still… he built.

Board by board.
Day by day.
Act of obedience by act of obedience.

I imagine the sound of the hammer echoing in dry air. I imagine the questions, maybe even the doubt from others. Yet Noah kept building because he trusted God more than what he could see.

It makes me think about our own lives.

Most of the time, we are not building in the middle of a storm. We are building before it. When things seem calm. When prayers feel ordinary. When reading Scripture feels quiet and small.

But faith is built the same way the ark was built — steadily and intentionally.

One prayer.
One choice to forgive.
One act of repentance.
One moment of obedience.

Board by board.

And then, when the floods come — because they always do in one way or another — we are not left without refuge.

When past storms have come in my life, I can see how Christ has been my refuge. Even when I didn’t fully understand what He was doing, He was holding me steady.

Jesus Christ is our Ark.

He is the shelter that holds when grief rises.
He is the covering when fear tries to overtake us.
He is the steady strength when everything else feels uncertain.

So I find myself asking: What daily habits are strengthening my foundation in Him? What am I building now that will sustain me later?

If we build our lives in Him now, the storms will not destroy us later.

Christ, my Ark.