hope

Beneath Heaven’s Umbrella

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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

Backstory:
A few days ago, I walked to someone’s house in the rain for a few minutes with an umbrella over my head. Even though it shielded me, my shoes still got wet and the bottoms of my pants were soaked by the time I arrived. As I thought about that experience later, I was reminded of how faith in our Heavenly Father works much the same way. Faith doesn’t always stop the storms of life from touching us, but it gives us shelter, strength, and peace while we walk through them. 

Beneath Heaven’s Umbrella

When the clouds cover the sun in our soul,
And we wonder if we will ever feel whole.
When rain and storms cover the ground,
We may want to stay inside where warmth can be found.

But when we step outside in the rain
Under an umbrella we can feel protected from pain.
When the clouds in our souls feel gloomy and heavy,
Our faith in our Father will keep our hearts steady.

We may feel like we just want to stay in bed
When the storms of life are raging over our head.
But using our Heavenly Umbrella, we can feel peace
And the weight of our burdens will find a release.

Our Father in Heaven loves us so much
And whenever we need it, we can feel His loving touch.
Having faith doesn’t usually remove the storms of life
But it helps us to bear them with less strife.

Some storms in our souls may not last very long
But some may linger and we may not feel very strong.
But if we have faith in our Father in Heaven,
We find strength in His love and His holy protection.

The Takeaway: Life’s storms can leave us weary, discouraged, and emotionally drenched. But when we turn to our Heavenly Father, we do not face those storms alone. Faith becomes our umbrella—a shield that may not remove every hardship, but protects our hearts and helps us endure. No matter how fierce the rain around us or within us may feel, God is always near and ready to strengthen us if we reach for Him. 

Watch my YouTube short on this topic here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8eZFqrQcbM

Both Kinds of Days

/ Christine Maynor / 2 Comments

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

Backstory:
This writing was inspired by a talk by Emily Belle Freeman called Best Days and Worst Days. It made me reflect on how life is filled with both bright seasons and difficult ones. Living with chronic illness has taught me deeply what those “worst days” can feel like—days of fatigue, discouragement, unanswered questions, and wondering how to keep going. But it has also taught me to recognize the “best days” more clearly—days when strength returns, gratitude rises, and hope shines again. Through it all, I have come to know that Jesus Christ is the constant source of light in every kind of day. 

Both Kinds of Days

We all have trials in this life
That can cause us unending strife.
Those like me with chronic illness
Know the sense of loneliness in the stillness.

On days when the fatigue is so bad,
That you have no choice but to feel sad.
Know that you are never alone in this journey,
Jesus will be there with you so you don’t need to worry.

If you are discouraged and the clouds are heavy over you,
Just remember that the sun always comes out to make all things new.
On your worst days, when your body is in so much pain,
Don’t give up because the rainbow comes after the rain.

Best days are possible because of your Savior, Jesus Christ
Who suffered everything and paid the ultimate price.
On your worst days when you don’t know if you can keep going,
Know that because of Him, there is hope always growing.

Jesus is there for you on your worst day
And with you, He will always stay.
When discouragement feels heavy in your heart,
Just reach out to your Savior, and from you, He will never depart.

The Takeaway: Our days may change between joy and struggle, but the Savior does not. Even on our darkest days, His light is still there—sometimes hidden behind clouds, but never gone. Because of Him, hope always rises again. 

Here's the link to my YouTube short video on this topic:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNg_ss9EV6I

Check out my Facebook page for more inspiration: https://www.facebook.com/faithcenteredinspiration

A Safe Place to Land: Lessons from a Nervous Dog

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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

My dog, Coco, running and living her best life.

My Daily Musings-Jan. 22nd, 2026

Over the last month or so, the smoke detectors in our apartment have been beeping one by one as their batteries die. This morning, the last one started beeping.

It was just my dog Coco and me at home. She’s usually brave with noises, but this one made her nervous. Once it started beeping regularly, all she wanted was to curl up in my lap. When I stood up, she followed me everywhere. She knew that her mommy would hold her and help her feel safe.

Watching her made me think about my relationship with my Heavenly Father. When I feel anxious, overwhelmed, or afraid, do I run to Him the way Coco runs to me? He loves us even more perfectly than I love my dog. He is always available, always listening, and always ready to comfort us.

The Bible reminds us of His tender love:

“Cast all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

I’m grateful to know that I can go to Him anytime—day or night—and He will never turn me away.

Here are a couple questions to ask yourself: When I feel nervous or unsettled, where do I usually turn first? How can I more intentionally cast my cares upon the Lord and trust that He truly cares for me?

The Light That Never Fades

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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

Backstory:
I have been thinking lately about the contrast of darkness and light. Some days I get more discouraged about situations in my life and I feel darkness try to creep into my soul. On those days, it is harder for me to be happy or to find the light in my day. Then on other days, it is easier for me to be happy. I think most of us have those days.

The Light That Never Fades

More than 2,000 years ago, on a dark night,
A bright new star appeared to give the world more light.
This star announced the birth of the Savior
Whose birth and life would be major.

That night brought the world more joy in the darkness
And the life of our Savior can bring us more promise.
Just like stars are seen more clearly when it is dark,
We can feel the light of our Savior more than just a spark.

When life is difficult and we may want to quit,
We should naturally want to turn to the light which will help us quite a bit.
We can find peace and comfort in our Savior’s loving embrace,
And with His loving arms around us, we can win our race.

So, when you have a day when you can’t seem to find the light,
And you don’t know if things will go right.
Just reach out to your Savior,
For with Him you will always find favor.

He will always be the light that can fill your heart with glee,
And He will hear your prayers and your every plea.
On days when your heart feels dark and cold,
Jesus will be there to welcome you into His fold.

The Takeaway: I think most of us have days when it is harder to feel happiness or light in our souls. We might feel discouraged because of our many trials or the chaos going on around us. We just need to remember that our Savior, Jesus Christ can always be the light and hope that we need, especially on those hard days. We just need to reach out to Him and He will shine His light in our darkest moments.

The Savior of the Cold Months

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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

picture of my dog Coco enjoying the snow

Backstory:
I have been thinking lately that I don’t like winter because the weather is cold and it makes my body hurt more. I get sick more often in the winter than I normally do. I love Christmas but after the holidays are over I have a hard time feeling warmth inside my heart in the dead of winter. So I asked myself, “how can I feel that warmth on the inside even when it’s cold outside?” I feel like I need to change my perspective so that I have hope on my darkest day. I was  talking with my therapist one day and she said that “there’s something kind in the fact that Jesus walks with us. He doesn’t just say that He will meet us on the other side.” I really love that idea that He is always with us whenever we need Him.

The Savior of the Cold Months

Sometimes in the winter if it is hard for you to feel warmth in your body, on the inside or out,
And it might be a time when you just feel like you want to sit inside and pout.
In the dead of winter, if you have a hard time feeling anything in your heart but blue,
Just remember that your Savior, Jesus Christ, is always there beside you.

During those cold months, it might be hard to feel warmth and hope on the inside
Where your mind and heart reside.
When all you feel is darkness and dreariness inside your soul,
Don’t forget that Jesus can help you feel whole.

When you feel like you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders
And it is so heavy to bear that it feels like you are carrying huge boulders.
When your soul feels empty and you don’t know if can get out of bed,
Just remember that Jesus will fill your emptiness with His Living Bread.

When it is cold and dreary outside and you feel like it is weighing you down,
And you feel like all you can do is sit in the darkness and frown.
Don’t ever forget that your Savior has felt all of those feelings
And that He hears your deepest pleadings.

Even if you feel weighed down by the darkness of the world around you
Just change your perspective so that you won’t always feel blue.
Don’t ever forget that Jesus will walk beside you and carry you on your darkest day,
For He loves you more than you could ever adequately say.

The Takeaway: If you are like me, then winter might be a hard time for you to feel hope and joy. On days when it is cold and dreary outside, it might be hard to feel warmth inside of you. Just remember that there is always hope because of your Savior, Jesus Christ. He will always walk beside you and He will even carry you and your heavy load of burdens on your hardest and darkest days.

The One Who Makes All Things New

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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

Backstory:
I saw a post on Facebook that I really liked. It said, “Our hope is not in the New Year, but in the One who makes all things new.” That quote and our outlook on the New Year should shift our focus from time to the Savior. 

The One Who Makes All Things New

A new year often represents fresh starts, resolutions and optimism for the future,
But if we changed our perspective about time, that would be super.
Because time has no power to change hearts, heal wounds or save souls,
So as we turn our calendars, we should turn our souls to Jesus in His various roles.

If our hope lies only in a date
Then it can quickly fade when we can’t keep our priorities straight.
Jesus is where true hope lies for each one of us on this earth,
For He can help us feel our Divine Worth.

Jesus doesn’t just improve things in our life,
He can transform our problems so we won’t feel so much strife.
Because of His Atonement, He can soften our hardened heart,
So that we can have a fresh new start.

Because of Jesus, we always a new beginning every day,
And our sins and weaknesses can be washed away.
Jesus doesn’t erase our trials, but He will walk with us through them,
And will give us power and strength to endure whatever is put before us then.

If we put our trust in the One who makes all things new,
Then our outlook on our lives every day will be renewed.
When we feel alone and weary,
Jesus will come into our story and make our darkest days seem less dreary.

The Takeaway: We tend to look forward to a new year because we don’t know what trials we will face and we like to dream of what could happen in the coming year. If we change our focus to our Savior, He will make all things in our lives feel renewed. He will give us hope for every day and every trial we face. Because of Him, there is always hope.