hope

The Bridge of Hope

/ 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-September 1st, 2026

“Hope is the bridge between today and tomorrow.”

This is a simple yet profound quote. When I am having a hard day with my health, sometimes the only thing I can do is make it through that day. When I go to sleep after a hard day, I know that tomorrow could be better. Even if tomorrow isn’t any easier than the previous day was, I can still have hope for the future.

I feel like each new day brings me hope. Even when the burdens of my health struggles feel heavy every day, I can make it through each day because there is always hope for tomorrow.

That’s why I really like this bridge analogy. When we think of a bridge, it connects one piece of land to another, and most of the time there is water underneath the bridge. The bridge helps us get over the water to a new place. So if today is one side of the bridge, tomorrow is the other side, then the bridge would be the hope that carries us into the future. We can think of it as our problems today and then going to bed and not knowing what the future holds tomorrow, but we cross the bridge of hope to find out what is going to happen next in our lives.

We could think about Jesus as being the bridge that connects today to tomorrow. He is the hope that we need to make it through our day-to-day struggles. Because of that hope in Jesus, we can feel confident in crossing the bridge to tomorrow and not be afraid of what is beyond the bridge.

What does the “bridge of hope” look like in your life? What helps you keep moving forward when you don’t know what tomorrow will bring?

More Than My Struggles

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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

Backstory:
While doing a yoga routine for fibromyalgia on YouTube earlier this week, the woman who does the video said that fibromyalgia is only a very small portion of who she is. She doesn’t let it rule her life or her daily activities. This idea really intrigued me because I live with fibromyalgia and other chronic symptoms every day. Those symptoms do tend to rule my day at times. Then I thought that this could be applied to all of us. What influences, emotions, health issues or other things do we let rule our lives and discourage us sometimes? Instead of allowing discouragement, fear, pain, or other influences rule us, what would happen if we chose to be guided by faith, hope, and truth? 

More Than My Struggles

I wake up every day with more chronic symptoms than I could say,
And even though I try, these symptoms do get in my way.
But I am stronger than I look on the outside,
Even though no one can see all the tears I have cried.

My health issues are only a small portion of me,
Even though the rest of who I am can be hard to see.
I have many days when I just want to stay in bed
And pull the covers back over my tired head.

I ask myself the question, “What will I let influence me today?”
Will I let my health issues lead my exhausted heart astray?
Will I let outside influences that aren’t important determine my worth?
Or will I remember that I have been loved by many since before my birth?

Will I cling to my Heavenly Father in prayer on bended knee
And ask Him to send His light to my life so I can more clearly see?
Yes, I will try to cling to Him who loves me more than anyone,
And to let His light into my life like the rays of the sun.

I am human and I know that I will occasionally stray,
But my loving Heavenly Father will be by my side every day.
He will help me when I am feeling down and blue,
Because He loves me and He is stuck to me like glue.

The Takeaway: Instead of letting things like health issues, emotions, or other people rule our lives, we should let our faith and trust in our Heavenly Father guide us the most. We are stronger than we look on the outside. Other people can’t see what we struggle with in our souls. We all may be facing difficult things while still choosing to trust and have faith in our Heavenly Father. He will be with us every day of our lives. We just need to turn to Him in faith and we can overcome whatever challenges await us.

Watch the YouTube short here:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/N8S2wEtKAMM

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?