Melodies & Musings

We Must Love Him Too

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Melodies & Musings

I think the hymn There Is a Green Hill Far Away is one of my favorites about the crucifixion of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The music is beautiful. But as a poet and writer, the words really speak to me, especially verses three and four of this hymn.

Verse 3:

There was no other good enough

To pay the price of sin.

He only could unlock the gate

Of heav’n and let us in.

Verse 4:

Oh, dearly, dearly has he loved!

And we must love him too,

And trust in his redeeming blood,

And try his works to do.

I love that in the third verse it tells us that Jesus was the only one good enough to pay the price for our sins. Jesus knew what His Father wanted Him to come down to this earth to do, and no one else could have done it; only Jesus could have. I love the end lines of the third verse that tell us that only Jesus could unlock the gate of heaven to let us in. Because of Jesus’ resurrection, we too can be resurrected. I feel so grateful that Jesus paid the price for my sins and shortcomings, and that He died on the cross and was resurrected so that I could have hope for today and for the future.

I love that the words of the fourth verse talk about how much Jesus loves us. He loves each of us so much that He fulfilled His mission on earth as our Savior and Redeemer. Since He loves us, we must also love Him. It’s easy for me to love Jesus because He showed how much He loves me. I need to trust that because of Jesus, repentance is possible. I can feel cleansed and become a better person. I think another part of loving Jesus is following His example. That’s the hardest part, because I am human and I make mistakes so often. Because of Jesus, I always have another chance to repent, change, and become a better person. I’m so grateful for the knowledge and faith that I have about Jesus. It brings me hope every day, but especially on my hardest days.

Watch the YouTube Short of me singing verses three and four here:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VmQ4AdCpq7s

What does Jesus Christ’s love and sacrifice mean to you personally?

Following Jesus As My Guide

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Melodies & Musings

As I read through this poem I wrote a while back comparing following the North Star versus following Jesus to navigate our lives, I wondered, “How does following Jesus help me in my life? How can I serve Him better and be an instrument in His hands?”

Knowing that Jesus is always beside me whenever I need Him is a big comfort to me, especially on the harder days with my health. It would make my life easier if I could truly see Him there beside me, but then I guess I wouldn’t need to have faith. I try to be more like Jesus as I navigate my daily life. But I fail so often and I make so many mistakes. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the process of overcoming my weaknesses and shortcomings. But what really fills my heart and soul with hope and peace is that because of Jesus’ atonement, I always have another chance to try again. I can always pick myself back up every time I fall. Jesus will be there to help pick me up when I fall.

I try to notice the needs of those around me. But sometimes I get so caught up in my own problems that I fail to notice the needs of others. I pray multiple times a day that I can notice the needs of those around me and be an instrument in my Heavenly Father’s hands to help His children.

Here’s the link to my poem, Finding True North: https://faithcenteredinspiration.com/2026/01/14/jesus-as-our-north-star/

Watch the YouTube Short of me reading part of the poem here:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YsVKp4YW6PA

A Hymn of Grateful Praise

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Melodies & Musings

When English poet Folliott Pierpoint sat on a hilltop overlooking the countryside in 1864, the surrounding beauty inspired him to write a simple song of gratitude—one that still speaks to us today. That hymn is For the Beauty of the Earth.

The melody of this hymn is beautiful. But the words really help me be grateful for the many blessings I have in my life. I especially love the words to the first verse.

For the beauty of the earth,

For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

I have always loved the beauties of nature. Looking at the beautiful mountains in Northern Utah where I live fills my soul with gratitude. The beautiful blue skies and even some puffy white clouds help me be grateful. But what really fills my soul with gratitude is the love of my Heavenly Father who loved me before my birth. He loves me no matter what. He will love me with a perfect love I can’t even begin to imagine throughout eternity. He created this earth for me and for all of us to enjoy its beauty.

What is one small detail in nature or your daily life that made you pause and give thanks today? What is one line from a hymn that always fills your heart with gratitude?

Here’s a YouTube Short of me singing the first verse:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0Fy-2XZinaM

Lord, Save Me

/ Christine Maynor / 1 Comment

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

Melodies & Musings

I have been thinking about Jesus being my refuge and strength. I wrote a poem a while back about Jesus being our lifeboat when the waters of life are stormy. I have always loved the story in the Bible of when some of Jesus’ disciples were in a boat and a big storm came. They saw a man walking on the water and they noticed that it was Jesus. As Jesus came closer to them, Peter asked Jesus if he could come to Him on the water. Jesus told him to come. As long as Peter kept his eyes on the Savior, Peter was fine. But the moment his gaze strayed from Jesus, he started to sink. Then, in despair as he was sinking, Peter cried, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately stretched forth His hand to lift Peter up. This story can be found in Matthew 14:28-31. The show The Chosen does a really good job of portraying this story.

One thing I find interesting about this story is that as long as Peter had his eyes on the Savior, he wasn’t afraid and he could walk on the water. But as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus, he started to sink and he was afraid. This can be applied to our lives. Even though we have trials that are hard and sometimes scary, as long as we keep our eyes on our Savior, we shouldn’t fear and we can endure anything that comes our way. But if our gaze strays from Jesus, then we will be afraid and we won’t know where to turn for help.

Another thing that is interesting to me about this story is that when Peter cried out to Jesus to save him because he was afraid and sinking, Jesus immediately lifted him up out of the water. He didn’t wait so that Peter could learn a lesson; He immediately came to his aid. When we are in the midst of hard trials and we reach out to the Savior for help, He will be there in an instant to save us from the troubled waters.

Have you ever felt like Peter, beginning to sink beneath the troubles of life and crying out, “Lord, save me”? How did you see the Savior’s hand reaching for you? What helps you keep your eyes on Jesus when the storms around you become frightening?

Here’s the poem I wrote a while back about Jesus being our lifeboat: https://faithcenteredinspiration.com/2026/01/17/our-ultimate-lifeboat/

Here’s a short video of me reading part of the poem:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hJq7kg-J6AM

Abide With Me Every Hour

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Melodies & Musings

For a long time, I have loved the hymn I Need Thee Every Hour. I especially love the words to the third verse. 

I need thee ev’ry hour,
In joy or pain.
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

I need thee, oh, I need thee;
Ev’ry hour I need thee!
Oh, bless me now, my Savior;
I come to thee!

The reason this verse resonates with me so much is because I really do need my Savior every hour. I need Him when I feel joy. Most of the time, He is the source of my joy. Without Jesus, even happy moments are fleeting or without purpose. I really need Him when I feel pain. Because I have a chronic illness, pain is a part of my daily life with my body. But I think it’s also talking about pain in my heart or soul. Jesus can help me with that kind of pain more than anyone can. He has felt the pain and emotional trauma that I experience, so only He can help me heal. Without Jesus, suffering would feel purposeless and unbearable.

Then the next part of the verse includes my Word of the Year, Abide. I need my Savior to come quickly to my aid and abide with me. I don’t ever want Him to leave me. I researched the line, “Or life is vain”, and I learned that vain in this context means empty, futile, without substance, or lacking true purpose. I feel this deep in my soul. I can’t imagine my life without Jesus. Life would feel empty and without a purpose if I didn’t have Jesus to abide with me. If it weren’t for Jesus’ atoning sacrifice, life would be empty because there wouldn’t be hope for me to change, repent and become better.

When Annie S. Hawks wrote those words, the line “Or life is vain” can be understood as a declaration of total dependence. It expresses that without Christ’s presence (abiding with you through both the bright moments of joy and the heavy seasons of pain), all of earthly life’s achievements, efforts, and experiences ultimately lack permanent weight or eternal meaning.

Then the chorus expresses my feelings about my Savior so well. I need Him every hour. I feel like this is a prayer to Jesus telling Him how much I need Him, every hour of every day. Then it asks Jesus to bless me and stay with me when I reach out to Him.

When have you felt your Savior’s presence most strongly in your life? What does “I need Thee every hour” mean to you personally?

Here’s the short video of me singing this verse acapella:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lfDmm8t_mGM