trials

Are You Seeing the Blessings Around You?

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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My Daily Musings-Feb. 1st, 2026

I recently came across this quote: “Life is short. We will never know when our last breath is, so we must always choose to be kind and happy.”

Not long after, I learned that a woman that I serve with in my volunteer role lost her son at the age of 42 — my own age. That news stopped me in my tracks. It was a sobering reminder of how fragile and precious life truly is. None of us knows how many breaths we have been given.

It also made me think about how little we know of the silent battles others are carrying. The stranger in line, the friend who seems fine, the loved one who has grown quiet — each heart holds a story we cannot see.

Because life is short, and because hearts are tender, kindness matters. Love matters. Choosing patience, compassion, and grace may feel small, but these choices ripple farther than we realize. If we don’t know when our last breath will be, then perhaps the best way to live is to make each one an offering of love.

Here are a couple questions to ask yourself: How does remembering the fragility of life change the way I treat others today? Where can I intentionally choose kindness, even when I don’t know someone’s full story?

Walking Through Life With Purpose

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My Daily Musings-Jan.31st, 2026

Scripture doesn’t tell us much about Enoch. There are no recorded sermons, no dramatic miracles, no long speeches in Genesis in the Bible. We are simply told this: “Enoch walked with God.”

That quiet phrase speaks volumes. To walk with God suggests closeness, agreement, and consistency. It’s not a hurried sprint or a single moment of devotion, but a steady, daily companionship. Enoch lived his life aware of God’s presence and chose to move in the same direction God was leading.

Genesis notes that Enoch began walking with God during the ordinary seasons of life—raising a family, living among others, faithfully showing up day after day. His story reminds us that holiness is often found in the unnoticed moments, in lives lived with humble faith rather than public recognition.

Walking with God today looks much the same. It’s inviting Him into our thoughts, decisions, and routines. It’s listening for His voice in scripture, seeking Him in prayer, and choosing trust and obedience even when the path feels unclear.

God is not asking us to walk perfectly—only to walk with Him.

Here a couple questions to ask yourself:

  • What does “walking with God” look like in my daily life right now?
  • Where might God be inviting me to slow down and walk more closely with Him?

To receive occasional email updates with links to my faith-centered writings, you are welcome to email me at angelofmusic19833@gmail.com.

Do the Next Right Thing

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My Daily Musings-Jan.30th, 2026

In Frozen 2, Anna finds herself completely alone. She believes her sister is gone, the future feels uncertain, and she has no clear answers. In that moment, she doesn’t suddenly see the whole path ahead—she simply chooses to do the next right thing.

Life can feel like that sometimes. Trials come, answers feel far away, and we don’t know what step to take next. We may even feel alone in our struggle. When everything feels overwhelming, maybe we don’t need to see the entire plan—we just need to take one faithful step forward.

Our Heavenly Father knows us perfectly. He knows our needs, our fears, and how heavy our hearts can feel. Even when we feel alone, we are never truly abandoned. As we do the next right thing, He gently guides our path, one step at a time.

Sometimes faith isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about trusting Him enough to keep moving forward.

Here are a couple questions to ask yourself: What is one “next right thing” the Lord may be inviting me to do right now? When have I felt God’s guidance most clearly during a time when I didn’t have all the answers?

Shining Where God Has Placed Me

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Backstory:
There are a few accounts of one of the greatest sermons ever delivered by Jesus—the Sermon on the Mount. One of those accounts is found in Matthew chapter 5. The part I want to explore more deeply is when Jesus teaches that we are “the salt of the earth,” and warns that if salt loses its savor, it is no longer useful. He also declares, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” I find this comparison especially meaningful because salt and light are very different things, yet together they teach us powerful truths about discipleship.

Salt and Light

In Jesus’ time, salt was precious, not just a seasoning,
It was essential for life and faithful preserving.
Before refrigeration, salt kept food from decay,
And we, as God’s people, can resist evil in quiet ways.

Salt brings out what is already there,
Revealing goodness meant to be shared.
As followers of our Savior, others may not know why we’re different,
But they may taste something good through our Christlike intent.

Even just a little light can scatter the dark,
Its influence reaching far beyond a single spark.
A city on a hill cannot be hidden from sight,
For darkness retreats when it encounters light.

Jesus didn’t tell us to create light—He said we already are,
Like candles placed high, meant to shine near and far.
Though a flame may be small, its purpose is clear,
To give warmth and direction to hearts drawing near.

Salt and light are ordinary, simple, and small,
Yet without them, the world would lose so much after all.
So may we live as salt—faithful and true,
And shine as His light in all that we do.

The Takeaway: Being salt and light isn’t about standing out for attention—it’s about quietly preserving goodness and faithfully shining Christ’s love. As we live differently, others may not always understand why, but they will feel the influence. And through our small, everyday acts of discipleship, God’s light can reach farther than we ever realize.

When God Tends My Heart

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Backstory:
I heard about this idea that God is the Master Gardener and we are his plants. It really got me thinking about how it would feel to have God as the Gardener in my life. Sometimes I forget that I am not alone. Some days when the symptoms of my chronic illness are so bad, I start to feel that I am alone going through that and other trials in my life. I just need to trust that with God as my Gardener, I need never feel alone and He will help guide my life in wonderful ways that will help me grow into beautiful flowers.

When God Tends My Heart

I heard lately that God is the Master Gardener and we are plants in his garden,
I really loved this metaphor and it’s something I want to explore as an option.
So let’s ruminate on this for a little while and see if this thought can be common,
I think if I was really a plant then I would want my loving Heavenly Father as my watchman.

I don’t know a lot about gardening,
So let’s say that our Heavenly Father plants us in His garden and after a while we could look promising.
After some sunlight and water we could be blossoming,
And just think of the beautiful flowers and vegetables that we could be modeling.

Sometimes life may seem like it’s going well,
We are blooming into beautiful flowers and they really do have a beautiful smell.
In those times we can feel like our hearts will in gratitude swell,
And we might feel like our lives will stay like that forever but it’s sometimes hard to tell.

We would feel like at those easy times that it’s easy to trust in the Master Gardener,
And because things are easier our beloved Gardener would be popular.
But then in a garden sometimes there are weeds that we need to monitor,
And plucking those out of the garden can sometimes be a bummer.

I think the weeds in this garden could be the weaknesses and trials we have in our lives that may hurt us,
And having to pluck them out might seem harsh instead of a plus.
Sometimes when we have these weeds plucked out it might hurt so much we might want to cuss,
It might hurt us to have things pulled out of the garden and we might make a fuss.

But I think that if we put our trust in the Master,
Then we could blossom and bloom from those hard times a little bit faster.
For He knows what He is doing as the grandmaster,
And if we choose to trust in Him especially in the hard times then maybe our lives won’t be such a huge disaster.

The Takeaway: God our Father could be compared to be our Master Gardener and we are plants in His Garden. Sometimes He might have to pluck up the weeds in our Garden and it might hurt us. But we just need to trust that He knows what He is doing and then we will grow into beautiful plants.