trust-in-god

The Beauty of Being Known: My Experience with Latter-day Lights

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Community Conversations

Last month, I sat down right here at home to record a special episode with Scott and Emily from the Latter-day Lights podcast. I went into that recording thinking I’d just share a bit of my poetry. I finished the session feeling like I had finally let the light into corners of my story I’ve kept tucked away for years.

There were parts of my journey I shared that most people—even those closest to me—never knew. It was a vulnerable thing, even in the comfort of my own space. But in that moment, I felt the Spirit so clearly guiding me. It wasn’t about my comfort; it was about the person on the other end who needs to know they aren’t alone.

Scott and Emily mentioned they had never heard poetry quite like mine—with the “backstory and the takeaway.” They loved the vulnerability, but I know that strength didn’t come from me. It came from Him.

I know that people will be touched by these stories and poems, and my hope is that they lead people back to Him. I can’t wait for you to hear the episode in March.

To my subscribers: I’d love to hear from you. Is there a part of your story you’ve felt prompted to share, but fear has held you back? Please reply and share your heart with me.

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.

What God Grows from Bitter Places

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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Image by Amy Humphries on pexels.com

Backstory:
So recently I got into baking with sourdough. I am fascinated by sourdough because it’s just flour and water that is fermented in a jar. Once it is fermented, the baker can bake with it and make delicious bread and also add it to other recipes. Sourdough is also very good for your body, especially the digestive system. So thinking about the magic that is sourdough made me think of how I could apply this principle to my own life. I think that the sourdough could be our trials, struggles and weaknesses in our lives. We have to go through those things to learn and grow. God our Father could be likened to a baker when they are baking sourdough recipes. Even though our trials might taste sour at first and they might not smell very good or be enjoyable to go through, with the help of the Master Baker, we can turn our trials into something beautiful and delicious. 

What God Grows From Bitter Places

If we mix equal parts of flour and water together,
Then if we let it ferment then it becomes sour and we might think that it could smell better.
But the sour part of this process is what makes it better altogether,
For after it becomes sour, then you can use it to create beautiful recipes that will feel like a pleasure.
 
We are here in this life with a clear purpose to perform,
We have trials and struggles that can make our lives feel like a terrible storm.
Those times in our lives are meant to help us grow and develop who we want to be so we can grow into a more beautiful form,
But when we are going through those hard times we probably feel inside anything but warm.

But we were not meant to go through this life alone,
We were not thrown down here on this earth to feel unknown.
We have a loving Father up above who created us and to Him we are always known,
We can easily talk to Him in our minds through prayer and we don’t even need to pick up a phone.

Our trials can be like the sourdough mixture,
They might seem really sour and disgusting and not meant to make our lives richer.
God can be likened to a Master Baker who can help us see our lives as a beautiful picture,
If we could see our trials through His lens then they might not seem like a cold and bitter winter.

If we just put our trials into God’s hands He can show us a better way,
All we have to do is trust in His purpose and just say, “Come what may”.
Yes, our trials might seem sour and like all they do is hurt us and this is easy to say,
But if we trust in the Master Baker then He can convert those hard times into a beautiful display.

The Takeaway: Sometimes our trials can leave us feeling sour and upset. We need to trust that the Master Baker or our Heavenly Father has a plan for us that is better than our plan for our lives.

The Light and Warmth of Christ

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

Image by Mikhail Nilov on pexels.com

Backstory:
I listened to a couple of audiobooks of Christmas regency romance novellas. It was mentioned in a couple of those novellas about a Yule Log at Christmas time. So I looked this up to see if it was a tradition during the regency era in England. It was for a while. They would cut down a very large piece of wood, decorate it with greenery, ribbons or carved symbols and they would bring it into the home with a small ceremony. They would sometimes briefly sit on it which meant good luck. Then they would burn it in their fireplace. The log was seen as “untouched power” or a blessing waiting to be released. Sitting on it before it burned was a way to receive the blessing firsthand and it symbolically joined the household to the light and warmth that would come. 

The Light and Warmth of Christ

Just like sitting on the Yule Log was a small act of trust because the luck hadn’t come yet,
We often sit in the almost moments before we see the answer or the light of our trust in Christ is set.
The Yule Log became a symbol of hopeful waiting for blessings to come,
Before Jesus came to the earth as a baby, believers waited in darkness wondering where hope would come from.

Because Jesus came to the earth we now have a witness that there is a light in the darkness,
Even though we might have days when we feel discouraged, there is always a light because of Jesus’goodness.
Before the Yule Log burned, the people were physically connected to the place where the light and warmth would soon begin,
We can draw near to Christ-the true Light of the World even before we feel His warmth on our skin.

Sometimes Christmas is about seeking Jesus in simple, quiet ways 
Like kneeling, praying, waiting and trusting so that our spirits won’t be in a haze.
The Yule Log became like the manger-humble and simple but soon to glow with divine light,
For us the light we seek especially at Christmastime because of Jesus is within our sight.

Families sat on the log before it was lit as a sign of readiness to receive of blessings awaiting them,
We can prepare room in our hearts for the light that Christ can bring to us like a precious gem.
A plain log became a source of warmth, protection and blessings only once the fire kindled it,
Jesus came in the most ordinary way and yet He became the Light of the World that can always be lit.

So when you have a day when all you see around you is darkness and despair,
Just know that the beautiful Light of your Savior for you will always be there.
Because of Jesus, even on your darkest day, there is always hope,
Even though you will still have hard days, you can more easily cope.

The Takeaway: In tradition, sitting on the Yule Log didn’t create the blessing-it simply positioned them to receive it. We don’t create salvation or grace; we simply come close enough to Christ to be changed by Him. I think the purpose of why we celebrate Christmas is so that we can feel the warmth and hope of the Light of the World, or our Savior Jesus Christ more in our lives.

Changed From Within

/ Christine Maynor / Leave a comment

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

Image by Simon Berger on pexels.com

Backstory:
One of the best Christmas stories in my opinion is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I try to reread it every year around Christmastime. It has such a good message that is important for each one of us to remember. I was thinking the other day about the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge at the end of that book. Dickens writes that Scrooge “became as good as a friend, as good a master and as good as man as the good old city knew.” Scrooge’s story is a reminder of what the Savior can do with any heart-yours, mine, or even those we worry about. Dickens’ tale is really a testimony of hope and that healing, change and redemption are real.

Changed From Within

In the beloved tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, his change came from a deep shift of his heart,
He looked through his past, his present and his future and didn’t like any part.
Through Christ, the Atonement can change our hearts if we let it,
When we turn to Him, He can soften our hearts so that we can change more than just a bit.

The 3 spirits held up a mirror to Scrooge’s life
And he knew that if he didn’t change things quickly then he would eternally be filled with strife.
Our Savior can lovingly show us who we really are and who we can become,
Then we can see what blessings could be ours if we will just to His loving arms come.

Scrooge woke up Christmas morning filled with joy and the hope of a second chance,
He knew that if he changed his behavior then his transformation could advance.
Because of the Atonement of our Savior, every day is a second chance for everyone,
And no one is too far gone in His loving eyes because He loves us each more than a ton.

Scrooge ended the book overflowing with joy
And he was a great friend and neighbor for everyone around him to enjoy.
Because of our Savior’s sacrifice we can feel peace, light and purpose to be in a better mood,
And we can feel the joy of being forgiven, healed and spiritually renewed.

Dickens’ tale is really a testimony of hope
And it can teach us how to change so that we can more easily cope.
There is always hope for us no matter what we do,
And because of our Savior we don’t have to feel blue.

The Takeaway: We can learn a lot from the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. He was able to change his life, and to feel joy and hope that he had never felt before. When Christ transforms us, we can become instruments of His love to help other people just like Scrooge did.