Knight and Shining… Guitar.

Written by: Danielle Ferguson

I first met her when she was 12 years old. If there truly was such thing as ‘love at first sight’, that must have been what happened. She laid eyes on me and there was just that immediate click! Her face reflected off my deep black color. With a gigantic smile, she set several hard-earned green bills on the counter. She carefully placed me in the car, and then climbed in right after. That young girl held me the whole way home. She named me Knight.

After school every single day, she would find time to spend with me. The inspiration was endless as she would sing song after song; with her raspy little country voice. It wasn’t long before she started taking me places! People everywhere! But most tuning checks before the performances this young girl would often whisper ‘don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous- you can do it!’ I was never sure if she was comforting me or herself… but she would always get up and sing her little heart out.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into years. This young girl wasn’t so young anymore. She started driving, and got her first ‘real job’ at Taco Time; while finishing High School. She graduated, class of ’07, and we moved to a hot place, somewhere far, far away! I think she said it was Louisiana… Whatever -she didn’t have air-conditioning in the apartment! Regardless, this girl became a young lady.

We made the long trek back home to Seattle after a year. No matter how busy my girl became with college, and life, she still found time for me. Song after song she would write. Emotion after emotion; I saw it all. No matter how stressed she became now and again, she would come over, gently pick me up and strum. Every time she left with a smile on her face. It was as if I was that silent ‘friend’ that always had the right thing to say.

The family we grew up in, you see, had a lot of people. My girl is the oldest of 5 kids, and the only girl. Our whole family is very musical! And she is the protector of the bunch. The youngest, little 10-year-old Josh, was drawn to me. He had that same sparkle in his eyes, the sparkle I first saw in that young girl. When my girl was gone, he would sneak into her room, pick me up and strum. He would always try to put me back in the exact same place, but I think she knew exactly what he was doing.

I will never forget the day- Josh was turning 11 years old. My girl was acting quite strange… She picked me up for one last time and whispered, “I’m gonna miss you.” She placed me in my case, put a bow on it, and brought me over to little Josh. I could hear her quietly tell him to take care of Knight. I could also hear him shout excitedly and jump around the house! That’s when I knew it was all going to be okay. The past 10 years with my girl were wonderful. I saw her grow from a young girl to a young lady. Now, I have that privilege, once again; watching her little brother grow from a boy into a young man.

Age 15

 

One of Those Days

Do you ever have “one of those days”? You know, the days you accidentally sleep through your alarm clock, spill your coffee over your work clothes as you rush out the door, drop your phone in the parking lot, forget to finish an assignment due, tolerate a manager chirping over your shoulder for the entire 8 hour day, ‘misplace’ your wallet, get stuck in traffic… “one of those days?”

It was one of those days for me. I woke up late, dropped my phone in a puddle as I walked out to my car, still beating myself up about a failed assignment I got back last night (so mad at myself!), spilled my coffee… you know, just simply “one of those days.” No matter what seemed to happen throughout the day, everything appeared to go wrong!

Being a nanny for twin, toddler boys, I often read “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” (although I usually add a time-out at the end for his bad attitude- can’t give my twins the ‘wrong idea’). If you are familiar with this book, it would describe today.

In the early afternoon, the boys asked to watch “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” so I turned the T.V on. We all sat on the couch; and as entertaining Mickey Mouse is, I started dozing off.  Myles crawled up on my lap, looked me directly in the eyes with that cute little ‘toddler-face’ smile, and said, “Dani, I love you… You’re my favorite”. Wow, all of the bad in the day disappeared with those words! It’s funny how one simple thing can change the direction of the entire day.

Next time you are faced with “one of those days,” don’t forget the simple things that might make it just that much better! The coffee that the stranger in front of you pays for, the ‘wonderful’ people that help you drive better (even if they do cut you off!), the people that stand by you no matter what. What makes your day ‘that much better’?

Dani and Myles

Dani and Marcus

Myles (left) Marcus (right)

Change in the Seasons

The air is getting cold and has a crisp bite to it. There is a sharp aroma of “Mother Nature’s” spices in the atmosphere; almost a smell of snow; but not quite. The leaves on the trees are falling and changing all different colors. There is a change in the seasons. It is autumn. The conversion is incredibly marvelous and vivid between the summer and autumn.

As much as the seasons change in every way, people’s lives change. I am definitely much different than I was as an infant and yet I am the same person. I will also be much different in 20 years, my life will look incredibly different, and yet, I am the same person. People grow. People’s personalities develop. Life-long friendships are made. And change is not wrong or bad. It is necessary in life.

This is short, and a little vague, but I leave you with a few questions… Who are you now and who are you becoming? Are you living life to the fullest? Are you taking what needs to be ‘changed’ and doing something about it? Be yourself, and be ready for whatever change(s) that may happen in your season.

Food Labels

For a lot of people, the ingredient labels on the back of a food container are somewhat irrelevant (unless, of course, there is an allergy). Most people overlook unfamiliar words. Phenylalanine is one of those that often get overlooked. “Phenylketonurics- Contains Phenylalanine” doesn’t mean much to most, but is on many labels. To 17 year old Tommy Lee Ferguson, Phenylalanine (PKU) affects his entire life.

When a baby is born, there is a ‘foot poke’ the doctor does to check for PKU. It is a rare genetic disorder where both parents must carry the PKU gene (and even if they both do, there is only a 1 in 4 chance of their child having the disorder). Put briefly -it is where the liver cannot produce one of the amino acids that are found in protein. That means; no protein, no meat, no dairy and a monthly blood test checking the ‘phe’ levels in the blood. Only a certain amount of protein can be eaten per day, and every day requires a special, white shake-drink, which has all the nutrition the body needs to survive.

I have asked Tommy how he handles it, and his reply has always been “It’s normal, you get used to it.” The thing I love about Tommy is that; no challenge is too big or too much. In the past year, Tommy has pin-pointed things in his life he wanted to ‘change’ and just did it with a smile! He lost over 60lbs, and continues to work out religiously and eat healthy (even on an already strict –high carb- diet that PKU forces).

Tommy is my little brother. We are very similar in many ways (personality, our looks, and the way we think). One thing we do differ in is Tommy has PKU and I do not. He watches everything that goes into his mouth. This is something we as a family have had to work together with for the past 17 years, but Tommy has had to live with it. I am very proud of him. He has become one of my best friends. He is strong. He is caring. He has Phenylketonuria. So, next time you look on the back of your Diet Pepsi and see ‘Contains Phenylalanine,’ remember that this means much more than meets the eye.

What makes you laugh?

We all have different humor. Some is dry, some is crude, and mine… well, I would have to call it ‘situational humor.’ People falling down, misunderstood words in awkward conversations, people screaming after they get scared… stuff like that. There are so many things that have happened that I remember from growing up that still make me laugh. Often times, people will tell me stories of something that happened to them that make me laugh (even when I’m by myself just re-thinking the story).

My boss’ sister briefly told me a story about her youngest son getting stuck between the screen door and the door to their house… how that happened, I do not know. But I laughed for days trying to picture it.

My friend and her mother were on vacation. It was late and they decided to sneak into a pool by where they were staying. An old man came over and stood watching them for a while. They were a little freaked out, but not as much as when his pants came down! They jumped out of the pool and dashed out of there. When they realized the man was following them they started running faster and faster- screaming for dear life! They finally made it back to their house and locked the door. They heard an uncontrollable laughter on the other side of their front door. The man followed them! They quickly realized, that man sounded a lot like my friends’ sister…

One of the most recent and hilarious things that I saw still makes me chuckle. I have four younger brothers. The youngest is now 11 (wow!). He was being silly the other day and had a long laundry basket over his head… for about an hour! I’m not sure why, but he did. It covered from his head to his hips, which made it hard to move around. He got up to grab some food in the fridge (with the basket still on his head) and bent down to grab some orange juice. He quickly realized that his entire body was bending straight over, as if he was completely stiff, and the basket hit the fridge and knocked down several things onto the ground. At this point I am rolling on the ground (literally) laughing harder than I ever have before. Being an eyewitness to this account was the best thing that had ever happened to me! Of course, he was mad and embarrassed that I was laughing ‘at him.’ About 15 minutes passed and I was still laughing! I tried to gain my composure to explain to him “I’m not laughing at you… well, I kind of am… but it was so funny!” He ended up laughing too, and now we chuckle about it together.

What’s Your Story?

When you hear the word “story,” what is the first thing that pop’s into your head? Ten different people could have thought of ten different pictures when they heard that word. These stories may have been true stories from your childhood, or maybe your favorite fiction story.

Growing up, I would rarely ask my parents to ‘read’ me a book. Instead, I would constantly ask them to tell me a story! Some were funny and some were sad. Whatever the story line, I always changed the ending in some way or another, asking questions every step of the way. I’ll just say, I am no fun taking to the movies.

Today, my favorite thing to do is listen to the stories of people’s lives. I make myself giggle when re-thinking things that have happened. True stories! Often hilarious, embarrassing stories that you would only assume in movies really happen in peoples’ lives. Sometimes these stories are dramatic or very sad and keep you on the edge of your seat. I had no idea the things that some of my closest family members and friends have gone through; that is, until I asked.

So, what is your story? Think of each day as a page in the book of your life.

My Grandma, Dobromiwa Barbara Daroszewska, grew up in Poland. Though I can no longer ask for details, she and her family had to escape Poland when the Germans invaded their small town, Krakow. She once told me a story about their journey (from Poland to Canada) and I would like to share it with you.

The underground railroad (or whatever transportation would get you out) was a very dangerous operation for those escaping Poland. Families would wait their turn for days, wondering every second if they would make it out, or get caught. Only so many people could fit on the transportation used to get them out. It was my family’s turn to board. They had been waiting for a long while, and were the last few people that would fit. A young couple with a crying baby in their arms was behind them. My great grandpa, without a second thought, gave up their seats so this young family can get on first. This was a dangerous move! The chances of getting caught while waiting was high, but it didn’t move him. He gave up the seats.

The look in the young family’s’ eyes were filled with thanks. They quickly boarded and the transportation went on its way. The next car arrived. My family got on board and the car quickly went an alternate route. My great grandpa asked why they were going a different direction. The driver informed everyone that the car right before them was caught; the car that my great grandfather gave up the seats to. The young family!

My grandma never heard what happened to them; if they survived. I don’t believe they were Jewish, but neither were my grandparents- and it didn’t seem to matter much. This journey led them, eventually, to safety in Canada. This trip brought many stories along the way, but most have never been talked about. There was so much that couldn’t be talked about…

Grandma’s High School Graduation Picture

 

Rope Swing with an Ego

Written by: Danielle Ferguson

It was a hot summer day in Baton Rouge, LA. We had been working practically non-stop for over a week now, trying to set up for the 220 national youth conference of 2008. This was a national Christian youth conference, where youth groups from around the world came together to enjoy the music, and learn more about ministry. I was one of the 07/08 interns at Bethany World Prayer Center. I, along with the 80-something other interns, helped to get the lights, sound, and cameras ready. My ‘main area of focus,’ was to help build and decorate the stage, halls and booths, before the conference started. Ok, there was no single ‘main area,’ it was everything you could get done as fast as you could.

The fumes of spray-paint and newspaper in the old gym across the campus were getting stronger and stronger. We were getting closer and closer to our last 24 hours before the conference started. We were all rushing to get every little detail finished!

I was on my way to the church building which was across the parking lot from the old gym on the other side of campus. I was taking two papier-mâché beach balls, which were spray painted glow in the dark, to the main sanctuary for a cool, yet simple, side decoration for the stage. The air outside was thick and muggy and the sun that was beaming on my face. I couldn’t wait to get to the icy, cool, air conditioned sanctuary.

I reached the church building and went through the doors. Finally, I felt the cool breeze of refreshing air conditioning which I could only imagine seconds earlier. The smell of the fog machines made the air conditioning seem even cooler. I’m not sure how that worked… but somehow it did; fog machines seem to do that. I quickly walked into the sanctuary when I was halted by the site of it- she was a beauty! There it was right in front of me… a thick rope. Not just any rope – it was hanging from the ceiling above the stage! Yes indeed, it was for the national youth conference’s hype team. There was going to be a George of the Jungle “want-to-be” swinging over the mosh pit of radical youth during the worship for the conference! I couldn’t help but think of how amazing and fun that would be! I had to force myself to wake up from this daze and keep working.

After a long day finishing up the last bits and pieces of the decorations, I noticed a group of people in the main sanctuary who were swinging on “The Rope.” I went over to check out all of the activity and was faced with the opportunity to try it. What a privilege! I couldn’t help but feel like a kid on Christmas morning! The tiredness from the day seemed to completely lift off of me. I walked up those four little stairs onto the stage, looked out to the small crowd of tired interns, grabbed the rope tightly, and jumped. I swung out and back, holding on for dear life! It was fantastic, refreshing and just plain fun. I handed the rope off to my friend, Ana, and sat down on a pew, proud of my amazing swing.

Next thing I knew, the widely known pastor of this church came in and sat down on the other side of the stage along with another youth pastor from Australia. They were both talking and minding their own business. Some of the other interns started swinging out and around the stage; like a big circle over the front area. Well, I thought I would give it a try. I mastered swinging out and back, but I wanted to be able to say I had swung “around” the stage. I walked up those little stairs again, and grabbed the rope. After a minor symptom of hesitation, I took a deep breath, stepped back a couple feet, and took a big running leap off, and around, the stage.

I’m not sure what went wrong… about half way up, nearly 10 feet off the ground, my hands slipped off the rope. I went flying through the air right onto the ground (thanks to gravity). My ego was basically ruined. Everyone, including the youth pastor from Australia, froze! All of a sudden, a rolling hysterical laughter filled the air. It was pretty funny. I knew that they weren’t laughing at me, but laughing with me… right? Well, actually they probably were laughing at me. I had no choice but to laugh as well. It was an excellent try! Not only was it a good try, but I had a 2 inch rug burn on my elbow proving I put some effort into the jump. Even though I can’t say that I made it around the stage, I can say that I wasn’t afraid to jump with everything I could. My ego may not be completely restored, but I did have a great time.

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