About Me
Photo Taken ~ April 26, 2013
ABOUT ME
"IMPORTANT NOTE:
I own copyrights to all the poetry contained within this site.
Please do not copy or use poems without
first obtaining my permission.
1Peter 4:10 NIV "Each one should use whatever gift he has received
to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms."
How I Got Started Writing Poetry
I have been writing poetry since the age of nine. My relatives discovered
some of my work in a cedar chest owned by my grandmother. Upon her
death, they were going through the contents and ran across a couple of
poems I had written. My love for poetry first surfaced before I was
proficient in reading and writing. At the young age of seven I recall
asking my mother to read poetry aloud to me. She read a couple of
my favorites over so many times that I had them memorized.
Throughout my years in junior high and high school, I continued to
write poetry now and then, but it wasn't until I was saved and
baptized in 1988 that my true poetic abilities came to life. The
words just began to flow out of me like water and I began to write
not one but many poems.
I now have over 7,300 subscribers from
the U.S. including Canada, Alaska, Hawaii and 107 foreign countries.
Since then, I have had my work published in five national magazines
as well as three hardback anthologies. In addition, my poetry is now
being displayed on more than 300 different websites as far away as
Perth in Australia,Wales in United Kingdom, and the country of
Singapore.
Click link to view those web sites. click here
My poetry is also on seven web designer sites. It has been featured
in church bulletins across the nation as well as in sermons and
various ministries throughout the U.S. and abroad. A few musicians
have also requested to put a couple of my poems to
song for non-profit use.
One of the most unusual requests came
from a couple different individuals who asked for permission to
copy my poem “Just a Breath Away” to be read and put in their
eulogy when their time comes to leave this world. I did grant
them permission to do so. Another request came from a funeral
director who requested to use one of my poems in eulogies.
I feel that it is the Lord who guides my hand and
heart and it is to Him I owe the glory!
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More About Me
Welcome to my little corner of the world. I’d like to invite you
to take a leisurely stroll down an inspirational and nostalgic
pathway leading to a serene and peaceful garden. It is my
prayer that you will find a quiet place of refuge from the
turmoil and frantic pace of everyday living, thereby
experiencing the peace of our Lord as you walk through
an overgrowth of vineyards and roses just
inside the garden gates.
The poetry contained within reveals
much about the person I am and reaches into the very depths
of my inner being, reflecting all that I am as a child of God.
It is through His Spirit that I am enabled to write the words
that you are about to read. He has blessed me with my poetry-writing
ability, and it is to His name that I give the glory.
Let me introduce
myself. My name is Marilyn Ferguson, and I am a lifetime
resident of Illinois. I am 62-years-old and graduated from (B-PC)
Bushnell-Prairie City High School in Bushnell, Illinois in 1972.
Shortly, thereafter, I married and moved to a location several miles south.
This area has been my home for the past 39 years.
My husband “Bill”
has been employed with Verizon Telephone Company (formerly GTE)
for the past 39 years and retired in Feb. 2010. I have one son “Doug”
from a previous marriage.
He was born in 1982 and graduated from Western Illinois University
in 2006 with a Bachelor's Degree in Clinical Psychology.
He, too, is a creative writer and has been recognized both locally
and regionally for his poetry and story-writing abilities. I also
have one adult stepson, Marc of Missouri; two adult stepdaughters,
Jennifer Royce and Sharon Couts of Michigan and 5
step-grandchildren.
The most memorable quote that Doug
ever recited to me was: “Sticks and stones may break my
bones but words may break my heart.” This statement carries a
very powerful message and it is one that all parents, family,
teachers and acquaintances should pay close attention to.
My favorite color is blue because it reminds me of the wondrous
and infinite sky. I stand in awe of how it completely engulfs
our enormous universe. The beauty and vastness of it perplexes
me. A moonlit night encompassed by millions of twinkling stars
astounds my perceptions of time and space. How awesome and
mighty is the perfection of our majestic universe!
One of my
favorite songs is “If Tomorrow Never Comes.” As I get
older I become more acutely aware of how fleeting life really is.
So many loved ones have gone before me. How many times do
we fail to let our family and friends know just how much they
mean to us? Don’t leave unspoken words until tomorrow, as it
may never come to pass. Our loved ones can be taken from us
at any moment. We are not immortal as many of our youth
seem to believe, and one day they too must cross over into the
valley of death. So the time to say “I love you” is now; the time
to mend differences must not be put off until tomorrow
for life is a very fragile gift.
My favorite season is spring and for
obvious reasons. As tender leaves begin to sprout on the trees,
the world becomes alive with the marvelous splendor of re-creation.
Radiant flowers are found in abundance, the grass has never been
greener, the birds sing in anticipation as a spring thunderstorm
approaches, promising to quench the earth's thirst with precious
drops of life. The entire scheme of nature seems to be caught up
in the miracle of rebirth. And such it is with our souls when we
come to accept the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature: old things are passed away; behold,
all things are become new."
I believe that true happiness is found through maintaining a close
relationship with God. This simply means that we should not
depend on outer circumstances to create happiness for us. It
cannot be achieved through our own devices or through
dependence on others. It cannot be found in material things,
for they only provide a temporary and artificial means of
satisfaction. Lasting contentment cannot be purchased in a
store, on a car lot or even at the marriage altar; for, unless
you are a whole person who finds your source of strength
through daily prayer and fellowship with our Father in heaven,
your own worldly pursuit for pleasure will soon give way to
depression, discontentment, and a whole host of other
unpleasant sensations. The true source of happiness is
found in Him alone.
Matthew 6:19-21 KJV "Lay not up for yourselves treasures
on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
For two years during the mid 60’s, I made my home with my
paternal grandparents and, I might add, during a very influential
period in my life. I was nine and ten years old. My grandmother
touched my life as few ever have. She so loved the simple
things in life such as sunsets, snowfalls, kittens and homemade
ice cream. She taught me that the best things in life come
without a price tag which brings to mind another quote: “The
more you to have to live for, the less you will need to have to
live on.” My grandmother’s life reflected this quote many
times over.
Grandpa and Grandma lived on a little farm nestled in the
fertile farmlands of west central Illinois near the tiny village
of Marietta. It was situated along the edge of a narrow
gravel road, which led to a dead end, and few people ever
ventured down its path. As a general rule, when you saw a
car approaching, it either meant that you were going to have
company or else someone had taken a wrong turn
and was hopelessly lost. The tiny three-bedroom home
provided a blanket of security for a small nine-year-old girl
whose parents were in the midst of divorce.
I remember to this day every nook and cranny of
that warm and cozy dwelling. Ah… the memories come drifting
back to a time that seems so long ago! There were cows, pigs,
chickens, a garden, fishing pond, a big strawberry patch, and
gigantic snowfalls. I remember wading through hip-deep snow
on cold blustery afternoons to a big hill in the woods behind
our house. What a thrill it was to gracefully glide down into
the sparkling valley below. And then I remember Grandma’s
flowers, a whole yard full of them! I recall the hollyhocks best
when humming birds would flitter non-stop from one flower
to another on lazy summer afternoons.
I recall blackberry
picking on sultry summer days, tractor rides, wiener roasts,
horseback riding and last but not least, the wonderful taste
of Grandma’s homemade pies, rolls, jelly and noodles.
I have never tasted the likes of them since.
I also remember big Christmas and Easter dinners when the
entire family would come together. It was a very special time
filled with an atmosphere of caring, when everyone felt blessed
just to be able to dine together and share fellowship
with other family members.
I especially remember Grandma’s
willow tree, a tree that years later inspired me to write a poem.
But the one thing that stands out most in my memory is a
little country chapel called the “Point Pleasant Methodist Church”
located near Marietta, Illinois. It was just a tiny church located
a few miles from our home and conveniently situated on a
small corner where four gravel roads met and intersected at the
corner. To this day, I yet remember the loud tolling of the
church bell on Sunday mornings as the small congregation of
local farm families, dressed in their best Sunday attire, gathered
together to worship the Lord and singpraises to His name.
Every Sunday morning my grandmother and I could be found
sitting in our church pews to hear the Word being preached.
It was here in this quaint little church that I first learned about
God and it was here that He first entered into my heart.
I have been through quite a lot in my life, including a divorce
and the loss of my parents, a brother, my grandparents, a couple of cousins,
several uncles and friends. I have wandered far and wide in my brief time
here on earth, only to find my way back home again into the
awaiting arms of Jesus Christ. It is now God who directs my
path and has set my feet back on solid ground.
Without Him I am nothing!
Proverbs 3:5,6 KJV "Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your
ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths."
I owe a special thanks to my grandmother for introducing me
to the church where Jesus first made His presence known to
me. Today His Holy Spirit still lives in me and remains the one
and important influence in my life. Therefore, I am dedicating
this site to the glory of God and to the loving
memory of my Grandmother.
It is my desire that, before you
exit this site, you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that
the ultimate goal in life is to someday be united with our Father
in heaven. Have you accepted the precious salvation of Jesus Christ?
Matthew 7:7,8 KJV "Ask and it shall be given you; seek,
and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."
*********************
Music: "In the Garden"
Little Church Music Ministry Midi's performed & arranged by David Handy
to the glory of Jesus.
Recorded @ ENDTIMES STUDIO for LITTLE CHURCH MUSIC MINISTRY
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