Danielle Kruger

• • What were the most important things you learned during your childhood and earlier years that helped you later in life?
  • I only have a vague recollection of my childhood but I do believe that the solid foundation that my parents offered growing up was a huge help to me in my life as I got older. I always had my family behind me, loving me and genuinely caring about me. I believe this allowed me to spread my wings safely, to know that even if I didn’t succeed in something that I always had this amazing family. It was my source of strength and security and it still is today.
  • What were some challenges or disabilities you experienced and what did you gain or benefit from living with and through these?
  • I married at a young age, mainly due to a surprise pregnancy. Despite my parent’s assurance that it was not necessary and probably a bad idea, I felt that it was the right thing to do. I ended up in a verbally abusive relationship that was an emotional turmoil I was not prepared to deal with. I had never experienced anything like this and I was completely unprepared to stand up for myself. My “perfect” family life had left me ill-equipped to handle adversity. I worked hard to maintain my marriage because divorce was not an option in my mind. I learned how to persevere, how to find things in my life to make it bearable, how to seek happiness in other things besides my marriage. I ended up divorced after 6 years.
  • I was a single mom of three children for the following 13 years, which brought its own challenges, daily. I truly don’t know how I got through those 13 years or how my kids survived a single mom household. Somehow, they ended up extremely well behaved and they stayed out of trouble. (I thank God for that daily, I know He had his hands on them.) I learned a lot about putting one foot in front of the other, even when things seemed impossible to overcome. I learned how to stay in tune with each of my children so that when things were “off” I was able to take a step back and find the time to reconnect with them. I would choose them over anything else, even my work in those times. I would find peace within myself and pass that on to them whenever I felt things slipping away from what felt “right”. I learned how to talk to my kids, communicate with them and treat them like human beings rather than children who couldn’t understand. I learned how to apologize for wrong decisions and how to make things right when I was able.
  • What were your biggest failures/mistakes in life, and what did you learn from them?
  • I became addicted to pain pills when I was in my 30’s and had to go to a re-hab to get off of them. I often times wonder how that happened, how I would allow myself to become addicted, but I don’t have an answer. I didn’t understand what addiction was and before I knew it, I was an addict. I remember being very in-tune with God in the months leading up to the first time I started taking the pain pills to help me sleep. I slowly began losing touch with God and stopped reading the Bible as I slipped more into my addiction. I learned a lot through this… I learned how to persevere, how to give my life to God, how to grasp onto the things I knew would bring me peace, to literally pray every minute of every day so that I could make it through a day without struggling with guilt and shame.
  • As a single mom for 13 years I failed at maintaining a healthy relationship with my ex-husband. I didn’t try to find good things about him and I chose poorly in speaking negatively about him in front of my children. I often times would even tell them directly how awful their father was. I regret that very much now that I look back on those times. I would most definitely do that differently if I could. My kids did not need to hear that about their own father, I should have honored their relationship with him but I completely disrespected it.
  • Where is your favorite place you have ever been and why?
  • I would say my favorite place is being at home. I am definitely a home-body and as much as I appreciate different cultures and places, my favorite place will always be my home. It’s a safe place where I can be myself, nurture my children and make the greatest impact on their lives in simple ways that are meaningful.
  • What is your educational background?
  • I went to a Catholic elementary school (we were not Catholic), high school in South America at and international school and college at ASU where I graduated with a degree in education/communication.
  • What jobs/employment have you had? Which was the most fulfilling and why?
  • I was a kindergarten teacher at an elementary school for a year and then became a fire fighter. Previous to that I worked as a server at a small pizza place. Being a firefighter has been the most fulfilling because I can make a choice each shift, each call, to make a positive difference in someone’s life. I have the easiest access to that possibility with my job because we are called when someone is having their worst day. Some shifts are more fulfilling that others, but overall it is an amazing job.
  • If being a parent was considered a “job” then I would hands down say that it is the most fulfilling one!
  • When you feel frustrated, angry, or out of control, what do you do to quickly and effectively return to your baseline emotion? (How do you, “Self-soothe”?)
  • I remember what is most important and “check” myself. I remind myself that the other person involved is dealing with their own share of problems and I can either add to that or I can be an example of a good Christian. I pray that I can allow for other people’s faults and forgive.
  • What is a long-lasting, sustainable contribution you would like to make that lasts long after you are gone, and whom do you want it to affect?
  • I would really like to pass on the beauty and importance of a relationship with God because it has made my life so much more meaningful and full of peace. No matter what happens, I know that God will see me through. I would like to be able to do that no matter where my life leads and in every circumstance. I feel a real need for that with young girls (teenage) and hope to eventually get involved in a Christian teen program (i.e.YoungLife) to really pass that attitude and message on.
  • What are the principles and core beliefs you base your decisions and your life upon? Are there any principles or core beliefs that you altered/improved over the years, as you grew, progressed, and improved? (Old beliefs that didn’t serve you/were harmful vs. New beliefs which benefited you and those around you a great deal.)
  • My core beliefs are based on my relationship with God and his promises. I refer to the Bible when I have a serious decision to make and I pray like crazy about everything in my life. I have found that when I don’t do that, when I try to go about life without talking to God, I make mistakes that hurt me and my family. I don’t have inner peace when I don’t stay focused on the Lord. I have tested this many time in the past and every time I wander away from God I suffer a loss of purpose and happiness.
  • When I was young, I didn’t understand that I always had God with me. That He truly loved me and cared about me even more than a father (parent). I pretty much lived my life and called on God when I was in trouble but often times, I didn’t even do that because I was ashamed… When I made a poor choice, I allowed it to spiral out of control because I would refuse to bring it to God for help. Eventually, as an adult and after falling into addiction, I found the relationship with God that I had been ignoring. I was forced to bring my shame to Him and that began the relationship with Him that has been growing ever since. 

  So, when I was younger, the mistake I made was ignoring God. When I look back on that, I realize that those gut feelings and that awful feeling of shame were all signals that I ignored. Signals to stop and turn to God. To find healing in Him even through that shame of what I had done or said, etc. Today, those feelings are so clear to me. I can stop immediately, redirect my choices, and move forward knowing that God is with me. I slow down, I pray, I wrestle with those feelings until I can resolve them with God’s help. I go for a long run, listen to Christian music, read the Bible, anything I can do to resolve those gut feelings. We all struggle with “hearing” God in our lives, but when my heart is troubled, I know it is God talking to me. I didn’t know that when I was young. When my heart was troubled, I tried to make things right on my own and it was always a spiral down. If only I could know then what I know now!

  • What are your favorite 3 quotes and why?
  • This too shall pass – my grandmother said this often and it has gotten me through many hard times. It is true that in time all things will pass, we just have to persevere.
  • Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, cost you more than you want to pay – this is always true of sin and it’s a good reminder to make good choices.
  • Make allowances for other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you – this always reminds me to let go of things that have offended me or things that are holding me down. To forgive.
  • Do you have a book list of your favorite, most helpful books? What are the books on your list and what were the most important points from each one?
  • The Bible – helps me to know God and build a relationship with Him and also a reference for all decisions I have to make in my life.
  • 7 habits of highly effective families – an amazing guide for building a family that is strong, caring and centered on God.
  • Prayer (Yancey) – an amazing book about the power and purpose of prayer. Has taught me to pray constantly because it works!
  • I also love to read other fiction books but none have drastically changed my life
  • Who were the most important influential people in your life so far? Who do you consider your mentors?  (This can be someone in your life or someone you have never met.)
  • Jesus – I have come to realize that the more I try to be like Christ, the better my life becomes. The reasons are endless.
  • My mom has shown me how to be strong and tough but also caring and loving. She showed me how to be a good mom and how to work hard. She showed me how to persevere through the hardest times and how to take control of my life.
  • My sister has shown me how to love myself and to find self confidence that I so often lacked. I think about what she would do in many situations and use it to stand up for myself when I am having a hard time doing that. She is one of the most confident people I know and one of the most generous. She is graceful in everything she does and everything she has been through. I try to be like her in many ways.
  • Who or what has been the biggest, most helpful contributors to your life?
  • Exercise has probably been one of the most helpful things in my life. It gives me time to escape whatever is happening in my life and long runs give me time to sort out anything on my mind. In an hour I can think more clearly about life and the issues that I am facing. When everything else in my day is stressful, exercise keeps me grounded and happy. I can push myself as hard as I want to when it is just me.
  • Music. I believe that music is a powerful thing. It can literally change my outlook, alter my mood, take me back to past experiences. It is truly amazing. I don’t know what I would do without it. Definitely a gift from God!
  • My friendship with Maegan. She taught me so much about knowing God and living life for Him. She showed me how to be brave and confident in my walk with Christ and all of those things she showed me I still use today. She has allowed me to be her friend and she has always cherished our friendship in the same way I do.
  • Is there anything I have not asked you that you would like to share that you believe could benefit others?
  • It is difficult not to push people away from the idea of relationship with God because it is very personal and somewhat abstract for so many people. Whether they had a bad experience at church or with a church goer – most people are scared away by talk of religious things… But the bottom line is that we are all just trying to make the best of our lives and searching for meaning and purpose. Find the things that bring you peace and harness those things in your life, don’t let them slip away. Practice them often and let them make you stronger in your walk on this planet. People will want to know the joy and peace you radiate and you will get the chance to share your journey with them.
  • What do you believe is the purpose of yourlife?
  • I feel like I am still trying to figure this out. I pray every day that I will serve God in my words and in my actions and that I will hear God’s voice above the other noises of this world. Overall, I Believe my purpose is to bring light into the darkness wherever I am and wherever God leads me in this life.
  • What is your main wish/desire for the loved ones in your life?
  • If I could pass anything on to my loved ones it would be building an ongoing, never ending relationship with God. That they would trust in Him and find strength in knowing that they are deeply loved by their creator. With that, they can get through anything.
  • Are there any questions in this interview you would re-word or are there any questions you would add to this interview to make it more helpful and effective?
  • None, but thank you for the opportunity to think about my life, my past and my future. It was a little tough at some points but really good for my soul. Thank you!
  • Is there anyone you can send this interview to that you know would add value to your life or the lives of others with their answers? Will you share this interview with them?
  • I will share this with my father and my good friend. They both have found the kind of peace and joy I want to know more of.

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