I arrived home from North Dakota a few days ago and opened up Advent Talk. Much to my dismay, I found all the "surmising" and "assuming" regarding the letter I wrote about Barbara. I am a retired Life Insurance agent and many years ago, my supervisor told me never to assume anything because those who do, are usually wrong and it makes everyone look bad. Plainly speaking, your assumptions are wrong.
For those who asked, I'll tell you why Barbara did not write the letter herself. She, like Linda, does not go on any forum any more, nor has she since she came home from Norway and tried to write. Reading all the "stuff" people wrote was just too upsetting for her and her health could not take it. Over the past year, I would go on BSDA and see that there were some people sincerely asking about her and I'd relay that on, letting her know she did have many friends genuinely concerned about her health and how she was doing.
We discussed how best to let those who love her know she was much better and we decided that I would be the one to write the letter. I posted it on BSDA and, (this is for you, Sister) I decided to also post it on Advent Talk (knowing many of her friends were also reading here) ~ THEN, I informed Barbara on the following day of what I had done. This was NOT about playing games, Sister. Barbara has never gone to Advent Talk and, as I said before, she also no longer visits BSDA.
Sorry Grammie T, Barbara won't be coming on this forum or any other. I am Barbara's mother and thank you for the apology. Like I said in the letter; God, in His own time, will reveal what He wants known. The purpose of my letter was to let those who wanted to know 'why' Barbara hadn't written sooner ~ the "Why" - and that she is doing fine. I also want to let you "naysayers" know that I keep in contact with Linda and talk to her on the phone, the last time being just two weeks ago. We see each other when our paths cross.
I want to thank those of you (Grandmad, Servant, Ian, Habanero, Fran and many others) for your kindness shown to Barbara and who have been appreciative for the update. For those who don't know, you may go to BSDA and open the Praise and Testmony thread where you will find Barbara's 'Love Letter From Norway'. To read her "Open Letter" explaining her involvement with 3ABN, click on 3ABN (Links and Resources) here on Advent Talk.
Barbara has the following statement by H.M.S. Richards, Sr. posted in her office and around her house so she can read it readily throughout the day. Perhaps everyone should read it at least once a day to keep focused on what is truly important in life!!
Keep At Your Work
"The Lord has given to every man his work. It is his business to do it and the devil's business to hinder him if he can. So, surely as God has given you a work to do, Satan will try to hinder you. He may present other things more promising. He may allure you by worldly prospects. He may assult you with slander, torment you with false accusations, set you to work defending your character, employ pious persons to lie about you, editors to assail you, and excellent men to slander you. You may have Pilate and Herod, Annas and Caiaphas all combined against you, and Judas standing by ready to sell you for thirty pieces of silver; and you may wonder why all those things come to you. Can you not see that the whole thing is brought about through the craft of the devil to draw you off from your work and hinder your obedience to God?
Keep about your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars, do not stop to stone the devil's dogs; do not fool away your time chasing the devil's rabbits. Do your work. Let liars lie, let sectarians quarrel, let corporations resolve, let editors publish, let the devil do his worst; but see to it that nothing hinders you from fulfilling the work that God has given you.
He has not sent you to make money. He has not commanded you to get rich. He has never bidden you to defend your character. He has not set you at work to contradict falsehood which Satan and his servants may start to peddle. If you do these things, you will do nothing else; you will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord.
Keep about your work. Let your AIM be as steady as a star. Let the world brawl and bubble. You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered, wounded and rejected; you may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends, and despised and rejected of men, but see to it with steadfast determination, with unfaltering zeal, that you pursue the great purpose of your life and object of your being, until at last you can say, 'I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.' By: H.M.S. Richards, Sr., Founder of Voice of Prophecy.
Barbara is determined to be about her Lord's work. She is happy, content and full of joy. She loves people and is doing all she can to fulfill the covenant she made with God when she was dying of Crohn's Disease ~ that if He would spare her life, she would spend the rest of her life helping people to never get as sick as she was. God honored that prayer and is blessing her beyond measure. I am thankful I have such a Godly daughter who loves Jesus with all her heart!
I pray for God's blessings on all of you.
Jo Ann
Jo Ann, I asked you a question in a Private Message on another Forum (BSDA) and rather than answering it privately there, you bring it up publically here. Why? What is your purpose? In God's time perhaps the truth about why Barbara was asked to leave Norway may come to light. It says much more about certain aspects of her character than a mother may choose to admit. Many mothers have a blind spot when it comes to the characters of their beloved child and are willing to defend that child no matter the circumstances.
Sister
Yes, Sister, you did ask me in a PM on BSDA this question: "Jo Ann, what games is Barbara playing now?"
At the same time, you posted (in reply to my letter, on BSDA) the following: "...Barbara has her mother posting here and on other SDA Forums with the same letter. A mature Christian would either remain silent or post her findings. Barbara, be a Christian and post what you have to say, rather than these backhanded remarks through your mother in an attempt to further tarnish the reputations of others." unquote. As a result of the above post on BSDA, Clay locked the thread.
Since your post tied in with what you also wrote on Advent Talk, I addressed both at the same time here. In my opinion, there wasn't anything 'private' about your PM question. It was merely a false accusation. This is not about playing games!!!
On the same day, July 3rd, you posted the following here at Advent Talk:"Country Mouse, I would not put too much faith into the "report" from Barbara Kerr, via her mother, concerning Linda Shelton and the Doctor. It appears to be written in such a manner as to purposefully lead one to false conclusions without acturally coming out and making a clear statement of fact. Personally, I wonder why Barbara did not come here and share her "disturbing information" herself? Why all the secrecy? A Christian does not handle a situation in this manner. She either comes out and has her say or she remains silent. A mature middle-aged Christian does not send her mother around to various SDA Forums with sly hints and innuendos that would cause others to draw the obvious conclusion that Country Mouse has been lead to deduce. I believe the letter from Barbara Kerr's mother say much more about their "Christian" characters than it does about either Linda Shelton or Doctor A. As Linda Shelton challenged Danny to come forward and produce the evidence of adultery, so I challenge Barbara Kerr to come forward as a Christian and voice her concerns." unquote.
Your accusation that Barbara, through me, made 'backhanded remarks in an attempt to tarnish the reputation of others' makes me realize that you are the one making very un-Christian remarks in order to tarnish Barbara's reputation...along with a threat "to expose why Barbara left Norway" when she did. There isn't anything in my letter indicating any attempt to tarnish anyone's reputation!!
To eliminate any further speculation as to why Barbara left Norway when she did, the dr. had taken Barbara's care as far as he could at that time, as she had already been there nearly four months, and he told her it was time to go home. The reasons behind that decision are private, personal and confidential & had absolutely nothing to do with 3ABN, Linda or Danny.
I recently read this statement on kindness: "Kindness ~ it is one of the most beautiful compensations in life...we can never help another without helping ourselves." by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Perhaps, Sister, you should try alittle kindness and find out how much more enjoyable life can really be. I don't know you and you don't know me, but it made me sad to see you making such detrimental statements about the characters of both Barbara and myself.
Last Sabbath, I was reading in
The Desire of Ages regarding Mary and her love for Jesus as she anointed Him with that expensive oil. Quote: "Christ delighted in the earnest desire of Mary to do the will of her Lord. He accepted the wealth of pure affection which His disciples did not, would not, understand....That ointment was a symbol of the heart of the giver. It was the outward demonstration of a love fed by heavenly streams until it overflowed...They
[the disciples] felt the reproof keenly as they took from the cross the bruised body of their Lord....The same want is evident in our world today. But few appreciate all that Christ is to them. If they did, the great love of Mary would be expressed...Well may the heavenly host look with amazement upon the human family who refuse to be uplifted and enriched with the boundless love expressed in Christ." Desire of Ages, pp 599 & 600. (Insertion mine) Something to reflect on, isn't it?
As I was searching through a box looking for a file this morning, I found some art work that Barbara had done for me in 1994, just months before her ileostomy surgery. Beside the beautiful painted heart of pink with a yellow flower, green leaves and a flowing purple ribbon, she wrote:
"No one will ever breathe one breath for us. No one will ever think one thought that is ours. No one will ever stand in our bodies, experience what happens to us, feel our fears, dream our dreams, or cry our tears...No one else can ever live a singe moment of our lives for us. That we must do for ourselves." If you don't have Barbara's two
"Taste of Health" Cookbooks, I challenge you to get them and read them from cover to cover. You then will have a better understanding of the lovely, caring person that she is. Instead of trying to destroy her reputation, why not try to get to know her? Why not "try a little kindness?"
Dr. James Dobson once said: How we want to be remembered is how we will live our lives".
JoAnn, Barbara Kerr's Mother
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Topic: Dear Friends of Barbara Kerr (Read 58982 times)
