Comments on: Rescuing Wayward Children—Quick Answers to Difficult Questions http://www.larrybarkdull.com/351/rescuing-wayward-children%e2%80%94quick-answers-to-difficult-questions Professional Writer Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:14:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Cheri http://www.larrybarkdull.com/351/rescuing-wayward-children%e2%80%94quick-answers-to-difficult-questions/comment-page-1#comment-509 Cheri Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:15:16 +0000 http://www.larrybarkdull.com/?p=351#comment-509 Wow, this is amazing! I have been in a spiritual feast in the last two weeks, but now I am so full I don't think I can eat anymore. Although, I do want more...to feed my heart and soul. Your articles on this topic has been a blessing to me, and I have been inspired by the Holy Ghost to take the steps that you have outlined. Get physical. emotional and spiritual help, as I have been fighting a monster that wants to take me down in despair. There are many struggles I have had to overcome. Not in worthiness, but faith and hope. There has been so many bombshells that have tested my faith, my family's, and siblings. I remain strong, and know that Heavenly Father has been watching me all along. Even though it didn't seem like it, I had to accept His help in a step by step process, although my pain was calling out in my time, not the Lord's due time. But the wait has been worth it and my soul is full. One of the blessings I received was a renewal in my faith that the Lord watches over us as I searched stories of my husband's ancestry and mine. It came about as a desire to get my home in order, starting at the living room window that had my late sweet dog and our cats nose goo on it. After I cleaned that I continued to pursue the organization of our CDs, DVDs, and cassette tapes. I played the music I haven't heard for quite some time bringing me joy and happiness. I went about my cleaning and opened up some binders that had some family history of my husband's ancestors, prepared by his late mother for Christmas when she had passed from Leukemia a few years back. I was fed with the love of my forefathers, and the sacrifices they made to join the church and cross the plains to Utah. The heartache they felt when loved ones died from illness, injury and lack of food and shelter. Both of our ancestors had accepted the gospel just about the same time, moved around a lot due to the persecutions to church members and would end up living in Jackson County, Missouri. They then lived in Quincy, Lima, Nauvoo, Yelrome and back to Nauvoo and were well acquainted with Prophet Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. My husband's and my ancestors also served in the Mormon Battalion together and some of them were in the same Company. All of this came about by LDS Missionaries. My testimony has been strengthen by the committment of these Missionaries and how the Spirit of Elijah was directing them. So I am determined to fight for my family that their testimonies will grow and desire to serve the Lord mightily. And by finding Larry's writings has helped tremondously, recalling what I have read and learned years ago, but my trials had worn me down and I became reclusive. Which is not my personality and it has taken a long time to get some of that back as a patient Bishop would call us to simple assignments that we could handle as a couple, such as the Nursery! Due to serving in the Nursery for 1 1/2 years, I gradually can recall what I had learned earlier in my parenting days, service in the Primary, Scouts, Relief Society, Visiting Teaching, and more. But my light was snuffed out when I lost a son to suicide. And I believe that took some of the light away from my other children who were pre-teen, teenager, and young adults. The voices from the dead are whispering to me and I am listening and asking for help for my childrens' struggles as there is a war out there, more powerful then this mother's strength. But as I do His will, I am being blessed with health and strength, and a mother's determination to not let the powers of evil deceive them from the Truth. It is done on the sly, keeping them interested in worldly things, instead of serving the Lord. I know that the Lord is mindful of them, and that they are just trying to find their way and where do they fit in this world of ours. I am looking forward for Larry's three books to come out as I'm going to need them! P.S. I am blessed by my ancestors simplicity of living on very little and relying on the Lord to bless them. They had so much faith and if they can do it then I can exercise my faith more in the Lord to guide me with my family. Wow, this is amazing! I have been in a spiritual feast in the last two weeks, but now I am so full I don’t think I can eat anymore. Although, I do want more…to feed my heart and soul.
Your articles on this topic has been a blessing to me, and I have been inspired by the Holy Ghost to take the steps that you have outlined. Get physical. emotional and spiritual help, as I have been fighting a monster that wants to take me down in despair. There are many struggles I have had to overcome. Not in worthiness, but faith and hope. There has been so many bombshells that have tested my faith, my family’s, and siblings.
I remain strong, and know that Heavenly Father has been watching me all along. Even though it didn’t seem like it, I had to accept His help in a step by step process, although my pain was calling out in my time, not the Lord’s due time. But the wait has been worth it and my soul is full.
One of the blessings I received was a renewal in my faith that the Lord watches over us as I searched stories of my husband’s ancestry and mine. It came about as a desire to get my home in order, starting at the living room window that had my late sweet dog and our cats nose goo on it. After I cleaned that I continued to pursue the organization of our CDs, DVDs, and cassette tapes. I played the music I haven’t heard for quite some time bringing me joy and happiness. I went about my cleaning and opened up some binders that had some family history of my husband’s ancestors, prepared by his late mother for Christmas when she had passed from Leukemia a few years back.
I was fed with the love of my forefathers, and the sacrifices they made to join the church and cross the plains to Utah. The heartache they felt when loved ones died from illness, injury and lack of food and shelter. Both of our ancestors had accepted the gospel just about the same time, moved around a lot due to the persecutions to church members and would end up living in Jackson County, Missouri.
They then lived in Quincy, Lima, Nauvoo, Yelrome and back to Nauvoo and were well acquainted with Prophet Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.
My husband’s and my ancestors also served in the Mormon Battalion together and some of them were in the same Company.
All of this came about by LDS Missionaries. My testimony has been strengthen by the committment of these Missionaries and how the Spirit of Elijah was directing them. So I am determined to fight for my family that their testimonies will grow and desire to serve the Lord mightily.
And by finding Larry’s writings has helped tremondously, recalling what I have read and learned years ago, but my trials had worn me down and I became reclusive. Which is not my personality and it has taken a long time to get some of that back as a patient Bishop would call us to simple assignments that we could handle as a couple, such as the Nursery! Due to serving in the Nursery for 1 1/2 years, I gradually can recall what I had learned earlier in my parenting days, service in the Primary, Scouts, Relief Society, Visiting Teaching, and more. But my light was snuffed out when I lost a son to suicide. And I believe that took some of the light away from my other children who were pre-teen, teenager, and young adults.
The voices from the dead are whispering to me and I am listening and asking for help for my childrens’ struggles as there is a war out there, more powerful then this mother’s strength. But as I do His will, I am being blessed with health and strength, and a mother’s determination to not let the powers of evil deceive them from the Truth. It is done on the sly, keeping them interested in worldly things, instead of serving the Lord. I know that the Lord is mindful of them, and that they are just trying to find their way and where do they fit in this world of ours.
I am looking forward for Larry’s three books to come out as I’m going to need them!

P.S. I am blessed by my ancestors simplicity of living on very little and relying on the Lord to bless them. They had so much faith and if they can do it then I can exercise my faith more in the Lord to guide me with my family.

]]> By: Jean Turley http://www.larrybarkdull.com/351/rescuing-wayward-children%e2%80%94quick-answers-to-difficult-questions/comment-page-1#comment-506 Jean Turley Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:23:58 +0000 http://www.larrybarkdull.com/?p=351#comment-506 Thank you for your inspiration and insights into these peoples' experiences. I wrote to you of my experience with one of my sons, and I was touched by your response. I was able to see it with new eyes, and more complete understanding. I read your articles with great interest, and thank you for them. Thank you for sharing your testimony of God's complete love for each of us. Sometimes even parents need that reassurance. Thank you for your inspiration and insights into these peoples’ experiences. I wrote to you of my experience with one of my sons, and I was touched by your response. I was able to see it with new eyes, and more complete understanding. I read your articles with great interest, and thank you for them. Thank you for sharing your testimony of God’s complete love for each of us. Sometimes even parents need that reassurance.

]]> By: Andrea http://www.larrybarkdull.com/351/rescuing-wayward-children%e2%80%94quick-answers-to-difficult-questions/comment-page-1#comment-490 Andrea Mon, 25 May 2009 17:09:43 +0000 http://www.larrybarkdull.com/?p=351#comment-490 Larry, I just got done reading your article about wayward children. I can be a witness that wayward children do come around. I gave my parents so much grief. I started hanging around with the wrong friends, experimenting with drugs, sex, alcohol, you name it. I would disappear for days on end with no phone call to my parents. I put my parents through a living hell. My parents tried everything from yelling, grounding me, to talking lovingly with me. They even got to where they just gave me my space to do what I was going to do and just loved me from a distance (although I know it was killing them inside). It is so true that we can not see into the future. We don't know when Heavenly Father will start to work a miracle in someone's life. And that is exactly what happened to me. I had a friend who started to change her life and she started to take some institute classes. She quit doing drugs and tried to talk to me about her new changes. I brushed her off quickly as I had no intention of quitting or changing my life. But you know, I really think something deep inside my conscience was just a little bit pricked. The strangest things started to happen. All of the sudden, I couldn't even breath around cigarette smoke, I didn't enjoy getting high anymore, and I developed a severe case of anxiety and panic attacks which kept me from going to parties. I thought I was going crazy and although those were some very uncomfortable and challenging health trials to go through. I feel like Heavenly Father sent those specific trials to me to help me to turn my life around. I feel like Heavenly Father saved my life. As days turned into weeks and then months, I started to realize that I needed to change my life. The one thing that has always stuck with me my entire life is my dads tender testimony of the gospel. And because of that, I eventually came to know that the church really was true and that I needed to change. I knew I had a lot of serious repenting to do. My parents were there every step of the way encouraging me and loving me. My dad was able to give me some of the most precious priesthood blessings. I think there was a time when my parents must have wondered what would become of me. I am sure they were tried and tested and stretched in many ways. But I can tell you that the day that I got married in the temple was a truly special day for my parents and I. I think my dad hugged me in the celestial room for like 5 minutes and we just cried and cried together. It was really an amazing experience. So I know that Heavenly Father can change lives because I am proof that He can. Now that I am a parent of three small children, I know how important it is to share my testimony with my children frequently so that it sinks deep into thier souls. You never know if that will be the one thing that awakens them later and can help bring them back into the fold. Andrea Larry, I just got done reading your article about wayward children. I can be a witness that wayward children do come around. I gave my parents so much grief. I started hanging around with the wrong friends, experimenting with drugs, sex, alcohol, you name it. I would disappear for days on end with no phone call to my parents. I put my parents through a living hell. My parents tried everything from yelling, grounding me, to talking lovingly with me. They even got to where they just gave me my space to do what I was going to do and just loved me from a distance (although I know it was killing them inside). It is so true that we can not see into the future. We don’t know when Heavenly Father will start to work a miracle in someone’s life. And that is exactly what happened to me. I had a friend who started to change her life and she started to take some institute classes. She quit doing drugs and tried to talk to me about her new changes. I brushed her off quickly as I had no intention of quitting or changing my life. But you know, I really think something deep inside my conscience was just a little bit pricked. The strangest things started to happen. All of the sudden, I couldn’t even breath around cigarette smoke, I didn’t enjoy getting high anymore, and I developed a severe case of anxiety and panic attacks which kept me from going to parties. I thought I was going crazy and although those were some very uncomfortable and challenging health trials to go through. I feel like Heavenly Father sent those specific trials to me to help me to turn my life around. I feel like Heavenly Father saved my life. As days turned into weeks and then months, I started to realize that I needed to change my life. The one thing that has always stuck with me my entire life is my dads tender testimony of the gospel. And because of that, I eventually came to know that the church really was true and that I needed to change. I knew I had a lot of serious repenting to do. My parents were there every step of the way encouraging me and loving me. My dad was able to give me some of the most precious priesthood blessings. I think there was a time when my parents must have wondered what would become of me. I am sure they were tried and tested and stretched in many ways. But I can tell you that the day that I got married in the temple was a truly special day for my parents and I. I think my dad hugged me in the celestial room for like 5 minutes and we just cried and cried together. It was really an amazing experience. So I know that Heavenly Father can change lives because I am proof that He can. Now that I am a parent of three small children, I know how important it is to share my testimony with my children frequently so that it sinks deep into thier souls. You never know if that will be the one thing that awakens them later and can help bring them back into the fold.

Andrea

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