Open Forum

Posted on March 6, 2016 by bryanpattersonfaithworks

What’s on your mind? George Pell? The rise of Trump? The upcoming gay marriage plebiscite? Or maybe a personal story of wonder. Whatever. Feel free to express (within the blog guidelines of respect etc of course)

41 thoughts on “Open Forum”

Matthew Malin on March 6, 2016 at 15:44 said:

There are far too many things on my mind. College graduation, plans after that, relationships. I’m tired of this growing pain without seeing the fruits of growth. I’m learning so much about God, myself, and others but no matter how much it feels like I continue to fail. Maybe the devil trying to keep me in my sin? Relationships are hard. They’re worth it for sure but they’re hard. I’ve seen my own selfishness in a brand new, disgusting light…and Im not even married yet! Some days I wonder if I’ll be able to get a moment’s rest from it all…You know, just take a deep breath and relax. Maybe one day…

LikeLike

Reply ↓
- bryanpattersonfaithworks on March 6, 2016 at 16:01 said:
  
  Hey Matthew – It’s Dawn Patterson (wife of Bryan Patterson) here. Life is hard and relationships can be hard – that is the way of the world but it is so worth the work. I gave my life to the Lord when I was 7 years old and what a journey it has been! Not the fairytale because life is not a fairytale. I am not being even remotely patronising but there is so much ahead of you – good and bad, happy and sad, the expected and the unexpected. People will disappoint you, you will disappoint yourself and you will disappoint others – of that you can be sure – but tomorrow is always a new day and we are never a failure – I think that is one of the great challenges of our faith in God – His ways are not our ways or the ways of the world – His grace covers us and the more we need His Grace and recognise it, the closer we become to Him and the more use we become in His work in this world – because He came to fix a world that is broken and when we are truly broken that is when we are our most powerful for in our weakness He is strong. Anyhoo, I am rambling but I guess of all I have learnt in the craziness of this world is that His grace is sufficient for me and He knows me better than I or anyone else knows me and still He loves me … continue in love and patience and kindness, towards others and yourself … xxxooo
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply ↓
  - Matthew Malin on March 7, 2016 at 01:31 said:
    
    Hi Dawn! Your words are incredibly encouraging. I definitely appreciate the response and the sharing of wisdom. Thank you for reminding me that it is His strength that qualifies me and moves me. Have a great Sunday!
    
    LikeLike
- Alexie on March 6, 2016 at 16:53 said:
  
  Seems like there has been lots of growth.
  Learning about God.
  Learning about yourself.
  Seeing things in a new light.
  Knowing you need to relax and take a deep breath.
  
  And yet, the best is still to come.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply ↓
  - Matthew Malin on March 7, 2016 at 01:32 said:
    
    Thank you, Alexie! Reading that gives my heart a little more strength to face the day and all of its lessons!
    
    LikeLike
- Strewth on March 6, 2016 at 21:54 said:
  
  At your age Matthew I could not have imagined the highs and lows I was soon to face. Not at any age could I envisage what lay ahead. I believed that God ensures we have no more to cope with than we can manage, but in the end I gave up and asked for an easier path. It came, in unexpected ways.
  
  May you learn from whatever comes your way, and grow in whatever ways you feel God wants of you.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply ↓
  - Matthew Malin on March 7, 2016 at 01:33 said:
    
    Thank you so much strewth! I’m sure that life will always find a way to take me by surprise but it is great to know that I have the Lord leading me through. It’s also amazing to have people like you and this community to take the time to encourage a stranger. Thank you for your kindness!
    
    LikeLike
S. on March 6, 2016 at 16:20 said:

Earlier today, I did some study on my Diploma of Early Exucation and Care. I’m upvto a module about hygiene and safety. It’s amazing all the things you have to keep in mind. Understandable, but, yeah, a lot.

LikeLike

Reply ↓
- bryanpattersonfaithworks on March 6, 2016 at 16:24 said:
  
  Well done. One step at a time Sara.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply ↓
  - S. on March 6, 2016 at 16:30 said:
    
    Thanks for the encouragement, Bryan. 😀
    
    LikeLike
- Strewth on March 6, 2016 at 22:02 said:
  
  A very worthwhile study area, S, may you be succeed well. I learned to not over-study. If you can get something into short term memory, leave it for 20 minutes then recall it, it goes into long term memory. So I’ve been told, and it seemed to work for me!
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply ↓
  - S. on March 6, 2016 at 22:27 said:
    
    Thanks, Strewth. I’ll remember that. 🙂
    
    LikeLike
Alexie on March 6, 2016 at 16:54 said:

The rise of trump is amazing.
How is this happening?
Any Americans out there who can give some insights as I am blown away by it all.

LikeLike

Reply ↓
- Strewth on March 6, 2016 at 22:10 said:
  
  I read somewhere that all people fall into one of three categories. The power hungry, the sadistic, and the compassionate. In varying proportions, I suppose.
  
  He doesn’t seem to draw much support from the compassionate, but there must be quite a number of the others!
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply ↓
- Bubba Ray on March 7, 2016 at 14:54 said:
  
  Bill O’Rielly the Fox commentator made the interesting point that Trump and Bernie Sanders are the opposite sides of the same coin.
  
  Both are, essentially, reaching out to the disaffected and disenfranchised. Sanders with the promise of a socialist utopia and Trump with a fascist one.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply ↓
- Dom on March 7, 2016 at 20:32 said:
  
  If you want to know how some countries ended up with a dictator then keep watching if trump gets elected. I don’t think he will get elected though. I would not be surprised if Democrats are voting for him to give Hilary a better chance. the only explanation I can think to explain why many Latinos are voting for him.
  
  http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/25/yes-donald-trump-won-latinos-over-marco-rubio-and-ted-cruz-here-s-why.html
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply ↓
Bubba Ray on March 6, 2016 at 21:57 said:

Should the Pope sack Pell ????

LikeLike

Reply ↓
- Strewth on March 7, 2016 at 13:39 said:
  
  Pell will lose his job at the Vatican in June because he will be 75 years old, the automatic cut off point. I believe he can then be reappointed, but that would be surprising..
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply ↓
  - Bubba Ray on March 7, 2016 at 14:55 said:
    
    Why would you be surprised ?
    
    LikeLike
  - bryanpattersonfaithworks on March 7, 2016 at 14:59 said:
    
    It seems the right opportunity for the pope to quietly get rid of Pell. But who knows?
    
    LikeLike
  - Bubba Ray on March 8, 2016 at 19:17 said:
    
    It was probably a good opportunity for the Pope to meet with some of the abuse victims too. But that didn’t happen.
    
    I guess we’ll have to see what happens with Pell later in the year. Each way bet though I’d reckon.
    
    LikeLike
  - bryanpattersonfaithworks on March 8, 2016 at 19:25 said:
    
    Yep. The Vatican said the pope never received a request to meet the abuse victims. One way or another I’d think Pell is tarnished.
    
    LikeLike
  - Bubba Ray on March 9, 2016 at 08:40 said:
    
    There are different reports as to what invite was set to the Pope, but did he really need one? Would Christ have held off on a ministry to those in need because he didn’t get invited?
    
    LikeLike
  - bryanpattersonfaithworks on March 9, 2016 at 08:42 said:
    
    Good point.
    
    LikeLike
  - bryanpattersonfaithworks on March 9, 2016 at 09:35 said:
    
    Brilliant! “I can’t feed these people, It will destroy their incentive to better themselves” pic.twitter.com/mCmOmM6RbH
    
    — Sony Kapoor (@SonyKapoor) February 23, 2014
    
    LikeLike
  - Bubba Ray on March 9, 2016 at 14:42 said:
    
    Wow that is good.
    
    LikeLike
  - Dom on March 9, 2016 at 15:33 said:
    
    There may be a few Syrians in there.
    
    LikeLike
  - Monica on March 9, 2016 at 16:11 said:
    
    Good one Dom. That (poster) above is repugnant to me. Is it supposed to be funny?
    
    LikeLike
  - bryanpattersonfaithworks on March 9, 2016 at 16:19 said:
    
    The Jesus poster was meant as sarcasm Mon. It’s exactly what Jesus WOULDN’T say.
    
    LikeLike
  - Bubba Ray on March 9, 2016 at 21:34 said:
    
    But it does seem to be the kind of thing that those on the hard right side of the political spectrum would say. Even those of them who claim to follow Jesus.
    
    LikeLike
  - bryanpattersonfaithworks on March 9, 2016 at 21:36 said:
    
    Well I think that they would be wrong.
    
    LikeLike
Strewth on March 7, 2016 at 14:21 said:

This included a video of a little over 13 minutes.
https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/

LikeLike

Reply ↓
- Strewth on March 7, 2016 at 15:06 said:
  
  While on that site I also came across this 8 minute talk on the politics of exclusion..
  https://cac.org/the-politics-of-exclusion/
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply ↓
  - Bubba Ray on March 9, 2016 at 21:39 said:
    
    Hey Strewth,
    
    This article is a litte long but it’s interesting
    
    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/07/donald-trump-why-americans-support
    
    LikeLike
  - Strewth on March 9, 2016 at 23:11 said:
    
    Bubba, if you think Trump is too outlandish to be true, you might consider that in the past he has been registered (and repeatedly voted) as a Democrat
    
    Trump has close ties to both Hillary and Bill Clinton, and has in fact donated to her and other Democrats’ campaigns in the past..
    
    According to
    https://theconversation.com/why-id-vote-for-donald-trump-55817
    
    blackbag.gawker.com/is-donald-trump-running-a-false-flag-campaign-to-help-h-1723925057
    
    LikeLike
  - Bubba Ray on March 10, 2016 at 19:19 said:
    
    Hey Strewth,
    
    Yep that’s been a criticism of his that he’s just playing a “role” as a Republican candidate and he’s really of the left.
    
    LikeLike
  - Bubba Ray on March 11, 2016 at 21:45 said:
    
    Why would I think that “Trump is too outlandish to be true, “
    
    LikeLike
  - Bubba Ray on March 13, 2016 at 09:35 said:
    
    Especially in the light of the behaviour of the Republican party over the last few years.
    
    Is Trump too outlandish to start wars in the middle east ?
    Too outlandish to give concessions and tax breaks to wealthy donors?
    Too outlandish to threaten to shut down the government?
    Too outlandish to de-fund planned parenthood ?
    Too outlandish to back domestic terrorists like the Bundy’s ?
    Too outlandish to condone torture and other war crimes ?
    Too outlandish to prevent any steps towards reasonable gun control ?
    
    Compared to his peers what exactly is Trump too outlandish at ?
    
    LikeLike
  - Strewth on March 14, 2016 at 22:45 said:
    
    Point taken, Bubba. :-))
    
    LikeLike
  - Dom on March 15, 2016 at 12:29 said:
    
    This is my understanding of some of what Trump stands for and his values;
    
    All Mexicans coming to the US are the worst. Rapists and criminals. Attacked Jeb Bush because wife is from Mexico.
    
    Women: you have to treat ’em like s%$t
    
    You have to take out terrorist families
    
    He’ll use a hell of a lot worse than water boarding.
    
    I find him to be an outlandish guy.
    
    LikeLike
  - Bubba Ray on March 17, 2016 at 19:41 said:
    
    Hey Dom,
    
    As opposed to Ted Cruz and his carpet bombing ISIS solution ?
    
    Yeah he’s outlandish, but not in context.
    
    LikeLike