Completing the Tenner

Please click on either “Completing the tenner” or “blog” to view my story.

For poems please click on “Poem“

For short stories, please select “Short Stories“

For articles its “Articles“

Latest “Completing the tenner” post – 66 Twos and Threes

About Stuart

Born and raised in Glasgow’s tough Easterhouse, housing scheme, Stuart’s life was never conventional. From being offered a scholarship to Hutchesons’ Grammar school at the age of 11, passing through another two comprehensives before his 16th birthday, this is a life of many twists and turns. Gang violence and drug addiction in his teens led to a prison sentence at the age of 19.
Over the next eight years, Stuart’s family and friends watched helplessly as his life went from bad to worse, accelerating rapidly downwards. A life that seemed to offer so much, fast becoming robbed of even the resemblance of promise and hope, whilst bringing misery on everyone he touched and those that loved him.

This all changed one incredible weekend in May 1997. One incident after another that weekend led to dramatic events that would change Stuart’s life, and those lives he would go on to touch, forever. Right at his darkest moment, when he was drifting away, Christ lifted him.

This blog site is all about my random thoughts and musings, with some moments from my story thrown in. I want to give a special thanks to my good friend, Laura Ferguson, who has persevered with my prejudices patiently listened to my ramblings challenged me on many areas of thinking and all the while quietly interviewing me with the hope of a book at some point in the future. Laura you made me dig deeper into myself and remember more of the laughter and tears than I thought possible.

Thank you

BBC Radio Scotland promo video for Stephen Jardine interview.

Original link can be found at BBC Radio Scotland Facebook

Please note that the correct spelling is “Hutchesons’ Grammar School” and our church started in 2011 and moved into Shandwick Square Shopping Centre premises not long after. It is amazing the difference a comma in the right place can make.

Thank you for taking the time to visit the page, if you would like to know more, may I suggest that you start at:

1 – The ghost of Christmas’ past and work your way through the blogs in numerical order. This is the date they were written in, but may not be chronological. I am working on ordering them into a more time orientated list.

Alternatively, you can visit the Media Links page and see a short visit done by BBC Radio Scotland for an interview I did there.

This POST is part of a wider collection to show the journey that would eventually lead me to the cross of Jesus Christ, my personal redemption, and my journey of faith afterwards. If you would like to know more of my story, please click on my “About” page and take it from there.

I have now released an early edition of my story, Completing the Tenner. 

I have also published two poem books: Simply Jesus  and Five Weeks in May

You can purchase these direct from Amazon (please use Amazon Smile link below and Amazon will contribute to ECC at no cost to you), They are all available in both Kindle and Paperback formats.

Or you can buy directly from me. Email me directly to arrange this.

There is now a devotional aimed at new Christians called “Take a seat“ this is available direct from me.

If you or someone you love, needs help with the Christian response to addiction, or if you would just like to know more or need hope, please click on one of the following:

The Haven
Teen Challenge Strathclyde
Teen Challenge UK
Teen Challenge Global
Street Connect
Bethany Christian Trust
Jumping Jacks Outreach
Cornerstone Assemblies of God, Maryland
Broken Chains Ayr
Easterhouse Community Church
Stuart Patterson

Shop through Amazon Smile and Amazon will donate 0.5% to Easterhouse Community Church, costing you nothing.