A Little More on Jasheen & the Benefit

In light of the developments surrounding the benefit that Jasheen is organizing (see entry below entitled, 'An Event Worth Talking About'), I thought I'd share this brief email that she received from one of the women working closest with her on the event:

Hi J,
I feel so guilty leaving you for a few days with the mountain of work you are doing for the benefit. Don't tire yourself out please, but it is truly amazing what you are doing. The others have no idea of the effort you are throwing at this event.
Take care and I will phone you next Monday to see how things are.
Love Bridge

The Lord seems to be showing Jasheen so much favor as she moves forward with this exciting event. She has won the hearts of some pretty amazing women in the West End. Last Tuesday night she gathered with six of them to discuss details surrounding the event, and the conversation led to what we're doing here. Once it was established that I am a "God Man," Jasheen shared with them our ministry and what we're doing here. It's been so cool to see her weave in and out of conversations about the event and our faith. It's interesting to hear their impressions of Christianity (and Christians) and observe as they learn that some of their own preconceptions may not be entirely accurate.

Jasheen still needs much prayer surrounding all aspects of this event. She is in the process of raising the necessary funds from local businesses and philanthropists in order to pull the whole thing off, as well as serving as a representative of Jesus. The Lord has truly provided the avenues and settings for Jasheen to shine in her gifting and in her faith.

I continue to be so impressed with and proud of her. I have come to know my wife as... my wife, and a wonderful mother, and it's been easy to forget that she is an incredibly accomplished and intelligent entrepreneur. Please keep praying for her and the women she's working alongside.

Eastern Orthodox Prayer

O Lord our God,
at your coming you set men free
from the worship of other gods;
by your miracles you taught us to
acknowledge you as the one creator
and only maker of all things living,
and to place our hope in you;
protect us by the power of your Name,
sanctify us by your truth
and pour out your mercy upon us
and upon all your people.

For you are our God,
the God of mercy and salvation,
and we glorify you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
now and forever,
to the ages of ages. Amen.

An Event Worth Talking About

You know those people that can just make things happen? They put their minds to something and regardless of the scale, they can convert dreams into reality. I'm not talking about a snazzy seasonal party or a modest music recital, I'm talking about a shin-dig that draws local TV networks, journalists and even celebrities. I am not one of those people, but my wife is.

A few months back Jasheen began sharing an idea with me to help promote her friend Ann's individually handmade jewelry. She saw that Ann had a lot of potential, and wanted to help her friend stand on her own two feet. Last November we hosted a jewelry party for Ann and she sold £500 worth of rings, necklaces and brooches. Far more than she ever expected. That was nice for an in-home gathering, but Jasheen wanted to really get Ann's name and product out there. She imagined a proper gala to showcase Ann's creations to all the West End of Glasgow.

What began as a relatively small, but public function (with me as the emcee) has literally exploded into what may turn out to be the largest single event of its kind that the west end sees this year. Jasheen began building her team to execute the necessary functions required for the event - mostly local women in our neighborhood and a couple of her piano students that have turned out to be very well networked and very resourceful. Brainstorming sessions led to a much larger scale event, and instead of promoting Ann exclusively, they decided to help launch the West End's new, young faces in fashion design, as well. Further brainstorming and networking led to the event becoming a full-scale benefit for a local West End Cancer Caring Center. The goal is to keep it all local; to bring in the arts, creativity, and really show Glasgow's potential as Scotland's cultural epicenter.

Jasheen's team consists of two well-known local journalists, a charismatic actress, and a successful marketing guru. They have grand visions of a formal event including food, drink, designers, models, hair & makeup artists, celebrity guests & entertainers, door prizes, raffles, and of course, corporate sponsorship. And as it is her brainchild, Jasheen is organizing and overseeing the entire production.

One thing after another has fallen into place. Oran Mor, meaning the 'great melody of life' or 'big song', is a cultural center and meeting place in the heart of Glasgow's West End that has agreed to comp the use of their venue for the function. BBC Scotland will be contacted to cover the event, and models are already responding to Jasheen's request to lend their services free of charge. Several agents of Scottish actors have been or will be contacted to discuss their clients' appearances and involvment in the event, and an up and coming recording artist from the States has already agreed to come and perform. And so much more is still in the works. It seems that every time Jasheen shares her vision with someone, the Lord has already paved the way for their involvement or their network.

The event will take place on November 13th and has already garnered the interest of print and television media. It is a benefit for Maggie's Centre, a non-profit organization committed to helping people living with, through and beyond cancer.

A strange and pleasant phenomena has occurred since Jasheen began this journey... I've met the young woman I fell in love with, dated and eventually married. This has breathed new life into her. I see her passion and excitement growing everyday. Jasheen is a philanthropist at heart. She has always loved serving others and helping them achieve their potential.

There is an awful lot of effort and leg-work that needs to happen for this to be successful, and although it has completely re-energized her, Jasheen could use a lot of help, prayer and support. This is more than a benefit for people with cancer. It's more than a showcase for local talent. It's more than a project for Jasheen. This is an occasion to bring people we've grown to know and love together; to work in synergy with our friends in the community; and for God to be glorified in a missional endeavor to love on and serve all those involved.

When she began sharing all of this with me, I thought it was a beautiful dream, but it would take an exceptional kind of person to pull it off. Realistically, it's just not going to happen. I mean, I'm certainly not one of those people that makes these things happen...

... but then, we're not talking about me, are we?

PS: As more aspects of the event are confirmed, I will be sharing and updating as to the who's and the what's involved. Until then, I'll not speculate or titillate with big names or personalities. :)

An Apology

Someone left a comment on my last post that I feel should be addressed. I've removed it because I think allowing readers to post anonymously sets a bad precedent and is irresponsible. However, I also believe in the blogger interface and want readers to have the freedom to share their views. I just don't want to endorse cowardice, and when there is no accountability people can 'courageously' share anything they wish.

The following comment was in reference to the last point on my "Glasgow: What's (not) to Love?," entry:

"maybe if you took some time to talk to them, you'd find out that's not the statement they're making at all. stereotyping is a great way to do ministry. nice job."


It was not my intent to stereotype the youth I mentioned in this point. And despite the immature, self-righteous and sarcastic tone of the comment left on my blog, there truly is no place for generalized assumptions in ministry. Incidentally, I have spoken with several of these kids and quite honestly, my heart breaks for them. For that reason alone, I issue this formal apology to them:

To the numerous "death-rocker, goth-kids" faithfully reading my blog that I alluded to in my previous entry,

I apologize for making such a crass generalization about the statement(s) you may be making through your attire. It was reckless of me to assume that sporting T-shirts of bands like, Cannibal Corpse, Christian Death, Obituary, Napalm Death, Suffocation, Slayer, Nuclear Death, Rigor Mortis and Massacre, could in any way be considered a preoccupation with death or evil.
Although music is one of the most prevalent methods of establishing identity among youth today, I should have been more sensitive to you as a collective.

Just because someone wears a crucifix does not necessarily mean that they are a follower of Jesus. In the same sense, perhaps your pentagrams don't indicate a fascination with Satan. Either way, it's not for me to ascertain.

Please accept my apology and know that I value you as a part of this culture and society. In this day and age of political correctness and cultural sensitivity, I will try to be more careful when addressing specific genres of people.

That is all.

:p