I had an idyllic early childhood.

I was the youngest of three children and was loved, cherished and adored by my mum, dad and everyone around me.  From the outside looking in, people would have said we were the picture perfect family.  Whilst this was true for the first few years of my life, by the time I was eight, things had started to change dramatically.

My mum and dad’s marriage began to fall apart after mum found out dad was having an affair with a work colleague.  This put a massive strain on our family unit and as if that wasn’t bad enough, it was around this time that I started being sexually abused.  The abuse went on for a couple of years and although it wasn’t horrific abuse, it was certainly enough to create feelings of confusion and shame.  Shortly after my tenth birthday, all of the confusion, betrayal and emotional unrest caused by the sexual abuse paled in significance to the devastating events that took place on the 23rd of March 1983 – the night my life changed forever.

I woke in the middle of the night to the sound of my mum screaming.  Oblivious to what was going on, I went downstairs to investigate.  Nothing could ever have prepared me for what I saw.  I found my oldest brother attacking my mum and dad with a kitchen knife.  Tragically, my dad didn’t survive the attack and my mum received horrific injuries that left her in a critical condition.

While the physical injuries healed with time, the emotional scars ran deep and they had a profound and long lasting impact on me.  As a result, I spent most of my teenage years lost in a cycle of mind numbing activities just trying to escape the emotional turmoil.  After years of feeling completely lost and overwhelmed, I became increasingly desperate to find genuine happiness.  This desperation which had previously led me to substance abuse and other life controlling issues, also led me  to a place where I was willing to give anything a go… including God.

Long story short (the long story is my book) I had what I call a ‘divine encounter’ that ultimately steered my life from a road of heartache and despair to one that is rich with love, happiness, fulfilment and a true sense of purpose.

I pray that after reading my book, you will find these too!