I was raised in a privileged home not lacking financially or for materialistic items. My stepdad was a reasonably wealthy man and dropped us off at school in a Porsche or the latest BMW. My friends thought we had the ‘perfect life’ and everyone wanted to be associated with me.

What they didn’t know is that our home was filled with domestic violence and abuse. My stepfather would beat my mother up and then buy our silence with toys (quadbikes, go karts, the latest gaming consoles etc).

I saw this continuous behaviour as the norm and found myself becoming the bully. Verbally towards girls but sometimes physically towards boys to prove that I was a ‘man’.

However, By God’s grace I met a girl in our high school. She was not the normal profile girl that I would pursue. She was different…very different.

I had an encounter with Christ and surrendered my life to God in 2002 at a small life group. I got involved at youth in the local church and I have never looked back. I made a clear decision that I never wanted my kids to grow up in a home with abuse and violence.

That girl from my school has been my best friend and my amazing wife and mother of our two beautiful children.

By his grace I am laying a new path that I am leading my family on, close to God and one that aims to please Him and bring glory to His name.

1 John 4:19

‘We love because he first loved us.’