I was born and raised in the leafy suburbs of London, the only child of a single parent family.  My Mum came to Jesus when I was around 4 and at that time money was very tight.

My first memory of this Jesus that Mum kept on about was watching her pray because we had no food.  As she got up off her knees, there was a knock on the back door.  When she opened it, no one was there but a large box of groceries had been left on the doorstep.Even at such a young age I began to realise that there was something to this.

 

Guitar

 

I got my first guitar for my 6th birthday and began to play in my local church.  Thanks to the kind help from many good musicians in the church who took me under their wing, I quickly progressed and my earliest solo performance I can remember was around the age of 10.

I had outgrown my first guitar and Mum was paying for a new instrument in instalments and at that point in time there was £20 to pay before I could have it.  As she was on her way to get the shopping, outside the betting shop she had to pass lay two £10 notes in the gutter.  Several people had walked past them as if they were invisible and my new guitar arrived home minutes later.

By the time people started telling me that God doesn't provide, it was already too late.  I had witnessed His provision for myself in this and many other ways beside.

 

Childhood

 

Throughout my childhood I witnessed many events similar to these.  One time when I was very young, I was crying because Mum couldn't afford a balloon for me.  A huge man in a trilby hat who seemed to appear from nowhere, leant down and handed me a balloon then was gone as quickly as he arrived.

Another time Mum had £3 spare.  I had wanted a scooter as all my friends had one but they were way more expensive than she could afford.  As we passed a second hand shop, inside was not just one scooter priced at £3 but two.  I even got a choice of colours, and it was a better scooter than all my friends had.

A while later when I was riding it, the frame snapped.  As I was bemoaning my loss, a man walking behind us happened to work in a welding shop just down the road and took the scooter in and welded it back together for me.

None of these events were earth shattering in the scheme of things, but to a small boy it meant the world, and my Father in heaven knew it.

 

Teens

 

By my early teens I had begun to write my own songs and compose music and although fairly basic, I had found a way to express what I wanted to say.  I carried on writing songs on and off through my teens, and in my early twenties became one of the worship leaders at my local church.

My journey so far has taught me that I am not the worlds best singer or player, and the talent of many great songwriters before me both humbles and inspres me at the same time, yet I realise I have a message that needs to be shared.