My Jesus makes beauty from ashes and makes strength from weakness. He's been doing it since day one when He spoke just simple dirt into one of His most exquisite, most intricate and most valued masterpieces ever made...us. He loves you far more than words can ever say and has plans for you far deeper and even better than you could possibly ever imagine. All He needs from you is those burnt up ashes given to Him as a humble offering and He will breathe life anew into what seems to us as long dead and forgotten. It's what He does... Creation and Re-creation. That's why He is called among many names 'The Redeemer'. God loves you.  

Hey, Girls... God made you beautiful and you don't need a second opinion to prove that. You're not someones play thing and you're not in competition with any one else. You're just awesome the way you are so be the best you - not someone elses version of you. Please don't sell out and give yourself up for cheap thrills, you're worth so, so much more than that. There's nothing more beautiful than a girl who knows her true worth. Trust God - He loves you.

And guys, God made you to lead. A true leader leads in love - strong, selfless love. This is the type of stuff heroes and soldiers are made of. Love that stands and takes the blows so others don't have to. Resist the urge this world tells you to be better than everyone else and instead be the best at showing that type of sacrificial, selfless love. The world certainly doesn't need more rulers that lord it over others through pride and ambition - the world needs more true soldiers that stand in strong, pure love for others. God says you are that man and He stands with those who follow Him.  

Believe it or not - these wheels are from the very first skateboard I ever owned as a kid. I got my first board for Christmas when I was about 11 and got the deck autographed by Tony Hawk when he visited my city. I found my old deck in my Mum's garage when I dropped by at Christmas time and even though the deck was all hacked up and trashed, the wheels where still in pretty good shape. So I pulled them off, fitted some fresh bearings and slapped them on a spare deck I had at home and viola... instant retro cruiser. And by retro I actually mean retro. These wheels are old :) I never was the best skater in the world and certainly wasn't one of those kids who had a natural talent when it came to skateboarding but I did have one thing about me... I never gave up. I would take some absolutely massive stacks and end up as a crumpled bleeding mess on the road so many times - only to get back up and go all over again. Funny part is that part of me hasn't really changed at all.

Some kids asked me the other day what my favorite trick in skateboarding was and the answer was easy. I told them it was the first trick I ever learned and the trick that had me hooked right from day one. One thing I'll never get sick of and I'm still chasing it every time I step on a board. I asked them to guess and they shot off a stack of good tries but none of them were right. I told them my favorite trick is... SPEED. I still remember that first time bombing down a huge hill at full speed, barefoot and desperately trying to keep the death wobbles under control while at the same time soaking in that irreplaceable feeling that nothing in life comes close to. The only thing that maybe matches it is those dreams you have where you can fly and you can see the texture of the road streaming by under your face as you soar through the air. That's about as close as it gets. I remember being about 15 and being in the back of my Mums car at the top of a huge hill near where we lived. The cops had closed off the road all the way down the hill because of a massive petrol station fire and I just knew this was my moment...

I asked Mum to let me out, I grabbed my board and bombed that hill all the way from the top to where it flattened out and my wheels were just about melting from the friction and speed they'd just endured. No exaggeration, it was at least 3km of downhill bliss taking up both lanes on every corner and tucked in like a fighter pilot on a mission to break the sound barrier. So yeah, these wheels have seen some action. Some fairly serious action. These days they have a bit easier life and pretty much only get used when I take the dogs for a run but I know they've still got it in them. Can I just say this... Don't think just because something is old that it can't do great things and hasn't seen action. That old guy you know has a story and probably a few things He might be able to teach you. That old lady I'm sure has some very wise lessons about life and love to teach you too. I never knew  any of my grandparents so I never got the chance to learn from them but if you're blessed to have them in your life take the time to sit and listen once in a while and I'm sure they'll surprise you with a depth of wisdom that only comes from walking the path of life.

There's wisdom all around us and truth be told it often isn't in the obvious or loudly publicized places. It's often in the quiet places, the 'nothing to prove' places, the humble places. Like these wheels, anyone else just sees some super old Variflex 60/90 retro wheels from a broken up skateboard... but not me. I see a story. Everyone has a story. Everyone has worth. God loves you. 

Hey, I'm gonna be honest with you guys right now. I'm going through a pretty rough time... As a matter of fact, it's been a pretty rough time for a long time. Maybe too long for my liking. But here's the thing. When Jesus responded to my cries and met me, set me free from all my demons and woke me up He didn't do it for me to just play and party. Yeah, He set me free because I definitely wasn't free but there was a much greater reason for what He did. He opened my eyes - my real eyes and I saw things that very few can comprehend let alone even listen to. He showed me a lot of things I'd missed before, a lot of hidden things, a lot of terrible things. He warned me of things to come and how to identify my enemy and his movements. He trained me how to fight, how to pray and how to watch and learn. He unlocked things in me that I never ever knew existed. When He broke me out of my prison which was hell on earth I expected to wake up in a type of paradise. I expected a perfect tropical island but instead I awoke in a blood stained ocean in the middle of a battle. A battle that we are losing badly.


After being set free, I expected life to be much simpler, much easier, much more idealistic but boy was I wrong. By setting me free and opening my eyes I now saw what was really going on around me. It was war and the casualties are all around us. It broke my heart and reduced me to tears for weeks and weeks at the state of this planet and the church of today. Our enemy ravages and plunders the freedom of our people. God's children too often pick up the weapons of the enemy and use them on each other in cold betrayal. Depression, Addiction, Lust, Fear, Anxiety, Greed, Witchcraft and Violence roam and pick off the strongest of us first. I understand by saying this that many of you will find it offensive and most likely walk away and that's perfectly fine - this isn't a battle for civilians. It's a battle for soldiers. For those of you who are in one of those prisons right my message is simple. I was like you, chained, beaten, abused and tormented by my enemy until Jesus broke through. I'm here to tell you to keep crying out to Him despite how long it takes because when He does arrive... trust me when I say everything changes. Everything.


I'm here to tell you that once He has trained you, you will become far stronger than you could possibly ever have imagined. Strong enough not just to fight for yourself but also strong enough to stand between the enemy and his prey and fight for others. That's what a soldier does - He fights for the freedom of others. You know the stories from the bible how impossible odds were overcome by the small holding God's hand. God wants to write some new stories...When Jesus broke me out of my prison He did it for one really big reason... to wake up the soldier in me. I used to only care what people thought of me. It formed my very existence. I was a human chameleon that made myself into whatever was most liked in a vain attempt to fill the void of emptiness in me. Jesus changed all that when He revealed Himself to me as the Great I AM and He said something very important to me... He said... YOU ARE MINE. So, now I only care about what one person thinks. Jesus. Now there's only one person I serve. Jesus. Now there's only one person I will bow before.... JESUS. I prayed this week to my Father in Heaven in the middle of this tough time and this is what He said to me...


"Mark, what I want to see from you right now is defiance. I want to see the soldier that I made in you stand despite what's happening around you and despite very few standing with you. I want to see you defy the odds, defy doubt, defy fear, defy corruption, defy greed, defy lust and defy your enemy the Devil. I want to see the soldier that I broke out of prison standing in the face of the hurricane sweeping the horizon unmoved, weapon in hand ready to act when I give my orders." So here I am. Here I stand. For my King. Here I stand in defiance to my enemy because I believe in God's Word that says if I resist Him, He will turn and run. I believe in God's Word that it says the weapons of our warfare are not physical but full of latent divine power for breaking down prisons - and I plan to use them to demolish as many prisons as Jesus lets me. I believe in freedom for our people that comes through no other means than the Name of Jesus. I believe in a Army of Light that will carry the beacon of Hope, Truth and Selfless Love to the hurting, the dying and the lost bringing them into the salvation and true life that comes from Jesus Christ.


I am not afraid to stand and if it means I stand alone, I will still stand. My King will be lifted up and His Name will be known as the Name that saves and transforms. There was no one else that was able to find me, heal me, awaken me and set me free. There is no other Name by which we will be saved. His Name is JESUS! Stand soldiers of the King. Stand because our King won the victory for us and wants us to walk in it to give Him the glory He deserves. 

Alive. Happy. Blessed. Loved. Secure. Transformed.

Seriously have the best day guys. Stay awesome :)

Jesus said "Love your enemies. Bless them instead of cursing them. Pray for those who abuse you that God will reach them and pray He helps them to know His love and truth that sets us free"

Not easy to apply but extremely powerful when we walk and do as Jesus taught us...

Father, I pray today for all my enemies and all those that have harmed me, betrayed me and in any way meant evil for me that you will bless them, provide for them, guide them, help them and reveal in them their true value in your eyes. I pray they would know your love Father and that they are worth so much more than their pain and their fear. Father be what they need you to be for my enemies today. Your Kingdom come, your will be done. In Jesus Name... 

Hey, take God's hand today and believe for the impossible. It'll be the best adventure you've ever had with the best company you could ever wish for. Have a truly epic day guys. God loves you always :)

So what makes a Christian? Is it what you do? Is it the things you do that get seen before others that identifies you? Is the money you give? Is the things you have? Is it your denomination and how big a crowd of people that believe the same as you that solidifies who you are? What is it that makes you a Christian? The simple truth is this - what identifies a Christian is to whom that person belongs. The word Christian originates from a Greek word that means "Christ-One" or "Christ-like". The Bible tells us that "the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" in Acts 11 simply because when people were around them they way they spoke, acted and conducted themselves reminded them of Jesus. It was plain to see who they belonged to because they were like Jesus - they were "Christ-like". When people observed these followers of Jesus they saw selfless love, they saw truth, they saw boldness, they saw compassion, they saw the heart of God and they didn't need any more proof to know who these people had been with and had been exposed to. Guys, we live in a pretty dark world right now - the state of things both inside and outside the church is bleak to say the least. The love of money reigns and rules this world, selfless love is becoming more rare by the day and the truth is becoming harder to find as it's mixed in with so many contaminants from this world.

But this is all the more reason to rise up and be the light this world needs. It's all the more reason to raise your voice and let people know to whom you belong. There is only one hope for this world and only one way to true peace - His Name is Jesus. We live in a war torn world where passenger airplanes are shot out of the sky and precious lives are extinguished at the press of a button. Lives that had immeasurable value in God's eyes. Lives that God had plans for. Can I encourage you today to pray and ask God to raise up the soldiers of His Kingdom? Pray that the Lord of the Harvest sends more light bearers out into this cold dark world to bring His love, His truth and His hope to where it's needed most.

Of ourselves we cant do anything. Anything we do or have is simply because of the mercy, grace and provision of our Father in Heaven. We are all just little children in His eyes. Little swords lying on the ground. But if we submit to His hand... If we give up our plans, our desires, our pursuit of fame and fortune and instead pursue His Kingdom and His heart then this dark world can be reached. There was a time when children fought giants in the Name of God... and won. It's time the children of God stood up again. It's time the giants of fear, depression, greed, lust and sickness fell to the earth. It's time their heads were raised before others to show the power that comes when we humbly bow before our King as little children... and are raised as soldiers and conquerors for His Kingdom. It's time the world saw what true freedom looks like. It looks like Jesus. It's time...  

My God turns rusty, forgotten junkyard beaters into pimped out, gleaming show cars all to parade His goodness and love. He's not only the master Creator and an unrivalled craftsman of exquisite things - He also specializes in the restoration business and there ain't no one that can't be transformed by His powerful love. God loves you :)

As a follower of Jesus I totally and completely believe in the abundant life that Jesus spoke of for those who choose His way of life over this worlds corrupt ways. I believe that as Christians we should be the most positive, most passionate, most outgoing, most hopeful, most loving and most alive people on this planet all because of Jesus. Does that mean because you choose to follow Jesus that you'll always be surrounded by loads of friends and people that love you? Does it mean that your bank account will be overflowing and your wallet bursting at the seams full of wads of cash? Does it mean that every single dream you have will automatically just come true? No. Jesus never promised those things. I've seen many people bend and twist the Bible to say that Jesus will make you rich, famous and overflowing with lavish prosperity but I just can't agree with that seeing as Jesus made himself a servant to us and asks us to imitate Him in order to build His Kingdom here on earth. I'm gonna be up front now because you guys don't need another fluffy 'perfect world' pick me up - what we all need is the truth.


The thing is life can be hard... sometimes really, really hard. Bad stuff happens. People die. Dreams are cruelly crushed and fade in the winds of time. Friends betray. People walk away. Hard earned money is stolen and lost. One day you can be a beauty queen in a pageant and the next day contract a vicious debilitating disease that robs you of almost all the life you had making even just day to day duties feel you're like fighting an entire army on your own. One day you can be absolutely full of joy celebrating a new life coming into the world with the person you love only to find out that the precious little life won't survive and that unborn child never sees the light of day. For you it might be a mother or a father that you called on your phone every single day just to let them know what was happening in your life only to see them fade away in the cruel hands of cancer never to be able to answer that call again. Or maybe you might see your children choose a path of drugs, crime, pain and suffering and have to visit them behind bars blaming yourself without reason. Yeah, I know this is pretty heavy but hang with me. Life can deal out some really bad blows sometimes and there are times when it seems like it's all just too much, that you just can't take it anymore.


What I wanna say is this...  Jesus knows and cares about your pain. If there's one person that understands it fully - its Him. He never, ever wanted this planet to be broken and full of pain like this and that's precisely why He came for us. And He hasn't stopped coming to those who call on Him. If that's you today and life has been really rough can I encourage you to read Romans 8 from the Bible? It speaks of us as followers of Jesus as being co-heirs with Him. Royalty. It speaks of the power of His love and that there is nothing in Heaven, Hell or Earth that can separate us from that love. Even if you don't fully understand every part of what you're reading I really encourage you to read it through to the end. The Bible is not just a book, it's words hold far more power than our human intellect can ever fully grasp or explain. It's a living book. It's words hold the power of life and activation. It has the ability to awaken and change things that cannot be changed by any other means. You don't need to understand how that part of it works though, just reading it will start to speak to your spirit - the real you inside - and help heal and guide the parts that need it most.


The Bible holds the same power that Jesus himself had when He walked this earth. The same power to heal, guide, comfort, enlighten and save us. And hey, if that's you today and life's been really tough like that I'd be happy to pray for you that God comforts, heals and guides you. I do my absolute best to be the most positive person I can be on this earth and to encourage as many people as I can about the love and truth of God. Am I positive because everything in my life goes right all the time? No. If I honestly shared with you the amount of tragedy, loss, pain, betrayal and suffering my eyes have seen and my heart has endured you'd probably want to check yourself into counselling after hearing it. I'm not positive because every goes right, I'm positive because nothing and I mean NOTHING can take away God's love for me. That's the reason I stay positive. God's love. His love is truly that powerful. I'm not kidding. It's the most powerful force in this entire universe. Nothing even compares. Jesus has the ability to make even the worst looking things and most hopeless situations into trophies and monuments of His love and grace. In the very end, its love that wins. It's love that endures forever and ever.


Jesus can make beauty out of the ashes of your life no matter how badly things have been scorched and charred. He specializes in redemption and needs only one ingredient in His formula for it work... your heart. Call out to Him and let His love lift you from where you are to where He sees you to be. I'm praying today that for every single one of you that reads this that God speaks to your heart, heals your pain and lifts you by His love. God loves you.