Arms of Love

#		Title	Length
1		Arms of Love	3:58	Play
2		Deliver Me From Me	5:02	Play
3		Love Holds On	3:23	Play
			12:23

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Description

As a newlywed, Mark and his wife -- feeling alienated as young adults in the Catholic Church -- considered joining a more lively denomination. However, that same week, the Lord spoke clearly in Mark's heart,

"Stay, and be light to your brothers."

Shortly after that, Mark received another strong word,

"Music is a doorway to evangelize."

Thus, began a burning hunger in Mark for God, and for truth... which has led to a deeply rooted love for the Catholic Faith.

In the spring of 1993, in response to this inner call to "be light to his brothers" and to evangelize with music, Mark formed a band consisting mainly of family and friends. They had no where to play and very little resources (their first mic stand was an upright vacuum cleaner and half a roll of duct tape!), but this seemed to be God's leading, and in faith, One Voice Music Ministry was born.

"I couldn't write a praise and worship song for the life of me," says Mark before forming the band. "Then, on our first big event as a band, the Holy Spirit fell upon me like I'd never experienced before. My hands and fingertips felt as though electricity was surging through them. My heart was filled with a tremendous yearning to serve God." Soon after, the Lord began to pour out song after song. Mark has written well over 100 songs and numerous Mass parts since that day.

Soon One Voice began doing music for youth masses in Edmonton, Alberta, and events such as the Life in the Spirit Seminars, family conferences, and Canada's first Youth 2000. Eventually, they began a monthly event dubbed Encounter with Jesus, a powerful evening of music, drama, testimony & teaching.

Mark's professional background is in television. He worked in Edmonton as a reporter on the award-winning business show The Risktakers, and in 1998 won "Best Canadian Documentary" for the documentary he wrote, produced and hosted, "What in the World is Going On?". Mark is also a freelance writer. His work has appeared in publications such as Reader's Digest, The Alberta Report, and the Western Catholic Reporter. He wrote his first commissioned book, the Catholic Teen Leadership Survival Guide, published in the spring of 1999 by You!Press in California.

In the summer of 1998, Mark suddenly found himself jobless when headquarters in Toronto cut back. At that time, he decided to leave ministry to focus on his vocation. "I remember the day I put my guitar in the case 'for good'," recalls Mark. "I said to God, 'I won't ever pick it up again for ministry unless you want me to.'" Door after door closed in television over the following year. It was a dark and painful time... but in the midst of it all, a new and exciting vision for ministry began to burn afresh in Mark's heart. "Every time I picked up my guitar, a new song would come (most of these songs are on his debut CD). It was as if God was saying, "I ain't through with you yet."

Mark put his thoughts in detail down on paper, and in the spring of 1999 -- the very week his employment insurance ran out -- Mark received an invitation from Bishop Eugene Cooney to bring his vision and music (and family!) to the Nelson, B.C. diocese in Canada. Embracing Hope Ministries was born--Mark's personal response to Pope John Paul II's prophetic words calling for a "new evangelization" and a "new Pentecost". During that time Mark also released his first album, Deliver Me From Me (which garnered multiple nominations in 2000 and is still many a fan-favorite).

Despite the slow but steady growth of Embracing Hope and a profoundly recognizable need for renewal in the Nelson diocese, financial support was insufficient to sustain Mark and his family when the contract came up for renewal after 10 months. So, disappointed yet eager to know God's plan for their lives, Mark & La once again packed up their family and headed back through the mountains to home turf in Alberta, Canada.

After four trying months of unemployment, living with the in-laws, and doing his best to make ends meet through concerts, Mark received a phone call from CTV offering him the position of producer and host of a new business show in Edmonton. Alberta called Profit Line. Mark embraced his new and unexpected role and went on to enjoy a challenging & rewarding year "back in the marketplace" at CFRN TV.

But as the Lord seems to continually work in Mark's life, he is rarely afforded the luxury to get too comfortable for too long. In the fall of 2001, the station cut his show (again!) to make way for a longer newscast -- despite it's growing success and audience appeal.

But this time he was ready.

All throughout his time as a television host/producer, Mark toured on his days off, performing in festivals, conferences, churches & schools. His wife Lea (a professional Graphic Designer) embraced the hefty role of Manager/Booking Agent, and it wasn't long before they realized that the music was Mark's true & deepest calling. By the time Mark's business show was cut in the fall of 2001, Lea & Mark felt confident that they really could make a go of this "music thing" together, and literally hit the ground running.

So, Mark took that leap of faith that led him to rely totally on the Lord's providence to provide for his family as a full-time singer-songwriter and Catholic missionary...

For the last five years, Mark has been touring extensively (with his family as much as possible) amidst continuing to write and record new music. In 2002, Mark released his popular sophomore album Love Holds On and in 2004 he released his third project, Through Her Eyes: A Journey to Jesus, a powerful devotional Rosary CD. His long anticipated Eucharistic worship album was released this past summer, along with a beautiful tribute to John Paul II, written quite unexpectedly the night our dear Pope died.

There is much to pray about and be thankful for, and Mark continues to discern day-by-day where to use his gifts to best serve the Kingdom.