Unshakeable love: Dallas' Easter story
24 February 2026
From a childhood surrounded by gambling and chaos to a life rebuilt on the love of Jesus, Dallas knows what it means to be saved from the edge. Today, although life still has challenges, he sings in the worship team at his local Salvos and writes songs of faith and hope. For Dallas, Easter is a reminder of God’s mercy, forgiveness and unshakeable love.
Dallas grew up completely surrounded by gambling and drinking. From as young as four or five, he remembers his mum working for a local bookmaker, taking bets in the garage. Other family members gambled too, and by the time he was nine, Dallas’ grandmother was putting small bets on for him every Saturday. Many of the family were also heavy social drinkers.
“Gambling and drinking were normal. It was part of life,” Dallas says.
But that early exposure set him on a path that would take years to break free from.
A spiral out of control
As a teenager, Dallas only ever wanted to work with horses. He became a harness trainer and driver — another environment steeped in gambling. A tragic accident in 2004 injured Dallas and claimed the life of a close friend and his life spiralled into darkness.
“I hadn’t been offered counselling and all I was doing was trying to mask what was inside,” he says. “I now know it was PTSD, depression and anxiety, and the only way I knew how to cope was to gamble and drink.”
The self-destruction lasted years. Dallas’ marriage ended, his health suffered, and he reached breaking point.
Overcoming addiction, one step at a time
In 2013, Dallas contacted The Salvation Army and entered Dooralong — Australia’s largest residential rehabilitation service for drug, alcohol, and gambling addiction — to help deal with his addiction struggles.
The centre provides a safe, drug-free environment where participants take part in group discussions, one-on-one sessions, education, healthcare, recreation and vocational training. Its holistic approach helps people rebuild their lives — physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually.
“The moment I went through the gates I just felt at home,” Dallas says. “I’d always believed in God but I’d never had a relationship with him. Once I began [participating in worship and faith services] everything changed. The program not only saved my life, it showed me a much better life.”
Dallas stayed longer as a graduate mentor and discovered more unexpected gifts.
“I was trained to sing as a young boy but could never sing in front of people. At Dooralong, one of the managers asked if anyone wanted to join a worship team at the corps and my hand went up straight away. From that day on, I’ve never had a fear of singing in front of people. It was such a blessing,” he says.
From Dooralong, Dallas found his way into Salvos church (corps) life, worship, and meaningful work. He later retrained as an aged care nurse — something he ‘never would have considered but absolutely loved’ — and today, is retired.
Finding peace through faith at the Salvos
The turning point in his journey, Dallas says, was learning to surrender his will to God.
“In stressful times I might think, ‘Gee, I could do with a beer.’ But then I think, ‘What would God want for me?’ Certainly not to go down that path, because one drink would become 100.”
“What having God in my life has done is give me peace and calmness. No matter what’s thrown at me, I just hand it over to God — and that gives me peace,” he says.
He is quick to give God the credit. “Not for one minute do I think any of it is me. If someone says, ‘You didn’t have to do that for me,’ I say, ‘I wouldn’t have if not for God.’ God has [also] given me a gift of boldness and communication. My calling is to come alongside people and journey with them.”
“The Bible says, ‘In Christ you are a new creation’ — and that’s who I am.”
Believing in goodness for the journey forward
Dallas admits there have been relapses along the way. “Every time I relapsed, it was part of the journey because it made me realise that’s not who I am. It just kept solidifying the truth that I don’t need this. God has a much better plan for me.”
One powerful moment came when his daughter spoke to him after the birth of her own child.
“She said, ‘Dad, I love you, but I’m telling you now you are not going to treat [your grandchild] like you treated us.’ That just cut so deep, but I appreciated it. I didn’t think, ‘How dare you?’ Instead, I thought, ‘Thank you for having the strength to say that,’” he says.
Today, Dallas is married, raising a stepson and enjoying being a grandfather.
“By the grace of God, they love me. I’m a much better grandfather than I was a father in earlier years, and now I’m a better father too. I just consider it an absolute blessing that God has deemed me fit,” he says.
Easter hope in Jesus
Easter, for Dallas, is a time of reflection, love and above all — hope.
“For me, Easter is the celebration of my saviour. When I sing worship at church I’m singing to God and I could not be more connected. Sometimes I’m overcome by the Holy Spirit and can’t get the words out. It’s just, ‘Oh wow, why me Lord? Why have you chosen me to be free?’”
He says, “I love writing songs [too]. One of my lines is, ‘I believe that hope begun inside an empty tomb. When Jesus laid down his life for mankind — for me and you — his love and obedience to his father transcended all boundaries of earthly love. A love so unconditional that God gave his only son, Jesus, so that we might be forgiven’.”
Easter is a reminder of suffering and joy. Dallas says, “It’s a time when on one hand we can feel the devastation of Jesus’ death and the suffering he endured, and on the other, the complete joy that he rose from the grave.”
Dallas’ life has been forever changed.
He says, “I’m happy, joyful and free. Jesus saved me and I am compelled by his love to spread the amazing news Jesus is alive. I’m saved to serve and I know I can’t [do anything in my own strength], but he can — and the best is yet to come.”