Faith

The foundation in my life is built on the hope and trust I have in Jesus. I can say that now with confidence, but that hasn't always been the case.

Growing up, I was taught the tenants of the evanglical Christian faith and as I child, I believed because... well, I just did. But then a funny thing happened as I got older. I started asking questions. And then people, non-Christians, started asking me questions. Pretty soon, I racked up a number of them that, frankly, I couldn't answer. The saying "just have faith" didn't leave me as satisfied as it did in my youth and it certainly wasn't good enough for me to use as a rebuttal to those who didn't grow up in the church.

I decided I needed to get serious about finding answers and be OK if those answers led me down a spirtual path other than how I grew up. I was too old for a fairy tale and I didn't want to just cross my fingers and hope in Jesus. I wanted to know Him - if there was a "him" to know at all. I needed the real truth. What Francis Schaeffer calls 'true truth.' And if that's not Jesus (or anything) then great. I can settle it and move on.

This proverbial fork in my spirtual road led me into the world of, what I now know is called, apologetics (simply defined as the practice of defending and explaining religious beliefs through logical arguments and evidence). While I'm certainly not an expert on every argument against Jesus, I have done a good bit of reading, listening, and learning and it has transformed my belief system.

What I've found is a mountain of evidence supporting the existence, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This has turned my blind hope to a confident hope. And it's with this confidence I am able to do all things - personally or professionally - with a sense of peace, purpose and joy, no matter what.

Maybe my journey resonates with yours? If so, please reach out - I'd love to hear about it.

Family

I've been married for nearly 19 years to my wife, Tami. We met when I moved from Columbus to the Cincinnati area in Spring 2005 and we were engaged a (very) short time later.

From the outside looking in, we have the quinisential, Norman Rockwellian life. Three healthy, blond haired, blue eyed children who (mostly) use their manners and (mostly) appear to listen to their parents. But only our inner circle of friends truly know the road we've traveled to get to this point. From countless doctor appointments, referrals, treatments, and bitter heartbreaks from losing two children during pregnancy, we have certainly known our fair share of struggle, disappointment, and grief.

Yet to say I am truly blessed would be the understatement of a lifetime. Those very difficult years of struggling to have a family have made me immensely appreciative of the one God has granted me. And yes, most days parenting is hard and not very Instagram worthy. Too often, I'm exhausted, frustrated, and short-tempered... and then I have to start my professional day! But I wouldn't trade one minute of those experiences because they have all led me to where I am today. And for that, I'm incredibly thankful.

Fun

On a much more light-hearted note, in those moments when family and work obligations can be paused, you will likely find me on the golf course. I find myself more enamored (and frustrated) with the game every day. My late Grandpa Richardson would always tinker with his mechanics after reading the latest book from Jack Nicklaus or David Leadbetter and confidently tell me, "I've got it all figured out. This year, I'm going to shoot my age!" I'd roll my eyes and chuckle - "Sure thing, Gramps." But after a couple months of watching a handful of YouTube putting tips, I find myself newly confident that maybe *this* is the year I *really* get good.

And while a few hours alone on the course is always good for my soul, I find it's even more rewarding to be out there with my two older kids. I love watching them improve and fall in love with the game and am already daydreaming about countless rounds together in the years to come.