I was raised in rural Indiana, about an hour and a half southeast of Indianapolis.  I am one of four siblings, the third in line, with two older brothers and one younger sister.  I was raised by both my mother and father and, for the most part, had a relatively normal childhood.  I have many fond memories from as a kid: riding on the tractor at the Christmas tree farm, horseback riding, wrestling with dad, going to church with mom, family reunions, spending time at the lake fishing with my grandparents, exploring the woods of our neighborhood and playing with the neighbor kids.  That's not to say things were perfect.  Like most families, we certainly had our trials.  There were relationships lost, legal challenges, unexpected deaths, etc.  I was a pretty normal kid—although some of my family might disagree—and I grew up "in the sticks" of corn country.  I was a jokester too.  One of my favorite actors at the time was Jim Carrey and his Ace Ventura, Pet Detective movies.  I was amused at the way he could contort his face, so that became an instrument I used to amuse others.  I enjoyed making people laugh and still do.  

In 2003, my fiancé and I had our first child and were married shortly thereafter.  In 2005 I joined the Air Force and my family and I moved to our first duty station at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City, OK where I was assigned to the 31st Combat Communication Squadron.  My first trip outside of the U.S. was to Guatemala and we were providing communication support for President Bush and his entire entourage during his Latin America tour.  After that first trip, I was hooked.  Anytime there was an opportunity for me to volunteer to go somewhere, I went.  I went around the country for various training and exercises, I went to Peru for a few months on a humanitarian mission, I went to Kuwait for a month supporting some training exercises, and spent several months in Southeast Asia providing communication support for the Army.  After about 4 and 1/2 years in Oklahoma, we moved to Scott AFB in Belleville, IL where I was assigned to Air Mobility Command Headquarters.  It was here that we had our second and third sons, where I made my second tour to Southeast Asia, completed my AAS in Electronic Systems Technology through the Community College of the Air Force, was baptized and converted to Christianity, and went on to pursue my BA in philosophy through American Military University.  We spent about 5 and 1/2 years in Illinois before finally moving to Schriever AFB in Colorado Springs, CO where I was assigned to the 25th Space Range Squadron.  No more kids and no more deployments (so far), but I was fortunate enough to visit Nellis AFB and tour the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), and spent several months in Oahu, HI for a few training exercises.  At this point, I've completed my BA and now pursuing my MA in philosophy through BIOLA University at the Talbot School of Theology and we've moved from Colorado Springs to the next stop in our career at Robins AFB, Georgia.  

*My comments, perspectives, opinions, thoughts or concerns in this blog are not endorsed by the United States Air Force, American Military University, BIOLA University, any employer or university past, present or future.  They are my comments and mine alone.*

True North Philosophy was founded in January of 2021 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and at the height of political tension.  True North (distinct from magnetic North), is an unchanging point of reference that is essential in navigation.  Similarly, Christ is an unchanging point of reference for navigating difficult issues.  True North Philosophy, then, is a Christ-centered point of reference combined with a thoughtful philosophical perspective aimed at addressing difficult ethical, religious, political, and pop-culture questions.