Author Archives: Ben Richardson

“The problem of self-identity is not just a problem for the young. It is a problem all the time. Perhaps the problem. It should haunt old age, and when it no longer does it should tell you that you are dead.” –Young Men and Fire, Norman Maclean Leader’s Intent Here’s a fun oddity for youContinue reading “Fire and the God Who Won’t Let Go”

I recently drove 1,000 miles through a biblical rainstorm just to hear someone say my name. See, unlike Brad Pitt, when I show up to most places they usually don’t know who I am. I know I am not alone in this cloak of anonymity. In primary school there was a roll call, and weContinue reading “To Be Known”

You can talk as much as you want about soaking in an ice bath, but there’s nothing quite like the dick-shriveling experience of actually doing it. Some things you just have to do in order to understand.  That’s what I wanted to tell the church when they asked us to mentor young engaged couples. BeingContinue reading “On 10 Years of Marriage”

I recently listened to and savored the final episode of the And Sons podcast. I’ve listened to every one of the 242 episodes, and several of them many times over just to suck the marrow from the bone. While obviously a major achievement for Sam and Blaine, it also signified something monumental for me asContinue reading “A Toast to “And Sons””

Every year, just like you and I, my children get older. And each year that passes they become smarter and more aware. And each year at Christmas the topic of Santa comes into play. Of course the songs about eight tiny reindeer and a certain amorous red-suited man kissing someone’s mother plays on the radio.Continue reading “The Cause for Santa Claus”

Folks- wanted to share a nostalgic throwback from years ago when we lived in Colorado. It is an article that speaks to the Spirit of things that are Old Soul in nature. Enjoy! Burnout. A recent conversation with my supervisor in the social work field unearthed just what was going on underneath my surface. IContinue reading “The Redwoods are Calling”

I spend $80 a month to get choked out between another man’s thighs. And I like it. Yes, you guessed it- I am a newly minted member of a local jiu jitsu gym. No, I’m not a former Navy SEAL, and I never wrestled in high school. I don’t watch UFC and I haven’t beenContinue reading “Armbars and Answered Questions”

Grief is like dorm room ramen– it comes in many different varieties, and it always sucks. Like cheap noodles, when grieving life feels cheap and bland, and you just muscle through it. Those who experience grief may be surprised by the range of emotions they feel: anger, convulsive sobbing, relief, cynicism. In my own experience,Continue reading “One Year Later”

Here’s to you Mr. Bearded COVID Man. Yes, I’m talking to you with your coiffed mane and handlebar moustache. It’s taken years to cultivate, and now is martyred beneath a fabric cloth of heroism.  Here’s to you Mr. Bearded COVID Man, with chops sprawling out of a surgical mask. I see you scrambling to locateContinue reading “Tribute to the Bearded COVID Man”

Have you ever witnessed something so profoundly beautiful that it actually wounds you? A holy moment so breathtaking that you want to simultaneously pause it forever, as well as fast forward through it, because it’s just simply too much to take in? These are the times where the boundary between Heaven and Earth seems toContinue reading “A Beauty That Hurts”