I’m a pop culture nerd. I love superhero stories because at the heart of them, it’s not about superpowers but people that do whatever it takes to do their part to make the world better. It’s why I tag family updates as AdairsAssembled, a not so subtle steal from the Avengers films. It also feels like a large part of life is assembling or re-assembling when life throws you curve balls.

So some of you know,  Olivia and I moved last year to Hickory NC. We transitioned from ministry most recently in PA and came back to the Carolinas. We loved the Wilmington NC area but our hearts fell in love with the hills and we’ve gravitated for years towards the Carolina mountains and so we began looking for homes near them. I’ve done ministry for over 20 years and Hickory is near to where I’m going to do doctoral work and finish my education goals. I want to be the first person in my family with a doctorate. 

I originally thought that I’d be back in full time ministry by 2020 but Covid was one heck of a curve ball. A lot of churches in my theological camp near where we want to live aren’t hiring in this season of Covid. We put a high priority on family and as our parents are getting older, we wanted our kids to have more access to their grandparents, and we wanted to be near them. Covid really messed with our plans but thankfully God has always had a plan for us.  

I’ve been working on changing careers because my kids have grown very accustomed to eating and while taking a ministry break before starting doctoral work has been good, it doesn’t pay any of the bills.  If you know me, you know I put a great deal of passion into helping others. I wanted a vocation that at the end of my life would be something that I’d be proud of, my kids would proud of, and also helps make the world a bit better. 

I also wanted to do something that would provide enough to not only cover our bills but eventually let me church plant (start a new church) or revitalize a declining church again without having to take a salary from the church. My passion has always been serving people.

My dad passed away unexpectedly in 2020. That also caused us to reassemble parts of my life. One of the reasons we gravitated back to NC was to be near our parents. I didn’t expect that I’d lose dad so suddenly after moving back. I can’t make it through most days without thinking about calling dad to ask him something and remembering that I don’t have that option anymore. He was terrible about picking up and I just image he’s temporarily unavailable. 

Dad’s passing was unexpected and as I preached his funeral, I wondered what his passing meant for my mother. They had over 40 good years of marriage. It wasn’t a perfect but they tried their best and genuinely loved each other and other people as well. My mom is going to live with us which should be a fun adventure as she’s a remarkable lady. I was the executor of his estate, and I really started thinking about insurance after his untimely death. Thankfully, dad had part of an insurance policy that helped cover some of his expense and provided some for my mother.

I met a great friend Dan a few months back that has helped guide me as I’ve transitioned to become a life insurance agent and I’ve since opened my own insurance agency. I went back to school, got my license and keep adding to my credentialing so I can offer my clients the best service possible. I have a personal goal of creating an agency for all of a clients life insurance needs. I’m building an agency that can serve all 50 states, have partners now that can sell in all 50 states, and I’m working on expanding. I like to imagine that one day when one or more of my kids are old enough that they can take over the business. 

One way you can support our family is support our new business. Starting a company is a challenge. I’ve always been up for challenges, because honestly it isn’t much of a life if there aren’t any dragons to slay. If you would like our company page on FB, that would be great. It’s called F3Life, short for a firm foundation for life. We provide insurance assurance. A thumbs up and follow would help a lot. It would help us build trust and that is something money can’t buy.