the first post since 2008

Hello friends!  I realized, as I began the brainstorming process for this blog, that I had an old, rarely used blog from a few years ago.  Honestly, I had forgotten that I had it.  After reading the old posts and enjoying the nostalgia that came along with that, I decided to simply revive this one and make it new, relevant, and fresh.  I had a lot of updating to do.  So I got to work.  I cut and cropped, edited and tweaked, dusted off a few of the old posts I thought you might enjoy and deleted the others, wrote page descriptions, and updated "about me" information.  I put up a couple of pictures - because everyone loves pictures! -  including the awesome panorama at the top of the page that my wife took in Moab, UT.  Our new camera has this great feature that allows us to take shots like that!

Anyways, I finally got everything looking how I want it and I'm excited to finally share it!  When you have some time to browse around, be sure to check out the "why this blog?" article under the pages heading (located on the right hand column), the several blogs I am following, and the other links and tabs scattered around.  Please feel free to share this blog with anyone who might enjoy it...and maybe even with people who wouldn't naturally gravitate towards something like this!  I have installed options at the end of each post that will enable you to share any posts you like with your friends via e-mail, facebook, twitter, etc.  Also, you can subscribe to this blog so that every time I write something new you will be notified on your e-mail.  Look for the tab called "follow this blog by e-mail" on the right-hand column.  Just type your e-mail there and you will automatically be added to the list!  It's that easy.

I'm practicing adding links and such, so I'm going to try it here.  Instead of writing a story, I am adding a link of one of my speaking engagements from a little over a year ago.  In December of 2009, Garnett church in Tulsa, OK invited me out for a Back to Life weekend (Back to Life is a program that I head up at Dry Bones desigend to follow up with the youth groups that visit us in the summer time...more on all of this later).  We spent the weekend remembering the Elevations experience we shared over the summer, exploring the "bleeding places" of Tulsa, and serving together.  Garnett graciously allowed me to share a few words at their Sunday service, both in the high-school class and in the main assembly.  To hear the podcast, titled "What we are Learning from Dry Bones", that includes thoughts from Lance Newsom and one of the teen Elevations participants from the summer of '09, click HERE.  Thanks for checking it out!

Much love
-Zach