My dear friends and family,

It is with sorrow that I must inform you today that this will be my last article for the Odyssey. I do not want to be a disappointment to any of you, but it is time that I must move on.

There are a few reasons for my departure. As some of you may know, I am in my senior year of college, as well as engaged and working as Creative Director for Purley Gates Retreat. At the beginning of this semester, I was very optimistic about my ability to stretch myself and my time to stay involved in everything possible. Unfortunately, my schedule and responsibilities piled up on me, forcing a slow down in order to get it all back in order.

I stayed with the Odyssey for so long because I believe that God provided that opportunity in order to share a message and be an encouragement to others. I pray that this has been accomplished through some of you. Now it is time for me to go on and focus on other areas in order to share God’s love, but I know that there are many writers within this organization who are extremely talented and still have messages to share. So I am leaving with full belief that readers are in great hands, and I am praying that many of you will continue to be encouraged by others’ writings.

I cannot thank all of you enough for how much you have supported me in this journey. When I first started writing, I was worried that no one would read my articles or that I wouldn’t be able to effectively communicate my thoughts. I have been honored to see that so many have read and enjoyed several of these articles. You all have been great encouragers, and I hope that by reading my articles I have returned the favor.

I must take a moment to thank a few specific people.

Mom and Dad and Jacque, thank you for taking time out of your days to read through my writing and making sure I don’t sound completely ridiculous. Thank you for always being supportive, and sharing my posts with others. I love having you as my family.

Dr. Keller, thank you for encouraging me to take this opportunity. I appreciate you pushing me to stretch my comfort zones.

Sydney, my love, I don’t even have the words to thank you properly. All the time that you spent laying next to me, comforting me while I struggled to put together articles. When I was stressing about getting all of my tasks done, I could always count on you to stand firm by my side. Thank you for reading through my articles as well, and thank you for seeing them as important enough to share with others. Your support has meant more than the world to me.

I would also like to thank the Odyssey for this awesome opportunity. Yes, it has been stressful at times, but it was very worth it. I have learned how to better communicate with others through writing, and I have developed a love for writing. I appreciate you giving me the chance to share my thoughts with so many readers.

Though I am leaving now, this will only be a break. There will be a future of writing for me. I do not know what platform it will be on, but I would love to continue to share thoughts and encouragement with people, and maybe reach some all around the world. Who knows where God will take me? I am excited for the future, and I look forward to all of the new journeys.

Before I conclude, I want to take one last moment to encourage all of you. My advice to you is to take opportunities to step outside of your comfort zone. It will be difficult and awkward at times, but you will grow more than you ever thought possible. I strongly suggest taking a look at writing for the Odyssey. It is a great place to develop your writing and share your thoughts like never before.

Also, just because I will no longer be writing these articles does not mean that I want to leave you behind. If there is ever a time when you need advice or maybe just someone to talk to, I would love to do that for you. I still love you all, and pray that you take the opportunity to know a God who loves you more.

It is time for me to go, and take the next journey. It has been an honor and a great joy these past few months writing for you. I hope you all will continue to be encouraged by others, and that you will pass it on to others. Let’s make this world a lovely place.

Goodbye, for now.

In Christ,

Zach Young

Proverbs 3:5 - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

Matthew 6:25 - “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”