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Zach Shields

@zachshields_

3.5K

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3559

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walking with Jesus
San Diego, CA
Baylor alum

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summer 2026: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
nursing school + bestest of friends + san diego + local summer!

MY GIRLS FOR LIFEEE!!!! SO MUCH TO CELEBRATE! Graceann is a FIANCÉ! Ky is a SOON TO BE MAMA! & Han crushing it in year 2 of LAW SCHOOL! AREN’T MY FRIENDS PERFECT?!? 🥹

sunday nights in coronado!
concert in the park!

family dinner!

clinicals! dream rotations! peds and ob!

beach bonfire!

sean! my buddy!

hi @ashergraybernard

life group gals! 🤍

zach in MED SCHOOL! at his DREAM SCHOOL! in the NAVY! in WASHINGTON DC! EEEK! so. dang. proud.

fam dinner (AGAIN)!

pool party!

@kailynne.staples & @hannahl_shields

hiked rock house trail!

beach vball w @_madelineortiz

13.1 with @hannahl_shields

visited Lynchburg, VA to see my girl @oliviacburden!
my day 1 college bestie!

TYJ FOR THIS COMMUNITY!!!! im so very blessed!

seaworld 🤝

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Fidels!! Beach day!! Dream!!

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YAY

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A LIFE WORTH MISSING!

I’ve moved a lot. Went to 5 different schools growing up, went 2000 miles away for college, then went 500 miles away from that to do ministry in San Diego for a year, now moving 500 miles north of that to slo.

What I’m struck by is this twin feeling of loss and excitement that seem like they’re baked into each other. There’s this wild sense of faith and possibility for all God can do in this new season, and then this pain for all the relationships you know won’t be the same.

For pretty much the entirety of my life when I’ve moved I’ve always just viewed that loss feeling as weakness and focused instead on the excitement. But as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that feeling of loss is actually the strongest indication that I lived life well in that place. If I would’ve had a shallow life there and just coasted and never bled for anything of course I wouldn’t care to leave

So as I look back on friends and moments from Louisville, from Phoenix, from San Diego, and everywhere in between I’ve begun to see that feeling of loss not as loss but as gratitude. I’ve claimed to build my life on living as deep as I can and sucking the marrow right out of it, and if a season of life was good enough to sting when you lose it that means it’s working!

I still miss my friends, my family, my communities, my youth, my college days, my ministries, my old apartments, my old cities, my favorite restaurants, and everything in between. But missing doesn’t mean sadness anymore it just feels like gratitude

I refuse to ever live life being afraid, of taking a step too big, of avoiding risk for the sake of security. I want a life putting all my chips on the table and saying “God will you do it again?”

Creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed and I refuse to let the creation keep waiting

I’m so stoked for this next chapter, let’s GO!
Romans 8:19

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i really liked July

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How lucky are we

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We said goodbye tonight as Zach officially reports tomorrow at 8:30am at USU Medical School (under the Navy ⚓️🇺🇸). We couldn’t be more proud. Tears flowed as we hugged goodbye and he presented me with a gift - a Navy necklace 😭❤️. What a journey this has been. God has so clearly directed his path and has a plan and purpose for his life and it’s so exciting to watch it all unfold. ❤️ We packed in the past 5 days - shopping and fully furnishing his new apartment, hanging out with The Scott’s and The Will’s, fun at the Nats game and riding bikes around the monuments, and attending Passion City Church. We are 100% at peace that Zach is exactly where he should be. Grateful for God’s timing and open doors. What a joy it’s been to raise him - and watch him step into his calling. ❤️ Zach - keep shining bright for Jesus!

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Thank you Jesus. Thank you Mark Zuckerberg.

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heart = full

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Last night was special - it was Zach’s Send-Off Party to Med School 🇺🇸⚓️. Upon arrival at our house, everyone filled out a nametag and put how they know Zach. If you know our son, he is super social, and had friends there from childhood through a group of guys he met only a few weeks ago. It was beautiful hearing stories and watching the community of young adults from all seasons of his life connect. Then Zach did a PowerPoint presentation of his Med School journey - as a testimony of God’s faithfulness - even through seasons of waiting. We ended the night with our couples group coming up and reading scripture over Zach and then having Papa (My Dad) and Rob pray over him. Tears flowed and my heart burst with gratitude as I prayed alongside these 3 generations of Godly men. ❤️ my takeaway from last night - first, community matters. Rob & my adult small group is who we do life with, show up for and depend on when life is hard and for the fun times. We show up for each other - and last night was a beautiful display of that. And our kids have lived that out too - evident in the group last night. And my most important takeaway - God is faithful - even in the hard, or the waiting. Trusting and depending on Him is what we are called to do. Tomorrow we fly with Zach to Wash DC to move him into his apartment and launch him into this next season. We couldn’t be more proud of not only his accomplishments, but his character and love for Jesus and people. We love you Zach and look forward to watching God continue to write His story in your life! ❤️

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250th 🦅🇺🇸

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I’m having the best time!!!!!!!!!

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