6 posts tagged “patrick oden”
Okay, so he's technically my fiance now. But we make do for the alliteration.
Yesterday my dear Patrick's book got a mention on the hugely popular blog site Instapundit.com, and he instantly noticed all the attention he got from it on amazon.com and on his own site.
The blurb:
IN THE MAIL: Patrick Oden's It's a Dance: Moving with the Holy Spirit. The cover letter invokes An Army of Davids, and the back cover reads, "Get a new grasp of the Holy Spirit by listening to this conversation in a pub."
We consider this a huge & timely blessing! If you haven't checked out and/or purchased his book, I highly recommend you do so now. His book had an enormously huge impact on my theology of ministry & of the Holy Spirit, and the effects are still rippling through my life, over a year later!
It also had a huge amount to do with why I fell in love with him.
But that's another story :).
Dear friends,
I hope you all are enjoying your summer, wherever you may be! It's been a long while since I've written an update letter, but big things are afoot, and it's high time I let you know.
Musical News
As
opposed to my 2007, most of my 2008 has been spent off the stage &
out of the coffeehouse, but that's largely because the next project has
been brewing. I'm heading back to the studio in August to begin
recording my next CD: That Holy Night (A Christmas EP) which you will be hearing about more & more in weeks to come. GOD has given me the incredible opportunity to work with Jordan Richter,
a producer in the Portland area who's spent time in Nashville and
worked with many recognizable names in music. I'm so excited about all
that I will learn from the experience, as well as the quality of the
finished product! Stay tuned...:)
Magical News
For
those who haven't already heard, I'm engaged to be married to Patrick
Oden! It seems that I have somehow managed to snag the most wonderful
man on earth (I always suspected he was out there somewhere...;) ) and
we're planning a January 3, 2009, wedding. He's starting a PhD program
at Fuller Theological Seminary in the fall, which means I'll be moving
to Pasadena, CA, after the wedding. The wedding, however, will be in
Canby, OR, and we look forward to seeing many of you there! :)
Check out our newly-posted-and-still-being-created wedding website for answers to the inevitable questions. Thank you to all who've already expressed your congratulations & support!
with much love, 
Amy
"Church plants are like marriages: Just because you've done four of them doesn't mean you're good at it."
2007's Heroic Person Who I Am Eternally Grateful To For Using His GOD-Given Gifts To Fix My Deer-Smashed-In Car For Less Than $400 Award
Ken Hill
Favorite New Person In My Life Of 2007 Award
Miriam Storey (the list of worthy competitors was long...but she won out because of the overwhelming cuteness factor. see below)
Favorite New Person In My Life Of 2007 Who Speaks With An Amish Accent Award
Mindy Boyd
Favorite New Person In My Life Of 2007 Who Speaks With A Southern Accent Award
Autumn Calvert
Favorite New Person In My Life Of 2007 Who Has Most Influenced My Understanding Of The Holy Spirit Award
Patrick Oden
Favorite New Activity Of 2007 That I Never Imagined Myself Doing Award
Favorite French Moment Of 2007 Award
Singing at the Bastille Day Festival in downtown Portland (am still trying to convince myself that that actually happened)
Favorite Four Trips Outside Of Oregon During 2007 Award
Nashville, Tennessee--March
Pennsylvania--May
Chicago, Illinois--September
Southern California--December
Favorite Brushes With Greatness Of 2007 Award
Scott & Christine Dente
Steven Curtis Chapman
Perhaps the Stupidest Moment Of 2007 Award
Having a famous producer tell me that I looked familiar and did he know me from somewhere? and saying no and making a joke that horribly failed instead of jumping all over that kind of unrepeatable occasion that more with-it musicians would kill for :).
I haven't had much time for writing of late. I changed positions at work several weeks ago, and fortunately or unfortunately, I haven't had as much time for writing as I used to. So my brain is CHOCK FULL of silliness just bursting to get back out onto this blog.
I didn't have time to do a Christmas letter this year either. (I suppose I'd better start referring to 2007 as last year, though.) I don't usually write a full-on Christmas letter, but I like to at least highlight the high points of the year on like a half sheet of paper...preferably with photos and different colored fonts...
So I've decided to vent that all here in a creative format which will be called, "Awards to Recognize Excellence in Music and Other Art Forms or For Whatever Reasons Amy Should Deem Necessary from 2007" or for short (in the pattern of the Oscars or the Emmys): The Amys. (I'm still working on the design for the statuette.) I will hand them out as they come to me...so there will be, true to form, commercial breaks.
The first set of awards for 2007:
Favorite Album for Feeling Like Someone Else TOTALLY Gets You
"Add to the Beauty" by Sara Groves (a near tie between that and her "Conversations" album)
Favorite Album for Dealing with Angst and/or Heartache
"Homecoming" by Griffin House
Favorite Song Where The Artist Just Starts Yelling Passionately In The Middle Of It
"Mirage" by Griffin House from the album "Homecoming"
Favorite Album That Surprisingly Amy Didn't Like On The First Listen-To But Then It Won Her Over And Now She Gets It
"This Moment" by Steven Curtis Chapman
Favorite Rendition of a Psalm Set To Music
"Psalm 103" by Mandy Mann
Favorite Opening Song On An Album To Harmonize To While Driving
"Trouble" by Caedmon's Call
Favorite New Album By A Wheaton College Graduate
"Walking On The World" by Jake Armerding
Favorite New Book By A Wheaton College Graduate
"It's A Dance: Moving With The Holy Spirit" by Patrick Oden
And now for a word from our sponsors...
Hello, dear friends!
It's been an awfully long time since I've sent out an email like this! Well, after such a full summer, I kinda took the Fall off to rest & pray & write, which has been an invaluable time for me.
CALIFORNIA-BOUND
But now I'm venturing back out to the coffeehouse again :)...this week I've got my first ever gig in California!! If you're down there, or you know anyone down there, I'm playing at Steamers in Sierra Madre, CA,
on Friday, Nov. 30, from 7 to 9 pm or so. If neither of those
conditions applies to you, you can kindly being praying from afar :).
I'm also helping with the worship service at Altadena Baptist Church in Altadena, CA on Sunday, Dec. 1st, at 11 a.m., which will be the first time I've done anything musical with my cousins Sarah & Bill, and I'm very excited to do so!
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ARTISTS
Anyone
looking for Christmas gift ideas? Drawing from the minds, hearts,
& talents of some incredible people I know, I have a few
recommendations, some of my favorite things from 2007:
It's A Dance: Moving With The Holy Spirit
by Patrick Oden
Written
by a friend & fellow Wheaton graduate (and a very talented writer),
this book--through the narrative of a conversation in a pub between a
pastor & a journalist--sheds a great deal of light on who the Holy
Spirit is & what He does. Must read!
Coming Home--Mindy Boyd
This
is the first solo album by indie artist Mindy Boyd, who not only has an
amazingly beautiful voice, writes stunning original songs, and
ministers to deep places in people's hearts with both of those things,
she's also in the top running for Amy's Favorite New Person In Her Life
Of 2007.
In The Real World--Brad Reynolds
This
is an excellent collection of songs, masterfully crafted by my friend
Brad, the gifted songwriter who convinced me to sign up for
Indieheaven. Though it's hard to pick a favorite track, I think "The
Edge" might be mine...
My Beautiful Everything--Evie Haskell
I had the privilege of sharing the stage with Evie at this year's Clackamas County
Fair...and I could've listened to her angelic voice all night. I've
been enjoying this collection of original songs since--beautiful
worship!
Need more ideas? Let me know...more where those came from :).
with much love & thankfulness for you all, 
Amy
