[danews]CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM TERRY

danews@lists.danielamos.com danews@lists.danielamos.com
Tue, 20 Dec 2005 17:31:59 -0600


>>DANIEL AMOS DELUXE REISSUE

We want to start with a quick update on this release... the final bit of 
work is finally coming together. The album itself has been remastered and 
is just awaiting approval. We haven't heard it yet ourselves, but we're 
told it sounds great. The preorder disc is also finally together and should 
be finished being mastered very soon. If all is approved, we're expecting 
to start manufacturing very soon - hopefully no later than January.

Because of the long, unexpected wait on this reissue, we are going to be 
putting together a special bonus gift for those of you that have ordered or 
will order prior to January 1st, 2006.

If you can't remember if you've already preordered, we have a list 
available to you online at the following location. Please check it and make 
sure you are listed if you believe that you have preordered. Due to the 
amount of time that has past since preorders began, it's very easy to make 
mistakes on addresses or names, so please help us work through any 
potential problems now before shipping begins. For example, if it's at all 
possible that you have moved since you preordered, go ahead and take a 
moment to make sure we have your current address on file. If you believe 
you should be listed and do not see your name - don't worry. We have highly 
detailed records of every single order that has ever been made through the 
website and any preorder will be easy to track down. Simply send us a note 
and we will find it if it's there.

http://www.danielamos.com/preorders/da.html

For current information on the Swirling Eddies release, see Terry's special 
Christmas Message below. If you'd like to make sure you are on the Swirling 
Eddies preorder list, you can check the following link:

http://www.danielamos.com/preorders/eddies.html



>>A CHRISTMAS NOTE FROM TERRY...

Firstly, I'd like to wish you the fans, along with your families and 
friends, a truly blessed Christmas. That I cherish all of you goes without 
saying, but it's especially during the holiday season that I take stock of 
all my blessings, and I truly count you among the many gracious gifts God 
has lovingly and lavishly bestowed upon me.

Our little house in Southern California is fully decorated now, thanks in 
no small part to my incredible wife, and the immediate family is blessedly 
all together. However, we greatly miss our dear departed Papa, especially 
now at Christmas. Mom has come in early from Palm Springs to stay with us 
through the rest of the year, and we were planning our annual pilgrimage 
after Christmas to the Bay Area to briefly visit Deb's family.

Last Saturday night Debi, Andrew, Noelle, and I attended the Pasadena 
Playhouse's theatrical presentation of "It's A Wonderful Life," which is a 
clever re-enactment of the 1947 Lux Radio broadcast of the original 
screenplay. The presentation is complete with commercials for Lux Soap, and 
the play features one member of the cast on stage playing various 
percussion instruments and devices to supply sound effects as we, the 
crowd, play the part of the in-studio audience. The actors were all 
excellent, the radio studio set was authentically retro, and we all left 
floating on a cloud of Christmas cheer and a heightened sense of the wonder 
of the season. Outside of the Gospels themselves, in my opinion there are 
no better films as agents of Grace or depictions of the power of repentance 
and redemption than "It's A Wonderful Life," and "A Christmas Carol" both 
films subtlety pointing the way to the wonder and glory of Emmanuel, God 
with us, the child in the manger.

On Christmas Eve, it's a tradition for our family to select 2 
Christmas-themed DVDs to watch-among them are the two films mentioned, 
along with "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (which we watch every year) and "A 
Christmas Story" (FRAGILE!), Miracle on 34th Street, and Pinnochio. Always 
a tough decision, but whatever the selection, we can be assured of a good 
dose of holiday warmth and contentment. To end the evening, maybe this year 
we'll watch Psycho or Day of the Dead, just so we can keep ourselves from 
slipping to deeply into sloppy sentimentality.

Anyway-assuming you're at all interested, my present reading includes some 
"Father Brown" (Chesterton), "Lanterns in the Snow" by Susan Hill, which is 
a bi-annual Christmas read. and which I believe is out of print but worth 
tracking down if you want a great Christmas story along with a good cry, "A 
Classic Christmas Crime," edited by Tim Heald, "Father Joe," a 
autobiography by Tommy Hendro (of Spinal Tap fame--he played the band's 
manager), and various selections from "The Fireside Book of Christmas 
Stories," edited by Edward Wagenknecht, unfortunately also out of print and 
probably the best Christmas anthology ever published. I first purchased 
this back in 1978 and have never missed a year since in choosing a few 
selections for reading from the extensive number of classic Holiday stories 
it has to offer.

So there you have it. A lot of reading, I know, but I sneak it in on 
Catscratch breaks and bedtimes.

Music recommendations for the season? Brian Wilson's new What I Want For 
Christmas (excellent....will put a smile on your face and is highly 
recommended). The new Sigur Ros, Garrison Keillor's " The Christmas 
Companion," and of course, the standards: Sinatra, Elvis, Perry Como, Nat 
Cole. My favorite Christmas song? Hands down "O Holy Night:"...'till He 
appeared and the soul felt it's worth..." With it's radiant truth and 
poignancy, the words and melody never fail to choke me up and cause me to 
lift my heart in worship to our gracious and merciful Lord.

This year has been a good one for the Lost Dogs. We toured very 
successfully back East (thank you to all the fans who came out to see us!) 
and, along with our good friend Theo Obrastoff, had a great little tour of 
Washington and Oregon. The Dogs also played Knott's Berry Farm last week 
and the new year seems to be shaping up exceptionally well for us (we'll 
keep you posted on this front as the year progresses).

As far as Daniel Amos is concerned, we've presently got some avid fans who 
are passionately after us to do a reunion concert somewhere here in the 
States next year, and we'll just have to wait and see how this develops. 
Unfortunately, the odds are against it because of our various schedules and 
other logistical hurdles, but one never knows. My hope is that, at the very 
least, D.A. will do a new record in 2006.

Speaking of new records, I would like to offer my humble and deepest 
apologies to the fans for the new "horrendously delayed disc"-the Swirling 
Eddies' record. As you guys probably know, my time has been eaten up with 
work on Catscratch. The schedule has been brutal, and we are soon going to 
move into work on the second season. I know that your patience has been 
exhausted on all this, and if I had known that Catscratch was going to fall 
into my lap when it did, I would have never committed so early to doing a 
new Eddies album. Unfortunately, all I can do is occasionally whittle away 
at the new songs and hope for enough of a break from the cartoon schedule 
so that we can begin the recording process in earnest. There are indeed 
some schedule gaps coming up, and I hope to take advantage of this and will 
do my best to fulfill my commitment to the project and you, the 
long-suffering fans.

In the meantime, be assured that this will be a great Eddies record (I'm 
really pleased with the songs thus far), and we'll do something extra 
special for all of you who so long ago sent in your pre-orders. Again, my 
deepest heart-felt apologies, and I sincerely ask that you put aside any 
criticism of my dear friends Jason and Eric Townsend in this matter. They 
are just as frustrated as you guys are, I assure you, that this record has 
been so slow in materializing. They've done all that they can do in trying 
to move me and the project along towards completion, but all of us are 
against a fairly immovable object in Catscratch. With Jason and Eric, I 
couldn't ask for two more faithful and hard-working men, and no one is more 
anxious than they in their desire to keep commitments and please the fans. 
There is no profit financially whatsoever for them-they do what they do for 
love alone, and for that I am always grateful and consider them both to be 
the very definition of "unsung heroes." I take full responsibility and 
blame in the interminable delay, and ask that you graciously give these two 
dear people the support of your goodwill, just as you have done so 
graciously over these many years.

Lastly, please pray for the Townsends, and for me and my family, as we pray 
for you and yours. As long as God allows, and as long as you give your 
gracious support, I will continue to make music and hopefully bless and 
challenge you with my efforts.

As you may know, I had a health scare this year, and I am confident your 
prayers and good will helped get me through it. I am happy to report that I 
am doing well and feeling more fit than I have in years. My son is now 
assisting me in my work and prayers for him would be sincerely appreciated. 
Be sure and check out Myspace for downloads and a spiffy little personal 
bio, which Andrew helped put together. (myspace.com/terryscotttaylor.) Also 
pray for my dear friends Ken and Michelle VanEgmond and their family. In 
every possible way, they have been a source of infinite joy, comfort, and 
undying support for me and my family. I cherish these wonderful, wonderful 
people. Again, it would please me to no end if you would pray for the 
VanEgmonds, who are seeking the Lord's specific direction concerning 
ministry in their lives.

Lastly, many of you knew our dear friend Dwight Ozard who passed away 
recently after a long, courageous fight with a deadly disease. He will be 
sorely missed. Dwight was a diligent and passionate warrior in defense of 
the less fortunate, and you can honor him and his memory by doing your bit 
to help those who are unable to help themselves, especially during the 
Christmas season. What could be more basic to us as the body of Christ than 
our obedience to the great commandment: " Love your neighbor as you love 
yourselves." I highly recommend supporting the Salvation Army in this 
regard. They are an honest and tireless force of grace and good in this 
often merciless world.

Again, blessings to all of you, and may you all experience the abundant joy 
and peace of Christ during this Christmas season and throughout the coming 
New Year. I love you all.


In the service of our Blessed Lord,

Terry Taylor