As many of you will already know, last autumn Adventures in Odyssey executive producer, writer, director, sound designer and engineer Dave Arnold had two surgeries on his heart and was in hospital for a few months. He returned to work at Focus on the Family at the beginning of January after taking time off to recover. He appeared with Paul McCusker on episode 164 of the Official Podcast to explain his condition and talk a little bit about Album 57: A Call to Something More. His recovery, however, is not yet complete. Dave Arnold went to a cardiologist appointment last Friday and it looks like he will need to get a pacemaker to improve his heartbeat. Dave’s surgery to have his pacemaker inserted is currently scheduled for Friday, March 1st, a little over two weeks from now. On the Journey of Our Hearts Facebook page, Dave Arnold and his family are asking for your prayers that everything will go well.
Brock and Evan have released another Social Shout Out video filmed today from the Foley control room where they answer questions about Adventures in Odyssey's newest contest, "Love It, Wear It!" They highlight the first five winners who will each receive an AIO hat and t-shirt, the criteria used to judge the contest entries, how you can download your own Odyssey Valentine's Day card, and more. You can watch their latest video below. Download your free Valentine's Day cards here.
Did you enjoy Album 56 and then vote online for your favorite actors and episodes? Well the votes have all been counted and the Odyssey team is ready to announce the winners. In this special video episode of the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast, hosts Bob and Jesse present the awards for Album 56: The Grand Design. The awards include: “Best Actress,” “Best Sound,” “Best Actor,” “Best Script,” “Best Scene,” and “Best Overall Episode.” And unlike the previous five Avery Awards shows, this time we actually get to see the actors receiving their awards and making their acceptance speeches. That's right; we get our first glimpse at what an actual Avery looks like: a golden ice cream cone on a podium, something that reminds one of John Avery Whittaker serving ice cream from behind the counter at Whit’s End. You can watch all the winners being presented with their awards right here. Today the first winner of the contest called "Love It, Wear It" was announced online. Danita from Denver, Pennsylvania, won not only an Adventures in Odyssey t-shirt but also a hat. Here is a sample of her entry: "Odyssey will always be to me a treasured piece of my childhood." There are still 18 winners to be announced and you can still enter the contest right now if you're quick. Winners will be announced every weekday of February starting today. And all you need to do to have a chance to win Odyssey gear for yourself is to find your pens and pencils, markers and stickers, paper and envelopes, and share with the AIO team how much you love Adventures in Odyssey. Your entry must be 50 letters or less but make it a good one because only one entry per person is permitted. You can find out all the details for the contest here. Adventures in Odyssey writer and director Marshal Younger recently did an interview on the radio with CHRI 99.1. During the 8 minute talk he discusses the creation of the newest AIO devotional book for kids called "90 Devotions for Kids," why the book is divided into weekly overall themes, the Daily Challenges, the age range that the book targets, the numerous quotes from Whit, Connie, Eugene and Wooton, why the radio show is so successful, and what's coming up next for the future of Adventures in Odyssey. The devotional book includes thirteen weeks of fun, Bible-based devotions for families which will encourage children to spend time learning more about God. Its weekly themes include salvation, prayer, forgiveness and many more. Parents will find the tools they need to help start children on a path toward regular time alone with God, and families will be encouraged to spend time together as they share the daily readings. You can listen to the interview with Marshal Younger here. Thanks to the AIO Blog for the news. |