Danny Oertli

Review  |  Author Bio  |  Read an Excerpt

Danny Oertli's Bio:
Danny Oertli is an accomplished singer, songwriter, and author, encouraging audiences worldwide with enriching stories of God’s enduring faithfulness. The creator of four independent albums, his most recent is Everything In Between, featuring the stirring track “Mommy Paints the Sky.” The song also titles Danny’s current NavPress book, which recounts a love story torn apart by grief and restored in hope. Also a worship leader, Oertli’s served the Dare 2 Share conferences for seven years and works as a Compassion International spokesperson.

Oertli, a native of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, has performed for more than 13 years now, debuting while a student at Colorado State University. Since then, he’s crisscrossed the United States and parts of the world singing, playing his guitar, and sharing his stories in more than 1000 different venues.

For his material, Oertli draws from four independently-released albums containing songs written by the artist. Everything in Between, produced by Grammy Award-winner Jason Burkum (Audio Adrenaline, Tree63), is Oertli’s most honest and moving record to date. From dark valley to joyful mountaintop, Everything In Between explores what it means to trust in God’s faithfulness.

But it’s his incredible love story, thwarted by sorrow and revived by new beginnings, that’s impacting audiences today. As described in the book Mommy Paints the Sky, Danny’s life unexpectedly changed when he met Cyndi during a church ice cream-eating contest. Soon they were high school sweethearts. Together they enjoyed friends, music, the gorgeous Colorado sky and most importantly, a shared Christian faith. It was a storybook romance.

After college, Danny and Cyndi married and made plans to build a family. But within six months, Cyndi was diagnosed with cancer. The next three years were spent navigating the chaos such illness brings, drawing the couple closer to each other and to God. Finally—relief. Cyndi’s doctors announced she was cancer free and, although chemotherapy and radiation had taken their toll on her body, Cyndi and Danny moved ahead to start their family. In 1997, Gracie, a miracle baby, was born. Within three years, Gracie was joined by an adopted baby brother, Jack.

Yet Cyndi died 18 months later, the victim of a heart attack brought on by her previous cancer treatment and a family history of heart disease. Everyone was heartbroken. Danny struggled to keep his young family together amid great mysteries, the size of which he’d never before experienced.

Hope eventually broke through grief, starting first in everyday occurrences: the smile of a child, the majesty of a spectacular sunset, and then, a new love. Danny met Rayna Clark while performing his music for a youth event in Washington D. C. Like Oertli, she was working on behalf of Compassion International and their common commitment to caring for children quickly sparked a romance. But, it was her kind spirit and beautiful brown eyes that captured his heart, and in March 2004, lightning struck a second time. Danny and Rayna were married. Rayna, Danny describes, is simply God’s most gracious gift, and together they share an abundant life, caring for Gracie, Jack, and soon a new baby.