Thoughts on "The King's Speech" - A review of sorts

I should preface this post by mentioning the fact that I was not one of the many film critics that rushed to theaters to see The King's Speech. Nor was I moved to see it when it won its Golden Globe and Academy Awards. It became an addition to that list of movies that I affectionately call "The Pile" - that dreaded stack of DVDs of films that may be critically lauded, yet I still somehow avoid watching them. So I found myself the night before last watching one such film from this pile. And my, how I wish I had not waited!

Tom Hooper won the Academy Award for Best Director for The King's Speech, yet I would say that direction had not so much to do with it as the incredible acting by Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. Of course Firth won awards for his performance as King George VI (or "Bertie", as the Duke of York was called by his family), yet Rush's heartfelt and passionate performance as speech therapist Lionel Logue is the one that captured my attention. The devotion he had towards Bertie and his commitment towards helping him develop confidence as a leader solidify Logue as the true hero of the story.

For a title such as "The King's Speech", this movie is really not at all about the King's speech. At it's heart Hooper weaves a tale about fear, friendship and loyalty. The friendship that develops between Logue and the King is definitely strained at first, but as Bertie learns to communicate with Logue, he also comes face to face with his insecurities as a son living up to his father's goals, his fears as a new King, and his pride as someone that can relate to the common man. This was perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the story. While it certainly took liberties with historical accuracy for the sake of storytelling, I still loved the exploration of King George as a human with his own faults.

One of the truths that Logue taught Bertie was his value as a human with a voice. He was not to be listened to because he was King, or because he was living in his father's shadow; but rather because Bertie was a fellow person that people wanted to relate to. In a sense Logue was the prototype British citizen for this ideal. By showing the king that he could open up and confidently communicate with Logue, his ability to connect with the nation was revealed. In a time of trial such as World War II, this is exactly what England needed- a King whom they could relate to, whom they could trust, whom they knew was going to be a strong leader even in the midst of darkness. 

The transformation from the stammering, insecure and angry Duke of York into the inwardly confident king is enjoyable and touching to watch, from his rather uncouth speech lessons all the way to his leadership during a war. At the same time serious and endearing, "The King's Speech" is a delightful look inside the human psyche featuring stellar performances all across the board ( and I can't forget to mention Helena Bonham Carter as a fabulous Queen Elizabeth). If you haven't already, check this film out. 

("The King's Speech" is rated R for some language. Be sure to preview before family viewing, as a couple of sequences feature a brief (albeit funny) barrage of profanity to loosen the King's tongue. Easily mutable, this scene should not prevent anyone from seeing it.)

Super 8 - Movie Review

Super 8
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and some drug use.
Filmmaking: ★★★★☆
Moral Rating:★★★★☆


I have very interesting thoughts about Super 8. I intended to write this review last week when it first came out, but alas and alack life called and I found myself able to let J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg's homage to old-school sci-fi films marinate a while longer in my mind. And that is not a good thing. :-) The problem with Super 8 is not that it is not a good movie, by all means it IS incredibly well made, but that it draws from a pool of superior films in its inspiration. Instead of exiting the theater and thinking about the wonderful story, cinematography and acting I found myself instantly comparing it to other past Spielberg productions such as E.T., The Goonies and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. 


J.J. Abrams attempts and succeeds in Super 8 to craft a film more about the characters and the relationships between them than the aliens, explosions and climaxes (take note Michael Bay). The story revolves around a young boy named Joe (a stellar debut performance by Joel Courtney) and his father - a small town deputy named Jackson Lamb ( portrayed by the surprisingly refreshing Kyle Chandler). Joe and his father are at odds for the majority of the film because Joe develops an attachment to the lovely young Alice (Elle Fanning) while helping his friends film a zombie movie on a super 8 camera (the title reference). This normally wouldn't be an issue, except Joe's father blames Alice's father for the death of his wife in a tragic machine shop accident (not shown, thank God). Trust me, it is very easy to follow on screen! All this background is just to give you an idea of the kind of drama and angst in Super 8. Instead of squeezing your armrest in suspense at the havoc caused by the escaped creature (yes there is a creature, and yes there is a train wreck) you will most likely be tearing up as you feel Joe's pain. This is what keeps Super 8 afloat. As a monster movie, Super 8 would very much so suck - but as a movie about a young boy trying to repair the relationship with his bitter and grieving father, Super 8 excels.


Now to the monster. The only thing I need to say is that I was a bit let down by this aspect of the story. I felt as if Abrams was borrowing too much from Cloverfield for his monster design and as a result, thought it was a stretch to characterize it. E.T had a somewhat "cute" quality, this monster - not so much. Abrams does know how to build suspense though, and the most enjoyable suspense scenes where ALL those in which you didn't know where the creature was, what it was doing, and what it looked like. As in Indiana Jones 4, Signs and a handful of other sci-fi films this has been the problem. The film builds up to a rather disappointing alien "reveal". If instead modern directors would follow in the footsteps of Alfred Hitchcock, their films would be far more effective. Hitchcock created suspense and tension by NOT revealing because he understood that the imagination could create far more terrifying and horrific scenarios then anything he could portray. This is why Rear Window, Psycho and The Birds have endured the test of time. I'd like to say that Super 8 could as well, but.... if it does it won't be based on any of the suspense or creature sequences. (shakes head). Thank goodness the characters are so good.


One final note.... there is a surprisingly good amount of language in Super 8. Many uses of G**d*** and S*** almost ALL being spoken by child actors. While the amount of offensive language is not very frequent, it does bother me how Hollywood seems to be writing more and more edgy scripts for young actors. I recall the outrage at Kick-A** for allowing one of the young actors to use the C-word in the script. While Super 8 doesn't have that, it still makes me wonder about the future of language in cinema.... as odd as that sounds. Other than that language and a solitary F bomb, the only other problem I could see someone having was the intensity of some of the sequences. The train wreck sequence is loud, scary and intense although impressively created on screen. Teens and adults should have no problem with this or the suspense, but for a movie that is marketed as an old-school family film it is certainly anything but! 


Conclusion: I was happy to see an original story on the screen as good as this Spielberg/Abrams collaboration. Sure, Super 8 has its flaws, its INCREDIBLY big shoes to fill and a creature that detracts from the overall value of the movie; but at its heart Super 8 is a story about living life, about relationships, about coping with grief, about taking chances, about sticking by one's principles, and trust. In the midst of a summer full of magic, explosions, superheroes, and all other manner of distractions it is encouraging to leave a theater feeling like you've grown as a human. It is sad that in the 21st century cinema this is such a rare thing!

X-Men: First Class - Movie Review

X-Men: First Class

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, some sexual content including brief partial nudity and language

Filmmaking: 5 out of 5 stars

Moral Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Let me start by saying that not only is X-Men: First Class a good comic book movie, it is just a good movie! I had somewhat high expectations walking into this movie, and while the cast and premise seemed promising, it is still hard to put too much stock in a movie that Marvel launches in the same summer as THOR and Captain America: The First Avenger - their other prized material. I walked out of the theater pleasantly surprised and actually excited again about the X-Men franchise. Easily the best of the 5 movies in this series to date, First Class examines the character of the X-Men almost flawlessly and explores their strengths (and weaknesses) in a manner that is not simply an excuse for cruddy CG (cough *X-Men Origins: Wolverine* cough). 

James McAvoy (Wanted, Atonement, The Chronicles of Narnia) breathes life into the character of Charles Xavier, who when we first meet him is attempting to use his mind reading powers to pick up women at the local bar. Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds, Immortals) steals the show by playing a young Erik Lensherr who has vowed to find and kill the man who murdered his mother in the Nazi concentration camps in his childhood. This villain, Sebastian Shaw, is portrayed here in a surprisingly good acting job by the often joked-about Kevin Bacon. The other show-out actor  here would easily be Jennifer Lawrence as Raven/Mystique - fleshing out the character that grows up to be the Mystique made famous by Rebecca Romijn.

The friendship and rift between Erik and Charles is the foundation of First Class and well depicted under the direction of director Matthew Vaughn. We actually feel the pain that Erik feels as he struggles to cope with his place in the world. We feel his struggle between rage and serenity, as does Charles. While Patrick Stewart is famous for his stalwart and noble take on the character, it is refreshing to see a heart and soul to the man who would become Professor X. As the standoff between Russia and the United States mounts, Charles steps up to lead a new band of mutants featuring Havok, Beast, Mystique, Banshee and Magneto to stop Sebastian Shaw and his own mutant team - Angel, Azazel, Emma Frost, and Riptide- from starting what would become World War 3. The X-Men are joined in this mission by government agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne, "Bridesmaids"). I honestly hoped for more from Moira, but Rose Byrne did a fine job playing the agent. Nothing more, nothing less.

Where First Class truly excelled was in it's narrative and setting. Not only did Vaughn set his X-Men in the 1960's Cold War, but he revelled in it, setting his characters loose as children in a playground. From the fine set pieces, to the clever use of news footage to the delightfully groovy score by Henry Jackman - this film plays out more like a vintage spy movie or an early Bond film. Indeed Fassbender's Erik Lensherr is already receiving critical acclaim and comparisons to Bond in the first half hour of the movie. As he searches for Sebastian Shaw, one could indeed see him as a future Bond after Daniel Craig's run is through. I credit former  X-Men director and producer on this project Bryan Singer for much of the depth to this film. Never do I feel that a character was wasted. Never do I find myself not caring about their fate. This is a movie with depth. With a generous running time of over 2 hours we have plenty of time to become familiar with the characters and get to know their desires and insecurities.

I would like to make a brief side note about the moral content of First Class. While not as prominent or offensive as the X-Men Trilogy, there is some sexual content in this film. Several women are seen in underwear in one scene, and Emma Frost (January Jones) is more of a playboy bunny than a sidekick to Shaw, frequently flaunting extremely low-cut clothing and undergarments. One scene finds Frost using her mind control powers to trick a Soviet dignitary into believing he is actually with her. The scene ends before anything happens however. Mystique is clothed for the majority of the film, but there are a few moments where we awkwardly see her entire body in blue prosthetic make-up (which I am assuming is the 'partial nudity' the rating mentions). Language is mostly tame, although the F bomb does pop up once (as one of three words from a very special character cameo) and G--d---- is used once or twice. Violence is intense and emotionally exhausting, given the dark nature of the film, but never bloody. 

Conclusion: You will note that this review does not mention special effects or story too much. That is because the special effects are there to enhance the story, which is so well crafted that I don't want to give too much away. I see X-Men: First Class as more than a worthy successor to X-Men 1 and 2, and in fact would set it on a pedestal alongside Christopher Nolan's epics - Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Only time will tell if this film lives up to the acclaim of those, but one thing is certain - Captain America: The First Avenger has some mighty big shoes to fill when it arrives on July 22nd!

THOR: Movie Review

THOR
rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi action/violence
Movie-making: 4 out of 5 stars
Morality rating: Good


The latest entry from the Marvel Studios film invasion is THOR, perhaps the most unique and strikingly visual comic-book adaptation to date. Starring Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek) in the titular role, THOR does a brilliant job of weaving fiction and reality, fantasty and sci-fi.

The plot of THOR is fairly simple- Thor is banished from the realm of Asgard to Earth and meets a beautiful and smart young astro-physicist named Jane Foster, portrayed by Academy-Award winner Natalie Portman (2011 - Black Swan). Meanwhile in Asgard, Thor's brother Loki attempts to weave a web of deception and usurp the throne. While other Marvel movies have maintained a scientific, albeit very sci-fi viewpoint (Think Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, X-Men) THOR stays in a mostly fantastical story, and therein it thrives. This is honestly the reason why I loved this movie. While other movies try to take themselves far too seriously and pass off fiction as reality, THOR knew that it was outrageous, unrealistic and completely far-fetched. Is not the reason behind cinema to escape reality though? Indeed I found myself escaping reality and entering into the realm of Asgard. The question, as one reviewer put it, is not is the movie realistic, but will you roll with it?

The cast of THOR was surprisingly well put together. Chris Hemsworth does a fantastic job as the mighty Thor, playing both the intense and comedic angles of his character perfectly. Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Anthony Hopkins (Odin) head a fine supporting cast of the Asgardian characters across from Hemsworth. This Father/Son/Brother storyline was the best part of the movie and the best acted. Under the direction of Kenneth Branagh, a man known for Shakespearean films (As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V) the tricky linguistics of an otherworldly Norse culture was well dialogued, well directed and well acted. In contrast, the very "Americanized" English of Kat Dennings and Natalie Portman created a humorous cultural clash when Thor first enters their lives. On the heels of her award winning role in Black Swan, I was curious to see how Portman would do, and how she would fare in a comic book universe. I am happy to say that the chemistry between her and Hemsworth was fantastic. The charm that their relationship brought to the screen was endearing, and I actually found myself LIKING Natalie Portman in a relationship! Move over Padme...

The special effects in THOR were well done, although nothing to phone home about. Because of the mythological and fantasy elements of the story, the sets and character designs felt very comic-book. YET THEY WORKED. I saw the film in 3D, yet I imagine that in 2D the colors were better and the images more vibrant. Although the 3D was good, it really added nothing to the story and is not necessary when viewing (unlike Avatar!). Although the physics of the characters made no sense, the effects were FUN! Thor can fly for instance, and we see him do so on numerous occasions. If I sat back and critically analyzed the logic behind Thor, I would be miserable, yet if I just take it as good entertainment, then I am incredibly entertained indeed! The sets of Asgard were particularly well designed and well animated. I found myself transported there mentally, rather than merely watching the events unfold.

The final point I make about Thor is the hilarity of the script! I truly was not expecting such a funny movie. Yet, with the clash of Norse culture with rural American townsfolk, I laughed out loud many times at the sheer awkwardness of Thor in a small desert town. His mannerisms, language and demeanor all seem to belong in an Oscar Wilde play, so any time Thor and Jane had a scene together I always was waiting for the "awkward moment" in which Jane Foster would become flustered at Thor's sheer charm. Even in strictly dramatic moments I couldn't help but smile at the old-world charm of their dialogue. How refreshing is it to finally see a movie in which nobody sleeps with someone! Chivalry is not dead.... well in Asgard at least!

In conclusion, THOR was a great way to kick off the summer movie season. I am excited to see where Marvel Studios is going with this franchise and eagerly await both X-Men: First Class and Captain America: The First Avenger. Unfortunately, we have to wait until The Avengers to see Thor return to the silver screen. In my opinion it is well worth the wait! THOR was every bit as good as Iron Man and better than the 2nd. But don't let me have the last word! What do you think?

"If....Then" in 1 John

So, I saw this printed off and perched on the wall in the office at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at the University, and thought it was pretty cool.... so I am sharing with you! This is from thegospelcoalition.org and was posted by Justin Taylor. Hope this gets you thinking! These "If then" statements are something that we need to be evaluating our lives against so that we can be walking as Christ walked.

The Real Bowman

“If . . Then” in 1 John

Posted By Justin Taylor On March 31, 2011 

	IF . . .	THEN . . .
1:6	we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness	we lie and do not practice the truth
1:7	we walk in the light, as he is in the light	we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin
1:8	we say we have no sin	we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us
1:9	we confess our sins,	he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
1:10	we say we have not sinned	we make him a liar, and his word is not in us
2:1	anyone does sin	we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous
2:3	we keep his commandments	by this we know that we have come to know him
2:15	anyone loves the world	the love of the Father is not in him
2:19	they had been of us	they would have continued with us
2:24	what you heard from the beginning abides in you	you too will abide in the Son and in the Father
2:29	you know that he is righteous	you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
3:17	anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him	how does God’s love abide in him?
3:21	our heart does not condemn us	we have confidence before God
4:11	God so loved us	we also ought to love one another
4:12	if we love one another	God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
4:20	anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother	he is a liar
5:9	If we receive the testimony of men	the testimony of God is greater
5:14	if we ask anything according to his will	he hears us
5:15	if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask	we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
5:16	If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death	he shall ask, and God will give him life

Justin Taylor: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor

Coffee Talk: Who is God to you?

"Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”   - Mark 8:27-29

-Who is God to us? Is he just a being that we mindlessly follow? Or do we personally know HIM, HIS purpose and HIS heart? When it boils down to it, it really doesn't matter what we have heard, what we have read about God, even what our church says. I'm not saying that we should be a part of a church that teaches heresy, BUT, what truly matters is our PERSONAL relationship with God- how he relates to us on a day to day basis. This is what it means to ABIDE IN CHRIST. If we abide in Him, and He in us, THAT is the man that bears much fruit. (John 15:5)

-In my scripture readings today I followed a lesson plan from Experiencing God, which I am currently going through with several dears brothers and sisters in Christ. While most of these lessons are fairly involved and require much reading and cross-referencing, today's lesson was refreshingly simple in its approach. Read the word and think about all the ways that God has revealed himself to me by it. This is something that we don't often do, but helps us to see God personally. How has He personally worked in us and what attributes of God have we been able to witness in our own lives?

-As I read various scriptures I was overwhelmed at all the names of God. In Hebrew a person's name was an identification of a person's character or nature. In Scripture the LORD referred to Himself in many, many ways - ALL of which are true to His character. Here are just a few of the verses that have personally stuck out to me in my walk with Christ. These are attributes of God that I hold dear to my heart and that I have personally experienced.

God as the Architect of my life - Hebrews 3:5 - "For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything."

- This encouraged me as a compliment to Colossians 1. Everything was created by God and for God so I can be free from worry. If I keep my eyes on Christ everything will hold together! Col. 1:17, Hebrews 12:1-2

God as the One who COMPLETELY forgives - Isaiah 43:25 - "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."

- The most unbelievably humbling realization I have come to is that of God's grace and forgiveness. Understanding that I don't deserve anything from HIM, yet He still chooses to forgive me and use me is overwhelming.

He who keeps me from falling - Jude 24-25 - "To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."

-On Christ the solid rock I stand! All other ground is sinking sand! All other ground is sinking sand!

I AM WHO I AM - Exodus 3:14 

-"When God said "I AM WHO I AM", He was saying "I AM the Eternal One. I will be what I will be." He was saying, "I am everything you will ever need." (Henry Blackaby, Experiencing God)

My CONFIDENCE - Psalm 71:5 - "For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth."

-Identity as children of God and heirs to the Kingdom bring great Strength!

The Strength of my heart - Psalm 73:26 - "My flesh and my heart may fail, 

   but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." 

-As someone who has gone through MANY hardships and difficult physical problems I hold onto this verse. It is all about the HOPE I have in Christ. Even though I am overwhelmed physically by all that the world can throw at me, my spirit is being renewed day by day more and more into the likeness of Christ. 

-2 Corinthians 4

The Mighty One who saves  - Zephaniah 3:17 - "The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."

-IMMANUEL, God With US, is in our midst! He is MIGHTY and saves! He REJOICES over us, we who are not worthy yet he has deemed worthy!

He quiets us by His love, like a Father who does not hold his children's sins against them. As NASB says, "He is quiet IN his love." He sings over us.

If that doesn't encourage you, I don't know what will!

I hope this has encouraged you! Please leave a comment below. How has God revealed Himself to you? What attributes of His have you personally experienced?

The Real Bowman

Guatemala - Day 8 (The Final Day - Journal Entry)

This is the final entry from my Guatemala journal. I hope it has encouraged you to read about God moving in the midst of the Pokomchi people, and I would like you to know that it has completely changed me. My passions, my calling and my life are being re-molded into what God wants me to be. I am now preparing to apply for Journeyman with the IMB to serve God somewhere in the world. Please pray for me as I pursue His will. :-)
Much love, The REAL Bowman

3/12/11 The Return Flight
-How heartbreaking it is to say goodbye to those you love, to leave a place you love, to leave the place where God was evidently working. I find myself incredibly emotional about returning to the States even though it is my home. I can't help but feel that I am not meant to stay there. I must pray, fast and seek the LORD about this, but I am considering the Journeyman program. It is obvious to me now that I am meant to be in ministry wherever I am. It is oh so hard though to want to stay in America.
My heart yearns for more than the mediocre life I am living now. Everything is just.... off. But I must pray for wisdom and contentedness too, for if I am to stay I must be prepared to humble myself before the mighty hand of God, that at the proper time He might exalt me (1 Peter 5). These are intense feelings, but at the same time are necessary, as I evaluate my work, location, relationships and passions.

Proverbs 4:20-23
"My son, be attentive to my words;
   incline your ear to my sayings.
 Let them not escape from your sight;
    keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
   and healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
   for from it flow the springs of life."

God at work through us.

-Last night Jeff spoke to us about the next step of the mission and his testimony.
Even though our work was hard in La Campana, we saw actual fruit to our work and that fueled us. Now is the hard part. We must pray. Pray. Pray constantly. Pray continually. Pray for the people. For their hearts. For the leaders. That they would want to know God in their "awamna". We must get our churches praying for the Pokomchi. For names. For Erma the burn victim - that she will be a testament to God's goodness and that she and her family will come to Christ as a result.
Pray for Benito - our smiling, thankful, helpful guide. That God will give him true joy and that that will be used to lead others to Him. That his boldness and excitedness would become focused on Christ. For all those who we could not help- the blind lady, the infertile couples, the children with rashes, the people with parasites - that whether God works a miracle and heals them or not, the they would be drawn by God to the TRUTH planted this week in the their hearts by the Bible stories.

Brothers in Christ. :-)

-I found Jeff's testimony to be incredibly encouraging and ridiculously similar to the way I work. :-) He has muscular dystrophy and for years Satan tried to use that along with past failures in ministry to keep him from being effective in ministry. The enemy kept saying "You won't be able to physically be a missionary! You'll fall, be an embarrassment to yourself, your family, your children and the IMB." One day though, Jeff realized that he was putting his condition above the power of God in his mind.
And with that realization came great miracles and 'God moments' in which He proved his faithfulness.

I love these guys! At the Arkansas House.

For years I have struggled with a call to ministry (music/youth/missions/whatever)  in light of my steadily deteriorating hands and constantly weak security of self. The testimony of Jeff just rocked my world. I realize how I do just what he used to do - elevate my problems over the power of God rather than wait for HIM to act. It is inspiring to watch him in his ministry. Jeff is truly a man of God and such an example to me. It has been very hard for people to understand why I am so frustrated all the time, and yet I met a man who encountered far worse difficulties- and now God is using him in Guatemala. It makes me wonder if He'll send me places. I want to go. I love people. I want real, deep relationships and want them to honor God. BUT I want more than that for my faith to increase. I want my actions to truly show that I believe God can and will use me. Yes, I will have it hard but Proverbs 4:20-23 makes it clear. God says " Listen to MY voice." There is life in His ways.
The coolest part is this though. Vs. 22 says that HIS words are "life to those who find them and healing to our flesh." Healing. I have never noticed this verse before. It is as if God is saying "Quit worrying! My strength is perfected in your weakness! My words are healing to You!" To add a cherry to the top of this spiritual sundae, this morning's devotion (which Jeremy read in both Spanish and English this morning in our room, completely blowing me away with it's perfect applicability) was Psalm 73:25-28.
           "Whom have I in  heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth
            that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but 
            God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
When he read those words I could just feel God reminding me of who was in charge. :-) I am now on a plane back to the States, missing Guatemala and the Thomas', but curious as ever as to what God is going to choose to do with me.

What happened here was life-changing indeed.

"The Word we study must be the Word we pray." - Brennan Manning

"The direct experience of God is grace indeed, and basically there is no one to whom it is refused."
- Ignatius of Loyola

The REAL Bowman