Mark March 23 on your calendar. That is the day October Baby opens, and everyone needs to see this movie.
Yes, everyone. Trust me… you will not be disappointed.
My review of October Baby can be read by clicking here.
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October Baby (movie review)
February 8, 2012 — Craig T. OwensBetsy and I were privileged to see an advanced screening of October Baby last night, and I’m still trying to process all of my thoughts.
It was emotionally moving, but not sappy nor sentimental.
It was thought-provoking, but not philosophically deep.
It was laugh-provoking, but not a comedy.
It addressed a woman’s struggle, but it’s not a chick flick.
It addressed parenting, but it’s not a dry documentary.
It is just a GOOD movie.
The script was good, the acting was good, the cinematography was good, even the soundtrack was good. The message that all life is precious comes through clearly, but not in an in-your-face, shove-it-down-your-throat way.
The movie is rated PG-13 because of the subject matter (a girl on a quest to find her birth mother, after discovering that she’s the survivor of a failed abortion attempt). But because of the purity of the movie (not a single swear word, zero sexuality), I would recommend families see this together.
This is a story that needed to be told, and the Erwin brothers did a phenomenal job telling that story.
Send a message to Hollywood, go see October Baby on opening weekend, March 23-25.
The Hour That Matters Most (book review)
October 14, 2011 — Craig T. Owens
I’ve been a big fan of the relationship-strengthening books from Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott for quite awhile. In The Hour That Matters Most they combine together two of my favorite topics: family and food.
I have always appreciated family meal times. Especially as my kids have gotten older — and busier — the dinner hour seems to be the one oasis during the day when we can all reconnect. This is exactly the point that the Parrotts, and co-authors Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna, are trying to make. And they do an excellent job making their point using statistics, research, tips, stories, and even recipe ideas.
First the statistics. Research has shown that families that eat together:
- Get along with each other better.
- Handle stress better.
- Have lower rates of drug abuse, alcoholism, premarital sex, depression, eating disorders, and suicide.
- Have students who perform better in school academically and socially.
Then there are the conversation-starters. The authors give ample suggestions of how to draw everyone into a conversation around the dinner table, to gain insight into what is happening in each family member’s day.
And finally, but certainly not insignificantly, there are the recipe. Some mmm, mmm good recipes! Sprinkled throughout the book — and in full color in the middle of the book — are some easy-to-make, hard-to-resist recipes. After all, it’s hard to have a family meal without the meal!
Whether you want to enhance your family dinner times, or you are ready to (re)establish a time for your family to connect over a meal, The Hour That Matters Most is an excellent read.
I am a Tyndale book reviewer.
It’s Time To Be Courageous
September 30, 2011 — Craig T. Owens
Courageous opens today. I cannot urge you strongly enough to go see this film this weekend.
Leaders in every sphere — political, medical, educational — have acknowledged that the breakdown of the family is one of the leading factors in the breakdowns in government, physical and emotional health, and in our schools. This movie deals with our family situations head-on. More to the point, this movie calls on men to make a bold, courageous stand for their families.
I had a chance to view this movie several months ago, and I still can’t wait to go see it again. You will be challenged and energized by this film. Find showing times near you by clicking here.
Courageous Countdown
September 16, 2011 — Craig T. OwensI cannot wait for Courageous to open… just two weeks from today! I had the opportunity to see an advanced screening of this movie, and it is phenomenal. Please go see it on the opening weekend (September 30), as that is the weekend that Hollywood and the media pay attention to.
And just to get you ready, check out the opening scene from this movie —
Calling Out Manhood
August 1, 2011 — Craig T. OwensLast week I shared about the outstanding movie Courageous which opens on September 30. This movie will be enjoyed by everyone in the family, but Dads especially are going to be challenged to take their fatherhood to a whole new level.
I recently read Secure Daughters, Confident Sons by Glenn Stanton, and these two quotes from that book tie-in so well to the message of Courageous —
When a relationship between a boy and his father is loving and warm, as opposed to critical and stoic, those boys are indeed more likely to develop healthily in more masculine ways.
The girl who doesn’t have the power and beauty of her femininity affirmed by the first and most important man in her life [her Dad] will grow into a woman driven to flaunt it in the face of every young and older man, constantly making the very public and insecure statement, “I desperately need you to notice me as a woman!”
Here’s a powerful 1-minute clip from Courageous…
Make your plans NOW to see Courageous when it opens on September 30.
“The Best Movie Of The Year”
July 27, 2011 — Craig T. OwensFor a movie that won’t even open until September 30 to already be labeled “Best movie of the year,” you might think is merely marketing hype.
When you hear that the one who called it “Best movie of the year” is Pastor Rick Warren, you might think it’s a churchy movie.
But you’d be wrong.
I had a chance to see Courageous and I can tell you that this will be the best movie of 2011, and that it is definitely NOT a churchy movie.
Set against the backdrop of a city battling gang-related issues, four sheriff deputies struggle with being good dads and good law enforcement officers. In the process they learn what it takes to excel at both: it takes courage.
Courageous opens on September 30.
DO NOT MISS THE OPENING WEEKEND!
This is a movie that will challenge your whole family, but will be especially impacting for dads.
Home And Away (book review)
June 29, 2011 — Craig T. Owens
I just finished reading Home And Away, by David & Nancy French, and I have tears in my eyes. I readily admit that I’m a “patriotic crier” whenever the red, white and blue is involved, and this book hit me right in that patriotic soft spot.
A real quick summary of the book goes like this: David & Nancy French have an ideal life in America (family, home, career, etc.), but David feels compelled to serve his country in the armed forces in Iraq. So David enlists in the reserves and is stationed away in Iraq for a year, and Nancy tries to adjust to life home without her husband. The book alternates chapters, with both Nancy and David writing about the war from their perspective.
But what was invaluable to me was the insight into the emotional life of this couple. Both of them explain so clearly all of the feelings that are swirling around inside of them. You can feel the frustration as they try to explain their feelings to others, who don’t quite seem to get it. Even David has trouble grasping all that Nancy is experiencing, as Nancy tries to come to grips with what David is going through. In the end, I have a much greater appreciation for both our soldiers away in harm’s way, and their families who attempt to carry on at home without them.
If you want to know how to better support and pray for our armed forces and their families, I highly recommend Home And Away to you.
I am a Hachette Group book reviewer.
Weekend Review
June 20, 2011 — Craig T. OwensI feel so full after such a wonderfully full-filling weekend.
On Saturday morning our worship team helped kick-off Lifewalk 2011, by leading some worship songs during the registration time. I love doing spiritual battle alongside this team! It was a great way to remind everyone why we were there.
God gave us beautiful weather for Lifewalk! Along our route we stopped to pray at Cedar Spring City Hall, The Springs Church, Alpha Family Center, and Red Hawk school. When we returned to our starting point in Morely Park, we were greeted with the great news that Lifewalk had raised nearly $12,000!
I had the privilege of addressing the Lifewalk participants just before we released our balloons. I spoke from Ephesians 2:10, where we read that God created us in advance to do good works that would bring Him glory. Unfortunately, tens of millions of babies have been aborted before they had a chance to do their good works, so it is now up to us, the living, to redouble our efforts. We need to do not only the good works God prepared us to do, but also the good works of those aborted lives. It was a somber, yet empowering, reminder.
On Sunday morning I spoke to our Dads on Father’s Day. I told the story of Boaz the kinsman-redeemer from the book of Ruth. Boaz was a man motivated by God’s word, and a man who did not give in to culture’s pull. Boaz was also a picture of Jesus Christ as the ultimate Kinsman-Redeemer. I challenged our Dads to remember that they are the representation of Christ to their wives and kids.
The highlight of Sunday morning for me was watching all of our Dads serve Communion to the rest of the church. Powerful! What a reminder to all of us that Dads are to love and serve their families just as Christ loves and serves His Church.
To cap it all off, I got to have lunch with both my Dad and my kids. It was a very moving thing for me to not only honor my Dad, but to read the notes my kids had written to me. Part of what I wrote to my Dad was about the investment he made in my life. Then he and I both watched that investment being compounded in the lives of his grandkids. How awesome is that!
When I experience such a full weekend, only one thought dominates my mind: How blessed am I! I love living my life to honor my Heavenly Father, and I’m so grateful I get to share that life with so many other incredible people.
A Birthday Note
May 24, 2011 — Craig T. OwensDear Brandon,
Has it really been 11 years already?!? As the old cliché says, “Time sure flies when you’re having fun!” And it certainly has been so much fun watching you grow up.
In many ways you have helped me grow up too. One of the things I most appreciate about you is your sensitivity to other people, and your ability to encourage them. I have a lot of notes from you around so that I will see them often. It seems like whenever I’m having a rough time, I stumble across one of your notes that helps get me refocused.
You have taught me the value of encouragement. Did you know that the word encouragement literally means to put courage into someone?
- Courage to do the right thing, even when everyone else is doing the wrong thing.
- Courage to focus on God, even when everyone else is focusing on their fears.
- Courage to give my very best, even when everyone else is trying to just get by.
Thank you, Brandon, for showing me the power of encouragement. One of your notes to me simply says, “Just trust God.” So I say the same thing to you, my son: Trust in Him in all you do, and He will make your path straight.
Happy 11th Birthday!
I love you,
Dad
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