Defeated By A Rumor!

On By Betty OwensIn Assyrian, Isaiah, Jerusalem, Kings, Rabshekah, rumor

Sometimes, we are defeated by a rumor. This happened in I Kings 19:7 (repeated in Isaiah 37:7) to a powerful Assyrian leader called a Rabshekah. He heard a rumor, returned home and was later killed there. This was the man who stood outside the walls of Jerusalem, shouting and trying to scare the inhabitants into surrender.

How often do we hear a rumor and run? Speaking for myself, more often than I like to think. The world is sometimes a very scary place, but for those who put their trust in the Lord, peace is only a breath or a heartbeat away. Though you may suffer immediate alarm in a given situation, take a deep breath and remember. Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world (I John 4:4).

It Ended With a Gunshot

On By Betty OwensIn 2009, July 7, Standoff in Jeffersontown KY

A man shot himself at my desk this week. It came at the end of a twelve-hour standoff with police, during which he held the owner of the company hostage.

Beyond the shock, life goes on. I returned to work two days later to find a bare concrete floor because the carpeting had been ripped out. All of my things had been cleaned and moved out of the office. It was my job to put it all back.

I had to replace a few things that could not be cleaned. I had to go through papers sleeved in plastic and copy what was important. The blood stains on the originals were already turning brown.

It was impossible to get through all of this without thinking of the man who died there and to grieve for him and his loved ones. I did not know him and I was not there when he decided to camp out in my office. It simply made sense to him to be there.

Perhaps someday, I will be able to write more about this, but for now, the shock is too great.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23: 4, NIV

Evening in Gulf Shores Alabama

On By Betty OwensIn Uncategorized1 Comment

//www.youtube.com/get_playerWe just spent a wonderful week in Gulf Shores, Alabama. This was our first trip to the Alabama coast and we certainly plan on returning! It was beautiful. We spent most of our days reclining ‘neath an umbrella on a rented chair and most evenings watching the sunset and listening to the waves roll in. Ah! Sometimes you really need to take a break. We were reluctant to leave, but we finally did, returning to our much loved home and family.

The Lady of the Haven

On By Betty OwensIn flowers, Herbs2 Comments

Re: Deborah

Okay, I promised to tell you about Jael’s grandmother. Not only did she give Jael her name, she trained her granddaughter in the healing ways and passed along a deep reverence for God. In character, she was somewhat like the biblical judge for whom she was named.


She was rather plain, with an olive complexion, dark hair and eyes, more like the Rogans than Jael. She was a direct descendant of Jebuel’s kin, and married Justus Drudan of Rogan at a very young age.


After Jael’s mother was killed, Deborah kept the child with her, for the Rogan men were often absent from the Haven. Jael learned to discern mugwort from drumwort, (mugwort was fatal if ingested). Drumwort stopped excessive bleeding and cleansed the blood. These two herbs were very much alike in appearance, so needed a discerning eye to harvest.


As a healer, no one came near to Deborah’s expertise, but she did not possess other traits common to the Haven family. When she recognized these abilities in her only grandchild, she encouraged them.


Note: I am not an herbalist. I have studied herbs, but remember, this is fantasy. Though loosely based in reality (sounds like my life) they are purely fictional. I made these things up, and had lots of fun doing it. So if you should find plants like those in my book, please don’t eat them based on my say-so!

Verani Haven Explored

On By Betty OwensIn Uncategorized

Imagine a great waterfall that drops about fifty feet into a deep pool, then rushes down river, where it will eventually join the sea. On either side of the cascade, great walls of granite tell the story of their origin through layers and colors of sedimentation. 

One side of the river is flanked by verdant forest and sandy beaches. The other side is slate, jutting out over the water like a jetty.  A haven, sheltered by the tall cliffs of Dolor, stretches away from the rocky banks, opening into a peaceful meadow. In the midst of the meadow, a thicket resists all attempts at cultivation. Here, a mist rises, early evening; the great pines whisper. 

The inhabitants of Dolor have long avoided the haven. People walk into the mist, never to be seen again. Everyone knows someone who never came back. A strange power holds sway. Medicine men call it “a magnetic force.” The humble men of Dolor know nothing of such things. Some ancient curse is at play here, best to be avoided. 

Carved into the rock at various points along the way, are runes, to warn the unsuspecting stranger: “Turn and go another way.”

Next: The Story of Deborah.