//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.
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Verani Haven Explored
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.
A History of the House of Rogan
The ancients could still recite the begats. Jael barely remembered hearing the tales told round the fire during the last gathering.
As related in the first book, a man named Jebuel takes his family and journeys north during a devastating dearth (famine) in his homeland. His journey continues until he finds a temporary dwelling place near the Great Sea (Mediterranean). Here he learns to make sails for the great ships, a trade which will pass to the generations.
With Jebuel is his wife Reuel, their four sons and a daughter. Another son is born after they reach the Haven. The first four sons and perhaps the daughter, eventually return to the Holy Land, since it is not permitted for them to marry outside their faith. As related in the first book, the youngest son marries the daughter of a trader, a fellow countryman of Jebuel’s.
The next generation of “Jebusites,” as they are called in those days, stay in-country and marry among their neighbors. Their ancestors guide them to choose wisely, for the most part, those who willingly renounce any other beliefs and serve the Hebrew God.
The atmosphere of the haven seems rife with mystery. The young men of the family discover anomalies in their environment, somewhat similar to the Bermuda Triangle of our day. Animals and individuals alike enter there and do not always return—it is almost mythical in nature—yet very real. This calls for investigation.
Next: Verani Haven Explored
Part II of The Lady of the Haven is complete, however the editing process is ongoing.
For those of you who have read Part I, you’ll be happy to know that the newly married couple will begin their journey to the Northern Touri Mountains. After a time of peace, a dark enemy arises who will threaten all that King George and his son fought so hard to establish.
On her own again, Jael must use her God-given abilities to protect those she loves, nearly losing her own life in the process.
A mist lay heavy over the blood-strewn battlefield. Until it lifted, the black army would not blow its horns. They could not see the coast nor the shores, but a reverberating sound coursed through them as the sentries sent out the word. It was then that the song was heard. Most among Din Glun’s men could not understand the words, though some did.
It was the same psalm that William had sung through the halls of Castle Coldthwaite. His men sang it now, their voices echoing out over the valley and through the mist. It rose and echoed upon the surrounding hills and water. In the dales, Solis’ men took it up. Soon the Milosians heard it and those who spoke the language joined in the song.
The sound of it struck fear in the hearts of the black warriors, but they could not move . . . There was no alternative but to fight. From The Lady of the Haven, Part II, A Gathering of Eagles (All Rights Reserved).
Wake Up Call
The past month has been an amazing ride. Hurricane Ike blew through our land-locked state and swept away life as we knew it. I live in a neighborhood full of very large trees, including a big black walnut tree in our front yard. Those walnuts were missiles on the wind!
We were ill-prepared for a long-term power outage. At least the weather was decent. We sat in our family room with the windows and doors open and heard a strange noise…neighbors laughing and talking…together!
They sat outside until late, watching their children play. We read books by candlelight and heated water over tea lights!
It was fun for a while. Then reality set in. We’d lost everything in our refrigerator, but so did everyone else, as well as all the nearby grocery stores and restaurants. The ones that were open got slammed!
We barely got back on our feet when the stock market crashed and for a while there, things looked very dark. It was then that I realized how quickly life as we know it can change. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…Are you ready?
Betty Thomason Owens 