Well, Aren't We Nice?

Gossip.  An ambiguous word with wobbly handles. They are hard to grasp onto until it lands in your lap. And when I say this, I mean that you are the subject of it and not the perpetrator… this time. Then suddenly you don’t need to hear a sermon or read an essay on it: you know- that you know- that you know… that it hurts.

It Aches. It Marinates. Then it Chafes.  The remnants try to find a landing strip to grow their festering vines of bitterness, unless you continually weed the garden of your heart.

It distresses in a different way than face to face confrontation. It most certainly isn't the sweet kiss of a loving, face-to-face rebuke with all the beauty of potential reconciliation.

Gossip denies us the dignity to be heard. It blots out all ability to apologize for the wrong or perceived offense. It immobilizes love. It destroys the trust beds that relationships grow in.

Rumor-mongering. It shrouds itself in a thin, religious film. It comes with disclaimers like; “I am concerned …” or “We need to pray about …” ----Well, aren't we nice? ---

We can dress it up anyway we want to, but it’s wrong… and we know it. We feel it just before the words escape our mouths, unless we've numbed ourselves to the still, small whisper of our Holy Spirit induced conscience.

In a lot of cases I believe we are receiving AND believing the flaming darts of accusation that enemy hurls at us about one another. Many times we are “picking up” on invisible beliefs that the enemy has tried to weave around a person from their childhood or before and in turn they in regards to you.  Typically the person has agreed with the lies over their lives and has had multiple experiences that convinced them that, “yes, this is true about me” before they landed on the doorstep of your life.

Gossip is hated by the Father because we are adding our words, which have the power of life and death, to the enemy’s words. He, the father of lies, gets the added boost of our authority, which binds and looses on heaven and earth. We’re a lot more powerful than we believe, friends.

He wins a small victory every time we join our words with his because we've muddied the atmosphere around that person. The enemy is called the prince and power of the air, (Ephesians 2:2) which is translated, atmosphere) for a reason. We've agreed that there is another banner besides love written over one another. (Song of Songs 2:4)

As a society we are so immersed in being “nice” that we have forgotten the biblical mandate to seek out a face to face chat (Matthew 18:15) with the object of our offense, a person made in God’s own image. If that doesn't go well, then we take another with us who can be impartial and try to work it out again. It’s the opposite of accusation! Its goal is reconciliation. -- (Note: Often times, I find that I am able to take the majority of things to the Father and hear truth and/or forgive in my heart quickly and not keep a record of wrongs. Sometimes, I realize I was being easily offended or just being a jerk myself.)

If we don’t work out our disagreements and misunderstandings with one another we are left with few choices. The easy path quickly becomes available; that of filling another’s ears with the tasty morsel that is sweet in their ears and sour in their belly. We've tried or succeeded in winning another to "our ranks."   

That’s the opposite of nice, my friends.

Here’s some food for thought: "I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth but rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others, and upon proper occasions speak all the good I know of everybody." ~ Ben Franklin

The Awen: Book One of The Sacred Oak Series

Well, folks ... it's here. My first novel, The Awen:  Book One of the Sacred Oak Series is available. I'm thrilled to say that is is available for download on Kindle via Amazon on the above link.  It is also available in all formats known to man at Smashwords. This is a book aimed at older Elementary students and Middle School students, though I have been told that adults are really enjoying it!

***The Awen is an intriguing tale full of young heroes, epic battles, and colorful story-telling. It contains the perfect elements for popular youth fiction: three-dimensional characters, a suspenseful tale of mythical proportions, and a view of the redemptive possibilities in every human heart.***
 


FYI:  The book is being formatted for Nook, the Itunes store, etc. and will be available that way soon. 


This is how you can help me:


1) Purchase the book for $2.99 on Amazon
2) "like" it on Amazon
3) Share the news via friends and social networking
4) Write a review if you like the book

Here is a blurb about the book:

Winter Haven Manor sits on a coastal estate in Wales, with mystery and danger in its history. It is the home of Ian, the son of the manor’s groundskeeper and a disenchanted dreamer who is soon to discover a destiny beyond his wildest imagination. It is also the home of Reese, Ian’s troubled nemesis who is heir to the estate, and Libby, Reese’s feisty cousin who has returned from America after losing her father.

What the trio discovers is that they are the "three unlikely"--a team of empowered friends meant to save the world, as foretold by a thousand-year-old prophecy. Not only will they have to combine their skills in order to save the otherworld, known as Mag Mell,  but they will also have to overcome battles in their own lives as well. Their struggles with the creatures in the otherworld will teach them about who they have been, and more importantly, who they can become.

Thanks so much for coming on this journey with me! I still have The Real-Life Princess and Beetle Hunter available as well.

~
Rebecca Dunning is an award winning writer who lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband and three children. She not only loves to read and write but also enjoys hiking, climbing mountains 14,000 feet or higher, traveling the world and about anything else out-of-doors. Ms. Dunning is a regular contributor to The Gazette, Pikes Peak Parent and FreshInk. Rebecca is also the author of two children's books: The Real-Life Princess and Beetle Hunter as well as her first novel, The Awen: Book One of the Sacred Oak Series. You can also find her ebook, Self-Publishing 101 on Amazon.

    This is an article I was asked to write on fall and family for the Gazette via Pikes Peak Parent. I hope you enjoy.

    Fall is a marvelous time in Colorado, a time when I begin to cherish the days that are warm enough for my family to be outside in jeans and t-shirt one day and a coat the next. Knowing that our days of hiking are limited I try to round up the family as much as possible to hit the trails before our days of cuddling before the fire are full on.

     Since we are past using the trails that are shaded and cooler in the summer, our family tries to get to the more sun exposed areas like the Red Rock Open Space off of Highway 24 where we can also take in some of the color changes happening in the Aspens. A drive up Ute Pass to Waldo Canyon will do just as well for some sightseeing. 

     For our family, the fall season also means we gather on Saturdays at the Briargate YMCA fields to watch our son play soccer. The back drop of the mountains still mesmerizes me after five years of living here and the snow-cap on Pikes Peak a reminder that for us, climbing 14ers is over for the year but the holidays are almost upon us.

     Heading into the holidays, I try to take a deep breath and not get too rushed so that we can savor it instead of getting sucked into the commercialism of it all. I am already tempted to purchase pumpkins so we can have our Dunning pumpkin carving contest that is impossible for me to win due to the fact that I live with several artists. The kids find all the traditions magical still and I am reminded why I am thankful for the seasons and simplicity of life.

~Rebecca Dunning is an award winning writer who lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband and three children. She not only loves to read and write but also enjoys hiking, climbing mountains 14,000 feet or higher, traveling the world and about anything else out-of-doors. Rebecca is also the author of two children's books: The Real-Life Princess and Beetle Hunter as well as her first novel, The Awen: Book One of the Sacred Oak Series. You can also find her ebook, Self-Publishing 101 on Amazon.

Team Abolition Summits Mount Bierstadt: Raising Awareness about Human Trafficking

It’s inevitable that we’re stopped as we climb Colorado’s 14ers and wear our red “Abolitionist jerseys.” Some ask us questions about human trafficking, while others say, “I like your shirt.” This always is an opening for one of us from Team Abolition to ask what they know about the trafficking of human beings throughout the globe. Many times our team finds other followers of Jesus wanting to know where they can get involved. Some, believers or not, are already involved and we swap information about upcoming events, documentaries or ways to get the news out.

Regardless, it never ceases to amaze me the amount of networking that takes place in the midst of a strenuous climb up or on the precarious descent down one of the 54 mountains over 14,000 feet in Colorado.

This last Sunday five of us gathered at 4:30 am (You want to summit around noon as storms can arrive in an instant. With no trees you are the tallest thing on the mountain thus making you an excellent lightning rod) and drove the 120 minutes past Idaho Springs to arrive at the trailhead of Mount Bierstadt, which soars a glorious 14,060 feet above the most stunning beauty I have ever seen (though the same could be said for the top of any of the mountains I’ve ever been on.)

Being a level 2 (out of 5) we know that there will be a bit of scrambling at the top, so we are all prepared with gloves for handling the rocks. The trail begins above tree line, meaning we begin our climb where “the air is already thin.” The hike itself has a 2,850 feet elevation gain and is 7 miles in length. All that to say, it is one of the easiest 14ers in Colorado, though each has its own set of challenges and should be respected.

On this climb we ran into a group and swapped information so they could join us for The Justice Run (www.thejusticerun.org) in Littleton, Colorado on Sunday, September 25 beginning at 9am. Team Abolition is showing up in force to run in the 5 and 10k races, which benefit The Justice Project, which focuses on the restoration of victims of human trafficking.

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Team Abolition raises both awareness and funds through sponsorship for Just24, the justice initiative of 24-7prayer. Freedom Chiropractic and Artisan Decorative Finishes are the main sponsors of the group.

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Facts on Human Trafficking per HumanRightsTeam.org

*Trafficking is estimated to be a $7 billion dollar annual business.

* Traffickers recruit women and children through deceptive means including falsified employment advertisements for domestic workers, waitresses and other low-skilled work.

* Victims of trafficking are later used to traffic other women and children.

Please join us in prayer for the victims of this horrible trade

Father, we ask for your mercy in regards to this horrendous trade. We ask that you would reach your hand in and not only save but also restore those affected by human trafficking. Amen

~Thanks for reading,

Rebecca

Rebecca Dunning is an award winning writer who lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband and three children. She not only loves to read and write but also enjoys hiking, climbing mountains 14,000 feet or higher, traveling the world and about anything else out-of-doors. Ms. Dunning is a regular contributor to The Gazette, Pikes Peak Parent and FreshInk. Rebecca is also the author of two children's books: The Real-Life Princess and Beetle Hunter as well as her first novel, The Awen: Book One of the Sacred Oak Series.

The Awen: Book One of the Sacred Oak Series (Chapter 3, Part 1)

If you haven't read the synopsis, beginning prophesy, the prologue and Chapters 1 and 2, you may want to scroll down and read it first to have context for what you are about to partake of. The following is Chapter Three Part One, which I'm releasing for feedback. I hope you enjoy ~ Rebecca

 

CHAPTER THREE:  The Crescent of Power

The boys burst out of the classroom ready to carry out the plan that had been percolating during lessons with such abandon that they were like two overgrown Labrador puppies bumbling their way towards a body of water--tumbling and tangling their legs as they thundered down the long hallway from their classroom and then down the back flight of stairs to the exit closest to the woods. Before they fought their way out the door, they both grabbed the bundles they had left leaning in the corner before school.

Ian’s mom poked her head out of the room where she was ironing and urged the boys to “slow down” and “mind the pictures on the wall.” Before she could stop them though, the boys were outside and had already transformed into Bran the Blessed and the great King Arthur.

“To the fort! Defend the fort!” King Arthur, who looked a lot like Reese, shouted.

“Argh!” added Bran the Blessed, who happened to look just like Ian.

The boys zipped into the woods full throttle, knowing that they had a whole arsenal of weapons awaiting them. They had piles of rocks for launching, crudely hand-carved swords and other make-shift weaponry collected in the previous weeks. Their prized possessions were, however, carefully wrapped for safety and hanging over their shoulders.

During lessons, Mr. McBee had taught them to make what had quickly become their prized possessions: Welsh longbows, formed in the way of their ancestors that had lived hundreds and hundreds of years before them. The boys learned to fashion the weapons from Yew trees they had personally chosen, cut down and soaked until the wood was limber enough to be shaped. The final touch to their artistic masterpiece was whittled knots on the face of their bows that interlocked in never-ending symmetry--a Celtic knot.

The woods grew thicker and the area slightly darker as the two boys trudged deeper into it. The boys took a wide, arcing path to their destination, avoiding a bizarre clearing in the woods of Winter Haven that some of the townsfolk called the “Ring of Power.” Also known as the “Crescent of Power,” the area was a semicircle surrounded by huge oak trees. According to the endless stories told by locals about the mysterious area, the center was flat and covered in a matt of thick grass.

“It’s too bad we aren’t allowed to go play in there,” Ian said with jagged breath from running.

“My dad would tan both our hides if he ever found out you were thinking that. You know that,” Reese snorted.

“I’m just saying…” Ian started.

“And besides, you should know better than anyone that it’s haunted. Your own ancestor Ifan Jones disappeared from that very spot never to be seen again,” Reese interrupted with a note of authority.

“No one knows for sure, Reese. Trees and open spaces can’t be haunted,” spat Ian, not liking how his friend recited the local folklore as though it were a proven fact.

The two boys stopped running to catch their breath and walked toward their fort a bit further into the woods.

“You know the stories--everyone does. All the druids, bards and other folks with all sorts of magical powers and the supernatural creatures of the wooded world met here because it was a special place of power. It’s connected to the otherworld,” Reese sniffed and raised his chin in typical Williams fashion, as though he knew exactly what he was talking about and had been there firsthand.

Ian decided that Reese never knew when enough was enough or how close he was to getting a good nose bleed from Bran the Blessed, who was feeling more like “Bran the Bullied.”

 Next time... to be continued Chapter 3 Part 2.

Rebecca Dunning is an award winning writer who lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband and three children. She not only loves to read and write but also enjoys hiking, climbing mountains 14,000 feet or higher, traveling the world and about anything else out-of-doors. Rebecca is the author of two children's books:The Real-Life Princess and Beetle Hunter.

The Awen: Book One of the Sacred Oak Series (Chapter 2)

If you haven't read the synopsis, beginning prophesy, the prologue and part 1 and 2 of Chapter One, you will want to scroll down and read it first to have context for what you are about to partake of. The following is the rest of Chapter One, which I'm releasing for feedback. I hope you enjoy ~ Rebecca

Without further aduie, Chapter Two:

CHAPTER TWO: Mr. McBeetle

     Reese and Ian sat at their desks in the school area and eyed Mr. McBeetle. IIIIIIan didn’t mind being inside at this particular moment because it was a gloomy and rainy afternoon. It was his favorite type of weather, for it meant wool sweaters and hot cocoa in front of the fire. It also meant a better chance at tomorrow being a clear, warm day to rummage through the woods.

     Now Mr. McBeetle wasn’t his tutor’s real name, as one could probably guess, but due to his appearance he was so-called in whispered voices among the household servants. His real name was, of course, Mr. McBee, but Ian had never seen a human being so resemble a bug. Mr. McBeetle was short and squatty with tiny limbs that attached to his rather rotund center. His round, thick head sat on his shoulders in a way that took away any view of a neck and it protruded slightly forward. If that were not enough, his thick coke-bottle glasses magnified his eyes so most people blinked and sort of looked away when speaking to him.

 “Just like a bug,” they all said.

     Mr. McBee was shy and unsocial in front of adults. Most people in town thought him to be a rather awkward fellow. However when he was teaching history or science he could make even the dullest, most uninterested student pay attention.

     To top off his awkwardness, the small amount of hair remaining on his head tended to stick up and wiggle around whenever he became excited about a particular subject he was teaching. Ian and Reese had to squelch their giggles as his “antennae” would sway this way and that as he related stories to them of the World War or his many trips to India as a young lad. Nothing got him going like his favorite topic, though: the Welsh Celts. The Welsh Celts were Iron Age warriors from the very area the boys called home.

     Reese was taught in the old ways like his ancestors at Winter Haven. Tutors filed in and out of Winter Haven, instructing him in everything from reading, math, and social studies to grammar, etiquette and physical education. In the eyes of the Williamses, though, perhaps the most important class he was taught was Welsh, the native language of their people.

     Ian, however, attended public classes during the regular school year but was forced by his parents to continue his studies part-time in the summer at the manor. “It’s a wonderful gift offered by Mrs. Williams and you should be grateful,” was what he was told each summer as he was hunted down from the woods and practically hog-tied to be brought to the schooling area. But like when he had to be rounded up for bath time when he was younger, he always had a great time once he got there.

     Ian was completely fascinated by the rich, colorful stories of the ancient Celts, the ancestors of the United Kingdom and Ireland who were not only brave warriors but who were also known for their love of various sciences, of nature and of the arts. Mr. McBee spun tales so real that Ian and Reese were sure they themselves had been a part of the ageless stories fighting as brave warriors, their names lifted in songs played on lyres by bards, as heroes worthy to be remembered through the centuries. The two boys would listen wild-eyed to their teacher--who looked especially insect-like when telling these stories-- and memorize the details of battle and song so that they could reenact them later.

     After this particular class, when the rain was taking a short break, the boys got an idea that they thought was exceptionally brilliant. But first--on their way out of the classroom--they each took the special handmade treat Mr. McBee always placed for them on two small silver trays. Made from an archaic recipe handed down in Mr. McBee’s family, it was the single sweetest and most delicious thing the boys had ever tasted.

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Next time, Chapter 3 

Rebecca Dunning is an award winning writer who lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband and three children. She not only loves to read and write but also enjoys hiking, climbing mountains 14,000 feet or higher, traveling the world and about anything else out-of-doors. Rebecca is the author of two children's books:The Real-Life Princess and Beetle Hunter.

Team Abolition Races to End Slavery

This is an article I wrote for 24-7prayer. Enjoy! ~ Rebecca

L-R: Clint Dunning, Jennifer Manly and Adam Manly

I thought I knew what the three members of Team Abolition, our grass roots team dedicated to raising funds for Just24 and awareness about human trafficking, were heading into when they took on the Tough Mudder on June 26^th, but I was in for a few surprises. Namely that the race was not 8 but 10 miles long, there were 26 instead of 24 obstacles and that I would be spending the next 3+ hours on different means of transportation and forging around the mountainside on foot to stay ahead of them.

Clint and Adam finishing "kiss the mud"

The challenge which took place in Vail, Colorado is dubbed, “Iron Man meets Burning Man” by the founder, a Brit, named Will Dean. The first thought as you enter the teaming masses is that you have stumbled upon a sub culture that is one part brilliant business plan and one part fantastical community. Costumes are a plenty, including chicken suits, men in speedos and bow ties… well you get the picture. It’s not all fun and games though as the Tough Mudder has donated over 1.3 million to the Wounded Warrior Project and its British counterpart.

I was happy to see that despite the madness, Will Dean, had noticed our abolitionist jerseys and the 24-7prayer.com website on them before he met me for our interview and was planning to check it out.  After discussing the event and human trafficking, I raced towards the starting lines were they were about to, according to Dean, “test toughness, fitness, strength, stamina, and mental grit all in one place and all in one day.”

Adam and Jen on "Mount Everest"

Every twenty minutes a group of 500 hundred competitors surged down the hill and began the grueling challenges, most which included rank mud and ice cold water. One such event required navigating through chest high water that was only 36 degrees and swimming under barrels. After such events, hypothermia blankets were handed out and many quit the race. 

 

I was able to locate Clint Dunning and Adam Manly & Jennifer Manly, members of Team Abolition, in the mountains at 8 obstacles including a mud crawl under 8 inch high barb wire and a full body plunge into ice water. I also caught up with them as they navigated a cargo net across a river before heading up a black diamond ski slope with nets.

Clint getting zapped with live wires

At the end of the day, Team Abolition defied not only icy fire hoses but the 30% drop out statistic with all three of them finishing together by running through dangling live wires pulsing with 10,000 volts. I think being a spectator and hanging with the crowds was probably more fun than being in the race; however I’ve been coerced along with about 10 others to join in the next event. I’d better start training now.

Thanks for reading

~Rebecca