Joseph on Forgiveness Part 4   Folks ask, “When did Joseph forgive his brothers?”   The rational answer is that this forgiveness occurred years later when the brothers show up in Egypt. However, the forgiveness was even now taking place after arriving in Egypt. . Here’s why: a person full of unforgiveness and bitterness will never be described as “The …

Trustworthiness: Lesson 3 on Joseph “Joseph got in prison, but prison didn’t get in him.” -Chuck Swindoll When we last saw our hero, Joseph, he had been framed for attempted rape by his bosses’ wife, the evil Mrs. Potiphar. When Potiphar returns that evening, his wife is waiting, Joseph’s cloak in hand, screaming bloody murder. Her accusation is worth noting, …

Joseph: Part 2 Integrity The best definition of Integrity I’ve seen is by author John Maxwell: “Integrity is who you are when no one looking, and what you’re willing to stand up for even if you’re standing alone.” Joseph’s Old Testament story reveals these maxims. If you missed part one of the story, “The Lord was with Joseph”, read it …

“The story of Joseph is like the buffet at Golden Corral. There’s so much to choose from.”   There are many outstanding characters in the Bible. In the Old Testament, there is no one who shines brighter than a man named Joseph. His life is truly a “riches to rags to riches” story as found in Genesis 37-50.   We’ll …

T.O.B.   I’m part of a Friday morning Bible study led by Warren Morris. Warren is the former LSU player who hit the famous walk-off home run to win the 1996 College World Series.   He is a great teacher and leader. Most of all, Warren is one of the humblest men I know. From time to time, he’ll share …

This story, written years ago, is still my favorite Christmas story. Enjoy and Merry Christmas to you and your family.  -Curt Iles   The Best Christmas Gift   “The only true gift is a portion of yourself.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.             With sweaty palms, I wheel my pickup onto Eleanor Andrews Road. I feel as if it’s the first …

    “In everything, give thanks.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18   It’s always been one of my favorite stories, and I can’t think of a better time to share it than at Thanksgiving.   The only character in this story is a man named Vance. He’s one of my favorite Dry Creek friends. He told me this story years ago and …

John Wooden’s Socks   “It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.”   -John Wooden   I was a college senior the year I met John Wooden in 1979. I was preparing to embark on my journey as a high school basketball coach. I traveled to Monroe, Louisiana to hear John Wooden speak at a coaching clinic. Wooden, who’d …

Shake Like a Man As we’re slowly but surely passing up the restrictions of the Pandemic, it’s time to be reminded about the manly art of handshaking. A fist bump is a poor excuse for a firm handshake.   “When you give a man a handshake, make sure it’s firm because it shows you’re a man.” -John Groves When I …

  Today would be the birthday of my precious great aunt,  Letha Stockwell Reynolds.  In honor and memory of her life, we’re posting a reader favorite story, “Running Through The Lobby.” It’s a post about love and Aunt Letha and her husband of seventy-seven years, Gordon, are the stars.   Learn more about Deep Roots at http://www.creekbank.net/books/deep-roots/         …

                 Dead End   Mr. Frank Miller stormed into my office. Maybe stormed is too strong a word, but he was evidently highly upset. When a man over eighty storms into a room, and he is your mentor, you quickly want to find out what is wrong. I didn’t have to ask as Mr. Frank got right …

  Drive Your Stakes Deep We set up our tent on a bluff overlooking a pristine Maine lake. My hiking partner, Mac, and I were on a two-week hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT). We set up camp on an August evening with clear skies and a soft cool breeze. Due to traveling light, we had a small tent. Mac …

Choosing Your Rut     Choose your rut carefully: you’ll be in it for the next thirty miles. -Sign on Alaskan wilderness road It’s true. I learned in African bush driving that the rut you chose is very difficult to get out of. During the rainy season, dirt roads became paths of deep mud. Whatever rut I chose to follow …

Do you have “Salty Language?” (a 3-minute story) Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6 ESV Salt has many uses: it seasons, preserves, melts ice, heals, and serves other purposes in our lives. Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, compares his followers to …