Encouragement!

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms   “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” –Deuteronomy 33:27   I know it is still there—page 276 in the old Broadman hymnal—that old classic hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.” What a fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the everlasting arms. What a blessedness, what a peace is …

A word from Curt The Borderlands Team is compiling a devotional book for Refugees. The following is a short devo I wrote. I hope it blesses your life.     Bricks without Fire   Scripture:  Daniel 3:24-25 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar . . . declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to …

  John McCain   He is a hero and a patriot and fittingly, he is being buried as one. John McCain, regardless of your politics, was a great American. Whether you agreed with him or not, he would do anything for what he considered his country. I didn’t always agree with him. I laughingly always said, “Sometimes, he seems to …

Today is Journey # 1351 at www.creekbank.net. I thought you’d enjoy the first story I ever blogged on December 1, 2006. The Journey of one thousand miles begins with one single step. -Chinese Proverb   Catfish Lies: Straight from the Delta When is the truth a lie? We talk about “little white lies” and half-truths. Is there such a thing? …

Stay Curious Be Amazed at Life  Tell Remarkable Stories A Word from Curt   The 5 books that have most shaped my life. I encourage you to have a reading list for 2018.  I hope you include in this list what I call your Life Book List. These are the books that occupy a special place on your bookshelf and …

  A Pineywoods Manifesto: Thoughts on the Full Life I’m writing an e-book for my four grandsons. It’s also for young men who have no male role model to teach them these simple but essential life skills. Today’s chapter is entitled “Shake Like a Man.” Shake like a Man When I was a young teenager, Tubby and Agnes King moved to …

A Word from Curt We’re on a journey and our map is: To stay curious. Continue to be amazed at life. Share Remarkable* Stories with our friends and readers.   *A remarkable sound: a dueling duet between a Cardinal and Mockingbird in our backyard. I wonder how we’d react if we’d never heard the songs of these classic Southern songsters? In …

A Word from Curt Speaking to the DeRidder Lion’s Club about our latest book, As the Crow Flies.  I love sharing with Civic Clubs about our books and stories. Right now, I’m concentrating on “The Crow” and also A Spent Bullet, our historical novel on The 1941 Louisiana Maneuvers. If you’d like me to speak to your group (civic groups, …

  A word from Curt We have a special offer for you to own the three-book Westport Trilogy. It follows Joe and Eliza Moore through The Wayfaring Stranger, A Good Place, and the final book, As the Crow Flies. Each book is a standalone novel but they are best read in order.  This week, you can get all three books …

  Storms don’t create character; they reveal it. We saw that in the good folks of Texas and Louisiana as neighbors and strangers helped each other.         The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline, for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and …

I could tell you all of the reasons I want our new book, As the Crow Flies, to be in Braille. Instead, I’ll share this story from our time in Chad, Africa:   “Pastor, will you please read Acts 1:8 for us?” The white-haired Mzee picked up his Bible and began thumbing through it. I’d never seen someone read from …

Of all the things I learned from three years in Africa,  a lasting lesson was the sacrifice of families who serves overseas. Grandchildren grow up a world apart from their grandparents with only yearly (or less) face-to-face visits. Missionaries worry about their aging parents as the years roll on. Parents in the United States pray, worry, pray, and worry some …

Together, we can do it! Friends, You are invited to become part of the Creekbank Tribe that helps publish As the Crow Flies. Learn more at the Creekbank Kickstarter page.  I want to thank you in advance for believing in our stories and their worthiness to appear in print. Together, we can do it! Gratefully, Curt Iles       …

Growing up in a Small Community: The Rich Life of Mrs. Eva Cole “Oh, those small communities . . . “ -John Mellencamp   I grew up in Dry Creek, Louisiana. It would be an exaggeration to call it a town. It would be pretentious to call it a village. Reeves is a village. Dry Creek is a community. I like …