Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller

Pray One for Another   “. . . And pray one for another.” (James 5:16) One of my favorite stories concerning prayer is told by my lifelong friend, Della Mercer. She faithfully taught the preschoolers at our church for years. Once at the end of ...

Oakdale Mill bluebird box. Notice log truck and cranes in background. My mantra: Stay Curious. Be Amazed. Share Remarkable Stories. I work Mondays as a chaplain at Roy O Martin’s Mills. Today, as I entered the Oakdale mill, I stopped by the bluebird boxes. It’s ...

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 ...

  “There are three ways to ultimate success. The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.” -Fred Rogers aka Mister Rogers On Kindness   Always be kinder than necessary. It’s a trait ...

I’ve really been encouraged by this verse from Isaiah:   “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Isaiah 40:29   Wherever you are in your journey, God is there for you.

A word from Curt   The following comes via my friend, agent Chip MacGregor. He shared these questions back in 2012 and I try to take this “February Questionnaire” each year. Chip gives credit on the questions to Bobb Biehl. I’d encourage you to read ...

A word from Curt I’ve never liked the R word. Resolutions. I prefer to talk and think about the bigger issue of how I want to be a difference maker in this new year. I call it the 30,000 foot view. Personally, I craft a yearly Life ...

Let Your Word be Your Bond   “Your word and integrity is yours and yours alone to keep or lose.” –Preston Moses   In the Pineywoods, major business deals have been sealed with a handshake and a man’s word. We have a saying for it: ...

Courage I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. –Nelson Mandela   Grandsons, you’ll be in situations where one man can make a difference: The difference in a win or loss. The difference in the right outcome or ...

Resilience   My father-in-law, a very wise man, once pointed out some ancient persimmon trees along an old wagon road near his boyhood home. “See how those trees are scarred along their bases? It’s from the logs bumping against them as they were dragged to ...

Integrity   Integrity is who you are when no one is looking, and what you will stand up for even if you’re standing alone. –John Maxwell   Rather than ramble on about what integrity is, I’ll tell a story. It’s a remarkable true story that ...

Book 1: Relationships   Everything rises and falls on relationships. –John Maxwell Shake like a Man “When you give a man a handshake, make sure it’s firm because it shows you’re a man.” –John Groves When I was a young teenager, Tubby and Agnes King ...

Foreword: Dinosaurs “Tell me who you are, and I’ll tell you where you’re from.” –Wallace Stegner I was born in the Louisiana Pineywoods when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth. Most of them are gone, and I still miss them greatly. They helped shape my life, ...

A word from Curt Beginning this week, I’ll be sharing short posts about how I am learning to use the end of the year/beginning of the new to review the past year and plan for the new one.  Join us at the Creekbank beginning on ...