“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God no matter what the conflict.”  -Anon.

“It is only when we begin to worship that we begin to grow.”  -Calvin Coolidge “How unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself.”   –Publilus Syrus The spiritual theme of my upcoming novel,  A Spent Bullet, is that “the hardest person to forgive is yourself.” I believe that oftentimes we have been the recipients of God’s complete forgiveness because of the …

Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your strength.   Ecclesiastes 9:10 If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Especially if it’s for God. There is no room in the Christian life for sloppy, slip-shoddy work. Whatever we do should be a reflection of the Jesus we serve. And He only deserves our best. My prayer is that …

“An unused life is an early death.” -van Goethe “Lord, use me today to make a positive difference in at least one life. Amen

Two Cups of Coffee This morning I poured two cups of coffee even though I’m alone. Both now sit on my desk. I recall the words of T.W. Hunt, the author of The Mind of Christ, “Sometimes when I’ve not felt as close to the Lord as I wish, I’ll pour a second cup of coffee and take it with …

This is a passage from my upcoming novel, A Spent Bullet.  It’s set in 1941 Beauregard Parish.  This passage features 10 year old Ben, his sister Elizabeth (who’ll be teaching him in school), and their grandmother, Ma. I’d like your honest input on this passage that I’m not quite satisfied with. He began whistling as he walked past Elizabeth.  He …

Bethany Baptist Benediction Song. This is a touching song sung by Bethany Baptist Church in Goma, Congo.  You can see a YouTube video of it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciFpUoiWAgQ I believe in the blood of Jesus The only Savior. I give it all to Him. The things that you promise to me to get by faith You cannot refuse to give it …

Snake in the Church!     Scripture:  “You have not lied to men, but to God.”  -Peter in Acts 5:4 Last month, I was speaking in Samaria Baptist Church, Goma, Congo. Suddenly two men sitting by the side door jumped up and began scuffling outside the doorway. Initially I thought it was a fight. Then I wondered if someone had …

In chapter 11 of my upcoming novel, A Spent Bullet, a Grasshopper scout plane crash lands into the Reed family okra patch.  It’s nose and propeller bury in the ground, and Mr. Reed (Poppa) brings his plow team to pull it loose. This brings on a conversation between the pilot and the old farmer about the values of “horsepower.” This …

Old lumber   Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah. II Chron. 16:6   Old lumber still builds well. It’s a maxim that any carpenter knows. Just because wood is old doesn’t diminish its value. Along …

These devotions are for a future book of stories called “Deep Roots.”  I’d love your feedback and ideas.  Email me at curtiles@aol.com  or Facebook/Twitter. Across the Pea Patch This is a story I wrote a few months before the death of my hero, Don Hunt. I often write about traveling to far off places to share the good news of …

“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, and most fools do.”  – Ben Franklin

That’s one thing I like about these Congolese Christians. They aren’t asking for a handout, but rather a handup. It’s the best way we Americans can support God’s work in Africa.