A Pineywoods Manifesto

A Word from Curt           Let’s go see the eclipse. It’s going to be cloudy all over the texas/Arkansas/oklahoma If we don’t go Worst case scenario, We’ll have ten hours of uniterrupted visiting   Baseball season opened this weekend. Our beloved Houston Astros were scheduled to begin play today in New York against the Yankees. Rained …

A Word from Curt Fighting It’s a word a man must know if he’s going to win in life. I’m not talking about fists or knives. I’m referring to the soul.     We’re all familiar with the adage, “I’d rather fight a bear.” After watching that grizzly bear tear up Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) in The Revenant, I’m not sure …

It’s Dr. Martin Luther King Day here in America. My first MLK Day in America since 2011. Once again, my thoughts have returned to Africa today. To Jinja, Uganda. Where the world’s greatest river, the Nile, surges out of one of the world’s greatest lakes, Lake Victoria. A plaque to Gandhi is at the source of the Nile. This is …

A Word from Curt I have two questions today: Where do you go for your lonely place? Where are your sacred spaces?     I’ve chosen to make the first question singular: where is your lonely place? In the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel, the writer makes a key statement on the life and ministry of Jesus: 35 And rising very …

Ignore that fancy word. Juxtapositon. It simply means comparing and contrasting. How is an orange like an apple?  How is it different. It’s a big part of how my mind works as I take three steps daily: Being curious Being Amazed. Being Moved to tell a story.     Many times my stories are about these amazing things and how they …

Tough or Hard   In front of me are three objects: a brick, a piece of leather, and a hammer. These make for a wonderful lesson. However, this story is not about the hardness of a brick, toughness of leather, or the pain of the hammer blow. This is a story about somebody. Objects don’t move us—but people do. Watching …

We’re highlighting stories from our short story collection, Deep Roots. Measure Twice, Cut Once   Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you. -Exodus 31:6   I’ve always loved watching an artist at work. To watch a skilled craftsman shape something with their hands—and heart—is a joy. As the above verse …

Sugar and Ivory It’s odd but I will always think of two dogs when I think of the long night that Hurricane Rita struck Dry Creek Camp. We had 350 people on our grounds. They had been moved and bedded down in our most solid dorms and everyone took enough food and water for the next thirty hours when we …

A word from Curt Today is a travel day Up Country. Upcountry is that part of Uganda above the Nile River. It’s Wild. Open. Rustic. Beautiful. Frustrating. Pray for Charlie, Shane, and me as we travel. I can’t wait to show Shane Wilber this spot on the road north.   David Platt is the new leader of our organization, the …

Thoughts from a Foolish Chapter: Proverbs 26    “Never argue with a fool.  Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference “ –Mark Twain* Wisdom from Proverbs on Fools . . .     On the surface it appears contradictory.  One Proverb says to ignore fools and their foolish words.  The following advises a retort. Proverbs 26:4-5 NASB 4   …

Lifting the Barn. Together we can do it. Even if you skip today’s post, don’t miss this video of several hundred people moving a barn in Nebraska. http://youtu.be/o83W0gj_CRE is my favorite “Pamoja” story: Herman Ostry’s barn floor was under twenty-nine inches of water because of a rising creek. The Bruno, Nebraska farmer invited a few friends to a “barn raising.” …

        A word from Curt Truth.  It’s knowing the facts.  Seeing for yourself.  It’s the theme of this story. You’ll meet Oscar. And his dad. And a new word.  Ground truthing.   We’re posting chapters from our new ebook,  Trampled Grass, daily. You can download a copy in four ways: Read sample chapters or purchase at Amazon. Read …

                                This story, “Brick by Brick” is featured in our upcoming ebook,  Trampled Grass. I wonder where he’s at. I hope he’s still alive. I first met Batuk the Dinka at a lonely border checkpoint in South Sudan just north of the Tri-Corner of where …

  A word from Curt The word is passion. It’s how I want to live my life. And you don’t have to come to Africa to live the passionate life. Part of my formula for the passionate life is journaling.  It’s been integral to my life since age 17. I’m now on journal #73.  Each weekend, I glean the previous …