Devotions

Matthew 6:33 A Verse to Live By

My life verse is Matthew 6:33. Here are several one of my English language versions.  33 But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.   NKJV 33 But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then …

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Wings and Roots: Purple Martins

An An Adult Male Purple Martin Wings and Roots   If you ask what I like best about purple martins, I’d reply, “It’s how these birds have wings and roots.” One of the joys of my rural life is the six months yearly the martins spend as my guests. These migratory birds, members of the swallow family, first arrive in …

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Holding the Ladder

Thursday, October 11 The following powerful story is from a choice couple serving in a difficult part of North Africa. I cannot list their names but beg you to pray for them and their sweet children. Dear Friends and Family, Thank you for being such an encouragement to us. I was watching a man across the street painting a house. …

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All You Need to Know About Today

Monday,  October 1 Assurance for Today                       None of us know. What today will bring. What may be lurking out there tomorrow. What our life will be like 5 years from now. It doesn’t matter because we can trust the strong hands of Jesus to hold us and our world …

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Baptist Beer, Katrina, Rita, and Isaac.

This gem is from Hearts across the Water written in 2005.  It’s subtitle is “Stories of Hope.”  It details the good people and heroic deeds done following the Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and its bad little sister, Hurricane Rita. Watching the edge of Isaac breeze through Dry Creek brought back so many memories.   Baptist Beer       …

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7 lanes of traffic

  We’ve been in Houston for a few days. It’s always a good trip to make me glad I live twenty-five miles from a traffic signal.     Trivia:  Did you know you can drive from Dry Creek, Louisiana to Pineville and never be stopped by a red light?   If you know the path, let me know.   As …

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Part 5 The Life and Times …

  Part 5  This is the fifth installment of an autobiography I was required to write for our upcoming mission position. I share it with no pretense of it being self-glorification.  It is simply a timeline of God’s faithfulness in our lives.  I have written it with a transparent and honest spirit. The weaknesses are all mine… the triumph belongs …

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The Life and Times of Curt Iles Part 2

Yesterday, we started the journey on my required 10 page autobiography.  This is part 2.  Click on the previous blog post to read part 1. Part 2   A tragic event occurred in 1958 that impacted my family when my six-year-old uncle was run over and killed.  I was two and don’t remember the event but it has affected my …

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The Life and Times of Curt Iles

Part of our application process to serve with the International Mission Board was writing a 6-10 page “autobiography.” My wife DeDe looked at this requirement and shook her head.  “There’s no way I can write six pages about myself.” Curious Curt had a different reaction.  “How can I limit it to ten pages?” That’s why we make such a good …

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