“Git ‘er Done!” I’m driving along in the camp truck near Oakdale on Hwy 10. A black GMC truck comes quickly up behind me. On the top of the front windshield is painted, “Git ‘er Done!” As the truck quickly speeds around me, I can hear the bass on the loud stereo …
Category Archives: Creekbank Blog
A Long Snakeskin
A Long Snakeskin My nephew found it near the barn at my father-in-law’s home. It was by far the longest intact snakeskin I’ve ever seen. We measured it at six-and-one-half feet long. There was no doubt with its length and thinness that it was a Texas Rat Snake, or as we call it, …
A Good Word called Hospitality
A Tribal Code of Hospitality … So he asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:29 I’ve never been to Afghanistan and probably never will go. It is a long and dangerous way from America. Especially hostile is the mountainous area that serves as the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is …
That’s My Flag
Long May it Wave Sunday, September 11, 2005 In my mind I will always remember it as the enduring symbol of the United States—an American flag in a faraway place where you never expected to see one. I thought about that flag today on the fourth anniversary of 9/11. The television news balanced …
Mabel’s Sweet Song
Mabel’s Song But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:25 Anyone can sing when things are bright and the sun is shining brightly and our circumstances are easy. But our song…and heart…become tested when trials come. It’s crunch time. …
Whistling Past the Graveyard
A note from Curt We continue with stories from ten years ago, as chronicled in our book, Hearts across the Water. Yesterday’s post, Grandma Rodrigue, touched many of you, including me. If you missed it, click here. Today’s post is humorous. It’s a true story of what happens when cultures collide. I’d appreciate any of …
Grandma Rodrique and the Storm
A Word from Curt We’re moving through stories in Hearts across the Water. Ten years ago I wrote this book about three live-changing disasters: the Indian Ocean Tsunami and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I’d forgotten about the chapter entitled, “Grandma Rodrique.” I was moved as I read it again after a decade down the road. …
Long ways from Chicago to Johnson’s Bayou
Al, the FEMA Gator Man “Amos Moses was a Cajun. Lived by himself in the swamp. He hunted alligators for a living, Just knock them in the head with a stump.” –“Amos Moses” Jerry Reed He was the first federal official I met in the days after Katrina. Our New Orleans evacuees had …
Continue reading “Long ways from Chicago to Johnson’s Bayou”
Displaced or Misplaced?
Displaced… but not Misplaced… So often similar words can sound alike but mean totally different things. One word can soothe, while a similar word can irritate and divide. On my first trip to Asia, I quickly learned that there is a word you don’t want to use. It’s a word called …
New Orleans: City I love/City I hate
New Orleans—City I love, City I hate Now as He (Jesus) drew near, He saw the city and wept over it. Luke 19:41–42 Only a native Louisianan can understand it. And even we cannot fully grasp (i.e., wonder) if some psychology doctoral student has ever written a dissertation on it: The unique …
Katrina: The City of Hope
Katrina—The City of Hope Listen to Podcast of story August 29–30, 2005 And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV This is the story of a place where faith, hope, and love collided in the last days of …
Our Weatherman: You mean that’s his real name?
It’s the 10th anniversary of the Louisiana hurricanes. We’re sharing excerpts from Hearts across the Water, a personal memoir written during 2005. Chapter 17 : Lyle Whitlake August 29, 2005 It’s 2:30 am and I’m driving from the Houston airport east toward my Louisiana home. The westbound lanes of Interstate 10 are full of vehicles …
Continue reading “Our Weatherman: You mean that’s his real name?”
He may have been the Reason I was sent to Indonesia
A word from Curt As the tenth anniversary of the Louisiana hurricanes approaches, we’re sharing stories from our book, Hearts across the Water. This week’s posts concern the aftermath of the Indonesian tsunami. I was part of a team that worked there in March 2005. Beginning tomorrow, we’ll share stories from Katrina and Rita. Read a sample chapter of …
Continue reading “He may have been the Reason I was sent to Indonesia”
Bruce the Millionaire
A word from Curt As the tenth anniversary of the Louisiana hurricanes approaches, we’re sharing stories from our book, Hearts across the Water. This week’s posts concern the aftermath of the Indonesian tsunami. I was part of a team that worked there in March 2005. Beginning next week, we’ll share stories from Katrina and Rita. …
