Creekbank Blog

  We had a nice review of A Good Place in today’s Alexandria Town Talk.  Click here to read it. Tomorrow (March 27) from 2:00-4:00 PM I’ll be at Hastings Books in Alexandria signing copies of A Good Place and The Wayfaring Stranger. Come by if you can. Also send a message to your Cenla friends about this event.   …

Proverbs 25:15    Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone. Often, it takes time for something we desire to take place. That is where persistence pays off. Even the “powers that be” can be persuaded with consistent persistence. I once read where time and patience are two of the greatest forces not only …

We’re working through one proverb per day corresponding to the day of the month.  Today we’re in Proverbs 18. Proverbs 18:12   “Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.” I’ve never noticed it before, but this is the 4-H verse.  The proverbs mentions four words that are worth looking at. Heart-  it’s the inner part of …

I climbed Croagh Patrick in March 2007 during a sleet storm.  St. Patrick is one of my heroes.  A foreigner who went to a pagan country and saw the entire nation come to Christ during his lifetime.  If you don’t know his story, read it. Here is one of my favorite passages in Proverbs 17: “The crucible for silver and …

We’re continuing looking at favorite Proverbs from the corresponding day.  March 16 means Proverbs 16 One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Whatever work we do is worthy of our best. Our first step should be to commit that work to the Lord. Give it to Him. …

Proverbs by the Day A good Bible reading plan includes the book of Proverbs. It contains thirty-one chapters loaded with common sense,  wisdom, and insightful sayings.  By reading a chapter per day you can finish it in a month.  Then turn around and do it again. I’ve done this for years and still find nuggets of gold in Proverbs. I’ll …

The Creek named Dry Creek I live in the village/small community called Dry Creek.  The actual creek flows through our community. Oldtimers told me the original Indian name for the creek was “Beautiful Creek” and the English translation got mixed up. Regardless, this area is my home.  My first ancestors to settle on this creek were Andrew Jackson Wagnon and …

I grew up in a great place – the rural South. There are so many wonderful things about a country Southern upbringing.  One of the best parts is the large extended family you grow up in.  As a small boy I had a multitude of great grandparents, grandparents, great uncles and aunts galore, cousins, and every other kin folk in …

In this excerpt from A Good Place,  12 year old Mayo is being chased by a wild bull called “Roscoe.”  I grew up in “Open Range” country where cattle roamed everywhere.  The story below is gleaned from an old family story concerning my great great uncle, Dan Iles. Climbing through another treetop, I broke off a small limb. When I …

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 NKJV   This story from Hearts across the Water, was written in 2005.  It’s still one of my favorites because it attempts to explain the unique relationship between New Orleans and the “rest of us” in …

Discussion questions for A Good Place by Curt Iles Below are discussion questions from chapters 1 and 19 of my latest novel, A Good Place.   Help us by submitting your discussion topics for each chapter. This reader’s guide is to facilitate discussion by book clubs, individuals of all ages, and school groups. A Good Place is being enjoyed by readers …

It was a special moment standing with my grandson Jack.  We’d walked a long ways into Kistachie National Forest to find this small cemetery. I’d been told about this graveyard by two friends,  Frank Bogard and Harlis Bass.  It was not easy to find but worth the effort.  The photo below shows Jack Iles standing at the grave of his …

We’ve definitely had winter in southern Louisiana. The coldest weather of the 21st century.  Lower teen temperatures  have only been seen about four times in my fifty plus years. I do believe that a picture tells a story, and a picture is truly worth a thousand words. These photos, one from watermelon season in June 2009 and the other from …

One of the privileges of traveling outside the country is making new friends.  Pastor Emmanuel of Liberia is one such friend whom I grew to love as a brother.  On our last night in Liberia, he shared this wonderful passage from Corinthians. The excellent subtitle work was done by UNO film student Julian Quebedeaux of “Thaninja Studios.”  You can contact …