Creekbank Blog

Click here to hear podcast of “Burned Yet Blessed” From Deep Roots, the new short story collection by Curt Iles Burned yet Blessed “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The next best time is today.” Nothing breaks my heart like a field of burned pines. Yet that is exactly what I’m looking at driving toward …

Wednesday, December 1, 2010 Scroll down to read entire chapter from Deep Roots,  “The Pine Knot Pile.” Proverbs for Dec. 1  “… and the complacency of fools destroys them…”  Proverbs 1:32   Warning: doing nothing destroys just as improper action does! Quote for your day: “A friend is a present you give yourself.”  -Robert Louis Stevenson Deep Roots update:  Our new …

Friends: I wish for each of you a great day.  Read below for the story “Homeless in Dry Creek.” Quote for your day: Discipline is the foundation upon which all success is built. Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure.  -Jim Rohn Proverb for Nov. 29:  Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to …

Our theme for the week at the Creekbank is living with thankfulness. I like to call it “The Gratitude-Filled Life.”  It’s the state of being thankful to God for each and every blessing in our lives. I caught the gratitude-bug when I saw this sign at our pharmacy. We do have so much to be thankful for. I’d love to …

On Prayer: The first purpose of prayer is to know God.   -Charles L. Allen “Life without faith in something is too narrow a space in which to live.” – George Lancaster Spalding In Whom is your faith? Today’s Proverb: “A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.”Proverbs 18:7 Dry Creek version:”He let his …

“Faith enables persons to be persons because it lets God be God.”   -Carter Lindberg “In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.”  -David Ben-Gurion, first Prime Minister of Israel. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox & hatred with it. Proverbs 15:17 i.e. if you live in a home …

I walk into the Lake Charles Books a Million and speak to a young man leaving the store. He stops me. “Sir, are you from Brooklyn?” I nearly laugh. My accent clearly tells you I’m not from Brooklyn. “No, I’m at home right here.” “I’m sorry, Sir. You look like Father Musclevy.” It made my day and tied in to …

Click on cover image to see a larger view. Does anyone recognize this tree and its location? Hint: It’s near Dry Creek but not in Dry Creek.

Listen to the Introduction Chapter of Deep Roots Quote of the day: “It don’t cost a nickel to be nice to people.”  -George “Sparky” Anderson, Hall of Fame Baseball Manager.  He died yesterday at 76.  He managed two of the greatest teams of the 20th century:  The “Big Red Machine” Cincinnati Reds and the 1984 Detroit Tigers. My beloved uncle, …

Quote for your day:  Either you run the day or the day runs you. -Jim Rohn I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try to please everyone. -Bill Cosby It’s a wonderful truth I’ve discovered: in my writing, I cannot (and will not) please everyone.  Not every reader will take a shine to …

The Landmark Pine[CI1]   It’s the lone pine tree on the front/back cover of this book. It’s a landmark tree. Deep roots Rita The Louisiana Landmark Tree The Louisiana Landmark Tree was given to these 28 Live Oaks, forming the entrance way to Oak Alley Plantation. These trees took root before the 1718 founding of New Orleans, and have lived …

Quote for your day: You will treat people and relationships differently when you know you are going to reap the harvest in a later season.  -Priscilla Shirer I’m reminded of the words of “Sparky” Anderson, longtime manager of the Cincinnati Reds during the “Big Red Machine” days: “It don’t even cost a nickel to be nice to somebody.” Scripture for …

Today’s Proverb:  Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses the way.  Proverbs 19:2 ESV A Prayer for the day:  Lord, keep me from two places:  Lagging behind your will for my life and being ahead of your will.  You know me well, I’m prone to both, especially the latter. Teach me to walk …

On the Road Why I write:  I pass a soldier in the DFW Airport. His nametag reads Cross and his patch shows a cross. He’s a Christian Chaplain named Cross. I hand him a copy of “Wayfaring.” He’s on his way back to Afghanistan and promises to share it with his “men.” I know he will. I imagine I’ll hear …