The Art of Encouragement!

I never met Tyler Lundin. At least not when he was alive. My journey to learning about his life and death began on a dusty soccer field near the Nile River in Uganda. Africans wear all manner of American shirts and caps.  I always enjoyed talking to them about who the Boston Celtics were, Adrian Peterson’s Vikings jersey, and my …

This is chapter 16 from my short story book, Christmas Jelly. There’s still time for you to order copies of Christmas Jelly in time for Christmas stocking stuffers. Scroll down to learn more or click here. We are also offering a special Christmas price on a set of all twelve of our books: $100 for the entire set.  Learn more here.  …

Like most of you, I’m committed to being a Life Long Learner. It’s an attitude. It’s a habit. It’s the desire of my heart. It defines my mantra: Stay curious. Be Amazed. Tell Stories. “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago; the second best time is today.”                     …

Listen to the podcast of  “A Father’s Love.”  “A Father’s Love” From the Curt Iles book, Wind in the Pines. The story below always gets two strong reactions when I tell it. First, laughter. That is a good thing. Secondly, many times this story brings tears. Last year, I told it at Delta Downs (in Vinton) to a group of …

  What we’re about in 2016: 1.  Staying Curious. 2. Being Amazed. 3. Telling Stories. It’s Friday, which means it’s time to think about LLL. That’s Life Long Learning. It’s the reason I want to stay curious,discover, and share good stories. I. This week’s word is Gratitude. Here’s my favorite story on gratitude: Vance Gill, my guitar-playing Dry Creek friend …

We love quotes. They motivate us. Correct us. Inspire us.   2016 and earlier:                                                               The following is from a neat website on passion:  http://www.glidedesign.com/25-great-passion-quotes/     25 Great Quotes …

If you missed last week’s Story Letter, you can read it here.    When you pray, you hold the rope. Thank you for covering our writing, speaking, and ministry with prayer. Here are current prayer needs for DeDe and me: I consider it a privilege to speak to groups of all types and backgrounds.  Please pray for these upcoming events: …

If you missed yesterday’s story letter,  click here to read. Erik and Yvonne Pederson had been on my mind all week. Yvonne was buried yesterday in her beloved Dry Creek.  I had the privilege of delivering her eulogy. I had spoken at her husband’s funeral about ten years ago. I described her as “A woman with a dazzling smile who …

Louisiana Rain A word from Curt:  Prayer. It’s a powerful word because it links us to a powerful God. The following story occurred this week during my chaplain work at Roy O. Martin’s two mills. Enjoy. Stay curious. Be amazed. Tell a story   While making my rounds at the Chopin mill, an employee named Harley* stopped me. “Chaplain, do …

Dry Creek’s finest and biggest pine knot pile in the yard of my friends, Mark and Kari Miller. The following is a short sad story on how I lost my own pile. Earthly treasures, pine knot piles, and 401 (K) accountsx All of a sudden, the February wind picked up and turned out of the south. Instantly what had been …

    Yesterday’s post concerned the issue of land ownership in Uganda.  If you missed it,  you can read,  “This Land Ain’t for Sale” here.     The story featured in both the podcast (audio) and post (below) is called “The Friendship Lane.”  It’s one of my favourites on the art of getting along. The podcast is a early draft …

A Dead Tree with Deep Roots This morning I went by to check on one of my favorite trees in the whole world. As my youngest son Terry and I left our deer stand deep in Crooked Bayou Swamp, we made a detour through the woods. As we walked under the towering oaks and hickories, a late fall was at …

A word from Curt The word is faith. It’s a hopeful word. It has to do with things we cannot see. Yet. Today’s blog means so much to me.  It was a life lesson principle that still guides my life. I shared “One Step” last week with a group of teens. I was astounded at how this story resonated with …

That Flag A word from Curt It’s a good word for today. Freedom.   Trampled Grass is coming your way.  You can pre-order your printed copy here. We’d love to hear your comments on this story. You can use the form at the end of this post or send a Facebook message. Enjoy!     No matter where I see it, my heart still jumps. …