FUTURE BOOKS

It is a privilege… When we count our blessings, we’ll realize how many we have. With that on my mind, I’ve been stuck on this wonderful phrase, “It is a privilege.” I find myself applying those words to every opportunity, challenge, problem, and joy I encounter on this rocky yet wonderful road of life. It’s a privilege to ___________. “IAP” …

It’s all about relationships. When it comes down to it, our lives are about the relationships we share with others. I call it the ripple effect. (I’ll put my story “The Ripple Effect” on this blog later today.) Here are three of my favorite quotes on friendship, which is the heart of relationship-building. Every person I meet becomes a part …

Stand by Me Sometimes a song gets stuck in your head, or maybe your heart. Because of my love of music and how it affects me in my soul and in my writing, this often happens. For the last two days, I’ve heard “Stand by Me” the old negro spiritual. It’s always been one of my favorites. It’s a song …

Epilogue: “Happy and Sad” This is the final chapter from Wind in the Pines. It contains a wonderful fable about gathering memories and friends. I hope you enjoy it. As we conclude this journey together at the end of another book, I want to thank you for walking along beside me. The fact that you’ve made it to the end …

The Evening Holler This group of Zulu (South African) boys are giving the “Dry Creek Hoot Owl Call.” I’d been in their village the week before and shared “The Evening Holler.” They greeted me with it when we returned. It was a neat experience. To read this story– the first one in my first book (Stories from the Creekbank) click …

The Sixth Word to live by In the past week we’ve blogged about the six words I strive to live by. Here are the previous ones: compassion/passion, integrity, resolve, gratitude, , and relationships. My final word, and today’s subject is Legacy. Legacy is all about where you end up at. Legacy is about how you’ll be remembered. Anyone can start …

I’m sharing this week about my six favorite words. So far, I’ve written about compassion/passion/integrity/gratitude, and resolve. Today, the word is relationships Relationships “Everything rises and falls on relationships.” I’ll be adding to this blog as the day goes on. In the end, it’s all about relationships. When it’s all said and done, the people around us are all that …

A word for today. I’m working on the six words that drive my life. I encourage you to write down your own list. Why six? Because five is not enough, and seven seems too many. Seriously, your list of words can be short or long. I’ve already covered Compassion/Passion (I’m cheating and using them as one word.) We also talked …

In recovering and writing about my African trip, I’m sharing my favorite six words. The sketch above shows an old deacon’s feet dancing a jig in joy before the Lord. (see his picture and full story by scrolling below.) This wonderful older man is still living life with my word #1: Passion! My 6 words. Today’s word: Integrity. What a …

Burned, yet Blessed, by the Fire… “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The next best time is today.” We’re just finishing burning season in Southwestern Louisiana. Five days of rain and the greening of the grass ended one of the driest winters we’ve had in years. The following story is from my 2004 book, Wind …

Curt cooking supper at The Old House What I Value Most You can also view this story at www.whativaluemost.com. Simply type in “Curt Iles” to read my story. I make my living as a storyteller. Some stories are written, others I tell. Most of the stories I tell are true. Others, although fictional, are taken from real life. As a …

The Door is Open To be invited into an Honduran house is a great honor and is always a favorite part of any trip. The hospitality of folks in other countries is so wonderful. It seems like the door is always open to visitors . The sweet lady, Reina, holding the picture told us, “Our home is humble, but Christ …

76 years of marriage—no, make that 77. They were always together. In my fifty years of knowing them, I can seldom recall seeing one without the other. And that’s how Uncle Gordon and Aunt Letha will live on in my heart. With the recent death of my grandmother’s last living sibling, Letha Reynolds, a marriage bond of 76 years was …

“You’re the Man” I wonder if they’ll give Captain Sully his “Broken Wing” award. It’s a special aviation award for safely landing a disabled aircraft. As you are aware, Chelsey B. “Sully” Sullenberger III is the pilot who saved the lives of 155 passengers of US Airways Flight 1549, when he safely landed the large jet in the Hudson River. …