Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller

The Hay’s in the Barn It’s “Christmas Eve-Eve.” Two days until Christmas. It’s close but there’s still time for planning and dreaming. A strong cold front is blowing in as I arrive at Foreman’s Meat Market. Last night we were in shirtsleeves. By tonight it will be freezing. Long vee formations of geese have been flying over all morning. They’re …

                Another Soldier Comes Home for Christmas I wonder when they finally took his Christmas stocking down. What year did the family remove his vacant chair from the Christmas dining room table? His name was Lt. Commander James R. Bauder. The date was September 21, 1966. Bauder and his fellow pilot , Lt. …

Lazarus’ Second Funeral I guess I’m only one who attended both of Boaz Lazurus’ funerals. The second one was yesterday. The first one was thirty-one years ago. I remember the first funeral well. I was a young rabbi, only recently assigned to the Bethany synagogue. I’ll never forget the raw grief of his two sisters, Mary and Martha. I had …

                     Christmas Jelly. Learn more at www.creekbank.net   This is chapter 20 from Christmas Jelly. It’s written by one of my favorite people, Erik Pederson.  Mr. Erik touched all of us with his love, humor, and smile. He’ll always be missed in Dry Creek.   I encouraged him to write this story and …

Christmas Jelly is our latest book of short stories. Learn more at www.creekbank.net   Tractor Time     When this old world starts getting me down And people are just too much for me to face. I climb way up to the top of the stairs And all my cares just drift right into space. On the roof, it’s peaceful …

                 The Heavenly Choir Christmas season—The Dry Creek Church choir sings beautifully in a way beyond description. It’s much more than a musical . . . it’s a production . . . replete with drama, stories, and best of all, inspiring music.   Joseph and Mary enter the back of our sanctuary. It’s …

Too Much Jesus?   As you’ve noticed, many of the stories in Christmas Jelly are about Jesus. He is what Christmas is about. We make no apologies for making him front and center of this book. Once I heard a powerful sermon by one of my favorite preachers, Jason Townley. As the message ended and crowd left, I shook his …

This is chapter 16 from my short story book, Christmas Jelly An Old Feed Trough   When Mary birthed Jesus ’twas in a cow’s stall, With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all. – “I Wonder as I Wander”   The old barn looks snakey. You may not realize snakey is an adjective. It can mean “overrun with snakes.” …

The Hardest Day of the Year     Christmas Eve is not when you expect to stand at the cemetery. I’m here with my friend, Julian Campbell. We’re selecting a gravesite for his sister Kathleen, who died yesterday after a brave ten-year battle with cancer. It’s fitting I’m with Julian. He and his family helped bury my dad. Now I’m …

  We’re blogging Christmas stories. If you enjoyed today’s post, you can read others at www.creekbank.net. Yesterday’s post, “Medic”, is a reader favorite and tomorrow’s, “The Hardest Day of the Year” is especially poignant for those who’ve lost a loved one. The Warm Glow of Giving It’s the kind of December day Louisiana is famous for: cold and foggy, with …

This is the latest installment from Christmas Jelly, our latest short story collection. We’re serving one serving per day. Enjoy today’s story! Buried Treasure       I open the old wooden box and pour out a small pile of old coins, dog tags, buttons, bullets, medallions, and other metal objects. It’s my dad’s treasure chest. These items found by my …

Each day in December, we’re spooning out a helping of Christmas Jelly. Today’s story features two illustrations of  forgiveness.  Christmas is a tough time for those with “issues”: hurts from the past, wounds that haven’t healed, bitterness, and regret. Christmas is also a great time for extending forgiveness. These two stories illustrate the strength and power of  pure forgiveness. On …

A word from Curt:  Merry Christmas to you and your family. Thanks for being part of the Creekbank Family. I believe you’ll enjoy one of my favorite stories, “No Room at the Inn.”   From Christmas Jelly: No Room at the Inn They say revenge is a dish best served cold. It was natural—every child in the church Christmas program …

  Each day during December, we’re featuring a chapter from our Christmas short story collection, Christmas Jelly.   If you enjoy today’s story, share it with your friends.    New Birth in New Orleans Christmas 2005 It’s Christmas in New Orleans, but we’re not here to see the bright city lights. We’ve brought supplies for Katrina victims. It’s been three months …