‘Where I Come From’ Landing Page: Leave this world better than you found it.

This is the landing page for our upcoming short story collection, Where I Come From. We’ll be updating information on the book here. “Leave this world better” from Where I Come From.   Front Cover Image   This is the image for the front cover of: Where I Come From: Stories from the Pineywoods CURT ILES ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Where I Come …

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Sleeping on the Ground

  Sleeping on the Ground   When you sleep on the ground With the stars in your face, You can feel the full-length Of the beauty and grace. -Dan Fogelberg  “The Wild Places”   I’ve just spent the last two nights sleeping on the ground under the stars. One night was on a bicycle trip on the Tammany Trace Trail. …

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Thoughts on Being a Life-Long Learner

  LLL   The Discipline of being a LLL: a “Life-Long Learner.” Proverbs 19 for August 19 “To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Life-Long Learner Anyone can be one. No age required. No experience necessary. Available regardless of race, gender, educational background, or family heritage. Go for it!     …

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Trade-offs: When Two Fools Meet

      Trade-Offs: “When Two Fools Meet”                        “There are two things you should never sell: a dog or a gun.” Life is full of decisions, and each one you make is a trade-off. You’ll gain some things while losing others. There’s no shortcut. You’ll gain something as you trade off something else. Seldom in life is any decision …

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Soft Answers

“A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” There is nothing weak about a gentle answer. Rather, it is a sign of inner strength. A person who can lower the temperature is to be admired.   www.creekbank.net

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Proverbs 14 for August 14 keep your eyes on the path. The prudent understand where they are going, but fools deceive themselves.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬     https://bible.com/bible/116/pro.14.8.NLT

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“Watch your Mouth!”

Proverbs 13 for August 13: “Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.” ‭‭ Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “Shut your mouth and listen!”   https://bible.com/bible/116/pro.13.3.NLT

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Dogs, Cats, and Parakeets

Proverbs 12 for August 12 “The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “Never trust a man who doesn’t like dogs.” You can tell a lot about a person as to how he treats his dogs, cats, and parakeets.  

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Losing Your Way

When a leader loses their way.   It’s one of the saddest things to witness, A leader losing her way. Leaving her moral compass and taking her eye off the ball. I’m using the feminine pronoun today as a reminder that off-center leadership isn’t gender-related. Losing your way creates a train wreck that compromises the leader, normally leading to a …

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Proverbs 11 for August 11: Humility

Proverbs 11 for August 11: Humility “When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ How to prevent pride? Realize with gratitude that everything you have comes from God. How to develop humility:  “Lord, you’ve given me so much. I ask for one more thing: a sense of gratitude.” www.creekbank.net   sign up for …

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TED KENNEDY: “You ain’t missed a thing.”

“You ain’t missed a thing.” Senator Ted Kennedy, the “Liberal Lion” and long-serving U.S. Senator, was never one of my favorite politicians. But this story bears repeating. Senator Kennedy was campaigning and stopped at a western Massachusetts coal mine. One of the workers, a stubby older miners covered in coal dust, walked up, “Senator Kennedy, is it true you ain’t …

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Squirrel Hunting in August.

  Squirrel Hunting in August It’s a wonderful cool(er) morning in Alexandria. A cold front” brought in a nice cooler breeze with lower humidity. 76 degrees may not sound like much, but it’s a welcome respite from the brutal heat of August in Louisiana I’m sitting on our patio with my third cup of coffee. A nearby fox squirrel is …

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Friends, Enemies, and Teachers

t“You have no friends. You have no enemies. You only have teachers.” “The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.” ‭‭ Proverbs‬ ‭10‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬ ”LLL”  Be a LifeLong Learner   Proverbs 10 for August 10     https://bible.com/bible/116/pro.10.8.NLT

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A Hard-Working Man (or Woman)

A believer should be the hardest worker on the team. “Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/116/1th.4.11-12.NLT

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