Tolstoy on Life, Pain, and Empathy

  “I think it was Tolstoy who said something like, “If you feel pain, you’re alive, and if you feel the pain of others, it means you’re human.”   If you’ve got a platform and have experienced great pain, you should share about it.  

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Proverbs 25 for December 25

Proverbs 25 for Dec. 25   Ground-Truthing: Don’t repeat it until you’ve seen it with your own two eyes. ”What your eyes have seen do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame? Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another’s secret,” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭25‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ …

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“Medic!” The Battle of the Bulge

MEDIC! By Curt Iles   “Medic. Medic.” Nazi sniper Unerfeldewebel Franz Schmidt didn’t know any English, but in the case of the nearby wounded American soldier, he didn’t need to. The man’s anguished cries were beyond words. Medic. Help. It was somewhere in Belgium on Christmas Eve 1944, and Schmidt had never been colder in his thirty-two years. But he …

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          “Medic!” A Christmas short story by Louisiana author Curt Iles    Download your e-book copy at Amazon. We are excited about the release of our Christmas e-book, “Medic!”  It is a memorable short story that thrills readers of all ages. It’s December 1944—the Battle of the Bulge. It’s on a snowy battlefield where we meet …

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Proverbs 21: Warnings and Examples

  The Bible is full of warnings and examples.   “When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬   https://bible.com/bible/59/pro.21.11.ESV

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Relationships: Our Hands and Hearts

  Everything rises and falls on relationships. -John Maxwell It’s all about relationships. It’s all about connecting.   Dr. Erik Bailey once told me, “My Aunt Dru always said, “Baby, even if our hands don’t touch, our hearts always do.” That’s relationships. They can be in proximity. Or they can be separated by miles. But never separated in hearts. Everything …

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The German POW Graves at Alexandria (LA) National Cemetery

Order  copies  of Where I Come From at Amazon Download your companion e-book, “Medic!“ on Amazon. CHAPTER 50 EXCERPT From the Curt Iles book, Where I Come From. The German POW Graves Author’s note: I have photographs of the five POW graves. I’ll post later.   I scoffed when I first heard it: Five German POWs buried in the Alexandria National …

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Our latest Creekbank Newsletter

“I worship when I write, and I write when I worship.” This wonderful quote shares what I’ve come to realize: that writing and creating are ways of worshipping God. He is the source of my life, joy, and any writing skills I’ve been given. I want to be a good steward of those gifts in 2025 and beyond.   Merry …

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Drones Over Dry Creek

  ****Stay tuned tomorrow (Tuesday, December 17) for an announcement about a surprise debut of a Christmas short story you’ll love sharing with your family. ****   There is still plenty of time to order copies of Where I Come From for Christmas presents.  Most Amazon orders are arriving in 2-3 days. Visit our Amazon page at https://bit.ly/KindleEbookWhereIcomeFrom   Drones …

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The Quiet Leader: Guard your heart

      Remnants of the terrible 2023 Westport, Louisiana fire. Avoiding a Personal Forest Fire: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” -‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ One of life’s saddest occurrences is watching a good, successful leader lose their way. It’s like driving past a terrible car wreck. You want to avert your eyes …

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Touching Hearts

“Even though our hands may not touch, our hearts always do.”   -Dru Bailey to Dr. Erik Bailey    

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All Things Catfish: The Dry Creek Catfish Lunch

The Catfish Lunch   Chapter 32, “The Catfish Lunch,” from Curt Iles’s latest book, Where I Come From. Learn more here. If you’re going to understand the culture of Dry Creek Baptist Camp, you’ll need to know about the monthly Catfish Lunch. If you’ve read any of my thirteen books, you know I grew up in a unique place: Dry Creek …

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A Word on Storms

Fireplace at Old House

“For the man sound of body and serene of mind there is no such thing as bad weather; every day has its beauty, and storms which whip the blood do but make it pulse more vigorously.” -George Gissing Learn more at www.creekbank.net   Amazon/Curt Iles/Where I Come From  

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Lost at Sea: Remembering Milton Tinsley

  Lost at Sea: Remembering Milton Tinsley It’s Veteran’s Day, a time to honor those who served our country in times of need and to remember veterans who have been forgotten. It’s a good time to remember Milton Tinsley. He has a simple marker at Hopewell Community Cemetery near DeRidder, Louisiana: Milton Tinsley Lost at Sea I learned of Milton …

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