God’s grace, a gravel road, and a log church with a faithful heart.
🌄 A Life Rooted in the Ozarks
Welcome to the beautiful Ozarks, where life unfolds at a slower pace and every sunrise whispers the majesty of God’s creation. I’ve called this place home all my life—born and raised in Branson, now settled near the quiet waters of Table Rock Lake.
It’s a region of winding hills, cold spring-fed creeks, and quiet backroads that seem to stretch right into heaven. But more than that, it’s a place of deep faith, front porch conversations, and neighborly grace.
🪵 The Log Church and Simple Faith
“Within a valley, shadowed and dim,
Beside a creek, where willows swim…”
— Mary Mahnkey, “The Log Church”
That old poem captures the heartbeat of this land—and my heart too. It paints a picture of faith lived simply and deeply. No polished perfection. Just a rugged building, weathered saints, and the powerful presence of God.
That’s the Ozarks I know. The kind of place where people gather not for show, but for substance. Where the cross still holds center stage, and Sunday mornings echo with hymnals and heartfelt prayer.
I now serve as the pastor of Cedar Ridge Baptist Church, a faithful congregation nestled among these very hills.
🏡 The Move: From Springfield to the Woods
Six months ago, I couldn’t have predicted where I’d be. My season at FBC Springfield was coming to an end. I felt it deep in my spirit. It was a bittersweet time—full of uncertainty, prayer, and a strange peace that only God can give.
Several churches reached out. I became a finalist at one. I turned down the others. Not because I was running—but because I sensed God wasn’t finished surprising us.
🔨 A Leap of Faith and a House in Need
That’s when we found the house.
It was a distressed property just south of Reeds Spring. The first time Joy and I walked through it, she said, “There’s no way.” Rats. Mold. Rotting floors. It looked like a mistake waiting to happen.
But God stirred our hearts. The price dropped. The vision grew. And we took a leap of faith.
Joy cried on closing day—convinced we’d made a terrible decision. I quietly prayed she was wrong. What followed was six months of gutting, scraping, rebuilding, and praying.
We replaced the siding, ripped out the subfloors, reinsulated, patched drywall, rewired walls, and installed new kitchen cabinets. We fought off ants, flies, mice, and cluster spiders like we were reenacting Exodus.
And slowly, it came together. Our messy, imperfect, gloriously simple home in the woods.
🙌 Discovering Cedar Ridge Baptist Church
After the move, I began the NAMB church planting process. We even considered me getting a secular job and planting from scratch in Reeds Spring. But God had other plans.
One night, we watched a live stream from Cedar Ridge Baptist Church. The pastor had just announced his retirement. The church was looking. We were searching. It felt like providence.
Why plant a church when God had already planted one nearby?
From that moment, everything changed. I felt purpose again. I felt peace. And I felt the overwhelming certainty that God’s hand had been in every twist and turn.
🕊 God’s Timing is Always Right
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart…”
— Ecclesiastes 3:11
That verse lives in me now. I’ve seen the beauty He makes—in old log churches, broken-down houses, and uncertain hearts. His plans unfold in silence and surprises. His timing, though rarely predictable, is always perfect.
🛶 Why I Share This Story
Because someone reading this might be right in the middle of their own twist. Maybe your house feels like a mess. Maybe your calling is in limbo. Maybe you’re watching dreams unravel and wondering if God is still writing.
He is.
And the Ozarks, in all its rugged peace and simple glory, has taught me that slower doesn’t mean stagnant—and quiet doesn’t mean forgotten. Sometimes it’s in the slow and quiet places that God does His deepest work.
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I’d love to share more of this journey with you—and hear a bit of yours.
