About The Chapel

Have you ever felt like you needed a second chance? A do over? A new start? You’re not alone. Truth be known, most folks do at some point in their lives, but they don’t know that it’s okay to feel that way. The best could be yet to come! You may not know it yet, but God does! 

Our loving God deals in second chances, third, fourth and more chances! His power, strength and love blossom in weakness, brokenness, discouragement and goof-ups! God never gives up on us; He sees a new beginning, a hope and a purpose when we or others can’t. Only God can take the story of our lives and give them true strength, beauty and meaning. He can settle our souls and lead us into real joy with a new fresh start no matter what shape we find ourselves in.

The Story of this Chapel is the story of us, you and me.  It’s hard to believe, but the Whippoorwill Ridge Log Chapel began its life as a simple one room log cabin built in 1884 down in the foothills of Tennessee. It lived its life sheltering and growing families for 133 years, but things changed. The little cabin barely survived through time, bad weather and bad situations.  Once built for strength and security, eventually it fell to neglect, abuse, discouragement and breakdown. 

In August 2017, the owners put it up for sale as scrap for $2,000 to get rid of the eyesore. They saw no value in it anymore, but God did!  

At that same time, four hundred miles away at Ivy Jean’s Ozark Farmstead in Cape Fair, Missouri, God showed up in the heart of this writer. He spoke into my spirit and said it was now time to build a Chapel for His Glory, out in the woods and from an old used-up log cabin. He would make it strong, and He would give it a new purpose. I had no idea where a used-up log cabin could be or how this was to happen, but God did! 

You see, God planted this seed of the Chapel in my heart way back in the winter of 2002 as I was walking this wooded 10-acre rugged tract of land anticipating purchasing it. I knew then, that one day God would reveal more of this powerful image He planted in me and why. But like all good things that grow, there is a waiting time, a germinating time— a time of preparation and fertilization, God’s timing, not ours. I didn’t know the timing, but God did!

God had a new plan for this broken-down cabin as He has a plan for us individually. God collided the destruction of the old cabin with the vision of a new old log chapel to be built up!  I didn’t know how this was to happen, but God did! 

He wanted this chapel to be built up strong, not by professional builders, but by simple people of faith who see themselves as mere dirty tools on the tool bench of the master carpenter, The Lord himself. This Chapel is built strong for those who are weary or burdened to gain strength and comfort. This chapel is for those who are starting a new chapter in their own lives where they can feel a freshness and a brightness of God’s Glory; glory in this humble little wooded setting, a Holy Ground setting. 

You see, God made this all come together in so many ways by using many different people under very disconnected circumstances. He does the same remodeling and restoring with you and me, too. There are so many heart-touching spiritual messages with meaning and personal applications that unfolded through each step of this three-and-a-half-year Chapel-building process. There were enough messages to write a book and a study guide for life. So, I think I shall write that book. I don’t know how I’ll do it, but God does!