This story deals with some of the difficulties that were faced as a ministry to small churches began back in 1985. The organization wanted to build a facility that could be used by pastors and leaders in the small church setting for camps and leadership training. The land was acquired, but no funds were available at the time for development. It was interesting to look back and see how the Lord provided in unusual ways to accomplish His plan. I hope you will see what I mean by this story.

While living in the tent, my husband Willis and I, had the opportunity to salvage a 100-year-old boarding house in downtown Clinton. It had to be completely removed, along with all the debris. The city was going to turn it into a park. The idea was to salvage as much of the material as possible so we could build a house at the Higher Ground campground. This was about the same time we were trying to obtain a temporary line for electricity. The Co-op had a policy that they wouldn’t set a meter until there was a foundation and building materials on-site as well as water. So, this house project was timed in just the right setting for all that was taking place to develop the campground.

The old Shannon house, as it was called, had been one of the original hotels in Clinton. It would have been a great place to restore for historical purposes. However, it had been in a flood that reached a height of eight feet. It was, therefore, in the flood plain and couldn’t be used as it was. The city wanted it cleaned up.

John and Mary Hinkson, father and mother-in-law, and Loy and Penzil Moody, neighbors, were so helpful in helping us tear down the building. It was dismantled board by board, brick by brick and stone by stone. The foundation was made of hand-cut limestone rock. The bricks in the chimneys were made in Peru, Arkansas and I am not sure where the boards were milled. A newspaper that had been placed on a wall in an upstairs bedroom was 100 years old, according to the date.

Breaking into a new community is not easy. However, salvaging the house gave us an opportunity to visit with town folks. Eventually, their curiosity got the best of them. People got to see that we were not looking for a handout. We were working, and above all, it gave us an opportunity to let people know about the ministry.

One day, Willis was pulling trim boards off the top edge of a wall and throwing them on the floor. I offered a warning that those nails were sticking up and to be careful when he stepped off the stool. Shortly I heard a crash and it seems, he had lost his balance and fell backward off the stool. Yes, you guessed it he put both hands behind him to catch his fall and his hands landed on top of the trim boards that had two nails sticking up in the exact position as the palms of his hands. He did take note of how interesting it was for a preacher to be marked like that!

Willis used the Jeep to pull down the upstairs and ground-level porches. By this time, he was so ready to move on with the job. He cut the post at the top all the way around the upstairs porch and did the same with the first-floor porch. A big, heavy chain was then placed around the post and attached to the Jeep. He put the Jeep in 4-wheel drive and gunned it. To my surprise, the second-floor porch fell nicely in place on top of the first-floor porch. No wonder Jeeps have earned a reputation for brute strength!

The salvaging continued for several months. We took loads of lumber, bricks, and stones to the campground. Volunteers would pull out all the nails from the salvaged lumber and then place them in racks that had been built to hold them.

The house, built from these salvaged materials, had a hearth for a wood-burning stove made from the old chimney bricks, the wainscoting in the kitchen and living room were from the underside floor of the porches, and the house foundation boards, the floor, and the roof decking were made out of the mainboards. What a hard way to build a house! The hours invested in the salvage of the house, if a value was placed on them, would probably average out to about $150,000. But God did not provide the money for building a house; he provided an unusable house for a usable house.

Sometimes, when these stories are told, the question is asked, “If God could provide an old house to be salvaged, why didn’t He just provide the money?” Through the 30 years, I spent at the camp and in ministry, that question has been asked over and over. It just didn’t make sense to people that we were proceeding with this mission endeavor with no funds. Our answer was always the same. “We do not have the bigger picture or the answer to that question. We only know to be submissive to all that we understand God is calling us to do.” Therefore, we did not know the plans God had for the involvement of others; for the testimony that glorified Him; for the lives that were touched as a result of one person’s obedience; the people who would make a decision to take Christ as Lord and Savior or our own spiritual growth and relationship with HIM.”

“All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives. Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established, the Lord has made everything for its own purpose.” Proverbs 16:2-4

“When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Better is a little with righteousness than great income with injustice. The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16: 7-9

The setting for this inspirational story takes place on 68 acres in the Ozark mountains. My husband, Willis Hinkson, and I had moved there believing that it was God’s will to develop a campground and conference center that would be useful in working with small membership churches. Through our years of ministry, we came to the realization that smaller congregations had needs different than those of large megachurches. Our hope was that this campground would be used by pastors for leadership training, quiet time, or opportunities for camps and retreats.

Without much income, but a belief that this was a direction God wanted our ministry energy focused, we moved to this land without water or electricity. A borrowed camper and a couple of donated army surplus tents soon became home.
It seemed like life at the Higher Ground facility got harder instead of easier. But there was a peace as God supplied strength when my energy failed. I just want to say that in 40 years of serving the Lord, He never failed or let me down; He is faithful. Through this and other experiences, the Holy Spirit helped me see the interesting ways in which God was giving me “a breath of fresh air” when the tasks were overwhelming.
One Sunday, I was preparing breakfast (no easy task) and trying to get dressed (no easy task), all while standing on the muddy tent floor. Suddenly it all became overwhelming! Willis was to preach at Rupert Baptist Church, a small rural church in the mountains about 35 winding miles away. This was our first visit to that particular church.
I was sitting on the church pew by myself, not knowing anyone, and feeling very alone. Actually, I felt more depressed and overwhelmed than anything. Special music was presented that day by a trio of beautiful mountain girls. Their father led the congregational music at this church and I later learned that their family sang together at other church gatherings and venues such as the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View. But, on this one song, it was just the girls. As they sang a song entitled “Little David,” I began to cry. The words, “the battle’s not mine, cried little David. Lord, it’s in your hands” penetrated to my very soul. I did indeed understand God’s message to me that day. The difficult tasks and responsibilities are not ours to bear alone. God will get in the yoke with us to direct and carry the load. That was a “breath of fresh air.”
On another occasion, that same song ministered to my aching heart. It was just before I was scheduled to have surgery for cancer. The girls came to the apartment of my mother where I was about to leave for the hospital. They came to sing that song to me. It seems that now that song has become the trumpet battle cry for me. I am reminded to shift the focus off of me and onto God every time I hear it. Once again God provided an overwhelming “breath of fresh air.”
Those three girls and their father, Larry, The Nelson Family Singers came through on many occasions at Higher Ground whenever we had a large gathering, they provided music for our worship time. Once during a gospel singing at the amphitheater, the weather was ugly and threatening. None of the musicians scheduled to sing would take their instruments on stage for fear of damage from the dampness. The Nelson Family Singers had anticipated the weather and had brought an extra set of instruments, not their regular ones, and volunteered to start. The first song they sang was, “I know the Maker of the Wind and the Rain.” God was honored above everything as the attention of everyone was placed on God and not on the circumstances. Is it any surprise that the clouds lifted and the night became pleasant? The gospel singing continued as planned. That was again a “breath of fresh air!”

“Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed; for I am your God; I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Little David
Written by Rachel Phillips

Little David, oh so small, Goliath, oh so tall
All seem too high for Little David
So, he shook off all of his load
With the battle of God, he was clothed
He said, “The battles not mine I give to You, Lord, it’s thine”

The Battles not mine said Little David
Lord it’s thine I’m in your favor
I’m giving it all to you, I know not what to do
I’m so glad you let me see that you’re really all that I need
Oh the battles not mine I give it to you Lord, it’s thine.

Little David unafraid before Goliath he stood that day,
It seemed to be the end for Little David,
Just like the lion and bear he slew that big old giant would come down too,
He said the battles not mine, I give it to you, Lord, it’s thine.

The battles not mine, said little David
Lord its thine I’m in you favor
I’m giving it all to you, I know not what to do
I’m so glad you let me see that you’re really all that I need
Oh, the battles not mine I give it to you Lord, it’s thine.

Little David stood so tall; Goliath seemed so small
Sweet victory had been for little David
For he gave his problems to one who had the record for getting things done,
He said the battle’s not mine, I give it to you Lord, it’s thine,

chorus
The battles not mine said little David
Lord it’s thine, I’m in your favor
I’m giving it all to you, I know not what to do
I’m so glad you let me see that you’re really all that I need
Oh, the battles not mine I give it to you Lord, it’s thine.

Grandmother was a heavy-set lady with a big smile and lots of hugs.  I looked forward to spending the night at her house. She always made me feel very special fixing my favorite meal of pork chops, canned biscuits and speckled-eyed gravy. When she would cook, wash dishes, wash clothes or hanging the clothes on the clothes line, she would whistle. You could go to her house anytime and she would be whistling an old hymn usually “We’ll work till Jesus comes” or “Further Along.”

When she wasn’t working, she sat in her rocking chair, the radio was tuned to a program called Back to the Bible. She would have crocheting cotton lace for a dresser scarf. When my mother, Mary, was a teenager, she would embroidery a dresser scarf or a doily while grandmother would make the lace to go around the edge of it. Most people don’t use those any more to decorate tables and back chairs. Before television, it was a good way to keep hands busy.

I can also remember my experience of sitting in one rocking chair, grandmother in the other and both of us crocheting. Of course, I was only doing a very simple chain stitch but I was working hard at it and enjoying every minute. All the while the Bible program was on the radio.

This is just a few of the memories about my grandmother, what I really wanted you to know was that she was a good Christian lady who God used to help me know more about Him. Now I don’t remember that she talked to me very much about God, but somehow, I knew she had some sort of a relationship with Him: she went to church every Sunday, she prayed at mealtime, she read her Bible, she listened to preachers on the radio. When she said her prayers at night, she did it silently and I was to say mine while she said hers. She must have had a lot more things to talk to God about because I was finished way before she was.

Grandmother did tell me that she didn’t always go to church. She said when my mother was about 10 years old, she would go by herself to a small church just down the street from their house. My mother loved to play the piano and when there wasn’t anyone to play for the service, they would ask her to play. One Sunday my grandmother went with her to church. She told me that at that service that day, she made the decision to follow Christ. She also told me before she became a Christian, she had not gone to church. In fact, drank, played cards and had no interest in God.

When she was 19 years old, she married my grandfather of 40. He was a widow with 2 children ages 10 and 12. As a conductor on the railroad line between Little Rock and Ft. Smith, he would be in the caboose about the time my grandmother crossed the tracks on her way to school each morning. As the story goes, one day he got off the train in Morrilton and went to her grandparents’ house to ask her hand in marriage. Now, as a young girl, I didn’t ask as many questions then as I sure would like answered today. Grandmother had three children of her own but when the youngest, my mother, was 3, my grandfather passed away.

As I grew older, there was something about grandmother that made me curious about her relationship with God. I was raised in a home where we were taken to church every Sunday as a family, we said the blessing at meals and most times dad read the Bible before bedtime. But I just couldn’t put my finger on what I saw in my grandmother and what I saw in my own family’s experiences. Somehow, I wanted more than the routine of church atmosphere.

At the age of 16, I lost my grandmother and ended up with the tasks of going through her personal items. This was a pretty hard job for a teenager, but I found so many interesting things. I found a few little notepads that she had used for Bible notes. I found some notepads she had used as a journal and I found a note she had left to all of her children. That particular note stated she was hoping and praying that each of them would become Christians to which she left scriptures to lead them to know how to be saved. To my knowledge all of her children professed to be a Christian. One son became a radio preacher with a daughter and granddaughters that sang gospel music professionally.

As an adult Christian, I realize that what I was seeing in my grandmother was a personal relationship with God. God’s spirit in her was a witness to me in such a way that I wanted more out of my church life than sitting on the church pew. I continued reading my Bible, attending church and many years later after my own salvation experience, the decision was made to follow Him in all my ways. After 40 years in church work and ministry, I can pass along a word of truth. God is faithful. The adventures He has taken me on are journeys I could never have imagined. My grandmother’s quiet witness started me down that path. I pray as I know that you do to pass along to the next generation, God’s goodness and faithfulness.

“Farther Along” (Stamps-Baxter_Music_Company)

Tempted and tried we’re oft made to wonder
Why it should be thus all the day long
While there are others living about us
Never molested though in the wrong.
Tempted and tried, how often we question,
Why we must suffer year after year
Being accused by those of our loved ones
E’vn though we walk in God’s holy fear
When we see Jesus coming in glory
When he comes from his home in the sky
Then we shall meet him in that bright mansion
We’ll understand it all by and by

Chorus:
Farther along we’ll know all about it
Farther along we’ll understand why
Cheer up my brother live in the Son shine
We’ll understand it all by and by

The other day one of my grandsons and I were reading a story together from the Bible. When we finished reading and after some discussion, he said, “Grammy, what if there is really no God and the Bible is not true?”

I answered him with a few historic facts and a few examples about God’s sovereignty from the Bible, and then I recalled a personal story that I hoped would help him understand one of the reasons that I personally knew there was and is a “real God.”

“Your Gramps was asked by a fellow pastor to pray about and consider a move to a church in a large city to help organize a growth program for his church which had lost it’s neighborhood and now was surrounded by bulk plants and interstate highways. As I recall, the decision was a very hard one to make because we were very fond of the church where your Gramps was the pastor. He had been the pastor there almost five years and we had many friends and experiences there. Also, your dad and his sister were very active with the school basketball program, it was the middle of a school year and on top of that, I owned a specialty shop.”

“Moving day finally arrived after several months of crying, praying, planning and packing. However, the move to the large city produced some surprises for us that we just had not expected which left us in a financial bind. Rather than put the children in a large school in the middle of the school year, we enrolled them in a Baptist academy near our new home. Added to the expense of that school was the transportation and gasoline to get Gramps north to the church each morning and you dad and his sister the opposite direction. My shop was still open in Arkansas and I was responsible for those expenses connected to a business.”

“Now that you have the big picture, let me move on to the rest of the story. This one particular Friday after getting the family off, I finished my Bible study and went into the kitchen to think about meals for the family and the expected weekend company. Looking through the refrigerator and pantry, I could see nothing that I could mix up or stretch to feed seven people for three days. Nothing was: no flour, sugar, no meat, no vegetables except several home canned green beans, no coffee, no tea and according to the checking account, no money to buy anything. In disgust, I said and I vividly remember this, ‘God can’t you even provide a loaf of bread?’ You would probably find this hard to believe if you could have seen where we lived because we lived in a beautiful brick ranch style home in a cull-d-sac of beautiful homes with three cars parked in the driveway. Our outward appearances looked in keeping with “upper middle class” people.”

“Not being able to solve the problem, I went into my sewing room and began my workday. You see Grammy not only made curtains and quilts locally, but also still made items to sell at the shop in Arkansas. Since most of what I earned went back to supporting the store, your Gramps’ salary was stretched to the limit”.

“About an hour later, the doorbell rang. When I opened the door, there was a lady standing there holding a loaf of homemade bread. Well, my eyes immediately filled with tears and the lady standing there holding this loaf of bread had a puzzled look on her face. She asked if she had come at a bad time. I assured her that she had not come at a bad time and welcomed her into the living room. After we sat down, I asked her, ‘Why did you come today and how is it that you brought me a loaf of bread?’ Of course she was a little surprised at my question, but I told her it was an answer to a prayer that morning. So she explained that when she finished her Bible study and prayer that morning, I had came to her mind. (I had met her the previous week at a ladies prayer gathering) she decided to make a visit to get better acquainted. As she continued to tell me about bringing the bread, she said she was walking through her kitchen on the way out the door and glanced over at the bread she had cooling on the kitchen counter. She decided she only needed the one loaf for her families dinner that night and would bring the other loaf as a get-acquainted gift for my family”.

“As I then shared with her my conversation with the Lord that morning, we were both overwhelmed by God’s immediate response and had to laugh at the humor. That, my grandson, was an immediate response by a ‘real God’.”

“But the story doesn’t end there, God continued to work all day long on behalf of that challenge for bread. The humor became more obvious as day progressed. The lady called me on the phone later that day to share with me that several weeks earlier the Lord had convicted her about spending too much money at the grocery store. You see her husband gave her a weekly amount to spend and she would spend it all whether they needed it or not. At the Lord’s prompting, she began each week to only buy just what was needed for the week and nothing more. She went on to say that she had asked the Lord several times what He was having her save this money for, but she had not seen an answer until today. She wanted to know if I would be offended if she brought me the money she had been saving?”

“Well, I told her that after all that had happened so far, I didn’t think I would be offended because the truth of the matter was I thought I probably needed a little butter for the bread and we both laughed. So when my daughter got home from school, we quickly went through coupons and grocery store ads to find what was on sale that we also had a coupon for. We made our list and off we went as fast as we could go before our company arrived.”

“When we got home, we had spent all but just a few cents of the $35.00 that the lady had given us. I was very pleased that we had been able to purchase what we thought was enough food to make the weekend. While I was putting away the groceries and starting the dinner, my daughter came back in the kitchen from checking through the house to see that everything was ready for company. She had a very perplexed look on her face as she said mother, ‘Neither bathroom has any toilet paper’!”

“So here we are looking in the cracks of chairs and sofas for enough change to run back to the store for toilet paper and the doorbell rings! After hugs and kisses, my friend asked me to come and help her bring in the food. Well I’m saying, ‘ What food?’ She said she had cooked a roast and some other things. (She commented that she had been to the preacher’s house before. Now, what do you suppose she meant by that?? Spaghetti?)We went with her to her car and when she opened the trunk, there in the top of the grocery sack was…….you guessed it, toilet paper!”

“Grandson, God provided bread, money for food, toilet paper and more food, but most of all God provided immediate relief with humor. I hope you liked and will remember Grammy’s story about how she knew God was a ‘real God’.”

Philippians 4:18, 19 Paul said, “I have received everything in full, and have an abundance; I am amply supplied…And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

This blog site was created in order to follow through a declaration of David I agree with in Psalm 145:3-5. “Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Thy majesty, and on Thy wonderful works, I will meditate.”

These stories take place through my journey as I walked with God. Each one seemed to be teaching another lesson of who God was and why I should give my total life to Him.

Many times in our walk with God, we do not see immediate answers. “Is God Real, The Bread Story” is one of those times that I believe God answered humorously and quickly. First, cause He can, but second it was just a part of a total picture of moving me closer to my knowledge of who He is.