So, how many of you are thinking about forgetting the promise of dancing in the rain? It's been a little bit of a drought for sure....!! I'm so very sorry for not writing! However, I must tell you that this part of my testimony..or God's story written for me...is to say the least...a hard one for me to reckon with at this time in my life!! Are any of you out there believers?? Pray for me?? Remember your sister out here in California that loves the Lord like you do?? God is moving mighty mountains in my life and though I go through the waters at this time, I know He is with me...!! Aren't you glad that the Eternal one is above time and space...???  I hope none of you lost your umbrellas and rain slickers, because we are going to experience some rain! Would you dance with me?  


'The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.’ Deuteronomy 33:27

Our God always keeps His promises and His eternal glory far out weighs all suffering!!!








Here we are together again, in the middle of the night, in a college dorm room at Point Loma Nazarene University! A term paper is due, a family history has been uncovered, and a delicate, young girl of 19 is learning about the call of the Lord.  After discovering the life of Fairy Chism, single missionary to Africa, and highlights of faith and calling from my Great Grandfather, J.T. Little and my Grandfather, Wilbert E. Little, I began to feel moved from within! Shaking literally to my core, I began to read more about 5 surrendered hearts, those of Roger Youderian, Jim Elliot, Nate Saint,  Ed McCully and Pete Fleming and their wives! In fact, Through Gates of Splendor, a prolific work written by Elizabeth Elliot, began to beckon me to a surrender of my own.  As I read about how 5 men and their wives came together, ended up in Ecuador, and laid down their lives to bring the good news to the Auca Indians, the Waodani of the Ecuadorian Jungle, I kept hearing one central theme emerge in the lives of these missionaries: Surrender! In truth, I kept hearing one call from the Lord that night: Surrender! Oh, I went through the logic of the call of the missionary, such as the fact that missionaries are moved to go because there are lost souls to be saved and someone has to go tell them the good news! (see Matthew 28)  And Oh, I went through the strategies of missions and how the missionary is trained to serve in the difficulties of cross cultural ministry.  Finally,  I even went through the romanticism of going to "unknown territories" and the adventure of it all!  However, most of all I was carried to the foot of the cross, where I met the sacrifice and the surrender that must take place to exchange our temporal lives for His Eternal life....!!! Whether we realize it or not, we must always reconcile with surrender! Truly, we must all realize that God is good all the time and that His plans are above time and space,  perfectly good for us in every way.
We must ultimately decide if we are willing to not just take up our cross in our journey as Christian disciples, but are we also willing to go make disciples at any cost...!!  The following video clip is called "God Leads His dear Children" and is a hymn that truly describes our Sovereign Lord's leadership! We follow not a shady promise of God that all will be easy or happy, but that He will always lead us to paths of righteousness and to still waters of His perfect peace.

When Elizabeth Elliot knew that her husband had gone into the jungle, made contact with the feared Waodani Indians of Ecuador, and that he was not responding over the radio, she was given this Scripture, 


" Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 
² When you pass through the waters, 
    I will be with you; 
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, 
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze. 
³ For I am the Lord your God, 
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;" (Isaiah 43: 2-3)


When you pass through the waters, I will be with you" Elizabeth recounts this Scripture meaning to her at the time that Jim Elliot's return was not promised to her, but rather that the Lord would be with her when she went through the waters...!! God indeed stayed with her and with all those who call upon the name of the Lord!! The Joy of the Redeemed is in the Eternal gift they know they possess!! Surrender and Obedience out of Love is the call of the missionary...it's an appropriate response...not an equivalent one! God gave it all for us and we simply say "Yes", in return!!  As I began to read Through Gates of Spendor, my heart began to pound out the question, "Jennifer? would you follow God no matter the road? No matter the Cross?" Jennifer do you trust God enough to say "Yes, Lord, Yes?" If God called you right now, would you say, "Yes?" Suddenly, my entire being felt warm and moved from within! I was typing my paper so fast and was almost finished when I decided to stop and read through the whole paper to see if there needed to be any more changes! Little did I know that the greatest change of all was going to be in my personal life! As I finished reading my paper, I knew that there needed to be some hook for the end about the call of the missionary! Not knowing for sure where to find such a quote and completely beckoned to read the rest of Through Gates of Splendor, I decided to risk taking the time to just finish the book in hopes that the quote would be in that book!
Honestly, I really wanted an excuse to finish the book! Ha! Well, the joke was on me, for I was soon to discover a quote that would change my life forever! Now, I know what all of you are thinking right now! You're thinking that you know the quote aren't you? You are all thinking that I'm going to quote Jim Elliot's famous quote? "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose" was not the quote that the Holy Spirit pressed upon my heart! True to the story found in Through Gates of Splendor, there were 5 missionaries that were martyred that day in Ecuador and 5 surrendered hearts, well actually, there were 11 surrendered hearts if we rightfully count the wives of the martyrs and Nate's sister, Rachel! Therefore, it is not at all surprising that the quote came from one of the others that laid down his life for the sake of bringing the gospel to those who did not have hope! I was reading a portion of the book about Roger Youderian! Roger was writing out a poem about his call and what God was calling all of them to do in Ecuador and how the call of God moved him. In fact, he had been wrestling with finishing this poem and couldn't get it quite right before the time came for the team to go into Auca territory! Therefore, he told his wife, Barbara, I'll just have to finish this when we get back! Of course, Roger never returned! Later his wife Barbara shared,
"He was cleansed through the Spirit for the task that lay ahead of him,"said Barbara afterward, 'and went with a happy, expectant mind and his heart full of joy.'"
Then Barbara shared Roger's last poetic words,
"On December 19th he wrote in his diary: 'I will die to self. I will begin to ask God to put me in a service of constant circumstances where to live Christ I must die to self. I will be alive unto God. That I may learn to love Him with my heart, mind, soul, and body.' Just before he left Macuma to join the four in Arajuno, he wrote
 his poem:
'There is a seeking of honest love
Drawn from a soul storm-tossed,
A seeking for the gain of Christ,
To bless the blinded, the beaten, the lost


Those who sought found Heavenly Love
And were filled with joy divine,
They walk today with Christ above...'


The last line eluded him and, as he put down his pencil, he said: 'Barb, I'll finish it when I get home.'


(p.155 Through Gates of Splendor).


 As you and I know, Roger would go home, to heaven! And the storms that the families faced never swayed their surrender to His Sovereignty!! Please enjoy this wonderful song about praising God in the storm by Casting Crowns,
















Lord, I cannot imagine what is going on inside of me! Pictures of the Maryters faces, stories of missionaries, such as the Garmans who were sent to Peru in great sacrifice and surrender, and stories my dad told me about the faith of the missionaries in times of grave danger were just flooding my mind! "Lord?" I prayed. "Would I go if you asked me to give it all like those that have gone before me?" I began to remember my Grandpa's book and his surrender. Ironically, the year that the book, Scalpel Please, went to print was the year that Addie and Larry Garman headed to Peru for the first time in 1965! Also incredible to me is that Addie once struggled to surrender to the daunting call of the Jungle mission. Just as surrender is always the key, Addie gave up everything precious to her in surrender and gained more blessing than she could ever tell! Fairy Chism had given it all as well, which was clear to me as I read through Fairy Chism's Bio and listened to her words about my Great Grandfather, J.T. Little! I was moved to say the least.  What's more, I couldn't believe how she knew God was calling her to go to Africa, but that she felt unprepared because part of her was not totally surrendered. As I read how Fairy laid it all down in surrender, while my Great Grandfather prayed with her, my heart began to pound louder and louder! My heart was finding something good and something beautiful within...something so indescribable! Everything that was entering into my mind through the testimonies of the missionaries made sense and fit every unanswered part to every question about my life in Christ, and questions about His purpose! Finally as I read Through Gates of Splendor and found Roger Yudorian's unfinished poem I was riveted upon every single word!
After finishing the poem,  my heart was beating wildly.. Suddenly, the Lord broke into the conversation as he spoke in a still small voice,

"I'm asking you"...!! "What Lord??" I asked.  "Will you go tell my story?" He asked. "Won't you follow my plan??" He beckoned. "Lord?? Are you asking me?? Lord?? Me???" I asked.  I had been asking God again and again for direction and for His will alone...!! I had been hoping to hear from Him and I desperately wanted His way!! To my complete surprise, God was speaking to me about His will for me at 4am..in my dorm room, through my Grandfather's journey, through Fairy Chism's journey and through the testimony of a marytered missionary that I'd never even heard of until that night.  "Lord?? I'm not sure if I'm getting this??? Lord??? Is this you???" I prayed desperately.  I was overwhelmed by my Grandfather's words, by my Great Grandfather's words..by God's words that came through both of them and finally by the calling...the specific calling to reach the lost that Roger Yudorian spoke of ...words that I felt I was a part of somehow...!! "Lord Jesus...I need to follow you and I will...follow you....!! Please Lord help me know that this is you calling me?? Are you in this Lord?? Are you calling me to be a missionary???"  


Imagine that it is 1998 and that you are there in my dorm room at 4am! Imagine these beautiful words coming on the CD player as song 6 from my favorite CD began to play, "Rain Down on Me" from Point of Grace's big hit, Steady on...!! Imagine that a 19 year old, once convinced she would find love somewhere other than God's embrace, now fully submitted and hearing His voice calling her to follow!  Just as God called Jonah to be a prophet, meaning one thing to him and something much greater to God, God was calling for Jennifer to surrender to the call...a call that meant one thing to her and something much greater to Him...

Jonah said yes to being a prophet...Jennifer was soon to say yes to God's call to go serve as a missionary...and the clouds began to roll..and the thunder began to clap...and the rain began to fall down...As this beautiful song played on my CD player, yes..this was before iPods..., I found myself crying and asking the Lord from the depths of my soul if He was calling me, if He was there, and if He heard me. Yes, Lord, like the lyrics of the song, I need you to rain down on me!! Suddenly, I heard the rain falling down outside! I ran to the window of my dorm and opened it! It was raining so hard! I was getting everything soaked and it felt like love all over the place! The rain on my face was God's special touch of grace and mercy, His special way of saying that He was there talking to me and He said, "I'm in this, Jennifer and I'm asking you to follow me no matter the cost." Yes, Lord...Yes...I'll go, though I don't know how and I don't know when...I'll go and I'm saying "Yes"! And, the rain ceased!

The truth is that Jonah was not the worst missionary of all time as some suggest! The truth is that Jonah was not even a missionary, but God's prophet!! How many of you can say that you were employed by God to do one thing and then called suddenly to do something that went against every fiber of your being? The point is not to know exactly where God is sending you and when, it's to say, "Yes" when you hear His voice; surrendered hearts know one phrase very well, "Yes, Lord!"

Hebrews 3:7-8

New International Version (NIV)

Warning Against Unbelief

 ⁷ So, as the Holy Spirit says:   “Today, if you hear his voice,

 ⁸ do not harden your hearts

as you did in the rebellion,

   during the time of testing in the wilderness,


Again, we are reminded that the Lord's voice calls us in majesty and establishes our steps in perfect peace,

Psalm 29

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

¹ Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, 
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
² Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    worship the Lord in the splendor of his^[a] holiness.

³ The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders, 
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. ⁴ The voice of the Lord is powerful; 
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
⁵ The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. 
⁶ He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
    Sirion^[b] like a young wild ox. 
⁷ The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning. 
⁸ The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh. 
⁹ The voice of the Lord twists the oaks^[c] 
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

¹⁰ The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; 
    the Lord is enthroned as King forever. 
¹¹ The Lord gives strength to his people; 
    the Lord blesses his people with peace.

"I know the plans that I have for you says the Sovereign Lord...!!" We are going to end with an ending to Roger's unfinished poem.  In fact, that is exactly how I ended my paper.  As I began to write the words, my heart was beating like wild drums! Had my roommate been there in that moment, I'm certain that she would have been able to hear the sound my heart was making!! Here Am I Lord! I don't know how you are calling me to go serve you in this way, the way of the missionary, but I'm available to you, Lord! God spoke loud and clear in response to me that night...God came and danced with me in the rain...!!!

They walk today with God above
Christ the Lord, the prize they gained
Rejoicing eternally over the call to love.
Rejoicing eternally to bear His name.


How would you finish the poem?

At the cross, at the cross..where I first saw the light!!

In this blog, we will be finding out how my heart was stirred even further by the divine.  Even though I've declared this to be the final of 3 parts..I'm going to add a fourth...Sorry..!! We'll just have to dance in the rain in the next blog..! Honestly, I simply found too many neat insights to cut things short..!! You know what?? Remember that in your study of God's holy and precious word!! There is always more treasure for those who wait on the Lord and allow His words to hide themselves in surrendered hearts. 


If we close our eyes and picture a beautiful night long ago where Jesus started calling... we will get a glimpse of a 19 yr. old college freshman on her bed, listening to God's voice calling in the night, a voice that had called another young college girl long ago to go to Africa!!

I just sat there late into the night..holding my Grandfather's book, sharing a glass of orange juice with him and then reading parts of Fairy Chism's testimony and story. Seeing as how many of you might not know who Fairy Chism was, I'm going to introduce you to her! 

Not only did Fairy Chism go as a single missionary to the continent of Africa, but she served there in the Kingdom of Swaziland for over 20 years in unmitigated surrender! Incidentally, Swaziland is the same location where my Grandfather had served as a medical surgeon in 1961, remember? Listen if you like and hear how God began to tell a story and weave beautiful threads into a tapestry of promise and purpose for my life. There is a calling that had been written for me from eternity, set in time for me to hear and to follow!! Yes, there is a calling that comes from heaven above to those that have said their lives belong to the King...a calling that no matter how hard we might try to drown it out, we will never shake its presence until we are shaken free of all our reservations!  As if every time the wind blows or the spirit within us is stirred, the Spirit is waiting to hear one word from you and from me: Yes!

Alright, so where does Fairy Chism's life touch the story of my life? In order to understand the answer to that question, we will have to first meet the man that would father my Grandfather, the reverend and evangelist for the Church of the Nazarene in the early 1900s, and simultaneously my Great Grandfather, J.T. Little!

How exactly did I come across this unbelievable connection between my Great Grandfather, my grandfather and a young single missionary to Africa? Would you like to hear the tale? Truly, the truth about this tale is that only the Spirit binds us together in ways such as these, Amen? As I said earlier, I had switched my term paper's theme to, "what makes a missionary answer the call to the edge of nowhere and how that call defines the missionary."  Knowing I needed more books on missionaries, I naturally continued my search that night before the library closed. To my surprise, I discovered even more treasures in the PLNU library! To explain, I not only searched for missionaries, but missions books that also mentioned the name, Little. Mostly, I just wanted to see if there were any more materials on my Grandpa to help bring the personal nature of the paper out stronger. Ha..Heaven knows that God was about to make this very personal and soon!!

 After all, the paper was to have a very personal application! Well, surprise, surprise! I had had no idea how personal this paper was going to become. As I searched, 
Touched by the Divine, the Life Story of Fairy Chism popped up with an example of some its text with my Great Grandfather's name in it! Seriously?? Now my family really had some explaining to do about my Great Grandfather, J.T. Little!! Would you like to meet him? J.T. Little was a fiery man of Holiness! To be an evangelist in the early days of the Holiness movement demanded great sacrifice and unyielding dedication to the call some were given to impart the whole truth of God's victory to all that would hear: we are not just saved, but we are saved to the uttermost, held in God's perfect peace through the ultimate act of full surrender.  Well, the victorious message of holiness was given all throughout Nazarene churches and Tent meetings by J.T. Little and other pioneers like him. The photo below is a picture of my Great Grandfather, also known as the "prophetic one of prayer" and his wife, Louella, a picture of strength in her own walk with Jesus, and a few of their 15 children!! 



Alright obviously, Touched by the Divine, was definitely going to be on the pile of books going home with me that night! Finally, I grabbed the other titles that jumped out at me, including the infamous missionary testimony, Through Gates of Splendor, by Elizabeth Elliot! So, there I was that night reading my Grandfather's testimony, and then reading parts of Fairy Chism's call to serve God in total surrender! Truly, I was just riveted by the realization that my Great Grandfather had played such a roll in this great young missionary's understanding of victory and the call to serve God at any cost! Wow! As I began to read about Fairy's shoes wearing themselves down to nothing as she refused to stop praying until her will was surrendered into God's will completely, the tears began to well up and burn my eyes! Almost as if I were the one fighting parts of total surrender and struggling with the reality of being called to go follow the Lord, my heart continued to pound louder and louder so much so that I was scared my roommate would come home and ask me what all the noise was! Here are a few quotes from Fairy's wonderful account of how J.T. touched her life through the Divine work of the Holy Spirit,

On the last Sunday night of the school year Fairy knelt at her familiar place at the altar. That night, however, was different; for Louise Robinson knelt by her side and Brother J. T. Little just across the altar from her. Fairy was encouraged. She felt that surely she would find victory tonight, for Louise Robinson and Brother Little were the greatest pray-ers she had ever known. How good God was to let them both pray for her at the same time! But in vain. After two hours Fairy went home – the school year was ending and she had not been sanctified.
As Fairy walked slowly home that night she talked to the Lord: “If they can’t pray me through I guess no one can. I’m sorry; I’ve done my best. I didn’t want to be lost, but here I am.”
The pungent odor of sagebrush, which she loved, came through the open window that night as Fairy knelt by her bed. “Lord Jesus, I’ve done all I know to get sanctified. Everybody’s prayed for me and it doesn’t seem to do any good. It seems I can’t get the experience. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. I’ll have to go to hell; but when I meet You, I’ll tell You that I really did my best to find heart holiness. However, I do love You with all my heart and will serve You as long as I live. Simply to know Your will, will be to do it.”

Just there the prayer was interrupted. Into Fairy’s heart there came a sweet rest and peace – a sense of cleansing and complete fulfillment. Later she described her experience: “I was so bent on struggling to die out to self and sin. I wanted to be so sure. And it took all of that struggling for me to get to the end of trusting in struggling and in the prayers of people. Doing, doing was ended. The merits of His doing – the precious shed Blood – dawned on my unworthy heart. Ah, the work was done! Because of Calvary and that alone, the Holy Ghost had come, June 2, 1919.” 


You know something...I can completely relate to all of that struggle!! Fairy's struggle met my struggle that night!! Sometimes we just want to be so sure..but in our own strength..!!! Somehow it just seems safer there...you know?? Doesn't it just blow your mind how easy it is to grab onto people, things, anything, but the unseen..??


2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.


 No..No...No...we are not safe in the seen things..They fade!!! Only are we safe in His arms of love, grace and mercy...!! How do we abide in His arms..??? By letting go of everything else..!!! Friends..let Him consume you!!

Hebrews 12:28-29

New International Version (NIV)

 ²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our “God is a consuming fire.”^[a]

^{The Reverend J.T. Little was consumed by God's holy fire and absolutely sold out for the cause of Jesus Christ!! Not only did J.T. Little understand that nothing could be left on the table, he also worried not if there was enough food to eat, or money to provide...!! He lived on Jesus Christ as Gain..Christ Crucified..the hope of Glory!! Seriously Grandpa J.T.?? To have had 15 kids and travel constantly to spread the victorious message of heart holiness, you had to have had some fire lighting your way!! I recently uncovered a little bit more about J.T. Little and his wife Louella when I recently read the whole testimony of Fairy Chism!! I'd like to share this story with you in my own words and with use of some direct quotes!! Hopefully, you'll find as I did, God calls, God equips, and God's will, will be done for His call is irrevocable!! Whether God uses a Whale, a disease, a snake, or a worm...He'll never let us go!! Praise His Holy name!!} 

^{Please enjoy reading how God used my Great Grandfather, the surrendered heart of Fairy Chism, and a whole lot of prayer to have His will done in Africa!!}

^{Fairy, a young college girl, attending NNC, which is Now, Northwest Nazarene University, was called to go to Africa!! Fairy, like many of us, doubts. Lord, how will I go? Lord, is this really your will???} So Fairy began asking God to give her a "call." For many months she waited for an answer. Finally she changed her prayer. "If You don't tell me not to go," she prayed, "then I will think You mean I can go." 

Suddenly, Fairy had the ultimate physical test to undergo that I believe sanctified her call to serve in Africa at any cost!! 

It was toward the close of the summer of 1920 that Fairy suffered the only serious illness of her young life. Her body had become dangerously weakened from prolonged fasting in order to learn the will of God for her life while at the same time she had kept up the strenuous work of thinning apples. Typhoid laid her low and for many weeks the outcome of her illness was uncertain.

 Finally all that family and doctors could do proved insufficient, and hope of her recovery was abandoned. The physician told the sorrowing family one morning that Fairy would slip away sometime that day.

Fairy had been unconscious for hours, not knowing when the doctor made his last call. While her loved ones were grieving over the untimely approach of death, Fairy stood outside the gate of heaven. Jesus came out to her for a moment, then returned. Fairy was glad to be so near heaven, but the disturbing thought

flashed to her mind: But I haven't got to Africa yet! I don't want to go to heaven without going to Africa!

As Fairy waited outside the gates of pearl, she felt positively that within they were discussing whether or not this was the time to bring her home. If they should decide to take her now, Jesus would return for her. Long she stood outside heaven, but finally opened her eyes once more on earth. To the weeping family she said, "Don't cry. I'm going to live and work for Jesus."

Now, the reality is that we are supplied with everything we need, according to His riches in Glory..!! 

Philippians 4:19

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹ And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

When we walk in His will, in the light of His Word...what joy and peace there is in knowing that nothing will ever keep His plans from going forward!! His Call is irrevocable.  What Fairy needed to learn..What I needed to learn...something J.T. Little had pretty much figured out...God's call is not a matter of if, but a matter of when..!! Yes, all the riches lay in Christ and He is able to complete the plan!! Faith is not trusting that God can..but trusting that God will!!! Faith is knowing that our needs are not based on what we can see..and our needs are not what we think they are...!! We need Jesus..and in Him are all the riches needed to supply a way to carry out His will, His good, pleasing and perfect will!! 

A long time later Fairy learned of the prayer vigil of her pastor, Rev. J. T. Little, whom she had met several years ago in the home mission campaign in Moscow. When the Reverend Mr. Little had heard that Fairy was approaching the end, he shut himself in his room, telling his wife that under no condition was he to be disturbed. For hours he pleaded with God and came out at last with the answer that Fairy would live. Sadly his wife answered, "But Fairy is already dead." (A student had circulated the doctor's report that Fairy would likely not live through the day.)

"No, she cannot be dead!" was his positive reply. "Yes, they say she died about noon today."

Now, I can just see this women of excellence, Louella approaching the door to tell J.T. the bad news. Humble and true, Louella dared to approach J.T. in his bed chamber where he had knelt down to pray in God's power for God's will to be done in Fairy's life and call! Simply put, I'm sure Louella prayed before she dared knock on that door of this fiery, prophetic husband of hers.  Knock..Knock...!! Honey...?? Forgive me for interrupting, but I have some news from the college and church about Fairy!! Oh, how I'm certain she was concerned to give her husband the bad news, as he was praying so fervently! I'm even more certain she was taken by surprise when J.T.'s answer came back with even more vigor and spice! Listen in to J.T.'s fiery response, to which I'm sure Louella's heart skipped a beat! 

"Then if she did, she will come to life. She will live and preach His Word," he said with the confidence of unshakable faith in God.

The next day the doctor came to the house again to see the patient. He could not understand the change. "I have never seen a case like it -- sure and certain signs of death had set in yesterday." Then to Mrs. Chism he confided, "There is something about this case that I don't understand." Perhaps no one quite understood but Brother Little, who had wrestled in prayer for Fairy during the long hours of the day that Death came for her. 

Have you sat at the foot of the cross lately? Have you been captivated by the impossible riches it holds, the power in the blood, and the unshakable nature of His mighty Love and Call?? Worship with me in this Hymn..so close to Palm Sunday and a week of true passion...it's just time for me to be at the cross!! At the cross..Yes, where I let everything go in exchange for more one more glorious than I knew I could have..!! He called me at that cross..and He'll never let me go...!!

We'll continue in blog number 4 with Elizabeth Elliots book, Through Gates of Splendor, where God made it clear..Jennifer was going to be a missionary!! Happy Easter...and remember, even if you don't know how...or when...His call is irrevocable!

Freshly Squeezed Orange juice with Grandpa!! Part 2

Meet My Grandfather, Wilbert E. Little! This is a photo of my Grandpa Little!! Grandpa served in the Navy before he answered God's call to serve in Medical missions. Sadly, when I was just 6 yrs. old, on August 28th, 1985, my Grandpa Little died of a massive heart attack! Grandpa??? I really wish you were still here with me, but I know that you are in a much better place! Freshly Squeezed and overflowing with yummy orange juice, my Grandpa was a beautiful, California orange. Lord, thank you for giving me a Grandpa like that!! In freshly squeezed orange juice part 2, we will look at the missions call through my grandpa's eyes. In so doing, we will see and hear what Jennifer heard at 19 that opened up her heart through the Holy Spirit to listen to God's call. In part three, we will hear how God first called Jennifer to go serve in missions and how Jennifer responded. Just to warn you, you might want to wear your rain boots and put on a rain slicker for we are going to dance in the rain to the tune of God's voice in part 3. For now, I would like to talk to my Grandpa and I invite you to hear the words!

Grandpa?? I miss you!! Also Grandpa, there have been sooo many questions over the years that I've wanted to ask you, and so many things I've wanted to tell you!! For instance, Grandpa?? Did you know that pistachios are still my favorite! Do you remember eating those in front of me when I came over to play at your house?? Remember how you asked me if I wanted to try them when I asked you what in the world they were?? I remember! Even though I was scared off a bit by the icky yucky coloring, my apprehension was no match for your persuasion! Remember how you told me that I simply had to try at least one because otherwise I might miss out on something great? Well, I sat up on your knee and tried it! Behold, Jennifer had just eaten the best thing she would ever eat; pistachios are to this day my favorite food! Yes, Grandpa, even then you were teaching me how to take chances for something worth while. Moreover, I know that you knew how much it's worth it all to get out of our boats for God's call and will. Remember how you would turn down the radio in your car and ask me to sing all the songs I'd learned in church?? Thank you Grandpa! Thanks ever so much for wanting to hear me sing! Did you know, Grandpa, that I love to sing those same songs today?? "He's the great shepherd, the rock of all ages and almighty God is He" and remember singing, "This is the day, this is the day that the Lord hath made, that the Lord hath made...and I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it..." Those songs flood my mind along with many others and I love singing them to our Saviour! Did you know that I still remember dancing with you?? I remember!! Remember the wedding our family went to when I was 5 and my sister Christy was the little flower girl?? Remember how everyone was dancing at the reception and I was sitting at the table without a partner?? Remember Grandpa?? Do you remember taking the time to ask me to dance with you?? I find it so amusing and tragic at the same time when Nazarenes and other denominations make fun of the fact that the special rules section of the Nazarene Manual suggests that Nazarenes not dance! Truly, the idea of suggesting that Christians stay away from dancing halls and environments that do not please the Lord is totally wise! Yes, the intent of the special rules was not legalistic at all, but rather very much a measure of grace to the Church! Well, I get it Grandpa and I know that you did too! I know you got it because you understood that dancing wasn't bad, but rather the dancing that dishonors the Lord is not good! Thank you Grandpa!! Thank you for the dance! Thank you for knowing that it was special indeed to ask your little Granddaughter to dance that night; a night I'll never forget! Below is a photo of Grandpa and me dancing and I have no doubt that we'll dance together once again in heaven.

As well Grandpa, your book, Scalpel Please, answered some important questions for me!! In so many ways you answered for me how God's love is displayed through the lives and testimony of our missionaries. Moreover, your testimony about our missionaries showed me so much about the call that all Christians have to act as ambassadors of Jesus Christ. No, as you explain in the book, we are not all missionaries, called and sent to take the gospel to the ends of the earth! However, a resounding yes, to the fact that the sacrifice most missionaries make ought to move us all to act with more joy and more spring in our steps in our own families and neighborhoods. Yes, the call about which you have written, Grandpa, the call that beckons some to literally go to lands unknown, cultures strange and new, to conditions that test the soul's strength and demand complete reliance on the master, ought to beg the question in all of us: Are we sold out for the sake of His Love for this world? Are you?? Are we aware of the rich blessings we have in Christ and excited to share them  through faith-sharing locally and giving to the global faith-sharing effort?? Are we?? Are you?? Perhaps God's love has grown cold in some of you? Perhaps we have forgotten how great it was what our Saviour has done upon that cross?? Perhaps those serving today in lands far away might inspire you to remember that the love is great...!! The Love is so great in fact, that humankind will leave all family and all comfort behind to follow God's call to the ends of earth so that others will know of His great love!! My Grandpa used to well up with tears every time, "And Can it Be?" was played in Church!! Do you know why I think Grandpa lost it during that hymn?? Grandpa Little knew something that Christians tend to forget, something so special that when we are reminded of it, we are just brought to our knees: "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us"!! Furthermore, without His great, Amazing Love, the Love that sought us first, we would be goners for sure..!!  Yet, because He lives and conquered death, my chains are gone..!! Was my Grandpa perfect?? No!! Yet Grandpa grasped the fact that Christ was perfect and that Christ wanted Grandpa and you and me anyways! Praise His name!!  My heart, though once in sin's chains, is actually free to Love, Free to Give, and Free to tell others of the grace that amazes and confounds the world into submission. Friends, if ever the love of God has lost a bit of the Marvelous, indescribable quality for you..or perhaps the word, "amazing" fell off of the Love of God for you, then play this Hymn pictured below! Yes, meditate on its words and ask God to revive some of Love's 5 dimensional fire in your spirit..!! Pray for the Holy Spirit to ignite Love's full truth and Amazing reality to your heart! Still not feeling it perhaps?? Then, I beseech you to pray longer and with more fervor till God's amazing love and redemption touches your heart to action. Then, go Tell the World the greatest Story ever told: He lives and He saves and Because He lives, we are no longer in chains for our hearts can be set free. As you listen to this Hymn, bask in God's glorious, amazing, freeing, Love...!!

Well,  I love you, Grandpa!! I'm so glad God's love moved you to go serve His kingdom...!! I'm so glad that God made a genuine orange out of you and I know that I'll be seeing ya...for sure and for certain...!!! Yes, because of Jesus..I know I'll see you again! Even though I'm brought right to tears while writing this because I still miss you, and even though I'd love to just be able to climb up into your lap and tell you so many things or ask you so many questions, I trust that because of God, our connection will be an eternal one!

Truly, I know that I've mentioned before that Grandpa served as a Nazarene in Volunteer Service in Swaziland, Africa! However, that fact still moves me and I'm just so thankful that Grandpa said, "Yes"!! Thank you Grandpa for answering the call to serve, no matter the cost..!! Not only was going to serve during the time Grandpa did a very inconvenient time, but it was costly and risky! Yet, when Grandpa Little was asked why he went he responded with "I simply couldn't say no! The Holy Spirit called me to go and I had to say, yes!" I wonder sometimes if the Holy Spirit nudged us today, even now, would we hear Him?? Well, that's a topic we'll discuss many blogs from now...!! As for Grandpa, he did hear and he did say, "Here I am Lord, I'm listening!"  I thank you, Grandpa, for writing down your journey so that years later your granddaughter, Jennifer, would have the chance to read and listen to God's call on her life, the call to follow God to the ends of the earth...!! To the readers, I want you to understand that we have a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us and a heavenly host of angels cheering us all to answer God's call in our lives! Are you listening?? Well, obviously, when I read Grandpa's book, the words really aided me in hearing God's voice to go serve in Cross-cultural ministry! Funny, but when I found his book, I really felt connected to him.  There I was, 19 yrs old, 13 yrs. after he died, and I was really missing him, and finding myself more connected to him than ever before..connected in Christ! In fact, I had only a few memories of my Grandpa, and even those few memories were mixed with stories about him that others had told me. Sadly, I really lacked a whole lot of connection with him. Well, I had little connection with him until that night!

So, the good looking doctor in the picture is my Grandpa Little, and this doctor has something to say to all of us about God's call to serve! Here are some of my Grandfather's words that spoke to me so long ago! First of all, it's important to know the setting of my Grandpa's words that we will read together! My Grandfather had been attending a layman's retreat in Los Angeles in 1961, when God began to speak to him personally! Grandpa writes,



As impeccable as they are mysterious are the ways of the Lord. I saw this in the manner in which He molded the Retreat, placed me in it, and presented to me a man, a message, and a call.  I began to squirm a little as I heard of the pressing need for the relief of our greatly understaffed missionary doctors in Swaziland. A soft voice began to call; I tried to drown it out. "I'm too busy in my own work. Think of how much good I'm doing right here in Los Angeles. My family needs me, and ..."  But the Holy Spirit gently prodded me and spoke a little louder. This time it was to remind me of an altar of prayer where I had knelt years ago, where the Lord, through His sanctifying power, had given me peace that truly passes understanding. There I had made many promises, but the one of which I was now reminded was the promise that my life was completely God's and His will my command. During seconds that seemed to fill an eternity I thought with shame of our reluctance to take God's hand and let Him lead us. We would put our lives in the hands of a skilled human guide, or even in the instinct of a trained animal, and yet we are hesitant to trust the Creator of all things, the One who will never fail us, the Father who would not allow harm to fall His children any more than we would have harm come to ours, the Master who knows the way because He makes the way.  God grant us the courage to follow in His way without reservation, the wisdom to see the folly of selfish ambition, and the eagerness to get a glimpse of His great love for us.  I hushed my argument and listened. When the Holy Spirit called again, this time I answered ( Scalpel Please, p. 11-12).

Moments later, I would read the following Scripture found in Romans 8:28,

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."


Yes, Grandpa, I was soon to learn the truth of that Scripture as well. The truth is that no matter the tragedy, God's good!! Yes, you can trust no thing but God and His plans..!! Yes, you can count on nothing in this life, but that God's eternal awaits you and is willing to pick you up out of the temporal muck to usher you into the eternal peace of His plan. God has a purpose and will make every dark shadow a beautiful rainbow of new promise and every dark moment a brighter, better, blessing, pressed down and shaken in His hands. Incidentally, Grandpa recalled that Scripture as "precious" to him right after he had returned from Africa, and after he had to bury his son, Gary! Grandpa recalled rejoicing with the hymn, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus" and specifically, the verse, "The things of this world grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace"!! Finally, Grandpa remembers the plan of God with such a warm glow as he concluded his book, "His loving arms have continually encircled us and, when we walked down through the valley seemed to physically be around us. Finally, we are persuaded along with Paul "that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). 


So, tonight or whenever...If you hear His voice..do not harden your hearts....No matter the cost...would you entrust your life into his hands and enter into His rest...You who are weary and heavy laden...His burden is light...!!

Well, I began to squirm myself as I finished Grandpa's book. Furthermore, I began to read portions of Fairy Chism's book and bits about my great grandfather's influence upon her life. Finally, my eyes read the words of Roger Udorian's unfinished poem about God's call and that's where we will end this blog...and we will be ready to jump into missions in part three! May we all say to the Lord, as my Grandfather and many others have said, "Here I am, Lord! Send me!!

Seriously...time to pray for Syria!! a tribute to a real Orange!!

I'm taking a break from Freshly squeezed orange juice to let you know to pray for a genuine orange...We'll call her, "blessing"!! Please pray for blessing as she helps middle eastern kids find peace in this terrible crisis! For those of you that are not watching the news, your brothers and sisters in Syria are in a war that they did not start and that they cannot stop! Please stop right now and pray for the children and for a very special woman...Again, we will just call her, "blessing" for God knows her name! Pray for this blessing to know that God is fighting for her and that her brothers and sisters are praying for her and the road ahead!  I have the following words to say to you, Blessing!


Did you know that you are walking a road right now very similar to the Lord?? Did you know how beautiful are your feet? Did you know that as Jesus Prayed, "your will not mine" that He knew embracing the pain of this life..although unjust and not fair, meant a better tomorrow! Did you know that even though none of this struggle is your fault, that your strength will truly soar because of God's work in you through the storm?? I wish I could just make the struggle go away, but God will bless you, hug you, guide you and richly reward you for your work for Him..motivated by love and sanctified by fire...!! You are a woman of excellence..!! You inspire me...so, this song is dedicated to you, Blessing...When life is not fair, and when struggles come our way, may the love of God strengthen you to fight in His strength and armor while you walk in His perfect peace... !!!  You are unbreakable in His arms...!!! No matter the road ahead...you are in His will and He will be with you ....Your sister, Jennifer  If you've just read this blog..Pass it on and ask those you know to pray for Blessing and for my two little darling kids in Syria?? Thank you!!