Tune in to hear a true story about a Ukrainian couple’s transformative experience at one of the Joni and Friends Warrior Getaways. Learn more about how to attend, or volunteer at a Warrior Getaway on joniradio.org.

Tune in to hear a true story about a Ukrainian couple’s transformative experience at one of the Joni and Friends Warrior Getaways. Learn more about how to attend, or volunteer at a Warrior Getaway on <a href="http://joniradio.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniradio.org</a>.

Breathe Again

If you’re having trouble sleeping, let God’s words wash over your anxious spirit. Sing a hymn or read through Psalm 63 and let your soul cling to Jesus. He’s all the distraction you need.

A Good Distraction

Tune in to hear Joni Eareckson Tada reflect on the anniversary of her accident. Whatever hardship is troubling you today, stay in the fight against your feelings, because your fight is always a good one. Would you like to honor Joni as she celebrates the 56th anniversary of her diving accident? Donate to Joni and Friends  today! ---Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.orgConnect on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Tune in to hear Joni Eareckson Tada reflect on the anniversary of her accident. Whatever hardship is troubling you today, stay in the fight against your feelings, because your fight is always a good one. Would you like to honor Joni as she celebrates the 56th anniversary of her diving accident?  <a href="https://secured.joniandfriends.org/give/482926/#!/donation/checkout?utm_source=simplecast&amp;utm_medium=radio&amp;utm_campaign=july" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Donate</a> to Joni and Friends  today! --- Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at <a href="http://www.joniandfriends.org?utm_source=radio&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=ukraine&amp;utm_content=ukraine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.joniandfriends.org</a>Connect on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/joniandfriends" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@joniandfriendsofficial" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TikTok</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/joniandfriends.idc/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JoniandFriends" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://youtube.com/joniandfriendsvideo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube</a>.

A Precious Anniversary

Earthly pleasures never quite satisfy; but heaven’s pleasures will. They’ll just keep getting better. You may get bored easily on earth, but in heaven boredom will happily be a thing of the past.

Never a Dull Moment in Heaven

Whatever season you’re going through, ask God today to help you see glimpses of his glory. You may catch it in the most unusual places.

Filled With His Glory

In a world full of anti-heroes, give everyone around you a godly example to follow. Swim against the tide, go against the grain, and be in the class of Hebrews 11.

Following the Right Leader

You may feel weary and tired now, but one day the mud and dirt of your earthly heartaches will be washed away, revealing the gold of refined faith.

More Precious than Gold

Today if you’re struggling with hiding your sin, it’s time to come clean. Allow the Spirit to search your life. Confess your sins to one another – you’ll be healed and set free.

Free From Sin

Rich rewards are for those who do what they are doing to the glory of God. Work hard in the kingdom today because serving the most high is worth it!

God's Worth

When you have no more words left to pray, picture Jesus speaking peace into your life right now. Listen to him, be still, and enjoy the calm.

A Song for the Soul

Need a spark of joy or a word of encouragement? Listen in for your daily dose of help and hope in Jesus. This four-minute program from Joni Eareckson Tada will inspire you! Your soul will be lifted up and your faith strengthened no matter what trials you may be facing today.

Joni and her team, it is incredible. You Joni are great and sweet!😄

Awesome

I love listening to these messages of inspiration!

Great devotional messages:

Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Rather than fretting about the past or worrying about the future, receive the grace God has given to you today, and every day in the future.

The Dog Whisperer

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a confession about cancer. I’m sure you’ve heard that I’m back battling cancer again; for the second time. And this time it’s a little different. The cancer is a bit faster-growing and I’ve just about completed radiation. Now, as a quadriplegic, it has concerned me. After more than 50 years of total paralysis, my lungs are not in the best of shape, and the radiation is being focused on my chest wall where my mastectomy was done. So, my lungs have kind of been in danger. Thankfully, I had one of those newfangled, high-tech machines that target the radiation very specifically so as to not damage healthy tissue, but still, it’s a little scary. And I want to give you the Bible verse that I clung to (and I’m still clinging to) throughout the whole process. First Peter Chapter 1, verse 13 says, “Prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” You know, back in December, early January before I began radiation, even back in late November when I found out I had this cancer, I started preparing my mind for action. From the very onset, I had to be sober in spirit. I knew I had to be super-careful of private little thoughts that could undermine my confidence in Christ. Look, I remember when I went into respiratory failure a few years ago, and had to be trached for the second time. it was almost scarier and more panicky than the first time, some 20 years prior. My mind had to battle the, “Oh no, here we go again,” and fears of experiencing the same terrible claustrophobia. Like, I was thinking, I know I’m going to die sometime, is this the time? If so, how hard should I try to battle the illness? Even back then, I felt spiritually ready for heaven, with my “bucket list” pretty much complete. But, “giving up,” did not seem to be the answer, even back then, years ago. And you know what? It wasn’t the answer; it was not my time. I survived pneumonia and respiratory failure. I survived all those panicky scary feelings that did me no good at all. And so I learned back then, when awful things were happening – like right now, with this new cancer, and radiation – my mind is prepared for action. I tell you what, I am sober in spirit. I have fixed my hope completely on the grace God gives me. That’s what first Peter tells me to do, and it’s such wise advice. Because I simply cannot allow my thoughts to wander down that dark, ugly path to depression and despair. Believe me, I’ve been there; that’s where my feelings will take me. I know. And so, over these last few months, ever since November when doctors removed that tumor, I have been safeguarding and double checking my mind, my thoughts; as soon as I find myself thinking: “I know these side effects are going to do me in… I know my cancer is going to recur somewhere else”… well, I don’t know that, only God does. And it’s silly – actually it’s reckless – to allow my thoughts to pull my spirits down, causing more doubts about God and fears of the future. So, in this new cancer journey, I am fixing my hope completely on the grace of God. Now, you may not have cancer, maybe you do, but I encourage you to do the same. Is something scary looming ahead? Some bad medical condition? Well, prepare your mind for action. Safeguard your thoughts. Be sober in spirit. And ratchet your hope completely on the grace of God. That way, you never, ever lose. God bless you today, and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a confession about cancer. I’m sure you’ve heard that I’m back battling cancer again; for the second time. And this time it’s a little different. The cancer is a bit faster-growing and I’ve just about completed radiation. Now, as a quadriplegic, it has concerned me. After more than 50 years of total paralysis, my lungs are not in the best of shape, and the radiation is being focused on my chest wall where my mastectomy was done. So, my lungs have kind of been in danger. Thankfully, I had one of those newfangled, high-tech machines that target the radiation very specifically so as to not damage healthy tissue, but still, it’s a little scary. And I want to give you the Bible verse that I clung to (and I’m still clinging to) throughout the whole process. First Peter Chapter 1, verse 13 says, “Prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” You know, back in December, early January before I began radiation, even back in late November when I found out I had this cancer, I started preparing my mind for action. From the very onset, I had to be sober in spirit. I knew I had to be super-careful of private little thoughts that could undermine my confidence in Christ. Look, I remember when I went into respiratory failure a few years ago, and had to be trached for the second time. it was almost scarier and more panicky than the first time, some 20 years prior. My mind had to battle the, “Oh no, here we go again,” and fears of experiencing the same terrible claustrophobia. Like, I was thinking, I know I’m going to die sometime, is this the time? If so, how hard should I try to battle the illness? Even back then, I felt spiritually ready for heaven, with my “bucket list” pretty much complete. But, “giving up,” did not seem to be the answer, even back then, years ago. And you know what? It wasn’t the answer; it was not my time. I survived pneumonia and respiratory failure. I survived all those panicky scary feelings that did me no good at all. And so I learned back then, when awful things were happening – like right now, with this new cancer, and radiation – my mind is prepared for action. I tell you what, I am sober in spirit. I have fixed my hope completely on the grace God gives me. That’s what first Peter tells me to do, and it’s such wise advice. Because I simply cannot allow my thoughts to wander down that dark, ugly path to depression and despair. Believe me, I’ve been there; that’s where my feelings will take me. I know. And so, over these last few months, ever since November when doctors removed that tumor, I have been safeguarding and double checking my mind, my thoughts; as soon as I find myself thinking: “I know these side effects are going to do me in… I know my cancer is going to recur somewhere else”… well, I don’t know that, only God does. And it’s silly – actually it’s reckless – to allow my thoughts to pull my spirits down, causing more doubts about God and fears of the future. So, in this new cancer journey, I am fixing my hope completely on the grace of God. Now, you may not have cancer, maybe you do, but I encourage you to do the same. Is something scary looming ahead? Some bad medical condition? Well, prepare your mind for action. Safeguard your thoughts. Be sober in spirit. And ratchet your hope completely on the grace of God. That way, you never, ever lose. God bless you today, and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Prepare Your Mind

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a great story about the power of prayer. I was at BWI Airport outside of Baltimore city and waiting to go home. Unfortunately, our flight was late, and the seats in the waiting area of gate D-7 were full. My traveling companions, Judy and Bunny gathered around me to pray, something we always do before flights. But this prayer was a little different. Bunny knew I needed a lift. She knew I was pretty down over a number of things, including the disappointing news that a certain foundation in Baltimore, my hometown of all things, had just turned down our funding request for a project to help disabled children overseas. I was discouraged. We were so hoping, we were so sure that the funding would come through, because without it the project just wasn’t going to happen. So, as we gather together to pray, Bunny reached for our hands, and, after a few words of praise and thanksgiving, she said, "Lord, would you please send forth the corn and the wine and the oil. Send forth the early rains, the late rains, and produce a wonderful crop of blessings." Her words were quietly spoken but laced with such power, conviction and confidence: God sending forth the corn and wine and oil, the early rains? I recognized these words in her prayer from Joel Chapter 2 verse, 19. That passage of Scripture is about Israel’s desperate plight, and the prayer is pretty much Joel’s earnest, last ditch, it-ain’t-gonna-happen-without-you, God, prayer. As we continue to huddle and quietly pray, I suddenly sensed the presence of a fourth and fifth person who joined our huddle. It was a husband and wife, we learned later, who had entered our circle right then and crowded close. Together they punctuated Bunny's prayer with quiet affirmations, saying, “Yes, Lord.” When Bunny said amen, I looked up and saw the husband folding a hundred dollar bill into Bunny’s hand. Then as suddenly as these two appeared they had to rush off to catch their flight. I didn’t even get their names to thank them. I tell you, when Bunny opened her hand, we kept staring at that $100 bill, but it didn't surprise us. When Bunny prays, things happen. "Joni," she said, tucking the bill into my coat pocket, "forget your disappointment, sweetheart. Have hope, for this gift is the first fruits of what God will supply." And she was right. Ultimately, God supplied our need and those disabled children were given wheelchairs and the message of salvation, along with their families. Yes, because Bunny prayed in faith, but she has also learned how to pray using God's own words, from the Bible, such as she did when she referenced in her prayer that passage from the book of Joel. When we use God’s word in our prayers, it’s like talking to Him in His own language, His dialect, so to speak. And that has to have power, right? It’s what gives confidence and conviction. Because the Bible tells us there are two things God honors and exalts above all else: His name and (you guessed it) His Word. Prayer that is spiced with His Word is exalted prayer. Its powerful prayer! First Thessalonians Chapter 2 says that we should accept the Word as it actually is, the Word, the very language of God which is “at work” in any of us who believe. So today, put Scripture to work in your prayers. As you read the Bible, underline portions that speak to your heart, make them personal, and then pray them right back to God. After all, the Lord sure loves to hear people speak in His language. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a great story about the power of prayer. I was at BWI Airport outside of Baltimore city and waiting to go home. Unfortunately, our flight was late, and the seats in the waiting area of gate D-7 were full. My traveling companions, Judy and Bunny gathered around me to pray, something we always do before flights. But this prayer was a little different. Bunny knew I needed a lift. She knew I was pretty down over a number of things, including the disappointing news that a certain foundation in Baltimore, my hometown of all things, had just turned down our funding request for a project to help disabled children overseas. I was discouraged. We were so hoping, we were so sure that the funding would come through, because without it the project just wasn’t going to happen. So, as we gather together to pray, Bunny reached for our hands, and, after a few words of praise and thanksgiving, she said, "Lord, would you please send forth the corn and the wine and the oil. Send forth the early rains, the late rains, and produce a wonderful crop of blessings." Her words were quietly spoken but laced with such power, conviction and confidence: God sending forth the corn and wine and oil, the early rains? I recognized these words in her prayer from Joel Chapter 2 verse, 19. That passage of Scripture is about Israel’s desperate plight, and the prayer is pretty much Joel’s earnest, last ditch, it-ain’t-gonna-happen-without-you, God, prayer. As we continue to huddle and quietly pray, I suddenly sensed the presence of a fourth and fifth person who joined our huddle. It was a husband and wife, we learned later, who had entered our circle right then and crowded close. Together they punctuated Bunny's prayer with quiet affirmations, saying, “Yes, Lord.” When Bunny said amen, I looked up and saw the husband folding a hundred dollar bill into Bunny’s hand. Then as suddenly as these two appeared they had to rush off to catch their flight. I didn’t even get their names to thank them. I tell you, when Bunny opened her hand, we kept staring at that $100 bill, but it didn't surprise us. When Bunny prays, things happen. "Joni," she said, tucking the bill into my coat pocket, "forget your disappointment, sweetheart. Have hope, for this gift is the first fruits of what God will supply." And she was right. Ultimately, God supplied our need and those disabled children were given wheelchairs and the message of salvation, along with their families. Yes, because Bunny prayed in faith, but she has also learned how to pray using God's own words, from the Bible, such as she did when she referenced in her prayer that passage from the book of Joel. When we use God’s word in our prayers, it’s like talking to Him in His own language, His dialect, so to speak. And that has to have power, right? It’s what gives confidence and conviction. Because the Bible tells us there are two things God honors and exalts above all else: His name and (you guessed it) His Word. Prayer that is spiced with His Word is exalted prayer. Its powerful prayer! First Thessalonians Chapter 2 says that we should accept the Word as it actually is, the Word, the very language of God which is “at work” in any of us who believe. So today, put Scripture to work in your prayers. As you read the Bible, underline portions that speak to your heart, make them personal, and then pray them right back to God. After all, the Lord sure loves to hear people speak in His language. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

The Prayers of Joel

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a story from Matthew Chapter 15. And it’s the story of the Canaanite woman who came to Jesus, begging him to heal her daughter who was demon- possessed. She’d heard that Jesus could do miraculous works; her friends had seen the Lord do remarkable things. And being the mother of a little girl in misery? She was begging for help from Jesus. And how did the Lord respond to her? Well, it says in verse 23, “Jesus answered her not a word.” Can you imagine how that Canaanite woman felt? Here she was longing for Jesus to answer her cry, help her daughter, but she only got silence. Can you picture yourself in that situation? You’re longing for relief from some heartbreaking blow; you go to God for help, but only silence and a sense of mystery meet you. “He answered her not a word.” it says. Now it is Charles Spurgeon who gives special insight into this story, and I want to pass it on to you. Because if you read the entire account, Jesus isn’t really showing His disapproval, He is showing His desire to bless this special woman because of her love and her persistent trust. Because when she continues to prod Him again and again, asking for help, it’s clear that He is testing her. Pushing her, a bit. For He replies to her, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” Hmm, what’s she going to say to that? Well, curiously, she does not turn away. Any other person would have done so, perhaps in anger or disappointment. But the Canaanite woman still tries to engage Jesus; she persists and responds: “Yes, Lord, it is, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” And that is when Jesus poured out His blessing on this precious woman. Because of her faith; because she was persistent and she hung on and did not become deterred, because of her devotion to her child and her fervor in pursuing Jesus, He answered her prayer. And her daughter was healed. Yes, God had every intention of blessing that Canaanite woman and her daughter. But He did it in such a mysterious way that, perhaps, only she in the end understood. Because it’s true, isn’t it; that sometimes God will bend over one of His children with smiles and full of love, speaking tender words, showing infinite affection. However, on another child, He might only give a look of loving approval. And then still, on another child, He might pass them by without stopping for a word. God loves all three of those children, but He treats each one differently because of their varied and different stages of spiritual maturity. And the same is true for us. Some Christians have a fragile faith that requires a different touch from the Lord – perhaps a gentler, kinder touch. God knows their faith will fail if He deals too harshly with them. Other Christians have a stronger faith and God knows they will trust Him however things go and whatever people do, it doesn’t matter. But finally, there are some Christians that God, well… He even seems to neglect them and not notice them. For those, God appears to be dealing with them harshly. But He has a reason, a purpose. For God knows those are the Christians who are not dismayed by circumstances, nor are they dissuaded if the Spirit seems absent. God knows they will trust Him even when their natural inclinations would insist otherwise. And bless their hearts, these are the believers that God, I think, is training for the highest and the holiest service. The lesson here? Will you be like the Canaanite woman? Will you continue to pursue Christ, prod and push no matter what? For it may well be that He is training you for His high and holy service. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a story from Matthew Chapter 15. And it’s the story of the Canaanite woman who came to Jesus, begging him to heal her daughter who was demon- possessed. She’d heard that Jesus could do miraculous works; her friends had seen the Lord do remarkable things. And being the mother of a little girl in misery? She was begging for help from Jesus. And how did the Lord respond to her? Well, it says in verse 23, “Jesus answered her not a word.” Can you imagine how that Canaanite woman felt? Here she was longing for Jesus to answer her cry, help her daughter, but she only got silence. Can you picture yourself in that situation? You’re longing for relief from some heartbreaking blow; you go to God for help, but only silence and a sense of mystery meet you. “He answered her not a word.” it says. Now it is Charles Spurgeon who gives special insight into this story, and I want to pass it on to you. Because if you read the entire account, Jesus isn’t really showing His disapproval, He is showing His desire to bless this special woman because of her love and her persistent trust. Because when she continues to prod Him again and again, asking for help, it’s clear that He is testing her. Pushing her, a bit. For He replies to her, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” Hmm, what’s she going to say to that? Well, curiously, she does not turn away. Any other person would have done so, perhaps in anger or disappointment. But the Canaanite woman still tries to engage Jesus; she persists and responds: “Yes, Lord, it is, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” And that is when Jesus poured out His blessing on this precious woman. Because of her faith; because she was persistent and she hung on and did not become deterred, because of her devotion to her child and her fervor in pursuing Jesus, He answered her prayer. And her daughter was healed. Yes, God had every intention of blessing that Canaanite woman and her daughter. But He did it in such a mysterious way that, perhaps, only she in the end understood. Because it’s true, isn’t it; that sometimes God will bend over one of His children with smiles and full of love, speaking tender words, showing infinite affection. However, on another child, He might only give a look of loving approval. And then still, on another child, He might pass them by without stopping for a word. God loves all three of those children, but He treats each one differently because of their varied and different stages of spiritual maturity. And the same is true for us. Some Christians have a fragile faith that requires a different touch from the Lord – perhaps a gentler, kinder touch. God knows their faith will fail if He deals too harshly with them. Other Christians have a stronger faith and God knows they will trust Him however things go and whatever people do, it doesn’t matter. But finally, there are some Christians that God, well… He even seems to neglect them and not notice them. For those, God appears to be dealing with them harshly. But He has a reason, a purpose. For God knows those are the Christians who are not dismayed by circumstances, nor are they dissuaded if the Spirit seems absent. God knows they will trust Him even when their natural inclinations would insist otherwise. And bless their hearts, these are the believers that God, I think, is training for the highest and the holiest service. The lesson here? Will you be like the Canaanite woman? Will you continue to pursue Christ, prod and push no matter what? For it may well be that He is training you for His high and holy service. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

He Answered Her Not

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to "Joni and Friends." I’d like to tell you about a friend of mine named Muni; he has the brightest, most contagious smile I’ve ever seen. Muni lives in India and his joy is a stark contrast to his circumstances. You see, Muni contracted polio at three years of age and has been crawling through the dirt ever since. Muni is the Client Services Director for ProVision Asia, a Joni and Friends partner in Bangalore, India. He met Jesus years ago and now he dedicates his life to securing housing, food and medication – even adapted 3-wheeled motorcycles—for his disabled clients. Now let me tell you how Muni finds his clients. He crawls up onto his three-wheeled motorcycle three times a week and goes out into the smog-infested streets of Bangalore, looking for the poor and destitute, the discarded and disabled. These are the people no one else is reaching; the people no one wants to reach. And recently, Muni came across a disabled beggar on the verge of death. His name was Mahesh, and he lived inside a dark, wet tunnel that links two highways. Mahesh's filthy bed of rags and towels, a bed he has not left in months, perhaps years, is his only comfort. Nobody stops to wish him well; no one cares. He is a low-life, a non-issue, on the bottom of the cast, and to others, he is a non-person, invisible and abandoned. But as Muni was driving through that tunnel, he spotted Mahesh; he stopped his motorcycle, crawled off of it and proceeded to make his way across the dirty, oil-stained asphalt pavement to reach this beggar. Mahesh was surprised to see someone care, and he greeted Muni as this caring individual approached him. Muni, on the other hand, was a little stunned when he heard Mahesh’s greeting—Mahesh spoke in beautiful English with a British accent. It revealed that this beggar had an educated background. It seemed incomprehensible that such a well-spoken man could live in such filth and starvation, among thousands who pass him every day. Mahesh told us that five years ago, he fell from the balcony of his home, breaking both his legs. Then he added, “My disability has disgraced my family and they have put me out. I have lost respect, they fear the same. It is the tradition of India.” But as Muni told this dear beggar, it’s not the tradition of our Lord Jesus. And it wasn’t the tradition of Christ’s representative, Muni. Grabbing Mahesh’s hand, completely blind to his filthy condition or the smell coming from his unwashed body, Muni began to share the beautiful Gospel of Jesus Christ. As he shared, tears fell down Mahesh’s face as the words of truth washed over the broken soul of his. Outcast no longer, Mahesh joined Muni in prayer. At that point, Mahesh beckoned Muni closer and said, “Your Jesus is Light and the Light is now within me, just as it is within you.” The next day, our Wheels for the World team member went with Muni to give Mahesh a new wheelchair. We worked hard to custom-fit the chair for Mahesh right there on the sidewalk; then he was taken back to the clinic for health care and to begin the process of restoring him to life, to society, to wholeness in Jesus’ name. It’s what happens all the time on a Wheels for the World trip. The least and the last are found. They are given dignity as they are lifted from the dirt and seated alongside others. It’s what happens when you touch the untouchable in Jesus’ name! By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to "Joni and Friends." I’d like to tell you about a friend of mine named Muni; he has the brightest, most contagious smile I’ve ever seen. Muni lives in India and his joy is a stark contrast to his circumstances. You see, Muni contracted polio at three years of age and has been crawling through the dirt ever since. Muni is the Client Services Director for ProVision Asia, a Joni and Friends partner in Bangalore, India. He met Jesus years ago and now he dedicates his life to securing housing, food and medication – even adapted 3-wheeled motorcycles—for his disabled clients. Now let me tell you how Muni finds his clients. He crawls up onto his three-wheeled motorcycle three times a week and goes out into the smog-infested streets of Bangalore, looking for the poor and destitute, the discarded and disabled. These are the people no one else is reaching; the people no one wants to reach. And recently, Muni came across a disabled beggar on the verge of death. His name was Mahesh, and he lived inside a dark, wet tunnel that links two highways. Mahesh's filthy bed of rags and towels, a bed he has not left in months, perhaps years, is his only comfort. Nobody stops to wish him well; no one cares. He is a low-life, a non-issue, on the bottom of the cast, and to others, he is a non-person, invisible and abandoned. But as Muni was driving through that tunnel, he spotted Mahesh; he stopped his motorcycle, crawled off of it and proceeded to make his way across the dirty, oil-stained asphalt pavement to reach this beggar. Mahesh was surprised to see someone care, and he greeted Muni as this caring individual approached him. Muni, on the other hand, was a little stunned when he heard Mahesh’s greeting—Mahesh spoke in beautiful English with a British accent. It revealed that this beggar had an educated background. It seemed incomprehensible that such a well-spoken man could live in such filth and starvation, among thousands who pass him every day. Mahesh told us that five years ago, he fell from the balcony of his home, breaking both his legs. Then he added, “My disability has disgraced my family and they have put me out. I have lost respect, they fear the same. It is the tradition of India.” But as Muni told this dear beggar, it’s not the tradition of our Lord Jesus. And it wasn’t the tradition of Christ’s representative, Muni. Grabbing Mahesh’s hand, completely blind to his filthy condition or the smell coming from his unwashed body, Muni began to share the beautiful Gospel of Jesus Christ. As he shared, tears fell down Mahesh’s face as the words of truth washed over the broken soul of his. Outcast no longer, Mahesh joined Muni in prayer. At that point, Mahesh beckoned Muni closer and said, “Your Jesus is Light and the Light is now within me, just as it is within you.” The next day, our Wheels for the World team member went with Muni to give Mahesh a new wheelchair. We worked hard to custom-fit the chair for Mahesh right there on the sidewalk; then he was taken back to the clinic for health care and to begin the process of restoring him to life, to society, to wholeness in Jesus’ name. It’s what happens all the time on a Wheels for the World trip. The least and the last are found. They are given dignity as they are lifted from the dirt and seated alongside others. It’s what happens when you touch the untouchable in Jesus’ name! By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

The Tunnel Beggar

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and has this ever happened to you? Okay, here’s the scene—tell me if you see yourself in it, okay? It was just a few weeks ago and I wheeled up to the kitchen table with every intention of spending about a half hour or so in my Bible. Before I had a chance to open the Word, sitting right there on the table, my eyes glanced to a couple of catalogs which had arrived in the mail that morning. Now, I love Coldwater Creek and immediately I spotted this brightly colored blouse on the cover. Under that was a Soft Surroundings catalog and I started thinking about the fitted sheets on our bed, and how the elastic is starting to fray. That’s when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw my Bible again. A little stab of guilt made me whisper a quick prayer; Oh Jesus, I know, I know I'll get to my reading, I promise, but I just want to take a minute to glance through these catalogs.” Twenty minutes later, I still had my nose in the magazines. I'm ashamed to say, my time in the Bible was pushed aside. And this is why I have learned to pray Psalm 119:36, "[Lord], incline my heart unto your testimonies, and not to covetousness." Friends, there are days when I don't even want to pick up the Bible. But I know if I succumb to a ho-hum attitude toward the Word of God, my spirit will shrivel, my faith will shrink, and my hope will become dull and dim. Like you, I have experienced those dry seasons of the soul when the Bible holds no interest and you and I know that’s not good! Yes, I confess, I will get sidetracked now and then and yes, by something as innocuous as Coldwater Creek. And that’s exactly why I find myself constantly pleading, "Lord, don't let me get away with this! Put the 'want-to' in my heart, persuade my heart, bring it around, predispose my heart and prompt it. I know you won’t give up on me, Holy Spirit, so please, incline my heart to your Word and don't let me covet anything in its place, especially something as stupid as a clothes catalog!" Another good prayer to offer up is from Psalm 86, "Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name." You know, it’s hard to find undivided hearts these days, even among Christians. Maybe it’s this age of social media or everything on demand; maybe it’s that next shiny object. All these things have lessened our attention span, and our hearts become fragmented, easily distracted, they go every which way. I'm thinking about laundry to pick up, a project to finish for Sunday school, a birthday card I need to put in the mail, a "warning" light on my dashboard that needs to get checked. So many things vie for my heart's attention. I just have to ask God to gather the fragments, pull my heart together, and unite it to fear His name. How about you? Do you have an undivided heart toward the Lord? If, when it comes to reading the word, you find that your heart has gone AWOL, then ask God to go grab it, unite it, incline it, persuade it; ask God to bring it around; give it a good shake so that the King of glory might be the Lord of your heart. Give God full reign to rule it. Invite Him to sit on the throne of your heart. And then, when the Holy Spirit whispers to you, “Put down those magazines, that catalogs (or, turn off that TV, or now’s not the time for a snack, or listening to your playlist, or raiding the refrigerator, whatever), when the Holy Spirit whispers it, you will be inclined, more inclined to obey. And hey, if you need more inspiration, you just have to go to my blog today at joniandfriends.org. Again, that’s my blog at joniandfriends.org.

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and has this ever happened to you? Okay, here’s the scene—tell me if you see yourself in it, okay? It was just a few weeks ago and I wheeled up to the kitchen table with every intention of spending about a half hour or so in my Bible. Before I had a chance to open the Word, sitting right there on the table, my eyes glanced to a couple of catalogs which had arrived in the mail that morning. Now, I love Coldwater Creek and immediately I spotted this brightly colored blouse on the cover. Under that was a Soft Surroundings catalog and I started thinking about the fitted sheets on our bed, and how the elastic is starting to fray. That’s when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw my Bible again. A little stab of guilt made me whisper a quick prayer; Oh Jesus, I know, I know I'll get to my reading, I promise, but I just want to take a minute to glance through these catalogs.” Twenty minutes later, I still had my nose in the magazines. I'm ashamed to say, my time in the Bible was pushed aside. And this is why I have learned to pray Psalm 119:36, "[Lord], incline my heart unto your testimonies, and not to covetousness." Friends, there are days when I don't even want to pick up the Bible. But I know if I succumb to a ho-hum attitude toward the Word of God, my spirit will shrivel, my faith will shrink, and my hope will become dull and dim. Like you, I have experienced those dry seasons of the soul when the Bible holds no interest and you and I know that’s not good! Yes, I confess, I will get sidetracked now and then and yes, by something as innocuous as Coldwater Creek. And that’s exactly why I find myself constantly pleading, "Lord, don't let me get away with this! Put the 'want-to' in my heart, persuade my heart, bring it around, predispose my heart and prompt it. I know you won’t give up on me, Holy Spirit, so please, incline my heart to your Word and don't let me covet anything in its place, especially something as stupid as a clothes catalog!" Another good prayer to offer up is from Psalm 86, "Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name." You know, it’s hard to find undivided hearts these days, even among Christians. Maybe it’s this age of social media or everything on demand; maybe it’s that next shiny object. All these things have lessened our attention span, and our hearts become fragmented, easily distracted, they go every which way. I'm thinking about laundry to pick up, a project to finish for Sunday school, a birthday card I need to put in the mail, a "warning" light on my dashboard that needs to get checked. So many things vie for my heart's attention. I just have to ask God to gather the fragments, pull my heart together, and unite it to fear His name. How about you? Do you have an undivided heart toward the Lord? If, when it comes to reading the word, you find that your heart has gone AWOL, then ask God to go grab it, unite it, incline it, persuade it; ask God to bring it around; give it a good shake so that the King of glory might be the Lord of your heart. Give God full reign to rule it. Invite Him to sit on the throne of your heart. And then, when the Holy Spirit whispers to you, “Put down those magazines, that catalogs (or, turn off that TV, or now’s not the time for a snack, or listening to your playlist, or raiding the refrigerator, whatever), when the Holy Spirit whispers it, you will be inclined, more inclined to obey. And hey, if you need more inspiration, you just have to go to my blog today at <a href="http://joniandfriends.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniandfriends.org</a>. Again, that’s my blog at <a href="http://joniandfriends.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniandfriends.org</a>.

Grab My Heart, God

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and yes, I am tired. But I am so happy! We are getting closer to the end of my radiation therapy and I am so, so grateful for the prayers of so many of you who have remembered me, and my husband Ken in your intercessions. We are beating back this cancer with radiation and after it’s over I will be on other medications for a long, long time. But that’s okay. I’ve made it! And Lord willing, my lungs have done okay. In the future, you may hear some gravel in my voice, but hey, my lungs will be doing the best they can, and that is good enough. And I'm using my lungs today to simply express my gratitude to you for your concern and for your prayers. I was sustained by many things over the last few months since my surgery back in late November to remove that tumor. But none was so precious as these first few verses from Psalm 116. Get this: I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry; He heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, but then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me!” The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.” My goodness, that passage describes me to a T, and that I have made it this far after surgery and radiation, I’m going to call on the Lord as long as I live. There’s another thing that really bolstered my spirits, it’s a quote from Charles Spurgeon and when I found it, I cut, pasted, and printed it out so I’d have it with me. This is what Spurgeon wrote, he says: "I know of nothing in which I could hold Pontius Pilate as an example to you, save this one thing; he placed the Name of Jesus on the cross. Writing these words with his own hand, he refused to alter them: 'Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews.' Here Pilate, the vacillating governor, for once stuck to the truth, and would not be driven from it. So now whenever you have a cross, write the Name of King Jesus above it and stand to what you have written. He has himself carried a cross far heavier than yours, and His hearty sympathy is WITH you. He is so united to you that all your crosses are His own. Even when the cross weighs heaviest upon you, rejoice that you are honored to suffer with Christ, and are thus be crowned as well as crossed. Write his name on all your crosses!" And that’s exactly what I did. And because I constantly attached the name of Jesus to my trial, it didn’t feel heavy; it wasn’t burdensome. Jesus kept telling me, “Joni, my burden is light, so keep lifting it with my grace.” And what a difference that made. And finally, these words from Mary from Luke, Chapter 1 in a paraphrase called The Message. I just grabbed hold of this and made it my own, because Mary says: “I am bursting with God-news; I am dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened – I am the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before Him. He remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high. It’s exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now.” I love those words from Mary. So friend, whatever cross you are bearing today, write the name of Jesus on it, call on Him as long as you live, and keep bursting with God-News and dancing the song of your Savior.

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and yes, I am tired. But I am so happy! We are getting closer to the end of my radiation therapy and I am so, so grateful for the prayers of so many of you who have remembered me, and my husband Ken in your intercessions. We are beating back this cancer with radiation and after it’s over I will be on other medications for a long, long time. But that’s okay. I’ve made it! And Lord willing, my lungs have done okay. In the future, you may hear some gravel in my voice, but hey, my lungs will be doing the best they can, and that is good enough. And I'm using my lungs today to simply express my gratitude to you for your concern and for your prayers. I was sustained by many things over the last few months since my surgery back in late November to remove that tumor. But none was so precious as these first few verses from Psalm 116. Get this: I love the Lord, for He heard my voice; He heard my cry; He heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, but then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me!” The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.” My goodness, that passage describes me to a T, and that I have made it this far after surgery and radiation, I’m going to call on the Lord as long as I live. There’s another thing that really bolstered my spirits, it’s a quote from Charles Spurgeon and when I found it, I cut, pasted, and printed it out so I’d have it with me. This is what Spurgeon wrote, he says: "I know of nothing in which I could hold Pontius Pilate as an example to you, save this one thing; he placed the Name of Jesus on the cross. Writing these words with his own hand, he refused to alter them: 'Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews.' Here Pilate, the vacillating governor, for once stuck to the truth, and would not be driven from it. So now whenever you have a cross, write the Name of King Jesus above it and stand to what you have written. He has himself carried a cross far heavier than yours, and His hearty sympathy is WITH you. He is so united to you that all your crosses are His own. Even when the cross weighs heaviest upon you, rejoice that you are honored to suffer with Christ, and are thus be crowned as well as crossed. Write his name on all your crosses!" And that’s exactly what I did. And because I constantly attached the name of Jesus to my trial, it didn’t feel heavy; it wasn’t burdensome. Jesus kept telling me, “Joni, my burden is light, so keep lifting it with my grace.” And what a difference that made. And finally, these words from Mary from Luke, Chapter 1 in a paraphrase called The Message. I just grabbed hold of this and made it my own, because Mary says: “I am bursting with God-news; I am dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened – I am the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before Him. He remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high. It’s exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now.” I love those words from Mary. So friend, whatever cross you are bearing today, write the name of Jesus on it, call on Him as long as you live, and keep bursting with God-News and dancing the song of your Savior.

Words that Sustained Me

I've got a 4” scar on my neck and I wouldn't change it for anything. Hi!  Welcome to Joni and Friends and I'm Joni Eareckson Tada. And, yes, even though decades have passed since I broke my neck, you can still see that scar. I should tell you though it didn't happen when I dove in the water. I got this scar when the surgeons opened up the front of my neck in order to fuse the interior of the two cervical vertebrae that I had broken. For many months, almost a year after that surgery, I tried so hard to cover up that 4” ugly red gash in the front of my neck. I tried rubbing vitamin E on it, hoping that it would go away. It was too big to mask with makeup and so, for a while, I wore nothing but turtleneck sweaters ... even in the summer; that’s how embarrassed I used to be about this scar. Well, over time, the red color began to disappear and, I guess, all that Vitamin E on it even made it look smooth. And over more time, my attitude about that scar changed as well. But something else had changed – I had been reading God's Word, especially the parts about His plan and purpose in the midst of our sufferings. And that is what made all the difference. My perspective on scars and the suffering that they represent began to change when I became convinced that God was going to do something wonderful and powerful through that broken neck. And when I began to see that wonderful thing God was doing… (you know, seeing how my wheelchair opened doors for giving the Gospel) well, I tell you that scar was the symbol of my broken neck and it became something in which I could boast. I was able to boast in my affliction, boast in the scar, just as the Bible was telling me to do… and that scar on my neck showed that I belonged to Jesus in a very unique, unusual and special way. It was my—well for lack of a better word – it was my initiation mark into the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings. You know, I thought about this not long ago when I read the Apostle Paul’s words in Galatians Chapter 6, verse 17. He says there, “For I bear on my body the scars that show that I belong to Jesus.” Wow! Think about that.  Just like the apostle, that gash on my neck is God's mark of ownership on me. And, listen, even the Lord carries those marks for Isaiah chapter 49 tells us that “He has engraved us on the palm of His hand.” You know, I like to imagine that when God says He engraved us on the palms of His hands that that engraving, that scar is the very wound from the nails that were driven through His hands.  He looks at those nail prints and thinks of us.  Wow! So, friend, what is God's mark of ownership on you? Maybe it is a scar, or a pair of crutches, a hearing aid or a back brace or knee brace. Well, if that physical problem has forced you to lean harder on Jesus, it means something. It’s a tangible reminder of your need of God. So think, your body has been marred so that it displays God's ownership of your life. Everybody can see you belong to Him. So, whatever that scar or physical reminder is, take a minute to boast in it, would you … to tell others, as well as the unseen world of demons and angels looking on, that that scar that you used to be embarrassed about keeps you depending on Jesus and you belong to Him and not to the world ... and as you do boast, remember that the Lord bears His own physical reminder that you belong to Him, as well … and because you’re engraved right in the palm of His hand. Wow! What a scar that is! Contact us at joniradio.org. That’s a different link to my radio page than you usually hear me say, but it’s a lot easier: joniradio.org.  God bless you today and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends. © Joni and Friends

I've got a 4” scar on my neck and I wouldn't change it for anything. Hi! Welcome to Joni and Friends and I'm Joni Eareckson Tada. And, yes, even though decades have passed since I broke my neck, you can still see that scar. I should tell you though it didn't happen when I dove in the water. I got this scar when the surgeons opened up the front of my neck in order to fuse the interior of the two cervical vertebrae that I had broken. For many months, almost a year after that surgery, I tried so hard to cover up that 4” ugly red gash in the front of my neck. I tried rubbing vitamin E on it, hoping that it would go away. It was too big to mask with makeup and so, for a while, I wore nothing but turtleneck sweaters ... even in the summer; that’s how embarrassed I used to be about this scar. Well, over time, the red color began to disappear and, I guess, all that Vitamin E on it even made it look smooth. And over more time, my attitude about that scar changed as well. But something else had changed – I had been reading God's Word, especially the parts about His plan and purpose in the midst of our sufferings. And that is what made all the difference. My perspective on scars and the suffering that they represent began to change when I became convinced that God was going to do something wonderful and powerful through that broken neck. And when I began to see that wonderful thing God was doing… (you know, seeing how my wheelchair opened doors for giving the Gospel) well, I tell you that scar was the symbol of my broken neck and it became something in which I could boast. I was able to boast in my affliction, boast in the scar, just as the Bible was telling me to do… and that scar on my neck showed that I belonged to Jesus in a very unique, unusual and special way. It was my—well for lack of a better word – it was my initiation mark into the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings. You know, I thought about this not long ago when I read the Apostle Paul’s words in Galatians Chapter 6, verse 17. He says there, “For I bear on my body the scars that show that I belong to Jesus.” Wow! Think about that. Just like the apostle, that gash on my neck is God's mark of ownership on me. And, listen, even the Lord carries those marks for Isaiah chapter 49 tells us that “He has engraved us on the palm of His hand.” You know, I like to imagine that when God says He engraved us on the palms of His hands that that engraving, that scar is the very wound from the nails that were driven through His hands. He looks at those nail prints and thinks of us. Wow! So, friend, what is God's mark of ownership on you? Maybe it is a scar, or a pair of crutches, a hearing aid or a back brace or knee brace. Well, if that physical problem has forced you to lean harder on Jesus, it means something. It’s a tangible reminder of your need of God. So think, your body has been marred so that it displays God's ownership of your life. Everybody can see you belong to Him. So, whatever that scar or physical reminder is, take a minute to boast in it, would you … to tell others, as well as the unseen world of demons and angels looking on, that that scar that you used to be embarrassed about keeps you depending on Jesus and you belong to Him and not to the world ... and as you do boast, remember that the Lord bears His own physical reminder that you belong to Him, as well … and because you’re engraved right in the palm of His hand. Wow! What a scar that is! Contact us at <a href="http://joniradio.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniradio.org</a>. That’s a different link to my radio page than you usually hear me say, but it’s a lot easier: <a href="http://joniradio.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniradio.org</a>. God bless you today and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends. © Joni and Friends

My God-Blessed Scar

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a real miracle story. And miracles happen all the time at a Family Retreat; especially one that’s held in a developing nation. Like this month, we’ll be holding an International Family Retreat near Lutsk, Ukraine. Moms and dads who have kids with disabilities in a place like Ukraine, well…there’s a lot of social stigma; parents are often afraid to even bring their special-needs kids out in public; they’re shoved aside, they’re maligned, moms and dads are even told to take their kids out of the store. You’re not welcome here. And that was the case with Paul and his parents. Paul’s a 17-year-old boy with a hefty dose of autism and a limited ability to speak. Paul barely says anything, and his parents had come to accept that…that is, until Talent Night at last year’s International Family Retreat in Serbia. Now talent night is a chance to celebrate and applaud the gifts God has given special-needs kids. Paul’s parents assumed that their son would not want to participate – I mean, he’d never shown any talent for anything. But that night, to his parent’s surprise, Paul decided to get up and sing a pop song. His mom and dad stared wide-eyed, I mean, what was their son doing? Paul did not typically like crowds and had never sung before in his life! Okay, so this 17-year- old grabs the microphone and sang a contemporary song, but then he stops. He smiles at everyone and very clearly in English, word for word, he sang, “There is none like You. No one else can touch my heart like you do. I can search for all eternity, Lord, and I’ll find there is none like You.” What?! I mean, Paul’s family weren’t even believers; they had never been open to the Gospel message. And here, their kid is perfectly singing a praise song. Well, it seems that one of the volunteers had sung it earlier in the week, and Paul kept listening intently—he quickly learned it. Well this kid could not only sing; he could speak! I mean, that praise song contains, what, 25 words. And this was amazing for a teenager who had never strung three words together. And that night, after finishing his song, he yelled into the microphone, “Hvala ti, Isuse!” which they say in Serbian means, “Thank you, Jesus!” Everyone jumped to their feet, wildly applauding; even they knew that this was a miracle. Now as you’d guess, Paul and his parents experienced a life-transformation. Not only as it related to his autism, but to their faith, because before talent night was over, this boy and his mom and dad bowed their hearts before Jesus and embraced Christ as their Savior. Later that evening during debrief, the leader of that International Family Retreat said to the others, she said, “You know, I have witnessed all kinds of things at our Family Retreats, but to see a child that barely speaks, and does not sing, did not grow up in church, never had heard the Gospel, suddenly sing to Jesus and then thank Him in front of a crowd, it was a pure miracle beyond all my expectations. God is obviously raising up kids with disabilities to take his great Gospel into their homes!” And you know what, that leader is right. So this month as we hold another International Family Retreat in Ukraine, be praying for kids like Paul. Be praying that these children and their parents come to accept Christ as their Savior. And if you’d like to see a really cool video of what a Family Retreat looks like in a developing nation, like Serbia or Ukraine, watch the one we posted today at joniradio.org. And one more thing, we at Joni and Friends would love to pray for you and your troubles, so share with us your prayer need today at joniradio.org. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a real miracle story. And miracles happen all the time at a Family Retreat; especially one that’s held in a developing nation. Like this month, we’ll be holding an International Family Retreat near Lutsk, Ukraine. Moms and dads who have kids with disabilities in a place like Ukraine, well…there’s a lot of social stigma; parents are often afraid to even bring their special-needs kids out in public; they’re shoved aside, they’re maligned, moms and dads are even told to take their kids out of the store. You’re not welcome here. And that was the case with Paul and his parents. Paul’s a 17-year-old boy with a hefty dose of autism and a limited ability to speak. Paul barely says anything, and his parents had come to accept that…that is, until Talent Night at last year’s International Family Retreat in Serbia. Now talent night is a chance to celebrate and applaud the gifts God has given special-needs kids. Paul’s parents assumed that their son would not want to participate – I mean, he’d never shown any talent for anything. But that night, to his parent’s surprise, Paul decided to get up and sing a pop song. His mom and dad stared wide-eyed, I mean, what was their son doing? Paul did not typically like crowds and had never sung before in his life! Okay, so this 17-year- old grabs the microphone and sang a contemporary song, but then he stops. He smiles at everyone and very clearly in English, word for word, he sang, “There is none like You. No one else can touch my heart like you do. I can search for all eternity, Lord, and I’ll find there is none like You.” What?! I mean, Paul’s family weren’t even believers; they had never been open to the Gospel message. And here, their kid is perfectly singing a praise song. Well, it seems that one of the volunteers had sung it earlier in the week, and Paul kept listening intently—he quickly learned it. Well this kid could not only sing; he could speak! I mean, that praise song contains, what, 25 words. And this was amazing for a teenager who had never strung three words together. And that night, after finishing his song, he yelled into the microphone, “Hvala ti, Isuse!” which they say in Serbian means, “Thank you, Jesus!” Everyone jumped to their feet, wildly applauding; even they knew that this was a miracle. Now as you’d guess, Paul and his parents experienced a life-transformation. Not only as it related to his autism, but to their faith, because before talent night was over, this boy and his mom and dad bowed their hearts before Jesus and embraced Christ as their Savior. Later that evening during debrief, the leader of that International Family Retreat said to the others, she said, “You know, I have witnessed all kinds of things at our Family Retreats, but to see a child that barely speaks, and does not sing, did not grow up in church, never had heard the Gospel, suddenly sing to Jesus and then thank Him in front of a crowd, it was a pure miracle beyond all my expectations. God is obviously raising up kids with disabilities to take his great Gospel into their homes!” And you know what, that leader is right. So this month as we hold another International Family Retreat in Ukraine, be praying for kids like Paul. Be praying that these children and their parents come to accept Christ as their Savior. And if you’d like to see a really cool video of what a Family Retreat looks like in a developing nation, like Serbia or Ukraine, watch the one we posted today at <a href="http://joniradio.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniradio.org</a>. And one more thing, we at Joni and Friends would love to pray for you and your troubles, so share with us your prayer need today at <a href="http://joniradio.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniradio.org</a>. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Talent Show Night

Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada with a good word from Mark, Chapter 1. That’s the scene where Jesus is walking along the shore and he calls to Simon and Andrew “Come, follow me,” and they obey, leaving their nets at once to follow Jesus without delay. Don’t you love that? They dropped everything and obeyed at once without dragging their heels or second-guessing his call. How compelling must’ve been that call of Jesus! Not only did those men leave their nets behind, but I tell you what, they left their identity. They left their livelihood. They left everything, by which they had been known. They were no longer fishermen; they became fishers of men. To me, that’s inspiring, because that’s the way I want to live. When I hear God’s word, I don’t want to second-guess it, I don’t want to drag my heels, I want to be a doer of it. If I hear a truth from the Bible, I want to act on it. I don’t want to believe Satan’s lies. But so many times I end up believing lies without even thinking about it, I listen to lies like: “I’m powerless; there’s nothing I can do to make this bad situation any better!” Or I’ll listen to a lie like: “I can’t tell my friend how I really feel; it’ll ruin our relationship.” Or I cave in, telling myself, “Sure, I believe in spiritual warfare, but I’d really rather watch “American Pickers” right now and not do any battles; not fight them.” I hate thinking like that. It’s kick-it-into-neutral thinking, cowardly thinking. It’s do-nothing thinking. Because the truth is, I do have power—I have God’s power—to make a bad situation better. And telling the truth is the best path for any friendship. And every spiritual battle is worth fighting, no matter what your emotions insist. When the Holy Spirit whispers to me, or calls me forth into battle, or tells me to rise to some new, yet harder obedience, I need to not only listen, but act on it; actually wrap my hands around the challenge, and put some weight behind it, give it effort; give it honest, spiritual muscle and fight back against laziness or lies. In other words, I have to leave my nets and follow Jesus at once without delay. Spurgeon once wrote: “When God calls you to do something, hasten right then to fulfill it before the holy glow departs from your soul. Leave your nets at once and do not give place to the devil by delaying.” Love that! Perhaps Jesus is telling you to talk about Him to your coworkers; you know, share your testimony and talk up Jesus. It sounds great at first, doesn’t it? You feel courageous as you picture how you’re going to approach that group of coworkers in the lunch area; you see yourself saying this and that, and your heart swells with anticipation. But if you delay in doing it, over time you are going to lose the glow; you start second-guessing what the Lord wants you to do, putting up resistance and saying, “you know, God, I’m not sure I heard you quite right. I really don’t think my coworkers are ready right now to hear my story”. We check and double check what we think we heard God say, until we have convinced ourselves it wasn’t Him who spoke anyway, in the first place. Like Spurgeon says: “When God calls you to do something, hasten right then to fulfill it before the holy glow departs from your soul. In other words friend, leave your nets at once and do not give place to the devil by delaying.” Don’t second-guess God and rationalize away His calling in your life. Listen to His call and join me in being not just a hearer, but a doer of His word. When you have a chance today, drop by joniandfriends.org.

Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada with a good word from Mark, Chapter 1. That’s the scene where Jesus is walking along the shore and he calls to Simon and Andrew “Come, follow me,” and they obey, leaving their nets at once to follow Jesus without delay. Don’t you love that? They dropped everything and obeyed at once without dragging their heels or second-guessing his call. How compelling must’ve been that call of Jesus! Not only did those men leave their nets behind, but I tell you what, they left their identity. They left their livelihood. They left everything, by which they had been known. They were no longer fishermen; they became fishers of men. To me, that’s inspiring, because that’s the way I want to live. When I hear God’s word, I don’t want to second-guess it, I don’t want to drag my heels, I want to be a doer of it. If I hear a truth from the Bible, I want to act on it. I don’t want to believe Satan’s lies. But so many times I end up believing lies without even thinking about it, I listen to lies like: “I’m powerless; there’s nothing I can do to make this bad situation any better!” Or I’ll listen to a lie like: “I can’t tell my friend how I really feel; it’ll ruin our relationship.” Or I cave in, telling myself, “Sure, I believe in spiritual warfare, but I’d really rather watch “American Pickers” right now and not do any battles; not fight them.” I hate thinking like that. It’s kick-it-into-neutral thinking, cowardly thinking. It’s do-nothing thinking. Because the truth is, I do have power—I have God’s power—to make a bad situation better. And telling the truth is the best path for any friendship. And every spiritual battle is worth fighting, no matter what your emotions insist. When the Holy Spirit whispers to me, or calls me forth into battle, or tells me to rise to some new, yet harder obedience, I need to not only listen, but act on it; actually wrap my hands around the challenge, and put some weight behind it, give it effort; give it honest, spiritual muscle and fight back against laziness or lies. In other words, I have to leave my nets and follow Jesus at once without delay. Spurgeon once wrote: “When God calls you to do something, hasten right then to fulfill it before the holy glow departs from your soul. Leave your nets at once and do not give place to the devil by delaying.” Love that! Perhaps Jesus is telling you to talk about Him to your coworkers; you know, share your testimony and talk up Jesus. It sounds great at first, doesn’t it? You feel courageous as you picture how you’re going to approach that group of coworkers in the lunch area; you see yourself saying this and that, and your heart swells with anticipation. But if you delay in doing it, over time you are going to lose the glow; you start second-guessing what the Lord wants you to do, putting up resistance and saying, “you know, God, I’m not sure I heard you quite right. I really don’t think my coworkers are ready right now to hear my story”. We check and double check what we think we heard God say, until we have convinced ourselves it wasn’t Him who spoke anyway, in the first place. Like Spurgeon says: “When God calls you to do something, hasten right then to fulfill it before the holy glow departs from your soul. In other words friend, leave your nets at once and do not give place to the devil by delaying.” Don’t second-guess God and rationalize away His calling in your life. Listen to His call and join me in being not just a hearer, but a doer of His word. When you have a chance today, drop by <a href="http://joniandfriends.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniandfriends.org</a>.

Do Not Delay

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to "Joni and Friends." Sarah loves her work as a physical therapist, and she works hard at it. But because she knows Jesus, there was always this, um… I don’t know, drive in her to somehow, someway, use her physical therapy skills in ministry. Now, it’s pretty hard to do that in a church setting or in a Bible study, but Sarah just knew there was a niche for her to do ministry somewhere as a physical therapist. And that’s when she decided to go on-line and start exploring. After typing in ‘international mission organizations,’ she found out about Joni and Friends. Aha! As she explored our website, Sarah found all kinds of ways to use her physical therapy skills in ministry. In a short time, the Lord led her to serve at our International Family Retreats in Guatemala and Peru. In those developing countries, rarely do special-needs families connect with a healthcare professional like Sarah. And so, this young woman did double-duty in helping moms and dads get better trained in assisting their son or daughter in a wheelchair. From there, though, Sarah went on. She went on to serve on a Wheels for the World outreach. And when she came home from that, she decided to sign up as a Chair Corps volunteer, collecting wheelchairs and walkers to be refurbished and used on Wheels’ trips. Sarah was hooked, and before long, she and her husband were leading a Beyond Suffering small group at her local church. ‘Man, thank you Jesus,’ she prayed. ‘I'm really using my physical therapy skills to do ministry for you.’ Well, Sarah was about to see just how much ministry, because in 2016, when she was in Peru, it all came together. She was leading a Bible study for mothers of special-needs children. And after the Gospel was shared, for some reason she just felt led, felt compelled to stand up and sing “In Christ Alone” and she did it in her halting Spanish. When she finished the song, all the mothers were silent; they were dabbing their eyes. Sarah’s co-leader asked in Spanish if any of the women would like to receive Christ as their Savior. “Salvation,” she said, “is not about doing things Christ wants us to do; salvation is about Christ and Christ alone.” That was a different slant for these special-needs moms, and all of them – not just four or five – but all of them stood up and gave their lives to the Lord Jesus. Sarah said it was beautiful, there were hugs and tears, and over the next few days, every woman gave her testimony of how God had changed her life. “And it wouldn’t have happened without this Family Retreat in our nation,” they all chimed in and said that. Not one of those mothers had ever considered that their child with a disability could be a blessing; could be made in the image of God. All those moms went away from retreat amazed that their children were a gift from God, disability or not. Yes, Sarah loves her job as a physical therapist, but she really loves the ministry that it affords her through Joni and Friends. And, um, I don’t know; if you’re a physical therapist, maybe you’d say the same. In fact, if you are a physical therapist, Sarah would say: “Come and serve with Joni and Friends.” Just go on joniradio.org for all the details. And while you’re on my radio page, I posted a wonderful video that shows up close and personal how much fun and fellowship can be found at an International Family Retreat. So please today check out the video at joniradio.org, and visit our International Family Retreat page to learn more how you can get involved – just like Sarah. God bless you today and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to "Joni and Friends." Sarah loves her work as a physical therapist, and she works hard at it. But because she knows Jesus, there was always this, um… I don’t know, drive in her to somehow, someway, use her physical therapy skills in ministry. Now, it’s pretty hard to do that in a church setting or in a Bible study, but Sarah just knew there was a niche for her to do ministry somewhere as a physical therapist. And that’s when she decided to go on-line and start exploring. After typing in ‘international mission organizations,’ she found out about Joni and Friends. Aha! As she explored our website, Sarah found all kinds of ways to use her physical therapy skills in ministry. In a short time, the Lord led her to serve at our International Family Retreats in Guatemala and Peru. In those developing countries, rarely do special-needs families connect with a healthcare professional like Sarah. And so, this young woman did double-duty in helping moms and dads get better trained in assisting their son or daughter in a wheelchair. From there, though, Sarah went on. She went on to serve on a Wheels for the World outreach. And when she came home from that, she decided to sign up as a Chair Corps volunteer, collecting wheelchairs and walkers to be refurbished and used on Wheels’ trips. Sarah was hooked, and before long, she and her husband were leading a Beyond Suffering small group at her local church. ‘Man, thank you Jesus,’ she prayed. ‘I'm really using my physical therapy skills to do ministry for you.’ Well, Sarah was about to see just how much ministry, because in 2016, when she was in Peru, it all came together. She was leading a Bible study for mothers of special-needs children. And after the Gospel was shared, for some reason she just felt led, felt compelled to stand up and sing “In Christ Alone” and she did it in her halting Spanish. When she finished the song, all the mothers were silent; they were dabbing their eyes. Sarah’s co-leader asked in Spanish if any of the women would like to receive Christ as their Savior. “Salvation,” she said, “is not about doing things Christ wants us to do; salvation is about Christ and Christ alone.” That was a different slant for these special-needs moms, and all of them – not just four or five – but all of them stood up and gave their lives to the Lord Jesus. Sarah said it was beautiful, there were hugs and tears, and over the next few days, every woman gave her testimony of how God had changed her life. “And it wouldn’t have happened without this Family Retreat in our nation,” they all chimed in and said that. Not one of those mothers had ever considered that their child with a disability could be a blessing; could be made in the image of God. All those moms went away from retreat amazed that their children were a gift from God, disability or not. Yes, Sarah loves her job as a physical therapist, but she really loves the ministry that it affords her through Joni and Friends. And, um, I don’t know; if you’re a physical therapist, maybe you’d say the same. In fact, if you are a physical therapist, Sarah would say: “Come and serve with Joni and Friends.” Just go on <a href="http://joniradio.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniradio.org</a> for all the details. And while you’re on my radio page, I posted a wonderful video that shows up close and personal how much fun and fellowship can be found at an International Family Retreat. So please today check out the video at <a href="http://joniradio.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniradio.org</a>, and visit our International Family Retreat page to learn more how you can get involved – just like Sarah. God bless you today and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

A Faithful Servant of The Lord

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and Spring is right around the corner. And I know you’re looking forward to a change of seasons and so is my friend Shauna Amick. Shauna is the mother of a child with disabilities. Shauna, you must love Spring, a chance for the kids to get out of the house. SHAUNA: Oh, I sure do Joni, and get rid of the cabin fever and just love Spring and everything it represents – just new beginnings, new hope, new life. And as Sarah’s mother, with Down syndrome, her heart defect, and the behavioral challenges that comes with her disability, they just keep me running to Jesus and looking out for those new Spring-like perspectives. So Spring, it makes me think of the playground, and getting my spunky little girl out of the house more often and the playground actually makes me think of the love and compassion that Sarah receives from her big brother, Gideon. JONI: Okay, wait a minute. I can understand that Spring makes you think about going to the playground, but what does Gideon, a teenager, how does he fit in on the playground of all places? SHAUNA: Well, I am proud to say that Gideon embraces Sarah for who she is with a great deal of compassion. Last Spring when we all went to the playground together Gideon and I were sitting on the bench, we were just watching Sarah do her thing out on the playground, and as she made her way through the slides and the swings, just we were relaxing and enjoying the day. Well, Sarah, she started running toward a group of other kids who were there, and of course she’s running with her awkward gait and her unique style, she just wanted to engage with the other kids on the playground, but they didn’t want anything to do with her. JONI: Oh, my goodness. SHAUNA: And while they didn’t say anything hurtful, they did, they turned their backs on her and they just ran in the other direction. It was another painful reminder that living with disability can be very lonely. JONI: Well, you sittin’ there on the playground park bench lookin’ at that scene it must have broken your heart. SHAUNA: Oh, it sure did, Joni. But you know what? Before I could even do anything about it, Gideon, he stepped in, just like the Lone Ranger or Superman. He just walked right up to his little sister; he put his arm around her. He physically turned her body in the other direction and he said, “Hey, Sarah, can I push you on the swings?” Well, Sarah forgot all about those other kids and she just took off running to the swing set. And when it was time to leave the playground and head for home, Sarah put her arms around her big brother and she said, “I love you Gideon.” JONI: Wow! SHAUNA: It was the longest and clearest sentence that my little girl had ever said in her 13 years. JONI: Stop. Wait a minute. What did that do for your heart? SHAUNA: Oh, my goodness. Well, my broken heart just turned into a heart that was overflowing with joy. Sarah, in her own way, she understood the poignancy of that whole situation: the rejection of the other kids, the compassion of her big brother; the joy of being part of a family. And you know I felt like I was watching a living example of Romans 12:10 right before my eyes. JONI: Which says? SHAUNA: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” JONI: What did Gideon have to say about that whole scene? SHAUNA: What he told me is that no matter what kind of difficulties we go through as a family affected by disabilities or what kind of challenges he and Sarah go through as siblings, ‘cause let’s face it, they still have their challenges, he always wants her to know he loves her. JONI: Well, that is a demonstration of true love what happened there on the playground. And friend, that’s the kind of love Jesus has for you. No matter what kind of difficulties you’re going through, right now Jesus sees you, He loves you, He is interceding on your behalf not only in the Springtime, but at all times. And given that it’s ‘World Down Syndrome Day’ this coming Thursday, contact joniradio.org would you, and ask for Shauna’s booklet called “From Fear to Hope”. Finally, when you are on my radio page check out a great photo and Gideon and Sarah and find a way to share your own brotherly or sisterly love with someone else in need today. Right, Shauna? Shauna: Amen By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and Spring is right around the corner. And I know you’re looking forward to a change of seasons and so is my friend Shauna Amick. Shauna is the mother of a child with disabilities. Shauna, you must love Spring, a chance for the kids to get out of the house. SHAUNA: Oh, I sure do Joni, and get rid of the cabin fever and just love Spring and everything it represents – just new beginnings, new hope, new life. And as Sarah’s mother, with Down syndrome, her heart defect, and the behavioral challenges that comes with her disability, they just keep me running to Jesus and looking out for those new Spring-like perspectives. So Spring, it makes me think of the playground, and getting my spunky little girl out of the house more often and the playground actually makes me think of the love and compassion that Sarah receives from her big brother, Gideon. JONI: Okay, wait a minute. I can understand that Spring makes you think about going to the playground, but what does Gideon, a teenager, how does he fit in on the playground of all places? SHAUNA: Well, I am proud to say that Gideon embraces Sarah for who she is with a great deal of compassion. Last Spring when we all went to the playground together Gideon and I were sitting on the bench, we were just watching Sarah do her thing out on the playground, and as she made her way through the slides and the swings, just we were relaxing and enjoying the day. Well, Sarah, she started running toward a group of other kids who were there, and of course she’s running with her awkward gait and her unique style, she just wanted to engage with the other kids on the playground, but they didn’t want anything to do with her. JONI: Oh, my goodness. SHAUNA: And while they didn’t say anything hurtful, they did, they turned their backs on her and they just ran in the other direction. It was another painful reminder that living with disability can be very lonely. JONI: Well, you sittin’ there on the playground park bench lookin’ at that scene it must have broken your heart. SHAUNA: Oh, it sure did, Joni. But you know what? Before I could even do anything about it, Gideon, he stepped in, just like the Lone Ranger or Superman. He just walked right up to his little sister; he put his arm around her. He physically turned her body in the other direction and he said, “Hey, Sarah, can I push you on the swings?” Well, Sarah forgot all about those other kids and she just took off running to the swing set. And when it was time to leave the playground and head for home, Sarah put her arms around her big brother and she said, “I love you Gideon.” JONI: Wow! SHAUNA: It was the longest and clearest sentence that my little girl had ever said in her 13 years. JONI: Stop. Wait a minute. What did that do for your heart? SHAUNA: Oh, my goodness. Well, my broken heart just turned into a heart that was overflowing with joy. Sarah, in her own way, she understood the poignancy of that whole situation: the rejection of the other kids, the compassion of her big brother; the joy of being part of a family. And you know I felt like I was watching a living example of Romans 12:10 right before my eyes. JONI: Which says? SHAUNA: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” JONI: What did Gideon have to say about that whole scene? SHAUNA: What he told me is that no matter what kind of difficulties we go through as a family affected by disabilities or what kind of challenges he and Sarah go through as siblings, ‘cause let’s face it, they still have their challenges, he always wants her to know he loves her. JONI: Well, that is a demonstration of true love what happened there on the playground. And friend, that’s the kind of love Jesus has for you. No matter what kind of difficulties you’re going through, right now Jesus sees you, He loves you, He is interceding on your behalf not only in the Springtime, but at all times. And given that it’s ‘World Down Syndrome Day’ this coming Thursday, contact <a href="http://joniradio.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniradio.org</a> would you, and ask for Shauna’s booklet called “From Fear to Hope”. Finally, when you are on my radio page check out a great photo and Gideon and Sarah and find a way to share your own brotherly or sisterly love with someone else in need today. Right, Shauna? Shauna: Amen By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Brotherly Love

Tomorrow is World Down Syndrome Day! That’s right, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada here with my friend and co-worker Shauna Amick, and we’re asking you to do something very fun and a little bit unusual in order to celebrate and support our friends with Down syndrome, aren’t we Shauna. SHAUNA: That’s right, Joni! Every March 21st it’s World Down Syndrome Day and we encourage people to wear brightly colored socks, mismatched socks, crazy looking pattern socks. JONI: Where does this idea come from? SHAUNA: Well, you know that the way this whole idea came up in the first place was that the folks from World Down Syndrome Day, they were looking at striped socks and they were holding them together in such a way that they actually looked like chromosome. JONI: Oh, my goodness! SHAUNA: And so when you put those pairs of socks together they were looking like the chromosomes and of course Down syndrome is caused by that one extra chromosome so they just made the connection between socks and that trisomy 21chromosome. JONI: I love it! What a great way to draw attention to Down syndrome. SHAUNA: That’s right. That’s right. And now our socks not only can draw attention to Down syndrome, but also to the gospel. JONI: It’s amazing! SHAUNA: When people ask about our socks it’s our opportunity to talk about the uniqueness of people with Down syndrome and then even to continue that conversation just the need to invite people with Down syndrome into our schools, our churches, our neighborhoods; really everywhere. So I know I’ll be wearing my silly socks to raise awareness and highlight the value and beauty of all people with Down syndrome and believe it or not – to also showcase one of my favorite Scriptures. JONI: And what’s that? SHAUNA: Well, Romans 10 verses 13 to 15 reminds us that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. JONI: Oh, I love that one. SHAUNA: And it goes on to say: But how can they call on Him unless they believe in Him, and how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him; how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That’s why the Scriptures say, how beautiful are the feet of the messengers who bring good news! JONI: Okay, now I get the connection between socks and the beautiful feet of people who bring good news. Very clever, Shauna. SHAUNA: Well, you know when we’re wearing those brightly colored socks, or those even mismatched socks, or how about only one sock. JONI: Extra long socks? SHAUNA: Yes, exactly! We’re gonna to attract attention, aren’t we? And people are going to start talking. They’ll be talking about Down syndrome, for sure, but also talking about Jesus and how He sees people with Down syndrome! So our fun socks then, well, they open the door to talk about the Gospel. And in that way, to anyone who’s rockin’ their crazy socks on World Down Syndrome Day, I say “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” JONI: Well, you know what? I think crazy colored socks, mismatched socks that seems to be the rage of the day anyway. So friend show off your crazy socks this World Down Syndrome Day – in support of people with Down syndrome and to tell everyone about Jesus. How about takin’a photo of you and your friends rocking your socks, (I like that, don’t you Shauna?), tagging Joni and Friends on your Facebook and Instagram posts; how about doin’ that? And we can’t wait to see your pictures and hear your stories of how the Lord used your silly socks to start a conversation about Jesus. So visit the Joni and Friends Facebook page to share today’s program. And while you’re at it, remember to visit joniradio.org and download Shauna’s story about her beautiful daughter Sarah, who has Downs. That booklet is called what, Shauna? SHAUNA: It’s called From Fear to Hope, and I’m excited for everyone to read it because I hope it encourages not only parents of children with Down syndrome, but parents of children with any disability. JONI: Okay, friends, so there you have it, be inspired, and get out your mismatched, colorful socks and rock ‘em for World Down Syndrome Day! Can’t wait to see your socks, Shauna. Thanks for listening today on Joni and Friends. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Tomorrow is World Down Syndrome Day! That’s right, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada here with my friend and co-worker Shauna Amick, and we’re asking you to do something very fun and a little bit unusual in order to celebrate and support our friends with Down syndrome, aren’t we Shauna. SHAUNA: That’s right, Joni! Every March 21st it’s World Down Syndrome Day and we encourage people to wear brightly colored socks, mismatched socks, crazy looking pattern socks. JONI: Where does this idea come from? SHAUNA: Well, you know that the way this whole idea came up in the first place was that the folks from World Down Syndrome Day, they were looking at striped socks and they were holding them together in such a way that they actually looked like chromosome. JONI: Oh, my goodness! SHAUNA: And so when you put those pairs of socks together they were looking like the chromosomes and of course Down syndrome is caused by that one extra chromosome so they just made the connection between socks and that trisomy 21chromosome. JONI: I love it! What a great way to draw attention to Down syndrome. SHAUNA: That’s right. That’s right. And now our socks not only can draw attention to Down syndrome, but also to the gospel. JONI: It’s amazing! SHAUNA: When people ask about our socks it’s our opportunity to talk about the uniqueness of people with Down syndrome and then even to continue that conversation just the need to invite people with Down syndrome into our schools, our churches, our neighborhoods; really everywhere. So I know I’ll be wearing my silly socks to raise awareness and highlight the value and beauty of all people with Down syndrome and believe it or not – to also showcase one of my favorite Scriptures. JONI: And what’s that? SHAUNA: Well, Romans 10 verses 13 to 15 reminds us that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. JONI: Oh, I love that one. SHAUNA: And it goes on to say: But how can they call on Him unless they believe in Him, and how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him; how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That’s why the Scriptures say, how beautiful are the feet of the messengers who bring good news! JONI: Okay, now I get the connection between socks and the beautiful feet of people who bring good news. Very clever, Shauna. SHAUNA: Well, you know when we’re wearing those brightly colored socks, or those even mismatched socks, or how about only one sock. JONI: Extra long socks? SHAUNA: Yes, exactly! We’re gonna to attract attention, aren’t we? And people are going to start talking. They’ll be talking about Down syndrome, for sure, but also talking about Jesus and how He sees people with Down syndrome! So our fun socks then, well, they open the door to talk about the Gospel. And in that way, to anyone who’s rockin’ their crazy socks on World Down Syndrome Day, I say “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” JONI: Well, you know what? I think crazy colored socks, mismatched socks that seems to be the rage of the day anyway. So friend show off your crazy socks this World Down Syndrome Day – in support of people with Down syndrome and to tell everyone about Jesus. How about takin’a photo of you and your friends rocking your socks, (I like that, don’t you Shauna?), tagging Joni and Friends on your Facebook and Instagram posts; how about doin’ that? And we can’t wait to see your pictures and hear your stories of how the Lord used your silly socks to start a conversation about Jesus. So visit the Joni and Friends Facebook page to share today’s program. And while you’re at it, remember to visit <a href="http://joniradio.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniradio.org</a> and download Shauna’s story about her beautiful daughter Sarah, who has Downs. That booklet is called what, Shauna? SHAUNA: It’s called From Fear to Hope, and I’m excited for everyone to read it because I hope it encourages not only parents of children with Down syndrome, but parents of children with any disability. JONI: Okay, friends, so there you have it, be inspired, and get out your mismatched, colorful socks and rock ‘em for World Down Syndrome Day! Can’t wait to see your socks, Shauna. Thanks for listening today on Joni and Friends. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

World Down Syndrome Day 2019

The way we respond to suffering and dark times is an opportunity to make God look great! As we trust Him through the pain, we glorify the Lord and honor His name. Keep persevering and leaning on the Lord!

Make God Look Great

Jesus is the spring of Living Water, but again and again we offend God by searching for cisterns that do not hold water.

My Canteen

Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada with a quotation that you are going to like. Well, maybe you won’t like it. We’ll see. The quote originates with one of the early church fathers, Saint Sebastian, who helped guide the fledgling church back in the early 200s. Yikes, that is going back a ways to a time when persecution against Christians was hot and heavy. Back then, our brothers and sisters in Christ were heaven-bent on standing strong in the midst of life-threatening suffering; they set their face like flint on the hope of heaven, committed to hold on until the end, until they saw their Savior and heard those wonderful words: “Well done.” But, as you’d guess, there were others. Others who collapsed under the weight, caved in, threw in the spiritual towel and recanted their faith. For them, suffering for Christ – that is suffering as a Christian – was just too hard. In the midst of all this, Sebastian spoke wise and stirring words to his congregation. He said, “When we get to heaven, we will not regret that we suffered; we will regret that we suffered so little, and that little, so badly.” His words were intended to shame those who were quietly intending to renounce or disavow the blood of Christ over their lives. With that brief sentence, Sebastian was inasmuch saying: “Don’t you dare forsake, don’t you dare abandon your Lord in these trying times. Yes, life is hard and our adversaries are vicious, but God's reputation is riding on the back of your response to these times and these trials. Don’t give your neighbors reason to think that your God isn’t worth it; isn’t worth staying the course. That His grace is insufficient; don’t let them think that He’s not strong enough to sustain you, because He is. He is your ever-present help in any and every trouble.” That was good advice for Christians many, many hundreds of years ago and its great advice for you and me today, because we, too, need to be heaven-bent on standing strong when trials hit us hard. We, too, need to set our face like flint as we set our minds and hearts on things above where Christ is seated, where Christ is watching and yes, even interceding for us to stay the course and remain faithful to His name. Can we believe, will we believe, that God's grace is indeed enough for our problems? I pray so. Because I do not – and I don’t think you – want to be numbered among those who shame the reputation of Jesus. Like Hebrews says, “None of us have suffered to the point of shedding blood.” I mean, no one in your American cul-de-sac is being martyred today, right? So stay strong. Live well. Hold fast to the One who is holding you fast. Because you don’t want to be known as less in the kingdom of God (that’s right, the Bible speaks clearly of those who will considered lesser in the kingdom, just as there are those who will be great). Friend, don’t diminish or jeopardize the richness of your eternal destiny by caving in, or by throwing in the spiritual towel. Suffer well. Suffer faithfully. If you need prayer, if you are faltering; if you think you need help, then let us know at Joni and Friends, because we get it. We understand how hard hardship can be. So, leave your prayer request on our Facebook page, connect with us through our website, send us a text, or post your request at joniradio.org. We care and we’re here to help those who hurt with words that have been encouraging Christians like you, since the ancient of times. Let me hear from you today on my Facebook page or you can always post a comment on my Blog at joniandfriends.org. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada with a quotation that you are going to like. Well, maybe you won’t like it. We’ll see. The quote originates with one of the early church fathers, Saint Sebastian, who helped guide the fledgling church back in the early 200s. Yikes, that is going back a ways to a time when persecution against Christians was hot and heavy. Back then, our brothers and sisters in Christ were heaven-bent on standing strong in the midst of life-threatening suffering; they set their face like flint on the hope of heaven, committed to hold on until the end, until they saw their Savior and heard those wonderful words: “Well done.” But, as you’d guess, there were others. Others who collapsed under the weight, caved in, threw in the spiritual towel and recanted their faith. For them, suffering for Christ – that is suffering as a Christian – was just too hard. In the midst of all this, Sebastian spoke wise and stirring words to his congregation. He said, “When we get to heaven, we will not regret that we suffered; we will regret that we suffered so little, and that little, so badly.” His words were intended to shame those who were quietly intending to renounce or disavow the blood of Christ over their lives. With that brief sentence, Sebastian was inasmuch saying: “Don’t you dare forsake, don’t you dare abandon your Lord in these trying times. Yes, life is hard and our adversaries are vicious, but God's reputation is riding on the back of your response to these times and these trials. Don’t give your neighbors reason to think that your God isn’t worth it; isn’t worth staying the course. That His grace is insufficient; don’t let them think that He’s not strong enough to sustain you, because He is. He is your ever-present help in any and every trouble.” That was good advice for Christians many, many hundreds of years ago and its great advice for you and me today, because we, too, need to be heaven-bent on standing strong when trials hit us hard. We, too, need to set our face like flint as we set our minds and hearts on things above where Christ is seated, where Christ is watching and yes, even interceding for us to stay the course and remain faithful to His name. Can we believe, will we believe, that God's grace is indeed enough for our problems? I pray so. Because I do not – and I don’t think you – want to be numbered among those who shame the reputation of Jesus. Like Hebrews says, “None of us have suffered to the point of shedding blood.” I mean, no one in your American cul-de-sac is being martyred today, right? So stay strong. Live well. Hold fast to the One who is holding you fast. Because you don’t want to be known as less in the kingdom of God (that’s right, the Bible speaks clearly of those who will considered lesser in the kingdom, just as there are those who will be great). Friend, don’t diminish or jeopardize the richness of your eternal destiny by caving in, or by throwing in the spiritual towel. Suffer well. Suffer faithfully. If you need prayer, if you are faltering; if you think you need help, then let us know at Joni and Friends, because we get it. We understand how hard hardship can be. So, leave your prayer request on our Facebook page, connect with us through our website, send us a text, or post your request at <a href="http://joniradio.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniradio.org</a>. We care and we’re here to help those who hurt with words that have been encouraging Christians like you, since the ancient of times. Let me hear from you today on my Facebook page or you can always post a comment on my Blog at <a href="http://joniandfriends.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniandfriends.org</a>. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Words from Sebastion

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and isn’t it amazing how God will lead us? Like the way He’s led Bernie Punte all these years. Now Bernie was a Christian, but he really wasn’t involved in outreach or ministry. One day, though, he was listening to Christian radio (just like you are) and he happened to come across "Joni and Friends", and when Bernie heard about our outreach to people with disabilities around the world, he gave a donation (bless his heart). And for that, he received a note of thanks and a copy of my book, Joni (which he read). The Joni book really inspired him and got him to thinking and he wondered, "Well, wow! What have I done in my life to serve others?" So, right there, he sensed God was leading him, but to what? Where was he to serve? Well, when he got connected to our ministry, he also learned about ‘Wheels for the World’ and that really got him energized. He decided to travel with us overseas as a wheelchair mechanic on a Wheels team. For Bernie, serving on the Wheels team was wonderful. It was a chance to make a real impact on the lives of needy, disabled people; giving them not only wheelchairs but Bibles and the message of salvation. When we sensed his enthusiasm, we decided to ask if he would also like to collect wheelchairs for us, but he politely declined as he had a full-time job and could not imagine having the hours to do that as well. Little did he know that God had different plans. Because for the next two days, all Bernie could think about was collecting wheelchairs! He felt strongly that God was leading him to give it a try. And so, he called Joni and Friends back up and he signed up to be a Chair Corps volunteer. And when he did that, he felt such peace. God had led him from one thing to the next, and now, he knew that his service in the kingdom would be to collect wheelchairs to be restored so that disabled people, who have nothing, could now have freedom to move about. And now? For fourteen years, this man has been gladly collecting wheelchairs in the Baltimore area and beyond. Bernie’s a really friendly guy and he’s made great friends with all sorts of leaders and community organizations and businesses. He’s building relationships; he’s sharing seeds of the Gospel. God has given him such favor, that he’s forged friendships with wheelchair donors who sometimes give as many as 60 wheelchairs at a time. As his success grew, it became necessary for Bernie to acquire a permanent storage space for all these wheelchairs. And through the help of some friends, he was able to buy a trailer that can store up to about 120 wheelchairs at a time. I mean, this guy’s collected thousands of wheelchairs, and he also continues to travel every year as a mechanic with Wheels for the World. Serving on outreaches and fitting refurbished wheelchairs to people moves Bernie's heart. And it energizes him to keep collecting wheelchairs because every year he sees new people whose lives are being changed by the gift of mobility and hope in Jesus. God has led him all this way… so that he could be used of the Lord to bring people to Christ in a most unusual way. Look, friend, God might be asking you to serve and maybe serve as a Chair Corps volunteer like Bernie. If so, he’d say: "Give it a try.” And I would say the same. I’ve posted a video today on what it looks like to actually collect wheelchairs—so for more info on how you can have a ministry, a ministry that changes people’s lives, a ministry like Bernie’s, contact joniradio.org today. And as Hebrews 13 says, God will equip you with all you need for doing His will. That’s a promise from the Word of God to you. Visit my radio page today at joniandfriends.org and while you are there be sure to share a prayer request. When you have a chance today, drop by joniandfriends.org. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and isn’t it amazing how God will lead us? Like the way He’s led Bernie Punte all these years. Now Bernie was a Christian, but he really wasn’t involved in outreach or ministry. One day, though, he was listening to Christian radio (just like you are) and he happened to come across "Joni and Friends", and when Bernie heard about our outreach to people with disabilities around the world, he gave a donation (bless his heart). And for that, he received a note of thanks and a copy of my book, Joni (which he read). The Joni book really inspired him and got him to thinking and he wondered, "Well, wow! What have I done in my life to serve others?" So, right there, he sensed God was leading him, but to what? Where was he to serve? Well, when he got connected to our ministry, he also learned about ‘Wheels for the World’ and that really got him energized. He decided to travel with us overseas as a wheelchair mechanic on a Wheels team. For Bernie, serving on the Wheels team was wonderful. It was a chance to make a real impact on the lives of needy, disabled people; giving them not only wheelchairs but Bibles and the message of salvation. When we sensed his enthusiasm, we decided to ask if he would also like to collect wheelchairs for us, but he politely declined as he had a full-time job and could not imagine having the hours to do that as well. Little did he know that God had different plans. Because for the next two days, all Bernie could think about was collecting wheelchairs! He felt strongly that God was leading him to give it a try. And so, he called Joni and Friends back up and he signed up to be a Chair Corps volunteer. And when he did that, he felt such peace. God had led him from one thing to the next, and now, he knew that his service in the kingdom would be to collect wheelchairs to be restored so that disabled people, who have nothing, could now have freedom to move about. And now? For fourteen years, this man has been gladly collecting wheelchairs in the Baltimore area and beyond. Bernie’s a really friendly guy and he’s made great friends with all sorts of leaders and community organizations and businesses. He’s building relationships; he’s sharing seeds of the Gospel. God has given him such favor, that he’s forged friendships with wheelchair donors who sometimes give as many as 60 wheelchairs at a time. As his success grew, it became necessary for Bernie to acquire a permanent storage space for all these wheelchairs. And through the help of some friends, he was able to buy a trailer that can store up to about 120 wheelchairs at a time. I mean, this guy’s collected thousands of wheelchairs, and he also continues to travel every year as a mechanic with Wheels for the World. Serving on outreaches and fitting refurbished wheelchairs to people moves Bernie's heart. And it energizes him to keep collecting wheelchairs because every year he sees new people whose lives are being changed by the gift of mobility and hope in Jesus. God has led him all this way… so that he could be used of the Lord to bring people to Christ in a most unusual way. Look, friend, God might be asking you to serve and maybe serve as a Chair Corps volunteer like Bernie. If so, he’d say: "Give it a try.” And I would say the same. I’ve posted a video today on what it looks like to actually collect wheelchairs—so for more info on how you can have a ministry, a ministry that changes people’s lives, a ministry like Bernie’s, contact <a href="http://joniradio.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniradio.org</a> today. And as Hebrews 13 says, God will equip you with all you need for doing His will. That’s a promise from the Word of God to you. Visit my radio page today at <a href="http://joniandfriends.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniandfriends.org</a> and while you are there be sure to share a prayer request. When you have a chance today, drop by <a href="http://joniandfriends.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniandfriends.org</a>. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Bernie's Story

As a New Year arrives, be sure to commit to reading and studying God’s Word. Allow it to dwell in you richly! May it be your source of hope, wisdom, correction and guidance in 2020.

Home is Where the Bible Is

Jesus is always worth singing about, so lift up your voice with Joni on this National Singing Day!

My Faith Has Found a Resting Place

Hi, I’m Joni with an interesting observation about the apostle Paul. You and I both know that Paul has got to be one of the best examples in Scripture of what it means to follow Jesus, and follow him closely. Yes, you are very much like Paul when you’re filled with the Holy Spirit; when you are out there doing great spiritual conquests, when you are energized by the Word, and you just can’t stop talking, you can’t stop singing, you can’t stop witnessing about Jesus. All this makes you feel filled with God’s power, and even your faith seems enlarged, like anything is possible. That’s like Paul because he is just like that in the book of Acts. The golden days of Paul's ministry are recorded in Acts. It seemed no effort for him to be wide awake at midnight in a jail cell, earnestly praying despite his weary, aching body feeling weighted by chains. Even then, especially then, he was singing hymns at the top of his lungs. Scripture tells us the jail doors flew open and everyone's chains fell off. Prisoners applauded him, and the jail keeper, whom God saved instantly, even invited him to his house. Things were looking up! There were countless spiritual victories; miraculous healings and huge advancements on the mission field. This new fledgling church was growing and Paul’s preaching kept bringing more and more into the fold. No wonder Paul was filled to overflowing with joy. But then, time goes by and if you look closer at his last epistle, you see a different, a softer side. Sure, Paul was in jail again when he wrote Second Timothy. But this time there was no loud singing, there was no miracle, there was no escape. Winter was approaching and Paul felt old and tired. Deserted by his friends, he struggled against sickness. Even his companion Trophimus was sick, yet Paul couldn't do a thing to heal his friend. He couldn't even heal himself! Yet the old apostle didn't allow discouraging circumstances to get him down. Things were not the same as the "golden days of old," yet he hung on courageously to God, sharing honestly with his readers about his need for prayer. He isn’t too proud to admit that he is in dire need of spiritual support, for he writes in his 2nd epistle in the 4th chapter, "For I am being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, but do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me." You can almost hear the weariness and even a little bit of loneliness in his words. And there’s a lesson from Paul’s life for us. Because some days you feel like life is on the up-swing, and other days it's totally flat. Sometimes you sense the miracle in your life, and other times everything seems very ordinary. Are you energized today to meet a challenge head-on? Or do you feel tired and trapped? Life's circumstances can make you feel like a yo-yo, can’t they, but don't allow the "ups and downs" to get you down. Learn a lesson from the apostle Paul at both ends of his wonderful ministry. Don’t look at your situation; just keep looking at your Savior. Just keep committing to God to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep up the faith no matter what your age might be. Let us hear from you today on my radio page at joniandfriends.org.

Hi, I’m Joni with an interesting observation about the apostle Paul. You and I both know that Paul has got to be one of the best examples in Scripture of what it means to follow Jesus, and follow him closely. Yes, you are very much like Paul when you’re filled with the Holy Spirit; when you are out there doing great spiritual conquests, when you are energized by the Word, and you just can’t stop talking, you can’t stop singing, you can’t stop witnessing about Jesus. All this makes you feel filled with God’s power, and even your faith seems enlarged, like anything is possible. That’s like Paul because he is just like that in the book of Acts. The golden days of Paul's ministry are recorded in Acts. It seemed no effort for him to be wide awake at midnight in a jail cell, earnestly praying despite his weary, aching body feeling weighted by chains. Even then, especially then, he was singing hymns at the top of his lungs. Scripture tells us the jail doors flew open and everyone's chains fell off. Prisoners applauded him, and the jail keeper, whom God saved instantly, even invited him to his house. Things were looking up! There were countless spiritual victories; miraculous healings and huge advancements on the mission field. This new fledgling church was growing and Paul’s preaching kept bringing more and more into the fold. No wonder Paul was filled to overflowing with joy. But then, time goes by and if you look closer at his last epistle, you see a different, a softer side. Sure, Paul was in jail again when he wrote Second Timothy. But this time there was no loud singing, there was no miracle, there was no escape. Winter was approaching and Paul felt old and tired. Deserted by his friends, he struggled against sickness. Even his companion Trophimus was sick, yet Paul couldn't do a thing to heal his friend. He couldn't even heal himself! Yet the old apostle didn't allow discouraging circumstances to get him down. Things were not the same as the "golden days of old," yet he hung on courageously to God, sharing honestly with his readers about his need for prayer. He isn’t too proud to admit that he is in dire need of spiritual support, for he writes in his 2nd epistle in the 4th chapter, "For I am being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, but do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me." You can almost hear the weariness and even a little bit of loneliness in his words. And there’s a lesson from Paul’s life for us. Because some days you feel like life is on the up-swing, and other days it's totally flat. Sometimes you sense the miracle in your life, and other times everything seems very ordinary. Are you energized today to meet a challenge head-on? Or do you feel tired and trapped? Life's circumstances can make you feel like a yo-yo, can’t they, but don't allow the "ups and downs" to get you down. Learn a lesson from the apostle Paul at both ends of his wonderful ministry. Don’t look at your situation; just keep looking at your Savior. Just keep committing to God to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep up the faith no matter what your age might be. Let us hear from you today on my radio page at <a href="http://joniandfriends.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joniandfriends.org</a>.

Young and Old Paul

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