Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Hi, I’m Joni here to tell you about my friend, the x-ray machine. I better explain that. Uh, not many people would say a machine was their friend, but the large and lumbering 3D-Conformal Radiation Machine has been our fiercest ally in my battle against cancer. I even posted today on joniradio.org a photo of me and Ken standing in front of this huge x-ray machine. So, click on my radio page, give it a look and laugh with us, okay?! And you should know we’ve even named this machine. I call it Jael, that’s spelled J,a,e,l., and if you know your Old Testament, you might recognize that name and the spelling. Jael was the heroine in the book of Judges who ruthlessly killed Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite armies; she drove a stake through his head and nailed him to the ground, all to help rescue Israel from her enemies. So, it wasn’t Barak or even Deborah who God's people lauded that fateful day – no, it was a Bedouin woman who simply seized the opportunity to act on behalf of the people of God. So now do you see why I call this big x-ray machine Jael, the woman who drove that stake through the temple of a man, killing him instantly? Okay, alright, I know, the story sounds awful, but not when applied to a machine that ruthlessly obliterates enemy-cancer cells :-). Yep, Jael is our friend. And like the Jael of the Bible, this machine has got great aim. So, take a look at that fun photo on joniradio.org and take a moment to praise God for modern technology, like this radiation machine, something that He uses to kill cancer. And I share all this today because last week was my final session of radiation. I went through 35 sessions under that big machine, and during each treatment when they aimed those x-rays on my chest wall, I thanked God for bringing every one of His resources to bear against this dreaded disease. They say in that area that’s been radiated, there’s only a 2-5% chance of it reoccurring in that part that’s been x-rayed. So…what about any renegade cancer cells that may have migrated beyond the treated area of my chest wall? Well, for the rest of my life, I am on a drug that inhibits estrogen, as well as fast-growing cells. That drug is intended to destroy any maverick little cancer cells floating around elsewhere. And you know what? I'm excited. I mean, come on, I'm still sitting up, and I’m out and about in my wheelchair and, well…I’m talking to you and am serving the Lord and doing work with Joni and Friends. So, man, I couldn’t be happier -- whether or not all this treatment eradicates all the cancer; whether or not it comes back, right now is not my worry. I'm not concerned for the future. I can take great confidence that Ken and I have done everything we could possibly do, and so we trust God for the months and years to come. Like another hero in the Old Testament, the prophet Samuel, I can say “thus far the Lord has helped us, and He will continue to help us.” The future is His. And worry fades away when we are convinced that God can be trusted with the future. So, thank you for praying for me and my husband Ken as we battled this cancer. We have felt so surrounded, so supported in prayer (as though we were hydroplaning on top of everyone’s intercessions). And hey, don’t forget to visit joniradio.org today and enjoy this really fun photo of Ken and me in front of that big radiation machine…our friend Jael (who’s really, really good at killing the enemy). © 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 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 if you know me, you know I love hymns. And that’s why I’ve got my good friend in studio today, Tommy Walker. Tommy, thanks for coming over. TOMMY: Thank you. It’s an honor to be here. JONI:Well, the reason I want to introduce my listening audience to you is because you love hymns too. TOMMY: That’s right! JONI: You really do. But your music, oh my goodness, you give hymns an upbeat, contemporary kind of ‘kick it up a notch’, and energize it a bit more, and pump it up with a bit more enthusiasm. You take some of the classics like “Rejoice, the Lord is King” and you make it downright fun. And Tommy, I’ll never forget the first time that I heard your album “Generation Hymns.” I was blown away. It became tops on my playlist down the 101 freeway every time I was driving. So, what inspired you to just take hymns and make them so fresh? TOMMY: Well, I grew up with the hymns; so blessed to be in a Christian family. I remember falling asleep under my mom’s grand piano hearing her play the hymns and little did I know; the truth, the theology was all being planted in my as a little kid hearing those hymns over and over again. So I also see the hymns as generational worship, generational connectors, you know, as they have been to the past generations, so I want them to continue to be that. JONI: Recently I was so blessed, humbled, when you invited me to do harmony, to sing along with you on an original piece that you wrote – not a hymn – a contemporary song called “Number of My Days” and it is from a favorite verse, Psalm 90, verse 12, “Teach me to number my days, O Lord, that I might apply my heart to wisdom.” What inspired you to write this song? TOMMY: Well, I was just sitting depressed, realizing that I will be forgotten one day when I die and then the Lord reminded me, “But you’ll never be forgotten in the world yet to come, because you will be with me.” That and going along with just wanting to be a person that has heaven ever before me. JONI: (Singing): It won’t be long I’ll be forgotten by this world… TOMMY: (Singing): I’ll never be forgotten in the world that’s yet to come, ’cause I’ll see the One who knew me before I was known. JONI/TOMMY: (Singing): So I’m counting the number of my days. JONI: You know, Tommy, I often say to people when they ask ‘how do you manage quadriplegia, life in a wheelchair, cancer, chronic pain? I tell them I sing my way through suffering. Good advice, would you agree? TOMMY: Absolutely. Singing forces us to put our whole being into declaring what is actually true. According to Google, at least, over 200 times the Bible mentions to sing to the Lord and I think it’s because it is a way of expressing what is absolutely, actually true with our whole being. JONI: Well, Tommy again you helped me sing my way through suffering because any one of us, my friends listening, we’ve got hardships, our emotions, our feelings, have us go constantly wayward thinking the most darkest thoughts, doubting the goodness of God, doubting His sovereignty, but it is the doctrine, the solid good words of timeless hymns that were written by people who suffered much that helps us keep the ballast. So, Tommy, thank you for doing that. TOMMY: Amen. JONI: I really want you to see this video of Tommy and I recording, TOMMY: “Number of my Days” JONI: Thank you! Just go to joniradio.org today where I’ve got a link to Tommywalkerministries.org and you’ll have a chance to not only see the video of the day that we actually recorded that fun song, but also check out his other albums there, especially “Generation Hymns.” Tommywalkerministries.org and enjoy the entire website, check it out, and sing along. Thanks Tommy. TOMMY: Thank you, Joni. 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 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 and welcome to Joni and Friends. Where we sure do love “Wheels for the World”. It’s our program where we take refurbished wheelchairs and Bibles to very needy disabled children around the world who crawl in the dirt and cannot go to school for lack of a wheelchair. Our trained physical therapy volunteers do such a great job. They hand-fit each wheelchair to whatever disabled child or adult. These disabled people hear the good news, they receive a Bible in their own language, and their family is connected with a caring church who provides follow-up. It’s a great outreach and my husband Ken and I love participating on “Wheels” trips. I remember when Ken and I landed in Havana, Cuba on one of our “Wheels for the World” trips. My power wheelchair really threw the airport officials into a tizzy, and I they escorted me to an airport doctor's office. Uh, they looked at my chair and I think they thought I was "sick" and I needed supervision before boarding our connecting flight to Santiago de Cuba. This really irked me because I knew it was going to delay our team as well as our chartered flight. I shook my head, thinking, God, why now? Why this? Well, I was taken to a small office where I met two female doctors and a disabled woman who was also waiting (no one spoke English in this little room). And looking around, I realized, Lord, I think I see what you’re doing here; this is a unique opportunity, a chance to evangelistic-ly think outside the box. I got a feeling you want me to do an "outreach" right here with my high school Spanish. So, I began to sing out loud in Spanish (Joni singing in Spanish). It was the only Christian song I knew. And oh my goodness, did that get people's attention. I then asked in halting Spanish, (Joni speaking in Spanish). The two doctors stared at one another. One asked in Spanish, "We see you are an American. Why, why are you in our country?" And again I explained in my high school Spanish that we were bringing (Joni speaking in Spanish) wheelchairs and Bibles as gifts to the disabled people of Cuba. I went on to describe the mandate of our Savior to go into all the world and share the good news. "What is this good news?" she asked in a softer voice. And at that, her fellow doctor brightened, ran up back to her cubicle, and returned holding a battered, bent-paged Bible she had gotten from a Josh McDowell outreach like decades earlier. And before I knew it, this doctor began explaining the gospel in sixty-mile-an-hour Spanish to her coworker. It was clear that this Christian doctor had just been waiting, and she’d been praying for an opportunity to open up and share Christ with her friend, and suddenly it all happened with me and my song. This Christian doctor then found the courage to share her faith in Jesus! And I sat there and watched in amazement as the Christian doctor pointed to various passages in Romans and then back at the Gospels. Her fellow doctor, the unbeliever, was fascinated and she looked up and kept smiling at me… actually, both of them smiled at me. And I could tell there had been a real breakthrough. Who knows what you might get started once you take that first step of faith and share a word about your Savior! The challenge is to think outside the box, right? and go beyond the program, and reach the people God places in your path right then. So, would you please pray right now for our “Wheels for the World” team today as they head to the Dominican Republic with wheelchairs and Bibles, all to the end of leading Spanish-speaking people to Christ. Just like those two doctors in Cuba. Hey friend, at Joni and Friends we’d like to pray for you so share with us your thoughts and your prayer needs at joniandfriends.org. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a fun follow-up to “Heart for the Disabled”. Back in January you heard me share those 5 stories of precious people and their disabled loved ones who needed encouragement. And oh my goodness, did you respond! I don’t know how we do it, but every year we seem to keep breaking records. Thank you for responding with your heart and writing such wonderful notes of encouragement laced with scripture and undergirded by prayer. Many of you sent wonderful gifts: handmade cards and homemade items, and yes, even gift cards to restaurants and Amazon and many more. And I cannot thank you enough. But rather than me thank you, let’s hear from one of the families. This is what they wrote: “Dear Joni, We are so humbled, and we want to thank you for blessing us immensely on Heart for the Disabled week for Valentine’s Day!!! We were so excited when we got our box! In your cover letter, Joni, you wrote that maybe our box of cards and gifts would come on just a day that we were needing a little boost of encouragement. Well, our box sure did! It was delayed in arriving and did not come until the week after Valentine’s Day. But that was great because that week we were actually having a really tough time; not in a pity party way, but without much outside help at all and we were feeling low, thinking that no one really understood what we’re go through and how much we really do need help. But then your box of Heart for the Disabled things arrived, and it was God’s way of saying, I know! I can see you! And the Lord really blessed us with that Valentine’s box on our doorstep!!! “We spent literally hours going through it all, reading all the beautiful notes and personal messages, as well as meditating on all the scriptures that were handpicked and written for us! We were beyond blessed (and shocked!!) at all the notes, and cards, and letters, and gift cards, and gifts!!! And then, lo and behold, a little over a week later when we had to rush to the ER, we came home exhausted and – oh my goodness – there was a second box of gifts and cards (I suppose it came from people whose cards and things were mailed a little late). We could not believe it. Once again, God encouraged us exactly when we needed it. And we love your second cover letter with that second box, as well, reminding us that God’s never going to abandon us. “Oh, how we were chosen by you, Joni to be honored in this way astounds us, and then to be blessed by so many of your people around the country. I just want you to know, and your listeners, that we felt so loved, so much a part of the huge family of God from around this nation. And we just want to thank you and thank all the many friends who took part in your Heart for the Disabled.” Wow! Oh my goodness! Friend, if you participated in Heart for the Disabled back in January, God bless you. God bless you for reminding all 5 families this year that God’s grace can sustain them through their hardships, no matter how difficult the disability in the family, and no matter how painful. Thank you for taking the time – not everyone takes time to be “kind to the needy,” as it says in Proverbs 19. But that kindness, it also says, honors God. So friend listening, let that be your reward. Your cards, notes, scriptures gifts brought honor to God. You were kind to the needy, and it reflected wonderfully on your Savior. So, from all of us at Joni and Friends, and all those 5 families who received all your encouragement, thank you! Thank you again for participating in Heart for the Disabled this year! God bless you, and we hope you will participate next year. Thanks for listening today on Joni and Friends. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

“Jesus, I am Resting, Resting.” It’s a favorite hymn and I love the arrangement that my friend Buddy Green does on this particular hymn. Jesus, I am resting, resting, In the joy of what Thou art I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart. Thou had’st bid me gaze upon Thee and Thy beauty fills my soul For by Thy transforming power, Thou had’st made me whole. O, how great Thy loving kindness, vaster, broader than the sea, O, how marvelous Thy goodness, lavished all on me. I hope you love that arrangement as much as I do. And I have sung it in so many places, but never in so odd a place as the Country Buffet restaurant in Kirkland, Washington some time ago. I was to speak at a conference in the area that night and I’d gone to the restaurant for an early dinner. So instead of saying grace around the table, we sang a hymn – there weren’t a lot of people in the restaurant and we didn’t think it would disturb anyone. Little did we realize that the family who were sitting about four tables away in the corner from us, they heard us. And the mother came over to tell us that they were Christians. She said that her elderly parents were joining them for dinner and before we knew it, after dessert, we meandered over to their table, pulled up a few chairs, and we started singing hymns. It was wonderful! And a few Christians who came into the Country Buffet even joined us after eating. We had a real “hymn sing”; a great time! Not long ago I received an email from the woman who came up to our table. She said, “Dear Joni, I don’t know if you will ever realize how much our time together meant to my elderly parents, especially to my mother. She talked about singing hymns together till her dying day. And I thank you for doing that. I believe that Jesus was standing there in the midst and blessing all of us – for sure, singing praises to our Father in a restaurant was a first for me.” The Bible says, “Speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” Friend, you can do that no matter where you are: in your car, around your dinner table, at a church on any given Sunday morning, at prayer meeting, and you can even sing hymns and spiritual songs at the Country Buffet restaurant in Kirkland, Washington. But there’s something else to learn here. And that is, learn to sing your way through suffering. One of the reasons that I always hum a hymn is because I need to—even if it’s in a restaurant. So today, not only sing to others, but speak Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to yourself, to your own heart. Contentment and peace and joy will be yours for the simple price of, well, nothing but a song, a song that uplifts the Lord Jesus. Singing hymns is a great way to keep your focus on Christ and His Word. So share your spiritual songs with me today on my Facebook page. And together, would you, let’s um, let’s sing our way through suffering. How about it? By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

This is Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to “Joni and Friends.” If there's one thing God has opened the eyes of my heart to, it is this: to live each day with an eye on eternity. Oh, my goodness… Live with the goal of investing in the heavenly kingdom. And there something else I might pray almost every morning, I’ll pray "Lord, I'm not satisfied with the Joni I was yesterday. Today, I want to partner with your Holy Spirit to be changed, be transformed. I want to become more like Jesus than I was yesterday." That's a great prayer, as well as a great perspective. And it’s why, every morning when I wheel into the Joni and Friends International Disability Center, our headquarters, I cannot help but sing. Coming through the front doors, it might be "Every Day with Jesus Is Sweeter Than the Day before” or going up the ramp to the 2nd floor it will be "Happy day, happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away — he taught me how to watch and pray, and live rejoicing every day. Happy day, happy day when Jesus washed my sins away." Some people ask why I sing so much, and I tell them that I have to. With me in this wheelchair I don't trust my emotions one bit; I know I am way too prone to let pain and paralysis ambush my attitude for the day, and so I rule my emotions by not just talking to my soul (as did King David when he said to himself, 'Oh soul, why art thou so downcast?'). No, more than talking to myself, I’ll singing to myself. Sometimes we are only prone to praise God or singing worship songs when life is good, and we feel that the coast is clear, the bills are paid, and it's smooth sailing. When circumstances are delightful, when things are good, we feel that God is good. But then if the circumstances turn sour, it's another story, isn’t it? When things go haywire, it’s “Okay, okay, God, what’s going on here? What’s up with this? Like what’s happening? Have you forgotten me here?” The sun does not always shine, birds do not always sing, and the sky is not always clear of clouds. Life is hard — and most often, that is when we have a tough time singing praise to the Lord. We’re so influenced, we’re so prone to let our circumstances — whether good or bad — we’re so inclined to let the situation of the day dictate our view of God for the moment. But time and again, the Bible tells us that God is the same good, happy Father in bright times, as He is in devastatingly difficult times. He does not change, no matter what our circumstances. Deuteronomy Chapter 7, verse 9 says, “Know therefore that your Lord your God is God; He is faithful. He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.” So friend, let that fact sink in and it’ll help you live each day with an eye on eternity. A fact like that will get you actively engaged in your own sanctification each morning, especially when you wake up, and who knows, you may be tone deaf, but He’ll put a song on your heart. The book of Hebrews describes God as the Father “with whom there is no shadow of turning.” Scripture alone should be our frame of reference for who the Lord is rather than our circumstances being that frame of reference. So today, whether it’s grand or gloomy, whether it’s happy or hard, sunshine or rainy, sunny or sour remember: Every Day with Jesus is Sweeter Than the Day Before.” By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and welcome to Joni and Friends. You know, um, I’m winding up this treatment for cancer and I have received so many letters and emails, posts on Facebook from you friends listening, and asking about some of the details of what it’s been like to go through this battle. And I wish I could answer every single letter, but, you know, I thought today it might be good to get my husband in here, into the studio in front of the microphone to help answer some of those questions. Our listeners know that 8 years ago I had my first bout against cancer, but we’re back in the boxing ring with this cancer again, coming up on the last few radiation treatments that I have to have. KEN: You know what Jon? If it wasn’t for the people who are out there praying for us, it would have made this journey an awfully lot more difficult. JONI: Absolutely. I have felt, and I think you have too, we’re like hydroplaning on people’s intercessions. KEN: Aw man. JONI: It’s amazing. And we need it because for me, going to radiation, it’s not like anybody else, who might change their clothes and get into a hospital gown, and hop up on the table. It’s a real feat of energy and effort, isn’t it? KEN: We need to rely on friends, as well as the technicians who are there. It’s interesting, with chemotherapy it’s different. You go in, and you get an infusion. But with radiation, you have to get up on the table, every day. We couldn’t do it by ourselves. JONI: I’ve got one x-ray technician, usually it’s Steve or Jason, on the other side of the table, he’s reaching over, and on one, two, three, you guys kind of like lift me up on this high table, and get me situated just perfectly, so that I’m in line with the machine. It’s not easy. But I’m kind of glad that it’s not, because it gives us a chance to involve more people in our journey. Not just the girlfriends who come with me to help me get undressed, but the x-ray technician, like Jason and Paul and Gene and others that we’ve met, who assist me in getting up on that table. They see our vulnerability. And when we enlist them to help us, it kind of like gives us a platform to share the Good News of Jesus. Doesn’t it? KEN: Oh, absolutely. It’s a team effort. JONI: Have you given Joni books to all of them? KEN: I start off with tracts… JONI: Okay. KEN: You know, the Joni tract, and then develop a little bit of relationship with them. And I say, “You know what? Joni’s written this great story, I’d like to share with you…” and then they take the books and are very thankful. And hopefully we get a chance to talk with them… JONI: Great! When I was going through chemotherapy 8 years ago, in the chemo lab, someone had put out a big bowl of these little rocks, with words like hope, and breathe, and faith, and also some scriptures written on these rocks. And it was so encouraging to know that somebody had prayed over all those rocks. And the people like me who take one. And I still have my rock from 8 years ago. And I thought I’d pass on the idea to these other people. And part of what has inspired us is Genesis chapter 50, verse 20. You know, the story of Joseph when he tells his wicked brothers, “You might have meant this for evil, but God intended it for good...” And I love this part, “… for the saving of many lives.” If anybody gets cancer, if anybody breaks their neck, if anybody gets the flu, has an injury or illness, or experiences brokenness, it should all be for the platform of showcasing your trust and confidence in God to others. KEN: People say isn’t it a shame that Joni’s gotten this cancer again, but if there are lives that are going to be changed, and will come to know Jesus because of it, then it was all well worth it. JONI: So it’s all an opportunity to spread the Good News of Jesus… which has made this radiation cancer battle, journey thing, so much more meaningful. KEN: And I think as we learned from the first bout, it’s brought us closer together. JONI: Yeah. KEN: Cause we can’t do it without each other. JONI: No we can’t. Well Ken we’re finishing up, as I said, this cancer, radiation treatment. It’s been 35 tough, difficult sessions but with your help, and with the help of the x-ray technicians and with the help of our friends listening, who are praying, it’s been an amazing journey of faith and a chance to share the Gospel. Right? KEN: Right! Onward and upward, cancer be gone! © 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