Crystal Keating has been part of Joni and Friends for over ten years helping the ministry answer thousands of calls, letters, and messages about disability, sharing resources, and holding fast to hope in Jesus through life’s greatest hardships. Her prayer for the Ministry Podcast is that each conversation will help listeners and their loved ones “bear much fruit” (John 15:8) in acts of love throughout the disability community.

Tune in to Crystal Keating’s interview with Joni Eareckson Tada from season one

More podcast episodes mentioned:

• Jerry Sittser
• Randy Alcorn
• Rachel LeMaster
•  Darby Strickland
• Vicki Zoradi
• Jamie Stark
• Tracey Motoda
  • Mutual Friendship When Disability is Involved
  • Thriving with Spinal Muscular Atrophy During COVID-19

Explore episodes from the past six seasons

KEY QUESTIONS: 

In what new ways can your church and community welcome, include, and love people with disabilities?

Times of transition can be difficult—how can you trust God and put your hope in him as you face a new beginning or a bittersweet ending?

What hope for the future has God placed on your heart?

KEY SCRIPTURES: 

Philippians 1:3–6: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

John 15:8: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Do you find yourself feeling nostalgic, wistful, or drained going into Christmas? Perhaps frustrated, frantic, or lonely? Joni knows well that Christmas time doesn’t automatically induce joy, especially as you grapple with the challenges of disability, grief, or other hardships. This is why she invites you to think deeply about Christ’s coming, and his death on the cross, meditating on what this salvation message means to you personally. Because gratitude will prepare your heart to find joy and fulfillment in Christ’s coming, bringing light into the darkness, and joy that transcends the deepest of pain.

Learn more at joniandfriends.org/christmas

If you need hope today, Joni and Friends can help:

Sign up to receive encouraging daily devotionals written by Joni

Download Joni and Ken’s Bible-reading plan to journey with them through God’s Word

Tune in to Joni’s radio programs

KEY QUESTIONS:

How do you cultivate the Christmas spirit?

Who in your life could use a word of encouragement this season?

What (or whom) are you most grateful for today? Stop to give God thanks!

KEY SCRIPTURE:

Take time to read and meditate on the promises found in Isaiah 9:6–7:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Do you ever struggle to feel hopeful about your life? When suffering and pain get overwhelming, whether because of the challenges of disability, chronic pain, loss of a loved one, or even world events, hope can seem fleeting—or even impossible to find.

Today, in every hardship you or your loved ones face, Jesus offers you hope and is faithful to provide what you need.

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU FIND HOPE THROUGH HARDSHIP:

· Order Joni’s book, Infinite Hope in the Midst of Struggles, for inspirational stories, hand-picked Scriptures, and breathtaking artwork that will stir hope in your heart. · Get your copy of Joni’s booklet, Hope: The Best of Things · For more Christ-centered encouragement from Joni, sign up to receive her daily devotional. 

KEY QUESTIONS:  

· Where do you turn for hope when life feels grim?

· How can you lean on Jesus today to find new hope?

· Who in your life needs fresh hope—and how can you connect them to Jesus?

KEY SCRIPTURES:  

· Hebrews 6:19: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.”

· Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Carole Reitsma, loving wife to her husband Scott, and devoted mom to her adult son Scotty (who is now an ordained minister), came to faith at a young age, and in the midst of ongoing abuse. Through it all, God has shepherded Carole, leading her to wholeness through grace, and into ministry to others. She has been a pastor alongside her husband in an inner-city church, and for more than twenty-five years has provided Christ-centered counseling as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is passionate about teaching Christians how to live authentic and emotionally healthy lives, rooted in the everlasting love of Jesus.

Get your copy of Carole’s book, Relationship Road: Authentic, Emotionally Healthy Christianity

Learn more about Carole’s work at Relationship Road, helping people find a fulfilling relationship with Jesus.

KEY QUESTIONS: 

Do you ever feel distant or burned out in your relationship with God?

How has your pain prepared you to meet someone else in their suffering?

KEY SCRIPTURES: 

John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Lamentations 3:22–23: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Jesus tells us our earthly possessions won’t last. We will outlive them, or they will outlive us. You can’t keep your things forever, and you can’t take them with you. However, according to Jesus, you can send your treasure on ahead. And that’s by giving of your treasure and thus setting your heart on the things that matter eternally. So how do you make the kind of investment Jesus recommends? Here are some places to start:

• Help a disabled person by volunteering with Joni and Friends
• Share the Gospel with someone who doesn’t know Jesus
• Offer a meal to someone who is hungry

As Randy puts it, “to open up your hands and freely give to help others is the key to a happy life.” So today, entrust your heart and your treasure to God, the Giver of all good gifts. Cling to Jesus, feasting on his promises and sharing them with others. Because every time you open your hands to give, or go out of your way to serve, you step into the good and happy life God designed you for.

Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries and a bestselling author of more than 60 books, including The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving.  

KEY QUESTIONS:

What makes you truly happy and satisfied?

How can you invest in things that matter eternally?

When have you experienced joy as you served or gave to someone else?

KEY SCRIPTURE:

Matthew 6:19–21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” 

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Stephanie Daniels welcomes her good friend and colleague Mary Grace Burkey back to the podcast for a heartfelt conversation about two significant topics: marriage and disability. Mary Grace shares her story of meeting her husband Chad at a Joni and Friends Warrior Getaway, which supports Veterans and their families. Chad sustained a traumatic brain injury while serving overseas, which left him with a disability. When they decided to get married, Mary Grace became not only Chad’s wife, but also his caregiver. In this episode, Mary Grace shares about her marriage, caregiving, and how disability has challenged her and Chad to depend on Jesus in their weakness as they grow closer to one other.

November is National Family Caregivers Month. Across the United States, nearly 53 million people serve as caregivers to family members, friends, and others in need of care. If you or someone you know is a caregiver in need of support, you’re not alone. Here are some resources that will meet you with encouragement and help:

Joni and Ken and Tada share Secrets to Good Caregiving: Spiritual Taproots and Practical Steps and a behind-the-scenes look at their marriage in Joni and Ken: An Untold Love Story. 

Listen to “The Caregiver’s Journey: Surviving to Thriving” on the Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast. 

Read the Care for the Caregiver devotional. 

Consider attending a Joni and Friends Marriage Getaway or Warrior Getaway to meet the specific needs of your family. 

KEY QUESTIONS: 

How can you provide respite and encouragement to a caregiver in your life? 

How can your church and community care for military families when a serviceman or woman returns home from duty? 

KEY SCRIPTURES: 

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

2 Timothy 1:7: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Stephanie Daniels welcomes her friend and co-worker, Mary Grace Burkey, to the podcast for a deep look at the unique needs of military families—and what you can do to support them. With 25 years of experience serving with Joni and Friends, Mary Grace began as a volunteer and now oversees our Texas-area Retreats & Getaways. Organizing multiple Warrior Getaways every year, she shares valuable insights into their life-changing benefits—respite, spiritual renewal, and healing—not just for Veterans, but for their entire families.

Who in your life has served, or is currently serving, in the U.S. military? Many individuals live with the effects of visible and invisible injuries as a result of their military service. At Joni and Friends, we hold Warrior Getaways to honor and give back to these brave Veterans and their families.

Consider attending a Joni and Friends Warrior Getaway

Sign up to volunteer at a Warrior Getaway

Give to Joni and Friends to welcome more families to Warrior Getaway and our other Christ-centered programs and outreaches!

KEY QUESTIONS:  

What obstacles keep Veteran families from feeling known, connected, and at welcomed within the body of Christ?

How can you and your church extend a warm welcome to military families and effectively meet their needs?

KEY SCRIPTURES:  

Psalm 46:1–3: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

Psalm 147:3: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Stephanie Daniels welcomes married couple Cedric and Michelle White to the podcast. Both pastors, authors, and counselors, Cedric and Michelle work together in ministry strengthening families through biblical counseling and coaching. They also understand firsthand the struggles that many Veteran families face—including PTSD and moral injury—through Cedric’s experience serving with the U.S. Navy. This Christ-centered couple shares about the journey that led them to care deeply for Veteran families. They will also give you encouragement and tips to help you and your church come alongside military families who may be struggling to find hope, healing, and belonging within the body of Christ. 

Learn more about Cedric and Michelle's ministry work, Healing Thine Hearts.

You can connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

If you or someone in your family is a U.S. Veteran or currently serving in the military, Joni and Friends would love to welcome and honor you at a Warrior Getaway!

Our Warrior Getaways are designed to serve our American servicemen and women who have visible and invisible injuries as a result of military service. Veterans, along with their families, are provided a safe space for respite, spiritual renewal, and healing. Families experience fellowship with others facing similar challenges, and find new hope in Christ. Come enjoy a wide range of accessible family activities, powerful speakers, counseling opportunities, and time in God’s Word.

Learn more about attending Warrior Getaway

Sign up to volunteer at Warrior Getaway

Learn more about Cedric and Michelle White’s ministry, Healing Thine Hearts

KEY QUESTIONS: 

What is post-traumatic stress, and how can it lead to post-traumatic growth?

What is moral injury?

How can your church serve and encourage Veteran and military families in your community?

KEY SCRIPTURE: 

Matthew 6:33: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Do you have questions about God’s will for your life? Are you facing circumstances—suffering, disability, uncertainty—that lead you to the end of your rope? For these struggles, and all life’s moments and questions, the Bible is God’s gift to you and all believers. 

Joni invites you, right now, to let the Holy Spirit lead you deeper (or maybe for the first time) into the Word of God. Pray that he will meet you as you listen for his voice and seek out his will in and through your life.

Join Joni and Ken on the adventure of reading through the Bible! Sign up to get our free Bible reading plan and monthly reflections from Joni. You can also sign up to receive Joni’s Scripture-rooted daily devotional. 

KEY QUESTIONS:  

Do you have a daily Bible-reading routine?

How have you experienced God speaking to you through his Word (the Bible)?

What does it mean that the Bible is “the sword of the Spirit” (and how can you faithfully wield its awesome power)?

KEY SCRIPTURES:  

2 Timothy 3:16–17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work!”

Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.”

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.

Ron Sandison shares his story of growing up on the autism spectrum and offers encouragement for those navigating life with autism. Leaning on Jesus, and with the support of his family, Ron has built a fulfilling and purposeful life. Now, as an author, professor, husband, and father, Ron provides insight to parents raising children with autism, spreading the important message that all children can flourish and mature through the love of their families and the love of Jesus. 

Ron works full time in the medical field and is a professor of theology at Destiny School of Ministry. He also has a Master of Divinity from Oral Roberts University and has memorized over 15,000 scriptures, including 22 complete books from the New Testament. 

Purchase one of Ron’s books:

A Parent's Guide to Autism: Practical Advice. Biblical Wisdom.

All children can flourish and mature through love. A Parent’s Guide to Autism offers interviews from experts and teaching on helping children respond to bullying, as well as practical wisdom, biblical knowledge, and life experiences from Ron Sandison. 

Views from the Spectrum: A Window into Life and Faith with Your Neurodivergent Child

Views from the Spectrum is a celebration of autism, faith, and the possibilities at their intersection. Providing guidance for parents longing to connect their children with God's love, this book is complete with anecdotes, scientific research, parenting tips, prayers, devotions, and more. 

KEY QUESTIONS:

Do you seek to understand others before seeking to be understood by them?

What do children need to grow into faithful, healthy adults?

How can you offer encouragement to an individual or family living with autism?

KEY SCRIPTURE:

Genesis 50:19–21: “But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.”

You make this podcast possible! Thank you for your support.

Find all podcast resources and message our team.

Follow Joni and Friends on  Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, Retreats and Getaways, and disability ministry training.

Find more encouragement on Joni Eareckson Tada's Sharing Hope podcast and her daily devotional.