"God completely changed my life through pain. I ended up finding true freedom which is not being bound by the world’s circumstances… God doesn’t waste pain, but we have to give it to him."

This week on the podcast Crystal is talking with inspiring speaker and author Tera Bradham DeNeui. As one of the fastest 12-year-old swimmers in the country, Tera had her sights set on competing in the Olympics. But her swimming trajectory dramatically and unexpectedly shifted after she suffered an undiagnosed injury that led her through seven years of chronic pain and spiritual darkness.

Listen as Tera shares how God completely changed her life through pain, shifting her perspective from fighting pain as an enemy to seeing it as a gift. Hear how Tera discovered true freedom as God used chronic pain to refine his purposes in her life. Be encouraged to discover the same victory in Christ and freedom in your own life today!

Resources:

• Visit Tera’s Website or find her on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• Read Swimming for Freedom
• Resources for Coping with Chronic Pain and Illness 
• Joni's Message: A Deeper Healing

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at [email protected]
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

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.

“Dystonia is like being imprisoned in a body with a mind of its own… but I wouldn’t trade the hardest times for the deep relationship I have gained with the Lord.” 

This week Crystal is talking with Abigail Brown, a young woman who lives with joy in Christ as she faces the challenges and limitations of dystonia. As a 3-year-old, Abigail contracted Rocky Mountain spotted fever which was misdiagnosed by her doctors and caused brain damage. Although her parents were told that she would have a full recovery within a year, their lives were turned upside down when it became apparent that Abigail would never talk with her mouth again.

Listen as Abigail shares her story with the help of her communication device, and encourages anyone who is feeling alone, left behind, or hopeless, that you are not alone. Because even when life doesn't make sense, God has a plan and you have a purpose.

Read Abigail's Blog

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at [email protected]
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

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.

“It’s been my hope and my desire for Max to be a mighty man of God... and that’s exactly what God has done."

How do family dynamics shift when a child with autism becomes an adult? For special needs parents, worry about your child’s future can begin at any age. What will happen when my child ages out of the school system? How will they transition to adult services, college, or work?

This week on the podcast Emily Colson is talking about her son Max’s transition from boyhood to adulthood, and how through each season of life God has supported their family. Because even as Max became an adolescent, Emily began to fear graduation, wondering what would happen without their provided services and routines. But with the support of her church, Emily has learned to celebrate each victory as she’s navigated issues in the adult world and found meaningful activities for her son (including a new ministry of encouragement birthed during the pandemic).

With paying jobs, volunteer work, and a day program, Max’s days have been full. And both Emily and Max have discovered how much he is needed by his employers and the church. Be encouraged by Emily’s conversation and how God answered her prayer that Max would grow to be a mighty man of God.

Resources:

• Order Helping with Life’s Transitions:Engaging Young Adults with Disabilities into the Life of Your Church
• Learn More About Joni and Friends' Church Training Resources
  Order Your Heart by Max Cards

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at [email protected]
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

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.

April is Autism Awareness Month and we’re celebrating with a special podcast conversation featuring author and speaker Emily Colson. 

Emily and her 30-year-old son Max who lives with autism are on a heart-filled mission for you! Like many families living with disability, their world shifted in an instant when the pandemic shut down all systems of support. But as they faced a new normal during a challenging quarantine, Emily prayed: “How can we be a blessing to someone else every day?”

With this prayer, she and Max began to paint. As Max painted beautiful joy-filled hearts on yard signs, he and Emily began delivering these encouraging hearts across their community. Now months later, listen as Emily shares God’s creative answer to her prayer and how the blessing of Max’s heart ministry has reached further than she could have imagined.

Resources: 

• Order Your Heart by Max Cards
• Learn More About Joni and Friends' Church Training Resources

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at [email protected]
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

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.

How can the church best walk alongside someone living with a chronic illness?

Jennifer Ji-Hye Ko is a writer and poet who has remained tenacious amid her various physical and mental illnesses. She joined Crystal on season 2 of the podcast to talk about the healing process of lament, and is returning to share about her relationship with the church as she lives with chronic conditions.

The needs of someone living with a long-term illness are unique, and the day-today challenges can often feel isolating. Be encouraged as Jennifer talks through her experience and offers a practical framework for how to step into someone’s suffering. Because within the body of Christ, the complex diversity of people living with disabilities reveals the complex beauty of God.

Resources:

• Download Jennifer's Poem, Clip My Wings
• Follow Jennifer on Instagram
• Learn More About Joni and Friends' Church Training Resources
• Read Disability and the Gospel

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at [email protected]
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

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.

“I don’t understand why all these hard things keep happening, and sometimes I wonder why God doesn’t just fix it. But I have to trust that he is doing something bigger… and one day we’ll see it.”

When Vaneetha Risner’s infant son died due to a doctor’s error, she felt devoid of purpose and feeling. Hadn’t she suffered enough? Multiple childhood hospitalizations due to polio, years of being bullied, the heartache of her husband’s unfaithfulness, and losing three babies to miscarriage—wasn’t there a limit to how much pain one could endure? What happened to the abundant life God promised? And could she survive whatever might come next?

In her new memoir, Walking Through Fire, Vaneetha details her courageous journey toward wholeness amidst a world of brokenness. And to celebrate the release, she hosted a special conversation with friends to talk about their personal experiences with suffering and how God has met them in it. This week on the podcast, Vaneetha is sharing her conversations with Joni Eareckson Tada, Paul David Tripp, Katherine Wolf, and Randy Alcorn, each of whom has walked through fire. 

If you are in the midst of unbearable circumstances today, be encouraged by these conversations. God is with you and he is using your suffering for something bigger than you may be able to see right now. It will not be wasted. When all seems lost, God can truly bring you to a place of abundance.

Resources:

• Read Walking Through Fire
• Hear more of Vaneetha’s story on season one of the podcast: The Scars That Have Shaped Me – Part 1 and The Scars That Have Shaped Me – Part 2

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at [email protected]
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

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.

It’s not that she’s not grieving, it’s that she’s put her hope in someone that won’t disappoint. Something greater is happening in her grief.

On our last episode of the podcast, Bekah Bowman shared about finding beauty and goodness in the middle of unthinkable loss. As a coach's wife and mother to two young boys, Titus and Ely, Bekah served as a children's pastor and teacher until Batten disease came knocking at her door. 

This week, she is talking about her journey with grief as she walked through the fatal diagnosis for both of her sons. Hear how she’s learned to hold both pain and joy simultaneously, and how God has used Bekah’s community to minister to her when she’s been unable to support herself.

If you are journeying with grief today, subscribe to the podcast. Be encouraged by Bekah’s conversation about experiencing Jesus in a whole new way in the middle of brokenness and loss. 

Resources:

• Read Can’t Steal My Joy: The Journey to a Different Kind of Brave
• Find Bekah on Instagram and Facebook

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at [email protected]
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

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.

How do you stay grounded when your life path takes an unexpected turn? Is it possible to hold pain in one hand and joy in the other? This week on the podcast, Bekah Bowman is sharing her journey of finding beauty and goodness amid unthinkable loss and grief.

Bekah is a coach's wife and mother to two boys, Titus and Ely. She served as a children's pastor and teacher until Batten disease came knocking at her door. Facing the heartbreak of a fatal diagnosis for both children, Bekah journeyed through dark valleys of death and grief. But it's been in these deeply broken places that she’s experienced Jesus in a whole new way.

If you are in a season of mourning or struggling with the heaviness of life, hear where Bekah has found hope and joy. Be encouraged to see wholeness in cracks, courage in the broken-hearted, and bravery in the act of letting go.

Resources:

• Read Can’t Steal My Joy: The Journey to a Different Kind of Brave
• Find Bekah on Instagram and Facebook

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at [email protected]
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

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.

More than one billion people live with disability worldwide, and COVID-19 has only aggravated their struggles. Hunger, unemployment, and lack of medical care have left many people in need of hope. This week on the podcast, we’re kicking off season 3 with a special conversation between Crystal Keating and Founder of Joni and Friends, Joni Eareckson Tada. Listen as they discuss the staggering needs of families with special needs and how a brand-new ministry initiative was birthed out of the pandemic.

Joni first gives an update on her recovery from COVID-19 and shares how this personal challenge has made her even more eager to provide complete, Christ-centered care to people living with disability. Learn how Joni and Friends is on the frontlines showing the love of Jesus as we meet vital needs through Joni’s House!

Learn More About Joni’s House

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at [email protected]
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

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.

We’re so excited to kick off season 3 of the Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast! Over this past year, we’ve all faced unexpected changes, many leading to uncertainty about health, employment, and caregiving. And throughout the pandemic, Joni and Friends has heard from many struggling with loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Aren’t we all in need of real hope? 

This season on the podcast, Crystal Keating is sharing hope through hardship and bringing you real conversations about disability, offering practical ways to include people with special needs in your church and community. And along with her encouraging conversations, Crystal will be inviting some of our special guests to answer your questions related to disability. If you have a question or a topic you’d like hear discussed on the podcast, please send Crystal a message at [email protected].

And next week to kick off season 3, Crystal will be joined by our Founder and CEO, Joni Eareckson Tada! Listen in to hear an update on Joni’s health and recovery following a diagnosis of COVID-19, as well as the brand-new Joni and Friends ministry initiative that has been birthed out of the pandemic.

Subscribe today and invite a friend to join us every Thursday for the Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast!

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at [email protected]
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

*Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Join us in answering the call in Luke 14:21-23... until his house is full! 

Founded by author and international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care that serves needs and transforms hearts through Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways. Joni and Friends also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses and internships through the Christian Institute on Disability. Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on Facebook,  Instagram, and YouTube.

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.