Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Growing Up with a Neurodegenerative Disease: Friedrich's Ataxia – Stephanie Magness May 13, 2021

Show notes

Like most young women, Stephanie Magness wanted to be like everyone else; she wanted to fit in with her classmates and have fun at school. But when she learned in 7th grade that she had scoliosis, she was taken on an unexpected decade-long journey of misdiagnosis. At age 22 genetic testing confirmed that Stephanie’s symptoms were caused by Friedrich’s ataxia (FA), a rare neurodegenerative disease that has no cure.

This week on the podcast, Crystal is talking with Stephanie about her FA diagnosis and the unexpected life transitions she’s made because of this progressive disease. Although losing some of her abilities related to walking and communication has not been easy, Stephanie has faced these challenges with the support of her community who have reminded her of God’s love in the most surprising of ways.

Friedrich's Ataxia Awareness Day is May 15. If you are facing a diagnosis of this rare disease, be encouraged by Stephanie's story. As she continues to adjust to life with a neurodegenerative disease, she takes comfort in the fact that God is in control and he his good. Even through her brokenness and the difficulties of FA, she can be used by him.

Resources:

Read more from Stephanie about the precious gift from her friend that allowed Stephanie to accept her inevitable transition to being a wheelchair user.

Find Stephanie on Instagram.

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.org
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 to Pray for Our Country on National Day of Prayer May 06, 2021

Show notes

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." – 2 Corinthians 3:17

Today marks the 70th annual National Day of Prayer. As people across the country set aside time to intercede for our nation, Joni and Friends is leading this special time of prayer under the theme “Lord Pour Out Your Love, Life, and Liberty.”

On this episode of the podcast, we invite you to pray along with Joni Eareckson Tada, Pastor Shawn Thornton, Steve Bundy, and other special guests as we lift up our country’s centers of influence, along with those most vulnerable. Download our prayer points to pray along!

Download Prayer Points

Read "Looking to God on National Day of Prayer" by Joni Eareckson Tada

Do you have a prayer request? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

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.

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

Chronic Pain and Healing – Tera Bradham DeNeui Apr 29, 2021

Show notes

"It might not be physical, but God has healing for you. Press into that healing journey and see what it looks like for you. Then surrender the results to God.”

On our last episode of the podcast, Tera Bradham DeNeui shared about how her swimming trajectory dramatically shifted after she suffered an undiagnosed shoulder injury. Instead of training to reach the Olympics, Tera walked through seven challenging years of chronic pain and spiritual darkness. But God was at work amid her challenges, using the gift of pain to reveal his purposes and give her a deeper healing.

Now with a personal understanding of true freedom and victory in Christ, Tera is on a mission to minister to others dealing with chronic pain. New limitations and physical pain can often bring feelings inadequacy, even within the church. Through Tera’s ministry, Heal, she is building a community of advocates and working alongside the local church to help support people in chronic pain. Because while physical pain and limitations can pull our eyes off Christ and onto our suffering, it can also remind us of our need for him. Be inspired by Tera’s encouragement to move to a place of worship even during unwanted circumstances.

Resources:

Visit Tera’s Website

Learn More About Heal Ministry

Find Tera on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Resources for Coping with Chronic Pain and Illness

Joni's Message: A Deeper Healing

Joni and Friends Internships

Church Training Resources to include people of all abilities.

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

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.

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

Pain is a Gift – Tera Bradham DeNeui Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

"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 podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

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.

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

Living Joyfully with Dystonia – Abigail Brown Apr 15, 2021

Show notes

“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 podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

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.

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

When Your Child with Autism Becomes an Adult – Emily Colson Apr 08, 2021

Show notes

“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:

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

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.

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

Changing the World One Heart at a Time – Emily Colson Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

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:

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

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.

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

Chronic Illness and the Church – Jennifer Ji-Hye Ko Mar 25, 2021

Show notes

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:

Questions or comments? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

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.

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

How God Meets Us in Suffering – Vaneetha Risner Mar 18, 2021

Show notes

“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 podcast@joniandfriends.org
Support Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible.

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.

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

Carrying Grief – Bekah Bowman Mar 11, 2021

Show notes

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: