Joni: An Unforgettable Story

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She shared, “I am inspired by the many valiant people with disabilities and their families whom we serve every day at Joni and Friends; they are people who constantly persevere through personal crises. They do not doubt God’s glorious purposes for their lives, why should I?” Tada invites friends and associates to share the news of her diagnosis, but with one caveat: that people be encouraged to pray. EPM loves the heart and mission of Joni and Friends, the ministry she founded, and they’re one of the main organizations we support with our Disability Special Fund. (100% of all contributions to our special funds go to carefully chosen ministries; give online here. You can also donate directly to JAF.) Now, even as Ukraine gets fewer headlines, Galyna and members of our network continue to provide housing and food supplies for Ukrainians with disabilities. We’re currently planning a Family Retreat for relocated Ukrainians with disabilities and their caregivers. For example, here in the U.S., we hold Family Retreatswhere parents of those with special needs receive much-needed respite and whole families discover they belong—not just within a community that understands them but in the body of Christ. Thousands of veterans have returned from war struggling with physical wounds, moral injuries, and PTSD, so we hold Warrior Getaways for these brave service men and women and their families. There are also desperate needs in communities like East St. Louis, Nashville, and Downtown Los Angeles. So we’re seeking to grow our programs and resource churches to bring people with disabilities into the fold—into God’s house through faith in Christ. Global Reach for a Global Need

Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience". Manhattan Declaration . Retrieved December 3, 2018.

Inducted into the Indiana Wesleyan University Society of World Changers and presented with an honorary doctorate while speaking at the university on April 1, 2009 [50]

Doctor of Humane Letters from Columbia International University, the first honorary doctorate bestowed in its 75-year historyA higher law than the ADA is needed. In Luke 14:13–14, Jesus tells us to “invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.” At Joni and Friends, we envision a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ.

Inducted by the National Religious Broadcasters into the NRB Hall of Fame [54]* 2017 Named Daniel of the Year by WORLD News Group [55] Wheels for the World rolled onto the scene in 1994. This branch of the Joni and Friends ministry provides wheelchairs and hope to people with disabilities in developing countries. Volunteers collect used wheelchairs from all over the U.S. They then restore the chairs, with the help of trained prison inmates. Finally, each client’s custom-fit mobility device is hand-delivered along with the Gospel message, a Bible printed in their own language, and an invitation to attend a local Christ-honoring church. Wheels for the World continues to thrive today, and with the help of its supporters and volunteers, has distributed over 200,000 wheelchairs and Bibles worldwide.On July 30, 2017, Joni celebrated 50 years of God’s faithfulness since her accident. “Given that many spinal-cord injured quadriplegics don’t survive that long in such good health is a remarkable testimony to God’s sustaining grace.” — joniandfriends.org And the glorious plan that was worth the horrible cost of the cross was,” Steve said quietly, “salvation for a world of sinners.” I would soon learn how suffering and sin are related. Defeating Evil with Evil

Fact: Joni and Ken have traveled to over 50 countries for their ministry work. When Joni finds herself in a great cavernous hall or cathedral that’s empty, she’ll sometimes belt out the hymn “Now Thank We All Our God” to “remind these great places of who designed them, who is King of their space, and that they are only great because God gave the ideas to the architects in the first place.”He Married a Quadriplegic--For Better or Worse". ams vans. August 1, 2013 . Retrieved December 5, 2018. People are sometimes mystified by my joy, especially since I now deal with chronic pain. But God shares his joy on his terms, and those terms call for us, in some measure, to endure suffering, as did his precious Son. But that’s okay. For when I hold fast to God’s grace in my afflictions, the joy he gives tops everything. It’s how my so-called hateful paralysis now makes me so happy. Later, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, Joni wondered if it might be the final wedge in their relationship. In 1978, she released another title A Step Further. After all the success of her words, she wanted to do even more to inspire people worldwide. In 1979, the author founded the Christian Ministry organization ‘Joni and Friends.’ The organization’s main purpose was to promote faith and the word of the Bible in the disabled community. I sometimes wonder, Who am I, God, that you have brought me this far? Lately, I’ve been whispering that question from 1 Chronicles 17:16: “Then King David [said], “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?” Who am I to enjoy a platform on national radio for 40 years? Who am I that I should be so blessed in marriage to Ken for 40 years? And how did I ever have the strength to survive 55 years as a quadriplegic in a wheelchair?