Joni and Friends Blog
Ken and I often marvel at the wonderful friends the Lord brings to Joni and Friends. Without our amazing friends, we couldn’t do what we do to impact the lives of thousands of people, and their families, affected by disability. I am eternally grateful for each of you. It’s why we take it hard when…
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Mother’s Day offers a special moment to celebrate the moms in our lives and show them just how much they mean to us. So how can you show love to your mom and grandma, sister, wife, and mother-in-law? How can you make each mom in your life feel special… to say, “thank you” and “I…
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When I think of my friend, David Francisco, I’m reminded of a lion. He’s got an incredible story and an unshakable courage. Three years ago, on April 27th, 2016, David’s life was forever changed. He was riding his bike when a distracted driver ran a red light at a busy intersection. David was hit, slammed into the windshield and…
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If you are looking for how to welcome families impacted by disability in your church, creating a buddy ministry is one of the best ways to begin! A buddy ministry is more than a program, it’s about building relationships. And serving as a buddy to an individual with disability provides friendship, discipleship, and Kingdom-belonging for…
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I was raised in a church where, after our pastor read from Scripture, he would close the Bible and say, “The Word of the Lord” – then, our congregation would respond in unison with, “Thanks be to God!” I love it when the whole church unites in one voice during a Sunday service. And this…
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This Easter, as we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus, take a moment to give thanks for the precious gift we’ve been given. God sent His son to die for our sins so that we could receive the gift of eternal life into the Kingdom of Heaven. On Resurrection Morning, Jesus rose up from…
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When Matt and Christy Sellers first met, they found that they each had a heart for adoption. When the time came to adopt, they chose to embrace and love three little children – children the world sometime refers to as “a burden.” Today, their hearts and home are filled with three little kids with Down…
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There’s no doubt… the battle I’ve fought with my health over the last year has taken a lot out of me. Cancer, pain, quad problems, and most recently, my two week hospitalization for pneumonia? There was a time I would have thought God was laying too much on me. I would have tried to justify…
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“People are people and everybody has a place in the church family. When you get to know somebody, you can help them to be a part of the family. If you never take the time to get to know them, that’s not going to happen.” -Bret Welshymer Everyone who comes through the church doors should…
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God is using you to pour out His love to families living with disability. One such family is the Fernandez family who recently came to a Family Retreat in New Mexico. Di and Alicia came with their daughters. One of their daughters, Savannah, lives with Cornelia de Lange syndrome. It’s normal for these parents to feel overwhelmed and alone…
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