Linda Barrick Interview

By |Published On: December 5, 2017|Categories: 4-Minute Radio Program|

JONI: Hi, I’m Joni and I have a very special guest in studio today. I’m so happy that Linda Barrick and her daughter Jen are with us. Welcome ladies.

LINDA & JEN: Hi, it’s great to be here.

JONI: Thank you ‘cause it’s so great to have you for friends here. And the thing that binds us together is always the Lord Jesus. You know your smiles are so real and from the heart, but there was a point when you weren’t smiling, right?

LINDA: Right. Nine years ago we were hit by a drunk driver, and Jenifer suffered a dramatic brain injury at age 15, and the doctors said she would never walk or talk, but she is a miracle and God is faithful. One day at a time He heals her a little more.

JEN: Yes He does. He has been so good and our true source of strength.

JONI: Wow! Well you know you can see that He has done a healing touch in your lives just by your smiles. And a lot of those smiles have come straight from God’s word and your study of it, especially in the book of Philippians, right?

LINDA: We just wrote a Bible study called “Total Bliss” which we know life is not easy, it’s not always total bliss, but there is a source of joy that lives in side of us—Jesus, that we can tap into any time. Jen’s prayers are woven through there. She still struggles with her short-term memory, but when she prays she’s not injured at all and the Holy Spirit prays through her and just encourages everyone. And so in there, Joni, is a whole chapter on pain and suffering, joy in giving, and it has already ministered to the people. One lady said it healed her marriage, saved her home. So God is using it all over the world. They are doing it in Haiti, (we just got an email and they are translating it into) and so people are doing it all over the world.

JONI: There must be some special verse in the book of Philippians, as much as Paul talks about joy and suffering. Is there one anchor verse there that you often refer to, either you or Jen?

LINDA: Jen, you love Philippians 4:13.

JEN: Oh, yes. I love that verse, it says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. That verse always fills me with hope and encourages my heart.

LINDA: There were many days Jen couldn’t even get out of bed and so we would quote that verse just to get out of bed.

JONI: One of the things I amazed about Jen is when she was coming up out of her coma what was this she was doing?

LINDA: She couldn’t talk to us; she didn’t know who we were, but when she started praying and talking unto the Lord it was this uninjured voice and she had a two-way communication with God. She would talk to Him for hours and just praise Him and she could quote all the scriptures she had hidden in her heart – whole chapters – and she could sing every praise song on the WOW Worship CD. So we saw two sides to her: the one inside that was broken, her body and her mind was so broken that she didn’t even know she had a brother, and yet her spiritual side wasn’t injured at all. And the power of the Holy Spirit was so alive in her and that’s why God’s word it’s powerful. We see it healing Jen a little more every day as she quotes it out loud, but everything she had hidden in her heart was coming out.

JONI: Which is why we need to memorize the word of God. Well, I am excited to invite our listeners to our radio page today at joniandfriends.org/radio where we have provided a link to your website hopeoutloud.com because there people can find out more information about Total Bliss Bible study. Thank you for being here friends.

LINDA & JEN: Thank you.

JONI: Oh, and please know that we here at Joni and Friends care about your struggles too. Our staff gathers every morning to intercede on behalf of friends like you who contact our ministry in need of prayer, whether an up-coming surgery or a prodigal child gone astray, or the salvation of a family member or a painful, chronic condition for which you just need endurance. Contact us today on my radio page at Joni and Friends.org. We want to hear from you and we want to join our Savior in heaven in interceding for your special needs. Thanks for listening today on Joni and Friends.  

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