joy in suffering

When life throws you into the depths of despair, where do you find the strength to climb back out? Our latest Foxhole Symphony episode is a beacon for those caught in the tempest of hardship. We share the raw emotions that accompany life's most challenging trials—illness, addiction, loss—and the profound loneliness that can often ensue. But it's within this very vulnerability that we discover the irreplaceable value of brotherhood and authentic community. Through the pain, we emerge not alone but supported, our faith in humanity and the divine restored.

Have you ever felt weighed down by the 'layer cake' of life's issues, uncertain of how to face another day? Our heartfelt discussion revolves around the power of community and faith, drawing parallels with the silversmith's artistic process—how through the heat and hammering, a purer, stronger self is revealed. As we examine scriptures like the Ephesians 6 and the Armor of God, we uncover the solace and strength that spiritual armor and community provide, empowering us to confront the darkness around us. This episode is a reminder that, even when the road is rocky and the shadows long, we are not walking it unaided.

Concluding our exploration, we delve into the constancy of God's faithfulness and the stability it offers our lives, even when everything else seems to be shifting sands. We celebrate and give thanks for the Bible as a source of comfort and guidance, inspiring us to engage with its words for deeper understanding, connection to our creator and solace in tough times. We close on a note of hope, encouraging listeners to find peace in God's unchanging truths. As we share our collective journey of faith, we extend an invitation to join us in discovering the transformative impact of an authentic, supportive community.

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Join the Faith twins as they embark on new adventures in 2024. From mission trips to Papua New Guinea to exciting new phases of life and ministry, the girls have much to talk about, Also, the twins unveil their new theme for the year, 'Perfect and Entire, Wanting Nothing,' inspiring listeners to choose joy and faith in the face of life's challenges.

Faith Talks is a monthly program on the Thee Generation podcast designed to help young ladies discover greater ways to nurture and exercise their faith in their day-to-day walk with Christ. To leave a question for the Faith Twins or our guest, send an email to faithtalks@theegeneration.org.

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This is a message by Ps. Dylan Ball from our series, Philippians: Joy In Everything.

We hope and pray it’s been a blessing to you.

In a world that is dominated by narratives of fear, anxiety and worry, what does it mean that joy is not dependent on outward circumstances, but on the inner state of one's heart? You’ve joined us in our series Philippians where we are exploring what Paul meant when he wrote to have ‘joy in everything’ and the importance of living in unity among believers for the sake of the gospel. 
 
We pray this message is a blessing. 

Make sure if you haven’t yet; subscribe to our channel and follow our social accounts to stay up to date and be encouraged throughout the week!

For more information about Newlife head to:

https://www.church.nu

Facebook: https://facebook.com/newlifebrisbane

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newlifebrisbane

This is a message by Ps. Alex Stark from our series, Philippians: Joy In Everything.

We hope and pray it’s been a blessing to you.

In a world that is dominated by narratives of fear, anxiety and worry, what does it mean that joy is not dependent on outward circumstances, but on the inner state of one's heart? You’ve joined us in our series Philippians where we are exploring what Paul meant when he wrote to have ‘joy in everything’ and the importance of living in unity among believers for the sake of the gospel. 
 
We pray this message is a blessing. 

Make sure if you haven’t yet; subscribe to our channel and follow our social accounts to stay up to date and be encouraged throughout the week!

For more information about Newlife head to:

https://www.church.nu

Facebook: https://facebook.com/newlifebrisbane

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newlifebrisbane

This is a message by Ps. Scott Wrigley from our series, Philippians: Joy In Everything.

We hope and pray it’s been a blessing to you.

In a world that is dominated by narratives of fear, anxiety and worry, what does it mean that joy is not dependent on outward circumstances, but on the inner state of one's heart? You’ve joined us in our series Philippians where we are exploring what Paul meant when he wrote to have ‘joy in everything’ and the importance of living in unity among believers for the sake of the gospel. 
 
We pray this message is a blessing. 

Make sure if you haven’t yet; subscribe to our channel and follow our social accounts to stay up to date and be encouraged throughout the week!

For more information about Newlife head to:

https://www.church.nu

Facebook: https://facebook.com/newlifebrisbane

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newlifebrisbane

This is a message by Ps. Dylan Ball from our series, Philippians: Joy In Everything.

We hope and pray it’s been a blessing to you.

In a world that is dominated by narratives of fear, anxiety and worry, what does it mean that joy is not dependent on outward circumstances, but on the inner state of one's heart? You’ve joined us in our series Philippians where we are exploring what Paul meant when he wrote to have ‘joy in everything’ and the importance of living in unity among believers for the sake of the gospel. 
 
We pray this message is a blessing. 

Make sure if you haven’t yet; subscribe to our channel and follow our social accounts to stay up to date and be encouraged throughout the week!

For more information about Newlife head to:

https://www.church.nu

Facebook: https://facebook.com/newlifebrisbane

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newlifebrisbane

Everyone carries regret, hurt, and fear. These burdens can weigh you down and make you feel trapped. In his book, Beautiful People Don't Just Happen: How God Redeems Regret, Hurt, and Fear in the Making of Better Humans, Scott Sauls explores how Christ provides hope and healing amid the most trying emotions and circumstances.

Pastor Scott hopes to reach people who sin and suffer—people who feel tired or afraid. He shares the message that because of Christ’s love, presence, and promises, the best is always yet to come, even when life feels hopeless.

When it comes to redeeming regret, hurt, and fear, Pastor Scott also explains how God can make people better through difficulties. Using historical examples—Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C.S. Lewis, and Tim Keller—and biblical examples—King David, the Apostle Paul, and even Jesus—Scott points out a hopeful pattern of God’s redemptive work that applies to everyone who trusts in him.

Key Questions:

• Do you ever feel burdened with regret, hurt, or fear?
• Who can you encourage today by sharing an aspect of your story?
• Do you know the secret to being content in every circumstance? (Hint: ask the Apostle Paul)

Key Scripture:

• “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

Send Crystal a message with your comments and questions. 

Find more encouragement through Joni Eareckson Tada's radio podcast  and daily devotional.
Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Your support  helps 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. Founded by international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through  Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways, and offer disability ministry training and higher education through the Christian Institute on Disability. 

Danika Deva knows isolation. Living with multiple chemical sensitivities, which can cause life-threatening allergic reactions to everyday things, she must be intentional about her relationships. Through seasons of severe sickness and physical isolation, she has found strategies for connection and invites others to walk the trails she has blazed.

With God’s help, Danika has learned to serve and minister to others, even from a place of suffering. She urges everyone facing difficulty to seek ways to bless others, pointing to the fact that human beings were not made for isolated, independent lives, but for interdependence and mutual service. She urges Christians to encourage and remind one another of the great hope we have in Christ—whatever our circumstances.

Key Questions:

• Do your health struggles impact your relationships?
• How is God shaping your character through your hardships?
• How can you offer hope to someone today, even if you’re suffering?
   

Key Scripture:

• “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:4-6

Additional Resources:

• Read more from Danika
• Listen as Kimberli West talks about vulnerability and community when you live with chronic illness

Send Crystal a message with your comments and questions. 

Find more encouragement through Joni Eareckson Tada's radio podcast  and daily devotional.
Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Your support  helps 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. Founded by international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, we provide Christ-centered care through  Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways, and offer disability ministry training and higher education through the Christian Institute on Disability. 

In 2016, Danika Deva’s life was turned upside-down by the sudden onset of severe environmental illness. Desperate, isolated, hopeless, and hurting, she begged God for healing. 

To this day, Danika lives what she calls “a bubble life,” to manage life-threatening allergic reactions to an ever-shifting range of environmental and dietary triggers. She will tell you, “It’s hard to live like this.” But amid her suffering, she has found hope and closeness to God.

Danika’s God-given Ph.D. in "Hard Knocks" and "God Rocks" has equipped her to inspire others to be intentional, and to choose joy and hope in hardship so they can not only heal, but flourish. 

Key Questions:

• Where in your “hard knocks” do you see God working?
• What opportunity do you have to choose joy today?
   

Key Scripture:

• “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Additional Resources:

• Read more from Danika

Send Crystal a message with your comments and questions. 

Find more encouragement through Joni Eareckson Tada's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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. Founded by international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care through  Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways, as well as disability ministry training and higher education through the Christian Institute on Disability. 

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church”  —Colossians 1:24.

There are a number of confusing elements in this verse...

• Rejoicing in suffering?
• Filling up what is lacking in Christ?
• Doing this for the sake of the church?

We would argue that what can seem like a challenging, confusing verse can have a clear, helpful, applicable point for us today.

In this episode, we work through Colossians 1:24 and ask ourselves, "Is Christ sufficient enough for me that I am willing to suffer to portray His beauty to others?"

Since the onset of POTS almost two decades ago, Dr. Andy Laurie has prayed for his suffering to go away. As his disease and the hardships that come with it have remained, God has led Dr. Andy through a process of clarification, grappling, releasing, and ultimately drawing closer to Jesus and his  promises.

Crystal Keating and Dr. Andy explore aspects of suffering that God can use for good:

• Suffering causes us to focus on things that really matter.
• Suffering can force clarification about our self-image, identity, and priorities.

When incurable or unsolvable problems come, Dr. Andy highlights the need to let go of the “old life” and embrace our new reality (with whatever limitations or struggles it comes with). This process of release and redefinition often includes grief. And without hope in God, self-pity, depression, and despair can take hold.

Dr. Andy shares his own struggle with despair—the temptation to linger and wallow in the dark after his diagnosis. He also shares a turning point that came through prayer. Realizing that God co-suffers with us, as a parent suffers for and with a child, Dr. Andy discovered new depth in his faith journey and his hope-giving trust in God as his Good Father.

Hear how an eternal perspective has ultimately led him to contentment, joy, and peace, even as his illness remains.

Key Question:

• How have you seen God work in the midst of your hardest experiences?
   

Key Scripture:

• “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16

Additional Resources:

• Read more from Dr. Andy Laurie
• Listen to Claire Walker share how POTS radically altered her life

Send Crystal a message with your comments and questions. 

Find more encouragement through Joni Eareckson Tada's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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. Founded by international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care through  Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways, as well as disability ministry training and higher education through the Christian Institute on Disability. 

Dr. Andy Laurie knows what it’s like for life’s skies to go dark. His book, When Skies Aren’t Blue: A Physician’s Personal Journey, recounts his journey from health to sickness, and to living with joy in the midst of traumatic and overwhelming circumstances.

His prescription for hope that endures no matter what? “We need objective, provable truth,” he says. “To know that we can prove God is real, prove God is true. Prove the Bible is real.” 

But Dr. Laurie was not always a believer. Even in medical school, he considered himself a “man of science” and saw faith as a crutch some people needed—but not him! Then, his quest for knowledge led him closer to God instead of further; ultimately, he came to faith, and became a pastor-physician.

When he “had it all”: a loving marriage, four small children, and two thriving careers, the skies went dark, seemingly forever. Faced with his devastating diagnosis, he dug deep into his faith, and asked the ultimate questions about identity, self-worth, hope, and love.

Now, Dr. Laurie invites others to join him on a journey, from darkness back to light, even if a cure never comes.

Key Questions:

• How can I cope with chronic, incurable, unsolvable struggles?
• How do I define victory in my life?
• Can I experience joy amid my suffering/sickness/grief?

Additional Resources:

• Read more from Dr. Andy Laurie
• Listen to Claire Walker share how POTS radically altered her life

Send Crystal a message with your comments and questions. 

Find more encouragement through Joni Eareckson Tada's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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. Founded by international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care through  Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways, as well as disability ministry training and higher education courses through the Christian Institute on Disability. 

Katherine Wolf kicked off Season 4 with a conversation about suffering. After surviving a catastrophic stroke at age 26, which left her with profound disabilities, Katherine now works to break down the myth that joy can only be found in a pain-free life. Here, in Episode Two, Katherine digs deeper into the topic of suffering, and particularly, how to flourish within our limitations. 

We as believers have all been there: we make a request to God in prayer, then wait for him to give us what we want. When we don’t get the results or answer we hope for, we get frustrated, perplexed, or even angry with God. 

Katherine offers insight about how to trust God when he doesn’t answer prayers the way we hope he will. When it comes to suffering well, she highlights the importance of the narratives we believe and tell about our lives—past, present, and future. She shares how to reframe and redefine the hardest parts of life: tragedy, disability, loss, and grief, with God’s goodness and his good story as the ultimate hope-giving reality.

From a wheelchair to social isolation, to illness or disability, Katherine sheds fresh light on the concept of limitations. She shares how her disability has catalyzed a powerful reframe in her life: seeing limitations as opportunities rather than barriers. Because of Jesus, we can do hard things in the good story he is writing through each of our lives.

Key Questions:

• How can we trust God when he doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want him to?
• How can we cope with pain, grief, or disability?
• How can we find hope amid suffering?

Key Scripture:

• “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame.” Romans 5:3-4

Additional Resources:

• Listen to A Deeper Healing with Joni Eareckson Tada
• Listen to  How God Meets Us in Suffering with Vaneetha Risner

Send Crystal a message with your comments and questions. 

Find more encouragement through Joni Eareckson Tada's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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. Founded by international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care through  Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways, as well as disability ministry training and higher education courses through the Christian Institute on Disability. 

Crystal and Katherine discuss what it means to “suffer strong,” and how community plays a key role in leaning on God through suffering. They explore what it means to heal—not just the body but the soul, and the difference between curing and healing.

Katherine also gives tips about how to encourage and support people in suffering—what to do and say, and, just as importantly, what NOT to do and say.

No matter what difficulties we face, Katherine’s wisdom gives refreshment and insight on what it takes to suffer strong, embracing God’s good story that he writes in each of our lives. 

Key Questions:

• What does it mean to suffer well?
• How can I reframe my suffering?
• Is it possible to find healing if there is no cure for the condition, disability, or pain that I live with?

Key Scripture:

• “I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” Isaiah 45:3

Additional Resources:

• Listen to  How God Meets Us in Suffering with Vaneetha Risner
• Listen to A Deeper Healing with Joni Eareckson Tada
• Find community at Joni and Friends Retreats and Getaways

Send Crystal a message with your comments and questions. 

Find more encouragement through Joni's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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.

Founded by international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care through  Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways, as well as disability ministry training and higher education courses through the Christian Institute on Disability. 

Welcome to Season 4 of the Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast!

We are excited to kick off a new series of encouraging conversations about finding hope through hardship, and share practical ways to include people with disabilities in your church and community. 

The past few years have brought unexpected changes and challenges, from the Coronavirus pandemic to global unrest, not to mention personal difficulties. And trying times bring up big questions: 

• What does it mean to suffer well?
• How can we understand and cope with pain, loss, disability, and grief?

Beginning next week, we will learn how to lean on Christ and redefine our experiences with suffering. In each episode, Crystal Keating will talk with a guest who knows what it means to suffer. Each conversation will shed light on some of life’s great challenges and provide deep encouragement. 

• Episode One kicks off with Katherine Wolf, a true trailblazer when it comes to disability and suffering. In 2008, at just 26 years old and 6 months after having a new baby boy, Katherine miraculously survived a catastrophic stroke. Now profoundly disabled, Katherine has learned to take joy in doing hard things in the good story God is writing in her life. She and her husband Jay have used their second-chance lives to disrupt the myth that joy can only be found in a pain-free life.
• In other episodes, Crystal will interview remarkable people who have walked with Jesus through disability, illness, and other experiences of great darkness and difficulty. Guests will include Scott Sauls, Danika Deva, and, of course, Joni Eareckson Tada.

Subscribe to the Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. And be sure to share it with a friend! 

As you listen, you can send Crystal a message with your comments and questions. 

We pray that you will find encouragement and inspiration as you listen this season!

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 TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

“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.

*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.

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 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.

One of our pastors, Andrew, had a seizure this past year, which contributed to hardship for both himself and his family. In spite of all that happened and continues to happen, the Lord has given them joy amidst the suffering. In this episode, Andrew and Bailey talk about how to have and what it looks like to have joy in the midst of suffering.

"What God gives us in suffering is more than he takes away."

Vaneetha Risner contracted polio as an infant, was misdiagnosed, and lived with widespread paralysis. In and out of the hospital for ten years, she faced bullying after each hospital stay. When she became a Christian, Vaneetha thought things would get easier, and for a time they did: carefree college days, a dream job in Boston, and an MBA from Stanford where she met and married a classmate.

But life unraveled again. She had four miscarriages and her son died because of a doctor's mistake. Vaneetha was later diagnosed with post-polio syndrome, meaning she would likely become a quadriplegic. And when her husband betrayed her, he moved out and left her to raise two adolescent daughters alone. 

Today on the podcast, Vaneetha is talking with Crystal about the grace God has given her to forgive those whose harmful choices radically altered the course of her life. As a modern-day Job, her story of loss, suffering, questioning, and anger has become a life filled with incomprehensible peace and joy. Sharing from her new book Walking Through Fire: A Memoir of Loss and Redemption, hear how she’s made sense of her ongoing hardships and how they have drawn her closer to Christ. Be encouraged by her courageous journey toward wholeness amidst a world of brokenness!

Order Walking Through Fire

 

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 may feel alone, like you shouldn’t talk about what is going on, but the worst thing you can do it isolate yourself… When you’re honest and vulnerable, it’s incredible how many places it will take you.”

Previously on the podcast, Kimberli West talked about her unexpected battle with invisible chronic illness. She shared how she’s seen God’s hand at work in her hardship. As a young woman with an on-the-go lifestyle, Kimberli had ignored her physical symptoms illness. The day she found herself passed out in the emergency room was her wake-up call. Diagnosed with several autoimmune diseases, what Kimberli initially thought would be easily controlled by medication led her on an extreme medical journey: 20 surgeries, the loss of 9 organs, and the fight of her life.

Crystal invited Kimberli back for a second conversation on the podcast to talk about the importance of vulnerability and transparency when we face challenges. Chronic conditions  often lead to loneliness and isolation, but being vulnerable about your struggles opens the door for deep relationships, support, and finding joy in suffering. Listen as Kimberli shares how transparency helped her develop a strong supportive community and ministry opportunities, even when she was unable to leave her house.

Read More from Kimberli

Send Crystal a message with your comments and questions. 

Find more encouragement through Joni Eareckson Tada's radio podcast, daily devotional, or by following us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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. Founded by international disability advocate Joni Eareckson Tada, the ministry provides Christ-centered care through  Joni's House, Wheels for the World, and Retreats and Getaways, as well as disability ministry training and higher education through the Christian Institute on Disability.