A Joyful Christmas for Joni

In a recent radio broadcast, Joni Eareckson Tada described why she’s especially excited about celebrating Christmas this year…

I know my husband Ken and I are pretty excited that my sister Kathy is going to be flying out to Southern California all the way from Maryland this year to join us for Christmas.  And I am guessing that Kathy will make us my mother’s famous Maryland crab cakes for a holiday dinner… yum, I can’t wait.  And, yes, there will be the usual giving of gifts, but there’s one gift that Kathy and Ken and I will really be grateful for this Christmas, and that is… the gift of life, because as you know this was a pretty tough year for me, what with cancer and chemotherapy.  But all that is behind us now… PET scans are clear and, thank the Lord, I’ve been declared cancer free…that’s pretty good news and that’s what we are going to be celebrating this Christmas.  The gift of life! 

That is what Christmas is all about… new life; life in Christ, all because Jesus came… the Word of Life. That alone is worth celebrating the entire Christmas season — something to make even the most skeptical cynic be filled with joy.  Jesus is the Word of Life and He has been born in our hearts.  Older than eternity, this Jesus has made us new. 

Praise the Lord for His continued care over Joni’s life! Read the rest of Joni’s update HERE.

Photo: Joni and Friends

Update from Joni and Ken

Please pray for Joni today. She posted this update on her blog yesterday:

Early tomorrow morning Ken and I will head to the clinic for my third round of chemo (my friend Careen who is here for the week will be joining us). And when the nurse starts the infusion, Psalm 31:14-15 will be on my lips, “I trust in you O Lord; I say: ‘You are my God. My times are in your hands.’” My time battling this cancer is in His hands – I can’t think of a safer place to be! Sure, I get nervous and have questions (like, how much assault can my quadriplegic body take?), but as Julie Ackerman wrote, “Jesus knew that we would have questions. To prepare us for them, He urged us to abide in His love (John 15:9). Even when God’s ways are inexplicable, His love is reliable. So we remain doggedly devoted to Him.” And that, I am!  

Joni’s husband, Ken, joined her recently to share some encouraging thoughts in this video update:

Visit Joni’s blog HERE.