With Trevor off at work (Target) and Ethan napping I thought now would be the perfect opportunity to see who Joni Tada is. First off, she is a women, I believe she might be the only women represented in book on Advent (which is why I choose her as one of my first people to look up). Although I did not find much about her conversion story I did find the following.
She was born in 1949 and became a believer at a Young Life Camp in 1964. Joni was paralyzed from the neck down when she was a teenager. Her church family was a huge influence in her life during the time of this event as they, “demonstrated the love of God in practical ways.” After two long years of rehabilitation Joni was changed. While relearning daily skills she also learned to paint (by putting the brush between her teeth). Today her paintings are only one of the things she is known for today.
It didn’t take Joni long to demonstrate the love of God in practical ways herself. About ten years after her accident Joni started an organization called Joni and Friends (JAF) whose mission is to accelerate Christian ministry in the disability community throughout the world. The work that JAF does includes a radio program that encourages believers to live for Christ, provide retreats for special need families, collect wheelchairs for those who need but cannot afford them, and provide churches with information and training to help those with disabilities. Besides founding that organization Joni has written over 30 books including one called, Joni (her autobiography).
2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness,” is Joni’s favorite BIble verse. What a great reminder of my own weaknesses, God’s grace, and God’s power.(Although that is from the NIV I also discovered that Joni is an advocate for the ESV!).
I foget sometimes how wonderful technology is, I was also able to see a clip of Joni on YouTube and get a glipse of her personality firsthand. From what I saw and heard Joni is a passionate believer filled with the joy that only God can provide and a spirit of thanksgiving always. 
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