Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Spring Cards

Episode Transcription

Welcome to "Joni and Friends" and welcome to my art studio…

Okay, I realize we’re not really in my art studio right now, but if we were, I’d want to borrow your hands.  What for? Well, how about fluffing up a fresh arrangement of daisies for me to draw?  I often have friends do that, after all, these daisies are my favorite flower. When I got married back in 1982, and I was choosing colors and flowers for my wedding, I chose daisies.  My bridesmaids each carried a fresh bouquet of daisies as they walked up the aisle… and when I wheeled up the aisle, I had the same beautiful flowers (only bigger) on my lap.  Daisies, in fact, even lined the ramp that my church constructed so that I could wheel over the front steps all the way up to where Dr. John MacArthur was -- he married Ken and me that day.  And I have to confess, when the ceremony was over and I turned my wheelchair around to go back down the ramp, -- get this -- I lost control. 

You see, because I was, well… vain (there’s no other word for it)… because I was so conscious of my appearance in my wedding gown, I had decided that day not to wear my arm splints which stabilize my wrists. All my wedding photographs show me with bare arms and hands… no ugly leather straps.  Well, that was nice, and it made for pretty photos, but it made for very unstable driving of my wheelchair that day. So when I started back down the ramp, I veered too far to the left and knocked over one or two pots of those beautiful daisies lining the ramp.  Thankfully, Ken was right there – his first function as my husband was to rescue me from careening over the edge of the ramp and falling to the floor.  (Thank you, Ken, rather the flowers flop to the floor than your wife, right)!

All this to say, I still love daisies and even though my days at my art easel are not as frequent as they used to be – due to the pain in my back; it’s just hard to put those pastel pencils between my teeth and work at my easel now.  Even though my drawing days are limited, I still love to keep a vase of daisies around… if someone asks if they could send me flowers, I'll always ask for daisies.

And I’d like to show you some of the drawings I’ve done of flowers.  I think of all the things that I enjoy painting or drawing, it’s flowers because if you can capture the sunlight coming through those thin little petals, and if you can show the turn of the leaf or the bloom you are a good artist if you can convey the reality of a bouquet of flowers.  So, I specifically drew some fresh little daisies, and just to celebrate spring coming, I’d like to send you three – not just one or two, but three of my spring greeting cards with envelopes -- and my favorite is the one of those daisies.  On the front it says, “May the Lord's sweet joy bloom in your heart today.”  That’s the one with the watercolor painting I did of daisies and I tucked in there a little butterfly up in the corner.  I’d love for you to have your own spring greeting cards and you can get your own collection by calling me at 888-522-5664 or if you want to see what my artwork looks like you can get a preview – a look-see in advance – of this card by visiting me today at joniandfriendsradio.org. 

And while you’re there on my radio page, I wish you would browse around and take a look at some of my other artwork… you’re always welcome to visit "Joni and Friends.”  And since this week begins National Card and Letter Writing Month, I can’t think of a better way to get it started than for you to jot a note filled with Christian encouragement to a hurting friend using one of my three free spring cards.  So celebrate spring today with me would you?  I'll be watching out for you at joniandfriendsradio.org! Until next time, this is Joni on Joni and Friends.

 

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