Episode 102
Hearts Ablaze: Joan Aubele on Creating Ripples of Hope
Joan Aubele joins us to share her inspiring journey of survival and resilience after being diagnosed with terminal leukemia at just 29 years old. With her deep faith and support from her husband and family, Joan overcame the odds and has since dedicated her life to inspiring others through her writing and presentations. Her latest book, "Hearts Ablaze," explores the stories of individuals whose lives have been touched by hope and faith, emphasizing the ripples of positive impact we can create in the world. Joan reflects on the importance of following God's nudges and the profound influence that seemingly small actions can have on others. Join us as we delve into her life story, her experiences with adversity, and the powerful messages she hopes to impart to her readers and listeners.
In this inspiring episode of Narrative Stories with Keith Haney, Joan Aubele shares her incredible journey of surviving terminal leukemia and the profound impact of her faith in God. Joan discusses the role models and mentors who provided strength and guidance during her toughest times, helping her navigate through her illness.
Joan also discusses her books The Dance: A Story of Love, Faith, and Survival and Hearts Ablaze: The Ripples We Create, which highlight the stories of others who have experienced miracles and overcome significant challenges. She emphasizes the importance of following God’s nudges and making a positive impact on others.
Throughout the conversation, Joan hopes to inspire listeners never to give up and to create their own miracles, showcasing the power of faith, resilience, and the human spirit.
Joan Abuela's journey is nothing short of miraculous, beginning with her diagnosis of terminal leukemia at the young age of 29. While she was navigating the struggles of motherhood with three small children, the doctors gave her a grim prognosis, stating she had only a week to live. However, through sheer determination and unwavering faith, Joan not only beat the odds but emerged as a beacon of inspiration. In this podcast, she discusses her experiences, the invaluable support from her husband and mentors, and her commitment to sharing hope through her writing. Her first book, 'The Dance: A Story of Love, Faith, and Survival,' chronicles her personal battles and triumphs, while her latest work, 'Hearts Ablaze: The Ripples We Create,' expands on the stories of others who have also faced adversity, thereby creating a tapestry of resilience and faith. Joan emphasizes the importance of recognizing the positive impact our words and actions can have on others, encouraging listeners to embrace their stories and inspire those around them.
Takeaways:
- Joan Abuela shares her incredible journey of overcoming terminal leukemia at the age of 29.
- She emphasizes the importance of following God's nudges and how they can lead to miracles.
- Joan's first book chronicles her personal story of survival and faith through adversity.
- The impact of positive comments and encouragement on others can create significant ripples in their lives.
- Hearts Ablaze, Joan's second book, focuses on inspiring stories from people around the world.
- Joan's life is a testament to resilience, hope, and the power of community support.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- American Cancer Society
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Christian Bookstores
Transcript
My guest today is Joan Abuela, who is married to her high school sweetheart, Carl.
Host:They have raised three daughters to date and five grandchildren.
Host:Joan was born and raised in Chicago.
Host:After 61 years of residing in the midwest, her husband and her decided to pull their longstanding roots and move to the quaint sailing community of Oriental North Carolina.
Host:How the dance was born.
Host:Joan was truly inspired by her brush with death.
Host:Joan wants to pass on some of the inspiration to others.
Host:For years, she sold scarves of her own design to inspire women, donating portions of her work proceeds to the American Cancer Society.
Host:She included a brief description with each scarf to explain its wonderful significance.
Host:Today we have Joan on talk about her new book, Hearts Ablaze.
Host:We welcome Joan to the podcast.
Host:Well, Joan, welcome to the podcast.
Host:How are you doing today?
Joan Abuela:I'm doing good.
Host:It's so good to have you on.
Host:Yeah, good to have you on again.
Host:Looking forward to talk, talking about your new book.
Host:But before we get into your new book, give me the best piece of advice you've ever received.
Joan Abuela:Um, I think was probably from my mother.
Joan Abuela:We would, I think, the foundation of all my assistants and getting to everything I did.
Joan Abuela:She told me to think of God as really my best friend.
Host:Oh, I like that.
Host:Yeah.
Joan Abuela:I think that she didn't realize, but I think she made such an impact on so many lives by the way she acted in her life.
Host:Wow, that's.
Host:That's a neat.
Host:I like that one.
Host:I have to save that one.
Joan Abuela:Yeah.
Host:As you think about your life, who are some role models for you and some mentors along your journey?
Joan Abuela:I would say my husband, throughout my strawberry recovery process, he was there for inspiring me and keeping me cheerful and motivated me to keep going.
Joan Abuela:That kind of thing.
Joan Abuela:As far as another one I would say would be crediting would be Father Bob.
Joan Abuela:He was a hospital chaplain, and he used to pop in, and he talked to me almost every day about keeping them.
Joan Abuela:Spirituality and how I should, like, think of it like a roller coaster ride, and I should hold on to the.
Joan Abuela:Hang on to the ride.
Joan Abuela:So even when there is my darkest moments, when I couldn't speak and I couldn't move and I was too super visitors, he would just pop his head in and give me the emotion, like, hang on to the roller coaster.
Host:Oh, wow.
Host:That's so cool.
Host:I like that.
Host:So, Joan, I know that your first book was really about your personal story.
Host:So kind of tell us your personal journey.
Joan Abuela: In: Joan Abuela:So I was 29 at the time.
Joan Abuela:My three small children, actually, I was just nursing four month old when I was diagnosed in Mercy, Illinois Mercy Center Illinois, Aurora, Illinois.
Joan Abuela:Should say the doctors didn't give me to the end of the week to live.
Joan Abuela:They actually delete the chemotherapy thing that I would might have put me through the edited aggravation and terminal of the treatments.
Joan Abuela:There was one other person with my type of leukemia, and then she passed away.
Joan Abuela:So I was the only adult survivor of the atopic leukemia.
Joan Abuela:The one that I had is more.
Joan Abuela:Is prevalent in children.
Joan Abuela:It's all which is cute.
Joan Abuela:Lymphoblastic leukemia.
Joan Abuela:So they really don't know how to treat a 29 year old.
Joan Abuela:So they just kind of did everything, double, tripled all the different treatments.
Joan Abuela:Just guessing what happened.
Joan Abuela:What did they have to lose?
Joan Abuela:You know, doctors from all over the country, we're actually calling my ecologist to see my response to the training that I was having.
Joan Abuela:I don't want to ruin this story for everybody, but basically we turn that resignation, making those fun arrangements to prayers on the prayers led to miracles.
Joan Abuela:And I'm here 34 years now with seven grandchildren.
Host:Wow.
Host:God.
Joan Abuela:So at the time, I just prayed for me to be there for my six, my three girls.
Joan Abuela:Now I have all the grandchildren, so it's pretty cool.
Host:Wow.
Host:It's amazing what God can do.
Host:And your story is a reminder of that.
Joan Abuela:Right.
Host:So your first book was about that journey, right.
Host:Tell us a little bit about your first book.
Joan Abuela:Mirror House on the power.
Joan Abuela:That's my focus on that one.
Joan Abuela:Hearts of blazers is one rebels after the dance of a softball, and I saw that it was being read worldwide, that God wanted to share the story, that I was.
Joan Abuela:I was more aware that it was creating rebels across the universe, and I just knew all the rebels that everybody else was creating.
Joan Abuela:And it's so important to follow those nudges and, you know, times for us to say to certain things, deal with certain things.
Joan Abuela:Have you ever noticed to do something, follow it through.
Host:So your second book, hearts ablaze.
Host:The ripples we create are about other people's stories, right?
Host:Am I not mistaken?
Joan Abuela:Yes.
Host:So tell us some of the how.
Host:You tell us how you found those people to include in this book.
Host:Because I'm always curious.
Host:When you're doing stories by other people, either you have to have a wide range of people that you know, or God leads people to you.
Host:So how did you discover the people you added to this book?
Joan Abuela:Well, some of them are from.
Joan Abuela:I started conducting presentations.
Joan Abuela:So some of them came from people that I would meet at the presentations that the reason why they were about, they were bothered for some reason.
Joan Abuela:Maybe I was by to outfits or person or a lot of them are just social media contexts as well.
Joan Abuela:Like as far as the ones that are across the country, I haven't been out there like Bangladesh and France and I don't go there, but we were just Facebook friends and emails and things.
Host:So as you think about the people in the book, is there one particular story that just stands out to you or struck you or moved you more than maybe some others did?
Joan Abuela:I know there are so many of them.
Joan Abuela:It's just, to me, it's just something amazing.
Joan Abuela:Then God's got everything figured out.
Joan Abuela:Every encounter we have, there's times that I'll just think, why am I even doing this?
Joan Abuela:And then some person come by and we just got chatting about things and they're like, I really need to hear, get that inspiration.
Joan Abuela:I'm thinking, I know God bought us together for a reason or else maybe I'm feeling down and I'm thinking what's, you know, I just don't feel like really oomph, whatever, and I'll come across a review or someone else send me a message.
Joan Abuela:And I saying that how they, how would it affected their life, then I feel like, well, I guess I need just keep pushing and keep doing it.
Joan Abuela:So I think the last one that happened, we had some friends up.
Joan Abuela:The most recent one that happened was we just had some friends up for dinner Saturday evening and we got talking.
Joan Abuela:She's very active in our church and I didn't really, so I knew they were in the choir, but I didn't realize they were actually in, um, an organization you might be familiar with, the couples for Christ.
Joan Abuela:There's like, there's youth for Christ, there's couples, there are singles for christ, couples for Christ.
Joan Abuela:Um, she wants me to present to their couples for christ.
Joan Abuela:So, you know, again, you just never know.
Joan Abuela:Um, the winner, Bangladesh, I think, is probably the biggest one.
Joan Abuela:I reached out to Kevlar News world correspondent.
Joan Abuela:I don't know why, but I was on LinkedIn.
Joan Abuela:I just realized you do it.
Joan Abuela:So I fell in my nudge contacted him, and we ended up discussing the story of the miracles.
Joan Abuela:He ended up telling the Kipling nun and our, in their, in their area, in the community about the story.
Joan Abuela:So she can read English, but the community cannot.
Joan Abuela:So she retold this whole story to the community because they're a christian community and they were in, of course, they're always being persecuted.
Joan Abuela:They were hiding in their own fear for their lives.
Joan Abuela:So she wanted them to let them know that receive prayers really do lead to miracles.
Joan Abuela:And keep trying and keep praying.
Joan Abuela:Don't give up.
Joan Abuela:So I think that was my close thing.
Host:Wow.
Host:So when people pick up this book, what do you hope that they get out of this?
Joan Abuela:I guess that everything we do and we say are making an impression on someone, whether good rebels or bad rebels.
Joan Abuela:And we need to be mindful that we're creating the good rebels.
Joan Abuela:I also want people to know never to give up if they've been given a terrible diagnosis, their only statistics, what a physical mailing doctor has given them.
Joan Abuela:God has his other plans, so you can kind of keep the diagnosis in the back of mind, but don't roll over and give up.
Joan Abuela:The guy's out of clean.
Joan Abuela:He knows exactly what he is doing.
Joan Abuela:It's going to be up to him how it's gonna work.
Host:So you kind of mentioned some of the people in your church who've read the book.
Host:How is a book being received outside just in terms of what kind of response are you getting back from people who are reading it?
Joan Abuela:That's what I was referring to, all the emails and the guys, again, I'm getting up from all over the country.
Host:Oh, that's so neat.
Joan Abuela:That's pretty cool.
Joan Abuela:And I'm really good about it.
Joan Abuela:It takes me a while, but I usually always not use it.
Joan Abuela:I always get back to them and back to them.
Joan Abuela:The last interview or two interviews ago I did before yours was a woman in the Philippines, and somebody had sent me an email that saying that they had watched my podcast and felt like she needed to reach out to me someday was pretty cold.
Joan Abuela:So maybe one person was watching it or watching me.
Host:Anyway, that's so great.
Host:As you were going through your cancer scare, you talked about how you were 29, you had little kids.
Host:Kind of share with us, you know, how did your family come alongside?
Host:Cause it must have been really a difficult time for your family.
Host:How did they handle all of this uncertainty?
Joan Abuela:Well, the oldest one just took over as being mom.
Joan Abuela:She had, you know, she was too serious, almost very serious.
Joan Abuela:Too serious.
Joan Abuela:When we end up, we end up getting some help in the house because she was trying to take on too much.
Joan Abuela:The middle one, she was off another, although just doing playbirds and found this tv screen play moves.
Joan Abuela:And of course, the baby didn't know siblings.
Joan Abuela:Most all the siblings were okay with, and they were supportive.
Joan Abuela:I would say my husband was the very most supportive.
Joan Abuela:There was a couple people that kind of.
Joan Abuela:Because it was too hard for them to handle.
Joan Abuela:So that's all that the other reason I did put that in my book was because I want people to know that don't be the one to come pull back, that everybody needs you.
Host:Wow.
Host:So now that they're, you're, how long ago was that?
Host:Probably.
Host:You look like you're about 27 now, so I must have.
Joan Abuela:Oh, gosh.
Joan Abuela:34 years ago.
Host:Okay.
Joan Abuela:Yeah.
Joan Abuela:So I guess that all three of girls are grown.
Host:Yeah, all your girls are grown.
Host:So how did the, so you say you were the first one with your age that had that.
Host:So what did the doctors discover from your treatment of that to kind of deal with the.
Joan Abuela:I don't know.
Host:Oh, really?
Joan Abuela:You know, I don't know for sure what they discovered, but I'm sure they learned something.
Joan Abuela:I've gotten a couple emails thanking me for going with everything I did because it probably made their treatment a little less difficult than theirs was, than mine was, I should say.
Host:Wow, that's great.
Joan Abuela:But I don't know medically.
Joan Abuela:I mean, I'm not in the medical professions.
Joan Abuela:I don't know for sure.
Joan Abuela:I know my feet are in medical tech spec because it got worth, it burns on my feet.
Host:Oh, my goodness.
Joan Abuela:From just being in the sun.
Joan Abuela:But when you have chemotherapy, you have to be careful.
Joan Abuela:Well, now I know.
Host:Wow.
Joan Abuela:So I know.
Joan Abuela:My theater in the tentacle journal summer.
Host:That's interesting.
Host:It's you to journal.
Host:So tell us, is there another book on the horizon?
Host:I know you've written two and you've, you've done really well with those.
Host:Is there another book that you're kind of, can you say you're always working.
Joan Abuela:Playing right with it?
Joan Abuela:Yeah, I've got a couple, quite a few people that are kind of nudging me to marry another one, so one of these days.
Joan Abuela:I know.
Joan Abuela:I'm just trying to keep up with the other two books.
Joan Abuela:And like I said, I enjoy corresponding back and getting back to people, inspiring people.
Joan Abuela:But I, I think there may be that 1 may be further inspiration.
Joan Abuela:So I need two of me.
Host:That's great.
Host:Do you have any blogs that people can also read they want to follow along with more of your writing?
Joan Abuela:No.
Joan Abuela:So that's something I've been done is because I don't, I don't think I've been like, so time I try, like, it's a get back to people, but I'm doing presentations and churches, libraries, hospitals and that kind of thing.
Joan Abuela:So I'm usually, I mean, like main general information would be my website.
Host:Okay.
Joan Abuela:So they can follow me on the website.
Host:And what is your website.
Joan Abuela:It's www.
Joan Abuela:Joanobleye aubele faithbooks.com.
Joan Abuela:and now I'm also on Amazon Barnes nobles.
Joan Abuela:But if you want to directly contact me, you can do j a thedanceahoo.com and all the spring meals or whatever.
Host:You good?
Host:So, Joan, as you think about your life in this moment, what are you most excited about in this season of your life?
Joan Abuela:I don't know.
Joan Abuela:I'm just.
Joan Abuela:I'm excited about life.
Joan Abuela:So I don't know.
Joan Abuela:There's.
Joan Abuela:I have no idea what's planned in the future.
Joan Abuela:I honestly would like to do more public speaking further because I did quite a bit, but then Covid hit and then everything kind of slowed down.
Joan Abuela:Then we moved.
Joan Abuela:So I'm just now kind of getting my feet wet.
Joan Abuela:But I was just in a show, like a fundraiser, and that pastor asked me to speak at the church.
Joan Abuela:So I slowly getting going, but I would like to do more of that.
Joan Abuela:I would like to actually travel then maybe not have the countries, but travel within the states.
Host:Right.
Host:So if there are people out listening to podcasts, you want Joan to come speak, you can connect with her on our social website.
Host:So.
Joan Abuela:Right.
Joan Abuela:Would be a perfect one.
Host:So as you think about also the impact you've already had with your two books and the speaking that you do, as you reflect at your legacy, what message do you wanna leave for the world as a legacy?
Joan Abuela:I followed God's nudge to tell people story that I know I survived this terrible illness and all the throwing strokes and sepsis, emergency surgery.
Joan Abuela:I was able to survive all that against all of that, too, because anyway, we tell the story.
Joan Abuela:So I feel like I want people to be able to say, oh, I remember she said when they had the miracles occur, and she tells us about it and she taught us how to not give up.
Joan Abuela:How would it make sure we create the right kind of ripples in our lives?
Host:Yeah, those ripples.
Host:That's one of my favorite.
Host:I think it was a book or a poem about ripples.
Host:And you're right.
Host:You never know.
Host:You know how small the pedal is, but how big the ripples can be.
Host:So I love the fact that that image of that, that you don't have to be a big rock to make ripples.
Host:You just have to be dropped in the water to make ripples.
Host:God decides how big the waves are, right?
Joan Abuela:Yeah.
Joan Abuela:And we might not know how big the waves are until the evidence we're dead in God, but they keep going.
Joan Abuela:If you think about like, our children, that our grandchildren, how we keep passing on the rebels.
Joan Abuela:Continuing the rebels.
Host:Exactly.
Host:You know, as we wrap our conversation up.
Host:And if you could kind of give message to my audience, what key takeaways or insights do you want to leave on the minds and the hearts of the listeners?
Joan Abuela:Um hmm.
Joan Abuela:Again, it's pretty much the same thing as the other question was that I think, because everything, we should be more mindful of everything we say and everything we do, if we have an edge to do something, follow through on it.
Joan Abuela:Like, if you think, you know, someone looks cute, say, I like your hair, I like your purse, whatever.
Joan Abuela:You know, my deaf person was going through a terrible day or some terrible tragedy.
Joan Abuela:Just a little comment, positive comment.
Joan Abuela:It's gonna maybe make their mindset different for the day, maybe make them able to cope better.
Joan Abuela:So I think you should always follow through.
Joan Abuela:I've been my bug.
Joan Abuela:Just a little thing about how there was one time I kept on feeling just not to go back in the house and get my glasses and.
Joan Abuela:Or give me.
Joan Abuela:Get something.
Joan Abuela:And I'm like, aggravated.
Joan Abuela:I'm like, okay, whatever.
Joan Abuela:So I go back in, and then I find my classes and my reading glasses.
Joan Abuela:I'm like, and I needed those.
Joan Abuela:He's like, the thing I told you, you just listen to me.
Joan Abuela:Wow.
Host:Yeah.
Host:Well, you know, Joan, thanks so much for inspiring us with your story, sharing in your books, how God has moved in your life, because I think we need to be reminded, especially as we're going through our own trials and tribulations, that God never leaves us or abandons us.
Host:And your story reminds us that even when we may feel hopeless, that God is always hopeful because he is the master healer and guider of our lives.
Host:So your story always inspires me to remember that I don't know exactly what God's plans are, and only he does.
Host:And it calls upon us to really trust that he will guide and lead us to wherever the next phase of our life is.
Joan Abuela:Exactly.
Joan Abuela:Exactly.
Joan Abuela:I picture them like when I was on the hospital.
Joan Abuela:I used to be in the corner in the recliner, sitting there with me when I drive somewhere, and I'm like.
Joan Abuela:I'm lost.
Joan Abuela:I'm like, help me, Lord.
Joan Abuela:He'll hold, guiding me.
Joan Abuela:It's like he's, like, right there in the backseat.
Joan Abuela:If you're just more aware of his presence, he'll be there for you.
Joan Abuela:He's always there.
Joan Abuela:You stepped up.
Joan Abuela:Open yourself up to it.
Host:Right?
Host:So tell my audience again where they can find your two books.
Host:Give us those two books names again and where they can best find them.
Joan Abuela:Um, you bought the name of the book.
Host:I'm sorry?
Host:The name of the books.
Joan Abuela:Okay.
Joan Abuela:The dance.
Joan Abuela:A story of love, faith, and survival.
Joan Abuela:It's probably best to lick them.
Joan Abuela:My name.
Joan Abuela:Joan Obeli.
Joan Abuela:A U B E l E.
Joan Abuela:On Amazon because there's quite a few different dance books.
Host:Right.
Joan Abuela:Um, then hearts ablaze.
Joan Abuela:The ripples recreate.
Joan Abuela:Um, they're both on Amazon, Barnes Noble Christian bookstores, some libraries.
Host:And we encourage the audience to buy those books and also leave a review because that's how the books get.
Host:Get popular on Amazon.
Host:So definitely leave a review.
Host:Yeah.
Joan Abuela:Because when you look at the reviews, you want to read really what the book is about more so than what the author is saying.
Joan Abuela:Well, it's about this.
Joan Abuela:It's really good, you know?
Host:Right.
Joan Abuela:This one actually speaks out the miracles and people know firsthand.
Host:Well, Joan, thank you.
Host:And we will be praying for that next book that you have come up.
Host:But we'll also be praying that this book gets some traction and people pick it up and learn about the stories that you've run across and can share with us about other people who God has moved in their lives as well.
Host:They'll reach out to you and give you some more things to kind of encourage you for the next book.
Host:So we encourage our audience, if you want to reach out to Joan and tell her your story, to do that and connect with her on her social media and Facebook.
Joan Abuela:Great.
Joan Abuela:Thank you.
Joan Abuela:Thanks.
Host:It's always a pleasure, Joan.
Host:Have a blessed day and blessings on your work.
Joan Abuela:Thank you.
Joan Abuela:You too.
