Alia Joy
About the Author

Alia Joy is an author who believes the darkness is illuminated when we grasp each other's hand and walk into the night together. She writes poignantly about her life with bipolar disorder as well as grief, faith, marriage, poverty, race, embodiment, and keeping fluent in the language of hope in...

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
Recent Posts

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alia. Your words here are magical for their truth.
    We must be soul sisters, (and not just because we always tiptoe into church late, too.)
    Thanks for the reminder to walk in my mission even when it looks like nothing more than tapping these keys when I should be sleeping or finally folding the whites I’ve been avoiding for 2 days.

    • Yeah we are! And not just because of our love of Taco trucks. It’s so much deeper than that. And… bravo for folding at all. I usually just scavenge clothes out of the basket until the dirty clothes basket is full and then I start over. Eh, close enough, at least they’re clean.

  2. Alia Joy,
    I love your words that “My best yes is not worrying about being just right and instead being just real.” I am getting better at this as I hosted a group of divorced women in my home. I hoped they’d look beyond the tumbleweed fur balls and the dust…and they did. It’s my heart that matters, not my house. I texted your words, “I choose grace to cover all the flaws I see in myself.” to my daughter this morning. In a world that is so image conscious and in our minds that are so quick to condemn…we all need reminders of grace. I love your writing. You are truly gifted at helping us live intentionally in the moment while keeping our eyes fixed on eternity.
    Blessings,
    Bev

    • Yes, reminders of grace. I love that. I have people in my life that are that to me, and blogs I read that consistently point back to that, and coming here I know I find it too. So much grace to just be.

  3. Alia, again you pour out so much of me in your own words. So much of my best yes or at least the best yes I strive for. Thank you for always being real and reminding us all we are not alone. This is solid,”MY BEST YES IS NOT WORRYING ABOUT BEING JUST RIGHT AND INSTEAD BEING JUST REAL.” Yes, Yes, Yes! That’s my prayer, that I would stop worrying about being just right and instead being just real. I love that. Thank you for this and thank you for “you.” xoxo, Meredith

  4. Thank you, Alia, for brightening my day. This sentence especially resonates in my heart – “MY BEST YES IS NOT WORRYING ABOUT BEING JUST RIGHT AND INSTEAD BEING JUST REAL.”

  5. Trying to be real in the broken and ugly mess of it all. I feel very fragile but know He is present in it all. Parenting a child with disabilities makes me hold my dreams lightly. Holding my hands open for His dreams.

    • That’s the place we need real the most. In the broken and ugly messes. I imagine you’d feel so very fragile and your dreams would feel as if they’re tethered to your hopes for a child with special needs. Hoping you find rest for your mama heart and take the care you need for yourself too in the midst of it all.

  6. Thank you for your realness. I feel like a kindred spirit with you, arriving late to Church. I love God. I love to think about Him and write about Him and be with Him. Can I get my rear in the seat before opening song at Church? Not a chance. Even when i am set up to, my small wonderful little beings need something. This past Sunday, i showed up, 5 min late, and then loved on the babies in the nursery during worship. And it was glorious. My best yes is trusting God meets me where I am.

    • Thanks Lysa. I’m excited to read your book and I love what 99 balloons does to serve and love those who are giving their best yes everyday in loving and caring for their children.

  7. All I can say is AMEN to “My best yes is not worrying about being just right and instead being just real.” It’s the realness that changes lives, makes the best prayers, allows vulnerability for real (true) friendships, and opens our eyes to His grace. You are a soul sister of mine! And I love the part about being late for church. That was me this past Sunday!!

  8. My best yes brings me to the Yes, Lysa Terkeurst took me to respond in tears in my living room several months ago. The Women’s Ministry at my church through our leader, Sarah Mosley, decided to have When Women Say Yes to our 6 weeks reading book group. I was alone in my house and after reading my daily portion of the chapter, I began praying. There was an unanswered question my 5 years old niece had spoken to me several years ago. For years I hadn’t visited that thought till then. Now, it was creeping on my head.
    I wanted to be real. The fake hidden me cried to come out.
    I recalled my niece at the bench of the choir standing up and holding the songbook, she sang the hymns along like she was a big girl. After the crowded holy communion at my dad’s church, I asked her if she had a message from God to me. Looking firmly at my face with her black rounded eyes, she said that God had asked me something and I didn’t answer Him.
    The radical obedience on Peter’s call made me review my own wrecking life. How many times I became angry at the requests of singing or preaching. I wanted to recuse them. My hiding anger always took me to tears knowing that in spite of my groaning, God was good to me.
    Now with the book by my side, I prayed that I would receive God’s grace and forgiveness. I wanted to say YES.
    Fear was all over but I couldn’t hold it back. My future was in God’s hands.
    From that day on, life in the house changed. A phone call and an invitation challenged me to go into preaching in Uganda, Africa.
    Here I am getting ready with a 10 years old to an unimaginable trip of one month sharing about the mercy and grace of our Lord.
    Thank you, Alla Joy, for helping me to be the real me.

  9. Alia, your writing is always a blessing to me! This line: “I choose grace to cover all the flaws I see in myself and remember I am not made wrong.” I am not made wrong. Wow! That was powerful to me. What a great truth to recite when the lies attack.

    Christy @ A Heartening Life

  10. Alia Joy, I love what you wrote about choosing Grace to cover the flaws we see in ourselves. I hope that I have given that message to my soon to be 18 daughter especially that we are not made wrong. Thank you for a great post!

  11. Alia,

    Love your writing sister! Loved the fact that our best yes could be in ordinary everyday routines. “My best yes is not worrying about being just right and instead being just real.” So very true! I want “real” in people not fake. Be yourself and show me who you truly are.

    I am grateful for God’s unlimited grace. Without it I would be lost in this crazy sin sick world!!

    Blessings 🙂

  12. What I hear in your post is — It’s all about Love. It’s about showing up with love to give, no matter if we’re late, or messy… Great post Alia! Sorry I am late reading it. Just found it today.