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
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Comments

  1. Wonderful encouragement, Alia Joy. I know sometimes it feels strange to tell our story, we doubt the value of it–thank you for beautifully encouraging us to ignore that feeling and say it. You bless me today.

  2. I have my own story to share, but I’ve been doubting whether people really want to read it. Whether it’s significant enough to make a difference to anybody.

    Thank you for these words today. They were just what I needed to move forward in writing that story.

    • Johanna, it’s an interesting line between what is private and personal and what is being held back out of fear. I certainly haven’t found a great balance. I tend to just let it all out to the point where I sometimes read my blog and think I am such a bummer. LOL. But I’m looking forward to hearing more of your story as you just say it. 😉

  3. Alia,
    I love this thoughtful article about the weight of our words. Thank you for sharing these sentiments – -you have articulated them beautifully!

  4. Alia, you know I believe in the power of sharing our stories! I love this: such an eloquent testimonial to the worth of sharing our stories.

    My favorite? The comments that say “Yes, you get me. Thank you.”

    • That’s my favorite too. And when I read someone’s words and my head is nodding and my heart is saying, “Thank the Lord, I’m not the only one.”

  5. OH love this so much – always having to remember to dig deep for the courage to keep writing my story. Thank you for this – LOVE having you here on (in)courage today, Alia! Such a good word here today.

    • Thanks Lisa-Jo. I love being here, truly. You’re one of the blogs that totally ‘get me’ in the mommy trenches and I love you for your words of encouragement.

  6. I love these words ~ “God has told His story in Chapter and Verse but just as scripture is alive, a breathing moving power, we too are filled with story for we are made in His image.”
    Beautifully written.

  7. Our stories are our connection with other people and our understanding of other people and our sympathy and compassion for others. When someone has walked already the road that I am on now, I am thankful for the wisdom I can glean from them.

    • No kidding. I tend to learn things the hard way. I think I was in my twenties and had my first kid, before I realized my dad actually knew what he was talking about. It’s such a blessing to glean wisdom from others.

  8. Alia, yes, you get me! Thank you for this encouragement and for this blessing of our words and stories. I was blessed by yours today!

  9. Beautiful! Your words have truly blessed me! Especially like the reminder & encouragement to “share the beauty but do not leave out the mess” that’s me! Thinking if I share the “mess” no one will want to

    • Yes, I think if I didn’t share the mess, my blog would be pretty bare. LOL. I think we relate best with our masks off. I don’t want someone’s perfect, I want someone’s real. Even if it’s messy. The beautiful moments of baring our souls and finding refuge, scars and all.

  10. There have been so many times that I have held back my words. Such a vulnerable place to be…my heart on the page. Thank you so much for your encouragement today. Such a blessing!

    • Yes, it’s vulnerable and believe me I’ve felt it. Some posts bare your soul and then there are no comments or response and you wonder if any of it is worth the price you pay in being real and open. But truthfully, more often than not, I have had the most gracious readers and they resonate with my real. I read it somewhere, “Write something that scares you a little bit.” There are always areas where privacy is necessary and good, but holding back out of fear will never produce a story worth sharing. Thanks for reading and commenting, glad you are encouraged. I’m blessed.

  11. Just the “breath of fresh air” and encouragement I needed this afternoon. After a week of stomach flu’s around our home, and feeling under the weather, your words reminded me to keep writing, keep sharing, keep telling my story. Our words are never insignificant- thank you for this!

    • This makes my day, we don’t always get to know when our words bless someone, we just have to trust that they are meant to be written. So, it’s a special time when we get to know that they did. We have survived many a bout of stomach flu around here and all I can say is, you survived for a reason! Pat yourself on the back, stomach flu for a week is the stuff of superheros, get some fresh air and let the words come.

  12. Thanks for the encouragement. This is exactly where the Lord has me for this season of life. I needed a new perspective and received it. May the Lord continue to give you the words to bring encouragement and desire to go deeper with our Lord!

    Blessings,
    CT

    • Thanks Cathy, I am glad this spoke to you in this season and I love that God speaks to us exactly where we are. Blessings to you.

  13. Oh Alia Joy, thank you for telling this story, of how a writer’s heart feels. Thanks for taking the words from my mouth and putting it down. This is beautiful, tender, eloquent and I am so grateful you shared this today. I am so glad to meet you. Look forward to seeing you all around the bloggy world and reading more of your beautiful heart in your writing.

    • Elizabeth, Oh, that is just beautiful. I love meeting new ‘faces’ around the blogosphere and connecting. I look forward to getting to know you and your story as well.

  14. Alia!!
    This is so lovely! And you are so right — I (we) need to remember that we are telling HIS story, so all of the pieces of our own existence, if woven together with the right motive — can indeed inspire and (in)courage!! 🙂

    Love finding you here!

  15. If we are willing, writing out our thoughts can bring us face to face with God. The challenge lies in allowing God to be trusted with our writing. God knows our thoughts, we cannot hide them from Him. He is everywhere, whether the mountain high or the valley low. Surrendering those thoughts, knowingly and willingly to Him allows Him to work in us and through us. Writing opens up the door to my heart. If we take the challenge, if we trust our Father to take what we write and to use it for His glory we will experience a freedom. The freedom of sweet surrender to Him!

    • So true Wanda. I have been blogging for almost 7 months and in that time I’ve seen the blessing that comes from letting Him guide me in my writing as well as the struggle with doubt and insecurity and feelings that maybe my words aren’t good enough or my story not valuable enough in a sea of blogs and voices. But it’s true that in trusting Him, we have freedom from all of that. We just need to keep our hearts fixed on what is true.

  16. Beautiful encouragement Alia! I often wonder if I have a story to tell, a story that would minister to others. But I know that He’s given me words. And my story is worth telling, first for His glory, and second to encourage others. Blessings!

    • Barbie, thanks for the support an encouragement. You definitely have a story and a ministry. I am so blessed by your heart. And you would be seriously missed on Fridays. 😉 Keep writing, you have a story in Him.

  17. Another late comment…
    You’ve put another weight on the scale of ‘shall I write, or not?’.
    I’ve been told I write well, that I should write a book, that people look forward to reading what I’ve written, and I’m always surprised.
    I don’t have a deep desire to write, don’t have that aching need to write that so many good writers have, so I have never seriously thought about doing anything with my words.
    But I have so much inside my head and soul and heart… so much that needs to come out for me to understand and make sense of it.
    I keep coming across these little ‘prods’ towards writing – and this post is another one!
    Maybe it’s time to at least think about doing something…
    Thank you 🙂