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 Joy,

    Thank-you for your inspiring beautifully written post I think I need to try harder to do my share.

    Have a blessed day,

    Penny

    • Thanks Penny. I do think we do our share by first belonging and knowing how deeply God cares for us and then from that identity, we move into the world and love people in those same ways. I’ll never stop believing that revolutionary love can change the world, indeed it already has.

  2. Ohhh … my.

    And that’s your soul, the essence of who you are, running with freedom and joy through the fuzzy dandelion fields … in the midst of it all. Somehow.

    • Thank you for being here with me. It’s who we all are when we belong to Christ. Freedom and joy are the good gifts God gives, even in the midst of the brokenness. Kingdom Come.

  3. Thank you for this reminder that we are all “neighbors” in the kingdom of God.
    By the way, I think people who are Asian/white mix are some of the most beautiful people in the world!

    • Neighbors looks a lot different when we see how Jesus talked about it, right? It’s a good reminder for all of us.

  4. One of the best things I’ve read in a long while. Words that aim straight for the heart! Straight for the problem. And straight for the solution!

    • It’s a start. God propels us to be loved by God, to love God, and to work towards justice, mercy, and humility as we approach relationships in the world with those God loves. Which is everyone. So yes, we’ve got a holy commission and we’ve been equipped and called to live into that identity of God’s people.

    • I know it does. I love the way you see in pictures and art. I love what Kingdom vision looks like in your life, friend.

  5. Thank you, thank you for this. It is a huge morning stretch for my mind and heart, and exactly what we all needed to hear.

  6. Oh Alia, I praise the Lord for this tender mercy in this post, this gentle reminder of putting down my kingdom and wants and hopes for those of the One who loves us so much. May we all build His kingdom, giving Him and others what He has so generously given us 🙂

    • I’m preaching to myself too. Our kingdoms creep in so easily. It’s so easy to lose our way and get caught up with the god of status quo or the systems that have always been in place, or to let apathy rule our hearts instead of a passion for the things of God because often those things cost us something too. But you’re so right, God gives generously.

  7. Amen. You have captured some great and timely concepts here. I love that you aren’t afraid to shy away from topics deemed uncomfortable to discuss. God’s messengers frequently had to step outside their comfort zone to do the Lord’s will. Moses is a prime example! This post blessed me, thank you.

    • Amen. We need to bring the hard conversations because Jesus didn’t shy away from the hard and messy things. If anything, Jesus was about stepping outside and He endured the reproach for our sakes. The Kingdom of God has always been about love and mercy and hope but it’s never been about staying comfortable. Thank you for sharing here, Tynisha.

  8. Oh, Alia! You see it… You say it all so well. The cry and sometimes scream of my heart as well…”Thy kingdom come” I cry out with you…
    “I want Kingdom that makes the world look on as if beholding glory. I
    want Kingdom that makes a fuss and hushes down low and humble to serve
    and rises up and stands arms linked to defend the shattered ones. Didn’t
    Jesus come for this?”

  9. Alia Joy,
    I’m a little late to the “party” today…life just being…well….life. I dream of a Kingdom too where Christians join dark hands to light hands and welcome in the curious unknowing hands. In reaching over to orphans in Pakistan….I see bridges being built instead of walls. Oh how we need each other. So different perhaps on the outside, but so God-same on the inside. I hear you sister, and believe me, God’s been working on me! Beautiful!
    Blessings,
    Bev

    • Yup, I get that life being life stuff. I’m glad you made it and there’s always space. Bridges instead of walls. Yes. We need each other. Oftentimes we need people we reject more often than they need us because God’s Kingdom is upside down and backwards and to the world it makes no sense but the heart of God is always been about bridging the rift and bringing us back into relationship with Him and with each other.

  10. Alia, this is a very straightforward approach to doing “kingdom work.” It begins first with us and it gets deep in the corners of our lives. God’s truth shines a light in our dark pasts and illuminates where it still binds us. I’m so glad he doesn’t expose us for shame but to change. He provides Jesus and words from sisters like you to encourage us to bring the kingdom!

    • No God is not a God of shame but a God of redemption, renewal, and reconciliation and He has called us to be about His Kingdom. Thankful to do it with my sisters here and everywhere. Thanks for reading here with me, LaToya.

  11. Your vulnerability and honesty in writing, whether a simple in-the-moment facebook post or a blog/article your written rarely fails to touch me my heart. This piece is probably my favorite and the most touching–the kind that goes down deep.

    • Oh thank you Sheri! I’m humbled and blessed by your encouragement. I’m glad this piece resonated with you. This is the stuff that gets me excited and passionate and sometimes if I get going talking about this, I’ll preach a little and I think in the writing it’s no different. I love it when others feel and believe it too.

  12. Alia,
    Thank you for you open honesty! We need to work at bridging the gap between love and hate!!! If we all lived for His kingdom and did His bidding-showing love to everyone my how this world would change!! We should be a shining light to this sin darkened world and then people would see Christ in us!!
    Blessings 🙂

  13. I read this again tonight. Good thoughts for the world that needs Jesus. We’re an extension if God’s love. We live it out daily. It’s the little things that matter, starting with kindness. Thanks Alia.

  14. Oh Amen and Amen!! I’m humbled by your honest, giving, loving heart and earnest words. You breathe out beauty and we read captivated. Keep on saying what you say in the way you do. The Kingdom of God needs YOU as a treasured mouthpiece for the Lord. Thank you seems insufficient, but thank you anyway – from the bottom of my heart. Love you, friend. Xx <3