Within 24 hours of penning her first song, 11-year-old Joy Lippard had an unexpected revelation of divine purpose. "I cry myself to sleep, not knowing what tomorrow will be like," were among the first lyrics she wrote on September 10, 2001. And in the midst of national tragedy the next day, as she reflected upon those sobering and timely words, Joy caught a glimpse of God’s plan for her life and music.

Gracious and poised – and a newly minted high school graduate – today the 18-year-old is faithfully following the call placed upon her heart more than seven years ago. A 2006 GMA Music In The Rockies songwriting competition winner in the pop/rock category, Joy is also a talented piano and guitar player whose voice rings with the earnestness of a seasoned artist over smart acoustic-pop melodies.  

“My faith is my life, so I can’t help but write about that,” Joy says of her songs. And with the national release of her self-titled debut, it’s clear her faith has indeed shaped the foundation from which she shares honestly about relationships and real life. Writing or co-writing all 10 tracks on the project with an articulate maturity that belies her age, Joy’s music speaks largely to her peers.

“Hey There Stranger,” the melodic album-opener, draws on lessons learned from her first dating relationship, but the song offers a broader commentary on interpersonal communication of any kind.  “We can have relationships that are kind of surface-y, but it’s better to get to know someone, to be able to open-up to them and encourage them, to be able to pray for them,” she says. “I want to dive deep and not be afraid to get to know someone and be involved in their life.” 

As Joy emerges from her most formidable years with a solid foothold on her faith, she knows what it’s like to nearly fall victim to pop culture’s lure. “Early in high school, I wanted to be thin like the girls in magazines, so I would count every calorie, wanting to have this perfect image,” she remembers. “My sister had battled anorexia and I promised myself I would never be like that, so one day I became so fed up with my thoughts of wanting to look a certain way that I cried out to the Lord to take away those feelings. Slowly I began to see that who I am is the way God made me and I can have confidence in myself.” 

That critical message comes through loud and clear in the songs “Stronger” and “She’s a Diamond,” two of the most personal cuts on the album. It’s a life-lesson Joy hopes will resonate with teens in similar situations. “My encouragement to girls struggling with self-image is to know that you don’t have to be perfect; God has made you like you are for a reason. You are beautiful, you have something to say, and you are worth it.” 

Growing up in suburban Washington, D.C., Joy was a homecoming princess in high school and also served as a youth worship leader at McLean Bible Church. Understandably, finding balance between such distinct worlds was often a challenge. “I never felt like I fit in at school because I just lived a different way than everyone else,” Joy says. “I saw my friends go through struggles with boyfriends, drinking and drugs, and it was so sad for me to watch that because I just wanted them to understand and know that Christ desired a relationship with them.”   

Her close-knit family has always been a refuge, and home was also where Joy’s compassion for others was nurtured. “My dad has a really big heart for missions and wanted us to get involved as well. Our first mission trip was to Guatemala, the summer before my 8th grade year,” Joy remembers. “I thought, ‘A mission trip? No hot water, bugs and stuff!’ I wasn’t really looking forward to it, but the Lord opened my eyes to a lot of things.   

“Before that trip, I had been struggling with doubt and had never really been challenged in that way,” she says. “I didn’t want to question, but I couldn’t help it. One night, during a worship service in Guatemala, I witnessed some of the people in the community with a bad reputation come forward and give their lives to Christ. Looking around, I just thought, ‘I don’t know how there couldn’t be a God, how people could be moved like this without a supernatural, divine power.’ So that was a really cool time for me; I saw God in a real way.”

Another extraordinary experience in Guatemala further galvanized Joy’s calling to music. “That same night, some kids my age asked me if I would sing one of my own songs,” she remembers. “I sang a song called ‘Beautiful,’ and one of the girls told me afterwards that she had struggled with suicidal thoughts and questioned her reason and purpose for life. She said when she heard the last line of the song – rise up the morning sun, I want to know a new day with You has come – she realized her purpose was to live another day with Christ, that He gives us a reason to live.”

Since that time, Joy’s role as an encourager through music has been affirmed to her time and again. The album’s debut single, “Miracle,” is a case in point. An upbeat song of hope for the prodigal or brokenhearted of any age, “Miracle” generated an instantaneous reaction following Joy’s first performance of it at her church. “A lady came up to me after the service and said she really needed to hear that song,” Joy recounts. “Her son was involved in drugs and needed a miracle. Another lady battling cancer said, ‘That’s my song!  I need a miracle.’ It’s been cool to see how the song has impacted people.” 

“Music has a lot of power,” Joy realizes. “I don’t want to go through life just doing my own thing. I want to leave a legacy.” Clearly Joy Lippard’s life is reflected in her music, and her music is already making a difference in the world around her. It’s the soundtrack of a young woman fully embracing real issues with a real faith, building upon the legacy born in her very first song.