Recently, Focus On The Family, with Dr James Dobson, aired a portion of a talk I gave on The Revolve Tour about my struggle with an eating disorder. Honestly, I never listen to myself speaking. So, I went to the website and listened to the podcast. To hear myself recount my past struggles was more difficult than I had imagined. Immediately I was transported back to that place of brokenness and desperation. I didn’t realize that hearing the truth I was sharing would still hurt so deeply and make me realize that many of those insecurities still haunt me.

I am so grateful that I no longer struggle with an eating disorder and have found healing from that. But I still battle many insecurities, some that plague me everyday. That’s why it is so important to continually renew my mind with God’s truth. It’s His truth, and only that truth, that sets us free. While listening, I was also reminded how easy it is to begin to rely on our own strength. When in the desperate place, it’s easy for me to realize my need for God. It’s in the not-so-desperate place that the danger of self-reliance creeps in. Hearing my own story reminded me that in brokenness, Jesus does his best work.

What is your brokenness? What is your fear? What are you working so hard to camouflage? Embrace it and watch Jesus take the pieces and make an incredible work of art. And as you do, and the things that weigh you down become lighter, never forget the great Artist who did the work.

I didn’t know it would hurt to listen to this podcast today. But the hurt was so worth it, because it reminded me of the healing.

Broken and Beautiful,

Natalie

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Aubryd123 at 2009-06-29T14:13:37Z: Listening to The Truth Still Hurts http://r8epw.th8.us from Natalie Grant

So it’s Memorial Day and I’m home with my family. It feels great to not be traveling. God Bless all of our heroic Veterans for their incredible service to our country.

Why else do I love Memorial Day? Because it seems about everyone I know has a cook-out or picnic of some sort which means there will be some good eating going on! After I twittered that I would be making my pretzel salad for a cookout with our friends, I got an incredible amount of @replies asking for the recipe. So…. You asked. So here it is. I’ve also included the other thing I made which is yummy-for-your-tummy onion dip. Both recipes are courtesy of my sweet sister, Jennifer.  Happy cooking and happier eating

Pretzel Jello Salad
2 c. crushed pretzel sticks
3/4 c. melted butter
3 tbsp. sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip
1 (6 oz.) pkg. strawberry or raspberry Jello
2 c. boiling water
1 to 2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen strawberries or raspberries, partially thawed (depending on how much fruit you like)

Mix first three ingredients and press in bottom of a 9″x13″ pan. Bake at 350 degrees (metal pan) or 325 degrees (glass pan) 8 minutes. Let cool completely. Beat 1 cup sugar and cream cheese. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over pretzels. Mix Jello and water until dissolved. Add fruit. Stir into Jello, then set aside for 10 minutes. Pour over cheese mixture. Chill.

Onion Dip
2 sweet onions, chopped
4 tbsp butter
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepperSaute’ over medium heat for about 20 min, allowing onions to brown and completely soften
let cool.

stir the following:
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c mayo

add onions to mixture and stir well. be sure the onions are completely cool before adding to cream mixture.
refrigerate.

Well, the make it matter tour has come to an end. we had such a blast! i don’t know if you had a chance to see it or not, but i feel like it was a great success. here’s a little recap:
I made 2 new friends - Chris Sligh and Meredith Andrews. Chris is a hilarious human being. I love witty people with a dry sense of humor and he is all that and then some. Granted, he’s got a serious addiction to Dr Pepper, but that just makes me love him all the more! his talent is pretty obvious, but I was pleasantly shocked by his amazing knowledge of music. I mean, all types of music. I would never beat him in name that tune. He would be the all-time champ, for sure.

Meredith is an itty-bitty, with a huge voice and even bigger heart. I knew within 5 seconds of meeting her that we would be friends. I LOVE her voice but it’s her genuine love for Christ and her desire to serve people that is most contagious about her. She’s got all the goods to be around for a long time and we’ll all be better for it.
Of-course we had an amazing crew led by Chris Farnsworth. He really is awesome at what he does and every artist-type needs a Chris Farnsworth in their life and the concert experience wouldn’t be much without my awesome band. We really are a family and it makes all the difference in the world.

Speaking of making a difference in the world, the most exciting thing for me was the response of all of you to the Home Foundation. We raised thousands of dollars, joined hands with hundreds of monthly partners and sold tons of tote bags that were hand-made by rescued victims. Because of your generosity, we will see faith-based shelters in the united states, offering a place of hope and freedom to many. I can’t thank you enough.

I pray we motivated thousands of people to make a difference in their world. Remember, it’s not always about going across the world. It’s most often just about going across the street. We only have one life to live. Make it matter. Love on somebody today.

natalie

In addition to her win, Grant performed “Make It Matter,” from her 2008 best-selling recording, Relentless, along with Group 1 Crew, during the live broadcast of the 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards on Gospel Music Channel.

The ceremony capped a GMA Music Week that saw other high-profile appearances for Grant, including a celebration honoring the RIAA Gold certification of her 2005 breakthrough, Awaken. In addition, Grant co-hosted the BMI Songwriter Showcase with singer /songwriter Matthew West, where she performed her Song of the Year-nominated hit single, “I Will Not Be Moved.”

Last year Grant was both the most-played female artist at Christian radio and the top-selling Adult Contemporary female solo artist in Christian music. One of the genre’s biggest names, Grant is among a select number of artists to have also achieved a formidable foothold at mainstream media and radio. In addition to her music, she is an outspoken advocate for victims of international human trafficking. The Home Foundation, which Grant created in 2005, has raised over a quarter of a million dollars to fight the trafficking of women and children for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.— Awaken, the 2005 breakthrough that poised Curb recording artist and GMA’s now three-time reigning Female Vocalist of the Year, Natalie Grant, to become the top female solo artist in Christian music today, has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), it was recently announced. In addition, Grant has also been nominated for a Dove Award in the prestigious Songwriter of the Year category, making her the top female nominee at The 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards.

Produced by Dove Award-winner Bernie Herms, Phil Symonds, Shaun Shankel, and Rob Graves, Grant wrote or co-wrote half of Awaken’s 12 selections. The album features her signature #1 song, “Held,” as well as the hits “Live 4 Today” and “What Are You Waiting For.”

Awaken was written and recorded during a life-changing season for Grant, as she first became aware of the atrocity of international human trafficking. For more than four years now, she has been an outspoken advocate for trafficking victims and was one of the first Christian artists to raise awareness of the issue in the Church. Grant established the Home Foundation in 2005, and the organization now supports numerous entities, both domestically and around the world, in the fight against human trafficking.

Grant is up for six honors at The 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards, including Female Vocalist of the Year. She is also nominated for Song of the Year for her self-penned hit single, “I Will Not Be Moved.” In addition, fueled by the success of her 2008 best-selling, critically acclaimed recording Relentless, Grant was the most-played female artist on Christian radio and the top-selling Adult Contemporary female solo artist in Christian music in 2008.

The nominees for this year’s Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year, which will be presented at the 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards on April 23, were announced this week The nominees are (above, L-R) Steven Curtis Chapman, Natalie Grant, Brandon Heath, Jason Ingram and Tony Wood. The recipient of the Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year will be named during the awards show on April 23 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. The show is scheduled for live broadcast on the Gospel Music Channel, and tickets are now on sale to the public at the GMA office by calling 615-242-0303.

“Perhaps no other genre relies on the message in the lyrics more than gospel music, so songwriters deserve special honor at the Dove Awards,” GMA President and CEO John W. Styll said. “We congratulate each of these deserving writers for crafting music that has inspired and moved us in the past year.”

In addition to other songs they have written, each songwriter is nominated in the Song of the Year category. Chapman penned “Cinderella,” while Grant wrote “I Will Not Be Moved.” Heath and Ingram co-wrote “Give Me Your Eyes” and Wood co-wrote two Song of the Year nominees - “Empty Me” (with Chris Sligh and Clint Lagerberg) and “I’m Not Letting Go”(with Francesca Battistelli). Click here for a complete list of this year’s nominees.

The 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards, gospel music’s biggest night of the year, featuring artists from every style of gospel/Christian music coming together for a night of music and celebration, will be broadcast nationwide live on Gospel Music Channel from 8-10 p.m. (ET/PT) on Thursday, April 23, 2009.

Click here for more on the 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards

I had an awesome opportunity to go hang out with some of the girls at Mercy Ministries here in Nashville last week. I love this ministry. Nancy Alcorn is so amazing with what she has done for young girls all around the world. I love how God takes the ordinary and does the extraodinary.

Congrats to the recent graduates of the program. I’m so proud of you girls!!!

Mercy has a really cool opportunity coming up for you to be involved in. This year there is a team running in the Country Music Marathon here in Nashville. It’s called “Run For Mercy”. Visit www.runformercy.com to learn more about how you run (or walk) for mercy.

To learn more about how you can support the work of Mercy Ministries or the services they provide, please click here:  www.mercyministries.org

It is such a privilege to tour with some of the coolest people I’ve ever met. And I especially love how they love on my daughters. So sweet.
Check it out…

Peace.

Natalie