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Finding Your Voice: What Every Woman Needs to Live Her God-Given Passions Out Loud
In a culture that praises blending in over standing out, productivity over purpose, and noise over truth, many women find their God-given voice compromised, quieted, or even mocked. We all long to live out our divinely designed passions and unique talents, yet too often it becomes so much easier in the face of opposition to stay silent altogether. What if God is calling you to so much more?
As a working mom, wife, artist, and abolitionist, Natalie Grant has struggled to live on purpose while battling the worldly demands of keeping up the appearance of perfection. Emerging from her own dark spiral of suffocating inadequacy, Natalie found fresh hope in the truth that God has already given women everything they need to live out their God-given identity, passions, and calling. Finding Your Voice offers the heart-rallying, life-giving truth that a woman’s voice is not an uncalled for interference to be silenced, but a gift to be used for God’s Kingdom purposes. In voice lessons as in life, a strong vocal identity requires us to first stand firm, breath deep, and finally, go for it—loud and clear.
With rich scriptural study and personal stories infusing every chapter, Finding Your Voice reveals how to discover your own unique talent, train it according to God’s Word, and start using it for the good of others—without guilt and apology.
As a working mom, wife, artist, and abolitionist, Natalie Grant has struggled to live on purpose while battling the worldly demands of keeping up the appearance of perfection. Emerging from her own dark spiral of suffocating inadequacy, Natalie found fresh hope in the truth that God has already given women everything they need to live out their God-given identity, passions, and calling. Finding Your Voice offers the heart-rallying, life-giving truth that a woman’s voice is not an uncalled for interference to be silenced, but a gift to be used for God’s Kingdom purposes. In voice lessons as in life, a strong vocal identity requires us to first stand firm, breath deep, and finally, go for it—loud and clear.
With rich scriptural study and personal stories infusing every chapter, Finding Your Voice reveals how to discover your own unique talent, train it according to God’s Word, and start using it for the good of others—without guilt and apology.
- GenresChristianNonfictionFaith
192 pages, Paperback
Published September 13, 2016
35 people are currently reading
305 people want to read
About the author
Natalie Grant
43 books39 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Natalie Grant is a singer-songwriter of contemporary Christian music
Natalie Grant is a singer-songwriter of contemporary Christian music
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 8, 2016
The subtitle of Natalie Grant’s book drew me in, as did a line in the book’s description: “In a culture that praises…noise over truth…” I paused when I read this, because lately in several conversations with other women, this theme has emerged. Or maybe more accurately, this fear has been voiced: that in her effort to make a difference, the woman is only adding to the noise. She’s afraid her voice is just one more shouting the same message. She wants to make a difference in the world, but she wants to use her voice uniquely, gracefully — and without shouting.
That is the desire. But how do we make it happen? For those of you asking this same question, Finding Your Voice offers many of the answers.
Natalie writes, “He’s created you to be a voice of hope and love to someone.” Few truths breath more life into a woman’s soul than this. We long to know that we are meant to love, and to bring hope, to the people God has placed in our lives. It is a great part of what lends us our purpose. But embracing this truth, and discovering who our “someones” are can be a journey, one in which an experienced guide may help by showing us the way.
Those familiar with Natalie Grant’s work will enjoy not only the guidance she gives, but also the insights she offers into her public and private life, as well as her singer’s perspective. Fans will appreciate her unique angle with which she approaches the subject of finding one’s voice. I particularly resonated with her teachings on finding your tessitura — your thrive zone.
“Your unique tessitura isn’t a concession,” she writes. “It’s the acceptance of who you really are. There is power in that. It means you are living and working from a position of strength, which is not only empowering but allows you to have a greater impact on the world around you. It’s your thrive zone.”
I love that.
The one aspect I didn’t love so much was that the narrative sometimes seemed to stretch to find enough material to fill an entire book. Quite honestly, it felt forced, as if someone had suggested to this well-known artist that it was time to branch out by writing a book. Which also had the feel of being ghost-written (by, I suspect, the lone person thanked in Acknowledgments. I could be wrong.). In terms of narrative, there was the occasional redundancy, and while its Scriptural foundation was solid, the teachings weren’t particularly original. Here, perhaps, Natalie Grant didn’t follow her own best advice, which is to speak your own message and nobody else’s. Not that the book’s content is inauthentic to her, but the medium is. It’s not her tessitura.
That said, fans and any woman who wants to understand better how to discover (or rediscover) her voice will enjoy learning a little more about this woman’s beautiful heart. And in the process, she will come away knowing a bit more about her own as well.
Thanks to BookLook Bloggers and Zondervan for providing me this copy free of charge. All opinions are mine.
That is the desire. But how do we make it happen? For those of you asking this same question, Finding Your Voice offers many of the answers.
Natalie writes, “He’s created you to be a voice of hope and love to someone.” Few truths breath more life into a woman’s soul than this. We long to know that we are meant to love, and to bring hope, to the people God has placed in our lives. It is a great part of what lends us our purpose. But embracing this truth, and discovering who our “someones” are can be a journey, one in which an experienced guide may help by showing us the way.
Those familiar with Natalie Grant’s work will enjoy not only the guidance she gives, but also the insights she offers into her public and private life, as well as her singer’s perspective. Fans will appreciate her unique angle with which she approaches the subject of finding one’s voice. I particularly resonated with her teachings on finding your tessitura — your thrive zone.
“Your unique tessitura isn’t a concession,” she writes. “It’s the acceptance of who you really are. There is power in that. It means you are living and working from a position of strength, which is not only empowering but allows you to have a greater impact on the world around you. It’s your thrive zone.”
I love that.
The one aspect I didn’t love so much was that the narrative sometimes seemed to stretch to find enough material to fill an entire book. Quite honestly, it felt forced, as if someone had suggested to this well-known artist that it was time to branch out by writing a book. Which also had the feel of being ghost-written (by, I suspect, the lone person thanked in Acknowledgments. I could be wrong.). In terms of narrative, there was the occasional redundancy, and while its Scriptural foundation was solid, the teachings weren’t particularly original. Here, perhaps, Natalie Grant didn’t follow her own best advice, which is to speak your own message and nobody else’s. Not that the book’s content is inauthentic to her, but the medium is. It’s not her tessitura.
That said, fans and any woman who wants to understand better how to discover (or rediscover) her voice will enjoy learning a little more about this woman’s beautiful heart. And in the process, she will come away knowing a bit more about her own as well.
Thanks to BookLook Bloggers and Zondervan for providing me this copy free of charge. All opinions are mine.
October 20, 2016
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by BookLook/Zondervan. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
In ways that ought to be fairly easy to understand, this book was one I found very helpful and encouraging to other people, but also a book that I found a lot to be frustrated with. Somewhat in its writing, but even more in its title and market aim, this is a book written by a woman for women, but a book that could have been so much more if the author, and especially the publisher, and felt less need to be bound by gender restrictions in terms of the book's audience. Why is it that I read so often books that would be of interest to men, specifically those men like myself who are deeply interested in singing and in the lives of other musical or artistic people [1], or who are deeply interested in social causes like ridding the contemporary world of slavery and sex trafficking and other great evils [2]. When authors, and even more so publishers, assume that a book is only of interest to women and so shape a book to deliberately ignore those men who are a part of the book's natural audience, I feel a great deal of personal offense, and also feel that an author who wishes to be inclusive about faith and worship loses a great deal of the power of that authorial voice by aiming only at a small audience without acknowledging a larger potential friendly and appreciating group of people to those works. It is not as if the author, who is a well-regarded Christian singer, only sings to women, after all. Why would she presume to write only to them?
The contents of this book range from confessional details about the author's struggle with infertility and eating disorders, an evident desire to explain herself where she feels misunderstood, such as a situation where she apparently left the Grammys early and was widely panned for that, and the use of her knowledge of the craft of singing to encourage readers (presumably women) to gain a better understanding of their God-given gifts and passions to serve God and others through keeping care of themselves and training and practicing what they love and what God put them on this earth to do. The author shows an admirable understanding of the nuance of scripture in such stories as that of Joseph, Elijah, and the Samaritan woman at the well, that she uses to provide a biblical context to what is largely fairly straightforward advice. Her details about her own struggle are clearly meant to pull at the heartstrings of readers, many of whom will be able to understand her difficulties in finding a sense of security in body image in the face of continual scrutiny--I certainly had a great deal of empathy for her. Her advice to readers in terms of how they should take care of themselves--eat well, exercise, train and practice in one's areas of abilities and giftedness, sleep well enough--could be judged as either carrying coals to Newcastle or going from encouraging into meddling, depending on the charity of the reader.
Readers of this book are likely to want a great deal of information about the songs that the author is responsible for singing, but there is surprisingly little of this, which makes sense when one realizes that Natalie Grant is a singer who pays a great deal of attention to her voice, but she is not particularly prolific as a songwriter. It should come as little surprise, therefore, that she as considerable and worthy insights to provide about how one should train a voice and keep it in good working order but considerably less to say about the songs she sings, since she interprets them rather than writes them. What the reader does gain from this book is a sense of Natalie Grant as a woman who is committed to God's ways, committed to being the best she can be as a singer, as a believer, as a wife and mother, as an abolitionist against slavery and child trafficking, and a sense of her struggles in the course of her life against problems that could have silenced her voice. I, for one, found the author to be a very credible authority in what she was writing about both about the application of scripture to efforts at self-exploration and self-knowledge in the aim of serving others. One only wishes that she had taken some consideration to the fact that some members of her audience are men, and not assumed her reflections would only be of interest to other women.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[2] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
In ways that ought to be fairly easy to understand, this book was one I found very helpful and encouraging to other people, but also a book that I found a lot to be frustrated with. Somewhat in its writing, but even more in its title and market aim, this is a book written by a woman for women, but a book that could have been so much more if the author, and especially the publisher, and felt less need to be bound by gender restrictions in terms of the book's audience. Why is it that I read so often books that would be of interest to men, specifically those men like myself who are deeply interested in singing and in the lives of other musical or artistic people [1], or who are deeply interested in social causes like ridding the contemporary world of slavery and sex trafficking and other great evils [2]. When authors, and even more so publishers, assume that a book is only of interest to women and so shape a book to deliberately ignore those men who are a part of the book's natural audience, I feel a great deal of personal offense, and also feel that an author who wishes to be inclusive about faith and worship loses a great deal of the power of that authorial voice by aiming only at a small audience without acknowledging a larger potential friendly and appreciating group of people to those works. It is not as if the author, who is a well-regarded Christian singer, only sings to women, after all. Why would she presume to write only to them?
The contents of this book range from confessional details about the author's struggle with infertility and eating disorders, an evident desire to explain herself where she feels misunderstood, such as a situation where she apparently left the Grammys early and was widely panned for that, and the use of her knowledge of the craft of singing to encourage readers (presumably women) to gain a better understanding of their God-given gifts and passions to serve God and others through keeping care of themselves and training and practicing what they love and what God put them on this earth to do. The author shows an admirable understanding of the nuance of scripture in such stories as that of Joseph, Elijah, and the Samaritan woman at the well, that she uses to provide a biblical context to what is largely fairly straightforward advice. Her details about her own struggle are clearly meant to pull at the heartstrings of readers, many of whom will be able to understand her difficulties in finding a sense of security in body image in the face of continual scrutiny--I certainly had a great deal of empathy for her. Her advice to readers in terms of how they should take care of themselves--eat well, exercise, train and practice in one's areas of abilities and giftedness, sleep well enough--could be judged as either carrying coals to Newcastle or going from encouraging into meddling, depending on the charity of the reader.
Readers of this book are likely to want a great deal of information about the songs that the author is responsible for singing, but there is surprisingly little of this, which makes sense when one realizes that Natalie Grant is a singer who pays a great deal of attention to her voice, but she is not particularly prolific as a songwriter. It should come as little surprise, therefore, that she as considerable and worthy insights to provide about how one should train a voice and keep it in good working order but considerably less to say about the songs she sings, since she interprets them rather than writes them. What the reader does gain from this book is a sense of Natalie Grant as a woman who is committed to God's ways, committed to being the best she can be as a singer, as a believer, as a wife and mother, as an abolitionist against slavery and child trafficking, and a sense of her struggles in the course of her life against problems that could have silenced her voice. I, for one, found the author to be a very credible authority in what she was writing about both about the application of scripture to efforts at self-exploration and self-knowledge in the aim of serving others. One only wishes that she had taken some consideration to the fact that some members of her audience are men, and not assumed her reflections would only be of interest to other women.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
[2] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
March 14, 2021
I wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't connect with Natalie's analogy of "finding your voice" to her experience and training as a professional singer/performer. I've considered myself a fan since her "Awaken" CD came out in my late teen years (although I haven't listened to much of her newer stuff - I'm just not a huge music person), found out she has an organization that fights human trafficking (you go girl!), and read her first book "The Real Me" (which I believe was geared toward teen girls). However this book felt a lot like Natalie's commentary on various Bible stories, drawing her own conclusions, and honestly a bit shallower than what I'm looking for right now. It might still be helpful for young woman, but I'm having a hard time recommending it because it seemed to have a lot of new age thoughts like "aligning your assets", "thrive zone" and "trusting yourself", as well as a reference to Brian Johnson, a teacher I try to stay clear of. My biggest takeaway can be summed up in this quote:
"When I'm focusing more on myself, I struggle more. When I focus on God, I struggle less. I have to hide His word in my heart so that when the negative voices arise I have an arsenal of truth to extinguish them." (pg.115, referring to body image, insecurity, and embracing how God made us)
I think I'll go get back in God's Word now.
"When I'm focusing more on myself, I struggle more. When I focus on God, I struggle less. I have to hide His word in my heart so that when the negative voices arise I have an arsenal of truth to extinguish them." (pg.115, referring to body image, insecurity, and embracing how God made us)
I think I'll go get back in God's Word now.
November 28, 2023
A timely reminder how to find your God-given purpose. I was gifted this book by my piano teacher almost 6 years ago, and this was my first read. God knew I didn’t need it then, but boy do I need it now.
“Your voice and your life is bigger than you…To find your true voice, passion, and purpose in life, you absolutely must realize that it will NOT be about you.”
“Your voice and your life is bigger than you…To find your true voice, passion, and purpose in life, you absolutely must realize that it will NOT be about you.”
January 14, 2019
I hate giving a review a rating that's below three stars, but to be honest, this book just wasn't what I expected. The writing and examples of "finding your voice" were basic and there were several errors about the Bible in Grant's viewpoint. I don't believe those errors were intentionally made to lead anyone astray, but I think if she would have studied the Biblical stories a little more before writing about them, such simple errors could have been avoided. (For example, she said that David had no experience fighting before taking on Goliath because he was just a shepherd - the Bible says he fought a lion and bear while keeping his fathers sheep.)
My conclusion is simply this: I think this book would be great for folks who haven't done much studying of the Bible or are new to the Christian faith. The subjects Grant goes over are the general stories everyone talks about: David and Goliath, Joseph and the coat of many colors, Peter walking on the water, etc. Her viewpoints are not deep and are easy to understand. (As to what I mentioned above about the errors, they're not the end of the world or something that would cause someone to lose their faith; but someone maturing in the faith would pick up on them, which is why this would be a good book for beginners.) If you are mature in the faith, you may not get a lot out of this book.
My conclusion is simply this: I think this book would be great for folks who haven't done much studying of the Bible or are new to the Christian faith. The subjects Grant goes over are the general stories everyone talks about: David and Goliath, Joseph and the coat of many colors, Peter walking on the water, etc. Her viewpoints are not deep and are easy to understand. (As to what I mentioned above about the errors, they're not the end of the world or something that would cause someone to lose their faith; but someone maturing in the faith would pick up on them, which is why this would be a good book for beginners.) If you are mature in the faith, you may not get a lot out of this book.
January 30, 2018
While this book is geared for women, I read it during a “finding myself” moment in life. It is an inspiring book about finding your purpose in a world filled with all kinds of distractions and demands that can get one sidetracked and off the trail into discouragement, despair and depression. It’s a good reminder than even those who we think “have it all together” go through the same struggles we “commoners” face. I would encourage men to read this if you’re struggling with finding “your voice” in a world that’s trying to tune it out.
June 23, 2018
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review**
I finally had the time recently to sit down and read this book and I was blown away by it. I didn’t really know what to expect going into it but found it to be so encouraging. This book really helped me focus on who God has made me to be and that I’m perfect the way I am because God created me. I really loved the fact that she shared her personal struggles throughout the book as well and backing up her personal stories, struggles, and statement with scripture. Natalie Grant being open and vulnerable and sharing her heart was something I really felt through the pages of this book and really helped it hit home for me as well. This book was also one that made me look at my current situation and ask myself questions. Questions about how I’m living my life and If I’m truly following God’s will and plan for my life.
No matter where you are in your walk with God I highly recommend reading this book as I feel that it contains something for everyone.
Rating: 5 Stars
I finally had the time recently to sit down and read this book and I was blown away by it. I didn’t really know what to expect going into it but found it to be so encouraging. This book really helped me focus on who God has made me to be and that I’m perfect the way I am because God created me. I really loved the fact that she shared her personal struggles throughout the book as well and backing up her personal stories, struggles, and statement with scripture. Natalie Grant being open and vulnerable and sharing her heart was something I really felt through the pages of this book and really helped it hit home for me as well. This book was also one that made me look at my current situation and ask myself questions. Questions about how I’m living my life and If I’m truly following God’s will and plan for my life.
No matter where you are in your walk with God I highly recommend reading this book as I feel that it contains something for everyone.
Rating: 5 Stars
December 26, 2022
I’ve always loved Natalie Grant and her music. Early in college, she had a new album come out and I fell more in love with Jesus because of her music. When this book was released, I had to pick it up; I’m sorry it took so long for me to get to it!
Natalie does a great job in this book to relate situations in life to people from the Bible. She speaks on a struggle, then relates it to a well-known person from scripture. This is always helpful in growing my faith because I want to see how other people have dealt with issues in the past.
This book is a great encouragement on discovering your voice and how God wants to use you.
“Your story isn’t finished. Your brokenness doesn’t define your life. The one who penned the universe does. Your faith will be tested, and you will find yourself in turmoil, at times, not understanding, knowing, or seeing. But even when your voice is broken, God still hears it.”
Natalie does a great job in this book to relate situations in life to people from the Bible. She speaks on a struggle, then relates it to a well-known person from scripture. This is always helpful in growing my faith because I want to see how other people have dealt with issues in the past.
This book is a great encouragement on discovering your voice and how God wants to use you.
“Your story isn’t finished. Your brokenness doesn’t define your life. The one who penned the universe does. Your faith will be tested, and you will find yourself in turmoil, at times, not understanding, knowing, or seeing. But even when your voice is broken, God still hears it.”
November 16, 2016
Wow what a powerful book and how she interjects personal struggles throughout the book . I say kudos to her for that . However she also added scripture to back up what she was talking about . I thoroughly enjoyed this book and her personal stories . I think she is an awesome lady and certainly enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would . I would say if you are a Christian and going through some struggles get this book . you wont be sorry ....
December 3, 2020
I think too many topics were discussed in this book, and none of them were actually done well. The narrative hopped around, briefly touching upon a new idea, and then kept coming back to Natalie repeating how talented she is. And that felt inappropriate when she had just discussed sex trafficking. The sudden shift between something so heinous to something so trivial turned me off from this book, and somewhat Natalie Grant herself.
March 7, 2019
This book was gifted to me by a devout relative. I am a singer, so I was excited to read it. Though I am not religious, I did my best to keep an open mind. I was disappointed when this book turned out to have little advice on singing. The author recounted Biblical stories and attempted to connect them to her points about singing. I liked the stories, but I failed to see most of the connections.
April 28, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. It was a great read. It helped me see that you need to be silent and listen to God's voice more often. If I listen to God more often I will be able to live out my God given passion.
July 6, 2025
Insightful and helpful book that reminds you of your unique purpose in this life, because of what God has called you to. The “find your voice” metaphor was used so much it got annoying. And there was a few “name it and claim it” points that were not necessary.
July 22, 2017
Ms. Grant wrote her heart and soul into writing this book. I read this at a time when I really needed encouragement. It was worth the read.
January 25, 2019
Great book, thank you for inspiring women. Found real encouragement in this book, I look forward to lending this one out 😊
December 3, 2019
A really good book encouraging you to find your unique melody that will drown out the lies of the enemy.
August 23, 2020
Review to come soon.
June 1, 2022
I wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. I had a hard time getting through it. I just couldn't find inspiration in her "finding your voice".
November 27, 2024
There was some good advice in this book. However, I could not connect with it as I'd hoped as it's not exactly what I was looking for and hoping to find when I purchased the book.
February 5, 2017
Grammy nominated Christian artist Natalie Grant has been a force in Christian music since 1999. As she tells it in her new book, Finding Your Voice, she had what one could call a spiritual awakening during a trip to India. This “pivotal encounter with God,” she says, changed her career.
It was on that trip she came face-to-face with women and girls who were victims of human trafficking. It was this encounter of the image of God in the Other that Grant had her epiphany: She has a voice and her voice has power.
Read more at http://jasoncstanley.com/book-review-...
It was on that trip she came face-to-face with women and girls who were victims of human trafficking. It was this encounter of the image of God in the Other that Grant had her epiphany: She has a voice and her voice has power.
Read more at http://jasoncstanley.com/book-review-...
March 13, 2017
Natalie Grant, top-selling Christian and Gospel artist of all time, provides readers with an intimate look at what it means to have a successful singing career, and carefully parallels that with a successful life. Packed with snippets of her own journey, and several applicable counterparts, Grant gives readers a fresh look at Scripture and what a believer's response should really be when it comes to celebrating their own unique place in the world. Finding Your Voice fortifies a person's calling from God, by pointing them back to the cross.
I enjoyed getting a behind-the-scenes look at Grant's personal and professional life. She focused on all aspects of health, which provided a very balanced look at things. I recommend this book for anybody interested in bringing their best when it comes to participating in this game we call life.
I enjoyed getting a behind-the-scenes look at Grant's personal and professional life. She focused on all aspects of health, which provided a very balanced look at things. I recommend this book for anybody interested in bringing their best when it comes to participating in this game we call life.
October 3, 2016
I have always enjoyed Natalie Grant's music so I was curious to see what else she had to say. This book is fairly short and to the point. I liked how it was written and it gave some good examples on how we can manage our life from a Christian perspective. Chapter five was most helpful for me especially the last part about clothing. While this book isn't necessarily something new to me, it was a good reminder on what our focus should be about.
Five stars.
"I received this book from BookLook Bloggers for free in exchange for an honest review."
Five stars.
"I received this book from BookLook Bloggers for free in exchange for an honest review."
October 1, 2016
Read the full review here: http://bit.ly/FindingUrVoice
I absolutely love this book and rarely do I fall in love with a book so quick. A must read for any woman!
I absolutely love this book and rarely do I fall in love with a book so quick. A must read for any woman!
September 25, 2016
Powerful and Moving
I know this is a God thing that I happened to read this book at this point in my life. It brought me to my knees and made me ask if I was really seeking God's will. This is so thought provoking. Natalie showed me new things in scriptures I have heard for years. Considering my current situation, this story gave me hope for the future. I just have to keep my eye on Him. Highly recommend!
I know this is a God thing that I happened to read this book at this point in my life. It brought me to my knees and made me ask if I was really seeking God's will. This is so thought provoking. Natalie showed me new things in scriptures I have heard for years. Considering my current situation, this story gave me hope for the future. I just have to keep my eye on Him. Highly recommend!
October 14, 2016
As a fan of several of Grant's songs, I was really interested to read her newest book. I wasn't sure what her writing style would be and I didn't know if she would weave in personal stories, but I hoped to hear a few "stories behind the songs," if you will.
The chapter titles are smart, and the overall message of the book relates back to a singing career. If you are a singer, I think you'll get more out of the book. There are some things, though, that are used as examples or metaphors and if you don't sing (or don't know music/how to read music) you may miss some of the points Grant tries to make.
I appreciated that she included several stories from the Bible but also shared her own insights about those stories. I would have liked to read a lot more of her own story, though. It seemed like the majority of the book was advice or music/stage talk. I don't mean "stage talk" as in fake or for show, as Grant does reveal brief glimpses into personal pieces of her life story. Rather, I mean that she uses language and metaphors that just may not translate to everyone if they didn't grow up singing or acting on a stage.
Honestly, there isn't one particular thing about the book that I greatly dislike... and so I truly hesitate to give it two stars (two stars on GoodReads = "it was okay"). But I can't give it more than that, as I didn't have any take-aways from the book and don't see myself reading it again. Some may say it deserves more if I can't pinpoint anything. However, something about it just felt off, like parts of the story were missing, like it went a bit past surface level but didn't stay in the deep waters for long. If that's your kind of book, then you're probably going to love this! Like I said before, Grant offers insights and interesting singing-related metaphors. But if you're wanting to learn a lot about her story, this just may not be what you're looking for.
The chapter titles are smart, and the overall message of the book relates back to a singing career. If you are a singer, I think you'll get more out of the book. There are some things, though, that are used as examples or metaphors and if you don't sing (or don't know music/how to read music) you may miss some of the points Grant tries to make.
I appreciated that she included several stories from the Bible but also shared her own insights about those stories. I would have liked to read a lot more of her own story, though. It seemed like the majority of the book was advice or music/stage talk. I don't mean "stage talk" as in fake or for show, as Grant does reveal brief glimpses into personal pieces of her life story. Rather, I mean that she uses language and metaphors that just may not translate to everyone if they didn't grow up singing or acting on a stage.
Honestly, there isn't one particular thing about the book that I greatly dislike... and so I truly hesitate to give it two stars (two stars on GoodReads = "it was okay"). But I can't give it more than that, as I didn't have any take-aways from the book and don't see myself reading it again. Some may say it deserves more if I can't pinpoint anything. However, something about it just felt off, like parts of the story were missing, like it went a bit past surface level but didn't stay in the deep waters for long. If that's your kind of book, then you're probably going to love this! Like I said before, Grant offers insights and interesting singing-related metaphors. But if you're wanting to learn a lot about her story, this just may not be what you're looking for.
February 6, 2017
This book was not completely what I was expecting, which partly accounts for my 3 star rating. What I LOVE about the book is Natalie's heart and vulnerability- the way she weaves in her own journey as she encourages others to stand bold in who they are meant to be. She has a beautiful way of comparing finding her literal voice as a singer to how we are each meant to find our voice (place, platform, purpose) in the world.
Definitely would resonate well especially with those who sing-but is a beautiful, easy read for anyone looking to find confidence in who God has made them to be, with lots of heartfelt, down-to-earth examples from Bible figures as well.
Some of the middle was a little practical-advice heavy for me (taking care of our bodies, etc) which I wasn't expecting from the book, but certainly speaks a needed truth.
It's a quick read and Natalie has some great insight to offer!
Definitely would resonate well especially with those who sing-but is a beautiful, easy read for anyone looking to find confidence in who God has made them to be, with lots of heartfelt, down-to-earth examples from Bible figures as well.
Some of the middle was a little practical-advice heavy for me (taking care of our bodies, etc) which I wasn't expecting from the book, but certainly speaks a needed truth.
It's a quick read and Natalie has some great insight to offer!
October 19, 2016
I think it was neat how Natalie (a well-loved and world-renowned Christian singer) used her unique experiences of being a professional singer to explain how God has a 'stage' for each of us, and how we need to find our own voice. As someone who once dreamed of becoming a professional singer, this technique really resonated with me.
I loved how she used Scripture to explain each of the 10 'steps' she gave for finding our own unique God-given voices and platforms. I especially loved the part where she gave examples from Christ's teachings to remind us that we need to be aware that the audience God has chosen for us might not look like what we had anticipated, and that we need to impart the Word liberally to all . . . not just those we think are ready to hear the message.
4.5 stars
I loved how she used Scripture to explain each of the 10 'steps' she gave for finding our own unique God-given voices and platforms. I especially loved the part where she gave examples from Christ's teachings to remind us that we need to be aware that the audience God has chosen for us might not look like what we had anticipated, and that we need to impart the Word liberally to all . . . not just those we think are ready to hear the message.
4.5 stars
December 2, 2016
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
In Finding Your Voice, Natalie Grant takes us through her journey of self discovery. Her path wasn't as clear as some may think. It was filled with ups and downs, trials and triumphs. It wasn't until she lost her voice that her true calling began to unfold as she took a trip that, in many ways, changed her life.
Obviously, her focus is on singing, but the truths and guidance she shares as she tells her story are applicable to all walks of life no matter the profession. The book is not preachy. It's a down-to-earth presentation that is meant to help others seek their calling in life by setting aside outside expectations and listening, truly listening, to the Lord.
In Finding Your Voice, Natalie Grant takes us through her journey of self discovery. Her path wasn't as clear as some may think. It was filled with ups and downs, trials and triumphs. It wasn't until she lost her voice that her true calling began to unfold as she took a trip that, in many ways, changed her life.
Obviously, her focus is on singing, but the truths and guidance she shares as she tells her story are applicable to all walks of life no matter the profession. The book is not preachy. It's a down-to-earth presentation that is meant to help others seek their calling in life by setting aside outside expectations and listening, truly listening, to the Lord.
October 30, 2016
I think the book was more genuine when she talked about herself and her struggles-then added pertinent scripture. She graduated from my high school a year ahead of me and her life seemed perfect-cheerleader, musical, designer clothes. More power to her for her success today!!
December 4, 2016
As a newly married, recently out of college, aspiring writer, I needed Natalie's wisdom. Very applicable to this point in my life! I would recommend this book to women looking to find strength in who God as made them to be.
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