What do you do when life throws you a curve ball? Duck? Take the hit? Or give up the game entirely and go home?

It's a dilemma Natalie Grant knows all too well. Not long ago the powerhouse singer found herself the toast of Christian music. Even before the release of her self-titled debut, comparisons to CeCe Winans, Crystal Lewis and even mainstream superstars like Whitney Houston were lobbed her way. Critics hailed her as "Christian music's newest diva"; one even predicted a New Artist of the Year trophy would soon decorate her mantle.

But with the world of Christian music at her feet, Grant took an unusual step: she walked away. Now back with her first album in two years, Stronger, Grant is living proof just how far one can go when they take a leap of faith.

"It's been an interesting journey," Grant reflects of the past year and a half. "I really had to look at where I was and where everything was headed, and I felt like they were two different directions. I had been pumped up like this diva: big voice, big image, which I was never comfortable with. Even the album pictures: they were really sophisticated and elegant but who I truly am was not captured."

Walking away from her record deal enabled Grant to refocus on her ministry. And then a funny thing happened: Grant found herself busier -- and happier -- than ever. Her concert schedule surged; offers to appear at such major national events as the Republican National Convention and the Dove Awards flooded in.

"I think God did that to show me: 'Hey Natalie! You know what? A record deal doesn't make you successful - I do. And I'm in control here.' He's bigger than any company and any industry; He has given me a purpose and a calling and that is to carry His love and His truth onto every platform he gives me."

Stronger shows just how far Grant has come in the past two years. Musically daring, lyrically affirming, and vocally stronger than ever, Grant's renewed confidence radiates through each song. Indeed, Grant's Pamplin Records debut bears the stamp of a young singer who has found her footing.

Stronger is also a more personal work than her first recording, and no wonder: Grant wrote "I Love To Praise" and co-wrote five of the album's 11 tracks, and notes she feels a greater connection to the material as a result.

"The first time around I was so timid," she admits. "I think I was too insecure to let my ideas out -- I was afraid my ideas weren't good enough. With this new record I really discovered that it means so much more to me when I have a part in the writing."

Stronger is also something of a family affair. Grant's husband Bernie Herms produces on three tracks and co-wrote two. Her oldest sister, Bethenee Engelsvold, wrote lyrics to two songs, "Only You" and the vivacious "Such A Wonder."

"The lyric to 'Such A Wonder' has such amazing depth to it. A lot of times with up-tempo, fun songs, the lyric can be a little trite because it's more about the beat and the music. I wanted a lyric that had a lot of substance to it but was still a fun, aggressive track. The lyric talks about what a wonder it is that God would leave heaven and come to earth in a manger. The fact that he chooses to love me in spite of all my shortcomings is one of the most amazing wonders of life."

"Whenever You Need Somebody" features a duet with breakthrough group Plus ONE and was written for a friend of Grant's who was going through a personal struggle. "I co-wrote the song with inspiration from a Bible story in Exodus 17. It talks about Moses and how his friends came to his aid in the middle of a battle. When he was weak, they lifted his hands and supported him to the victorious end." With the help of Plus ONE on the track, Grant is excited. "I am honored to have them a part of this record. I believe in who they are and what they are doing."

Grant seems to have been destined for a music ministry. Raised in a Christian home, the Seattle, Wash., native likes to joke that she was "born on a church pew." Her parents and four siblings were all musical, and Grant got involved in her church youth choir early on. "We would tour Canada, Europe, all over the States," Grant explains, "so my love for choirs is intense. People ask me all the time what CDs I listen to and when I answer Richard Smallwood or the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir they look at me like, 'Huh?' But I really love that kind of music."

While in college, Grant on a whim auditioned for musical group Truth. To her own surprise, the group accepted her, and so a professional music career was born. Grant toured with the group for two years, then struck out on her own and headed to Nashville. Her passionate vocal stylings quickly generated intense buzz, even among those outside the Christian music fold. Grant turned down offers from the mainstream music industry, however, convinced her calling lay in ministering to church audiences.

Her self-titled debut yielded a solid hit with the power-pop single "I Am Not Alone," a song written by Senator Orrin Hatch and Madeline Stone. "I Am Not Alone" became something of a watershed song for Grant, opening several doors (such as her appearance at the Republican National Convention) and generating interest among Christian music fans.

"When you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, he will never leave you and never forsake you. It's been the one song that's helped more people than any other song I've ever done," she notes. "I know I will continue to sing it until I retire."

One of Grant's greatest joys comes from ministering to those in the church. "I know more than ever that this is a calling for me," she avows. "No record deal, no agent, I would still do what I do. And that is because I love it. I absolutely can't get enough of being able to go into a church and meet new people with new needs, and get in touch with that and in touch with the Lord on their behalf. It's an awesome privilege."

So what do you do when life throws you a curve ball? Maybe, like Natalie Grant, you take a leap of faith -- and find yourself farther down the path than you ever dreamed possible.