Photo Blog: The Adventures of 2013

Photo Blog: The Adventures of 2013

2013 has been my year of RESTORATION. I can honestly say after the trials of 2012, I couldn't have been more excited to dive into a new year and a
"new" me. In reality, I was finding myself again.

In the last year I have learned what it means to be joyful. Not the flutters of emotions that decide if today we are going to be happy or not, I am talking true, genuine, from the Lord....Joy. It is a choice. It has brought me peace and comfort when I was feeling "left behind" in life, or left out.

Sometimes life is like a train. It can move fast and if you don't hop on you can literally watch life pass you by. For a while, I was stuck in a rut. I was living on my own, with jobs that could barely make ends meet, and "attempting" to become a musician. I watched friend after friend fall in love, get engaged, get married, and start having kids. And yet here I was with no real job, no boyfriend, very few friends, and to get down right to it, I felt very much alone.

In the beginning of 2013 I decided that I was going to change things. I was going to put myself out there, apply to new jobs, new singing opportunities, and make some friends. It's not like I am shy or anything ;)

I started taking Tae Kwon Do in January, began getting fit and feeling better about myself.

I got a brand new job that I started in June of 2013 ten minutes away from my new (old) home. Full time. Benefits. It was my big girl job.

I started working heavily with FC Dallas and learning what it takes to have a day job, and a music career. Or in this case, working as a FCDTV Reporter. I learned so much about what I could do. Mentally, it was more pressure than I had put on myself in a long time. Probably since I was young and had to do flips on the balance beam in order to make it to the State Championships. In the span of 20-30 minutes, I would do live spots for the FC Dallas game, memorize scripts, interview fans/players, and then I would run down the bleachers and sing the National Anthem in front of 20,000 people. The biggest rush of my life so far!

I have learned a great deal about believing in God's love for me. It's amazing when I look back on the 26 years of my life and how I always thought it was about "How much I loved God." and "What I did to please Him everyday". But here is a new revelation, It's not about how much we love God. We will always fall short. What Jesus did at the cross was the resemblance of how much GOD loves US. His finished work has forever demolished our need to "work" our way to be right with God. We can mess up time and time and  again and God will still look into our eyes and say "It's okay, I love you, You got this. Let's try again." That has forever changed my life.

All in all, I am so thankful for the challenges and blessings that came along with 2013. What a different attitude I have going into the New Years this time around. I remember last year telling myself  "Good riddance 2012, I want to never think of you again." But this time, I look back on 2013 and I say, what a wonderful ride! I am so thankful for the things God has done and showed me this last year, I look forward to 2014 as a prisoner of HOPE!

Expect GOOD things to happen to you in this new year.... not because of what YOU do and how much YOU love God. But expect them to happen because GOD LOVES YOU!

Happy New Year, friends.

With Love,
Natalie

                                        

26th Birthday <3

Natalie Gore sings for FC Dallas. Photo by DFWSportsOnline.

Got a tattoo!

Highlighted my hair!

On the family farm

working for TBN during Praise The Lord

My parents (Pastors Rob & Toni Gore) came out to TBN for a live taping :)

Brooke and I on my birthday!

Birthday dinner with family & friends

26th Birthday

My brother, Jonny and I on my birthday

Jamaica. Photo By Natalie Gore

Holiday Inn Sunspree Hotel, Montego Bay, Jamaica. Photo by Natalie Gore.

Birthday trip to Jamaica with the best frand!

We climbed the Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica!

Bought a brand new car <3

Hailey, Me, Katie, & Crissy (cousins!!)

Fourth of July fireworks with my family!

Taekwondo (I am secretly the pink ranger!)

Downtown Galveston, Texas

Painting with friends!

My heart is for this world.

Interviewing Kenny Cooper & Stephen Keel of FC Dallas

Said "see you soon" to my best friend. RIP Ricky Lee Gore.

Ran a 5K with my girls!

FCD TV

Spent "Gotcha Day" with these beautiful new Sparks kids! 

Jonny & I co-wrote a song featured on the big screen. 

Adopted this little fella. Meet Cinderfella <3

Christmas 2013. The Gore Family.

Onto bigger and better things. Bring it on 2014!

Dear Jon - Live @ The House of Blues 12/12/12

Hey Yall! This last wednesday I had the honor of fulfilling one of my dreams... singing at the House of Blues!!!!! Gotta say, it was a great show and a wonderful turnout! So grateful for my friends, family, and fans that made it out to the show! Here is the FIRST EVER live performance of my newest single "Dear Jon". This is my most personal song, and an emotional one for me to sing live. Thankful for such a beautiful response to this song and the support I've received. Thank you again for taking this journey with me and reminding me why I will never give up.

Dear Jon - Live @ The House Of Blues 12/12/12

XOXO- Natalie

P.S. in other AWESOME news I was named "Artist to Watch" of the Year by the "Sunday Funday" Radio Show!!! THANKS GUYS!!!! Yall be sure to check them out and like their facebook page!

"Dear Jon" & "I Knew You Were Trouble" Natalie Gore's House of Blues Rehearsal

Hey Guys!
I had an awesome rehearsal for my show at the House Of Blues on December 12th and I am really excited to show yall a sneak peak of the new acoustic arrangement of "Dear Jon".

I also threw in another surprise... we will be playing "I Knew You Were Trouble" by Taylor Swift as well!

It's gonna be a great show... hope yall enjoy these videos!

Big thanks to my guitar player Solomon Ivey and my drummer Preston White. These men kill it.

With Love,
Natalie

When People Make You Cry... In A Good Way

I've been singing (seriously singing) for ten years now. I'm 25. Thats not exactly "prime" age for most of the Record Labels these days. There are so many times when I wonder, why do I keep trying? But for me, it all comes down to the little things.

My very fiber is made up of music. I'm convinced. God created me while He sang. He must have! I can get chills watching ANYONE sing. I have such an appreciation for music and melody that it almost sounds like I cheapen it, when really I am soaking up every bit of beauty that is being heard.

This evening I had two very wonderful things happen to me. When I was putting together some long overdue prizes for contest winners on twitter I got a message from a fan named Sunnie. She decided she was going to make me a fan site and tell everyone she knew! She immediately started working away at it! It seriously made my day. I felt so special.

Later on, one of my fans tweeted me a video. A video of her singing. A video of her singing a song that I wrote. It's been a few years since someone has made a cover video and especially to hear someone sing this particular song was almost overwhelming. I would have to say that "Dear Jon" is probably my most vulnerable song that I have released so far and down to the last syllable is meant from the bottom of my soul. To hear such a beautiful young lady sing these words that I wrote was absolutely inspiring all over again.

Thank you Fayla & Sunnie for reminding me again why I will never give up and never stop making music. Yall have inspired me to continue to reach for my dreams and share my music with anyone that will listen.

Love Always,
Natalie



 "Natalie Gore Music" Tumblr: by Sunnie

 Fayla's cover of "Dear Jon"

Dear Jon, I Forgive You

The last few months have been the most trying months of my entire life. It’s funny because you think that as you grow older that it will get easier. That you will figure out how to love, and let go, and move on. But in reality, without Jesus, you can’t.

People say that, “Time heals all wounds”. But I’ve come to find that time doesn’t heal. Time leaves you even more scarred and wounded than before. Bitterness sets in and anger begins to make you cold.  The one and only thing that can cleanse you and make the pain go away is the blood of Jesus.

I've learned that not only do you have to forgive the people that have hurt you and forgive yourself, but you also have to forgive what happened. There are some things in life that you think, “will never actually happen to me”. You think that you’re invincible. But the truth is, we are in a war.  We have an enemy. There is a devil who hates you and wants to destroy you. He is no respecter of persons. He doesn’t care who you are, who your family is, or what you do. He knows your weakness and all he wants is to get your focus off of one thing, and that’s Jesus. (John 10:10)

Distraction is a dangerous thing. Compromise will leave you empty. The only thing that can fulfill and make you new is the Grace of God and true belief that Jesus’s blood has made us whole. He paid the price so that we could be free of pain, and live forever with Him (Isaiah 53). Therefore, who are we to judge this world? Our commission in life is to love. And love is described in 1 Corinthians 13:7-8 as this: “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love never fails.”

Some people may hear this song and think, “Oh, this isn’t a Christian song…Why is she singing this?” But in fact, this is a story of what brought me back to my knees. Where I found my worth in Jesus and not in anything or anyone else. I can now look at you and say with my whole heart, “I know what it feels like to be broken, and I know the answer to get whole again… and that’s Jesus Christ.”

Forgive, Love, and believe in the Grace of God and the blood of Jesus that has set us free!

I love you, God loves you, and I hope this song inspires you to love and let go, and to most importantly… forgive.

With Love,

Natalie Gore

Dear Jon, I forgive you

Dear Jon, I know you had to leave

Dear Jon, I won't forget you

and I hope you don't forget me....

Happy Days Are Here Again

Hello All!

I hope the close of 2011 brought you tons of joy, family, friends, laughter, and a wonderful Holiday Season. Spending the last few weeks of December with my family was absolutely amazing!! God has blessed me in so many ways.

I'm so excited to say goodbye to 2011. It was one of the hardest years of my entire life. Way too much death. Too many heartaches. And yet at the same time, some of the most amazing blessings have come throughout all of it. Either way It's time to press on. It's time to embrace what lies ahead.

It's time to get focused. Im gonna be 25 in two months. thats right, two months. Which means I have been doing this whole music thing for over ten years. I'm thinking it's time to kick this into overdrive. More Shows. More Music. More Videos. It's gonna ROCK!

Before I compile all the wonderful things that 2012 is going to bring, I leave you with this....

"Happy Days Are [finally] Here Again" <3

With Love,
Natalie

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

HAPPY DECEMBER!!

Have I got some great news for you! I just released my very first Christmas single on iTunes! You can download your copy here -> "BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE (feat. MITCH STRAHAN)" 

The wonderful Mitch Strahan sings this duet with me and its such a dream come true! I have loved this song since I was little and have always dreamed of releasing it!

In other exciting news, a store in Downtown Mckinney, Tx just picked up our single and is playing it in their store AND selling copies! So you should go by, if not to buy it, to listen to it in the store and look at the pretty artwork! (I designed it myself might I add, thank God for a degree in MultiMedia!)

Here is the cover photo for "Baby It's Cold Outside" and keep your eyes and ears peeled to radio stations and local stores near you! :)

More updates to come!!

With Love,

Natalie


"Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away... this year to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special" :)