- Singer and brain injury survivor

Cristabelle Bradencontinues to tell her story

and inspire others with herlatest music and now a new book.

I sat down with her to talk about it all

during this National BrainInjury Awareness month.

("Start with Hello" by Cristabelle Braden)

♪ It's been awhile since we talked ♪

♪ Felt like you've been lost ♪

♪ Or maybe that was me. ♪

- You're a singer, you're asongwriter, now an author,

but you suffered brain injury.

- I had a traumatic brain injury,

I hit my head on the cement wall,

my head bounced off the floor,

and I seemed fine that night,

but it turns out instead of abump on my head I had a dent,

and so the pressure builtup inside of my brain.

I couldn't walk straight,I had blurry vision,

I had to relearn how toget dressed, take a shower,

and the doctors never eventhought I'd finish high school.

I did finish high school,

and I also went on to graduatefrom college with honors.

And now, being a singer/songwriter,

ministry sharing the story of healing,

what God has done,bringing hope to people.

And yeah, I mean I'm gratefulfor every morning I wake up

and that I'm here,

and just thankful to be alive, really.

- Amen, amen, now we know

the first project was calledHope Survives, correct?

- Yes.

- And the new project iscalled Start With Hello?

♪ I don't know about howto put it into words ♪

♪ All I got is my heart,can we make it work ♪

♪ 'Cause I need you, God ♪

♪ I don't know where else to turn ♪

♪ So I'm just gonna start with hello. ♪

I came to a place where I justcould not connect with God.

I was going through a depression.

♪ Hello ♪

Then I just remember sitting,

just sitting at the piano.

I hadn't been able to write songs.

And I just felt the Lordjust say, start with hello.

♪ Then opening a scar ♪

Saying hello is enough.

You don't have to worry about fancy words.

You don't have to worry aboutcreeds and fancy prayers.

Stop over thinking, just say hi to Him,

just say hello to Godand let Him do the rest.

♪ So I'm just gonna start with hello ♪

- You have also written a book,

More To Me: Discovering YourFreedom Through Identity.

And I see that this isan interactive journal,

I see some of your handwritingin the book as well.

Tell me about what made you decide

that you needed to sit down

and paint a journal for people to get.

- It's about that there's more to you

than anything that's happened to you,

there's more to youthan your circumstances,

there's more to you than your struggles,

there's more to you, becauseof what God has done for you.

There's more to you.

And so I just felt deep in my heart

I should write a devotional.

So I thought it was gonna be aseven-day PDF off my website,

that was my original goal.(Efram chuckles)

I was just gonna writea seven-day devotional,

free PDF on my website, and inthe word and in the scripture

there was so much more,

more to say!- Yes.

- And so then I said, I'lldo a 14-day devotional.

No, it turned into 14 chapters.

- [Efram] I love it. (chuckles)

- It taps into a lot of deepemotion that we go through,

and bringing the truth inlight of circumstances.

It's all about owning yourstory, discovering freedom,

breaking off chains ofshame and bondage and guilt,

when you've been a victim ofabuse, a victim of an accident,

a victim of so many things and

we have to know, it'snot wrong to feel angry,

it's not wrong to feel hurt,

it's not wrong to feel these things,

but it's what we do withthe feelings that matter.

- People see you being a survivor,

and to be as successful andproductive as you are right now,

what would you say to them

in terms of what brought you through?

- The thing that got me through,

and that's getting me through,

is dependence, dependence on God.

- Yeah.- Dependence on His word,

dependence on the Holy Spirit,

because when you can't relyon your own brain. (laughs)

- [Efram] Mm-hmm.

- It's a journey of dependence on God

and on trusting in Him more than you see.

Faith is the assuranceof things we don't see.

♪ Hello ♪

♪ So I'm just gonna start with hello ♪