How mom-turned-Christian singer, Gretchen Keskeys, overcame depression through faith

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How Gretchen Keskeys overcame depression through faith

How stay-at-home mom turned Christian singer, Gretchen Keskeys, overcame depression through faith

NEW YORK – As Gretchen Keskeys' children grew, the mom-of-two was looking for something new to do with her life.

One day, her husband suggested a career change for the former journalist and SAG member, which changed her life forever.

"I had gotten married and had kids, a family. I was just happy being a mom," Keskeys told Fox News. "My husband heard me singing one day and he just said, 'You really ought to use your gift for the Lord.'"

She added, "After that, things started opening up."

Keskeys began leading worship at her church and she picked up playing the piano. Soon after, she released her first album "Walking in the Spirit," which detailed her journey of overcoming depression.

"These songs I have written are really my journey of healing and seeking the Lord and what's He's done in my life," she explained.

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Keskeys' story is a long one; as a young adult, the singer struggled with anxiety, depression and in college she found herself drinking too much.

Her parents were top-selling authors of a self-help book, and Keskeys said her mom recognized she needed help that "no person could give me."

"My mother, who had been raised in the church, saw that I was in a very bad place," Keskeys recalled.

She said her mother came into her room one day and read her Matthew 11, verses 28 and 29.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Keskeys said her life changed in that moment.

"That just touched my heart deeply because I really felt no one could understand me. I just wanted to know Jesus at that point."

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The singer said she hopes her music can inspire others to follow in God's footsteps the way it has for her.

"That's really my greatest prayer for this album, is that others will come to know Him," Keskeys said of her latest album "Pure Hope."

The singer said she particularly wants her fans to hear her new song "In Him."

"['In Him'] talks about everything we're looking for is found in Him and I think that really speaks to what so many people...[are searching for]," she shared.

Faith & Fame is a regular column exploring how a strong belief system helps some performers navigate the pitfalls of the entertainment industry.