Eight years ago, Christian artist Laura Story’s world was turned upside down when her husband, Martin, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Since then, she has won a Grammy Award for her song “Blessings,” become a full-time working mom (most recently, on tour with Steven Curtis Chapman), and has learned to walk beside her husband in the ups and downs of mental disability.

You’ve had quite a journey during the past eight years. How are you doing these days?

We’re in a pretty sweet chapter. Our daughter Josie was born 13 months ago. She’s just so sweet. But in the midst of our sweet chapter, things are complicated with Martin’s disability and being a working mom.

Your latest album — “God of Every Story” — was released Sept. 30. How did you pick the name?

Two things God has been teaching me over the past couple of years. First of all, He’s the God of every story — the joyful sweet chapters and the hard stories where you ask, Is God really here? Secondly, God has purpose for every story. That’s the redemptive truth about all of it. We’re so busy trying to make sense of our stories, but Scripture never promises that our stories will make sense this side of heaven. It does promise that our stories will make sense in light of the greater story of redemption. All things work together for good. The fact is that there is purpose for our pain, that He uses every hard thing we go through as a means to bring salvation to other people.

You have a particular way of connecting with women through your music. What is it you most want to communicate to them?

To hang in there. There are so many women who seem to be struggling both externally and internally. There is a lot of shame and guilt over past sin. I want to encourage them to hang in there and live in community, to have other women that they’re honest with about life. The evil one tries to convince us that we’re alone, in feeling a certain way, in a hard marriage, in a prodigal child situation. The truth is that we’re not, and that’s what the church is for.

You are a member of Perimeter Church (Atlanta), where you lead worship. What do you appreciate about the PCA, and your church more specifically?

I love Perimeter! We’ve been there for eight years, and we’d love to see ourselves there for the rest of our lives and ministry. I appreciate the solid biblical teaching that I get to hear every Sunday morning. And, they do community well. They don’t require everyone to have it all together. We have mentors who walk us through marriage and family and career decisions. God never created us to work this life alone. He never created Martin and me to walk through marriage alone.

Often I tell friends of mine that aren’t deeply involved in a church — or even people who do ministry who don’t have a home church — it’s like having 100 first dates. It might be fun, but you miss out on that sanctifying process that can only happen in marriage. It’s the same way in church, too. I’m always encouraging people to dig deep. I don’t know that you can say you really know a church until you’ve been there for five years.