Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 835 | Jase Earns the Nickname ‘Mr. Romance’ & Phil Gives a Country Singer a Big Thumbs-Up

Episode Date: February 14, 2024

Country singer Meghan Patrick performs one of her hits for Phil, Jase, and Al, and Jase romances Missy the best way he knows how. The guys are awed by Meghan’s story of perseverance in the face of lost dreams and abusive relationships and the grace that comes from following God’s will. Plus, Meghan performs her song “Praying Right” in an exclusive "Unashamed" live performance!  -- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Welcome back to Unashamed when I stopped by this morning for my Chick-fil-A run, which makes every podcast go better when you can eat what I call affectionately Jesus chicken because the Cathis are such great people since today's Valentine's Day. And what I didn't realize when I bought these chicken minis, which is what Jay's likes, they came in a heart-shaped tin, and so I guess I was just expressing my love for my little brother. Well, it gets you in the Valentine spirit, which as a typical male,

that's helpful, Al. When you were eating those, did it make you appreciate Missy all the more? Well, I have breaking news here. Uh-oh, wait a minute. Uh-oh, get it hit the button. Get it out. Breaking news. So to set up the breaking news a few weeks ago.

Missy and I went to Los Angeles during duck season. And the three greatest days of duck season this year, I was in Los Angeles and I wasn't duck hunting. Were you experiencing FOMO while you were in L.A.? Well, I did because Jay was trying to rub it in and was giving me a play-by-play of the three spectacular days. So I finally had to just turn my phone off. He wasn't doing it in love. He was trying to make you hurt. But I made a Jesus decision and I made a wife decision that because my wife,

I truly believe she's the biggest chosen fan that's out there. Hard to be number one in anything. She's the number one chosen fan. She watches it almost daily and she has for years. Because she watches them over and over. I mean she's over and over. Oh, she's all about it. She studies her Bible and then she watches the chosen,

which is great and fantastic. We love it. So we're friends with Dallas and Amanda. Dallas is the, I guess, the creator of the chosen. I guess God created it, but he's using Dallas to put it on in pictures. So we went out there, and I hate to call it a sacrifice, but for me during duck season, because I couldn't lean over to my wife and say, well, you better appreciate this sacrifice. I mean, you know, this was like, so I had to just keep my mouth shut.

So we watched the first two episodes. And we all know none of shame, that's not easy. We watched the first two episodes of season four, two weeks before it came out in theaters. So it's out now. It's been out two weeks. And in this spirit of Valentine's Day, my wife and I have a date night tonight. And now this got complicated because what happened was we watched the two episodes. We hung out with the Jenkins in L.A.

Then I came back and got back to Duck Hunting. Well, he sent me a text a couple days ago and said, I'm interested to see what Missy thinks about episode three. And I was like, oh, there's an episode three out. Because I thought they were just releasing what we saw the first two episodes. But in theaters now, when you go, they have the first three episodes of season four. So this is a three hour. So that intrigued me.

And so Missy's like, well, I've got to find somebody to go with me. And I thought, I looked around. She said that we were alone in our house. What am I? But she assumed since I'd already seen the first two episodes, I wouldn't want to go. And I said, well, babe, I would love to take you and go see the first three. She's like, well, you've already seen the first two. I was like, but I'll be with you.

And we're watching a story about Jesus. Mr. Roman. How can it get any? better than this. Love was in the air. Heart started popping. It was great. You didn't even have to give her any fish to get her excited. You did it with your charm. So here's what happened. So my lovely wife, she starts trying to figure out when we're going to go. So this is on Saturday. Today is Tuesday. And we couldn't go that night, Sunday night, Monday night. So I was like, Tuesday night is settled. It's a date. So she goes online.

which I didn't even know you could do to buy your tickets. And so she's over there fooling around with her phone. And she's like, you're not going to believe this. I said, what? She said, there's not one seat sold in the theater for Tuesday night. I said, well, babe, it's three days from now. People aren't saying, oh, let's... A lot of people just go that night, yeah.

So she said, I'll be right back. Uh-uh. Didn't know what that meant. I thought she was going to the bedroom, going to the kitchen. She gets in her car and she leaves. So I thought, she's gone. So she comes back 30 minutes later and she has this huge stack of papers and I wasn't sure what that was. I said, what did you do, babe?

She said, I bought the entire theater. Every ticket. So I said, babe, I thought this was a date. She said, it is. But we're inviting all our family and friends. It's a date for 200. So we're doing that tonight, and I'm excited. Well, no, that's cool.

We've just bought the theater. My wife did. And I said, how much? Maybe she is the number one fan for the Cheson. That may not be an exaggeration. And I got to the, how much did that? And she said, don't ask. This is a great call.

So I got my contribution in. Which theater are you going to? Tenseltown, West Monroe. Well, I got a nice. news for you. It's not 200 tickets. It's 390 tickets. So. Well, there you go. What are we going to? I thought we was trying to win the world here, buddy. Yeah, I'm good for it, man. I love it. That's what I mean. I said, I told Lisa, say, go to the store. I'm going to stay hungry. I want ribbis, and I want some fillets, and I want them all prime. We're ready for some good steak. I'll cook it.

So she calls them the store. She said, all right, I've got the, I've got the prime filets. Great. but and I've got the choice ribbyes. And I said, did they not have prime? And she said, oh, they have it. But do you know what that cost? I said, did I say anything to you about cost when I asked you to get these days? Yeah, but, but listen, I said, I don't want to know. I have, I don't care.

I want prime rabbi and I want it here and I want to be able to put it on my grill. There's some things in life. I don't care what it costs. I don't care either. My daughter, when she was born with her difficulties that I don't want to to talk about too much because I'll get all teary-eyed. But it changed my view of money in that moment because I didn't have any money. I mean, this is before our little duck show took off.

And I just realized when they started talking about multiple surgeries and she's going, this is 18 years of a battle. And I just thought, babe, we're going to be in debt the rest of our lives. That was my initial reaction. Right. And then I followed it with and I don't care. She said, I don't either. I mean, it's your daughter.

You're going to do whatever it takes. So I would say this classifies under that heading of money well spent. Yeah, I agree. So are you going to get into this thing or do you want to wait? No, I will. Okay. So I had an interesting text that I want to ask you all about because we have a guest today. And I thought there was a-

Super excited about our guests. I thought this was a theme since our guess is, I would say, a relatively new Christian. So we told you the story a few podcasts ago About one of our Warriors that I met at the Mighty Oaks thing That I deal with Chad Robich Show And he sent me a text Because I bought his fishing trip

He takes people fishing And I bought it so we started a relationship This is like the special forces guy right? Yeah, special forces guy And he sent me a text That I'm ready And I thought he meant for me to come fishing and he is ready to start following Jesus.

And once I told the story, it was awesome. Because he came over with his family, because he asked me to baptize him, and you can go back and listen to that podcast. And I was like, well, look, it's not about who baptizes you and all that. I was trying to kind of make sure that he was getting this. And, oh, he convinced me when I said, read the book of John and ask yourself two questions,

who is Jesus to you and what did he claim? And so he sent me basically one of the best outlines of the book of John that I've ever seen, which I responded, come over this weekend, I think you're ready. And so he brought his family, and he brought his pastor who had been trying to get him in Jesus for years. But I just wanted to bring this up

because, you know, once you surrender, that's just the beginning. And we've spent a lot of time, me and him talking about, it's not just what Jesus saves you from, which is awesome. He saves us from ourselves, and from our past and from our sins.

As hurts, all of it. Death. I mean, all this is great. But he saves us to something. Correct. And so, you know, we are now to be the voice of Jesus. We're ambassadors. We're members of the kingdom.

We're to go out and be Jesus in this world. And that's the best defense for, you know, keeping your life clean. Because most people when they're new Christians, they're just trying not to do wrong. I think we all remember this. But eventually you realize that he's called us to be something, to do something. And if you're out there proclaiming Jesus is Lord and you're trying to look for ways to help the kingdom, like my lovely wife did, I think that's awesome. It went from a date to affecting the community for the positive. So I think those are radical things you do.

But anyway, he sent me a question, and I wanted y'all to check me because I did this off the top of my head. But he said, Bible question. This is this morning, 30 minutes before our podcast. John 13, 26, and 27, why did Satan enter Judas when he took the bread from Jesus? Well, y'all remember that? We discussed that a couple podcasts ago. At the separate.

And he said, Jesus took actions to his thoughts that Jesus already knew he had. I'm just confused because it said Satan entered Judas at that point. Did Judas not know he was going to betray Jesus? and that's when Satan took over, or since Jesus knew it was going to happen, he gave Judas permission or encouragement to do what he needed to do for the crucifixion to take place. I want to be mad at Judas for betraying Jesus, and I am,

but it sort of started the one thing that had to happen for Jesus to be crucified and resurrected. Thoughts, sorry for the long text, but I've been thinking about this all night. So I said it's a very good question, and I put, there's three, four, at work at all time. The spiritual forces of evil, number one, spiritual forces of evil are dark powers, and I put Ephesians 6, 12 and 13. Number two, our own idols, and I put anything we worship

above the true God, good or bad. I put the James 1, 12, where it says, when tempted, no one should say God is tempted me. Each one is tempted by when his own evil desire, he's dragged away in enticed. So then I put under that number two, so the evil power sees on opportunities we provide when we become selfish or try to change the true God. I also put James 3 13 through 18. Then number three, so you got your spiritual force of evil, your own idols or selfish ambition. Then number three, God created us in his own image, Genesis 1. Then I went to Colossians 1 and it says we are to worship and reflect God. That's why Jesus came. Jesus is the image of the invisible God.

but notice the new creation we become when we surrender to him. And I put Colossians 3 1 through 11 where it says, as new creatures, we reflect the image of God. So it also said note, Romans 721, 25, which is that conversation where it says, I find this law at work. Whenever I want to do good, evil is right there with me. And the one you worship, the one you feed,

and the one you declare wins, you know, this battle between our old self and new self. But the victory is in Jesus. So that's basically what I gave him. And then I put this little caveat that we did in the podcast. I said, but remember Peter was referred to as Satan as well by Jesus, Matthew 16, 23, Luke 22. And Jesus knew Peter would respond to his grace. That's when he said, remember, Satan has asked to sift you as well. week, but I'm praying for you. And when you come back, that's in Luke 22. So I just put, look,

we all have a chance, Judas, Peter, all of us to respond to God's grace when we mess up. Peter chose wisely. Judas chose to quit and take his own life. So that was basically my answer. No, I agree. And I think the moment where it says this, I think Judas is on the fence about what he's going to do. And in this moment, he makes a decision to cross over. all of us at some point in our lives make a decision about who we're going to serve. And I think it, you know, we get to, in his case, we get to see his life when I have. Most people, only you know that moment that you had. So, yeah.

John 13, John 13, too, tells us, too, that the process had already begun. I mean, this wasn't like Satan entering an innocent person. Yeah, that's not, I mean, he doesn't just take over without you yielding. I mean, that's, I think that's important for us to recognize it. I told you all when we were doing this tech. X-Act that I want to do a sermon called, Can You Wait Three Days? Because, you know, Peter waited three days after he betrayed Jesus. Yeah.

And he saw the Lord resurrected. Judas took his own life. And if he just would have waited three days, maybe he could have turned it around. So, I mean, I think that would be a sermon. Can you wait three days? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I love that.

I mean, in this moment, though, I think that when Satan enters, I mean, I was going to say, John 13, 2 says that the devilhood already. sitting had already prompted him. Exactly. Yeah, the evening meal was in progress. The devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Ascariate to betray Jesus. So that prompting had already occurred, and we've mentioned here before. You look at that passage in James about the nature of sin. It says each one is dragged away and enticed by his own evil desires. And then it gives a progression of that. And then when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. That is the picture here. He has an evil desire prompted by Satan.

and then he's whatever mulling it over, gives in to that, makes the decision, I'm going to do it. And then when he received the reward that he, what drew him to do it in the first place, he didn't even want it. And then the end ends up killing himself, which is, by the way, the nature of sin. That's right. A good thing for him to remember, when Jesus, this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sin. himself. He sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time, he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool because, and the man you were working with days, by one sacrifice, he, God, has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. He needs to understand

All of his sins and mistakes and whatever is gone. And he just puts his faith in Jesus now. And he's being made holy. There's even mistakes in that. But it's not counted against him because of his position. He needs to thank that. That's right. That's Hebrew chapter 10.

That's good. So we're going to take a break. And on the other side of the break, we have a guest here with us today. We're super excited about her being on the podcast. And she has had experience like what we talked about at some point fairly recently. And so we're going to let her tell a little bit about her story. So let's take a break. And then I'll introduce her guest when you come back.

Welcome back. And welcome to Megan Patrick. Welcome to me. Yeah, to the unashamed. Yeah, to the unashamed set. Megan is a singer and songwriter. Very talented person. Thank you.

And she's wearing camo in the lair. How did you know? How did you know to fit it? You're a hunter, though, right? I am, yeah. And actually, the duck hunting is quickly become my favorite thing. I think between ducks and turkey, those are my two favorite things to hunt. Hell has been inspired. My first successful hunt ever was a duck hunt, and that was pretty much it for me. Yeah, I shot a nice Drake Mallard, and I was out with a bunch of my guys, and it was a shooting light just started, and there was a single-com. come in. They're like, all right, Megan, this is you. And I just said, God, don't let me miss this bird. But I didn't. And then, yeah, I mean, they showed me how to clean him and breast him out. We cooked them. And just that whole experience, the camaraderie of the duck camp and everything, I just,

I loved it. That's what, that's what, wow, we love it. Is it for the exact same? Just summed up my whole life in 30 seconds. This is a good text. Uh-oh. Peter was praying and God sent him a message. He saw something like a Lord. large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. Here comes a movie screen. Peter's looking up. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals,

moose, elk, rabbit, he's adding in the, four-footers, four-footers, as well as reptiles of the earth. Uh-oh, Miss Singer, birds of the air was on the movie screen. Then a voice told him, get up, Peter, kill and eat.

Marching orders. Surely not, Lord. He said, I've never eaten anything impure or in clean. The voice spoke to him a second time coming out of heaven. Do not call anything impure that God has made clean. This happened three times, and immediately the sheep was taken back to heaven. Wacking and stacking ducks is biblical. I love it.

Did you know that, me? Listen, I believe it. When you watch the sun come up in a blind, it's hard to deny. Yeah, our culture is hard to deny God's greatness. God said, hey, I made those duck whack them and stack them. Phil had a heckler at an event one time because he always reads that because he, you know, we would do duck calls seminars or we would do. I guess we still do.

And sometimes our audiences wouldn't necessarily be Christian people. And so, you know, you're up there blowing duck calls and Phil had a heckler one time. They were like, those poor ducks, and they were just hollered on them. Phil's like, I got orders from headquarters. X chapter 10. Wackamistak. So, so Megan, as you'll both appreciate this, she is from Canada. Oh, I saw that in the bio.

She's from Canada. That's where all the mallard ducks are coming from. That's right. We send them down for you. I'm telling you. So dad said, because there are always people at events that will say, you know, feel for president. He said, if I'm president, all the foreign aid is going to Canada to grow more ducks.

Hey. That's funny. You should do a song of some kind of old Canada, but make it about duck hunting, you know. You might be onto something there. I can do that. Jace does the opening line from the Canadian National Anthem. I'm not sure where that got started in my life. I don't think you know any words past O Canada.

No, but I've been doing it since I was a teenager. Like when the ducks would really just be on the move, like the migration would start. I would get so excited that I would like go into the living room where all my family was and I would go, Oh, Canada. And I'd rub my hands together and I'd be like, we're going to get them tomorrow.

That was. So then I got in. I had no idea Canada was getting so much praised up. all the way down here. Oh, it's like we're constantly, we love Canada because that's where the nose goes. You know, it's crazy. So then I start this treasure hunting adventure. In the last two years, I have found multiple Canadian coins.

I found a rare coin from Canada. I was in Maryland of all places, and it was a picture of a beaver on the back of it. And it was a rare coin worth about $1,000. It was actually made before Canada was even a country, which I'm not sure how that happened. But for the episode, I just couldn't help it because I was so excited, and it was like a Canadian large scent. So I just looked at the camera and I was like, oh, Canada. We stand the rest of it. Our home in native land.

There's a constant stream of individuals coming from Canada, driving all the way down. here in Louisiana to be baptized off the podcast. Yeah, a lot of podcasts. It's a steady stream of them. And the show, the little duck show we did, was hugely popular in Canada. Oh yeah, for sure. It was on the history channel.

What are they how do? Do you guys understand how cool I am to all my hunting buddies back home right now for being here? Is you here? I have never been cooler in my life. You're here. You're in the lair. Oh, yeah.

You can't pick, you know, where you're born. you're born, it just happens. But I just looked at Canada, you know, the weather, I'm like, what can you do in Canada? Well, you better figure out fun things to do in the winter because you're going to spend a lot of time in it. I was a competitive snowboarder for a lot of years. Because what else can you do? Yeah, I mean, you can ice fish. Snow's everywhere, yeah. The ducks leave. Yeah, ducks leave. So yeah, pretty much ice fishing, snowboarding, skiing, that's pretty much it. Tell me about the snowboarding, because you were really good, right?

I mean... Yeah, I mean, for a long time, that was my big dream. I competed all through high school, and my senior year of high school, I was warming up at a competition. And needless to say, I was reckless in my younger days. And I went into a jump really aggressively a lot faster than I should have. And when I hit the jump, it kind of shot me straight up a lot more than I. thought it would. And so when I went to rotate, I overcorrected. And if this is my head and this is my board, I went like this. And I landed. So I snapped my collarbone, dislocated my shoulder,

broke my back, severe compression fracture all in my lower back, really bad concussion. I was lucky to walk, to be honest. I mean, the doctor told me I should have been paralyzed. And you were a senior in high school? And looking back, you know, faith wasn't a part of my life then, but that was certainly one of those moments where, you know, God was really looking out for me. Because that was a, that was kind of the catalyst where everything, my whole life kind of changed course. And I sort of changed my focus more towards music. It was a big part of my recovery. I mean, I was laid up. I couldn't even get up and go to the bathroom by myself for months. And I was just severely depressed. I had all of a sudden, all these big dreams I had just felt like they got ripped away from me.

And so I really, I've turned to music and songwriting a lot during that time. And when I came out on the other side of that recovery, I had kind of a new dream. New gig. Yeah. So how long was it before you left Canada and came to Nashville? Because I'm assuming you went to Nashville to like, all right, give this a go, right? Yeah. Well, I went to McGill University first.

That was the deal I'd made with my parents. You know, they wanted me to go to school and I wanted to compete. and once the competing dreams had kind of been shot, I agreed to go to school and I studied music in school in Montreal. I did actually end up going back to snowboarding for a year after my first year, mostly just because I didn't really want to be in school, but I needed to do something. And a lot of it, I think, for me, was just facing the fear of getting back on my board.

Like, I felt like I had kind of taken the coward's way out in a sense. I felt like, well, I had this bad injury, and then I just quit. And I kind of just needed to get back on just to know that I could. But I think, you know, that was just kind of something for me. But music at that point had really taken over. I started playing into bands and, you know, writing my own music and touring and kind of getting a taste of that. And I ended up moving back to where I grew up for a little bit, and I had a bluegrass band. And that was, you know, we made a couple of our own records independently.

We did our own tours. And that's when I realized, like, this is what I want to do. for the rest of my life. And so I dropped out of school, which wasn't my parents' favorite phone call. But they were supportive. They said, you know, my dad said, look, if that's what you want to do, then do it all the way. You know, don't do it halfway. He's like, I support you.

Whatever it's worth, you're the best-looking duck killer. I don't look this cute in the blind, usually. I don't put the full face on for the ducks, just for you, fellas. When I go to do events, I always tell audiences, because I have a picture of my family. And I say, you know, my wife says I'm the best-looking Robertson. Everybody lasts when I say that. I said, but if you look at this picture, it's really a low bar. It's not really that hard.

So you stand out a bunch of ugly men. So did you start with country music? I mean, you said bluegrass. Now, look, I'm not, I mean, my wife got me on contemporary. I love bluegrass. Christian music about five years ago, so I've entered a tunnel, which has been awesome.

Yeah. I've honestly, I just love music. I love all genres, and I've studied a little bit of everything. I've played in different bands. But for me, well, I always joke and say that bluegrass was the gateway drug to country music for me. Bluegrass came first, and, you know.

What is bluegrass? Is it just, is it fiddles? Yeah, fiddles. It's all, like, a lot of, like, acoustic string instruments, So banjos, fiddles, mandolin, guitar, like finger picking, chicken picking, that kind of stuff. It's known for big, big harmonies, yeah, a lot of fast-paced, really big, beautiful harmonies, and very, very melodic. I mean, it's a lot of, it's mountain music. Mountain music, that's what I was.

How do you do without a band if I said, well, sing us a verse or two of something? Yeah, I can sing anything you want. Yeah. Well, we need to do that. Well, the reason I'm asking, we're definitely going to have her say before. I'm at the reason I'm asking is because you don't sound like you're from Canada. Well, I think, you know, you spend enough time around people. You start picking up how they talk.

And when I moved to Nashville, all my friends were very southern. My husband is very southern. So I've definitely picked up. I've got kind of this mutt accent, I think, now. I still say A, and there will be a few words. Well, you hadn't said that since you had been here, A? My husband always makes fun of the way I say beg. I guess that's very Canadian.

But, you know, all my friends are just really southern. So I picked up a little bit of everything. It's kind of a subconscious thing, I guess. Because you sing country music. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I do. That's a good teaser.

So we watched, they sent me a couple of videos, a couple of your music videos, and they were both great, and as well as your I am second. So that's how we kind of connected to you because Angie, who's here today, we've done some I and second stuff. And, but one of them, there's a God and a good man. Mm-hmm. So it just really intrigued me and teared me up because. you start the music video with what looks to be your actual baptism. Yes. And so I'm assuming that was a pastor or somebody that was baptized you.

Yes. So I call him coach because he is actually my husband's high school football coach. And so Coach Tillman, he actually also married us. And then there were a lot of wedding stuff in the video. Yeah. Well, to me, the two things were very connected because I would say that the two most important and incredible days of my life where the day I got married and the day I was baptized, you know, they're sacred and they're things that changed my life. And when I wrote God and a good man,

it was, I had told Coach when, you know, when we were preparing for the wedding, I had told him that I'd never been baptized. I wasn't, I wasn't raised Christian. It just wasn't really a part of how I grew up. But I had told him that I wanted to be baptized, but I wanted to be ready. I wanted to be sure. And he said, well, you just let me know when you're ready. I was driving to go right with a couple of my friends and I don't know I just I just had this feeling I was like you know what I think I'm I'm ready and I started thinking about and I called my husband first and I told him and he he was so happy he was like tearing up and he was really excited and and I started thinking about all of the ways that that my faith and my husband have saved me in so many ways

You know, the way I came to God was when he pulled me out of a really abusive relationship that almost took my life. And, sorry. And so, you know, my husband had to, he had to do a lot of work fixing a heart that he didn't break and teaching me that relationships can be beautiful and safe and loving without strings attached. It's a mean world out there. Yes, sir, it is. And, you know, and my faith did the same thing. And I'll say this, God and my husband have one thing in common, which is infinite patience for me. Hey, that's word for us all. Yes. It seems to go hand in hand. Yes. And people of faith, you know. Yeah. And I, you know, I started thinking about all the similarities between those two relationships and the way they just made me a better person. And I wanted to write a song to honor God. And my first. relationship with God and my relationship with my husband and how intertwined they are. And so that was

the inspiration. And it came from the day I decided I was ready to be baptized. And that song felt like a gift from God. You know, I said, hey, I'm ready to do this. I'm ready to declare my faith. And he said, here you go. I love that you opened with it. And then the whole song when you're singing it, and of course, you're seeing all the scenes of getting married and all that. But your feet are in the water just sitting there by that creek. And it reminded me so much of the area down at Dad's house that so many have, you know, succumb to Jesus and us sitting on that bank watching all those new bursts. And so it really took me back. I mean, it's why it touched me. Let's take another break. And then the other one I saw was praying right, which you also sing

own your I am second testimony, which is so powerful. And the lyrics of it are so powerful because it's so much where people are when they first find Christ because you're like, okay, I found you, but I don't really know how to act. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I'm doing. And Jay's described that a little bit in the open about the guy he's been talking to. And it's so true trying to figure out exactly what Jesus wants us to do now, which is very, very powerful. So I thought that was another great song.

Did you write that? I did write that song. Right after you became a Christian or was that before? It was, well, it was before I was baptized, I would say it was kind of at the beginning of my journey, you know. So when I, when I made the decision to move to Nashville, you know, as I said, I was coming out of this really horrible relationship. And, you know, I remember I had finally left him, but I was struggling. I was, I mean, I was broke. I wasn't doing anything with my music.

I was living in this basement apartment where he had abused me and just, I felt like I was trapped in my own personal. well, to be honest. And I remember one night, you know, and he unfortunately was harassing me, and my anxiety was so bad. I felt like I couldn't go anywhere without wondering, looking over my shoulder. And I came home, and I just was so desperate to feel safe. And I was like, well, I guess some people pray. You know, maybe I'll try that. And I had no idea what I was doing because my only understanding of Christianity or faith was, unfortunately, you know, this, this Hollywood, stereotyped version of a lot of tail wagging and rules and, you know, and all that. And but I just thought, well, I'm just going to try.

And maybe, maybe it's too late. You know, maybe he's up there like, hmm, well, look who decided to show up finally, you know, at the right age of 26, you know. You've been made. Perfect. Yes, sir. Perfect. And I started, I just started praying and I just kind of said, I don't know if you're there.

I don't know if I'm even worthy of your love or your forgiveness. Just get me out of here. I just want to feel safe again. I want to love myself again. I want to respect myself again. Welcome a board, girl. Thank you. And ever since that moment, and I think the most beautiful thing that I learned, you know,

first and foremost, and that drew me to Jesus and to my faith was all it takes is a willingness. And they say just a mustard seed, right? Yeah. That's all it takes. And when I started praying, I just, I saw everything in my life change. It led me to pack up and leave and move to Nashville. The very first night I moved to Nashville, I went out to go see this show. And I met these two girls, Lanny Wilson, who's actually from not far from here.

Really? And, yeah, she's from Baskin. Oh, yeah. Thank you. You'd have to be. North Louisiana didn't know where a basket is. Yeah. That's for sure.

And her roommate at the time, Casey Tendell, and it was like God said, here's the best friends you're ever going to need. And two women of faith who were a huge part of bringing me into my faith and my journey. And, you know, I can't tell you how many hours and hours were spent at Lainey's Kitchen Table, me just asking questions and them answering my questions and having that conversation with me. and, you know, I just, everything, even though I still had a lot of questions, I knew that my life had gotten better when I started believing and I started asking God for guidance. And I, you know, I was sitting with Casey and Laney. And I remember when I first moved, I was almost like ashamed. Like, I didn't want to tell them that this was a new thing for me that I didn't know the scripture.

And I didn't, I never went to church. I'd never been baptized. You know, I wanted to go to church, but I was convinced. I was going to walk through the doors and burst into flames or something or everybody was going to look at me and be like, well, she ain't been here before, you know? And I said, well, I just don't know how I can say that I believe when I still have questions. And they said, well, that's a lifetime thing is having questions. That's the journey.

And so that led me to write praying right because I think what was so beautiful to me and comforting to me was knowing that me being so new to this. and Laney and Casey having, from the time they were babies, you know, having it ingrained in them, that we all still had questions. And we all still wondered if we were falling short all the time and wondering if we were worthy and all of that. And so I wrote Praying Right. And it's been an incredible song because there's just, I know that it's touched so many people. And I believe God gave me the gift of music and of songwriting. And I'm meant to help people with that.

Yeah, no doubt. And I think as I see it, when you were on your knees praying to a God you weren't sure as known, it was unknown to me. When I see those two friends, I'm thinking, I think God answered your prayer there. He's really good at organizing interactions of people or people here, Jesus. And when I look back, like I said, I look back through my life through the lens of my faith. And I see all the times that he was protecting me and guiding me, whether I was ready to. to acknowledge him or not. And there's just, it's so, everything is just so perfectly woven together and only a way that he can. And, you know, that culminated with me being baptized. You know, I wanted to be baptized in the river because for me, a lot of my, my early days of my journey were a lot of my praying happened in blinds and stands and, you know, in the outdoors

because it's, it's hard to deny the existence and greatness of God when, when you're out in his creation. the revelation the first one because he said it's seen in creation second revelation was this so you saw you remember being ashamed i'm not ashamed of the gospel the apostle paul said because it the gospel is the power of god for the salvation of everyone who believes first for the jew then for the gentile for in the gospel the death burial resurrection of jesus a righteousness from god is rebatees revealed how to be right, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written, the righteous will live by faith. Once you cross that, once you cross that there, march on. And the beauty part is, it was the Hebrews 5 that says Jesus is not ashamed to call us

brother and sister. Yeah, I thought about this verse when you were talking, because that's what we do as disciples of Jesus because every day is a new set of challenges and difficulty. And so we just, you know, we get our firepower from this inspired word that God wrote us. But I thought about when you were talking about that unlimited patience, you know, 1 Timothy 1 15, Paul said, here's a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst, because Paul, you know, could make a case for his previous life being the worst. I mean, he was killing other Christians.

But for that very reason, I was shown mercy so that in me the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now, to the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God be honoring glory. forever and ever, amen. It's very inspiring. You hear that in your story, but then you read something that he wrote hundreds of years ago, and you're like, wow.

Yeah. This is why Jesus came for us. So we've had Rhett Walker's been on the podcast. Shane and Shane were on here. They sang for us. Would you sing for us? I would love to. All right, so we're going to take a break.

And while we do that, we're going to get Megan, get her guitar. And we come back, we're going to hear her. her beautiful voice. So let's take a break. So the day that I wrote this song, I came in, I had this idea to write the song called Praying Right,

which was basically just coming from this perspective of someone who is new to faith and kind of being like, I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know if I'm doing it right. And the night after I'd written that song, I was supposed to go play a writer's round in Nashville. And I had told you earlier,

you know, Laney and Casey had become two of my first. friends and I was really excited to show them this song because they had kind of inspired me to have the courage to write this song and for whatever reason I've never gone to a writer's round and played a song that I wrote that day because usually you know you want to learn it practice it but I just felt really compelled I have to play this song tonight and so I played the first song of the round and I was introducing this song and I was nervous because not only had I never even spoken of my faith openly let alone sang a whole song about it and

And, you know, I introduced it and I played the song and it was like you could hear a pin drop in the room. And to get that kind of response in a bar in Nashville is hard to come by. And I finished the song and I look over to my left and there's Lainey and Casey standing on the side of the stage crying. And I had no idea they were even there. And they were, they were going to a hockey game. And our friend was like, oh, Megan's playing down the road. Let's go pop in and say, hey. And they happen to come in right as I went to play this song.

And to me, if that isn't God, I don't know what it is. It's like an affirmation. It was an affirmation. I felt like of him saying, you're doing great. I hear you. And I want you to keep doing what you're doing. And I think the beauty about this song is that what's been cool for me, I mean, I write songs because I want people to feel understood and seen.

And this song seems to have resonated with everyone from new Christians to people. who don't even know how they feel about it, to people who have followed Jesus their whole lives. So this is what I'm really proud of. This is called Praying Right. My friend called me Sunday and ask me if a... Pardon me, one or two and part of me didn't know. Can't wear my boots and jeans? Well, everybody's stare at me like they know how long. I've got questions.

Because I've been treating my soul like an old run-down shack All my demons live and rent free on my back So when I walk in with all my sins I know I won't blend in Can you forgive me? I've got questions Can I sing a mass night's whiskey on my breath Do I deserve your love with a little bit of faith I've got left?

Am I saying the right things? Am I getting through? Is it too late to turn to you? I'm trying. Lord, I'm trying to find the light. Tell me, am I praying right? I can't quote the verse, but I heard there's one that said. It all will fall in short, so maybe I still have a chance.

Because it's heavy on me, the shame I feel for not giving thanks for my blessings. Am I worthy of an answer? I've got a question. Can I sing Amazing Grace with last night's whiskey on my breath? Do I deserve your love? With a little bit of faith I've got left Am I saying the right things? Am I getting through?

Is it too late to turn to you? I'm trying. Lord, I'm trying to find. Tell me, am I praying right? I sing a base with last night's whiskey on my breath. Do I deserve your love? Is it too late? Tell me am I praying?

Tell me am I? I couldn't help but think about your father dating back. His brother, he was a father of all who live in tents and raise livestock. His brother, which is his bloodline is in your blood, girl. His name was Jubal, and he was the father of. Of all who played the harp and the liar, he made music. You're kin to him, jubal. That's matching Genesis 5 is where he's at.

Your father, your spiritual father is God, but he puts you in some pretty good company way, way back. It does let us know that your gift is definitely from God. It wasn't for everybody. That's right. And so to use that now like you're doing is amazing. Well, when you sang that song, I thought about no matter how many promises God has made, they're always yes in Christ.

And, look, we all got our baggage and our sinful eyes and our past. The goal now, because we were talking about this before you sang, is, you know, how do you sing country music and do the Lord's will? It reminds us of our, you know, our background. Phil and I would go out. He started it. We're doing duck call seminars and, you know, just the crowd is not living for the Lord. And people would say, if you all share your faith, it's going to hurt your business. And it made me think the only time I was ever in Canada, Willie and I was asked to speak at a country music concert.

And thank Woodstock for country music in Canada. There were thousands of people there. And it was outside on a hill. And so we told jokes and everybody was laughing. Of course, everybody was drinking. I'm pretty sure we were one of the few sober people there. And we were nervous because we had already decided this is who we are. And so we gave a little three to five minute Jesus speech about who we were.

And it was interesting during those three to five minutes because people were like, do I sit down my beer? Or, you know, because it was, it made everybody a little uncomfortable and nervous, but then everybody, uh, erupted at the end. And so my advice, uh, because you're pretty new to the faith is, I think authenticity wins out at the end of the day, you know? I think, I think also, you know, it's, it's interesting because, you know, there's, there's a side of me that says, okay, I shouldn't do these things because of my faith. but it's I also I don't really want to as much anymore the issue isn't so much me fighting my own urges or needs it's figuring out how to how to kind of regroup and exist in an industry in a world that that has a lot of tendencies that I'm trying to move away from and you know I think at the end of the day like he said authenticity wins

And yeah, you know, I recognize that there may be some audiences that I, that I lose for, you know, being my 100% true self. But it's kind of like, it's like relationships. Like, if you can't love me for who I am, then you don't, then you don't love me. And I don't need you in my life. I'm going to get rid of you and make room for the people that can and will. And so, and I've just been in this industry for a long time. I've been doing this for a long time. And I've seen the ugliest, darkest, darkest side. of it and they are ugly and they are dark and I don't want any part of it it's not it's not really worth it and I have to believe that there's a way for me to chase this dream and exist in this in this world that um without without without you know demoralizing myself or feeling and I still figure that out every day I've by no means got it figured out but um I do I have got this kind of newfound conviction of like you know what if you are true to yourself then the right people will follow you and and they will love you and God will bless you and reward you for that.

And doesn't mean it's going to be easy. And I have to remind myself of what my prayers are to God. And when I pray to God and I'm asking him to work on me, I pray for him to give me good character. I pray for him to help me be a better person and good person, someone that he can be proud of, that my friends and family can be proud of. And you don't become a person of strong character

without difficulty and without struggle. And so, you know, I have to remind myself that he's not testing me or bringing me struggle to hurt me or because he doesn't love me. He does it because he does love me. That's right. Yeah, exactly. And you got to remember this one thing. I mean, I thought I was done with country music, but you just picked up a new fan. Because those two songs, look, those two songs were inspirational and they were awesome.

Thank you very much. And so we're very proud to have you here today. Megan, you're a bright light, and I'm glad you came to shine it here for Unashamed Donuts. Megan Patrick is her name. Check her out. I Am Second. She has a fantastic film on there about her life. Some of what she shared earlier in the podcast was well worth checking out as well as everything that they're doing over at A.m. Second. So, Megan, thank you for coming on. Thank you so much for having me.

All right. You picked up some new fans. I love it. We'll see you next time. Here's a little token of my. Now you know Megan was here. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by rating us on iTunes. And don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube

and be sure to click that little bell to get notified about new episodes. And for even more content that you won't get anywhere else, subscribe to Blaze TV at blazedv.com slash unashamed.