Hey Babe: What I Wish I Knew Then...

By Meghan Robinson

I'm so excited that you picked up this book. I believe in you, and I want to see you live the life God created you to live. As you explore these pages, I'm going to share lessons I've learned over the past forty years, and I'm hoping it encourages you and inspires you along the way!

You are AMAZING! I wish I could hug your neck and look y

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: May 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798890410740

Meghan Robinson

Meghan Robinson is a fun, energetic speaker, writer, freedom fighter, wife, mom, and friend. She leads a life that is committed to activating potential and purpose inside each and every person she encounters. She serves with her husband as Lead Pastors of The Movement Church in Orange County, CA. She also co-leads She Rises Conference alongside Holly Waner and loves investing in leaders through the She Leads Community.

Book preview

Dedication

To Brooklyn and Avery, this book is for you! These are lessons I want to share to help equip you for this beautiful life God has called you to live. I am so honored that God chose me to be your mom. I love raising girls! It is the greatest privilege of my life. Thank you for allowing me time to write and to travel and speak so that together we can help people know Jesus! I am so proud of you! Love you forever and ever! xoxo

Carey, I am one lucky girl! Thank you for always believing in me and championing every dream that is in my heart. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without you! You are my best friend, the love of my life, and I am so grateful for you!

To my Movement Church girls and team….

You were the inspiration. Thank you for cheering me on. Thank you for being part of the journey. Let’s keep changing the world together, #tillallhaveheard

Hey, Babe…

Over the next 45 days, I want to talk to you like a mom! Can we do that? I know I’m not your mom, but I imagine there are some things that you are dealing with right now in your life where you could use a mom to wrap her arms around you, tell you she believes in you, and challenge you at the same time! I don’t think we ever outgrow that! I want to invite you to take this journey with me. I’m going to share some life lessons I have learned in the past 40 years, and I’m sure this book will have a sequel because I’m still learning! Some of these lessons came from my mom, some from wise women who invested in my life, and some came from growing in my relationship with Jesus. Now, you don’t have to be a Christian to read this. I would just encourage you to be open to a God in heaven who loves you and created you on purpose, for a purpose! You might just meet Him in the pages of this book!

As you read, take the time to think through the questions at the bottom of each page. There is also a prayer you can pray. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start and I just figured I’d help you get going! You can read a page each day or all the way through at once, but I would encourage you to take the time to let each lesson really set in. Go through your day and think about it. Apply the principles to your life and see what happens! I believe in you and I’m cheering you on!

If I could tell my younger self a few things, it would probably look something like this!

To my 20-something, wildly passionate, crazy, dreaming self……

Take a deep breath, start something. Don’t let fear or insecurity hold you back. Be confident in who you are while humbly allowing others to speak into your life. The dream God put in your heart is from Him, but you don’t need to know every step today! Slow down. Smell the roses. Celebrate the small moments. You don’t have to have it all figured out. One step of obedience and faith at a time and all that God has in store for you will be unveiled!

The Bible says in his heart a man plans his course but the Lord determines his steps. You can plan and work a plan but remember, God’s plan prevails!

The dreams God has given me have rarely unfolded like I thought they would or in the time frame I had in mind, but God is behind the scenes working all things together for His good and His glory! Relax, He is in control!

** Oh, and eat healthy now. Choose organic, take your vitamins, add more greens, get moving!!! 27 is coming and things do change!

Be kind, don’t hold on to offense...it’s not worth it! Do everything you can to not burn bridges. Oh, these are just a few thoughts I would share with you! But there is not enough room on this page to share it all, so keep reading. There is so much more!

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

What is one desire or dream of your heart? (you can list more than one if you want)

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What is one thing you are struggling with right now?

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Prayer starter:

Dear God, I know that You are good and I am so grateful that You love me! As I open the pages of this book, would You speak directly to me? Encourage my heart, help me know exactly who You have made me to be. I am opening my heart and life to You and expecting You to speak to me. I am trusting You with my

desires and my dreams.

Spider Stomper, Cricket Catcher

I’m a pretty tough girl, but I really don’t like bugs of any kind! When I was younger, I remember stepping out into our muggy garage to scoop up some dog food for our Scottish Terrier. It was my job to feed the dog. As I opened the Costco-sized bag of dog food, an army of cockroaches began to flood out and chase me down. They wanted my life! I ran screaming straight into my parents’ room. The shrieks were so loud my parents had to have assumed I was about to be stabbed by a serial killer and in my mind, I was! Roaches! Even the thought as I type makes me shudder. The scene that played out next was everything I could have hoped for. My big, strong dad took on that aggressive army of roaches and slayed them all. The ones he missed went running for the hills! I was safe. Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, I was free at last!

I’ve always had a flair for the dramatic, and it’s a trait I have passed down to my daughters as well! I cannot even count the number of times my husband has saved me from a random spider in the shower or on the ceiling, June bugs that are only attracted to my hair, and slugs that have taken their position of attack on a glass or plate of food during a picnic! It is not unusual in our house to hear one of my girls screaming for their dad, the big, strong, bug slayer! Just the other day, Brooklyn was getting ready for school and let out a series of blood-curdling screams. I came running. A cricket had made its way onto her bed. It was planning to attack in her sleep! I joined her in screaming and trying to take action. I managed to get a cup over the little beast until our hero could come in to save the day and escort the intruder out of our house!

Now, I imagine you are thinking, Meghan…it’s just a bug. It’s not that big of a deal and you need to teach your girls to toughen up! Well, maybe so, but I figure as long as they have a big, strong, protective, bug slaying hero in our house we might as well let him handle it! And you know what, I don’t think he minds the job of being our protector and hero!

Maybe you didn’t grow up in a home with a spider stomping, cricket catching father. It might be hard for you to imagine a dad who cares about the little details of your life. I hate that for you, and I know it might weigh heavy on your heart. I just want to encourage you today that even if you have never had a father present in your life who was invested in even the smallest problems that you face, you have a Father in heaven who cares about every detail! He loves you and He loves coming to your rescue when you cry out to Him. The Bible calls Him our protector, our defender, our strong tower that we can run to and be safe!

I met a friend when I moved to California that was walking through an ugly divorce. She had grown up in church and I asked her if I could pray for her. Do you know what she said? You don’t need to pray for me; there are so many other people who need those prayers! She was walking through a crisis but dismissing a powerful, protective, Father who longed to act on her behalf! Sure, her crisis might not be at the same level as world hunger, but for her it was. What I don’t think she understood is that our God is so big and so mighty and He loves to help us.

Whether you are facing a tiny spider kind of fear or walking through a crisis that feels like it will take you out, you have a Father in heaven who loves you and is available for you the moment that you call out His name!

When we lived in Arizona, Carey used to check Avery’s crib every night with a blacklight. Arizona is known for scorpions, and we had found several in our house. They can get anywhere, and the only way to see them is with a blacklight. Those demonic little bugs glow in the dark! He checked her bed because it was his job to keep her safe. Your Father, God, is looking out for you in the same way. He is your protector, and He cares about every detail of your life.

The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

Psalm 121:5-8 NLT

Are there some areas of your life that you haven’t trusted God with? Maybe you have thought, I can handle that on my own? Maybe you just didn’t realize that He cared about the details: the test you really need to pass, the frustration you have with your co-worker, the extra finances that you need for gas this week, the child who is home sick again and really needs to get back to school? Make a list below of some of the things you need to cry out to God for and allow Him to come running in. Your big, strong, protective, bug slaying Father!!!

Prayer Starter:

Dear God, I really do need Your help. There are so many things happening in my world right now and I know You care about the details. Please step in and help me. I am choosing to trust You with even the smallest details because I know You care about me!

You Are Loved

All dressed up in her little sundress, tiny pigtails covered by two giant bows sticking straight up off her head, she toddled barefoot towards the back door. My little two-year-old stood swaying side to side waiting for her daddy to walk through the door. This was a daily occurrence that will forever be etched in my memory. The door would swing wide open, and Carey would come in. The moment he set eyes on Avery he would exclaim, Oh my goodness… you are BEAUTIFUL! A bashful smile would creep up beneath her pacifier and she would race into his arms for a giant hug. The picture has changed some over the years. Sometimes we get a sweaty, dirty, playful ten-year-old bursting through the doors still seeking her father’s approval. To this he offers a fist bump, a giant smile and the words You are beautiful and you definitely need a shower! Or we get a sleepy-eyed, bedhead, morning breath, princess who stumbles into the living room to be met with her dad’s exclamation: It’s the champion! The champion is awake! Even though Avery is growing and changing, she will always know that she has a father who loves her!

Now I know that for every girl reading, this story evokes emotion. Either sweet memories and identification with my daughter or pain and regret. Many of you didn’t have the privilege of growing up in a home with a father who loved you unconditionally. I know some of you may have never known your dad; he may have walked out or maybe he was just unavailable. I can only imagine that gaping hole in your heart. I’m so sorry that you didn’t get to experience that. To be seen, known, and loved is a basic need of all humanity.

A completely different memory is also forever etched in my memory from when I was a youth pastor in Dallas, Texas. We were having dinner with some of our friends when one of our youth leaders called and showed up shortly after with a young 14-year-old girl from our ministry. This girl came to church every week on a bus that we sent into her small neighborhood of subsidized housing close to the church. She had