"We were leading while bleeding and hardly anyone knew," write the mental health advocates and CARE-Readiness coaches. "Eventually, we were forced to stop, rest, retreat and reset because Success is not only about what you will accomplish. Ultimately it’s about who you will become. "
In their life-impacting book, Rest, Retreats, Revival and Other Comedies, subtitled You are Success in Process, Chris and Carol Green talk about the consequences for anyone who chases dreams without discernment, plans a future without God's wisdom, or neglects the stewardship of physical, mental and emotional wellness during and after life-altering critical incidents. Each time they faltered, they would press forward anyway, accepting more and more invitations to help others; and that would push them into cycles of emotional, mental, physical and spiritual crisis. They share how God's process eventually led them out of those traps and into healing, wholeness, and their true identity and purpose, which was rediscovered when they learned how to:
Rest in God and get out of the grind mindset;
Retreat after devastating setbacks and disappointments;
Revive and reset to come back out fighting again; and to be open, honest and humbled by the
Comedy of Errors; the mistakes and bad decisions, upon which God extended mercy and grace.
"This book isn't for everyone," the Greens affirm, "It's for that person who is sick and tired of projecting a brave front while masking their deep disappointment behind superficial spirituality. It's for the person who is no longer looking for a typical self-help manual, filled with inspirational stories and motivational meditations. THIS is the book for that soul who is ready to challenge their core beliefs about why their life keeps going off the rails, to stop blaming 'the devil' for everything that goes wrong, and truly desires to finally break FREE from the unending cycles of dead-ends, defeat and discouragement.
We put ourselves out there, made ourselves vulnerable and accessible, and exposed our true authentic hearts; and when people took advantage of our kindness and compassion, or questioned our competency, motivations, loyalty and integrity, yes, we were taken aback, hurt, and offended (which we hate to admit), and it triggered our introvert instincts to just go home and close the door.
We reached our breaking points when the pressures and challenges began to affect our marriage; when they began to affect our physical and mental health; when insinuations and accusations from outside forces and entities, advanced far beyond mere words spoken against us, to actual intentional actions against us that had real life-impacting consequences.
So, we would retreat. And it would be complete pullback moments, cutting off almost everything and everyone (the guilty, the innocent, the perpetrators, and the by-standers). We were in survival mode, burnout and compassion fatigue. But even those triggered-withdrawal responses were part of our process.
We learned that you can't ignore the painful affects of crisis, fatigue or trauma by trying to press forward anyway, or by trying to be who and what others may need you to be for them. We had to rediscover who God actually always intended for us to be for Him."
From the Book's Foreword:
This book is a revelation on how to understand change. It lays out the truth about "process", as productive lives are always on a journey of constant growth and change. To stop growing and changing is to die.
The Greens are top Searcherdemcians who are not afraid to take new paths to help lift and better humanity. They are not scared to be Searchers of a new way of doing things and because of this, they are fruitful.
They have gone through growth, death, and rebirth, while leading in a new philosophy of education for which the world is crying out.
I've had the privilege of knowing and working with the Greens for nearly a decade. I have observed their approach and can vouch for their genuineness and productivity. They have diligently worked, scraped, and sacrificed their way to top stages of influence.
I say, "When all else fails, follow the fruit." Chris and Carol Green are good fruit and have produced tangible evidence and results of their life skills theory, "You are Success in Process."
In this book, you are sure to find where you are "in your process." You are sure to find your next step. You will be encouraged and reassured that you are not alone in your journey. You will find that you are "God's Success in Process."
How refreshing is that?!
This is a riveting book that has inspired and impacted my life.
You will already be succeeding by picking it up.
---Chancellor Michal P. Pitzl,
United Graduate College and Seminary, Int’l
