Downside Up by Tracey Mitchell

Rejection hits all of us at some point or another in life. I decided to read this book not expecting it to affect me much. I couldn’t really think of a time of outright rejection in my life. However, it became very clear, early on in this book that rejection takes on forms that we may not even think about. Just because a significant other hasn’t left you or your parents were always there for you, doesn’t mean you won’t feel the sting of rejection. “Downside Up” by Tracey Mitchell addresses rejection with a perspective of moving past it and using it to catapult you to the next level in life.

There are several practical aspects of this book that I love. Mitchell uses a quote at the beginning and several helpful sections at the end of each chapter. One great thing is a section called “Chapter Principles”. This is basically a summary of the main points of the chapter. Then there are “Words of Wisdom” which is an applicable Scripture reference and “Power Quote”. There is also a “Plan of Action” section which gives you a practical thing you can do to put into practice something relating to the chapter.

There are principles in this book that apply to everyone whether you feel rejected or not. Many sections of the book discuss fear, for example. We all have fears, and at times, those fears can affect our daily lives. So even if you don’t think that rejection affects you, you can still benefit from this book. The book is also full of stories of real people as well as Mitchell’s own life that show that there can be healing and wholeness on the other side of rejection.

If you need some encouragement and a little help looking at the glass as half full, pick up this book!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255:“Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Freedom is Rising

I was blessed to be able to go to Greenbrier tonight to see the Arkansas All State Drama Team! They did a fantastic job, but I expected nothing less. When I saw them last year, I cried. This year was slightly less teary eyed (but I still cried).

They have been traveling the state this week with a message of freedom! Freedom from any chain or bondage that may be entrapping you. Big things like drugs, alcohol, pornography, and cutting to the little things we all may face in life like fear and depression.

In all the running around this week I have been overwhelmed by the same message. Bondage can be broken and freedom has arrived! That's a scary thing to say for me, because it insinuates that bondage won't return. I have lived through cycles of bondage so it is hard to state in public for others to hear that bondage is gone and chains are broken because there is a part of me that is just waiting for the next chains to come.

I guess that is a chain in itself. Constantly living waiting for the next bondage to come and fear of what's ahead. Not fully living in freedom because I'm just waiting for the next entrapment. Over thinking and over analyzing situations in life is like second nature to me. What can I say, it's probably what drove me to get an accounting degree!

Christ has said, that I am free, my family is free, and my life is a story of redemption walking around everyday. I can't live life waiting for the hammer to fall again.

Living free in Christ is a privilege. It is a gift from God. If your Father gave you a new iPhone as a gift, would you refuse to use it because there may come a day when you drop it and crack the screen? Would you give it back to your dad and say I don't want it because I may not have it for long? That's crazy. No one would do that. Maybe they would get an otter box to protect it while they use it, but they wouldn't just refuse to accept the gift.

That's what it's like when Christ gives you freedom and salvation in Him! It is a gift from our Heavenly Father. To refuse it for fear that it won't last is like refusing to take the iPhone because you think it won't last. Accept the gift with joy and the wholehearted belief that it will last. Protect the gift with prayer and getting in the word. Proclaim the gift (brag about it) like you would the iPhone. It is a freely given gift and it is available for everyone. If you could give everyone you meet a free iPhone, wouldn't you? I know I would! So why not share the free gift we do have?

Countless times this week, Gods message to me has been, "you have been set free", "The past is over. Whether it was 10 years ago or 1 week ago, it is still the past", "You have a new beginning", and "Trust me and just keep moving forward".

If you are in central Arkansas you can still catch the drama team Sunday morning in Sheridan or Sunday night in Jacksonville. I highly recommend it!!

Fearless

Have you ever felt like nothing was right in life? No matter what you did or didn't do, everything was "wrong" and you couldn't see "right" anywhere in the future. All you could see was your current circumstances hanging over you like those rain clouds in the cartoons. You know the ones that follow that one little cartoon character around to rain on them, and only them!

Having these feelings consistently for long periods of time can take a toll. For me, it created an anxiety problem in my life. Worry, anxiety, and fear became front and center in my daily life. Some days are worse than others and some days are almost unbearable.

The underlying problem that I struggle with is fear. Fear caused me to worry and worrying created anxiety. The more I worried the more anxiety I had. The more anxiety I had, the worse the physical response to it. At its worst I spent hours at a time hyperventilating and struggling to catch my breath. I remember one night I had been having one of these anxiety attacks for about an hour. All of the sudden I found myself curled up in a ball on the floor, struggling to breathe, light headed, and honestly wondering if it was ever going to end.

I heard a message this week from a missionary to an area where the people they encounter have reasons to fear believing in Jesus. It is an area of the world where believing in Christ literally could get you killed.

He said, "Terrified, Petrified, Mortified. Fear will either make you run away from what God has for you, turn you into a rock, or kill you". (Look up the definition of those three words).

My fear petrified me. It stopped me in my tracks with these anxiety attacks. But here is the good news! The Bible tells us "Do not fear"!! We do not have to let fear take over our lives. God is with us always and He promises to protect us in fearful situations. 

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. (Isaiah 43:1, 2 NKJV)

God doesn't ever promise us we won't go through trials, but he promises to be by our side and to take care of us as we go through them. 

Worn by Tenth Avenue North (you can listen to it here) has become one of my favorites songs to listen to lately. It took me a few times of feeling like I really liked this song to realize why. It is because I can relate literally to the first few lines.

"I’m tired. I’m worn. My heart is heavy from the work it takes to keep on breathing."

But the best part of this song is the chorus.

Let me see REDEMPTION WIN
Let me know THE STRUGGLE ENDS
That YOU can MEND A HEART
That’s frail and torn
I wanna know A SONG CAN RISE
From the ashes of a broken life
And ALL THAT’S DEAD inside CAN BE REBORN
Cause I’m worn

So, as I continue to battle anxiety, I am asking God to make me fearless! I am praying that through His power and strength, I can change my physical reaction when the hard times come.

My God is bigger than my fears and I need not worry because my God is with me through it all, by my side, every step of the way.