One word: HORMONES

Is it bad when a German exchange student recognizes that the reason for your extreme, ridiculously CRAZY emotions and apparent annoyance at the UNIVERSE is a result of one word: hormones?

So it began with the fact that this week is going to and is the most stressful week ever! Add that to getting completely lost trying to find the tennis courts downtown for my meet (Google Maps was WRONG! It told me to turn right on a one way going left!), then coming home to loads of homework and an extremely long do to list when the computer is ignorant and the printer decides to completely malfunction when my dad is not around to fix it. Then I try to do my AP U.S. study guide and it's not even in chronological order - luckily my book is stupid enough to... well just be plain DUMB. Add that to a menstrual cycle and you've got an extremely disoriented lunatic. The German exchange student my family is hosting was fortunate enough (definitely sarcastic!) to see and hear my explosion... he asked if there was anything I wasn't angry at (I said everything but God) then he asked if I wanted to relax and have a cookie. I screamed, "But a cookie didn't help! I still feel bad." He kept it simple, "Perhaps it's just hormones." Yeah... why couldn't I think of that? Instead a 17 year old teenage boy interprets my emotions. Cool, right? :P It makes me feel more like a loser, but I'm sure in a week I won't feel angry at the world! :)

It's times like these when I wonder what God was thinking when He invented hormones. But then again, as my genius exchange student pointed out, "then you wouldn't feel anything." I think it's good to feel emotions. An unemotional person is tediously boring. We have emotions so we can express our thoughts and feelings. I am glad for that, but we still have to deal with the annoying, angry, sad, and simply frustrated emotions! That's when I turn to the Bible. God never lets me down!

John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible: "Jesus wept." Yet, it conveys a deep and vital meaning. Even Jesus had to deal with the emotions of the world. He cried too! (Now I understand why I was so emotional for my previous post two days ago) Emotions are perfectly normal, but it's dealing with those emotions that can be difficult.

Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)

'I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Did you catch that? Paul was content in every circumstance! Talk about discipline. My hormones can cause me to act insanely crazy! Yet I can still choose to control those emotions and not lash out my anger on everyone else. (I'm sorry if I did) The good thing about emotions and hormones like these is that they're temporary. Don't worry about being forever angry or sad. It's just a season that will pass by momentarily. (I thank God that in this case it's only once month) Like He says in Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."

-Emotions picture from Google