Bible Study for Ministry, Christian Women, and The Pastor's Wife ~ I Am Christmas Emotive, Part 1

Bible Study for Ministry, Christian Women, and The Pastor's Wife ~ I Am Christmas Emotive, Part 1
     Psalms 71:1 "In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion."
     Christmas Emotive? Christmas emotive is a term I made up. Emotive is a dictionary word that so describes so many feelings at Christmas by so many people. And it's not just the day; but, perhaps the whole season we call Christmas.
     "emotive - adj. 1. characterized by, expressing, or producing emotion 2. relating to the emotions"
     Emotions, both positive and negative, tend to surface during Christmas. Let's talk about a few of them in pairs with their opposites: anger/laughter; sadness/joy; anxiety/confidence; flustered/present; drained/complete.         According to people who research emotions, there are literally hundreds of emotions with both positive and negative sides.
     Anger/Laughter ~ the opposite of angry, according to the research of Dr. Carolyn C. Mein, is not peace, love, or joy, but laughter. She continues by saying that some times the anger is a good thing and doesn't have to have a negative effect. 
     "It could provide the impetus to change unhealthy situation or bring a problem into conscious awareness so a solution can be found."
     When memories of Christmas past or even events of Christmas present cause me to feel Christmas emotive and experience anger, I need to stop everything and realize I still can trust in God and His promise found in 1 Corinthians 10:13. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
     And His way out of anger - whether mild or like a raging flash flood, is to laugh! 
     Proverbs 17:22 "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."  I don't want a broken spirit! The natural, outpouring of that is found in James 5:13. "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms." If nothing else, I can laugh at my singing - and a few others that I have heard and experienced.
     Now, my Christmas emotive is no longer from an angry point of view and the result of all that laughter really is peace, love, and joy.
     
Be blessed in The Name above every name, Jesus! I know I am!
Linda L Culbreth

P.S. I am on the road at one of my writing client's ranch. And the wi-fii won't let me upload the beautiful picture of confusion I have prepared. I'll put it up when I can.