emotions Archives - Page 2 of 2

Deer in the Headlights

May 31, 2021 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Deer in the Headlights-deer on a foggy road In our garden spot of the world, we have to watch for deer in the headlights. We have several trees on one side of the road and farm fields on the other. Although beautiful and fun to watch, deer cause many accidents.

Deer in the headlights freeze in the middle of the road.

Both cars and the people in them suffer damage if they fail to stop in time. Therefore, we drive slower in certain areas.

If we act like deer in the headlights, we also freeze in place.

Causes include:

Fear
Surprise
Confusion
Strong emotions

We might:

Get caught red-handed
Experience unexpected and overwhelming responsibilities
Face decisions with no easy answers
Receive news of a birth, marriage, death, or other major family event

Although we freeze at times, unsure what to do, we don’t have to face the future alone.

God offers guidance and hope, whatever our situation.

“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord” (Psalm 31:24 NIV).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion. Image by enriquelopezgarre from Pixabay

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Easy Does It

October 29, 2018 Diana Derringer Comments 4 comments

Easy does it tells us to move slowly and carefully.

Like gently flowing water, we:

Take our time
Work around hard spots
Go with the flow

If we move too fast, we quickly learn that haste makes waste.

Sometimes easy does it relates to work.

We remain careful when we:

Move a heavy piece of furniture
Carry a special painting or piece of pottery

We don’t want to drop or break any of those.

Other times easy does it relates to our emotions.

When we feel out of control, rather than blow off steam, we:

Calm down
Relax
Control our temper
Treat everyone as we want to be treated

Ways to stay in control include:

Taking deep breaths
Lowering our shoulders, so our muscles relax
Closing our eyes and thinking of a favorite place
Praying
Asking if what upsets us will matter in ten years

Easy does it works well for everything and everybody.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV).

Thanks to Janna Babak for the suggestion.

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Crocodile Tears

August 6, 2018 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Crocodile Tears--crocodile in a swamp We don’t want anyone to cry crocodile tears for us. Neither do we want to cry crocodile tears for anyone else.

Crocodile tears mean false tears.

We act sad about something, but we really don’t care.

Years ago people thought crocodiles cried either:

To trap their victims
Or as they ate their victims

However, any tears crocodiles shed are not tears of sorrow. You can read more about that here.

Examples of crocodile tears include:

Saying we are sorry someone lost a job we plan to take
Crying at the funeral of someone we never liked
Acting sad we hurt someone we meant to hurt

Rather than crocodile tears, may we honestly care for one another.

Love like Jesus loves.
Live like Jesus lives.
Give like Jesus gives.
Forgive like Jesus forgives.

May we be as good as our word (and our tears).

When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow (Romans 12:15 TLB).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion.

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Mad as a Wet Hen

June 18, 2018 Diana Derringer Comments 4 comments

When we get mad as a wet hen, we get angry – very angry.

This seems like a strange expression, because most hens don’t mind getting wet. (Hen usually means a female chicken.)

We may not get mad often. Yet, most of us get mad as a wet hen or fit to be tied when people:

Hurt someone we love
Steal from us
Lie to us

Sometimes we get mad as a wet hen for no good reason. A little problem occurs, but we make a mountain out of a molehill. We usually regret that anger.

How do we act when we get mad as a wet hen?

We have several bad choices:

Fly off the handle and do something we regret
Scream like a baby
Destroy property
Hit something or someone

We also have several good choices:

Think before we act
Admit our anger
Learn how to express anger without hurting anyone
Use our anger to improve life for everyone, if possible

As with all emotions, we choose how we show anger.

May we always use it for good.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1 NIV).

Thanks to Pam Barnes Harlow for the photo.

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Fit to be Tied

April 23, 2018 Diana Derringer Comments 6 comments

Fit to be tied-rope tied into a heart shape Most of us have occasional fit-to-be-tied moments. We become:

Angry
Upset
Excited

We fly off the handle.

When fit to be tied, we get out of control.

Our emotions grow so great, we need someone to calm us down. No one actually ties us. However, they do try to:

Prevent anything we will regret
Keep us from hurting ourselves or someone else

We may grow fit to be tied for selfish reasons.

When we don’t get our way
If our plans don’t work

We may also grow fit to be tied for unselfish reasons.

When someone abuses a child or older adult
If someone lies, steals, or hurts people in any other way

Little things often make us fit to be tied.

Some of us deal well with life’s big problems. Yet, we blow off steam when faced with small ones such as:

Slow traffic
Food spills on a clean floor
Noisy neighbors

God gave us emotions.

However, we want to use those emotions for good, not harm. How do we do that?

Recognize what upsets us.
Remember we can’t control everything.
Change what we can.
Ask for help when we need it.
Focus on what matters most.
Ask God to guide us and work through us.
Choose to love everyone, including those who make us fit to be tied.

“Don’t let your spirit rush to be angry, for anger abides in the heart of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9 HCSB).

Thanks to Pat Stapp for the suggestion.

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

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Puppy Love

February 10, 2015 Diana Derringer Comments 4 comments

Puppy Love 1 Puppies are cute, sweet, and make us smile. The same is true for puppy love — children or young people falling in love. We smile at puppy love, but we know it seldom lasts.

The problem: Puppy love depends on emotions alone — how do I feel?

If you make me feel good, I love you.
If you make me feel bad, I don’t love you.
If we have fun, I love you.
If we don’t have fun, I don’t love you.

As a result, young people may fall in and out of love several times.

Sadly many adults define love the same way.

The trouble with that thinking:

Good feelings come and go.
Life is not always fun.

True love – lasting love – means much more.

I choose to love you.
I commit my life to you.
I will do what is best for you.

That does not mean love is blind. It does mean:

I accept that no one is perfect.
I will work with you on our disagreements.
I love you, even when I don’t like you or your actions.

In any relationship we sometimes feel on top of the world. Other times we feel like we are in a valley. True love says, “I will walk with you wherever the journey takes us.”

Love is a choice. Love is a verb.

Note: If abuse occurs in a relationship, seek help and protection immediately.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5).

What do you think true love means? Please comment.

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Excess Baggage

October 22, 2013 Diana Derringer Comments 8 comments

If you have flown recently, you know the financial cost of an extra suitcase or too much weight. In addition, who wants the backaches, delayed connections, and short tempers caused by excess baggage?

Frequent travelers learn to pack nothing but the essentials.

They leave everything else at home.

If we only did the same with the emotional baggage we carry.

Just like an overstuffed suitcase, excess emotional baggage carries great cost. When we let our negative feelings regarding past wrongs, real or imagined, control our lives:

We may have trouble getting and keeping jobs.
We tend to take our feelings out on innocent people around us.
People often avoid us and our bad tempers.
We may have difficulty sleeping.
We may suffer eating disorders.
We lose our ability to concentrate clearly.
We remain miserable until we work through whatever holds us back.

If we can rid ourselves of excess emotional baggage on our own, that’s great. If we need help, we should seek that assistance without delay.

As a combat soldier in an old television program frequently said, “Let it go. Just let it go.”

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

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On Top of the World

September 17, 2013 Diana Derringer Comments 8 comments

We love to be on top of the world.

Yet, we don’t have to climb a mountain or fly a plane to get there. Think about:

Wedding vows
The birth of a child or grandchild
The first day of a long-awaited job

All these and more can make us feel on top of the world.

What if we could experience those emotions forever?

We would be exhausted – no good to ourselves or anyone else. We love grand moments. However, we cannot maintain that level of excitement forever.

Real living includes level ground.

Washing dishes
Changing diapers
Difficult days at work

Level ground keeps our families and our world functioning as they should.

Real living also includes valleys.

Relationship difficulties
Death
Financial crises

Valleys may not be fun. Yet, through them we grow stronger.

From the valleys, we look up.

For many, that is where we find our strength. Through the power of God’s love, we can stay on top of the world, regardless of our circumstances.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (Psalm 46:1-3 NIV).

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