Runaway Emotions by Jeff Schreve

                                Emotions are something that all of us have to deal with in life. Whether or not we allow them to control us and rule our lives, or whether we consciously decide to control them, however, is a decision that we must make each day. In the book Runaway Emotions, Pastor and author Jeff Schreve explores the place emotions have in our lives and how we can recognize what God may have intended them to communicate to us when we encounter them, so that we may use them properly to glorify God in our lives and put then in the place He intended, not ruling us but being ruled by us.
                                 Jeff Schreve is the Pastor of First Baptist in Texarkanam Texas. While he was in college, he took a class on emotions one semester that opened his thinking to the role emotions play in our lives. Later, while Pastoring he did a series of sermons on emotions and the content of those sermons became the basis for this book. It is a subject than anyone can relate to, and the illustrations he uses can be readily understood by any reader, since all of us have experienced the same emotions, though under different circumstances.
                                 The book is eight chapters long, each covering a different emotion, ranging from embarrassment to worry to guilt to depression.  The author chose to address many of the most common emotions that we seem to wrestle with as individuals. The message he conveys in each chapter is that the emotion is a warning sign, and he addresses what he believes each emotion is trying to warn us. The cover shows a picture of a smoke alarm, which he actually sounded off in service when the series was first taught. For example, with the emotion of frustration. He states that the emotion is attempting to convey the warning that your God given desire for meaning and purpose is on fire.
                                  I found the book to be practical and applicable, but not as engaging as I would have hoped (perhaps my emotion would be disappointment, but there was no chapter on that one). The material is definitely important, but I am a bit analytical and found myself questioning his conclusions for what each emotion is trying to tell us. He seemed to not have any solid evidence to support the validity of his conclusions, other than his own research that he used to form his  conclusion. That doesn't make the conclusions wrong, just speculative. However, for anyone struggling with their emotional makeup, the book will be a good read.
                                  I received this book free from the publisher through the http://BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.  If you need help with your emotions, this book will be a good place to start. We all struggle with emotions and this book will be a helpful place to gain more understanding of the role of emotions and how to take control of their existence in our lives.