Hello everyone :) This school year is nearly over, just about a week left till school closes and its holidays till the next year rolls around! To be honest, I am so ridiculously excited for the next year, I just can't wait. Weird maybe, but I've got a feeling that God is doing something amazing. And probably even weirder, I can't wait for the exams, haha!

I've been reading a book lately, its called "Spirit-Controlled Temperament" by Tim LaHaye. Have you ever wondered why your character is the way it is? Like why you are so different from your best friends and how come the way you deal with certain situations is so different from others? That's because not all of us have the same temperament. Basically, temperament is what we are born with and what we have inherited from our parents and grandparents. It determines our traits and why some of us are more inclined to be hot-tempered or pessimistic or lazy! There are 4 main temperaments (Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholic, and Phlegmatic) and each person basically has a mix of two types of temperaments, where one is the dominant temperament and another is the secondary temperament. It's all a bit too long to get into, but if anyone is interested in knowing what type they are, you could tell me and I don't mind lending you the book or explaining!

The temperament types are amazingly accurate and the way they describe each temperament's strengths & weaknesses were spot on (Well, it was super accurate in describing me!). I, for one, am a Phlegmatic Choleric. Here's a short summary of the strengths and weaknesses of a Phlegmatic:

Strengths of a Phlegmatic:
1. Witty
- Phlegmatics have an unexcited sense of humour that keeps them from being intensely involved with life; they can often see humour in the most mundane experiences.
2. Dependable
- Always cheerful and good-natured, they can be depended upon to fulfill their obligations and time schedules. They always do what is expected or "the proper thing".
3. Efficient
- Since they are not emotionally stimulated to make sudden decisions, they find the practical way to accomplish an objective with the least amount of effort. Although they are not perfectionists, they have high standards of accuracy and precision.

Weaknesses of a Phlegmatic:
1. Slow & Lazy
- They are often accused of being 'dragging their feet'. Since they resent being stimulated to action against their will, they go along as slowly as they can. Their lack of motivation tends to make them spectators in life; they're inclined to do as little as necessary.
2. Tease
- Phlegmatics are annoyed by - and often confront - the aimless, restless enthusiasm of a Sanguine. they are disgusted by, and prone to ridicule, the gloomy moods of a Melancholic. They take great delight in throwing ice water on the bubbling plans of the ambitious Choleric.
3. Selfish & Stubborn
- They may love someone, but rarely let that person know it. This trait often becomes more apparent over time, as they learn to protect themselves from 'overinvolvement'. As they mature, they can learn to disguise their stubbornness through their easygoing good humour, while becoming even more stubborn. Instead of stamping their feet and saying, "I won't do that!", they are more apt to smile and graciously not do it.
4. Indecisive
- They are indecisive because of their desire to be people-pleasers. Also, even though they can analyze an situation and come to a practical method for achieving it, they often weigh the plan against whether or not they really want to get 'involved'.

Reading all this, I actually started laughing because it described me pretty accurately, especially the weaknesses. My mom is actually pretty worried about my "slow and easy-going" nature because I never want to be bothered about getting involved in life. She thinks that I will fail at life because I am so un-motivated to get involved and be active, and instead I just sigh and slough along. Then she nags and pesters me to be more motivated which causes me to resent that and as a result, I become slower! Hahaha :p Instead of stamping my feet and shouting out my resentment at being told to do something I don't want to do, I just nod in agreement and then... Not do it. Which saves my energy, too. Being a Phlegmatic Choleric, I can be a good leader when forced into it and I work well under extreme external pressure because I have so little internal motivation. Hmm, this book is pretty interesting in telling and explaining who you are and why you do the things you do - But most importantly, it shows you how the Holy Spirit is able to be at work in you, to change your weaknesses to be used for His glory. Its not just some pokey psychology book, but it is biblical in teaching, explaining how a Christian can not live his life by temperaments and emotions alone but by dependence and submission to Christ.

Interesting, no? :)