Monday Musings

Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts.

Soren Kierkegaard

True or untrue?

Why start a this post with an existentialist quote? Let's see...

I have, over the past couple of weeks, started writing posts,
or taken photos with a post in mind,
but when I sat down to to write...
it just wasn't...satisfying.

Fall is always a little hard for me. There are things I love about it ~
the excitement of a new school year, scheduled activities, changes in
the environment ~ cooler weather, leaves changing, harvest...

But some of those same things can be jarring.
With three school age children ~ one in elementary, one in junior high
and one in high school ~ the rigor of new teachers, homework,
and scheduled activities can be stressful. At the same time we are
experiencing shorter days, cooler temps, allergies, and colds.
And a new puppy! All the while, my senior is working on college apps,
and taking really advanced classes, one in which he had to write a paper on...
you may have guessed it, Existentialism.

some things I bought at our church rummage sale

I didn't even explore that topic until college when I wrote a paper
on it for a freshman honors English class, after reading Camus and Sartre
in an honors Poli Sci class. He learned about existentialism
last year in his high school philosophy class, and was now reading
"No Exit" and "The Stranger" in his Senior English class. The assignment
included watching a movie (from a list) with existentialist themes
and comparing them with themes from the books. One movie from the list
"Up in the Air", I had recorded, but had not watched yet, so I viewed
the movie with him. I figured we could bounce ideas off each other
to help him with his paper. Yeah. {Sigh}

the backs of these are so pretty

Then when looking for a book to read on my kindle, I came across
"The Hunger Games" and remembered my daughter reading it in her
school book club last year in sixth grade. Knowing that by her account,
it was a disturbing thought-provoking read (she loved it!),
but not realizing it also had existential themes,
I decided to read it...and the two sequels,
finishing them all within a few days.......

Thankfully Monday morning has come, after last weeks all consuming rummage sale,
(I am involved in our church rummage sale which is a week in actual execution)
and a frantic weekend starting with the Fortnightly dance at the junior high
(big Friday night production), Saturday's basketball tournament,
a haunted house, a cookout, and all the other usual weekend activities...
I didn't have time to process all those movie and book trilogy
existential threads dangling in my head.

chair I bought for $10 at rummage

Decompression time. 

love the curvy lines

Where have those threads lead me?  I am still untangling and digesting,
and of course may be digressing beyond what either of those
two authors intended (Up in the Air and The Hunger Games Trilogy).

and the nail head trim

stripped of its upholstery

 I have come to a few conclusions that make sense to me.
{they may or may not have anything to do with the aforementioned}

Live life intentionally, and understand yourself in an
authentic way ~  through choice and commitment.

Kierkegaard may ask ~
Does life only have meaning when following the rational standard of morality?

I think not, since Christianity is not just based on knowing,
but on a way of being and becoming.
It seems to me that almost anyway you look at it,
it comes back to choice.

 God's gift to us ~ freedom of choice ~ freewill.
Tied with a bow of Grace that accepts us even
when we fail in making the right choice.

Our choices matter.
Our thoughts matter.
{Our prayers matter.}
Intentionally becoming matters.

These are my "dominant thoughts" today.
And it is only Monday.
:)