~ Psalm 104:24 ~: fall festival fun!

....ooh.....relaxing......

That was the adjective that was used by more than a few people when they visited our booth this weekend at our first fall festival....I guess the "laid back" feeling is just what people need these days. There is something about slipping on some tie dye that soothes the soul. It sends out a good vibe, you know.....the original hippie philosophy of love, peace and freedom.

It is true, that what people choose to wear reflects their approach to life. Some people are always "on"......ready for the next battle. Now don't get me wrong, being prepared is a good thing and we need some of those vigilant warriors among us. But I also believe that we all need some "chilling out" time too. Time to just relax.....seize the day......take a day "off" and enjoy the little things in life.

I mentioned that Josh works in the corporate world, wearing the dress shirt, tie and not so comfortable shoes. He looks nice, professional and all that.....(and of course, handsome)......but there is just a taut stiffness surrounding him as he walks out the door. So when he walks through that door in the afternoon, tie already off, but still in his "wound up" attire.....his first order of business is changing into some "winding down" clothes, usually one of his favorite tie dye tees. I know it sounds crazy, but you can literally see and sense the stress strip away from him.
I also mentioned that we've been referred to as "Dharma and Greg" more than a few times.....you remember that show, the lawyer married to the hippie......and I guess, we are kinda like them.

Josh is focused, sets his goals and executes them as planned....he is not a fan of change.....he is always early/on time for any event.....he is very organized, is great with directions (even when he insists that we don't need to stop for more) and constantly seeks the comfort and peace of being in a controlled environment. Although he performs well under pressure, he likes everything to go off without a hitch.

I, well........am not so much that way.......I am very unorganized......and as I type this, I just remembered I have to call the bank because I lost, er misplaced my debit card....again! I don't usually have a plan for the most part and just "go with the flow". I often am late for most events and am horrendous with directions, although I eventually make it where I need to go (hence being late most of the time). I do very well under pressure, in fact.......I am in my element when there is chaos. It must tap into the chaotic state of my brain and have a familiar feel to it.

So I guess we are a nice balance......I am there to help slow Josh down when his wheels are spinning out of control......and he is there to give me a swift (but loving) kick in the butt when I am slacking. I am working on him to not immediately put on his shoes the minute he wakes up.......he is working on getting me to use a wallet/purse to keep my money and credit cards together. He actually wore plaid pajama pants to go to the drive-thru coffee shop last weekend (not sure if he will ever admit it)...... and I started meal planning and making grocery lists. :)

But we do both have one thing in common......when it comes to our lives, including finances, health, children, future........we do trust that God is going to handle whatever comes our way, after all........He is orchestrating it all. We know we need to trust in Him. He is the ultimate physician, accountant and life skills adviser. He is the ultimate "stress reliever" ..... turn all your worries and burdens over to Him, He will grant you peace.

Soooooooooo, getting back to the festival......it was a great success! I actually did better than I expected and cannot wait to jump on traveling festival bandwagon.....I met so many people, and felt happy when people smiled as they walked into our tent. Some people couldn't wait and put their tees on right away (I swore I saw one less frown line on this lady's forehead immediately, *wink)

It's not a new medical breakthrough to know that stress is one of the number one killers......so I'd like to think that one of my tie dye shirts might help........ a teeny tiny bit........ by adding a few more days to someone's life. :)

Here are a few pics from this weekend, and thanks to all our friends and family who came by to visit us too! Excuse the cluttered look....it wasn't entirely my fault.....God spared us the rain, but the wind was brutal and everyone's items were blowing everywhere.....so I had to buckle down the hatches and pile up my tees/items to keep them from tumbling everywhere.