Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer (Romans 12:12)

July 16, 2019– Several years ago when our sons, Joey and Drew, were playing baseball together for the Carmel Pups, I found myself with a seriously broken down minivan at a tournament in Jasper, Indiana. It was about this time in the summer and the temperature was about 95 degrees, so I was dripping with sweat and not a small amount cranky. I needed a savior, and that’s when Sha Butz swooped in to save the day! I wanted to just shove my vehicle off a bridge into the river, but instead that darn van would remain in southern Indiana for a couple weeks at a repair shop. Lucky for us, the hilarious and very silly Sha made us forget our vehicle woes that weekend. We went where she went, because, well, she was our wheels. I recall very clearly laughing until I had tears rolling down my cheeks when she decided to try on the underwear over her clothing at the Jasper Walmart. Sha is lively and amusing mixed with a pinch of ridiculous– and completely lovable!

If my memory serves, Sha is a Butler grad from Kokomo. She’s married to a terrific human named Steve, and together they have three super kids– Evan, Joey, and Erica– as they appear from left to right in the photo above with their parents.

For me, Sha’s got two defining qualities that make her stand out from others. First, she’s incredibly joyful, and more importantly, she is a woman of God. She has endured her share of suffering, and because she truly loves the Lord, it’s evident to me that it’s only sharpened her character and produced perseverance. That’s why I chose my favorite scripture verse to honor her today.

Those three young people pictured with her above are blessed beyond words to have a spiritual soul like Sha as their mother. I have no doubt that from her they have learned an infinite amount about positivity and integrity as well as grace and gratitude. Also, they’ve learned not to take themselves or this life too seriously.

I don’t see Sha much these days, but I did run into her a few weeks ago while she was out to dinner with Steve and some friends. She went out of her way to come say hello and give Tom and I both a big hug. That’s Sha! She’s always got a big grin that fills the area with her sunshine. She’s like a big glass of ice cold lemonade on a hot day– so cool and refreshing! Thank you Sha Butz for the amazing woman that you are! Your sparkle is encouraging and inspiring to all of us who have the good fortune to know you!