Shelly Thieme:

The Lord looked into the depth of my being with great kindness; I thought I would die for joy under that gaze. (St. Faustina)

A bright smile, playful spirit and kind heart were always the defining qualities to me about Mary Zimmerman. She’s one of six amazing children born to my friends John and Tina Zimmerman.

Mary grew up near St. Louis de Montfort Catholic Church, in Fishers, Indiana and the parish school was part of her life too as a youngster. When she left grade school and then graduated from Bishop Chatard High School, she headed off to Dayton, Ohio where she spent a few years as a Dayton Flyer. It was no surprise to me when her mom shared with me that she decided to cheer for the Flyers at UD, because this young lady was always joyful and filled with spirit!

I’ve read it said that “a good teacher is like a candle- it consumes itself to light the way for others”, and if there’s as much truth in that sentiment as I believe, then it’s unsurprising that Mary would decide to become a teacher. I suspect that she’s an incredibly positive force in her daily work with students in her classroom. She’s one of those people for whom it comes naturally to be the face of Jesus to those around her.

I’ve watched from afar over the years as Mary lovingly supports her siblings and parents, I’ve noticed her loving up the nieces and nephews, and I even watched her crush the “summer nanny” gig back in the day. She’s a character and integrity filled woman of God with a great sense of humor and a welcoming heart. All those folks now in her daily orbit two hours away in Ohio…? I hope you know what a gem you’ve got in Mary!!

Today is Mary’s birthday and I just wanted to take a moment before Christmas excitement overtakes us all to give her a little birthday shout out! I see you over there, Mary Z! Wishing you a wonderful day and a very blessed Christmas surrounded by the many people who love you like crazy!!

Thank you for always leaving whatever place you’re in just a little better for having been there. You are a phenomenal woman with a glorious soul! Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas!! Today, I’ll be praying in a special way for you, Mary Zimmerman!

Never do the envy, jealousy and insecure stuff. Be the hustler, the well wisher, the go-getter.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to a sunny, beautiful woman named Steph Smith. She’s the wife of an ornery guy who also makes me smile. His name is Ed. I’ve spent a little time with Steph and Ed over the years because they are close friends of my parents, Jim and Kathy Dykhuizen.

Steph is a mover and shaker. No dust settles on this friendly, go-getter! She’s active on the YMCA board and helped get the new Y up and running in my hometown of Lafayette. She’s very involved in her Pickleball group and helped team with the city to get several courts constructed at McCaw Park on the east side of town. She’s a former coach at Lafayette Jeff High School, and also a counselor there. She and Ed are part of Ivy Tech in Lafayette— helping students get their education. Along with Ed’s brothers and spouses their foundation sponsors 25 graduates of Ivy Tech per year with scholarships to Purdue so they can finish their education. How cool is that?

Here’s what else I know about Steph! She’s a loving and supportive mom and grandma, as well as a tailgating rock star! A big Boiler fan, this gal knows her Purdue football and basketball too! As a friend to my mom, Steph is kind, thoughtful and caring. We all want the people we love to have lives surrounded by kind-hearted people of integrity, and Steph is certainly that.

Before she and Ed head back to Bonita Springs after Christmas, I just wanted to give her a little shout out and let her know that I see her awesomeness and think she’s a rock star! Merry Christmas to you and your whole amazing gang, Steph! Thank you for making the world a better place by the way you live your life. You’re flat out impressive.

Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure. (Pope John Paul II)

The Smith family amazes me. They are a large, eclectic, talented and incredibly faith-filled group of humans. Adam is the husband of a compassionate, beautiful woman named Mollie and together they built a stunning family. The whole clan is pictured together, below!

Near the center of the photo, in the plaid shirt is the father of eight, a sunny guy named Adam. This is a man of many talents! I don’t know actually what he’s principally involved in these days, but he’s done work in research and development, and he’s an incredibly gifted artist. Also, I’m fairly certain he’s a shooting instructor, which strikes me as a unique skill set.

Adam is a friendly person. He’s congenial, amiable, funny and kind. He never fails to say hello if I spot him out and about at church or perhaps at Guerin Catholic. He’s very present and supportive as a father. His outgoing, adventurous nature as well as his creative skills have definitely been inherited by many of his children. More importantly than that is the fact that his focus seems to me to be about leading his family in faith. This is ultimately what leads me to write about Adam today.

The Smith clan is impressive. Despite their wide and varying interests, abilities and gifts, the thing that draws others to them is their joyfulness. Hopeful, faithful people are magnets for sure. When we spot the face of Jesus in someone, it draws us in. That’s a fact. No one gets it right all the time, but Adam and his family are high integrity, quality humans who love the Lord. It shows. It attracts. It impresses.

Thanks, Adam, for your broad smile and welcoming ways. I think you are an inspiring and impressive man who makes the world a happier, spicier, more adventurous place to inhabit. Thanks for shining your bright light in my direction! I’m grateful!!

Last night, I briefly gave the yoga pants a respite and donned a black dress then headed out to the Somerset CPAs Christmas dinner at Maggianos with my handsome guy. The evening was positively frigid outside, but the company was lovely. I ended up spending my evening sitting next to a very friendly guy named Charlie Naber.

Outgoing and jovial are the words I would use to describe my experience with Charlie last night. He’s the husband of a completely lovely woman named Karen and the husband and grandfather of several very blessed humans.

The good-hearted ribbing and banter going on between Charlie and Karen throughout the evening made me smile. You see, his very genuine and sweet wife was eager for Charlie to enjoy his present company and NOT “talk shop” at dinner. Charlie couldn’t help himself, however. It was entertaining to watch their interaction, because despite the disagreement, one could not miss their authentic affection for one another.

Knowing he is a Catholic guy and a long-time parishioner at St. Maria Goretti parish in Westfield, I mentioned to Charlie that I was aware of his work with the Little Sisters of the Poor and their St. Augustine Home in Indianapolis. He smiled brightly and shared that the Little Sisters have taught him a lot over the years about trusting in Providence. Charlie is quite obviously a faith-filled guy. He sits on the board of the Trinity Free Clinic as well, a phenomenal place where many uninsured folks are treated each month. It’s located on the campus of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Carmel at their Merciful Help Center. He’s also got a great smile and positive energy, plus his storytelling is top notch. He’s a salt of the earth sort of man.

Charlie regaled us throughout the evening with everything from his very distinct preferences in PCs, the latest city council meeting he attended, his much adored children and grandchildren, the horses and donkeys on his 23 acre property in Boone County, and of course the aforementioned Little Sisters. I found out that some of my favorite, integrity filled friends, John and Tina Zimmerman, have known the Nabers clan for much longer than I have. It was fun to giggle at his college stories with the mutual friend he calls, “Beaner”. 

I’ll be honest, I left Charlie and was better off than before the encounter. Isn’t that what we should all strive to be for others? By the way he lives his life, it’s clear to me that Charlie Naber is a guy who is genuine, simple, and willing to be Jesus to the family and friends around him. It’s obvious to me that world is a much livelier and warmer place because of this guy, so today’s “Mad for” shout out is for Charlie! Merry Christmas to the entire Naber clan, and thanks for entertaining me last night with your sunny disposition!!

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (John 1:14)

Merry Christmas, friends!! I am writing about Jesus today in my “Mad for” series because my son told me I should. Essentially, he said, “Well, you love Jesus a whole lot so I think you should talk about Him on Christmas.” Thanks for noticing, kid. Consider it done.

Bishop Robert Barron said this,
“Through the mystery of the Incarnation, God allows us to participate in the divine life, thereby elevating and sanctifying us.” I am a BIG fan of this holy man, and I couldn’t agree more with his sentiments, which are so articulately and accessibly spoken.

For a few minutes every day this year, I decided I would try in a very intentional way to be the face of Jesus to someone. I wanted to participate in that divine life the good Bishop is speaking about. Since today is all about the Lord, I thought I’d take a moment to explain and hopefully answer the question about why and how it is that I am doing this, in the hope that it spreads. The way I set it up, I gave myself 24 hours to say a kind word or two about just one person, before another 24 hour clock started. That is the way I wanted to travel for my 2019, being an intentionally grateful and affirming person. I just wanted to spread the love of Jesus a little. It seemed like a reasonable goal at the time, and I’m just a few days away now from the end of the line, so we’ll see if God’s plan is for me to finish? I’m not going to lie, I now am fairly invested and would like to finish. The thing is, life comes at us unexpectedly sometimes, so I’m not attached to that outcome. In fact, quite early in the year when I was in the hospital, I wasn’t sure it would last long at all. I was about six weeks into the project and my health situation had been challenging, now I was going to be in a hospital bed a couple days. Then I kind of giggled when I saw the date on my iphone– that day I thought I might give up was the birthday of one of the humans I most respect in all the world. I knew I’d write about him, even if from a hospital bed in drug induced, sketchy, sentence-like format from my cell phone. Do you know why? Because he was the man who helped me find Jesus at my darkest hour. I couldn’t quit on February 21. Nope. It was a sign from the Holy Spirit that I was meant to trust God and keep going forward.

I just think it’d be cool to say I completed the task. What I’ve learned along the way about human nature and also about love itself is pretty much a game changer for me. I’ll probably tell you about that after the year ends. That’s the way it is with Jesus, though. You see, for all my obvious flaws, my heart was in the right place and my aim was pure. I’ve simply been telling the stories about what I’ve experienced Jesus doing in my life through the amazing examples set by the folks around me. Telling it like I see it, the truth as I know it is my aim. Just last week, a friend who has been following along told me that when she reads my posts, she hears appealing vulnerability and joyful words about who Jesus is to us all. I said “Huh? Well good.” I’m so articulate sometimes, ha?

Here’s the truth. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.” (1 John 4:11)

Today is the day love became incarnate, people. It wows and astounds me. The God of the universe came down here and loved us in the most vulnerable, humble way imaginable. He was born in a stable and his parents were a carpenter and a teenage girl. He did this for us. It was pure love. Period. What do you say we do like Jesus and let our lives revolve around loving others? I propose we start immediately. Right now. Yes, I know it’s Christmas Day. Perfect right?! Let’s be the kindest, most welcoming version of ourselves today! That would be a grateful note on which to accept our Savior into our hearts this Christmas season.

We’re all constantly getting little love notes from the Lord in our lives. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, feel free to ask me to share about a few of mine sometime, and be prepared to hear my loud and excited voice— because I want you to recognize His voice in yours more than almost anything!! Some of us hear easier than others, but make no mistake. The God of Heaven and Earth is not just madly in love with us. He came down and humbled Himself in the form of the most vulnerable type of human being because He loves me, Shelly Thieme. And He loves YOU [insert your name here]. He knows your individual heart and He can hear even the prayer you didn’t share, but kept buried inside yourself. That critical voice, the one that says you aren’t enough? That’s NOT Him, people. Our God is compassionate and He is kind. Trusting Him is a great call, just saying.

None of us did anything to earn this life. Whatever love you have to give this year, give it lavishly and maybe even a little recklessly…just like it’s Christmas morning and you are playing the part of Santa Claus to a room full of toddlers!! Today is a joy filled day. I don’t always get it right, but really and truly I love Jesus. My heart aches a touch wishing I could somehow impart in a genuine way just how much I mean that, and what gratefulness for the grace of faith makes me desire. I want to be the woman you feel like you can call any old time without worrying about me being bugged, because you know I’ll be gracious and that I care. I’m hoping you’ll find I treat you like we’re going to spend all eternity together. If I don’t, please forgive me. Chances are solid I just need another hour of sleep or maybe a latte with too much Splenda, and I’ll be as good as new.

I’m hoping the Lord will see my effort and desire and that He’ll pour out His glorious grace on us both, while forgiving my giant mess ups– because we know I’m going to flub up. You might screw up too, but I really do hope that what remains is LOVE. Happy Birthday, Jesus! I love You, please help me love You more!

Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.

Merry Christmas!

I have a lot of respect for genuine people. They might not be perfect, but at least they’re not pretending to be. (A. Gucciardi)

When their children and ours were little, we were neighbors. It was just impossible not to find the whole family likable, and even more improbable to not fall in love with their three absolutely adorable children— Jennifer, Jeffrey and George. This explains why it really was a crisis for the entire neighborhood when their young son went missing (briefly) many years back. Christine was frantic. The Carmel police department was called. All of us were searching the nooks and crannies of the area…until he was found…inside his toy box! It makes me laugh all these years later and honestly I never even asked Christine if that is actually where he was or just the very funny story I heard secondhand.

For me, this little tale illustrates what I have always loved about the Utzinger family, and especially Christine. She’s just so real, so utterly relatable. For me, nothing beats an unpretentious person. It’s often what connects me with others. I mean, one would have to be heartless to refuse to help a mom whose toddler has wandered off, but that’s not the point here. The fact is, Christine is beloved by all who know her because she is joyful, sunny and completely genuine!

We did some grade school carpooling together for a time, and she was the most generous and thoughtful partner in crime. Christine goes out of her way for others everyday. It’s just who she is. Her laughter, sense of fun, terrific smile and compassionate heart make the world just a much warmer place to inhabit! Also, (sidebar) the woman can bake and the results are delicious works of art. Seriously, the woman is gifted.

Christine Utzinger is as bright and articulate as she is beautiful— and she really is stunning. She is truly a charming and faith-filled woman of God! When I had a scary health diagnosis early in the year, her kindness reaching out was more meaningful than she knows.

So, this week (if my calendar is accurate) Christine celebrates her birthday. Tomorrow (12/18) is her day, I believe! I wanted to take a moment and give her a little shout out to let her know that I am overdue to let her know that she is a giant scoop of awesome sauce! Love you Christine! Happy Birthday!!! I miss you, my friend. ❤️

When all the dust is settled and all the crowds are gone, the things that matter are faith, family and friends. (Barbara Bush)

I think I’ve mentioned before in this little blog that my husband, Tom Thieme, is the son of parents who were both twins. His mom, Jane, was an identical twin. She passed away a few years ago, but her twin sister, Lynn, survives. Meanwhile, his Dad, Tom, just celebrated his 80th birthday with his twin sister, Josephine. Today, I want to tell you a little about Josephine’s son, Rich.

Rich is the only son of Josephine and the late Dick Deible. His sister is a terrific human named Christine. He’s also the uncle to three great young people named Molly, Grace, and Sean Wehner. Rich is a Purdue engineer who I think earned his master’s degree at the University of South Carolina? If I have that wrong, Rich, I apologize. Anyway, he’s a Gamecock fan and a Boilermaker fan….and I can live with that combination!

I’m told as a child that Rich was kind of finicky. His cousins mention that when they talk about him as a little guy. I didn’t know him then, and all I can tell you is that he drinks beer like he’s a Thieme…and the adjective I would choose there certainly isn’t “finicky”, ha? He strikes me now as amiable, gentle, and witty.

Here’s what I really admire about Rich. He’s a single guy and his home is in South Carolina. The distance that he lives from the bulk of his family is significant. Rich does not seem to let that hinder him from doing an exceptional job fostering his family relationships. Whenever there’s a family event of significance, Rich travels and is present. It would be extremely easy to excuse oneself from weddings, funerals, big birthday parties, etc in his situation. That’s not who he is though.

Just a few weeks ago, I saw him at the big 80th birthday bash that was held for his mom and his Uncle Tom (my father-in-law) at the Thieme and Wagner Brewing Company in downtown Lafayette, Indiana. That’s a long haul from Aiken, South Carolina. What struck me about his smile and his presence wasn’t the extraordinary lengths he went to getting himself there, it was the fact that I assumed he would be present. That’s Rich. He’s a guy whose life has taken him in a different direction than the rest of his family, but his roots are important to him and so he remains attached. He’s got a great laugh and a genuine smile that I always enjoy. Rich Deible is in my eyes a friendly, compassionate man of integrity. This world can sure use as many of those guys as we can get!

So, today, I just wanted to give Rich a little shout out and let him know that by his witness he has helped remind me that being part of a family means you are part of something worth preserving, something kind of wonderful. I love the way he loves his family, and although I am merely an in-law cousin, I strongly suspect his mom, sister, nieces, nephew, aunts, uncles and cousins feel the very same way! I pray his roots will remain interminably tangled with all those he loves. Merry Christmas to you, Rich! I hope your holiday season is full of smiles and the new year brings you lots of joy!

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. (Jane Howard)

Your greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise.

The quote above has been attributed to numerous folks, including saints as well an American protestant pastor named Andy Stanley. Honestly, I don’t know whose words they truly are, but they do not belong to me. That said, I have long loved this sentiment and have shared it MANY times, especially to fellow moms who sometimes struggle to feel like they are contributing to the world in a meaningful way and wonder if they are enough. Ladies. Rest assured, you are much more than enough! Taken completely on it’s own, the gift of love and unconditional support you provide to your children every day is a stunning demonstration to all the world about what it means to love like Jesus!

When I happened upon my favorite quote on the Facebook page of a beautiful woman named Erin Hines today, I knew that was the Holy Spirit calling me to give this blond sassafras a shout out! I met Erin a few years back at SLDM. She’s considerably younger than I am, but we have about 100 friends in common, so I’ve noticed her for a while. Let me be clear here. It’s impossible to miss Erin. She’s got a BIG personality. She’s extroverted and demonstrative but also warm and approachable. Erin is gregarious and friendly, and extremely genuine. I love her unrestrained enthusiasm for life and I feel that it makes the entire area she inhabits feel genial and welcoming. However, I am also an extrovert…so she’s my favorite flavor!

I don’t know Erin extremely well, but I do know she’s a speech pathologist who lives in Carmel. Her husband is a super handsome guy and I don’t even know his name. The two gorgeous kids will be married with their own children and I will always and forever think of them as “Jojo and Tater the Tot” because that is what she called them every time I was around her at St. Louis de Montfort. She loves those two children with a fierceness and passion that I really do find inspiring to witness. That’s why it felt fitting to me today when I saw one of my all-time favorite quotes posted on her page. I thought, yep, that’s exactly right!! Erin’s devotion to the Lord is made clear by the way she loves others…starting with the ones who live under her own roof. THAT, my dear friends, is a glorious thing to behold!!

Merry Christmas you beautiful, character-filled woman! I am grateful to you, Erin, for your shiny smile, positive vibe, and the lovely heart you’ve always got on display! The world is most definitely a better place because you are in it!!

A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are. (Ara Parseghian)

Late last night, we had a family room full of sports lovers and we were watching the IU men’s basketball team pick up an overtime win against Nebraska. The group gathered here included my three sons, my husband, and some close friends we adore. The conversation turned to youth sports experiences– and it led us to a nostalgic chat about a fantastic coach named Rich Andriole.

When our oldest son Nick was in the second grade, so too was a another sweet boy named Nick Andriole. We had invited the sports-loving boys from St. Louis de Montfort to play on a hoops team over at the Fieldhouse in Fishers. We ended up with too many for just one team so we needed to recruit another Dad to coach up the little guys when we determined we had enough Cardinals for two squads. I can’t remember who it was that told me Nick Andriole’s Dad (who I hadn’t yet met in person) was a high school coach, but that was enough to get my attention, and I quickly snagged him for the job. We became great friends with Rich and his wife, Janet and our children grew up alongside each other. Still today, their three kids, Nick, Jake, and Allison are some of my favorite humans too!

That said, I still giggle thinking back to that Fieldhouse experience. You see, when one looks back now with the full understanding of what an UBER competitive human Rich Andriole is, it’s simply impossible to forget 8-year old Evan Brueggemann on the end of the bench eating his king sized candy bar and drinking his Gatorade mid-game with Coach Andriole at the helm, ha?!

Passionate, articulate and compeititve, Rich is the sort of coach who sees the potential in kids and inspires them to work hard to live up to it. He’s retired now from coaching high school baseball where he had well over 500 wins and multiple state championships. He’s got former players who have succeeded at the highest levels of college and also major league baseball, but more importantly, SO MANY young men he coached grew up to be husbands, fathers and men of integrity, guided in part by he lessons he taught them.

Last night, my husband and two oldest sons along with our family room full of folks were talking about their experiences in a gym and on baseball field with Coach Andriole. They were sharing with the two young guys in the room about how much he made them want to work hard, and how meaningful it was to play ball for him because the whole team achieved above and beyond what they expected in every season where he was their leader. They talked about how my friend Rich helped them see someone else’s strength as a complement to their weakness and an asset to the team.

Rich is gifted at leadership development. He’s a phenomenal speaker and articulate story-teller who knows how to inspire young people. In his “new-ish” role in the corporate world, I have no doubt at all that his unique talents and skill set are an incredible asset. After all, great athletes and young professionals have something vital in common– they can all use a trusted advisor to help them reach their goals.

Many times over the years when life got a little rocky for me or for someone I love, I’d get an encouraging text from Rich letting me know he was praying. We all need every prayer warrior we can get on our team in life, am I right? The guy knows what victory is all about, and today I wanted to give him a shout out and let him know that in this next chapter of his life, I wish him nothing but the absolute best. This moment is yours, my friend. Please know I pray for you often and I love you, my friend. Merry Christmas!!

“Victory is in having done your best. If you’ve done your best, you’ve won.” (Bill Bowerman)