All is Calm. All is Bright.

Uncle Chris and kids playing the DS. They had no idea what they were doing but still fun!

Story time with Aunt Beck

Nakey Isis and Queen Emma

Like brother Like sister.

Mystical Memory Game that Grammy bought Emma. She just asked yesterday for me to get her up for school early so she can play Memory.

Aunt Beck, ugly face day

Pop Pop reading to his beloved grandkids.

Fondue night - always a favorite. Laish smeared with chocolate.

Fun sliding down stairs with Aunt Beck.

Aunt June and my sweet niece Isis

We miss you all and love you immensely!

Olive Hope Polinder

I had a youth group that I loved at the old Maple City Chapel. They have since all moved to Siloam Church or elsewhere but somehow are connected back to Siloam. I look at pictures of these families and miss them immensely. My friend Melody's sister had a baby early in Thailand and I've been following her blog since Olive's birth. Here's their website to read their story. Olive went to see Jesus last night and I'm in a sober mood despite the health of my dear family.
http://rustylynette.blogspot.com/
Why does this happen? What do they know now about God that they didn't before? I have a lot of questions for God when things like this happens. Lots. How do you trust Someone when you have no control? Or do I? My sister just told me she's going to have another baby. This will be her 3rd. Fear has crept into my head because of what Olive's gone through. "For He did not give me a spirit of fear but of power, love and sound mind." This is the verse I am teaching my 6 year old Emma these days. She's scared of being alone. I pray this over my fear of death. Olive, thanks for what your life brought to many people who didn't even know you or your parents. Your frail little body is at peace. No more pricks, no more pain. We trust your Creator. You fell asleep in your earthly daddy's arms to wake up in your heavenly Father's arms. I pray many siblings will follow for you and you will be able to see joy on your parents face again!

In Everything Give Thanks

Three years ago to this day, I received an email from someone thanking me for my administrative help. (She even said I had a friendly smile). She told me that she was taking this Thanksgiving Holiday to thank people in her life that she appreciates. I was so touched by this email. I still have the email - I look at it when I get a sore attitude. So, SK, thank you for the email so many years ago. I want to do what you have done and take this Holiday season and not just think of whom I appreciate, but let them know, including the Wal-Mart clerk. What an awesome feeling it is to have someone tell you that they are thankful for you and all you do.
So I begin with you, SK, thanks for the encouraging words. Your family is so beautiful and you're a freakin' awesome mom! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks to Aaron, mi esposa....is it cheesy to say everything? Emma & Laish, you are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Mom Shetler, I appreciate your honesty, ability to watch my kids at 65, your sense of humor and your love for God. Dad Shetler, your love & grace. My siblings and their families, for moving/staying in Goshen, IN and sitting together in the front pews at Dad's church. Beck, for every last "Why I love June" letters. KarKar, for having a baby and being such a redneck. To my fellow employees (Carmen & Kristi) for dealing with my OCD. To Hope, for my Scripture Box, walking prayer, ladies behind their sheds, and letting me talk. I appreciate my in-law's - Mom & Dad D., who can say they love their in-law's? You are more than I ever dreamed you would be. Now move closer. To the people who work at fast food restaurants. I would hate your job. Thanks for serving my family. Thanks to Millie. You are a good friend & wish I had more time to chat with you. Thanks for having Seth so Laish can learn taekwondo & respect! Bersta, you are a rock to me. I'm sorry we treated you bad as little kids. Thanks to my doctor and her office - you deal with me on a weekly basis and are still friendly to me. Jennifer M, your advise with my kids has been invaluable and I always look forward to your visits upstairs during the day. Carol B, thank you for kneeling with me time and time again at the alter. Sandra, your friendship means the world to me. Jennifer Y, I appreciate the time & energy you have put into Friday nights with me & my kids and being my Raw consultant. Karena, thanks for being real and not flaky. I love our conversations and your willingess to let Christ change your life completely. Thank you, Jesus Christ, for all these people and so many more. I want to praise you with thanksgiving.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (Today's New International Version)
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Emma's Sin?

Me, Aaron and the kids met up with my sister Berta and her family at Kercher's Orchard for some Fall fun. It started out terrible. As usual I was rushing the kids to get done at WalMart, to get done unpacking groceries, to get in the van, to get there by noon. Which is how long Berta said they'd wait for us. Aaron was working on some plumbing for a family's home from church and I snapped at him to come with the family bc it would be fun. (Ha.) I was in a foul mood by the time we got there. It was just barely sprinkling. It was cold and windy. And I was pissed off that it was basically winter already. Here in Indiana it goes straight from Summer to Winter. Seriously, Fall lasts for like a week. So it usually takes me about a month (or more) to deal with this process. Berta, Scott and their girls were cheery as freakin' normal. This did not help my foul attitude. I did remember Aaron's warm hat and he thanked me which at least made me feel like I was needed for a minute. The hayride was actually kind of fun. It was muddy and we kind of slid around. Kids enjoyed it. Then we get out to pick pumpkins. I found much humor in Aaron throwing the rotten tomatoes at me and I started in on the throwing too. I wanted to take all the pumpkins home with us but finally resorted to 4 pumpkins (and a few cherry tomatoes in my pocket).

As we shopped around Kercher's Farmers Market, Aaron found his beloved Yoder's popcorn. But ended up disappointed because he couldn't find his Yoder's salt and vinegar salt. He resorted to just plain salt. Poor guy. And of course the kids got to pick out something. Emma opted for a caramel apple and Laish wanted candy. We were good parents for about 5 minutes of his whining and finally said, "FINE!". He got a perfectly huge sucker. I began to think that a caramel apple wasn't that good either. I lusted after some stupid healthy cookbook I didn't need and didn't buy it either! PTL, one temptation down. Emma showed me these beautiful sparkly rocks that dazzled and fancied her eye and heart. We loaded up and started getting the kids buckled up when Emma said, "Look, Mommy." In her grubby little hands was one of those sparkly, shiny rocks. My daughter had stolen from Kercher's! OH MY GOSH!

I totally freaked out and hollered for Aaron to come here because I couldn't believe my eldest child just made her first "steal". I never did find out what Aaron made her tell Kercher's or do but I got myself in check and told her later how happy I was that she showed me what she did. For some reason I was still struggling with the fact that she stole. Instead of how innocently she probably took the dang thing.

So then later that day I find this picture on our white wash board and WA-LA, my daughter has yet again taught me a lesson.

In this picture I see Emma and God as friends. See how they are holding hands? Such a perfect picture. Did she not just steal something like 4 hours earlier? How can she be holding Jesus' hand? Shouldn't she be avoiding Him right now bc of her guilt? And then hit me - this is how it's supposed to be. We sin, feel like shit and then we normally slowly avoid God. Emma must've felt perfect grace from Him (or else Aaron did some amazing parenting) and realized we don't need to make such a process out of our sinning. We sin, we make it right and then continue to grow in our relationship with God. Duh, Nita. Why do I have to make everything so dang difficult?

Thank you, God, for my Emma and Your beautiful lesson you taught me today. Help me to always remember that You will never leave me or forsake me, no matter what awful thing I've done to you and the people I love. I love you, Emma, and I love you even more for your imperfection.

Happy Birthday, Laish

Laish turned 4 last Saturday. Of course, if you ask him, he's still 3. He doesn't want to be 4, just 3. He doesn't want a birthday party bc people will sing to him. He does want presents though. Grammy had to call me back to make sure she wasn't losing her mind. That her grandson is actually 4 since he was yelling at her that he wasn't 4. (sigh). He's his father's. I love birthday's and love attention.

What I love about Laish are the questions he asks. "Mommy, why did Jesus have to die on the cross?" "Why does plastic break?" "Why do persons have to have a birthday?" "What does heck mean?" "Is Daddy bigger than Uncle Scott?" (Which I did answer him saying that Uncle Scott is better at basketball and Daddy is better at wrestling.) "Bigger" is a relative word to a kid. But he retains this information more than I, probably, care him to.

He loves rockets (above given to him by his Uncle Sean) and a cool NASA one from his PA grandparents. He loves cars, airplanes, grasshoppers, spiders and bugs. He loves to try to ride Kattor, our dog. He loves to have me pin a hankerchief on him for a cape and show up at my work decked out in cape and gloves pretending to be a hero. He loves to leap off our ratty davenport and think he's flying. He loves one-on-one time (thank you to his cousins the McCrindles for taking him to Chuckee Cheese). He loves to be hugged and kissed and snuggled. He loves to wrestle & play baseball, especially with his Daddy. He loves Diego and discovering new things. He may not admit it, but he loves his sister - when they get along.

He loves Taekwondo which is teaching him to say "Yes, Ma'am" and "Yes, Sir" and respect and to obey quickly.

He loves to wear this stupid ol' tiger suit from his Grandma's house that doesn't even shut properly in the back. Which is why his Uncle Reggie and Aunt Arica bought him a new one - probably bc they were so disgusted with it, as I was. (Throw it away, Mom!)

There are even more things that I could tell you that I love about this child. But the absolute, most important thing I love, is that Laish loves the Lord. (say that 10x). He may not understand the greatness of it now, but my prayer for him is to know and love God. Laish, I also pray that God will reveal to you early in life, your calling for him. I'd prefer you be drafted to the Cubs but I know you will be obedient to Him. May His face shine upon you and may you be a wild and crazy man for Jesus. We love you, Bodie!

The New Wave

I've always loved motorcycles. When the Goonies went to Boone, NC, we stopped some guy so I could sit on his cycle while my friends took a picture of me. Can't find it. But we looked oh so cool. You ever see how motorcyclists do the little "wave" when they pass each other? The other day I saw a guy on a scooter try this wave on a cyclist. Didn't work. There's something about that wave that I love. Like they are communicating to each other, "Hey fellow, motorcyclist, I have respect for you because you drive a bike." Unless of course, you've watched "GangLand" and you've seen how the Mongolians hate the Hell's Angels and that whole killing drama. I just like the noise and that I can balance such a heavy thing on 2 wheels and that girls look tough on motorcycles. (Karla, where is that beast you had?)

Well, my point is this. We recently bought a new vehicle that I never dreamed we would own but we got a good deal. Finish the basement or buy a BMW? As my sister in law says, we like to pretend we are rich. We bought the beemer. I thought maybe BMWers waved at each other too. Like maybe there was some kind of respect thing there too. Nope. Just a bunch of freakin' snobs. Not one has waved to me. I don't get it. Why don't people do the BMW wave? Or maybe the VW wave or the clunker wave? Or Mustang, Buick, Jeep, Dodge Neon or mini-van with no a/c wave? There's the Amish buggy nod thing. Who started that? I really want to start a new wave and am pretty mad that no one's waving at me. Is it really true - do only snobs have BMW's? Well, I'd like to think me and Aaron aren't snobs, and I'm going to keep on waving at the Elkhart County snobs whether they like it or not. So if you happen to see some crazy lady hanging out the window in a BMW waving like mad, please wave to me.....

Otherwise, we may have a motorcycle in our garage instead of the mini-van with no a/c, and I don't think my husband will approve of me driving 2 kids and a dog around on that thing.

Ode to My Husband

10 years. One decade. Sounds so long to be married to someone and yet knowing full well, we have so many more years to come (Lord willing).

Aaron Blaine Detwiler.

I must admit, I struggled giving up the last name Shetler. Both names so similar with "..et.." and the "..er" in them. Yet such a different identity I felt in giving that name up. In fact, I didn't. When I was in sales at Roadway Express, for many years I had my business cards read "J. Renita Shetler-Detwiler." It was such a mouthful but you know how stubborn I can be about things. It was MY name. Why shouldn't he take my name instead?

Well, today I'm very proud of being married to a Detwiler, specifically, this Detwiler. And it's more than taking on his last name now. It's so cliche but it's the skill and challenge of bringing these 2 totally different people as one in the Lord. We have some huge posters that we made with stencils in our bedroom - just taped randomly all over. One that Aaron made says "Love Her Madly" from way back in the 70's when the Doors sang this song. I can't tell you what that means to me to see that every day. To know he put it there to see every day to remind him to love me madly no matter if I'm sweet as a peach or bitchy as can be.

I cannot tell a lie. Things haven't been marital bliss since we said "I do" as some so often say. We both thought love would solve everything. Well, it didn't. Only by the grace of God are we still together today AND loving each other. I think I've realized after 10 years that it's about dying to our "self" day after day for each other. Berta once told me that someone said, "Spoil your spouse, not your kids." Okay, it's not the Bible but still, what a great concept.

So my Ode to Aaron - here are just a few things that made me fall in love with you, and continue to love you after 10 years.

1. You listen to me when I cry....and cry....and cry

2. You are my gandala amongst the waves

3. You clean the house & wash the dishes & do the laundry &....

4. You are neat & tidy - you don't often meet a neat male

5. You drive a BMW with windows rolled down and music rockin'

6. You accomplished grad school with 2 toddlers and a nagging wife

7. Your gpa was 3.981 (you are very smart)

8. I love my in-law's
9. You let me mow the lawn how I want to
10. You have opened my eyes to different music besides Country & Christian

11. You play with our kids and they love you

12. Your energy and spunk

13. Your humor!!! (I'm from Fun Country, remember?)

14. You love the Lord and I see that in your life

15. Your grace and forgiveness to me

16. You love the mountains and nature.

17. You love coffee.

18. I love sitting for hours and watching baseball with you & you love the Cubs

19. You love playing poker with my brothers into the wee hours of the night

20. You let me name our son a Hebrew name (Laish) and his middle name after my Grandpa Shetler (Levi)

I love you, Baby!