Batter up!

Well it's that time again...baseball season is going strong. I've been learning how to survive a game with two little ones in tow and still see a few moments of the game as well. I rely on family, friends, and parents to help me out. But so far I think this year has been a little easier because Ty isn't completely mobile yet (do I don't have to watch what he's getting into) and Eli is at an age where I don't have to follow right behind him. Last year being big and pregnant and chasing a toddler around proved quite challenging.

Here are a few pics from the first two games.

to those dear to me...

this post has been working in my brain for a few months now. i have sat down to write it a couple of times but don't know exactly how i want to communicate my thoughts. so, i'm just going to speak from my heart like i am talking to you face to face..

since august i have been studying the book of Acts and it has proven to be one of the most challenging books i've studied. why? well, it is the story of the start of the church and the lives of those who were pivotal in spreading the gospel. their boldness and desire for all of those near them to know Jesus has ripped me apart and shown me my own sin that i'd rather make others happy and not bring up controversial topics in order to keep life easy. 

but the truth is...eternity is just that...eternity. forever. and without knowing Jesus, that eternity will be spent apart from Him in a place that i would want no one on this earth to go. but even more than that, Jesus is the only one that can satisfy us on this earth. He is the only reason i can find joy in my life. chris, my children, social status, family, NOTHING can satisfy me. that is, nothing but Jesus. 

so, how do we know Him? the bible makes that very clear in Romans 10:9-11... "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, 'WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED'".

why do we need Jesus?

God--He is holy and set apart, perfect, without blemish. and being holy, He cannot be in contact with anyone unclean. in isaiah 6:3 it says, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”

Man--Since God is perfect and can have no part with anything unclean, He cannot be in communion with man. But you may say, "April, i keep the laws, i keep the commandments, i'm a good person." i, too, once thought all of these things...but i have learned, God made the commandments to show us we can't match up to Him. if we really study the ten commandments, we see there is no way we can truly keep them. here are just three examples...

• "You shall have no other gods before Me" -- anything we put before God breaks this law. anything...i break this everyday when i put my family, social networking, tv, sleep, and the list goes on, in front of God.
• "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain." -- how many of us have used "God" or "Jesus" in a way other than talking about Him. this one is so popular in our culture.
• "You shall not commit adultery." -- Jesus says in Matthew 5:28 "but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." So its not just the act but the thoughts of our heart that break this commandment. 

we are so imperfect. in isaiah 64:6 it says..."For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." and romans 3:23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

now if i left us here, we'd be hopeless. there would be no way to have a relationship with God. but the good news is there is hope in Jesus.

Jesus -- He came to the earth to live the perfect life that we are unable to live (because of our sin) and die the death we deserve to die (again, because of our sin). He conquered death and the bondage of sin. For John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." Romans 5:6 states, "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." Basically, this means God sent His son, Jesus, and Jesus died for you and stands in your place. Christ's blood now covers you and washes you white as snow.

Grace -- This is truly by grace alone. Jesus gives His free gift that we don't deserve so that we may know Him. There is nothing we can do to earn this salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 proves this ... "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."

When you see God's perfection, admit you're a sinful being, and believe in Jesus and how He died in your place...you become a believer and one of God's own. John 1:12 confirms this ... "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name."

Please take time to search your heart and reflect on whether or not you have accepted Jesus as the Lord of your life.  This isn't a joking matter. Its true. And the way I know it to be true is because Jesus has truly changed my life. In December 1999, I was walking as far away from God as possible...i was searching for fulfillment in life through all things this world has to offer, and then Jesus drew my heart to Him and I became a believer in Him and He changed my desires. I no longer searched for fulfillment but found it in Him.

I love each of you and only write this in order that you might be found in Christ and know the joy that I know. And my desire is to see you one day in Heaven worshiping God with me. I don't think it was coincidence that God gave me the study of Acts the same year that our family has lost so many to eternity. I know that Aunt Virginia Burrell, Aunt Jody Chandler, and Uncle Steve Miller would tell you these same things if they could. They are in Heaven worshiping our Creator and Giver of life. Please, I beg of you, accept Jesus as the Lord of your life. Truly search your heart to see if you know Him personally. If you do, live for Him and study His word so that you can know Him better. I promise, He will be the only thing to fulfill you and give you satisfaction and purpose. My prayers are with every member of our family daily. My only desire is for you to know the hope and joy that I know.

With Much Love,
April

hello? is anyone still out there...

this morning i am sitting at my computer for the first time in over a month. aaaaahhhhh! it is rare that i find time to enjoy a moment of quiet time for myself. but today my day took Eli on a trip to duluth to see his great-grandparents. these days are mostly full of refereeing between brothers, late-night feedings, cleaning up throw up and handing out breathing treatments, and feeding three very hungry boys. sometimes i find time to shower but rarely do i have time to sit down to write a blog post. and if i do have time, i can't seem to get my thoughts in order.

ty had tubes put in his ears on thursday. it was an interesting experience. being only 8 months old, it was hard for me to hand him over to the medical team knowing they were about to put him to sleep. but i was calmed as the doctor performing the surgery and the anesthesiologist both prayed with us before the surgery took place. how cool is that! (i have to say i was been so blessed with the doctors in my life. all of which are believers and remember that God is the true Physician.) i have faith the tubes will do the trick for him. he has had 5 ear infections since november and his left ear was horribly infected when they went to put the tubes in. i guess that explains his moodiness and screaming in the middle of the night. now we can start baby boot camp and get him sleeping through the night.

i have so many things i want to blog about:

• what the Lord is teaching me through our study of Acts with CBS and our study of Mark at church
• the adorable sayings Eli has right now
• the new milestones both Eli and Ty are reaching each day
• a letter to my family, that was supposed to go out in Christmas cards (which half are still sitting on my desk, oops!), about how urgent it is to know Jesus as our Savior and Lord
• baseball season beginning
• 1,000 reasons why i love my iphone
• the books i'm reading right now...from marriage and motherhood, to tim tebow

i guess i will find time one of these days. i videotape Eli almost daily. i wish i could bottle up his sweet little voice and things he says. i'm not sure i want to think about him learning the correct way to say things or even dream about the day his voice changes and he gets whiskers.

i promise i will try to be more proactive to record our daily adventures in God's country. until then...
cheers.

What are we doing these days...

...rocking babies
...racing cars down the driveway
...teaching child #1 what Jesus meant when He said to "love one another" in dealing with child #2
...trying to video every cute face or saying Eli makes or says in order to remember
...reminding myself daily that I need to be thankful in all things (there is much worse happening to people all over the world than having sleepless nights or sick babies without a grandma home to help out)
...getting ready to start baseball games
...listening to Chris talk about how the season is going so far
...taking advantage of as much daddy time as possible
...watching American Idol
...trying to freeze every moment I can into my mind of how stinking adorable my little ones are

I am so blessed and thankful for each moment I get to spend raising these little ones. It may be very challenging and tiring at times but the Lord had reminded me too many times this week how blessed I truly am. Thank you Jesus for your grace.