Heavenly Peace by Heather Ledeboer

She got the call today, one out of the grey
And when the smoke cleared, it took her breath away
She said she didn’t believe 'it could happen to me'
I guess we're all one phone call from our knees

Lyrics from "Closer To Love" by Mat Kerney

Mom, Heaven is our real home right?
This one (touching the wall) is just for a little bit.

Ashlyn Ledeboer, age 4

God thank you that heaven will be a perfect place.

Prayer by Hunter Ledeboer, age 6

I think about death
a lot.

I daydream about heaven
every day.

Heather Ledeboer

We talk about heaven a lot in our home. Losing Sawyer opened up the door of eternal perspective and made the reality of heaven relevant and personal. Ashlyn in particular likes to converse with me on the topic. She likes to talk about what it will be like and what she wants to do when she gets there. We talk about the fact that Jesus is there working on getting it ready for us and when it is ready he will come back for us. She is hoping that he is building a castle for her. She likes to think about who she will see there and who she will talk to. She plans to introduce Mary (you know, the mother of Jesus) to Nanie (her great-grandmother who died 2 years ago). She theorizes about what might be there and is a little nervous that her Eeyore won't be there if she doesn't take him. She wonders if she should try to bring Sawyer his stuffed animal or if he already has one there.

When everything is ready, I [Jesus] will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. John 14:3

Death may be a hard reality to accept, but it is a reality.

Truly living seems to be optional.

Sawyer's death has inspired me to be more intentional about the living part. Deciding what truths I want to leave with my kids and how to go about the challenge of challenging them to discover what life is all about and what role God has for them is my distinct intention. My challenge is to be intentional about making sure they know not only how deeply I love them, but that God's unconditional love for them will never fade.

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." Jeremiah 31:3

The more I think about death, the more I am inspired to instill God's life-giving truth into our family. The scar that Sawyer's death left on my heart has branded the reality of sin's affect on our world. I cannot deny that things are not "right" with the world. I cannot pretend that everything is ok. Something has gone terribly wrong and everything is slowly falling apart around us. To deny this would be either delusional or ignorant. I have faith. I have hope. I have a Savior who has overcome the world and that is where I place my trust and bring my wounded heart for comfort and peace.

I [Jesus] have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Two years ago today I was told that my son Sawyer was no longer alive. But if you ask anyone in our family they will tell you that this life is is "just for a little bit" anyway. "Heaven is our real home," and there he is very much alive.

I love you sweet son. Say hi to Jesus for us.

-written by Heather Ledeboer. This week marks the two year anniversary of Sawyer's death at 37 weeks gestation.

Our bedtime routine, nightly fun=future memories- by Heather Ledeboer

The following is the typical Ledeboer bedtime routine
(for the kids anyway, this is a G rated blog after all): 

-Dinner time:
Usually involving something too healthy for the kids to get excited about but not so disgusting that they won't eat it with the promise of dessert to follow.  What they often forget is that I often hide healthy things there too;).

-The kids start getting ready for bed:
Hunter has a little list on the fridge that has his "to do before bedtime" checklist.  He loves lists.  Once I realized that I could harness this for my benefit, I became very happy.  We now also have an "after school to do list", a "things to do before TV, Computer or Wii time" list.  They work like magic with him.  Ashlyn, isn't so into lists so she gets a little more personal direction with the bedtime routine.

-Once the PJ's are on, teeth are brushed, faces washed, etc, it's story time: 
Hunter and Ashlyn each pick out a bedtime story and cuddle up with dad while I clean up the kitchen from dinner.  I love reading to the kids, but equally I love listening to Trent read to them--special times.  After their personal stories are read, they get one last story out of The Jesus Storybook Bible.  We really like this kid's bible, and as the subtitle suggests (Every Story Whispers His Name) it does a wonderful job of weaving Christ into each story told.

-Next is the "bedtime game" (hands-down the kid's favorite part of the evening):
They pretend to go to bed, gleefully saying good night to every member of the family and obediently trotting off to their rooms.  Trent and I exclaim in voices a little too loud to be believable, "what amazingly wonderful children we have that go to bed without a fuss" and start discussing our plans for the evening.  All the while the kids are slowly, quietly sneaking out of their beds (gasp!) and crawling back into the living room.  Suddenly, they jump up and start running around the room, fully of energy and vigor.  At this, a very surprised daddy jumps up from the couch and tries to catch them and tote them back to their beds only to find them escaping again.  The length of the game depends on how close it is to bedtime (7:00 PM).  Inevitability, Trent will begin the one minute countdown which signals the approaching close to the good night game.  At the 10 second mark the kids are frantically trying to get past dad (who is blocking their way) and into their beds.  On occasion, I am called upon to use my extreme strength to restrain dad so that the children can pass and reach their beds before time runs out.

 

-Lastly, kisses, prayers, an occasional song and the following back tickle (with specific motions):
Big X, little x (using your pointer finger, draw out the letter X on their back)
Spider crawling up your back, spider crawling down your back, spider crawling up your back (use two fingertips to 'crawl' up and down the spine)
Bites you on the neck, bites you on the neck (gently 'bite' the back of their neck with your fingers)
Cool breeze (blow gently on their back)
Tight squeeze (gently squeeze their sides)
Now you've got the shiverezze (do a quick fingertip tickle all over the back)

A babysitter taught this tickle to Hunter a few years ago.  I am not exactly sure what the appeal of a spider crawling up and down your back before bedtime is, but it became an instant hit.

As they nod off to sleep they are given the option of listening to a CD.  Among their favories are:

 

The Singing Bible by Focus On The Family

CEV Kid's Bible Dramatized New Testament

The Amazing Book

As much as I love it when the kids are all tucked quietly in their beds, I have a feeling that this routine will be one of the fond memories that I will long for when I am older. 

What are some of your bedtime routines?  Do you have any speical books, songs, etc to share?

~Heather Ledeboer
Mom, Owner of www.mom4life.com and blogger at blog.mom4life.com  

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name By Sally Lloyd-Jones / Zonderkidz The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the story beneath all the stories in the Bible. At the center of the story is a baby, the child upon whom everything will depend. Every story whispers his name. From Noah to Moses to the great King David--every story points to him. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle--the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together. From the Old Testament through the New Testament, as the story unfolds, children will pick up the clues and piece together the puzzle. A Bible like no other, this book invites children to join in the greatest of all adventures, to discover for themselves that Jesus is at the center of God's great story of salvation--and at the center of their story too. Recommended for ages 4 to 8.