Debbie Chun

Stories of Faith & Family

About Debbie

Jeff and I have been married for elevent years. We have had many adventures - Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Thailand, and Tanzania, Africa where we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. Our most recent adventure is children. This has been a journey of trusting God through challenging times and not letting go of hope. We have been pregnant four times: one premature birth and infant loss (read about Caleb's story), Jack which required 4 months of bedrest, one early miscarriage, and Parker which was another difficult pregnancy. I hope as you read this blog your faith will be strengthened and you will understand that no matter what is happening in our lives, God is good, faithful, and worthy of our trust.

The Bed Rest Photo Album #3

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Debbie

Here are a few photos from April: a month that allowed more freedom to sit up for a few hours and to leave the house.

Lounging on our patio with my niece.

Reclining at my parents house. Looks like I had just finished reading the always entertaining Hinsdalean.

Surprise! I showed up at Faith Fellowship Church to see the family before they went home to Wisconsin.

This picture looks very posed but it was (is) how I spend most of my days. The iPad is much easier to carry and maneuver than a laptop.

After missing 13 weeks of Bible study, my doctor said I could go back. It was the last session of the year but still fun to see everyone.

The Chun girls. The baby furniture had just arrived so we were checking out the room.

Then there was Easter, but apparently not a picture of me being there… just pictures of the food… which is kind of making me hungry.

And finally, here’s my niece trying to hear or feel the baby. He finally cooperated and she felt a few kicks and turns.

I’ve been so blessed to have so many visitors and meals over the last three months! I wish I had a picture of everyone who was here. Instead here’s a quick thanks (in no particular order) to all who’ve stopped by: Kristin, Tara, Chris, Jen, Sally, Wendy, Jenni, Maggie, Lauren, Lana, Sara, Renee, Rob, Lindsey, Natalie, Kelly, Katie, Lauren, Connor, Kristi, Tyler, Jim, Lisa, Book Club, Ignite, Mom, Dad, Cathy, Lauren, Vince, Stacy, Matt, Beth, Brad, Blythe, Courtney, Spencer, Jeffrey, Mallory, Pat, Rob, Stephanie, Jennifer, Granny, Karin, Sue, Jim, Erik, Mandy, Aunt Lea, Barb, Ronnell, Anna, Jennifer, Doc, Liz, Robin, Kim, Michelle, Jen, Abby, Lily, Tom, Jackie, Sue, Heather, Andy, Wesley, Elliot, Lisa, Betty… possibly more. Again, I’m so thankful for each of you. You have made bed rest so much better for me! I’m thankful to have had this time to spend with each of you. Thanks for fitting me into your schedules 🙂

Don’t forget to check out Album #1 and Album #2.

The Bed Rest Photo Album #2

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Debbie

The first few weeks of bed rest were charted in Photo Album #1. The photos below are from February and March. Enjoy!

Here’s the bed I would go to in the Baby/Music Room when my sheets were being changed.

Quite a few of these photos involve a Starbucks cup.

Operating a computer sideways… a skill one must learn with practice.

Visitors! Lauren and baby Connor (asleep in his carseat) and cousin Kristi and Tyler.

Tyler pretending he’s on bed rest in the guest room.

Lauren making notes for me of strollers and sleeping tips.

Mom, Dad, Cathy, Lauren, and Tucker came to visit.

While I go to the bathroom Mom and Cathy make their “bed rest” pose.

Look – I’m wearing real clothes and on a couch downstairs!

Rob from Young Life came to say hi.

Trying to figure out how much money I owe Mom, my personal shopper.

Jeff and I at my parents’ house. That’s right, I left the house!

Dad came over to fertilize our yard. When he ran out of fertilizer, Mom and I decided this would be a great time to go to Starbucks, conveniently located in the same shopping area as Ace where Dad can get fertilizer. We may have also stopped at Burger King to get Cinnabon minis. Those things are great!

That’s all I’ve got for now! See Facebook for Baby Shower pictures. I’m not sure if my photographer has taken pictures in April. Perhaps there’ll be a third album.

The Bed Rest Photo Album #1

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Debbie

If you know my mom, you know she always has a camera in her hands (except when she was pushing me in a wheelchair in Babies R Us). Mom has been the source of most of these photos documenting the days of bed rest. I thought you’d enjoy these…

Photo Album #1 – January: the first two weeks of bed rest

A pre-bed rest shot taken in mid January

The "Happy Pill" which seems to laugh endlessly

Stay tuned for Photo Album #2 featuring more visitors and me actually getting dressed some days.

Emotional Moments

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Debbie

Did anyone else cry while watching Survivor last night or was it just me and my extra pregnancy hormones? Last night’s episode featured the Survivor Auction where contestants are given $500 to spend or to save for home. Items auctioned are mostly food. Most players didn’t think twice about spending a few hundred on three donuts and iced coffee, or chocolate and peanut butter, or a BLT sandwich. Tarzan, a tough fifty-something plastic surgeon, was saving his money so he could replace the shocks on his Jeep back home.

But then the one item no one wanted to pass up: a letter from home. “$500” said Alecia without a hesitation and through tears already streaming down her face. “My dad has never written me anything,” she said as she read his letter out loud: “I’m proud of you, I know it’s tough, you can do it, I miss you.” Alecia said it was worth every penny.

Tarzan decided the shocks for his Jeep weren’t so important. He paid $500 for his letter. Although everyone else wanted their letter, and everyone was crying (me included), no one else had enough money. They had spent it on a shower or a donut or a sandwich. I wonder if they wished they could get a refund and make different decisions.

So many “lessons” could be drawn from this.
1. As Jeff Probst, host of Survivor, tweeted yesterday “Dads, write notes to your kids!”
2. Let the ones you love know how you feel.
3. It’s ok to cry during Survivor 🙂
4. We don’t always know what good things lie ahead. We have to choose wisely how to “spend our money” so we have enough left for what really matters.

Wheelchairs and Test Drives

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Debbie

34 weeks and 2 days. My freedom has been expanded bit by bit so I thought I’d share what I’ve been up to when I take a break from bed rest.

1. Shopping at Target
I called first to see if they had those motorized wheelchair carts, mostly used by the elderly. Upon hearing they did I gathered the few things I wanted to return and made my way to one of my favorite shopping destinations. The wheelchair carts are quite slow when motoring down the large aisles, but as soon as I turned into the clothing section I realized the turning radius was much wider than expected. I proceeded to ram two racks of clothes, pushing them out of my way, before entering the small aisles. Of course this was unintentional but there was no way around it. The wheelchair cart also beeps when you put it in reverse, in case you weren’t getting enough attention just by driving one. I resisted the urge to race an elderly man in his cart, checked out some baby things, stopped at Starbucks and was on my way home. I didn’t tell anyone I was going to Target because I anticipated getting a lecture. But as my family found out afterwards they wished they had pictures or could have witnessed me motoring around. Maybe next time.

2. Shopping at Babies R Us
They only have normal push wheelchair carts which requires a helper to push the cart. Thankfully Mom came with me. The small basket on the front of the wheel chair was quickly overflowing and blocking my view, but we accomplished much and had fun looking at baby things.

3. Test Driving Cars
I love my Mazda 3 but it’s a little too small for the car seat, which we anticipated. I’ve done a lot of research online for mid-size SUVs but decided it was time to sit in a few and see how they drove. Most car salesmen, I discovered, don’t understand “bed rest” and attempt to walk me around the lot. I did find a few good salesmen who pulled the cars up to the door for me. We haven’t made any decisions yet but I’m sure you’re wondering and/or would like to share your opinion. So far I’ve driven the Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX9, Honda Pilot, and Hyundai Veracruz. The Pilot is my favorite but I’m not sure it will fit in our narrow garage.

4. Church From The Couch
Last week my family from Wisconsin was in town so I decided to go out to see them at church on Sunday. After seeing them a few times during the week I was also pretty tired. I also can’t go up or down more stairs which makes attending Faith Fellowship tricky (the bathroom is 1st floor, sanctuary 2nd floor, parking in the middle…) I planned on arriving late because I knew I needed to sleep. I snuck in the back door (accessible without stairs or elevator) and laid on a couch in the room behind the sanctuary, listening to the sermon and singing along to the hymns. No one even knew I was there until I walked out after the service. I enjoyed church from the couch… wish I had discovered that sooner.

This week I plan on going to Bible study (doctor approved) and probably a drive-thru Starbucks or two. The doctors want me to slowly be more active so that my muscles come back a little and labor isn’t a complete shock to my system. So don’t worry, I’m being careful, I’m not doing too much, and I’m still resting a lot because these things make me more tired than you’d imagine. Now you’re up to date with my out-of-home adventures. Only three weeks left of bed rest! Going on these “adventures” makes bed rest much more manageable. We’re almost there! Now if only we could come up with a name for the baby…

Where’s My Miracle?

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Debbie

I wonder if some of you reading my posts think to yourself, “Where’s my miracle?” You read about how God is answering my prayers and wonder why He hasn’t answered yours… for a baby, a job, a spouse, healing of a debilitating disease, a home, a family that loves you … the list could go on and on. Is it because I have more faith than you? No, you only need faith the size of a small mustard seed. Is it because God loves me more than you? No, God has no favorites. I don’t know why, sometimes we never do, but I thought I would share some ideas that may help.

Waiting builds character.
Count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4). Count it all joy. We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame (Romans 5:3-5). These verses tell us there is purpose in our suffering, or waiting, or trials. It may feel like we are at a standstill, but God is at work behind the scenes.

God sees the big picture.
We can only see here and now, what’s happening right around us. But we are part of a bigger picture which only God can see. He promises to work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). All things – even your sickness, or your unemployment, or your infertility – He will orchestrate for your good. Someday I believe you can look back (because hindsight is 20/20) and see how your struggles were turned to good.

God is God and we are not.
God is the Creator of the universe, Maker of you and me. He named the stars and put them each in place. He knows the number of hairs on your head and sand on the seashore. He sees your tears, He knows your pain, and He loves you more than you can imagine. God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). It may sound like a parent telling a child “because I said so,” but it’s the truth. We have human minds, and while very smart, we often don’t understand pain and suffering and struggles we see in the world. But God is God. He is sovereign. He is in control. When we come to the end of our understanding we can trust that God has a plan, even if it’s hard for us to see.

Don’t stop believing.
Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Matthew 11:23-25

Every Day Is A Gift

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Debbie

In normal life I do believe that every day we have on earth is a gift. The Bible says God has numbered our days before even one came to be, so He has already decided how long each of us will live. But we don’t know how long that is, so every day we wake up we should be thankful for the time He has given us.

In my situation – after losing one child because of premature birth, having complications with a second pregnancy requiring shots, a cerclage, bed rest, and a multitude of doctors – it’s easy to see how every day really is a gift. I’m 33 weeks and 4 days and each of those days is a miracle. I’m thankful for the medical advancements – the progesterone shots that prevent me from having contractions, the cerclage that keeps my cervix closed, and the careful watch of my doctors. But I know it’s because of God and God alone that this baby is still in the womb.

From the beginning of the pregnancy I felt this assurance that everything was going to be fine. Although I didn’t expect these “setbacks” of surgery and bed rest, I still clung to the hope that everything was going to be fine. The doctors hoped I would get to 28 weeks because most babies born at that gestation survive. Here I am almost 6 weeks past that and still going strong.

At 37 weeks the cerclage will be removed and the baby could come at any time. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he came after his due date, further proof that God is the One who has kept the baby safely inside me. I love my doctors, but only God deserves the praise for each day the baby is in the womb.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Things I Want to Write About

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Debbie

I’ve been meaning to write again for days. I feel like I keep getting partial thoughts of what to write but nothing complete. Instead of waiting for complete thoughts, I figured I’d share some ideas, which maybe will become complete posts later.

Competition and Cussing
It may come as a surprise if you didn’t know me in high school, but I used to be very competitive. I don’t swear often, I’m not proud of times I do, but I typically swear when I’m in a competitive situation. Soccer, golf, and Donkey Kong for Super Nintendo. Jeff and I had been playing Donkey Kong recently since I’ve been on bed rest. I used to be really good but I’m not anymore. Unfortunately not living up to my own expectations brings about a foul mouth.

Church in Sweat Pants
Up until a few weeks ago I was having “church” at home. A friend joined me recently which was fun. We laid on my bed, both in our sweat pants, and watched a sermon on video. We weren’t in a church building, but God was still present. I don’t think God cares what we are wearing to church – at home or in a building – as long as it is appropriate. I think God cares that we are at church.

Up From The Grave
Celebrating Jesus’ resurrection made me think of things we want to rise from the grave. Hopes, dreams, plans, loved ones. About a month after Caleb was buried, I remember standing at his grave reading the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. I prayed God would raise Caleb and I believed He could. I wasn’t sure how the logistics would work, but if God can raise him from the dead, he can work out logistics. But God didn’t raise Caleb from the dead. Maybe instead He brought my hope back.

I’d love to write about things you are interested in. If there’s a topic you have in mind let me know. Or let me know which things I’ve written you enjoy most: Bible passages, travel stories, pregnancy updates, etc. Thanks for reading!

Lessons From The Last Supper

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Debbie

Today is Maundy Thursday, the anniversary of Jesus’s last supper with His disciples.

A night where Jesus knew His betrayer, but loved him like His friends.

A night where Jesus, although He was their teacher and Lord, acted as their servant.

A night where Jesus knew the pain of the sacrifice He was about to make, but chose to follow His Father’s will, to pay the penalty for our sin so we can live in His victory.

Thank You Jesus for choosing the hard way to give us life, for conquering death, for being an example we can follow in loving others.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that You are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35

Read John 13

Running On Empty

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Debbie

Jeff & I at the Baby Shower

This last week I have felt really drained and tired. I figured I was tired from the baby shower, which is partly true. But I realized I was missing some things from my routine. Up to this point, the majority of my time on bed rest (when not visiting with friends), has been spent watching Beth Moore’s Bible study on Esther, reading a lot of Christian books, listening to sermons from various churches, etc. But I finished the Esther study, I’ve been back at church so I haven’t been listening to sermons at other times, and I finished all the Christian books I wanted to read.

I spent last week writing thank you notes while watching episodes of Parenthood season 3 on Hulu’s free one-week trial and reading In A Sunburned Country for book club. None of those things are bad. Parenthood makes me laugh a lot and you can learn things from their families. Even though I had continued to read my Bible every day, I didn’t have this overflowing, fill-my-mind with God’s Word.

There’s nothing that comforts like God’s Word. Nothing. I thought in this season of my life, if I didn’t soak my mind in the promises of God that I might become fearful and anxious. But instead I just felt empty.

I set my alarm for 10:15am but woke up today at 8:30 really hungry (this is not abnormal). While eating breakfast I listened to Midday Connection, a program of Moody Bible Radio, on the Moody Radio App I have (highly recommend). I read the Bible, I listened to a new mix of songs I made in celebration of Easter, and I read a devotion from Walking With Lincoln (a Christian devotional book I bought for Jeff a few years ago when he mentioned he liked President Lincoln and all of a sudden the Family Christian Store had all these Lincoln-related books).

Now I feel full again. I feel inspired to write the Bible study I keep talking about and not doing anything with. I feel content, satisfied, ready for the day. Soaking yourself in God’s Word and Christian materials isn’t a fix-all for whatever problem is in your life. You may not always feel great. But I think you’ll feel better than you would without Him.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” Isaiah 26:3. This verse was on my Bible-verse-a-day calendar for February 24, 2011, the day Caleb was born and immediately welcomed into heaven. I kept that calendar at my office so I didn’t know that verse was on the calendar until several weeks later when I went back to work. God has amazing ways of speaking into our lives. If only we would listen.

About Debbie

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