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.

Ready

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Debbie

First we bought a new washer and dryer. Then we got the baby furniture. Last night we bought the official Family Car. In many ways, Baby Boy, we are ready for you. As of today you have been with me for 36 weeks! Although the doctors never specifically said you’d come early, they seem very proud of themselves that you’ve been in the womb this long. Of course we know Who really gets the credit. Only one more week until the cerclage is removed and then you can come anytime.

As I said, in some ways I’m ready. Ready to put you in all the cute clothes we’ve received. Ready to use the jogging stroller. Ready to see how the carseat works in the new car. Ready to introduce you to all the people who have prayed for you.

But I’m not ready to watch you grow up too fast. It’s inevitable – every parent says it happens. I’m not ready for you to enter this world which is full of people who are mean and selfish. Where you could be best friends with a kid one day only to have them ignore you the next. I’m not ready for your heart to get broken by some girl, and therefore my heart be broken.

I wish I could protect you from the bad things, the heartbreaks, the loneliness. But I know it’s at these times in our lives – as children, teens, or adults – that we learn there is One who will never leave us. One who will love us completely. You don’t need me to protect you. As much as I love you, He loves you more. He formed you in my womb. He knows your name (even though Dad and I are still deciding). He knows the hairs on your head and the tears you will cry. He knows the good you’ll do and the wrong choices you’ll make, and He loves you anyway.

I won’t protect you from bad things, I can’t. But God will be with you every step of your life. He is the One you can always trust, always turn to. I will be right there next to you, helping you learn to rest in the One who has always held you in His arms.

You have searched me, Lord, and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise… You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, You, Lord, know it completely… Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me…

For you created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well… all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. How amazing are Your thoughts concerning me, God. How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand… Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Verses from Psalm 139)

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