LEFTOVERS

"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten." Joel 2:25

Some of your reading this are old enough to remember hard times, shortages on cash, and limited menus.  You lived on a food budget, which meant you sometimes saw the same dish more than once.  Although, due to your Mom's incredible talent in the kitchen it did not always have the same face.  It might show up as mashed potatoes and peas on Monday, then shepherd's pie on Tuesday.  It might even come back a day or two later as something no one but your Mom herself could recognize.  She did chop it, dice it, mix in some cheese, splash Cream of Mushroom soup over the top, dress it up with some parsley, put it on a fancy tray, give it a French-sounding name and you thought it was something brand new!  Could not Mom work miracles with leftovers?

Well guess what?  God works the same way too!  If you bring Him what you have left over, He can turn it into something you never would have thought possible.  You just need to step away, turn it over to Him and let Him do His thing.  You did not hover over your Mom when she was reinventing your dinner.  You were smart enough to know that everything would come out a lot better if you just kept your hands off it.  This is not to say you should keep your hands entirely off your own life.  You just need to step back far enough to let God work without hindrance.  When you do, the promise that "All things work together for good" suddenly becomes a reality in your life.

PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

This is also known as Respiratory Tuberculosis or Koch’s disease.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious bacterial infection that mainly involves the lungs, but may spread to other organs. It has a worldwide prevalence of 1.5 billion people infected with the disease. 10% of these infections are drug resistant and therefore harder to treat.

Pulmonary tuberculosis is caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). You can get tuberculosis by breathing in air droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person.

The initial stage of the infection is usually asymptomatic (without symptoms). Most people will recover from primary TB infection without further evidence of the disease. However, in some cases, the disease may become active within weeks after the primary infection, or it may lie dormant for years and later reappear.

Risk Factors for TB

The following people are at a higher risk for developing active TB:

·         The elderly- because their immune systems are failing.

·         Persons with weakened immune systems, for example due to AIDS, chemotherapy, or anti-rejection medicines given after organ transplant.

·         Infants- because they are yet to build up a strong immune system.

The risk of contracting TB also increases if you:

·         Are in frequent contact with people who have the disease.

·         Live in crowded or unsanitary living conditions.

·         Have poor nutrition.

The factors that may increase the rate of tuberculosis infection in a population include:

·         Increase in HIV infections

·         Increase in number of poor or homeless individuals (poor environment and poor nutrition)

·         The appearance of drug-resistant strains of TB

Symptoms of TB

·         Chronic Cough

·         Fever

·         Fatigue

·         Loss of appetite

·         Unintentional and often drastic weight loss

·         Coughing up of blood 

·         Phlegm-producing cough

·         Wheezing

·         Excessive sweating, especially at night

·         Chest pain

·         Difficulty breathing

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to cure the infection with drugs that fight the tuberculosis bacteria. The initial treatment may involve a combination of many drugs. It is continued until lab tests show which medicine works best. You may have to take a number of drugs daily for a long period of time.

Treatment usually lasts for 6-9 months, but longer courses may be needed for persons with AIDS or whose disease responds slowly.

You may need to be admitted to a hospital (quarantined) to prevent the spread of the disease to others until you are no longer contagious. In some cases admission is to ensure compliance and the medical personnel ensure the drugs are taken daily (daily observed therapy).

The Nigerian government provides subsidized drugs and treatment for people with TB in some specialized facilities nationwide. In some of these facilities the drugs are totally free.

Incomplete treatment of TB infections (such as failure to take medications for the prescribed length of time) can contribute to the emergence of drug-resistant strains of bacteria.

Prognosis

Symptoms may improve in 2 to 3 weeks. A chest x-ray will not show this improvement until much later. Prognosis is excellent if pulmonary TB is diagnosed early and treatment is started early.

Complications

Pulmonary TB can cause permanent lung damage if not treated early. Medicines used to treat TB may cause side effects, such as hepatitis and an orange or brown coloration of tears and urine. This change in color of tears and urine can be very dramatic and many Nigerians have been fooled into unnecessarily buying anti-TB drugs to “cleanse their blood” by road side drug hawkers.

When to seek Medical Advice

·         Visit your hospital if you have been exposed to tuberculosis, or if symptoms of TB develop.

·         Visit your hospital if symptoms persist despite treatment.

·         Visit your hospital if new symptoms develop, including indications that complications are developing.

Prevention of TB Spread

·         TB is a preventable disease, even in those who have been exposed to an infected person. Skin testing for TB is used in high risk populations or in individuals who may have been exposed to TB, such as health care workers.

·         A BCG vaccination to prevent TB is given in most countries with a high incidence of TB including Nigeria; this vaccine is one of vaccines that Fidelity Bank provides for newborns. It is not routinely used in the United States and other countries where TB is not prevalent. People who have had BCG may still be skin tested for TB and results of testing (if positive) should be discussed with one's doctor.

·         Prompt treatment is extremely important in controlling the spread of tuberculosis for those who have already progressed to active TB disease.

·         If you notice a family member or work colleague has developed the symptoms of TB contact Human Resources so we can ensure they receive adequate care and also prevent the spread to others.

Remember Prevention is better than cure.

Dr. Olukayode Williams

SEED-FORM BLESSINGS

"That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost."  Matthew 1:20

You must learn to recognize seed-form blessings.  Why? Because for a period of time it may not be clear to others (or even you) that the Lord is with you.  Look at Mary: "In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth... to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph...The virgin's name was Mary.  The angel...said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored!  The Lord is with you."  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus...."  "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"  The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you...So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God...For nothing is impossible with God."  "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered.  "May it be to me as you have said."  Luke 1:26 - 38.

Notice the following things about Mary: 

• She was capable of conceiving what God wanted.
• She could carry it full-term.
• She could deliver it in health.
• She could trust God with her unanswered questions.
• When the time came she could release it to fulfill God's plan, even though it meant the breaking of her heart.  The seed that went into the ground on Good Friday sprang to life on Easter Sunday and produced a harvest that changed the world.  So, learn to recognize your seed-form blessings.

COMMIT YOURSELF TO GROWTH!

"Let the wise listen and add to their learning."  Proverbs 1:5

Here are 3 reasons why growth should matter to you:

• Gifting without growth produces ineffectiveness.  Albert Schweitzer said, "The secret of success is to go through life as a person who never gets used up."  But how do you do that?  The answer lies in how you approach talent.  If you draw on your talent but never sharpen it, you are headed for trouble because nobody's that talented.  But if you take the time to sharpen your axe, God can call on you at a moment's notice.
• Growth prevents stagnation.  Do you feel stuck spiritually, relationally, career wise, or at home?  You will not get unstuck by making external changes, looking for a different job, leaving your family or changing churches.  The truth is, nobody's keeping down but yourself.  The lid on your life - is you!  In order to do more, you have got to grow more.  So, if you are serious about getting unstuck, stop looking for quick fixes, take a long hard look at your self, accept responsibility for what you see, pray, then commit yourself to doing something about it.
• Continuous improvement guarantees success!  The Tartar tribes of central Asia used to pronounce a certain curse over their enemies.  They did not hurl words calling for their enemy's swords to rust or their people to die of disease.  No, they said, "May you stay in one place forever."  If you do not work on improving yourself everyday that could be your fate.  You will be stuck in the same place, doing the same things, hoping the same hopes, but never gaining new ground or developing spiritually.  So, commit yourself to growth!

BE WISE!

"I fear that...I myself might be disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:27

Let us take another look at Samson!

• He broke the rules!  The relationships he formed destroyed him.  The Bible warns: "Be ye not unequally yoked  together with unbelievers" (2 Cor 6:14).  An ox and a donkey cannot work in the same harness.  Why?  Because their natures are different!  When God says "no" to certain things He is not being difficult, He is being protective.  Heed Him!
• He lived by his impulses!  He thought he was in love when he was only in heat.  When confronted about his relationship choices he replied, "She pleaseth me well" (Judges 14:3).  Before it was over he became a laughing-stock.  Peter writes: "Abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul" (1 Peter 2:11).  In war the strongest side wins, so keep your impulses in check.
• He misused his gift!  Samson exploited his God-given strength for personal gain.  Listen to these words spoken to his Philistine buddies, concerning a bet he had made with them: "Then shall ye give me" (Judges 14:13).  God gives us gifts to fulfill His purposes, not ours.  When we misuse them we end up in trouble.
• He was blind to his weaknesses!  You may not like to believe that your private imperfections will have public consequences, but you cannot escape what you are.  If Satan attacked Jesus 3 times in the wilderness, he is not going to give you a free pass!  Protect yourself!  Satan always attacks those who are in line for God's blessing.  Why does God make such a big deal of this?  Because sin hurts us, and anything that hurts one of His children makes Him angry.

MANAGING YOUR MIND

"A man reaps what he sows." Galatians 6:7

Managing your mind should be one of your top priorities. Your mind is like a computer, it only spits out the data you feed it. Winners work hard at investing the right material inside themselves. Dr. Hans Selye researched and popularized a tiny membrane in the back of your head known as the RAS: Reticular Activating System. Your RAS has a primary function: it moves you in the direction of your dominant thought at that moment. We naturally act on what fills our minds. When we become preoccupied with a thought, eventually we want to act on it. This explains a lot of things like why so many rapes happen after guys have watched pornography night after night. It also explains the huge amount of violence among young people between the ages of 12 and 24. By then the average young person has seen more than 4,000 murders on TV, not to mention video games.

Indiana School of Medicine studied how the images we see impact our brains. For instance, adolescents who had a higher level of exposure to violence, had reduced levels of cognitive function. The more violence they saw the less thinking, learning, reasoning and emotional stamina they had. The garbage they fed their minds affected what came out. Their computer stored wrong information, now they could only retrieve the wrong stuff. The Apostle Paul did not know about computers but he knew about agriculture: "The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life" (Gal 6:8). So, manage your mind!

NOTHING IS EVER LOST!

"Gather the leftovers so nothing is wasted." John 6:12

Did you know that what starts as a curse can end as a blessing? When the Mexican boll weevil devastated the southeast Alabama cotton crop, farmers reverted to planting peanuts and ended up producing more than any country in the nation. Consequently the town of Rucker erected a monument bearing this inscription, "In profound appreciation of the boll weevil and what it has done as the herald of prosperity."

When Jesus discovered Lazarus was sick he did not respond till after he had been dead for four days. But because Jesus was waiting did not mean He was not working. He chose to demonstrate His resurrecting power - to prove that nothing is too hard for God. Joseph was falsely imprisoned for 13 years. But God was with him and he went on to save multitudes, including his family who had mistreated him. Joseph's struggles made him better, not bitter. But it could have ended differently if he had not maintained the right attitude. God used Esther to save her people, but first he put her in the position of living where she did not want to live and doing what she did not want to do. Even though a widow, Ruth ended up gleaning in a field where she met and married a wealthy man named Boaz. In addition to bearing him children, she became part of Jesus' ancestral blood line. So if you are struggling to see God's purpose in your suffering today, rest assured He has one. After feeding a multitude Jesus told His disciples, "Gather the leftovers so nothing is wasted." In God's kingdom nothing is ever lost. When you trust Him He makes "all things work together for good" (Romans 8:28).