LIVING IN GOD'S APPROVAL

"We have been approved by God." 1 Thessalonians 2:4

Living in the approval of God is so liberating!  It frees you from "approval addiction" - worrying about what other people think.  When you are addicted, no matter how much of your drug of choice you get it is never enough.  And like junkies, you go crazy when your drug is withheld.  Approval addicts are always at the mercy of other people's opinions.  As a result their lives become an emotional roller coaster of highs and lows.

Paul was free to speak the truth in love: to confront people, or be gentle with them.  When someone told Paul they did not like him, he did not lose sleep over it.  That is because his life was not built upon their approval.  "We have been approved by God."  Paul did not go around needing to:

• Compare himself with others;
• Demonstrate his superiority;
• Impress or compete with others;
• Be the top dog or the one who is always in charge.

Living in God's approval set him free from such ulcer-inducing anxiety, and meant he could enjoy the life God called him to live.

When you are young and insecure we tend to worry about what others think of us.  But as we become more mature, we realize that most of the time they were not thinking about us at all.  They were too busy worrying what we thought of them!  Living in God's approval frees us from all that stress. It gives us the strength to deal with criticism and conflict, because we know our identity.  And our identity is this: we are God's redeemed children.  And since we are accepted and approved by Him, what else matters?

CONJUNCTIVITIS

What is Conjunctivitis?

Conjunctivitis is one of the most common and treatable eye infections in children and adults. Often called "pink eye," or “apollo” in this part of the world; it is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the tissue that lines the inside of the eyelid.

Causes of Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis can be caused by a virus, bacteria, irritating substances (shampoos, dirt, smoke, and especially chlorine in swimming pools), allergens (substances that cause allergies) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Apollo caused by bacteria, viruses, and STIs can spread easily from person to person, but is not a serious health risk if diagnosed promptly.

What are the Symptoms of Conjunctivitis?

• Redness in the white of the eye or inner eyelid
• Greater amount of tears
• Thick yellow discharge that crusts over the eyelashes, especially after sleep (in conjunctivitis caused by bacteria)
• Other discharge from your eye (green or white)
• Itchy eyes (especially in conjunctivitis caused by allergies)
• Burning eyes (especially in conjunctivitis caused by chemicals and irritants)
• Blurred vision
• Increased sensitivity to light

See your ophthalmologist (a doctor trained to treat eye conditions) or family doctor if you have any of these persistent symptoms. Ear infections also commonly occur in children who have bacterial conjunctivitis. The ophthalmologist will examine your eyes and possibly take a sample of fluid from the eyelid with a cotton swab.

How is conjunctivitis treated?

• Bacteria
  Conjunctivitis caused by bacteria is treated with antibiotics, a type of medicine prescribed by your doctor. The antibiotic can be given as eye drops, ointments, or pills. Eye drops or ointments may need to be applied to the inside of the eyelid three to four times a day for five to seven days. It may be difficult to apply ointments inside of a child’s eye. If the ointment gets as far as the eyelashes, it will most likely melt and enter the eye. Drugs3 may need to be taken for several days. The infection should improve within a week. Take the medicine as instructed by your doctor, even if the symptoms go away.
• Virus
  Medicine cannot treat conjunctivitis caused by a virus. This type of conjunctivitis often results from a common cold. Just as a cold must run its course, so must this form of conjunctivitis, which will last from 4 to 7 days. You may, however, help relieve symptoms by applying a cold compress.
• Irritating substance
  To treat this type of conjunctivitis, use warm water for five minutes to wash the irritating substance from the eye. You should also avoid further exposure to the irritating substances. Your eyes should begin to improve within four hours after washing away the substance. If they do not, call your doctor.
• Allergies
  Allergy-associated conjunctivitis should be evaluated by your ophthalmologist and an allergist. It may disappear completely when the allergy is treated with antihistamines or the when the allergen is removed. Relieve symptoms temporarily by applying a cold compress on closed eyes.
• Ophthalmia neonatorum and STIs
  The same bacteria that causes the sexually transmitted infections chlamydia and gonorrhea can also infect the conjunctiva. This is called ophthalmia neonatorum and is most commonly spread during birth as the infant passes through the birth canal of an infected mother. Newborns are usually given eye drops immediately after birth to treat any possible infection.

Conjunctivitis can also be spread through hand contact when rubbing the eyes or touching contact lenses after touching infected genitals. Oral antibiotics in the form of pill, eye drops, or ointment are usually prescribed for treatment. Washing hands thoroughly can help prevent the spread of this type of conjunctivitis.

Being around a person who has conjunctivitis and wearing contact lenses may increase your risk of getting conjunctivitis, but the outcome is usually very good with treatment. The eyes can become re-infected. Call your doctor if symptoms last for more than three days after treatment.

What can I do to help Relieve Symptoms?

• Protect your eyes from dirt and other irritating substances.
• Remove contact lenses, if you wear them.
• Place cold compresses on your eyes.
• Wash your face and eyelids with mild soap or baby shampoo and rinse with water to remove irritating substances.

Non-prescription "artificial tears," a type of eye drops, may help relieve itching and burning from irritating substances. (Note: Other types of eye drops may irritate the eyes and should not be used.) Do not use the same bottle of drops in the other eye if it is not infected.

How can I prevent spreading the infection?

• Don’t touch or rub the infected eye(s).
• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water.
• Wash any discharge from your eyes twice a day using a fresh cotton ball or paper towel. Afterwards, discard the cotton ball and wash your hands with soap and warm water.
• Wash your bed linens, pillowcases, and towels in hot water and detergent.
• Avoid wearing eye makeup.
• Don’t share eye makeup with anyone else.
• Never wear another person’s contact lens.
• Wear glasses instead of contact lenses. Throw away disposable lenses or be sure to clean extended wear lenses and all eyewear cases.
• Avoid sharing common articles such as unwashed towels, cups, and glasses.
• Wash your hands after applying the eye drops or ointment to your eye or your child’s eye.
• Do not use eye drops in a non-infected eye that were used for an infected one.

If your child has bacterial or viral conjunctivitis, keep him or her home from school or day care until he or she is no longer contagious.

As always remember that prevention is better than a cure.

Dr. Olukayode Williams

WHAT FOLLOWERS SHOULD EXPECT

"Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10

If God has called you to lead, more is required of you.  Those you are called to lead have the right to expect 8 things:

• To know your character.  If I follow you, will I know who you really are?  Will you deal with me with integrity?
• That you will take the time to explain your vision.  What is the future and where do I fit?  Is there a place for me or will you simply use me?
• To never be left in isolation.  Will you 'be there' for me?  Will you love me?  Will you care about my needs?
• To be heard.  To whom will you listen?  When you are busy and overloaded will I still be heard, taken seriously and appreciated?
• To be trusted.  Can I take initiative without fear?  Will my ideas be rewarded and encouraged or will I be regarded with suspicion and distanced?
• To be given an opportunity to grow.  Will I be encouraged to be a lifelong learner?  Will my gifts be increasingly identified and expressed?  Will I be developed?
• To be held accountable.  Will I be fairly evaluated for my performance?  Will I be lovingly held to the highest standards and to God's best for my life?  Will you show me how to do it better and be patient while I learn and self-correct?
• To be the object of grace.  Will I be forgiven even in the face of shortcomings, inadequacies and failure? Will I be led with kindness?  These are what followers have the right to expect of you - so do not let them down!

ANTICIPATION AND REALITY!

"But the hour cometh, and now is." John 4:23

Phase One: Anticipation.  This woman had lived through 5 failed marriages, become the talk of the town, and lost her capacity to trust others or respect herself.  Then Jesus showed up and said, "The hour cometh."  What a message: "Your time has come.  Things in your life are about to change.  What you are weeping over today you will rejoice over tomorrow."  God's grace turns the failures of our past into fertilizer.  Like a lily springing up in a mud marsh, God offers us: "Beauty for ashes, and the garment of praise in exchange for the spirit of heaviness." [see Isaiah 61:3].  Notice, when Christ mentioned this woman's past He was not a Pharisee pointing an accusing finger.  No, He was the Good Shepherd walking for miles to find one lost sheep; the great Physician pouring healing love into her deepest wounds; and "the door" that leads out of misery and into the life she always longed for.

Phase Two: Reality.  "And now is."  The waiting is over.  Anticipation turns to reality and she seizes her moment.  When Jesus said, "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give...shall never thirst" [John 4:14]; she replies: "Sir, give this water, that I thirst not" [John 4:15].  She reaches by faith and receives what He has for her.  Then redeemed, recycled and redirected, this woman with a questionable past goes all over town introducing others to Christ.  What a story! And what Jesus did for her He will do for you.  What He said to her He says to you: "Your time has come.  Your breakthrough is at hand.  Believe it, receive it and walk in it."

KNOWING YOUR SPEED LIMIT

"It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor be hasty and miss the way." Proverbs 19:2

A lot of us drive like the speed limits are just suggestions!  No, they are there for a reason - our protection.  Ignore them and you crash!  The same is true about your life.  Do you take work home, stay up late after the children go to bed and your mate's asleep?  Are you skipping meals to catch up on paper work that keeps replenishing itself like weeds along a hillside?  Do you drive to meetings checking your Blackberry, drinking coffee and talking on your cell phone?  Isn't it crazy to run a portable office while driving at 65 m.p.h. down the highway?  Some seasons are busier than others.  Occasionally opportunities come along that require extra time and attention - but you cannot expect yourself to always travel at warp speed.  You are mortal and fragile with physical, emotional and spiritual needs.  You are mortal and fragile with physical, emotional and spiritual needs. You are not a robot, a computer or an engine that can be operated at the flip of a switch.  Even these mechanical devices, if you do not keep them fueled and maintained eventually fail.

So, how do you discover and maintain your speed limit?  By knowing yourself inside out.  Pay attention to your body's signals - to your responses to the demands that you (and others) place on you.  When your body is tired to the point of distraction, rest.  That is what God did!  And do not forget your soul - you will gain more strength, wisdom and perspective by spending time each day with God than by all your blowing and going.  The  Bible says: "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength" Isaiah 40:31.  Try it; it works!

IS YOUR GIFT BIGGER THAN YOU?

"Oh Lord...who may dwell on your holy hill?  He who walks with integrity." Psalm 15:1-2

You would not give your 5-year-old a 12-gauge shotgun or a big Harley-Davidson motorcycle.  Shotguns and motorcycles are for adults.  You need maturity to handle them.  Giving such gifts to your child would endanger them and everybody around them.  The gifts just do not fit the person.  Perhaps you are a talented individual.  God has given you some large gifts like the ability to speak well, or organize things, or create and design.  But we sabotage ourselves when our gift becomes bigger than we are.  How does this happen?  When we begin to lean on the talents God gave us and do not mature emotionally and spiritually, we ruin our chance to use those talents as God designed them.  When our character does not keep up with our talent, we learn to "wing it" through life.  We live on the surface but lack real strength underneath.  And it shows up when the crisis hits, the storm comes, or we are under pressure.  You cannot "wing it" when it comes to character building.  The greater the size of your gifts, the more you must dedicate time to developing your character.  Eugene Peterson paraphrases the Psalmist in The Message: "God, who gets invited to dinner at your place?  How do we get on your guest list?  Walk straight, act right, tell the truth.  Do not hurt your friend, do not blame your neighbor; despise the despicable.  Keep your word even when it costs you, make an honest living, never take a bribe.  You will never get blacklisted if you live like this" Psalms 15:1 - 5.  So, do you live that way?

LASSA FEVER

What is Lassa fever?

Lassa fever is an acute blood borne disease commonly found in West Africa. This disease is named after the village in Nigeria where it was first discovered in 1969. Lassa fever is known to be endemic in Guinea (Conakry), Liberia, Sierra Leone and parts of Nigeria, but probably exists in other West African countries as well. The disease occurs more often in the dry season, rather than in the rainy season.  There have been reports of over 40 deaths in 12 states of Nigeria within the last year alone.

Mode of infection

 A person can become infected by eating food contaminated with rat excreta, urine or saliva deposited on surfaces such as floors, beds, household utensils or in food and water e.g. surfaces of canned drinks/foods and other stored food items. Person to person infection also occurs through direct contact or inhalation of infected body fluids including blood, urine, saliva, throat secretion, etc. This is the reason why health care workers are also at a high risk of infection.

Signs and symptoms

The onset of the disease is usually gradual, starting with a fever, general weakness, and malaise.

After a few days, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, and abdominal pain may follow.

Severe cases may progress to show facial swelling, fluid in the lungs, bleeding from the mouth, nose, vagina or gastrointestinal tract, and low blood pressure.

Seizures, tremor, disorientation, and coma may be seen in the late stages.

Deafness occurs in 25% of patients of whom half recover some function after 1-3 months.

Transient hair loss and gait disturbance may occur during recovery.

Animal reservoir

Lassa fever is a zoonotic disease, meaning that humans become infected from contact with infected animals. The animal reservoir, or host, of Lassa virus is a rodent of the genus Mastomys, commonly known as the “multimammate rat.” This rat can be difficult to identify. Mastomys infected with Lassa virus do not become ill, but they can shed the virus in their saliva and excreta (urine and faeces).

Who is at risk?

Lassa fever occurs in all age groups and in both men and women. Persons at greatest risk are those living in rural areas where these rats are usually found, especially in areas of poor sanitation or crowded living conditions. Health care workers are at risk if proper barrier nursing and infection control practices are not maintained.

How is Lassa fever transmitted?

Humans usually become infected with Lassa virus from exposure to excreta of infected rats. Both direct exposure, (touching the excreta) and Lassa virus may also be spread between humans through direct contact with the blood, urine, faeces, or other bodily secretions of a person with Lassa fever. There is no epidemiological evidence supporting airborne spread between humans. Person-to-person transmission occurs in both community and health care settings, where the virus may be spread by contaminated medical equipment, such as re-used needles. Sexual transmission of Lassa virus has been reported.

Diagnosis

Because the symptoms of Lassa fever are so varied and non-specific, clinical diagnosis is often difficult, especially early in the course of the disease. Lassa fever is difficult to distinguish from many other diseases which cause fever, including malaria, shigellosis, typhoid fever, yellow fever and other viral blood borne fevers.

Definitive diagnosis requires testing that is available only in highly specialized laboratories. Laboratory specimens may be hazardous and must be handled with extreme care. Lassa fever is diagnosed by detection of Lassa antigen, anti-Lassa antibodies, or virus isolation techniques.

Treatment and prophylaxis

The antiviral drug ribavirin is effective treatment for Lassa fever if given early on in the course of clinical illness.

Prevention

Effective preventive measures include:

·         Storing grain and other foodstuffs in rodent-proof containers,

·         Disposing of garbage far from the home,

·         Maintaining clean households

·         Washing the surfaces of canned foods and drinks before consumption of content.

·         Rinsing and cooking all foods thoroughly.

·         Regular fumigation of our homes and offices.

·         Keeping cats.

Because these rats are so abundant in endemic areas, it is not possible to completely eliminate them from the environment.

As always PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE.

Dr. Olukayode Williams