Another Facet of Accountability

At the Open Heaven 2011 Conference at Bethel Church in Redding, CA last night Bill Johnson talked for a moment about accountability.  He reminded us that there are at least two ways of considering the concept of accountability.

Johnson said as believers we often think about accountability in terms of its value in helping us avoid sin in our lives. Men's accountability groups are good examples of that facet of accountability. There is built into us a desire to avoid sin if we know we're going to have to fess up later.

There is another facet of accountability, and that is expressed in Hebrews 10:25 "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds".  Accountability isn't the only way to accomplish that, but when we are in relationship with other like-minded believers who have been given permission to exhort us, it can be powerfully useful.

I have been involved in both of these facets of accountability and have found them both useful.  Right now I am in an accountability relationship with an older friend who "spurs me on".  This relationship "sharpens my iron" and causes me to examine what I am thinking and doing in a very positive way.  It's not always comfortable, but it is very much in the context of sincere friendship and that makes it much more than okay.

What has been the most valuable accountability relationship in your life?

Found: Where the Blame Rests in the Debt Debacle

After a lot of reflection, I realize that I need to confess. I am responsible for the US debt debacle.

Let me elaborate. I watch my family finances carefully. I make sure to spend less than I take in. Except for our house, I pay off our bills every month, including our credit cards.

But I have not carefully watched the finances of my country.

And this is where my responsibility lies: I have allowed my elected representatives and the president to spend more money than our country takes in. I have allowed it for years. I made the mistake of thinking "surely they know what they are doing."

de Tocqueville said almost 200 years ago, "in every democracy, the people get the government they deserve." It might be better said that "the people get the government they tolerate". I have gotten the government I have tolerated.

Please forgive me for allowing Alaska's representative and senators to play their part in this disaster. And forgive me for not sternly communicating with this and previous presidents about the large role several of them have played in edging us so close to the brink of financial ruin.

Furthermore, I have not demanded accountability of big business, especially financial institutions. Capitalism is the most powerful economic engine on the planet, but it will never be a candidate for sainthood.

I have allowed America to get into serious financial trouble by my lack of watchfulness. I am sorry. I won't make that mistake again.

It would be easy to give in to a spirit of fear that wants to grip America because of this issue. There is certainly danger ahead, but I am confident that we can master this terrible enemy of the American people. That will be my regular prayer in the days ahead.

General Booth Born 182 Years Ago Today

In his lifetime, William Booth raised up and gave direction to the Salvation Army, one of the largest ever distributors of humanitarian aid and care for the poor. Thousands of men, women and children found Christ and newness of life through the Army in its early years. That continues today.

Known for its military organization and uniforms, the Salvation Army grew rapidly in its early years, and is now widely spread across the world.

The General's words still inspire today, 100 years later.

The Fountain of Life and the Snares of Death

Twice in the Book of Proverbs, Solomon, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, writes of "a fountain of life" and "the snares of death." It is worth unpacking these words a little more. There is impressive meaning here.

In the first instance, Solomon writes "the teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death." In the second instance, it is "The fear of the LORD" that is that fountain of life that turns a man from the snares.

The teaching of the wise and the fear of the LORD are not contradictory. Solomon's father, King David said it this way: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding." Solomon would have understood "the teaching of the wise" and "the fear of the LORD" as being interrelated.

The fountain of life concept has less impact to us who live in water rich areas of the world. In the semi-arrid Middle East, a fountain of water would have been a source of life.....not just an expression of art. Water brings the land to life, and a fountain or a spring would have meant a place of abundant life. Fountains are also moving water, constantly refreshed.

Creatures caught by snares do not meet death quickly, and that is the image we should see in this passage: slow death. Snares are hidden in small animal pathways in the brush. The animal caught by them has neither seen them nor smelled them as great care has been used in the setting of them.

So it is with sin. The enemy hides the deadly snares of sin carefully in the brush of popular culture. Sin is deceptive....it often seems free or fun, or both at once.

How then to avoid the snares of death? Fear the Lord and heed the teaching of the wise. It remains as true today as when the pen first scratched the words some 3,000 years ago.

Linda's Improvement Two Weeks After CCSVI Treatment

Linda was treated for low flow in both her jugular veins two weeks ago in Albany, New York, and she continues to gradually improve.

In Albany she underwent an as yet unproven treatment for amelioration of Multiple Sclerosis symptoms that may have been triggered by CCSVI. Both of her jugular veins had significant narrowings. Venous flow was substantially improved by venous angioplasty in both.

1. Energy – Good improvement. Linda self reports about 50% improvement in energy level. I would say it is at least that.
2. Pain level – Dramatic improvement. She says her pain level averaged “8” pre-treatment and now averages “1” or a little more.
3. Left hand – Good improvement. This was an immediate effect, and growing. She is able to type now with the left hand, but only poorly pre-treatment. The large muscles in the arm are growing in strength, but not as quickly.
4. Mobility – Some improvement. Because of the improvement in energy, Linda gets around more and better. Pre-treatment, we had come to the place where I was taking her most places and bringing her inside with the transport chair. Post treatment, she is much more willing AND able to drive herself (the right leg was not much affected by the disease) and get inside a building.
5. “Molasses” – Dramatic improvement. Pre-treatment, Linda would be “in cold molasses” in the afternoon and evening…..that is to say, hard to move. That effect has disappeared in her legs, but persists in her left arm, although it is better.
6. Temperature – Dramatic improvement. Linda’s hands and feet are warmer. I can feel that when she touches me.
7. Depression – Dramatic improvement. Hope has been restored.
8. Balance – Good improvement. She can now stand without support for several minutes.
9. Tingling – Some improvement. Her left leg tingles sometimes, but has improved. The left thumb tingles constantly still.
10. Physical therapist – shocked. I wish I could have been in the room as she observed the positive changes in Linda.

We have not observed any negative effects. We're both still pretty dazed and amazed!

Slow Miracles

Slow miracles are just as good as fast miracles......they just aren't as flashy. We are in the midst of a slow miracle here and we are grateful for every bit of it.

Linda mentioned to me just a little while ago, "the procedure really has made a difference. I'm not in molasses like I usually am at this time of the day." That was the first thing I observed on the day of the procedure....she seemed to have more energy than usual. Today, she confirmed that without the molasses effect, her energy level has picked up.

We've been back from the trip to Albany 24 hours now, and it's at home where we can really gauge how it is going. Here at home we notice several things: 1) more energy as mentioned above; 2) a left hand and arm that is functioning better; 3) more perceived body warmth; and 4) less pain. Let me elaborate a little.

Linda in the last couple of years has been fairly low energy in the afternoon and evening. She just has "worn out". It doesn't seem so surprising now.....her jugular veins were not allowing good blood flow from her cranium.

Second, her left arm has been following the path of the left leg toward immobility. Her left leg is largely frozen in the extended position. It can be moved, but only with external force. She doesn't have the ability to move it. Her left hand has been gradually diminishing in its ability to work. She mentioned yesterday on the airplane, "my hand is still working better than it was."

Linda has always wanted a warmer room temperature than me, and I doubt that will ever change. In the last couple of years, however, she has wanted a LOT of warm things around her. If we sit to watch a movie, she has wanted a lot of cover, even with many warm clothes. Today she said, "I'm warmer than I have been." Nice!

The pain issue has been a big deal. She's not much of a complainer, but I have known that it was tough for her. Involuntary grunts of pain in the night were very common. Now, she seems to be sleeping more easily and is struggling less with pain during the day.

This is what we have seen so far. We are a couple of grateful people.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights". We are grateful for this gift of a slow miracle.

We're also grateful for pioneers like Dr. Gary Siskin at Community Care Physicians and Albany Medical Center, and the team there. What a gift they have been to us and to many others.

Day Two After "Liberation"

It's called the Liberation Treatment because a fair number of MS sufferers around the world have been "liberated" from many or most of their symptoms by it. My wife Linda had the treatment Monday. This is day two after her CCSVI was repaired with balloon angioplasty in her jugular and azygous veins.

It feels as if her energy level has markedly increased. Yesterday morning she reported that her hand was working easily for the first time in many weeks. Her pain level was down yesterday.

Today, the report is still good. She seems to have more energy than before. That alone is a good result. Pain is up, and hand is not working quite so well. Some of that may be due to tiredness from the driving around we have been doing.

The docs at Albany Medical Center recommend not forming a firm judgment about the results of the procedure for at least three months. That's the way we're going to look at it. We see some good things, but hope for more as the repaired veins do their work!

The Tide is Returning?

The tide may be returning. Already Linda feels better with more energy and seems more resistant to the cold. Even just a few hours after the procedure, she is moving around with more energy that I have seen in months.

At noon today, we went into the Albany Medical Center (AMC) where Linda was made ready for the catheterization procedure. Dr. Gary Siskin came in and talked with us again. He had called the previous day to ask what questions we had, and to help us with pre-procedure anxiety, and to help us manage expectations.

He’s a careful physician, but compassionate. On Sunday he basically said there is no telling what this procedure will bring about. Don’t expect U-Tube results, but hope for good outcomes was his message. Changes may be subtle, he said.

At AMC, the radiology team told us they have now done more than 200 of these procedures. The team at AMC was open, friendly and professional. It does make a difference to be among friendly people when going through something like this.

The procedure took only 90 minutes, which is the average, one of the nurses told me. I waited in a larger waiting room with a pager they supplied.

When I got back to the recovery area, Linda was already there resting comfortably. That doesn’t sound like a big deal….resting comfortably…..but that has not been the path she has been on in recent months. Mostly she has been in pain.

And she was laying there talking about big plans that she had for a choice piece of cooked bovis domesticus.

Dr. Siskin explained what happened to the table. He said that her azygous vein looked pretty good, and he only smoothed it out a bit. On the other hand, both jugular veins had noticeable stenoses occurring high up the neck. He said the constriction was impressive in both of them; more than the norm he sees. He did an angioplasty in both. That helped the blood flow a lot, he said. He could see it in the imaging. He provided a DVD copy of some of the images.

He recommended that we visit an Interventional Radiologist closer to Anchorage for a three month followup. He wants Linda to take aspirin daily for three months. He also asked us to email him with information on how it is going.

I didn’t realize the emotions bottled up in me until I called our daughter….and found at places in my oral description that I could hardly talk. It’s mainly relief that she is okay, but also a sense that this could be the beginning of the tide starting to return.

Whether it comes in all the way – and who would not wish for that – or only part of the way, we’re grateful for the hope that this has engendered. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Hope for a Tidal Change in Linda's Health

On Friday morning, Linda and I take off for Albany, New York for an unproven medical treatment that we are expecting will halt the symptoms of the multiple sclerosis that has been slowly, inexorably stealing her mobility and motion.

From Cruise

By faith, I believe this treatment will provide that firm halt, and provide a base for rebuilding mobility. God made our bodies to heal, and once the offense is ended, they will heal. The tide of her health has been ebbing. I believe that tide is going to rise!

We have been trusting God throughout the 16 years of this affliction. This procedure feels to me like His provision. But even if I'm wrong, we're going to continue to trust.

The medical community is divided on the "liberation treatment" that she will experience on Monday. The investigations so far have been inconsistent, with results ranging from substantial success to inability to replicate findings. Neurologists tend to argue against it, urging suffers to wait for definitive results.

We can't wait. In the years that it could take for more definitive answers on this treatment, Linda could be wheelchair- or even bed-bound. I understand the desire of physicians to have good science-based treatments.....but I also clearly understand the desire of patients to grasp at what offers hope.

A small band of Interventional Radiologists are offering the procedure, arguing that it appears to be helping some. When we made the arrangements for this trip a few months ago, the only USA option was Community Care Physicians in Albany, NY. Others in the USA had started, but have been stopped by their institutions, at least temporarily. A number of clinics in Mexico, Europe and India have been providing this service for many months now, with good many good reports. Hundreds and hundreds of MS sufferers have now undergone the treatment worldwide. Some have reported spectacular results, others a little bit of help, and others....nothing.

Briefly, the treatment involves threading a catheter into the veins that drain the brain and repairing kinks or constrictions. The point of this is to allow better blood flow. It has been known for over 100 years that MS sufferers have deposits of iron around veins draining the brain. The theory is that constricted drainage leads to iron from blood hemoglobin crossing the blood/brain barrier, killing sensitive nerve tissue. The condition has been dubbed chronic cerebro-spinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI).

It appears that Linda is being attacked by secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). In this variation, motor control is progressively lost. Drug therapies are generally modestly helpful, if at all, and there are a number of serious side effects associated with them. The effects of SPMS in her have been devastating to her ability to walk. In the 2001-2005 time period, she and I walked over 1,000 miles while we lived in Uppsala. Today, she can only walk with an electric nerve stimulator that lifts her left foot and using a walker for balance, and then only for short distances. Her left side is particularly affected, but there are deficits in her right as well.

So....to Albany we go. If you remember of us at 9 AM (Alaska time) on Monday, September 20, please pray for good results. No....don't pray for good results....pray for amazing results!

Thank you for your love, your concern and your prayers.

The Immensity and Heritage of God's Love

Here I sit with tears in my eyes as a new understanding of the immensity and heritage of God's love permeates my thinking. I don't think that love was necessary......God surely could have made us without it. There must have been other ways for Him to accomplish His purposes, but He chose the way of love....because that is who He is.

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. I Jn 4:16 ESV

I'm deeply grateful for the deep veins of love in my life: family, wife, children, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, even random strangers....all joined together and over arched by the eternal love of God.

And how do we respond to this great love? With love. Jesus said it this way: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matt 22:37b-39 ESV

I love you, Lord.