Parkinson’s: The quest for a cure

It was only the second time I ever saw my dad cry. He walked in the front door of our home in Reedley, California and told me, “I have Parkinson’s Disease.”

He’d had a relative who had Parkinson’s Disease, so he knew well what it does. It’s a degenerative neurological disease that does terrible things to the body. Over the past several years, we’ve watched as it has taken its toll on my dad. Through it all, he’s managed to stay in good spirits and provide us all with a good example of strong faith and resilience in the midst of adversity. In some ways, I think his spirit may be stronger than ever, though his body is weak.

All the same, how many times we’ve all wished and prayed for a cure!

In America alone, more than half a million people are affected with this disease. At least six million around the world have been diagnosed with it. I’m sure they’re all hoping and praying for a cure.

But is a cure possible?

Prominent neurologists believe it is. In the 1980s, a doctor named Bill Langston made a breakthrough that opened up several promising avenues of investigation into the causes of Parkinson’s. Since then, prominent researchers such as Dr. Langston, Dr. Jeffrey Kordower and Duke University researcher, Miquel Nicolelis, have made great strides toward finding better treatments for the disease and towards the possibility of a cure.

Ten years ago, many in the field of neurology believed in the possibility of finding a cure but very little research was being done. This was due to a lack of finances made available for that research. In the mid-1990s, very little research money was directed toward this disease, in spite of the fact the research opportunities were so promising.

However, in 2000, actor Michael J. Fox (who has Parkinson’s Disease) started the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. In the past nine years, the foundation has funded more than $149 million in research directly or via partnerships. Through the work of aggressive funding and the raising of awareness around the world, great strides have been made in the improvement of treatment and the quest for a cure. In fact, they believe that a cure could be found within the next decade.

As a follower of Christ, I believe that one way we can live out our faith is by responding to causes such as this one. We are not called just to preach a message of “going to heaven someday,” but to also seek out ways of demonstrating God’s love and the values of His Kingdom through frontal assaults upon issues of injustice, poverty and illness around the world.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation generates funds for research through the generous giving of people around the world who care about the cause. For me, this cause is not some generic concern out there that is competing for our attention. For me, it has a name, and its name is Dad.

It has various names and some who are reading this will know it by one dear to you as well. Maybe it is you, or maybe it’s somebody you love.

If you’d like to join the quest for the cure, you can find out more about it at this link:

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research

I believe this urgent goal will finally be reached as more and more of us get involved.

“Medical science has proven time and again that when the resources are provided, great progress in the treatment, cure, and prevention of disease can occur.” — Michael J. Fox

Made for rhythm

I was recently watching a video on Facebook that our missionary colleague, Hazel Bech, put up. It was a video of a group of Christ-followers in Rwanda worshiping God. Their faces were vibrant as they sang and danced for Jesus! I was impressed by the sincerity and joy I saw in those faces. I also loved watching the worshipers dance. They had such rhythm!

As I sit here typing in a coffeehouse, they’re playing music. It’s good music and I can’t help but notice it has rhythm.

Did you know God made rhythm?

I just looked up a definition of the word online:

Rhythm: n. Movement or variation characterized by the regular recurrence or alternation of different quantities or conditions

Music doesn’t exist without rhythm, and its rhythm is really just a reflection of Creation. Everything God made has a natural rhythm.

For example, there’s the rhythm of the seasons: from summer to autumn, from autumn to winter, and so on…

There’s a rhythm to the day: from daylight to night and night to day…

And God also made the human being for rhythm.

Now, I’m not saying that all of us possess a musical rhythm. That’s disproven at any given concert, where everybody is clapping, by the occasional person who is clapping in between the beats!

But our bodies and souls are made for a natural rhythm and, without that rhythm, we don’t function very well. A song without rhythm is just noise, and a life without rhythm is just chaos. In fact, when we don’t respect the natural rhythms of our body and soul, we fall apart, just as the efforts of a symphony orchestra would fall apart as soon as the rhythm was lost.

I mentioned this briefly in my last post. We have to find the right balance in life — the rhythm we were made for — in order to be healthy, spiritually and physically. Let’s consider some of life’s natural rhythms and consider what happens when we lose the beat:

• The rhythm of sleep

  Part of the natural rhythm of our bodies requires proper sleep. If we don’t sleep enough, our bodies begin to break down. Lack of good sleep can lead initially to moodiness, irritability and disinhibition. Then, if a person doesn’t respond to these initial signs by getting the sleep they need, lack of adequate sleep in one’s life can lead to memory loss, the inability to multi-task and apathy. It reduces a person’s ability to be productive and can also make a person dangerous on the road as a person who doesn’t sleep enough is likely to have “micro-sleeps,” nodding off for 5 to 10 seconds, perhaps without even realizing he’s doing so. (reference: Why sleep is important and what happens when you don’t get enough)

  Some people are very proud that they feel they can “get by” with little sleep. They become so driven in their lives and careers that they sacrifice sleep and refuse to recognize they are destroying themselves in the process, by stepping out of rhythm with their body’s needs.

  When a person’s body is not continually renewed through sufficient sleep, his or her body’s healing process is impaired, and the body’s natural defenses against viruses and other illnesses are also broken down. PhD and diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine, Michael J. Breus writes:

  Studies show an increased mortality risk for those reporting less than either six or seven hours per night. One study found that reduced sleep time is a greater mortality risk than smoking, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Sleep disturbance is also one of the leading predictors of institutionalization in the elderly, and severe insomnia triples the mortality risk in elderly men. Remarkably, sleep loss may also be a contributing factor to obesity.

  I believe a lack of sleep can be harmful to our spiritual condition as well. Some people legalistically think that they have to get up really early every morning for prayer in order to be “spiritual” enough, but some people’s bodies simply don’t cope with that kind of schedule. If we are made irritable by a lack of sleep, we can’t claim that as a spiritual victory and, if we aren’t taking care of our bodies properly in the name of “spirituality,” we’re missing the point terribly.

  Here’s something the Bible says about sleep:

  “In vain you rise early
  and stay up late,
  toiling for food to eat—
  for he grants sleep to those he loves.” — Psalm 127:2

  God made us with this natural rhythm for a reason and He wants us to honor that rhythm by finding the balance in life necessary to make sure we get our sleep! A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) research study, released February 28, 2008, states that one out of ten Americans are sleep deprived. No matter how driven we may be, this is NOT honoring to God. God made your body with a natural rhythm for a reason, and you need to get your sleep.

  For more information about the body’s need for sleep, as well as a consideration of how to help people who simply CAN’T sleep, take a look at these Helpguide articles:

  Sleeping Well: Understanding Sleep Needs, Cycles and Stages

  Tips for Getting Better Sleep: How to Sleep Well Every Night

• The rhythm of sustenance

  When I’m visiting Africa, I sometimes see children whose bellies are extended; not from overeating, but from malnutrition. Due to their poverty, they haven’t had the option to honor their body’s need for sustenance. They truly know what it means to be HUNGRY, and their bodies suffer as a result.

  Most of us don’t know what true HUNGER is. However, we may know what it’s like not to eat PROPERLY. Our bodies have very real needs, and we need to respect those needs.

  The Bible says our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us (1 Corinthians 6:19). Taking care of that temple, therefore, is not an optional thing. When we disrespect our body, we disrespect the God who made us and lives within us.

  Respecting the body’s natural rhythm of sustenance means eating properly if we have that option. I’ve had times when I’ve been so driven by my work that I forgot to eat! That’s not good! I’ve also been guilty of not eating PROPERLY. Junk food doesn’t keep the body healthy. My body has needs, and I need to work a proper diet into the balance of my life. To be honest, this is something I haven’t always done well, but I’m trying to work on it.

• The rhythm of exercise

  If our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, we have no right to abuse it. Exercise isn’t something we are meant to do only when we want to lose weight or get nice looking muscles. Exercise is a need that our body has, and we all need to seek ways to get the exercise our body needs. This takes discipline and, once again, it requires finding the balance we need in our life-schedules to make sure we are honoring our body’s needs thus, as a result, honoring the God who made our body.

  

• The rhythm of rest

  Genesis 2:2-3 says:

  By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

  God put the rhythm of what came to be known as the Sabbath rest into Creation itself. Even God rested, and He wants us to follow His example. In fact, the Sabbath was so important to God that He put it into the Ten Commandments.

  “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” — Exodus 20:8-11

  I don’t believe that the Sabbath was created as some kind of legalistic “religious” day to be forced upon people. It was created as part of the natural rhythm of creation. We NEED that day of rest each week and, when we don’t take it, we are putting ourselves in danger. The body and soul need time to rejuvenate and be refreshed, and we also need that time for important things like paying attention to our family relationships and our relationship with God.

  Airplanes can only stay in the air so many hours before they start to fall apart. Why is that? Because if a plane stayed in the air TOO long, the stress would pull it apart. The same is true for us. If we stay busy too long and don’t take those times to rest, we fall apart physically, emotionally and spiritually.

  I remember the day I made the commitment to take a weekly sabbath rest no matter what. I was VERY busy and wondered how I could get all my work done if I took a day off, but I also knew I was struggling to cope with the stress and that I was tired all the time. So I decided to SCHEDULE a day off each week and find out what happened.

  Here’s what happened; I discovered, when I took one day off each week, I actually accomplished MORE in the remaining six days of the week than I had previously accomplished while working all seven. I also discovered that I felt better, was happier and easier to get along with. I was beginning to respect the rhythm of life and, as I did so, life began to feel more and more like the beautiful song it was made to be!

God made us for rhythm!

To find out how you can help children like the hungry children I mentioned in Africa, check out When I Grow Up, a glocal initiative started by Redeemer’s Church in Reedley, California.

What I see myself doing in a year

In thinking about our upcoming move, Karen and I are very excited about this new chapter of our lives and the opportunities that have come our way. We have a clear vision for México and are looking forward to pursuing it.

I’d like to to share this vision with you by dividing it into the 5 things I see myself doing one year from now: 1) Spending a lot of time with Karen, 2) sharing great news with lots of people, 3) teaching others to share great new with lots of people, 4) finding ways to solve big problems, and then 5) spending a lot of time with Karen.

1. Spending a lot of time with Karen

   I’m extremely grateful to be married to such a wonderful woman who loves God and loves me so much! We are both especially grateful, amidst preparing for our life as volunteer missionaries in México, that we have this opportunity to work together. When we first arrive in México at the end of November, Karen’s primary job will be to learn Spanish. She hopes to attend a Spanish school while there and I’ll also continue tutoring her in the language. Then, as time goes along, we plan to work more and more together as a team. I’m so glad have such a great partner in the work!

2. Sharing great news with lots of people

   A big part of our mission in México will be to let people know that religion is dead.

   We’re not interested in spreading religion. There’s enough of that already in the world. Religion is man’s futile attempt to get to God through human efforts, and it tends to lead to judgmentalism and hypocrisy.

   Jesus’ message, however, is about grace. Grace means he recognizes that we’re all messed up people but that God made a way we can be forgiven for all of our “messed-up-ness” and given a new and vibrant LIFE… a life of purpose that lasts forever. When God changes our lives, it’s REAL, and we will be sharing that message with people all across México. God’s message is about never-ending, purposeful life — and it’s also about engagement with the community, not simply through the giving out of tracts but through the living out of Love in practical ways.

   

   In 2010, we plan to focus on ten towns. We’ll first go to the towns to prepare the people in the churches for an outreach into the community by giving them training on how to continue what is started during such an event. Then, two months later, we plan to return to each town and lead a large outreach.

   What is an outreach? It’s simply a time of “reaching out” to people with God’s love and truth. The plan is to present God’s truths to the people, showing them how He engages with the realities of life and offers vibrant, life-changing answers. The plan is also to seek tangible ways of reaching out to the needs of the community; whether it be through meeting unmet medical needs, feeding the hungry, or engaging with its residents about how to tackle unmet social needs within the community in consistent ways.

   Such an outreach isn’t simply a week-long time of reaching out followed by 51 weeks of in-reach. The goal is to train the local church to START things during that time that will then continue throughout the life of the church.

3. Teaching others to share great news with lots of people

   The term they use to describe what I do is “evangelist.” That term has, of course, been used for many kinds of people. Sometimes, when people think of an evangelist they think of somebody who is simply trying to coax people into raising their hands in a meeting or converting to a particular religious cause. Some see an “evangelist” as somebody who is very forceful and legalistic.

   However, the term really just means somebody who shares “the good news.” As the term has been abused and misunderstood by many, I could easily be tempted to look for a different name to describe my job. Yet, this is the term they’ll be using for me in México so — for now — I’ll just concentrate on redefining its meaning, or really trying to “restore” its meaning to the original intent.

   One way that we plan to pursue that is by training up a new breed of evangelists in México and sending them all across the country. I’ve been asked to put together and teach a course with the purpose of training up Mexican evangelists. Through this course, my teaching will focus on a biblical theology of what true evangelism is all about and giving practical training on how to teach the people of México about the good news of Jesus and how to live it out. I’ll also be taking each of the students out with me to various outreaches and teaching them through practice and practical opportunities.

   I’ll be teaching church-planters as well; teaching people how to “plant” — or start — new vibrant churches that have a glocal vision and a relevant impact upon their communities.

4. Finding ways to solve big problems

   México is such a beautiful country, filled with wonderful people. And a lot of these wonderful people have some very big problems. We want to engage with them and try to help them solve some of their practical problems.

   For example, 40 million people in México don’t have access to safe drinking water. Therefore, we want to look for ways to help them provide safe drinking water to their communities.

   There’s also a real problem with violence in the youth culture. In fact, for young people between the ages of 15 to 19, murder is the second highest cause of death. Thus, we want to try to find ways to help young people find purpose and value in life and give them opportunities to engage with the world in a non-violent way.

   As we engage with the people of the various communities and discover more and more about their physical and social needs, we want to always be asking the question:

   “How can we live out God’s love in this community by getting involved?”

5. Spending a lot of time with Karen

   Our work will keep us very busy, and we are very excited about it! We also believe though that God wants us to have balance in life. No matter how good the cause, we can’t take care of others if we don’t also take care of ourselves and one another. I think that’s one of the reasons God initiated the principle of Sabbath at the very beginning of the world.

   He has built our bodies and souls with natural rhythms. When we don’t honor those rhythms, we wear out and break down. If we don’t get enough sleep, our bodies don’t function properly. If we don’t honor our body’s need for food, we waste away. And if we don’t honor our body and soul’s need for emotional and mental rest, everything suffers: our work, our relationships, our health.

   

   For this very reason, Karen and I are committed to balance and to guarding our need for a Sabbath rest. Every week, we take our day off. It’s not an optional thing. It’s as important a commitment as the commitment to our work the rest of the week.

So, a year from now; I see us working hard in the communities, sharing good news, teaching others to share good news, and finding practical vibrant ways to solve very real problems. I also see us taking time to let our relationship with each other grow and to let our relationship with God grow.

Karen and I are increasingly excited about México, and we are grateful for all of you who are a part of what we’re doing through your love, prayers and support!

Remember, you can subscribe to the blog’s feed
& stay up-to-date on the mission to México..

Good news and bad news

Dear Supporters,

Over the weekend, we got some bad news and some good news….but the good news so outweighs the bad that we are totally rejoicing! I’ll tell you the bad news first…

• BAD NEWS:
  It looks like we’ll actually need about $4000 a year (approximately $333 a month) more than I had estimated in my previous post.
• GOOD NEWS:
  This weekend, $1020 a month in pledges came in. That means we only have about $5,520 to go (or $460 a month) to meet the minimum support needs for our first year. That, in turn, means we’ve reached 77 percent of the goal.

Please pray that God provides the rest, as we’re confident He will!

If you feel led to contribute to our support fund, our online giving page can be found at:

http://web.nazarene.org/goto/goingglocal

The site is set up both for credit cards and for direct bank-to-bank deposits.

God bless you!

Chris & Karen

PLEASE NOTE:
The next post tells what we
envision for the work in México!