rhythm+hue

Health Update

Niall — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:27:47 +0000

Well, it is now three weeks since the first sign of whatever it is I have. Currently, I have improved significantly but the doctors still can’t name the issue nor have a solution.

So, my left ankle - the swelling has gone down to where I can wear a sock and sneakers (same as the right) but where the swelling has gone down the area feels hard and solid and sore to touch. Movement is a little stiff and the top of the ankle is slightly red. It still feels like there is pressure there. Left knee aches slightly and I walk with a slight limp with the area of my leg from the knee to the ankle tight and a little tender.

My right ankle feels much better, with no swelling and some limitation of movement and a slight ache.

Right hand as of today feels like I have arthritis - the index finger and middle finger are sore to bend. A panadeine helps the pain stay away for most of the day and I must admit that I had two this morning and since they ahve worn off the pain in not as bad as it was when I awoke.

I had more tests on Wednesday for Gout and Inflammation but the doctor was away until Monday to tell me the results! Ahhh! If there is no improvement by Monday I am going to demand an ultrasound or x-ray on the ankles to have a look!

Please continue to pray for me as it is getting depressing and I have moments of absolute grief that this is still ongoing and painful. It does help me understand what other people may go through for other illnesses. Shalom!

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Where is Dr House when you need him?

Niall — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 02:05:49 +0000

UPDATE: Well the Doc still doesn’t know what it is but has decided to go with the gout approach, even though the uric acid levels were nowhere near being what they are when you have gout. Regardless, I will continue the medication and will be having more blood tests on Wednesday to see if the inflammatory markers and uric acid levels have changed at all. And yes, the right ankle is feeling MUCH better, although still swollen and the left has been much better, with the swelling being more of the pain than the ankle movement. Left wrist is still a little painful but all round it is healing but so slowly - whatever it is!

Thanks for your prayers and thoughts everyone!

I have been pretty quiet on here for almost two weeks and wasn’t sure if I was going to post about this but decided to as perhaps someone out there maybe able to help or this may help someone who also is on the same boat. So, what am I talking about? Regular readers here would know that I am overweight and endeavouring to change my lifestyle, so what has happened, is happening, is very frustrating.

Two weeks ago, I awoke to have my legs feel as if they had been used exhaustively the day before. You know the feeling - tired muscles, achy but in a good way. Problem was, I had not done anything remotely to warrant it. During the following day the pain in the left leg intensified and seemed to localize around my knee and ankle.

The next day the achiness subsided and the stiffness of my joints spread to my right leg; knee, ankle, middle toe; and to my elbows and wrists. I was able to move about and had normal days but had stiffness and achy joints for about a week. I thought I had an infection but had no fever. So, on the Thursday, less than a week after the pain began, my joints ached and were swollen and to walk was very painful on the joints and soles of my feet. I finally went to the Doc’s.

First diagnosis was rhuematoid arthritis and I gave blood for a test as well as blood for general well being tests. On the Friday I rang and the rhuematoid test came back negative. All other tests were fairly normal, with a slight spike on inflammations and my cholesterol was in the high side of normal. No fever or White blood cell abnormal readings. Monday, another appointment with the doc and the diagnosis was gout. Another blood test for gout and a prescription for gout meds.

After a public holiday here in Victoria for a horse race, I rang the clinic to hear that my gout test came back negative but with slightly raised uric acid levels. So I was told to keep taking the gout medicine and come back to the doc’s on Friday. But, it seems to be clearing very slowly, very slowly.

As I write this on my iPhone, with my ankles up and resting on the couch, it is almost two weeks since this began and while I am healing slowly it us very fyustrating that it is still ongoing with no identity to throw my frustration at. My ankles are slowly healing as is my wrists, with the right ankle still slightly swollen but not as achy, while the left is also swollen but still painful. The soles of my feet are much better and do not ache any longer, as is the case with my toe and fingers. My wrists are still slightly painful to touch and to flex but still not 100%. The knees and elbows are better, although the left one does ache mildly at the end of the day.

So what is it? No ideas. There are a stack of issues that have similar symptoms. I think it may be an alergy. So, back to the doc’s tomorrow for more discussion and tests.

I would appreciate your prayers and thoughts at this time. Thanks for reading through all this. Shalom.

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“Hollywood” - Angus & Julia Stone

Niall — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 04:12:02 +0000

Just found and enjoying these Aussie siblings. This is “Hollywood” - quite a deep song but enjoyable.

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Update on my studies - the end is in sight!

Niall — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 02:21:28 +0000

Last time I looked, I have 7 weeks of classes left! Ok, that equates to 8 weeks, as next week is Melbourne Cup week (and the third anniversary of The Dining Room - more on that later). It is hard to believe that I began this course so many months ago and with so little comprehension of the changes the course would bring in me, and my life.

The year was begun with the plan to work part-time with Forge, and study while maintaining Austudy. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out and the Forge work ended after the Forge Grassroots Festival in April. Thereafter, after ALOT of applications, job interviews, emails and letters, I did not manage to get ANY part-time work throughout the year. While this has been a real issue financially, it has been a blessing being able to respond to the community and needs of my family, neighbours and greater communtiy without the commitment of work hours. So, I have seen lives changed, been a shoulder to cry upon, cheered and supported when needed and feel I have been apart of the Kingdom for the first time in my life. But perhaps the greatest girft I have been given, is that of really being able to relate to many of the folk I meet with.

Being part of The Dining Room and later, Vive Cafe, has also been a huge blessing, not only because of what I wrote in the paragraph above, but because it has allowed me to meet so many people, and see the issues we talk about in class first-hand. However, it is the opportunity to see these issues not merely as issues, but see them as human beings, with feelings, pain and families, and not just numbers that we try to fit into generic boxes, as seems to be the way with the welfare system here in Australia. In addition, we have made many new friends and associates, and I pray that my family has a greater understanding of community from also being apart of Vive Cafe.

So, with the end in sight, has it been easy? Have I enjoyed the course? That I will write about at a later date, but no, it has not been easy and there have been many times that I have been low, been ready to throw it in; when the pressure was on for assignments; when the financial pressures were too hard and affecting our family; and when I felt that what I was studying was overwhleming, sad and confrontational. But, I hung in there and must acknowledge the support of my parents (who are both Counsellors) and my in-laws! Thanks guys! It has been a tough year but with your help it has been a successful year!

I will write more on this later - it is a Sunday and the kids are wanting my attention - and I would rather be out there with them, than in here on my Mac!

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Some (not quite real) Hollywood Director’s help McCain

Niall — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 01:28:07 +0000

Ok, while I am not going to comment on the election, apart from saying pray hard and consider the choice, I found this today which made me laugh, I guess because I appreciate the take on well known film director’s and genre’s being used to promote/poke fun at McCain. While not real, these are done quite cleverly. Enjoy.

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We can create Christians so very well, what about Disciples?

Niall — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 06:09:31 +0000

Recently Wolfgang Simson was in Melbourne for a Simple Church convention - the MP3’s of the week long conference can be downloaded from here from the convention. While Wolfgang is controversial and confrontational to many in the mainstream church, there was one point that I heard, and mulled over it and must say that I agree with it 100%.

Of course there are many more things that I agree with but it was this issue that I think becomes relevant and when viewed in the larger context of consumerist church - see my mate Mark Sayers for more on that, the issue of actually creating Disciples of Jesus is central to the state of the Church today and the fact that there is even talk of consumerist christians and church.

Matthew 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,^[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ( a. Matthew 28:19 Or all peoples) (Emphasis mine)

Aren’t we really good at creating Christian’s and then perpetuating that Christian culture? We have programs and plans, retreats, seminars, talks, conferences, stores, music, rallies, groups and a myriad other “things” to help turn people from being lost to becoming a Christian. And when converted we can be safe from the World with our Christian Book Stores, Christian Directories of Christian Businesses to deal with, Christian Music and Christian Movies etc etc. Keeps us quite safe and comfy huh! Ironically it is this soft approach that repulses many from turning to Christianity and why we have to have campaigns like - Jesus. All About Life! The problem is that while we are good at creating Christians that only seems to be it! Why even the Megachurch - Willow Creek recently recognised this problem about themselves! Of course that HAD to lead to a book and program…..

Shane Claiborne in The Irresistable Revolution writes,

There are congregations on nearly every corner. I’m not sure we need more churches. What we need is a church. I say one church is better than fifty. I have tried to remove the plural form churches from my vocabulary, training myself to think of the church as Christ did, and as the early Christians did. The metaphors for her are always singular – a body, a bride. I heard one gospel preacher say it like this, as he really wound up and broke a sweat: “We’ve got to unite ourselves as one body. Because Jesus is coming back, and he’s coming back for a bride not a harem.

And one more…

I know there are people out there who say, “My life was such a mess. I was drinking, partying, sleeping around . . . and then I met Jesus and my whole life came together.” God bless those people. But me, I had it together. I used to be cool. And then I met Jesus and he wrecked my life. The more I read the gospel, the more it messed me up, turning everything I believed in, valued, and hoped for upside-down.

I was talking with one of the regular guests at both community dinners that I am part of - The Dining Room and Vive Cafe - and he had some interesting observations about this matter. In fact, we agreed on the fact that many of the denominations etc and even congregations and pastors crave power and their own “Little Kingdoms” and that is quite contrary to the message of Jesus’ Gospel. This very intelligent, educated and learned fellow then told me that I was being niaive to believe that actually following Jesus was ever going to be realistic in our world. I disagreed but this did challenge me to think about the matter some more.

Over on Steve Addison’s blog today was some discussion about the United Church about which I commented on recently here (whoops that was on Facebook not here - apologies to those who came here for the article - will try to get it worked out). It was interesting to see that the slant of the article was more about the demise of the denomination and not the actual effort by the denominational leaders to focus more of following the Gospel of Jesus. So, is it easier and more convenient to make Christians - they come to Church, pay their tithe (not for this post) and act like good sheep and say nothing but go back to their lives with no concern for the enviroment, the poor, the disadvantaged or social justice issues apart from maybe sponsoring a Child via World Vision or even donating to the Micah Challenge to name a couple. Now, let be clear on this, I am not belittling or condemning this groups or their efforts, but what I am saying is that if we created Disciples of Jesus than these organisations would not need to exist!

Ask yourself why we are not being challenged for our beliefs! The following is by Peter Rollins from his blog (which I recommend you add to your list of blogs to read, besides mine of course!) and I would ask that you have a read and then ask yourself if YOU are a Christian or DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST!

The following parable will be included in my forthcoming book The Orthodox Heretic and Other Impossible Tales (March 2009). A compilation of 33 parables and commentaries. This parable is called, ‘No conviction’,

In a world where following Christ is decreed to be a subversive and illegal activity you have been accused of being a believer, arrested and dragged before a court.

You have been under clandestine surveillance for some time now and so the prosecution has been able to build up quite a case against you. They begin the trial by offering the judge dozens of photographs which show you attending church meetings, speaking at religious events, and participating in various prayer and worship services. After this they present a selection of items that have been confiscated from your home: religious books that you own, worship CDs and other Christian artefacts. Then they step up the pace by displaying many of the poems, pieces of prose, and journal entries that you had lovingly written concerning your faith. Finally, in closing, the prosecution offers your Bible to the judge. This is a well-worn book with scribbles, notes, drawings, and underlings throughout, evidence, if it were needed, that you had read and re-read this sacred text many times.

Throughout the case you have been sitting silently in fear and trembling. You know deep in your heart that with the large body of evidence that has been amassed by the prosecution you face the possibility of a long imprisonment or even execution. At various times throughout the proceedings you have lost all confidence and have been on the verge of standing up and denying Christ. But while this thought has plagued your mind throughout the trial, you resist the temptation and remain focused.

Once the prosecution has finished presenting their case the judge proceeds to ask if you have anything to add, but you remain silent and resolute, terrified that if you open your mouth, even for a moment, you might deny the charges made against you. Like Christ, you remain silent before your accusers. In response you are led outside to wait as the judge ponders your case.

The hours pass slowly as you sit under guard in the foyer waiting to be summoned back. Eventually a young man in uniform appears and leads you into the courtroom so that you may hear the verdict and receive word of your punishment. Once seated in the dock the judge, a harsh and unyielding man, enters the room, stands before you, looks deep into your eyes and begins to speak,

“Of the charges that have been brought forward I find the accused not guilty.”

“Not guilty?” your heart freezes. Then, in a split second, the fear and terror that had moments before threatened to strip your resolve are swallowed up by confusion and rage.

Despite the surroundings, you stand defiantly before the judge and demand that he give an account concerning why you are innocent of the charges in light of the evidence.

“What evidence?” he replies in shock.

“What about the poems and prose that I wrote?” you reply.

“They simply show that you think of yourself as a poet, nothing more.”

“But what about the services I spoke at, the times I wept in church and the long, sleepless nights of prayer?”

“Evidence that you are a good speaker and actor, nothing more.” replied the judge, “It is obvious that you deluded those around you, and perhaps at times you even deluded yourself, but this foolishness is not enough to convict you in a court of law.”

“But this is madness!” you shout. “It would seem that no evidence would convince you!”

“Not so,” replies the judge as if informing you of a great, long forgotten secret.

“The court is indifferent toward your Bible reading and church attendance; it has no concern for worship with words and a pen. Continue to develop your theology, and use it to paint pictures of love. We have no interest in such armchair artists who spend their time creating images of a better world. We exist only for those who would lay down that brush, and their life, in a Christ-like endeavor to create it. So, until you live as Christ and his followers, until you challenge this system and become a thorn in our side, until you die to yourself and offer your body to the flames, until then my friend, you are no enemy of ours.”

Thanks for hanging in there to read this lengthy post!

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Lack of Comments from visitors - weird or…?

Niall — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 02:24:42 +0000

Just curious why folk don’t leave comments? I seem to get huge spikes of readers when I post or comment on another blog, but no-one leaves any feedback or comments!

Not sure if what I am writing and commenting about is crap or if folk are too shy to say anything!

Would you like to let me know below? LOL Comment?

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Prayers Please!

Niall — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 03:28:01 +0000

There is s small possibility that The Dining Room could take over the old Croydon Fire station! I drove past the old station that is in use until the union works out the issues at their state-of-the-art brand new multi-million dollar station and, whether spirit-led ot not, it occurred to me that this would be a perfect place for us to move to.

With the space we could offer inside meals all year around and offer the space to other churches and organisations that currently feed the homeless and poor around Croydon to utilise the facilities on other nights and times. In addition, there is the oportunity to maybe offer lunches, an oppshop, a book shop and places to distribute food, as well as run the ministry from within!

So, please, if you could pray about this remarkable opportunity to provide a space for this forgotten community within the community - that the space is suitable; and if so, that we get the space; for the funds and resources to build a kitchen and space for the community; patience; wisdom and guidance for those of us leading the ministry!

Dk just texted me that there is a very good possibility that we could get the space so, please we offer this ministry to our Lord and ask his favour on it!

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Review of my Placement with The Dining Room

Niall — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 03:02:13 +0000

I know this a few months late but here they are anyway! DK asked me to write a couple pieces of self-review abotu my placement with The Dining Room. I must admit that I did struggle to do so, but managed to get a couple of pages out.

If anyone is interested I am posting them here for you to read.

Part 1 & Part 2

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The Dining Room and Vive cafe on Facebook!

Niall — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:36:52 +0000

Recently, I started a cause of Facebook for both community meals - The Dining Room and Vive Cafe - and will be setting up a beneficiary(to raise funds for the cause soon. If you’re on Facebook - take a look and please join and spread the word.

Here’s the link - http://apps.facebook.com/causes/127577?m=46064a91&recruiter_id=4242589