This week's Persecuted Church: Sudan
A Sudanese woman who recently converted from Islam to Christianity was forced into hiding after the people closest to her suddenly turned on her and left her beaten, homeless, and in jail for becoming a Christian. After her husband was ostracized by the Muslim community, he threw an armchair at her back, burned all their belongings, and chased her away. She never expected these hardships.

My blog has been so shallow this year. When did writing about your thoughts become such a hassle? Well, one thing God's been showing me lately in a new and deeper way is just how arrogant I really am, not necessarily arrogant in an "I'm better than you" sort of way but more like a "Things shouldn't be like this" kind of arrogant. To be more specific, I worry a lot. I may appear to be cool and chill about everything, but my heart is actually amazingly restless. I daydream about the things that I do not have. I fear criticism and gossip. I am very insecure about myself. I am arrogant because I think my ways are better than God's ways.

One thing that always encourages me is when I think about the time when Zen told about an episode she watched on Oprah where a woman had lost her legs because her crazy husband had run over her with a car. But on the show, she responded, "If God doesn't want me to have legs, then I'm going to learn to be happy with that." I am also reminded of God's words to Samuel, "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart (16:7)." It's comforting and also scary to know that God focuses on my worrisome heart.

People have been telling me that the reason why I've been having insomnia (including right now) is because I have unsettled issues. Truly, my body is weary and burdened. But I'm now realizing that I feel this way because my heart has been weary and burdened all along. Jesus said that he would give us rest. I am asking for it now and waiting to receive it.

Thought of the Day: Notorious.
Song of the Day: Biggie-Juicy