Living in the Midst of Lions

God is clearly speaking to me.

From Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts this morning,
on Day 15 of my Daniel Fast:

"This is the other side of where Daniel, man of prayer, lived. Change agent, mover and shaker Daniel, second-to-the-king Daniel, sleeping-on-perfect-peace-in-the-den-of-the-lions Daniel.  Daniel is a man of power prayer, not because he bends the stiff knees and makes petitions of the High Throne three times daily.  Rather, his prayers move kings and lions jaws because Daniel "prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God." (Daniel 6:10)  Three times a day, Daniel prayed thanksgiving for the everyday common, for the God-love spilling forth from the God-heart at the center of all.  The only real prayers are the ones mouthed with thankful lips.  Because gratitude ushers into the other side of prayer, into the heart of the God-love, and all power to change the world, me, resides here in His love.  Prayer, to be prayer, to have any power to change anything, must first speak thanks:  "in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6)

We live here, in the midst of Lyons, lions.
And the power to live lies in the daily, continual, practice of thanksgiving.

Thank you, Lord, for drawing me closer and closer.
One gift at a time.

Day 43 - gifts from God:
1.  catching the scent of honeysuckle, then finding it
2.  Barbara with her bucket and Billy on the swing
3.  making hummus
4.   Compassion
5.  watching DVD on laptop
6.  David on the porch
7.  very good friends
8.  omelets
9.  grape juice from Marilyn
10.  God's Word, new every morning

Day 43 note of humble thanks.

With gratitude,
Sally