fruitful lips for me, please!

Making my way through the book of Hebrews during my morning God time, I came across this verse:

"Through Jesus, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that openly profess His name." -Hebrews 13:15

The writer exhorts the Christ-follower to praise God continually. It is our sacrifice; our offering back to the One Who is our Creator, Savior, Redeemer, Sanctifier, and Lord. He compares this praise to fruit: something that is a result of growth, something sweet and pleasing.

How I long to have fruitful lips! To praise God continually for all of the great things He has done, is doing, and will continue to do. To look for the good and the blessings instead of dwelling on the bad or the hardships. And to thank God for each one.

Today I praised God for senses.

For sight. I can't imagine going through life blind. It's frustrating enough when I'm without my glasses. I am absolutely mesmerized by creation. I love looking at my potted vinca plant, and watching the spider plants grow. I love color. I love looking at my husband and his beautiful brown eyes. I love looking at our puppy with his beautiful brown-gray coat that changes shades throughout the day. I'm thankful that I'm able to see dirt and clutter around the house so that I can clean it up, that I'm able to set up the nursery, that I'm able to prepare meals. I praise You, God, for giving me the gift of sight.

For sound. Earlier this year, I lost my ability to hear for a week or two. Never again will I take this sense for granted. I so enjoy listening to the wind blow through bamboo, listening to birds' tweets and frogs' croaks. I'm grateful that I can hear friends' voices over the cell phone. And I love being able to hear music, be it in church or at an outdoor concert or over Pandora or - my favorite - when Cody plays the mandolin, guitar, banjo, or piano at home. I love singing and praising God; thank You, God, for giving me the gift of sound.

For smell. Oh, how I love certain smells! Bread that is baking, the world after a rain, newly-washed-with-Eco-nuts clothes, the top of Otto's head, Cody's spice-laden cooking...I praise You, God, for giving me the gift of smell.

For touch. Over the past two years, I've discovered that I'm a touchy person. I instantly relax when Cody rubs my arms or my back. I calm when I pet Otto's soft fur. I'm thankful for the ability to do seemingly insignificant things, like open a doorknob or rub Cody's head. And I'm also thankful for the different textures in this world; seriously, I can't wait to introduce them all to our little guy! I praise You, God, for giving me the gift of touch.

For taste. I do love food. And I'm so thankful for the ability to taste it. The juiciness of a peach, the creaminess of ice cream, the crunchy deliciousness of Kashi cereal, the satisfaction of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread, the huge range of flavors that are available to us here in the United States...I praise You, God, for giving me the gift of taste.

And I pray that, each day, my lips will bear more and more fruit as I praise the great God for all He is and all He has done and all He will continue to do.