Psalm 119 - ALEPH (Hebrew Alphabet)

ALEPH - Psalm 119:1-8

The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119.  If you turn to Psalm 119 in your Bible you will notice that there is a strange word every 8 verses.  These "strange" words are the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.  David wrote this chapter in an acrostic pattern and every letter of the alphabet is followed by 8 verses.  It is a chapter full of praise and worship.  I thought it would be fun to study Psalm 119 by summarizing each alphabetic section in an acrostic format.

I did not know anything about the Hebrew language, so I did a little research.  The Hebrew language is written from the right to the left - opposite of the English language.  There are 22 letters to the Hebrew alphabet.  Today we will be starting with the letter ALEPH.
I am also NOT a poet, so I had to research what an acrostic pattern meant.
An Acrostic Poem - is a poem where certain letters in each line spell out a word or phrase.
Example below.

ALEPH - The blameless walk in God's law - they obey & praise God with all their heart.

Two things popped out at me when I read these 8 verses: the word BLAMELESS and the phrase "with all your heart."  What does "with all our heart" imply? - I believe that it means with all our soul: including our emotions, thoughts and actions.

"Blessed are those who keep his statutes
    and seek him with all their heart—"
Psalm 119:2

"I will praise you with an upright heart
    as I learn your righteous laws."
Psalm 119:7

A few weeks ago we studied a little about Job - he was blameless (innocent of doing wrong) but he was falsely accused by his friends.  (Read: Dealing with UNFAIRNESS).  Living a blameless life can be very difficult, even under attack or adversity we must continue to strive to live a blameless life.  God will give you the strength to continue doing what is right:

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”  Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky."
Philippians 2:14-15

Those around us who are not Christians will see by how we live our life that we are different than this corrupt world - we "will shine among them like stars in the sky."

Also, you can be sure that God will give you the strength that you need:

"May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.  May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones."
Philippians 2:14-15



Live a blameless life by loving God with all your heart.

Previous Psalm 119 posts:

ALEPH - Psalm 119:1-8
BETH - Psalm 119:9-16
GIMEL - Psalm 119:17-24
DALETH - Psalm 119:25-32
HE - Psalm 119:33-40
WAW - Psalm 119:41-48
ZAYIN - Psalm 119:49-56
HETH - Psalm 119:57-64
TETH - Psalm 119:65-72
YODH - Psalm 119:73-80
KAPH - Psalm 119:81-88
LAMEDH - Psalm 119:89-96
MEM - Psalm 119:97-104
NUN - Psalm 119:105-112
SAMEKH - Psalm 119:113-120
AYIN - Psalm 119:121-128
PE - Psalm 119:129-136
TSADHE - Psalm 119:137-144
QOPH - Psalm 119: 145-152
RESH - Psalm 119: 153-160
SIN & SHIN - Psalm 119: 161-168

TAW - Psalm 119: 169-176

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Take Up The THANKFULNESS Challenge!

I challenge you to thank God for something everyday for one year!  Either write it down in a diary OR share with us on a blog.  If you have a blog & would like to share your THANKFULNESS posts with us, then please fill out this form: 365 Days of Being THANKFUL form - click HERE and you will be added to the THANKFULNESS page.

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Features From The Toledo Museum of Art #19

Features From My Visit to: The Toledo Museum of Art - #19

TMA (Toledo Museum of Art) is one of my favorite places in Toledo, Ohio.  I first visited this beautiful museum when I was in high school in Canada.  I grew up in the Windsor area and I was privileged to go to a high school with an advanced art program.  We actually visited the TMA twice throughout my high school career.  I had no idea when I was a teenager that I would actually marry an American and then settle in the Toledo area!  I now visit my favorite museum once a year.

I will be featuring a few pieces from the TMA each month.


“Peasants Resting”
(Oil on canvas)

By Camille Pissarro (French 1830-1903)

Today is the first time that I will be featuring a work of art from my favorite style: Impressionism.  This style of art began after the camera was invented and Impressionism captures split second, everyday life of normal people.  If you were to quickly open and close your eyes - it's that fuzzy snapshot of that one second that is depicted in these masterpieces.

This amazing artwork is best described by the Toledo Museum of Art website: "Two women and a child take a moment to rest, perhaps on their way home after a day of labor. Their slumping poses communicate fatigue, but a restful mood is conveyed by Camille Pissarro’s short dabs of paint in complementary colors (orange and blue, ochre and violet). View this painting from a distance and the brushstrokes coalesce into dappled light shining through the trees above. Pissarro stressed the importance of this aspect of the painting when he exhibited it under the title Figure Study in the Open Air, Sunlight Effect at the 1882 group exhibition of the Impressionists."

ENJOY!

Other TMA Posts:
Church Stained Glass
"Hazy Day on the Marshes"
"A Dutch Road"
"Rainy Day, Boston"
Tiffany Chandelier
"The Open Air Breakfast"
"The Scottish Highlands"
"The Country Gallants"
"Morning Glory Chandelier"
"Interior of Courtyard, Strandgade30"
"Early Puritans of New England Going To Church"
"White Terrier"
"Winter Landscape With a Bird Trap"
"A Rainbow Like You"
"Landscape with Christ and the Woman of Canaan"
"Christ and the Centurion"
Mosaic with Imago
"Tiichum"

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Grow your own!

Many wonderful garden products from

 "Mary's Heirloom Seeds"!!

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Tuesdays with a Twist Blog Hop #322

Welcome to Tuesdays with a Twist #322!

Seed Feature:
Caserta Zucchini
$0.99 (25 heirloom seeds)

Grow in your own garden and make this delicious RECIPE:
Magnificently Moist Mocha Almond Zucchini Brownies RECIPE

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Checkout the many great giveaways going on right now!

Click the button below to enter each Giveaway!!:

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Good Morning and Welcome to another No Rules Party!

We're your hosts & co-hosts 

Mary @ Back to the Basics and Mary's Kitchen
Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Angie @ God's Growing Garden
Checkout my amazing "Featured" Pinterest Board

(click HERE to view & follow)

Features!

Each co-host will be sharing her own picks for Features. This gives everyone a better chance of being featured. Be sure to check all of our blogs to see if you were featured! 

My Features this Week are:

1. "Apple Pie Wonton Cups" by Mrs. Kringle's Kitchen

2. "The Painted Rocks Craze" by Grace for a Gypsy

3. "Crocheted Flower Pot Cozy" by Garden Chef's Needle & Pen

If you've been featured we'd love for you to grab a button.

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The party starts every Tuesday at 7am EST and will continue until Saturday at 11:59pm.  Feel free to stop back any time and "like" your favorites.  Please visit other blogs if you have a moment. 

Share older posts as well as new ones.  No limit on links!

*Pictures should be your own* 

By linking up you give us permission to use these photos

 (with proper link backs) in our features.   And now for the party!

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Grow your own!
Many wonderful garden products from
 "Mary's Heirloom Seeds"!!
click to view

You're the STAR - Week#4 HOME (June 2019)

The weather was absolutely perfect for gardening this past weekend - I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Thank you again for joining us!
There are many ways to follow me:

Angie @ God's Growing Garden

blog  |  facebook  |  pinterest  |  twitter  |  bloglovin  |  instagram

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WELCOME to the June 2019 "You're the Star" Blog Hop!
Before we continue onto the Linky party I wanted to share from my blog:

5 Must-Grow Veggies for Home Gardeners #4 - CUCUMBERS (with RECIPES)
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WELCOME to HOME feature week of the June "You're the STAR" blog hop!
Meet your HOME week Hosts

This week is HOME feature week
Swing by the Home Hosts' Blogs:
Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn
Kippi @ Kippi at Home
Liberty @ B4 and Afters

This is a month long Linky party featuring YOU!

There will be 4 different features each week and 4 different feature categories.  Just to be clear - this is NOT a themed party - you may link up ANY family-friendly blog posts any day of each month. 
The "theme" occurs in our weekly features:
WEEK#4 HOME - recipes, home décor, antique/DIY &/or travel (this can include anything about your home - even history posts - all while remaining family friendly)


(All features were chosen from the May "You're the Star" blog hop)

7 Tips To Designing Vignettes by My Hubbard Home

DIY Feature Wall of Built In Bookshelves by Repurpose and Upcycle

Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole by Marilyn's Treats

Curbside Trunk Coffee Table by Simply Beautiful by Angela

If you've been featured then please grab a STAR button below:

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All Hosts/CoHosts will post this blog hop on every Monday of each week.

Please link up your family friendly blog posts below!

It wouldn't be a linky party with YOU!

(IMPORTANT NOTE: by linking up you understand that you might be featured next month and if so, we will use some of your photos from your post - rest assured - we will always link back to your lovely blog.  We might also share your fantastic posts on social media.  Also, you may link up as many family-friendly posts as you like & YES - other blog hops &/or giveaways are welcome {giveaways and blog hops will NOT be featured though}  Thank You & ENJOY! )

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Click the button below to enter the Great Giveaways going on now!!:

Who Takes Care of the Caregiver? - Dealing with FRUSTRATION

Who Takes Care of the Caregiver? - Dealing with FRUSTRATION

Frustration is one of those emotions that is felt by both the person who is ill and also felt by the caregiver.  Those with the illness are frustrated with their bodies not healing like they had hoped or maybe the patient is frustrated with the amount of time that recovery is taking.  Caregivers might be frustrated that the sick/patient will not listen to their advice or suggestions.  Maybe the caregiver is frustrated because the patient (in their distress) might be insulting or exasperating to the caregiver.
I'm going to give you an example using the disease of Alzheimer's/dementia.  I took care of my father-in-law and for the last two years of his life he had dementia (as well as many other ailments but we will just focus on dementia).  Literally almost every night I had to get up in the middle of the night (1:33AM, 3AM,  5:15AM etc) because he was calling out in distress.  When I reached his room I found out that all he wanted to know was the location of his wallet and checkbook (he became paranoid about misplacing his money).  I always tried to answer him calmly "your wallet and checkbook are right here within arms reach under your mattress."  That constant repetition of me having to get up and answer the exact same question, sometimes multiple times a night (plus loss of sleep), made me feel like I was going crazy - it was extremely frustrating.  

The question of the day is:  
As a Caregiver, how can I deal with frustration?

Let's begin by defining "frustration".

FRUSTRATION - Feeling or expressing distress and annoyance, especially because of inability to change or achieve something.  Feeling discouragement, anger and annoyance because of unresolved problems.  Disappointed, discouraged, dishearted, irked, cramped, defeated, ungratified, stymied.

Two things are necessary when dealing with frustration:
1. Having patience
2.  Finding encouragement



Often, elderly people with dementia become mean and nasty.  If this happens, you have to remind yourself that this nastiness is not their true personality - it's just part of the disease.  Whether you are caring for someone who is repeating everything countless times a day, or if you are caring for someone who is incontinent (and therefore making messes that you have to clean up) - just respond with patience.  Take a deep breath and do NOT show your annoyance.  They are not doing these things on purpose - it's just part of their disease.  Read the verse above - overlook these insults, repetitions and messes and reply/clean up with patience. 



Finding encouragement might seem almost impossible if you are the sole caregiver.  You might even find yourself in a situation where (because of the constant care you give), you have not been able to attend church and no longer have the backup help from a church family.  Do not fret - you still have encouragement available anywhere and anytime.  It's God!  Through His Word and prayer you will find encouragement!
In the verse above we see that "God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit."  The word "poured" implies that there is a huge amount of love!  That love will not only help us respond to others with patience but God's love will also give us encouragement and comfort.

I

The passage above reminds us that all we need is Christ - Jesus said: "My grace is sufficient for you."  And especially when we are frustrated, Christ's power will strengthen and encourage us to continue caregiving.

You will be able to find encouragement through prayer and meditation on God's Word!


Other CAREGIVER posts:
Dealing with EXHAUSTION
Dealing with FEAR
Dealing with UNFAIRNESS

Dealing with FRUSTRATION

Other helpful posts:
FORGIVENESS - Basic Questions & Answers
15 Tips - When a Loved One is in the Hospital
Taking Care of Your Family
What Happens When Those in Authority Ask You To Go Against God's Law?

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Shared with:
Happiness is Homemade
Over the Moon Link Party
Thursday Favorite Things
You're the STAR
Tuesdays with a Twist
Friday Feature Linky Party
Pretty Pintastic Party

_____________________________________________________________________

Take Up The THANKFULNESS Challenge!

I challenge you to thank God for something everyday for one year!  Either write it down in a diary OR share with us on a blog.  If you have a blog & would like to share your THANKFULNESS posts with us, then please fill out this form: 365 Days of Being THANKFUL form - click HERE and you will be added to the THANKFULNESS page.

<a href="http://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/p/thankfulness-challenge-365-days-of.html" rel="”nofollow”" target="_blank"><img alt="THANKFULNESS Challenge" src="http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o501/AngieOuelletteTower/Title%20Pages%20or%20Buttons/THANKFULNESSchallengeButton_zpsievqkttd.jpg" /></a>

Summer is Ice Cream Season RECIPES

Summer is Ice Cream Season!

Today is the first day of summer 2019 and what better way to celebrate this season than with ice cream RECIPES!

Below is a compilation of homemade ice cream recipes (previously shared on this blog) and homemade syrups, which are a perfect topping for vanilla ice cream!

ENJOY!
(click on each tittle to view the entire post)
Seedless Raspberry Ice Cream

Mixed Nutty Mocha Ice Cream

Peach Ice Cream

Chocolate Orange Ice Cream

Coffee Crisp Ice Cream

Cookies'n Mint Ice Cream

Mango & Almond Milk Sherbert

Blueberry Ice Cream with Blueberry Syrup

Strawberry Syrup

Blackberry Syrup

Mulberry Syrup

Peach Syrup



Copyright, Permissions & Disclaimer

Shared with:
Pretty Pintastic Party
Happiness is Homemade
Over the Moon Link Party
Thursday Favorite Things
You're the STAR
Tuesdays with a Twist
Friday Feature Linky Party

__________________________________________________________________

Grow your own!

Many wonderful garden products from

 "Mary's Heirloom Seeds"!!

click to view