I held the shattered pieces of my broken heart in my torn and bleeding hands. I had tried to glue them but the sharp fragments pierced my skin over and over. The jagged shards seemed too many to put together.
I threw them in the hidden drawer of broken things to fix some other time when I could better handle the tiny remnants. It was insurmountable to me and I decided to put it out of my mind for the time.


That was when I realized that the Master Artisan was there with me. He smiled His kind smile and I felt the Love in Him as He hugged me. His smile was gentle and kind but to my shame, my horror He headed straight to the secret drawer stuffed with brokenness. I was frozen in fear and my mind screamed "No!"
He looked at the contents of that drawer and in that still quiet voice, He said "This is not your heart Dear Child. I've held that for safekeeping right here in My hands.”

Sure enough He opened His Beautiful Craftsman hands and there was my heart safe inside. I was confused though, I didn't understand what the mess in the drawer could be.


"This is your pain," He said, "and you don't need to hold on to it anymore."


I was reluctant to hand to over. It was ugly, disgusting and covered with dirt, grime, and blood. 'What if the splinters cut you?" I asked. I was crying now unable to come up with any reason other than my fear not to let go of the ever growing contents of the drawer.


The Creator showed me His hands once again. I noticed then the wounds, that went all the way through them, and that somehow made them even more beautiful.
So I picked up each cutting piece and every sharp fragment and my tears fell on the monstrosity as I handed it over to The Master.


He took it all from me and worked it with those rough workman’s hands. Then He gave it back to me. I was astonished, never before had I ever seen anything like it. It was crystal and shining and beautiful. When I peered it into it the reflection looking back at me was the Glorious Countenance of the King.

By Donna Campbell

Wave after wave

I try to stay afloat

I struggle to get to the distant shore

The tumultuous sea

Threatens to fill my lungs

I feel the ocean try to drag me under

The storm rages

Endeavoring to overwhelm me

My mind is calm in the midst

My peace will not be shaken

My heart is bleeding and broken

My Lord

He is my peace

He comforts me

He gives me wisdom

He loves for me

He teaches me

Do not mistake peace for apathy

To Whom it May Concern
by Donna Campbell


There are times,

Not often,

But sometimes,

I am not sure if I can go on without you.

I don’t even know you.

I miss you.

Have we met?

I don’t know.

I’m so tired of being alone,

Just me.

I’m not alone.

I have so much.

But I don’t have you.

I don’t know if I ever will.

There are times,

Not often,

But sometimes,

When my heart breaks for missing you,

And loving you,

And wishing you loved me.

I don’t even know if you exist.

I’m alright.

I’m not alone.

I’m so tired of being alone.

Despite
By Donna Campbell
 

If you’ve just met her the illusion of her beauty is shattered by her flaws.

Once you get to know her, you overlook her flaws and find her pretty.

When you love her you forget her flaws and realize she is beautiful.

When you deeply love her the way He does, you love all of her, including her flaws and you know

She is exquisite.

In Philippians Chapter 3 verse 6 Paul describes himself this way “…as to righteousness under the law, blameless.” In the first chapter of 1 Timothy Paul says, “…that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” (Verse 15b). How can Paul be both the foremost of sinners and blameless under the law? They seem to contradict one another, but they don’t. Following the law, even perfectly has nothing to do with salvation.

Paul was the epitome of the Jewish man. If the law could save anyone, it could save Paul. Philippians 3:4-6 reads,

“though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.”

He had it all down pat. He knew his lineage and could tell people his ancestry made him a member of the tribe of Benjamin. He had been circumcised exactly as the law prescribed. He was a Pharisee. And let me tell you it was tough to become a Pharisee. The Pharisees were devoted to the law. They studied it, memorized it, and methodized it. They made sure the rest of the Jews were following the law by putting rituals and rules to their lives that ensured they would not break any of the numerous laws. And Paul wasn’t just any old ordinary Pharisee, he was fervent and passionate to the point that he wanted to bring down the Christians who seemed to have no regard for the law. He was blameless under the law. He observed the Torah with absoluteness. He had every law down pat.

So how could Paul refer to himself as the foremost of sinners? If he had followed the law so perfectly how could he be the chief of sinners? Paul describes his sin in 1 Timothy 1:12-13.

“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,”

Paul was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent opponent. Paul cursed God when he cursed the church, he spoke about Christ and Christians with hatred and disdain. He hounded and oppressed the church and therefore Christ.  Paul was an enemy of the church, and an enemy of Christ. We all were enemies of Christ before Jesus saved us. Romans 10:5 reads,

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

1 Timothy 1:13-14 reads,

“though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ.”

Paul was a sinner, an enemy of God, He had thought he was acting for God, when really it was for the law. His actions made him not just an enemy but an enemy who pursued and hunted Christians and Christ with the intent of wiping them out. But Jesus knew Paul. He understood and so He was merciful and He forgave Paul completely. When Jesus forgave Paul he flooded him with faith and love.

Paul followed the law to the letter, but there was no love in it. There was no love for God, and there was no love for his fellow man. Paul had passion for the law and he believed that passion for the law meant passion for God. But God doesn’t ask for us to have zeal for the law. He never asked us to have ardor for the law. He asked us to adore Him. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 reads,

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

In Leviticus Chapter 19 Moses has given a long list of laws that are somewhat reminiscent of many of the Ten Commandments and he ends it with verse 18.

“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

When the Sadducees came to Jesus and asked Him what the greatest commandment was He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-39).

He said that all the commandments and the Prophets depended on those two commandments. If you love the Lord with your entire being (body, mind, and heart) and you love your neighbor, then you will by your faith keep the law.

But the Pharisees hadn’t put laws like love God into a ritual. There is no way to make actual love a ritual. 1. Pucker lips. 2. Open arms 3. Say, “mwah.” Or 1. Take your money out of the bank. 2. Donate it to the poor. There is no love in following a set of directions. They had been keen to keep the law, so keen that they forgot God in the process. In their fervor they replaced The Lord with the idol of law.

Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6 on a couple of occasions. It reads,

“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

When Paul was saved he knew all his perfect following of the law meant nothing. He may have followed the letter of the law but without love it was only ritual. Without love and knowing God, his sacrifices and offerings were absurd. Whatever righteousness he had was worldly and didn’t matter when it came to knowing Jesus. Philippians 3:7-9 reads,

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—“

You just can’t be good enough to be saved. Salvation by the law is unachievable. If it were possible to be saved outside of Christ, Saul would have been saved and never become Paul. If it were doable, Jesus never would have needed to come.

Romans 3:23-24 reads,

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

Salvation can only be attained through Jesus. It is a gift. It cannot be earned. It is by grace, there is no one who can deserve it.

That is how Paul could be righteous to the world and the worst of sinners in the Kingdom of God.

I can’t stand you

I don’t know how to make you go away

I ignored you until I thought you were gone

But then

I heard your murderous shocking whisper

After the gasp, I ignored you again

But now I now you there

Lurking in the corner

I disregard you

But it infuriates you

You keep getting louder

I’m not even shocked by your words anymore

I’m almost comfortable with you

I don’t want to be

If I engage you

I’m afraid that

Rather than send you away

I’ll begin enjoying you

And listening

Like before

You don’t listen to me

How do I stop listening to you

If you are trying to be healthier, or you want to try vegan or vegetarian options there are substitutes you can use when you cook. This is a lengthy list and I hope you find it helpful
Vegan Replacements

Dairy  Cow's Milk Milk in cooking provides flavor, moisture, and thickness. It is important to consider the different qualities of the vast array of plant-based milk options in order to decide which will best suit the particular recipe. When using plant-based milk instead of cow's milk, you may want to cut down on any other sugars in the recipe. There is no recipe that cannot be made just as well using a cow's milk substitute, it all depends on selecting the right one for the job.

·         Water: Replacing cow's milk with water can serve to add the needed moisture but frequently the results in less rich foods.

·         Soy Milk: Soy milk can generally be substituted directly for cow's milk in any recipe, though it does not curdle in the same way cow's milk does when heated.  There are a massive variety of soy milks available. Soy milk also comes in an unsweetened variety. There are also refrigerated brands.

·         Coconut Milk: Coconut milk is a wonderful substitute for cow's milk and cow's cream in many recipes. It has a thick, rich and sweet taste, which suits some vegan cream sauces and cream soups well. It also doesn't become grainy like soy milk. However, it is one of the few plants that has saturated fat in it. The fat is, however in the form of MCFA's (medium chain fatty acids) that are easily and efficiently processed into energy and are considered to be beneficial to heart health.

·         Rice Milk: Rice milk is relatively watery and grainy.

·         Oat Milk: Oat milk can be very thick and creamy.

·         Almond milk Almond milk is also somewhat watery, but has a rich flavor. Almond milk also comes in an unsweetened variety.

 Buttermilk  Add one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to one cup of soy milk or rice milk. Stir, and let stand for 30 minutes.

 Butter ·         Vegetable Oil: Under most conditions, vegetable oil may simply be used as a replacement for butter or margarine for cooking and baking, using the measurement of 1 cup butter/margarine = 3/4 cup oil. Adding a tablespoon of a good vegetable or nut milk will provide more of a creamy/dairy-type taste if desired.

·         Cocoa Butter: In some recipes, butter is a major ingredient, as in icing, In these situations cocoa butter can be used, since it has a melting point close to that of butter (34-38 °C).

·         Canola Oil: If a recipe calls for one stick of butter (1/2 cup), use 1/3 cup of oil.

·         Flax oil: Not generally heated or used for cooking. Use it as a topping for potatoes, rice, popcorn, etc. Used in eggplant or tempeh dishes, some people think that it can create a "fishy" taste for appropriate dishes, but this is not the opinion of everyone.

·         Nut butter: Nut butter can be made from almonds, cashews, or other nuts. Peanut butter, though technically made from a legume, is also considered part of this category. When replacing butter with a nut butter, use the same amount as listed in the recipe.

·         Applesauce: Use for sweet baking only. Use the same amount you would for butter. Especially yummy in brownies! For muffins, etc., replace up to 3/4 of the butter with applesauce, using some other butter for the rest.

·         Prune Puree: Use in the same way as applesauce: Puree 1/2 cup of pitted prunes with 1/4 cup of water. You will want to reduce the amount used, or the final product may be too moist. If the recipe calls for a half cup use 1/3 cup instead. You may also want to add a little oil, maybe a tablespoon per cup of fat needed, because a little fat goes a long way in taste and texture.

·         Margarine: Most margarines are made with hydrogenated oils, which are generally considered to be bad for human health, as they raise bad cholesterol levels. There are some margarines made by emulsing stabilizers such as protein powder, starches, or gums with oil. This technique may be better for human health, but is not widely adopted. I stay away from and do not recommend margarine. There are many other tastier, healthier options.

It is worth noting especially that not all margarines are vegan, Many contain some sort of milk by-product to make them taste more like butter (e.g.; Whey, Lactose, Sodium Lactate, Casein - a milk protein, etc.) so a good rule of thumb is to read the labels and do your research.

 Cheese ·         Most substitute cheese is made of soy, though there are also nut varieties. Beware: some soy cheeses contain casein / caseinate, a milk derivative.

·         Tofu: Replace cottage cheese or ricotta cheese with crumbled tofu in lasagna and other dishes. Adding a little miso can give a "blue cheese" flavor.

·         Products marketed as vegan cheese: have a cheese-like taste and melt well (including on pizza) and are available in Mozzarella, Monterrey Jack, Cheddar, and other flavors. Some are allergen-free, cholesterol free, and trans fat free.

·         Cashew cheese or nutritional yeast "cheese" sauce may also be appropriate for some dishes.

·         Vegan cream cheese is available in various flavors and without hydrogenated oils.

Cream ·         Vegan cream substitute has a very similar texture to real cream and tastes quite similar. Rice-based creams are good for those who don't want or can't have soy, but are allergic to nuts and so cannot have oat-based creams.

·         Coconut milk also is a great substitute for cream in many baking recipes.

·         One part cashews with one part water, blended till smooth, also functions well as a cream substitute - especially because cashews are naturally a little sweet.

 Yogurt ·         Cultured Soy: There are a variety of soy yogurts available that can be used in place of dairy yogurt.

·         Coconut yogurt is also available.

·         Oats can also be fermented to make a delightful and cheap yogurt.

 Mayonnaise ·         Vegan mayonnaise is available in canola oil ("original"), expeller-pressed canola oil, grapeseed oil, and organic expeller-pressed soybean varieties.

 Eggs Eggs have a varied role in cooking; as a wash they provide a glossy texture to breads, when the whites are whipped they provide volume, sometimes (as in pancakes) they are simply traditional and play no structural role, other times they are used to make mixtures stick together.

 Vegan egg replacements are generally not good for washes or where they are a major component, as in meringue.

 In Baking  The following amounts are intended to replace 1 egg.

·         1 1/2 tsp. vegan egg substitute + 2 tbsp. warm water (multipurpose baking)

·         1/4 cup tofu, add to blender with enough water/ soya milk to blend smoothly

·         1/3 cup Applesauce (muffins, brownies, and cake)

·         1/4 cup Soy Yogurt (Quick breads, muffins, cakes)

·         1/3 cup Pumpkin Puree (for pies and baking)

·         1/2 small mashed Banana (for quick breads, muffins, cakes, and pancakes)--helps browning

·         1 heaping Tbsp. Soy flour plus 1 Tbsp. Water (muffins, cookies and cakes)

·         1 Tbsp. ground flax plus 2 Tbsp. Water; mix well before using

(Note that the strong flavors of some substitutions such as banana or pumpkin will come through in the finished dish.)

 For Binding To bind things like burgers, use:

·         mashed potatoes

·         bread crumbs (blended),

·         blended tofu,

·         cooked rice/oatmeal,

·         nutritional yeast

·         flaxmeal

·         tomato paste.

 Other  The following can be used well in certain recipes, to replace 1 egg:

·         Tofu: 1/4 cup of Tofu blended. For dense cakes, brownies and the like, use only 1/2 cup to replace 3 eggs for lighter/fluffier baked goods, and add a teaspoon of arrowroot or cornstarch for cookies to keep the right texture. Bad for pancakes. Leaves no taste.

·          Flax Seed "Gloop": 1 tablespoon flaxseed, finely ground in blender or coffee grinder or 2.5 tablespoons pre-ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water (for pancakes, breads, and other baking)— distinct earthy granola taste great for things like pancakes, and whole grain items, such as bran muffins and corn muffins. It is perfect for oatmeal cookies, and the texture works for cookies in general, although the taste may be too pronounced for some.

·         Arrowroot powder

·         Agar powder: Use with recipes that call for egg whites. For each egg white, dissolve 1 tbsp plain agar powder in 1 tbsp water. Whip, chill and whip again.

·         Vegan egg substitute: A versatile, commercially available egg replacer made from potato starch, tapioca flour, and vegan leaveners. You can find it at natural/health food stores. One whole egg = 1 tsp vegan egg substitute powder + 2 tbsp water. Tastes chalky. To make something similar to commercial egg replacers: Mix together 1 tsp Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp Baking Soda, 2 Tbsp Flour, 3 Tbsp Water.

·         A heaping tablespoon of soy flour or bean flour mixed with a tablespoon of water.

·          2 tablespoons of cornstarch beaten with 2 tablespoons of water.

·         Baking powder mixture: 1 tsp baking powder, 1 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp vinegar; or 1 1/2 Tbsp water, 1 1/2 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp baking powder

·          Yeast mixture: 1 tsp yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water

·         Apricot puree: 1 Tbsp

 Honey  Honey comes from an animal source. Some good substitutes include:

·         Agave syrup: a general-purpose liquid sweetener derived from the agave plant.

·         Maple syrup: a syrup produced by the Maple tree.

·          Golden syrup

·         Date syrup

 Meat  Meat can be replaced with varying degrees of success by:

·         tofu,

·         tempeh,

·         seitan

·          textured vegetable protein,

·         vegetable or nut mixtures,

·         or a commercially available meat substitute.

Many Asian foods stores have false meat available. False squid is especially realistic, but there is also false chicken, pork, duck, and fish. These are usually made from gluten, but often also have soy ingredients.

Miscellaneous: 
Worcestershire Sauce Worcestershire sauce is traditionally made with anchovies. There are many vegan Worcestershire sauces. Some grocery store brands of Worcestershire sauce are also vegan.

Broth & Bouillon Chicken or beef broth can be replaced by a vegetable broth or by vegetable bouillon cubes.