text:
Unfortunately, this will be the least practical chapter of this entire book.
If you are a Christian, you should read Decoding Nicea. Read why here.
The information in this chapter is important. It is desperately needed, and it will scratch an itch inside every believer that longs for unity and holiness in the body of Christ.
However, the full effect truths in this chapter can only be put into effect by the body of Christ at large. At best, you can put only put it into practice in your immediate circle of acquaintances.
Perhaps that will be enough.
It will be wonderful if it is.
There is a verse that it is amazing that we ignore. Perhaps we only do so because we have trouble understanding how it could possible mean what it says.
I want to help you believe what it says.
The verse is 2 Timothy 2:19, and it reads ...
The foundation of God stands firm, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let those who name the name of Christ depart from unrighteousness."
This verse says that there are only two issues that are worthy to be inscribed on the foundation of God: The Lord knows the ones that belong to him, and those who call upon King Jesus are supposed to flee unrighteousness.
Let me ask you a question. Is this what we emphasize today?
Think about it. Would it be fair in any way to say that today we make knowing the Lord and departing from unrighteousness and only those two things foundational to what we teach?
I want to show you that the apostle Paul meant it when he said those two things are foundational. I want to show you that these are the things that he emphasized, that Christ emphasized, and that all the apostles emphasized.
What about ...
Are none of these things foundational?
We can see in Scripture that if someone flat out denies that Jesus was crucified, does not receive the Holy Spirit, and rejects the fact that Jesus comes in the flesh, then that person is denying the faith. I think it's clear that John would describe such a person as an antichrist (see the way he deals with those in error in 1 John).
Today, however the difference between the Baptists and the Pentecostals is not that one of them denies there is a baptism in the Holy Spirit. They simply differ on how it happens.
Those two denominations also do not differ concerning the Scriptures on faith. Pentecostals believe John 3:16 as readily as Baptists do.
Presbyterians differ from both denominations on the mode of baptism, preferring sprinkling to immersing, but they do not differ on the fact that Christ calls us to be baptized.
Nonetheless, all three groups have found those issues sufficient reason to divide from one another. If individuals from those denominations are sufficiently fervent in their devotion to their church's doctrines, they will argue vehemently and shout angrily at one another over these issues. Worse, even if they manage to avoid outward displays of emotion, they will coldly separate, this one going to this church and that one going to that church.
Yet Jesus thinks that his reputation is staked on our unity (Jn. 17:20-23).
I have met a lot of people who believe that there are many foundational doctrines. Because of those "foundational" doctrines, they justify their separation from other believers.
But do they really believe those doctrines are foundational?
Apparently, the doctrines of eternal security and whether the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a second experience are sufficient for the Assembly of God and the Southern Baptists to meet separately over. Yet I have regularly attended churches belonging to both denominations, and it is a rare Southern Baptist or Assembly of God member who would say that members of the other denomination are not Christians.
That being true, the question I want to ask them is, if Jesus will accept them ...
Why won't you?
So let me ask you as well. Will Jesus let people into heaven who disagree with you and your denomination on eternal security, water baptism, and the baptism in the Holy Spirit?
If so—if Jesus will eternally fellowship with those believers in heaven, and if he is giving them his Spirit so that they are born again in the present time—then how can you avoid fellowship or choose a different church than they do.
As it turns out, most of those denominations who claim that their doctrines are foundational don't really believe they are.
If a doctrine doesn't affect whether we are Christians, then it is peripheral.
Unity, on the other hand, is not peripheral. It determines whether the world will believe that Jesus is of God (Jn. 17:20-23), and, according to Scripture, divisions and schisms will keep us out of the kingdom of heaven! (Gal. 5:19-21).
Dare we risk division over doctrines that our actions admit are not foundational?
Personally, I think we are very confused about what sound doctrine is.
In Titus 2:1, Paul tells Titus to speak the things befit sound doctrine. It's really pretty amazing what those things are.
In verses 2 through 10 he describes numerous things that have to do with behavior. Older men have to be sensible, self-controlled, and strong in faith, love, and patience. Older women have to behave like the holy women they are, avoid too much wine, and teach good things. Younger women have to love their husband and children and be self-controlled and chaste. Young men, in the same way, are to be self-controlled and sensible, and Titus—a young man himself—is to set an example for them in good works.
Paul doesn't stop there. He adds that servants should serve their masters well and not pilfer things from them.
Finally, he concludes with subjects that we modern Christians, with our ravenous intellectual appetites, have turned into mere academic, theological issues: grace, the atonement, and the return of Christ.
But what does Paul say about these things?
Thus, it is clear than in a chapter that Paul says concerns "sound doctrine," everything he has to say is about our behavior.
Or, as I like to put it, behavior is better than belief.
What use is it, brothers, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can such faith save him? ... Even so, faith, if it has no works, is dead, being alone. (Jam. 2:14,17)
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. (1 Sam. 15:22)
I know that when I was a young Christian, every mention of works brought up a picture of Jehovah's Witnesses going door to door.
The apostle Paul, however, when he talks about behavior that may justify Gentiles at the judgment, mentions conscience.
What do our consciences teach us to do (assuming they're properly trained)?
Our consciences teach us to share, to be kind, to be polite, to guard the feelings of others, and to love. In short, our consciences teach us to do to others what we would want them to do to us.
Every law is summed up in the golden rule, and it does not include going door to door passing out magazines or even sharing the Gospel. Paul even tells believers to be quiet and attend to business (1 Thess. 4:11). God does send some people to preach the Gospel (some: Rom. 10:15), but this is called a ministry or service, not doing good works.
Jesus describes the sort of good works that matter to him in his description of the judgment in Matthew 25:31-46. James 2:16 and 1 Jn. 4:20 give us a similar picture: righteous behavior involves loving people, doing for them what we would have them do for us.
I want to ask that question—What will keep you out of the kingdom of God?—both for God's kingdom in this age, the church (Col. 1:13), and for the kingdom in the next age.
In the next age, God has made it clear that the judgment will be according to works and not anything else.
There are many verses on the judgment in the New Testament, and every one makes it clear that it is what we do that matters. Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:27-29; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Galatians 6:7-9; Ephesians 5:5-7; 1 Peter 1:17; 2 Peter 1:5-11; and Revelation 20:11-15 are just some of the passages that address the fact that our final judgment is based solely on our works.
So what is the role of faith?
This will be addressed more fully in the chapter on the two stages of salvation (and until that chapter is written, you may see Christian Salvation on the Christian History for Everyman site), but here's a brief explanation until then.
Salvation by Faith
All of us inherited a sin nature by our birth as children of Adam. Paul describes the tremendous power of sin within our bodies in Romans 7. The result of this is that no one is perfect, we all stumble in many things, and we fall short of the glory of God.
Contrary to popular belief, this does not mean that the judgment needs to change. God is full of mercy, and the judgment has always been fair.
We need to change!
Jesus offers to change us. He offers to give us a new birth (Jn. 3:3-8) and make us new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17), no longer mere sons of Adam but children of God (1 Cor. 3:3; 15:45-49; 1 Jn. 3:2), created to do good works which God has prepared beforehand for us to do (Eph. 2:10).
Thus it is that the righteous requirement of the Law can be fulfilled in us if we walk by the Spirit (Rom. 8:4). We can put to death the deeds of the body by that Spirit (Rom. 8:13). If we walk by that Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:16).
As new creatures, born again and facing a merciful God in a fair and just judgment, the Spirit of God will allow us to appear before the throne of God blameless (Jude 24), having walked in the light and being constantly cleansed from sin (1 Jn. 1:7).
This won't just happen. God expects us to add virtue to our faith, to combine knowledge with our virtue and walk in self-control, to persevere in that self-control, and to let all of that grow into godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. He expects us to do this diligently if we expect to be rewarded with entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus the King (2 Pet. 1:5-11).
This isn't a popular teaching, but as an amateur historian with a focus on the 2nd century church, I would argue that at one time it was the only teaching around. In fact, I did not come up with this on my own, but I discovered this teaching about faith from the 2nd century church, and it answered all my questions about faith and works in Scripture.
As you can see by the references I put above, there are a lot of Scriptures that say this. Believing what I have taught right here will leave you with no "difficult" verses at all, whereas holding to modern views of the role of faith and works produce dozens of "difficult" verses.
Note, before we go on to discuss what keeps us in the kingdom of God in this age, that there is nothing else that can claim to be brought up at the judgment. Not our faith, not our understanding of the atonement, not a single theological issue, nor even our possession of or by the Holy Spirit is ever even mentioned in the context of the final judgment.
The Gospels and the letters of the apostles occasionally discuss reasons for putting someone out of the church.
Again, with one possible exception, the issue is always behavior.
For example, in Matthew 18:15-17 Jesus describes a situation where a person could be treated "like a foreigner or tax collector." It involves a situation where the person has not only sinned against a brother or sister, but has also refused to listen to one or two others and even to the whole church.
Paul, too, tells us that certain people need to be put out of the church in 1 Cor. 5. He gives a list of possible trespasses, but in the end he sums up the people that are to be "put out from among you" as "that wicked person" (v. 13).
Where things become a little more difficult to interpret are in the so-called pastoral epistles, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus.
There Paul discusses people "whose mouths must be stopped" and who "teach things which they ought not" (Tit. 1:11). He mentions those that "teach differently and do not agree to sound words ... the words of our Lord Jesus the King," and he says to Timothy, "From such withdraw yourself" (I Tim. 6:3,5).
But what are the things they're teaching? What is it that needs to be stopped?
In Crete, where Titus was staying, Paul says these are "unruly" (1:10). The Greek word there is anupotatktos. The Strong's definition for that word is "not made subject,"b "cannot be subjected to control," and "disobedient."
In the next verse, he says they're greedy for money. In v. 16, apparently referring to the same people, he says, "They claim to know God, but in works they deny him." The very next verse begins chapter 2, which we discussed above. There, contrasting what Titus should teach with what the "unruly" were teaching, he discusses sensible thinking and love. He brings up none of the theological doctrines we are used to thinking of as being the problem with false teachers.
It's just the same in the letter to Timothy. He refers to the false teachers as greedy for money and men of corrupt minds (1 Tim. 6:5). In contrasting what Timothy should do with what these false teachers are doing he says, "Flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, humility" (6:11).
No surprise, what the false teachers would not consent to is "the teaching based on godliness" (6:3). Earlier, when he speaks of those who depart from the faith in the last times, they are said to be "speaking lies in hypocrisy" (4:2).
Everywhere we turn, the problem with false teachers in the same.
In Romans 16, we are warned to turn away from those who cause dissension and stumbling blocks "contrary to the doctrine which you have learned" (v. 17). But what is their problem? According to Paul, they "serve ... their own belly" (v. 18).
In Jude, in a verse we all know, we are told to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (v. 3). Again, who are we contending against? "Ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into loose living" (v. 4).
Even in a passage like 1 Corinthians 15, where the issue is clearly that false teachers are denying the resurrection, it is obedience to King Jesus that is put at the forefront:
Don't be deceived, bad company destroys good habits. Awake to righteousness and stop sinning. (v. 33-34a)
Finally, Jesus sums it all up very well. He tells us to beware of false prophets. How will we know them? "You shall know them by their fruit" (7:16, 20). Then he concludes the discussions of false prophets by saying ...
Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will tell me, "Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we cast out demons in your name and do many works of power in your name?" Then I will declare to them, "I never knew you? Depart from me, you who exercise lawlessness." (7:21-23)
Belief matters, but Jesus and his apostles are looking for the teaching and the belief that is "based on godliness"; the belief that produces behavior, because to obey is better than sacrifice.
One of the worst false teachings of our modern day concerns grace. Just as the false teachers were "turning the grace of God into loose living," so one particular modern doctrine has turned the grace of God into an excuse for loose living.
Grace and works are not antithetical to one another. In fact, the very purpose of grace is to produce works (Eph. 2:8-10; Tit. 2:11-12).
Grace and works are only in opposition to one another when it comes to entering the life of Christ. Becoming a disciple involves being born again (Jn. 3:3,5; Jam. 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:3, 23). (Ed. note: I include all those references to answer Shane Claiborne's—I highly recommend his books—allegation that we've based 'born-again theology' on just one verse). Scripture also calls it becoming a new creature or new creation. We will never work our way into being born again. That can happen only by accessing God's grace by faith.
Once, however, we are born again and have received "the grace of God that brings salvation," then that grace "teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly" (Tit. 2:11-12). Once we are "his workmanship," then we are "created in Christ Jesus to do good works" (Eph. 2:10).
Have you ever admonished a brother, in simple obedience to Christ's command (Luke 17:3), and had him respond with, "Remember, brother, we are under grace"?
I have, repeatedly.
It shows a complete misunderstanding of grace. The proper response to this false idea is, "Yes, I do know we are under grace, which is why I'm admonishing you. God is giving me the grace to tell you the truth in love, and if you will let him, he will give you the grace to listen to and obey his message. I wouldn't be able to exhort you like this if you weren't under grace because you wouldn't have power to obey."
Sin will not have power over you because you are ... under grace. (Rom. 6:14)
Hallelujah! Isn't grace wonderful!
I have spent this chapter arguing that what really matters is our behavior. Primarily, Jesus and the apostles threatened to put people out of the kingdom of God—whether that be the church in this age or Jesus' kingdom from heaven in the next—for behavior, not belief.
This does not mean that we can take this to excess. There are teachings that must be stopped in the kingdom.
John mentioned a couple in his first "general epistle" (1 John). He says that if you deny that Jesus came in the flesh, then you're an antichrist.
Of course, John is referring to a particular group of people (gnostics) that said a lot of other things and were not living in righteousness. Nonetheless, he makes it clear that a person that denies that Jesus came in the flesh is to be rejected.
With standards like these, the entire Christian movement founded by the apostles managed to remain one body for several centuries!.
Even three centuries after Jesus' death, at the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, the mandatory theological beliefs of Christians could be summed up in a long paragraph. In fact, to this day, the Nicene Creed is still repeated as the basic theology of Christians in numerous Protestant denominations as well as by the Roman Catholics.
Those mandatory doctrines included simply the following:
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of the Father; that is, of the substance of the Father; God from God and Light from light; true God from true God; begotten, not made, of the same substance as the Father; by [him] all things were made, both which are in heaven and on earth: who for the sake of us men, and on account of our salvation, descended, became incarnate, and was made man; suffered, arose again the third day, and ascended into the heavens, and will come again to judge the living and the dead; also in the Holy Spirit.
This statement of faith was not a novel idea conjured up by a council led by an emperor.
Before Nicea, each church had a short list of mandatory doctrines like these called the rule of faith. The above creed agreed upon by the Council of Nicea is simply a slightly modified version of the church in Caesarea's rule of faith.
I am emphasizing these limited basic doctrines to point out that our modern divisions and schisms, which we pass off with the mild term "denomination," are unjustifiable scripturally. When Jesus' reputation in the world is staked on our unity (Jn. 17:20-23) and when such divisions are said to keep us out of God's kingdom (Gal. 5:19-21), how can any denomination claim to be a "Bible-believing" one?
This does not mean that we must simply accept everyone that will agree to the Nicene Creed.
As I've been saying this entire chapter, your behavior tells most what you believe.
Paul accused the false teachers in Crete of denying God by their works (Tit. 1:16). He commanded the Corinthian church to put the wicked out of the church (1 Cor. 5:13).
Behavior matters.
Jesus once said that unless we count the cost—forsaking all our possessions and denying our parents, siblings, wives, children and even ourselves—we cannot be his disciples.
Nowadays, we appear to believe Jesus is wrong. Apparently, we think he was too harsh. I've even heard Christians teach that Jesus said that under the Law, so it doesn't apply to Christians.
How foolish! It only applies to Christians!
New wine is put in refreshed wineskins; they're the only ones that can handle the new wine (Matt. 9:17). The new teaching that Christ brought would require his followers to be more righteous than what was required under the old covenant (Matt. 5:17-48); only new creatures would be able to handle that new wine. It is for this reason that he said, "You must be born again."
Somewhere we began to believe that Jesus died so that we wouldn't have to live up to the righteousness found in the Law. No, friend. He died so that we, by the Spirit, might exceed the righteousness in the Law ...
What the Law could not do, because it was weakened by our flesh, God did. By sending his own Son in the form of our sinful body, as an offering for sin, he condemned sin in our body so that the righteousness of the Law could be fulfilled in those of us who do not walk by the body but by the Spirit. (Rom. 8:3-4)
Don't take this too far. As James says, "We all stumble in many things" (Jam. 3:2). If we sin, Jesus is our advocate with the Father, who will forgive us and cleanse us from every sin (1 Jn. 1:7 - 2:2).
Nonetheless, grace is the power of God that enables us to overcome sin (Rom. 6:14) and teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires (Tit. 2:11-12).
Grace is most definitely not a license to sin!
We are supposed to exhort one another every day (Heb 3:13). We are supposed to consider—to pause and think about—how to spur one another on to love and good works (Heb. 10:24). We are supposed to rebuke a brother or sister if we are sinned against (Luk. 17:3).
And if our brother or sister refuses to repent, even after being talked to by others, they are supposed to be treated as a non-Christian (Matt. 18:15-17).
Behavior matters.
And because behavior matters, we have all the more reason to preach grace because it is only by grace that we become "his workmanship, created in King Jesus to do good works" (Eph. 2:10).
There are many modern denominations that have seen that it is sin to divide over issues that are not foundational, the sort of issues that divide Baptists, Penecostals, Presbyterians, Charismatics, the hundreds of sub-denominations of those groups, and most independent denominations. Many modern denominations have rejected the doctrinal divisions that mark most Protestant denominations.
But in the process they have failed to preach a Gospel that provides the power for good works, and they have failed to require a life marked by the righteousness of God.
Division is a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21).
Unity, at least in the church, comes only from the Spirit of God (Eph. 4:3).
Thus, division is going to happen naturally among those who have not been delivered from the flesh by the Spirit. It will also happen naturally among those who have not been taught the commands of the King (Matt. 28:20) nor how greatly he cares about unity.
Unity is not something that is going to happen just because we've learned some things.
Unity is going to be an expected, normal product of people who have devoted themselves to Christ, received the Spirit of God, and are walking in obedience to him. Such disciples will experience the love of God being poured out in their hearts in abundance by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5).
Such disciples will already have unity, and they must simply preserve it (Eph. 4:3).
I have written this chapter on sound doctrine so that we can be delivered by our consumption with minor details, even though some of those details seem terribly important to us.
We do not need more reasons to destroy the unity that the Spirit of God brings.
We especially do not need doctrinal reasons to divide.
According to the Bible, if we will walk in the unity that is brought by the Spirit of God—if we will stay out of the way of that unity, let it work in us, and strive to preserve it—then it will eventually cause us to "all come to the unity of the faith" (Eph. 4:13).
The apostles trusted the power of the Spirit implicitly.
John tells us that when people try to seduce us, then together "the christening" (or "the anointing") will lead us into everything we need, and it will be true and not a lie (1 Jn. 2:27; where all the yous are plural, none singular). Paul tells us that if we speak the truth to one another in love, then we will be protected by deceitful, scheming men and the fickle winds of doctrine (Eph. 4:13-14).
Today, we have the cart ahead of the horse.
Today, we work for unity of doctrine, arguing with one another in hopes of intellectually agreeing with one another, and then being able to participate in the unity of the Spirit.
That doesn't work, as should be obvious by looking around.
It is not enough for us to have the Bible. The Bible is dangerous to any of us if we refuse the unity of the Spirit. While John promises that together the christening of God will lead us into truth, we are told in Hebrews that alone we are subject to a deception that comes from inside ourselves (Heb. 3:13). Only the exhortation of the brethren—not you alone with your Bible, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit—will protect you from the deceitfulness of sin.
I am not saying to avoid the Bible.
Let me repeat that. I am not saying to avoid the Bible. As you can see, I am appealing to it constantly. I wouldn't give you all these Bible references if I didn't want you to look them up and see if what I'm saying is true.
It is better to be alone with a Bible than to be alone without one. My point is only that having the Bible does not replace fellowship, nor guarantee that you will wind up believing what is true, and it is the Bible that teaches that point.
John Calvin once argued that he was forced to abandon the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church because of the horrible state of affairs in his time (see his letter to Cardinal Sadolet). I agree completely that he needed to do that.
Don't be mistaken, however. It was not scriptural insight into Protestant doctrines that led him to that conclusion. Idolatry, corruption, and utter disregard for the Word of God were rampant. It was behavior, not belief, that drove John Calvin, Martin Luther, and other reformers to abandon the corrupt Roman Catholic Church.
All of us who follow Christ know what it is like to meet someone, exchange a few words, and know that we are spiritually united with that person.
We must feed that.
Only that unity comes from heaven. That unity will prove to the world that Jesus is the Son of God (Jn. 17:20-23). That love from heaven will bring us together, and together the Spirit of God will direct us into every truth that we need. Those things will be Scriptural; those things will be true; and those things will be different than what we will find if we simply go to the Bible on our own to find our own truths—no matter how much we claim to be depending on the Spirit of God as we do so.
The Scriptures teach that we are wasting our time building if God isn't building the house; we are wasting our times fighting spiritual battles if God isn't guarding the city (Ps. 127:1).
In front of all of us is a testimony of unity that comes from heaven. It unites all spiritual, sold-out disciples of Christ.
But we have not learned to trust it.
We have been trained instead to trust doctrines that have been taught to us by men. We have been trained to trust our interpretations of Scripture. We try to depend on the Spirit as we interpret Scripture, but it does no good because we are missing the point. Unity in the faith is a produce of unity in the Spirit, not a product of study, no matter how spiritually dependent we try to be as we study.
So I am calling you to learn the real foundational doctrines of Christianity, the ones—and only the ones—that cause Jesus to reject a person. The Nicene Creed is a good guide, and some version of it has been used for that purpose by churches as far back as we can find.
But we must be able to tell the difference between those who deny the resurrection and those who simply have a different understanding of the time frame (pre-, mid-, post-, or non-trib, etc.). We must be able to tell the difference between those who reject Christ and those who simply disagree with us on some aspect of his relationship with the Father, something none of us thoroughly understand.
That last comment of mine, concerning the relationship between the Son and the Father, will be a hard one for some people. Modern "cult watch" groups have made the issue of the Trinity the mark of what is and is not a cult.
Yet, the person who could fairly be called the founder of all such groups, Walter Martin, once said that he asked his own students in a Bible college to write a definition of the Trinity. He laughed as he said that when he read their responses it was the biggest collection of heresy he'd ever seen.
We can all laugh with him because any of us with experience with such questions in Christian circles can imagine the kind of answers he got.
But it's not funny because he and his intellectual descendants have cut off numerous people for the exact same kind of "heresy."
Why should a Bible college student be a Christian even though his description of the Trinity is way off, but a Jehovah's Witness cannot be because his description of the Trinity is way off?
Again, don't get me wrong. The Jehovah's Witnesses as an organization is a heretical, non-Christian organization. They are off on many more issues than the Trinity, and they are worldly, carnal, and corrupted by power. Individually, however, writing off a person for believing the Jehovah's Witness version of the Trinity appears to me to be going too far. Such error is easily correctible by the Holy Spirit if we come together in spiritual unity and humility.
And I say this despite the fact that I know that the Jehovah's Witness understanding of the Trinity was specifically condemned at Nicea.
In the end, we must know who has rejected the basic message of the faith—that God's Son has come to earth as man to die for and save sinners, been raised from the dead and ascended into heaven, and will come again to judge the living and the dead—and those who simply disagree with us on some aspect of that faith, however important that aspect may be.
We must be able to tell whom Jesus the King has rejected and who has been rejected simply by us and our doctrinal biases.
Finally, we must remember that in the Scriptures, sound doctrine is primarily focused on obedience to Christ. Sound doctrine is teaching that proclaims and produces godliness through faith in Christ. Corrupt teaching is primarily that which excuses and promotes carnal living.
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Last-Minute Lasagna
If you read a lot of food blogs, you're probably already familiar with Last-Minute Lasagna. It's causing quite a stir in the blogosphere.
And no wonder! It's originally a Real Simple recipe, the kind that really helps the magazine live up to its name. After coming across it first on Carrots 'N' Cake, and then again on Kelly Cooks, I knew I had to try it.
So if you've already been enjoying last-minute lasagna, please excuse the repetition. But this dish is just so quick, easy, and delicious (and novice-cook friendly!) that I couldn't resist spreading it around a little more.
(Note to self: food looks significantly more appealing when photographed by Dave and his high-quality camera than when photographed by Katie with her cell phone!)
In a nutshell, you basically just layer pasta sauce, cheese ravioli, spinach, and shredded mozzarella…and repeat!
Bottom Layer.
Frozen spinach – thawed and squeezed of excess water.
Another layer.
All topped with grated Parmesan.
Baked until irresistibly melty and bubbly. I enjoyed my portion with a spinach salad (because the more spinach in a meal, the better! ) dressed with balsamic vinegar.
You definitely want to eat this!
All-in-all, an easy, filling, lovely dinner, no significant cooking skills required!
Last-Minute Lasagna (via Real Simple, Carrots 'N' Cake, and Kelly Cooks)
Yields 6 servings.
1 24- or 26-ounce jar pasta sauce
2 18-20-ounce refrigerated large cheese ravioli (I used Trader Joe's Three-Cheese Jumbo Ravioli. Also, some people have used frozen instead of refrigerated.)
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed dry
1 8-ounce bag shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan
Pre-heat oven to 375° F.
Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Cover with a single layer of ravioli.
Top with half the spinach, half the mozzarella, and a third of the sauce.
Repeat with another layer of ravioli and the remaining spinach, mozzarella, and sauce (not all of the ravioli may be needed).
Sprinkle with the Parmesan.
Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Uncover and bake until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes more.
Have you tried Last-Minute Lasagna yet?
5 Responses to "Last-Minute Lasagna"
Glad you jumped on the bandwagon — because everybody should have this super-easy supper in their arsenal! LOL
Glad you enjoyed it!
I need to try this. I love the idea of using ravioli.
Thank you. We made it tonight and we loved it. When I went to Costco, I saw these heart shaped raviolis and they worked out great for this. We will be using this recipe again!
[...] was a repeat from earlier in the week: Last-Minute Lasagna + [...]

subset: commoncrawl


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Another bike shop ventures in the bagger parts business. Azzkikr Custom Cycles in Surrey, British Columbia, just released some interesting CNC machined parts for your touring bike. Not only in chrome & black, but also mixing them with brass. Fork sliders, hand grips, brake pedals, bag latches, exhaust tips, floorboards etc. Most of them are featured on their latest custom bagger called "Therapy." Check them out before you dress yours. Azzkikr Custom Cycles 604-539-1930
11 Responses to "More Bling For Your Bagger"
Oct 2nd, 2012 at 10:49 am
Thanks for the post Cyril ! azzkikr custom cycles
Oct 2nd, 2012 at 11:55 am
nice parts but really ugly vests. yikes……
Oct 2nd, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Met a guy from Azzkikr at Sturgis, can't remember his name. I happen to be wearing the T-Shirt he gave me to work today. Really nice to talk to and cool bikes to boot. Good luck.
Oct 2nd, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Introducing! the new PIMP Glide…..
Oct 3rd, 2012 at 7:01 pm
Nice stuff (if you like that sort of thing)
But I have enough stuff to polish
Oct 3rd, 2012 at 10:05 pm
Nice if your into collecting Easter Eggs like my Bubba. Whatever happened to building performance parts instead of decorations? Nothing custom about this stuff.
Oct 4th, 2012 at 12:35 am
We appreciate the positive responses and the take the critics in stride .They aren't meant to break land speed records or make you levitate ,they are parts for modified baggers .Why would you put performance parts on a bagger anyway ? Its a bagger for crying out loud ,do you also expect a carbon fiber chassis on a bulldozer ? hahaha
We build all kinds of bikes at the shop ,sportbikes,dirtbikes,chops anything .These parts are for baggers not motogp bikes.
Oct 4th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Why wouldn't you put performance parts on a bagger hk? I think you typed this response before you thought about it.
Oct 4th, 2012 at 7:38 pm
There are land speed record holding baggers,drag racing bangers,high HP wheelie making baggers and then there are guys who are looking to make them look unique and ride them for fun .Turbos ,superchargers,light weight wheels etc are one aspect ,we are showcasing addons for the guy who wants to change up the look .The comment made about "what happened to making performance stuff "was kinda silly ,so I responded in the like
Oct 4th, 2012 at 8:54 pm
Seriously hk u need to mature before you comment.
Oct 8th, 2012 at 8:12 pm
Looks great guys! Love the style! I designed a wheel a while back that would look perfect with these! Good Job guys!


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Who have I helped along the way?
How can I live deeper in Your embrace?
Those are words to a song I listen to nearly every day.
Hello there? Have a good weekend? I hope so! I really hope you did.
My friend, I greet you today with love in my heart for you and my fellow human being.
The needs of others are very high and very present.
One, of many things, I love about living in the hills, in a small town, is everyone loves to help everyone.
When it is snow season, and cars go off the side of the road, most locals will stop and help. When a neighbor is stuck in the snow, and needs help, everyone comes out of their house and helps.
If you need a ride, a neighbor will help. If you need a jump, a neighbor will help. If you gotta go to work at 6 in the morning and you need help with something, you can call, or knock on your neighbor's door, and it is not, and would not be, a big deal.
In a small town the first car that pulls up will usually help you if you are stranded.
Now, when your in the city, it is a little bit different. When someone's car is broke down on the freeway, or on the road side, I will see hundreds of cars pass by and not do a thing. Your car could be in the middle of the dang freeway, and people just drive around you. Unbelievable! Hundreds of cars! Hundreds of people, will just pass on by.
What the heck peoples!!!
He he he...
The thing is, I wrote about what is your purpose, and it is my humble opinion that everyone's, AND I MEAN EVERYONE'S, purpose is to serve. We just all are meant to serve in different ways.
The other day, I watched this video, it was a staged abduction, in New York, of a man taking a young 8 year old girl. He walked towards her and just grabbed her, and she started yelling, "Help me, help me, he's not my dad." People, couples, and a Dad and son, just walked by, some would look, and do nothing. She was loud and obvious. No one would help! Finally, I think after 15 times, a couple of guys surrounded the man and stopped him.
Wow! Amazing!
What do you think about that? Do you have kids? Nieces? Nephews? Wouldn't you want someone to help them?
What in the heck does all of this have to do with destressing yourself?
Well, I'll tell you!
It shouldn't take terrorists to attack the twin towers for us to come together as a community. Times are hard! You may, or may not, be having a tough time, but you must know what the heck it is like to have a difficult time. Why else would you be reading my blog?
Let's make it easy for others if we can. Let's spend today, this week, and the future asking ourselves how we can serve. If you do, and you are having a hard time, you will feel better. You will pay it forward. You will start something magnificent with the people around you.
Let's all make things easier for others. Contemplate it! How may I serve?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. ~Matthew 25:45
Although, it will come back to you, that shouldn't be the only reason we should or should not help!
We should contemplate how we can serve, and serve, so that we can make our community a better place. We could raise the happiness in an unhappy environment.
My goodness, it feels so good to give, and help others, I swear it! I thrive on helping others, it's literally my prescription for anti-depressants.
Well, I sho hope you have a great week!
Have fun! Be playful! And serve!
Subscribe to my blog by putting your email address in the box above, and you will receive updated posts. Don't forget to confirm your subscription.
If you need help, email me, I would love to hear from you and help you in any way I can.
Or, you can download one of my products to help destress yourself
If you really need to destress yourself, take the class
Hello My Dear Guest & Welcome To My How To Destress Yourself Blog. This Is All About Reducing Stress, Expanding Awareness, And Establishing Calm, Certainty, And Confidence So That You May Have Happiness, Energy, Vitality, Focus, Organization, And Productivity.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Private Coaching & Mentoring
On occasion, Elizabeth offers a few individuals, who are going through a hard time, to work one-on-one with her. You and her will work privately together to assess and evaluate your present stress, and develop a powerful strategy to strengthen your life. This guidance is appropriate for persons that know, or want to discover that by governing thoughts, feelings, and actions more closely can, and will change and evolve habits. This training is for the person who desires to pursue authentic, genuine, and lasting change. If this intrigues you, kindly use Contact Form for Inquiries, thank you. God bless you...


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Casino Affiliate Programs wants to welcome you all to the First Annual Trade Show in the Down Under!!! Welcome to Sydney Australia!
IRVINE, CA – October 3, 2008 – CasinoAffiliatePrograms.com (CAP), a leading online marketing resource and community website for Internet casino affiliates, has announced a new annual affiliate marketing conference to be held in Australia , kicking off in November of this year.
Taking place at Sydney's premium, five-star Shangri-La hotel from November 25th to 28th, CAP Down Under will be not only the first Australian-based conference held by CasinoAffiliatePrograms.com, but also the first ever iGaming conference in that country held by any party, according to company representatives.
The conference is designed to bring to Australia the world-class speakers, interactive discussion panels, and high-powered networking and industry socializing that have become synonymous with the CAP Euro events (held annually in both London and Barcelona ).
The event is being held partially in response to members of its highly trafficked CAP member Forums, a social networking community administered on the main CAP site that boasts more than 7,000 members, an industry-leading figure.
"The aim of CAP Down Under 2008 is to provide a relaxed atmosphere where affiliates and affiliate managers can network, learn, and come together for one common cause: to make the iGaming affiliate industry the best affiliate industry in the world," commented Alex Pratt, an organizer for the event.
"Like all CAP events, we're hosting this exciting conference in one of the best hotels available: Sydney 's premium 5-star Shangri-La hotel, in beautiful Sydney harbor," added Mr. Pratt. "And we've negotiated some incredible rates for this world-class hotel, as well."
According to the event's website, the conference will offer:
- A dedicated exhibition where affiliates and webmasters can meet, negotiate, and network with affiliate managers and management from the top online sites in Australia and all around the world;
- World-class speaker sessions focusing on the Australian and Asian markets;
- Round-table discussions between operators and affiliates;
- Candid and open discussions on the industry's most important issues; and
- Sponsored networking activities and parties every evening.
"Whether you're an affiliate, an affiliate manager, or a vendor," stated Lou Fabiano, Founder and President of CAP, "This conference will be a must-attend event for you and your team."
As with all CAP events, CAP Down Under is free to all CAP, PAP and GPWA affiliates. For more details, please visit http://www.capdownunder.com.
About CAP Down Under
CAP Down Under is a four-day trade show organized by CasinoAffiliatePrograms.com and iGaming Business that gathers the top names in the iGaming affiliate marketing community together in Australia for the first time ever. Like the company's other popular and highly successful conferences in London and Barcelona , CAP Down Under boasts exhibitors from all corners of the globe, with many of the industry's brightest stars among them. For more information on CAP Down Under, please visit http://www.capdownunder.com.
About CasinoAffiliatePrograms.com
Founded in 1999, CasinoAffiliatePrograms.com (CAP) is the largest and longest-running online gaming affiliate resource, featuring an active community forum, chat rooms, marketing tools, industry news/articles, scam alerts, and many more industry-specific tools and services for affiliate marketers. The company offers its signature CAP Certification Process as a means to protect players, affiliates marketers, and the integrity of the online gaming industry as a whole. For more information, please visit http://www.casinoaffiliateprograms.com.
Looking forward to seeing all of you in the Down Under!!! Sounds like it will be alot of FUN!!


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Drug Rehab:
Statistics have shown that their are approximately 42 marijuana users, 18 people abusing prescription drugs, and 7 cocaine addicts that live in Brunswick, Missouri.
There will also be close to 5 people arrested this year for drug charges.
When deciding that you will require assistance with a drug addiction problem you have made the first and hardest step toward recovery, however the next step of looking for that help might be a daunting task if you don't know where to look. This page provides you with a list of public, private, non-profit, and Christian drug rehab centers and addiction specialists near Brunswick, Missouri.
Brunswick is located in Chariton County and contains the following zip codes:
Addiction Treatment Programs near Brunswick, Missouri
Sitemap - Privacy & Terms - Contact Us - Drug Rehab
Copyright © 2007, Sober Pursuit, All Rights Reserved.


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Friend's Email:
Subject: I have found a DVD that I think you would enjoy
|La Flor de Mi Secreto
Actors: Marisa Paredes, Juan Echanove, Carme Elias, Rossy de Palma, Chus Lampreave
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Genres: Indie & Art House, Drama
R 2002 1hr 43min
Pedro Alomodóvar made this misfired, rambling comedy about a romance novelist (Marisa Paredes) whose crumbling marriage has left her depressed and unable to work. At a low point, she writes a scathing indictment of her own... more »
Movie Details
Similar Movies
Movie Reviews
Quiet restrained Almodovar with love to Spanish Culture
Tsila Sofer Elguez | Haifa, Israel | 07/29/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"A quiet restrained Almodovar movie, rich with symbols and style (artistic shots made through different patterns - mirrors, straw chair patterns, etc.). This movie is also a tribute to the Spanish culture - dance, food and various elements of the folklore which appear in lace making, landscape and portrayal of "country people".
This is the story of Leo (Marisa Paredes) who is a writer. Leo writes her stories under a pseudonym as she is not proud of the sugary love stories she writes. This "real/unreal love" is one of the main themes and conflicts of the movie. Leo, under again another pseudonym attacks her own love stories while Angel, her new boss and friend writes in favor of the sugary author. Should we believe the dramatic love story which always comes with a happy ending but is somewhat untrue or should we write / or dream about everyday truthful life where love, like other achievements comes after hard work?
In the opening scene Leo has trouble getting her boots off - the boots are a present from her husband and she wears them although they are so tight she cannot breath. In what is later understood as a very symbolic act she tries to take the boots off in various ways but succeeds only after her friend Betty manages to help her. Betty works in the transplant section of the hospital (transplants and the detailed process of explaining the death of a dear one to his relatives also appear in Almodovar "all about my mother" and Almodovar is definitely doing a great service to this matter). Leo drinks a lot. She is very miserable and misses her husband who is in the army. Leo knows they are having problems but it seems that the viewer is in a better position to understand the nature of their relationship. Leo is both aware of problems yet blind to several facts that are presented to her face (blindness is another motive - as Leo's mother who was brought from the country to live with Leo's sister in the city is half blind, yet there are several things she can "see" very well). When Leo finally understands the truth - she falls apart and is aided back to life by her family and new friend.
This is first of all a love story, but more then that this is a story of loyalty vs. infidelity (on the one hand we have Blanka, Leo's faithful maid and on the other side her close friend), city vs. country, and once and again the question of truth - in relationships, in writing, and maybe in art in general (through the story of Blanka and her son dance group).
Marisa Parades is convincing and is aided by a lovely group of actors of which I would like to mention Leo's sister, Rossy de Palma whose face is so memorable you cannot forget. This actress has also participated in Almodovar movie "Kika" and makes a strong impression."
Lovely and Touching . . .
Eric Wahl | Bozeman, MT, USA | 04/19/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
". . . and maybe those aren't words fans normally associate with Almodovar, at least when not linked to words like "junky," "transvestite," or "porn star." I disagree with the reviewer who termed this a misfire--it's simply a more thoughtful film by this usually over-the-top director. Visually, one of his most arresting films, Almodovar chooses to focus this time on the distance between true love and idealized love as seen in romance novels and how they sometimes intersect in surprising ways. Marissa Paredes shows stunning range as the main character--at times both critically stung and deeply needy and yet passionate and cocky . . . boy, do you root for her. And the scene in which she is literally pushed by a mob of protesters into the arms of the man she could be truly happy with is one of the best in movies. NOT a disappointment at all."
My favorite Almodóvar
Sylvia Maria Valls | Valle de Bravo, State of Mexico, Old Mex. | 08/03/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I agree with what the second reviewer says about this sensitive, passionate, lyrical portrayal of a courageous, strong, disciplined woman whose nemesis, as always, results from the heart. The betrayals she suffers are as profound as her love is and Marisa Paredes comes through as one of the half a dozen or so most important film actresses of the decade. One particular scene, the mother returning to her native village, provides one of the most exquisite moments in film: the background text and the sight and the voice becoming a separate moment of intense recollection and joy. Nothing misfired about this genuine masterpiece. ''Mamadoc'' s.marie"
Another Aspect of Almodóvar's Talent, Deeply Impressive on
Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 09/03/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Some viewers have placed this exciting film 'La Flor de mi secreto' into the 'not up to standard' Pedro Almodóvar films, a classification this viewer finds difficult to understand. Filmed in the luxuriously colorful palette (especially the repeated use of the color red in every scene) that has become his trademark, set with a musical score that includes Spanish song and guitar and flamenco, and introducing a wildly disparate group of over-the-top women played by a bevy of fine actresses - it all seems echt Almodóvar to me. No, there is not the outrageous side of gender bending that suffuses many of his more popular films, but there is a fine story that resonates throughout this remarkable movie that makes it very much worth the attention of lovers of Spanish cinema.
The film opens during the credits on a woman being informed that her 16-year old son is brain dead as a result of a motorcycle accident and two young doctors (including the irrepressible young Jordi Molla) are trying to convince her to allow the respirator to be disconnected and the boy's organs harvested for donor transplant. Sad, tense though this opening is we discover soon enough that the trio are actors making a demo film for medical personnel to learn to deal with such possible family encounters! Point: what appears to be a tragedy becomes a 'farcical depiction' guided by a seminar leader Betty (Carmen Elías). Flash into a different scene and we me Leo (the immensely talented Almodóvar favorite Marisa Paredes), depressed to the extreme over the failure of her marriage to her beloved Paco (Imanol Arias), a NATO 'soldier' who took assignments as far from Leo as possible. Now Leo continues to write her trashy novels she has never had published while clinging to the Paco (she wears his clothes, currently his boots) she cannot recover. Noting that the boots are too tight she leaves her typewriter to flee into the streets to find someone to remove the painful boots and after frustrating encounters with less than helpful people, she turns to her best friend Betty (yes, at a seminar!) who successfully removes the shoes. It seems Paco had an affair with Betty, a fact that further flails at Leo's pain. Betty assuages her by introducing her to a literary editor Ángel (Juan Echanove) who asks Leo to come on staff as a critic - most particularly to review the 'example manuscript' Leo has presented him in applying for the job. The reaction is predictable and Leo is at odds with how to continue her life.
Along the way of the story Leo gets advice from her hilarious mother and sister (Chus Lampreave and Rossy De Palma in typical Almodóvar creations!) and from her maid Blanca (Manuela Vargas) and Blanca's son Antonio (Joaquín Cortés) who perform Spanish ballet as a side line (and incredibly well, too - with some wonderful flamencoesque moments of artistic relief). Coincidences happen that allow Leo to ultimately catch a new perspective on her life without Paco - in a most unexpected way.
So what is not to love about this Almodóvar opus? For this viewer, absolutely nothing. It is a delight from beginning to end and deserves reconsideration in placement in the gifted director's echelon of works. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, September 06


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San Joaquin Villages, the new Portola Dining Commons, and The Club & Guest House Receive LEED Certification
We are excited to share that our newest apartment complex, San Joaquin Villages, and the new Portola Dining Commons received LEED* platinum certifications, and The Club & Guest House was certified LEED silver. Portola is one of the first dining commons in the UC System to receive such a distinction.
LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to promote the construction of sustainable and energy-efficient buildings. Within the certifications, there are four rankings: Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points), and Platinum (80 points and above).
Some of the factors that are considered when assessing a building for certification are: energy and water efficiency; environmental quality; the use of recycled, renewable, and locally available materials; and the way the building and its site interact with the surrounding area. Within each category, points are assigned for the use of different design measures, material choices, or construction practices.
UCSB holds an impressive thirty-three LEED certifications (nine of which are HDAE certifications), and has over 2 million square feet of building space under the LEED rating system. We are proud of our contribution to UCSB's core value of being a sustainable campus! To learn more about HDAE's Earth-Friendly Living and Dining initiatives, please visit http://www.housing.ucsb.edu/earth-friendly-living.
By Becky Hoffman


text: Hi all, I received my DROID Razr today, 1/6/12. I was a BlackBerry for two years, and returning to Android is a huge relief after switching to BB OS once I got rid of my G1. I'm moderately knowledgeable when it comes to the Android OS, but I'll have to accustom to the new changes. Hope to be of some help in the near future!dancedroid


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The Carpet That Leads To Putrajaya. The Figure 13 Represents The Number Of This Year's General Election. The First And Last Numbers Of This Year (2/3) Reflect On The Two Thirds Majority Mandate We Hope YOU Will Give Najib.
- Have A Perfect Sense Of Priority
- Obtain Great Health And More Wealth, Power And Strength
- Have Good Relations With All.
- See Malaysia Continue To Be Free From Natural Disasters.
- Continue To Live In Peace And Harmony.
- Enjoy A Healthy Economy With The Country Affording To Carry On As A Welfare State Although It Isn't Officially Known By That Term.
- See Ministers Requesting To Relocate To Safer Constituencies To Contest, DROPPED Head First As Candidates For Their Miserable Failure To Take Care Of Their Own Constituents.
- See Mohd Najib Abdul Razak Be Given The Mandate With A 2/3 Majority In Parliament, And The Return Of Selangor, Kedah And Penang To The Fold. (No I Didn't Forget Kelantan, But When I Look At Their Leaders There From Our Side And The Natives' Tolerance With 20 Years Of Mediocrity, They Should Be Left To Their Own Ways).
- See New Faces In The Najib Cabinet And Administration Working As A Team Under One Skipper And Not Behave Like The "Prime Minister" In Their Own Ministries.
- Get On With The Business Of Moving This Great Nation Forward Without Daily Politicking And Treacherously Sabotaging Our Own Country.


text:
Routes : North America : United States : Minnesota : North East : City of Duluth : Brewer Park : Liquor Sick
Liquor Sick - V3Average Rating : 0.00 out of 5
Route sequence (left to right): 0
Route Summary | Ascent Notes (0)
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Description:Located on the back side of the Hobo Boulder, starting slightly under the overhang. Standing start with sit start variations. Start left of rock, traverse right and climb up face. Stay left of arete.
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Views: 298
Route ID: 75504


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Thursday, October 6, 2011
Gossip Girl
5 comments:
- AnonymousOctober 6, 2011 at 6:27 PM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.ReplyDelete
love this....oh my gosh....I am a strong believer in keeping someone's confidence; speaking of commendable attributes (most everyone has something) and offering words that uplift as opposed to down trodden. There is too much to weight us down as it is. It costs the same thing (time, words, energy) to speak words of kindness...and the outcome is so much better for all.ReplyDelete
thank you for reminding me today just exactly why I love you, Kristine. There are many reasons, of course.ReplyDelete
Yes, once the words have left your lips, the deed is done and it cannot be fixed.ReplyDelete
So true, Holly. The pillow feathers are a great metaphor.ReplyDelete
I love hearing your point of view- thank you for taking the time to comment and be part of the conversation!


text:
|My son, hanging with his dad and his magical inchworm, while I work outside on the porch. These glues, paints, etc produce fumes; work in a well-ventilated area, away from babies!
|One of our two especially large cats, enjoying "his" new "bed."
|All taped up and ready to go.
|Make sure you really press the tape down, so the paint doesn't seep through. And another thing: invest in a self-healing cutting mat. You'll need one.
|This will look like wood!
|I'm painting the underside of the sink as well.
|This is the "metal" portion of the event.
|I've just put in the bathtub and sink, upside-down.
|Two unwanted containers of varying sizes make a nice spray box.
|Copper, but still not very realistic looking.
|My mom bought this box on eBay for 14.00 USD, decided she didn't like it after all, and gave it to me.
|Hello, Revere ware!
|Right before giving everything a good first spray.
|I didn't get almost anything in the first pass--which is fine! They're not going anywhere.
|This "metal" is not realistic.
|Some parts for the ice box.
|After one coat of Testors aluminum enamel.
|Still painting...
|After one coat of Testors aluminum enamel.
|I'm fairly confident that these will end up looking much better.
|The seam here is very obvious, but I'm not worrying about it too much, because I plan to cover the top portion of the dress form.
|I've been putting all of my cast iron/black metal (the coal, obviously, is not cast iron and neither are the dress forms) in this box.
|These pieces really didn't fit together that well.
|And then they wouldn't come apart! I inserted a pair of pliers into the tube and very gently opened them, prying it open.
|I'm continuing with my sub-assembly, but will return to fix this seam soon--before I paint anything.
|Lots of different stove parts...
|I'm working on my parlor stove sub-assembly.
|My son sees the cats.
|And makes faces at them. By the way, the hairy leg belongs to my husband. Just sayin'.
|It's a little hard to tell in this picture, but the tub is starting to look a bit more metal-like.
|The white spots are from sanding; there were some bizarre little circular marks on the bottom, which I didn't notice at first.
|And yet another view. It's not there yet (not by a long shot) but it's on it's way.
|And here I am doing the same thing to the underside of the sink.
|Since this thing also turned out to be dry, I gave it a good sanding.
|It's a little hard to see in this picture, but even with one coat there's more of a contrast.
|Most pieces aren't quite this tough to clean.
|Can you see the difference?
|Just a tiny little bit of sanding does the trick.
|See how, along the underside of the piece, there's that little extra filament of plastic? That's what you're trying to get rid of. Leave it there, and it'll take you right out of scale.
|Trying to get a good fit.
|This sub-assembly is ready to be painted.
|And here are the two sub-assemblies dry fitted together.
|Don't glue them together yet! You haven't even gotten to the hard part.
|My little work area.
|The top piece has had one coat of paint, and one buffing. The bottom piece is fresh out of the box. Big difference, no?


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There are things I will miss about Mexico, and things I'll be glad to see the back of. And there are things I'm looking forward to in the UK and things I will meet with a little trepidation. But one of the anticipated boons will be the financial ability, one hopes, to sate my appetite for gadgetry.
I have always been a user of Microsoft products. Often, over the last decade, out of necessity. Sometimes suffering their software. But of late I have become a Microsoft convert. A devotee. An evangelist. A fanboy? I wouldn't go that far. Fanboy is a word that has its place, and is an apt description for some adherents of brands. They are the fundamentalists of the tech world, and I wouldn't label myself as a member of any extreme faction.
I like Microsoft of late because I like their products. Windows 7 is an excellent operating system. I like the direction they are going. Microsoft Live is an effective suite of tools. They 'get' where I want to go online and what I want to do, and where they aren't yet fulfilling those requirements they have projects underway. And I hope they make headway elsewhere, as I have mentioned in a recent post.
In the UK I will make the most of Microsoft products to unify my digital life. Windows 7, Microsoft Xbox 360, a Zune Pass and, what I hope will be my first tech acquisition, a Samsung Omnia 7 running Microsoft's new Windows Phone 7 OS. Cheaper than an iPhone, with many superior features to an iPhone. And what's not to love about the Flickr app that runs on it? Technology wise, I'm very much looking forward to being back in the UK.


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At Hotel des Nordens, almost everything is the same as in Denmark – just not the prices.
Our unique location just 300 m from the Danish/German border allows us to offer attractive prices for people who are looking for a hotel in the southern part of Denmark.
Even at attractive rates, we always make every effort to ensure that our guests feel welcome. An overnight stay with us always includes the following:
Large breakfast buffet
Free wireless internet (WiFi)
Free parking
Room prices
|Standard Single
|From EUR 90.00
|Comfort Single
|From EUR 105.00
|Single Room Suite
|From EUR 130.00
|Standard Twin
|From EUR 110.00
|Comfort Double
|From EUR 125.00
|Twin Suite
|From EUR 140.00
|Bridal suite
|From EUR 190.00
|President suite
|From EUR 310,00


text: SOUTH BEND -- It took three years for Mother Nature to finally interfere with a Sports Fest event. Sunday evening's Opening Ceremonies, scheduled for Coveleski Stadium in South Bend, were canceled because of heavy afternoon rain. The program for Sports Fest, which features graduating high school seniors competing in several sports, was scheduled to honor the more than 600 high school senior athletes from The Tribune's coverage area in Indiana and Michigan who will participate in the games this week. The sports featured will be tennis, soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball and football. The rest of the week's schedule will remain intact. All the competition, except Saturday's football at Marian High School in Mishawaka, will be held at Bethel College in Mishawaka. Tonight will feature semifinals in baseball, softball, volleyball and girls tennis. Athletes are to show up for their games at least an hour before the scheduled start. Plaques and everything else that would have been distributed at the Opening Ceremonies will be given out before the games. Sports Fest is a collaborative effort among The Tribune, News 22 and the UPN Channel, and the WSBT Radio Group. Sports Fest 2006 is presented by Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center.


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Drought Threat Has Lessened
Late-winter rains and snow have shrunk the area the NOAA classifies as being in a persistent drought rather dramatically. The updated Seasonal Drought Outlook map indicates the area where a serious drought between now and June is likely has been roughly cut in half, with improvement in the soil moisture situation both east and west of the central and southern Plains.
The heart of hard red winter wheat country remains in a drought, but some important corn and soybean growing areas that were previously dry are now in much better shape. This includes the northern third of Illinois, the southern half of Iowa and most of the state of Missouri and eastern Kansas. With the exception of the southern half of Nebraska, the rest of the Corn Belt is either drought-free or improving.
Editors note: Richard Brock, The Corn and Soybean Digest's Marketing Editor, is president of Brock Associates, a farm market advisory firm, and publisher of The Brock Report.
To see more market perspectives, visit Brock's Web site at www.brockreport.com.


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What's on
- This event has passed.
Rainbow Spoon
Thursday, June 14, 2018 @ 18:30 - 20:30
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every month that begins at 6:30pm on day Second of the month, repeating until Thursday, December 13, 2018
Friendly and welcoming meet-up run by and for community members, inclusive for all identities. Rainbow Spoon aims to provide a space for folks to meet new people, feel safe, have a cuppa and have fun. Come find out about other events/services in the organisation. Each month includes an optional activity.
2nd Thursday of the month
Wheelchair accessible


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In 2009, Fort Knox opened its studio doors on the North Side of Chicago. As of 2016, it houses 92 private studios in its 160,000 square foot space. National, award winning artists from all over, have come to rehearse and record at this once abandoned warehouse. For example, bands who come to town for large festivals, such as Riot Fest and Lollapalooza, have been seen practicing and recording during their stop in Chi-town!
Aside from recording and rehearsal, the studio offers gear rental and repair. It also offers a "Golden Ticket" program, designed to educate and mentor artists, and other creative industry businesses. To assist even further with the development and growth of musical artists, 2112 Chicago was created and housed within Fort Knox.
2112 Chicago is being called "Chicago's first incubator focused on the development of businesses and entrepreneurs in music, film/video, and creative technology". Currently the incubator houses around 42 different companies that offer "a place where artists can get access to a network of industry professionals, connecting them with sound crews, lighting companies, website designers, photographers, T-shirt designers and other resources". Its current companies offer everything "from apps, to entertainment law firms, to music PR startups have joined the incubator".
Here's a list of current businesses housed in 2112 Chicago:
An online bidding service that matches vetted, highly skilled musicians with people seeking to hire them, either to create recordings or to perform live. Aplaud's goal is to become the leading music industry platform for the discovery, promotion, and employment of musicians.
Arte y Vida Chicago
Arte y Vida Chicago is dedicated to fostering cultural diversity through the celebration and promotion of Hispanic art and culture, and it provides a calendar of events dedicated entirely to Hispanic art and cultural events in Chicago.
Boutique Branding Network
Boutique Branding Network focuses on branding and development strategies for artists and small businesses.
B-Raja Media Group
B-Raja Media Group is a media production company, modeling agency, and music label focused on bridging the gap between Bollywood and Hollywood.
Brown Paper Tickets
Brown Paper Tickets helps organizations sell tickets to their events, and it has no fees for selling tickets and live 24/7 phone and web sales.
Burning City, Inc.
Burning City provides graphic design and brand strategy help for the music industry.
Casey McMillan Law
Casey McMillan Law focuses on entertainment law.
Chicago International Music & Movies Festival (CIMM Fest)
CIMM Fest is a four-day showcase of films, concerts, VJ/DJ sets, Q&A's, live score performances, industry panels and presentations.
ChicagoMusic.org's goal is to promote Chicago as a world class music city by increasing the visibility of live music throughout the city and create a healthy economic environment for the music industry in Chicago.
Chicago Music Commission
The CMC is an organization working to transform Chicago's relationship with its world-class music community. CMC wants to to ensure that the Chicago music industry's many diverse voices are fully heard by government and business leaders and that the community's needs are being fully addressed.
CUSP Magazine
CUSP Magazine is an online magazine that focuses on creative entities and start-up businesses in an attempt to bring awareness to their brand and message.
Desoto & State Communications
Desoto & State Communications is a public relations firm specializing in non-profit and education.
El Beisman
El BéiSMan is a non-profit collective of journalists and educators that produces a bilingual online monthly magazine.
Emmis Communications
Publicly traded Emmis Communications owns and operates radio and magazine entities in large and medium sized markets throughout the U.S. Emmis is the 9th largest radio group in the U.S (based on listeners) and has been voted the Most Respected Radio Company in a poll of industry CEOs.
Fishband is an iOS app that streamlines how artists and venues network to book shows and build fan bases.
Gigity TV
Gigity.TV has been broadcasting concerts, plays and other live events from venues and theatres for 4 years. The company has captured more than 3,000 different artists in over 8,000 broadcasts from all over the country with its live video production systems.
Glo Glee Music
Glo Glee Music provides live piano entertainment, composition, and music licensing
#hellohiphop provides business consulting for independent artists including booking, marketing, branding and bridging a gap between the artist and sponsors, investors and venues.
IFP Chicago
IFP Chicago is a non-profit organization committed to the idea that independent film is an important art form and a powerful voice in our society.
imagePR provides PR services for creative entrepreneurs and growing businesses, specializing in entertainment marketing with musicians, music technology companies, recording studios, record labels, and lifestyle brands.
Invisible Records
Invisible Records is an independent record label based out of Chicago that has been giving artists a voice since 1989. The label is owned and run by Martin Atkins and home to bands such as: Pigface, The Damage Manual, Sheep on Drugs, and more.
King Lizzy Creative
King Lizzy Creative is a strategic branding and artist management firm.
Music Visas is a division of the McEntee Law Group, an immigration law firm based in Chicago, and provides both US and global visa services to those in the entertainment and music industry.
Media House LLC
Media House LLC provides animation, motion graphics, music videos, video production, visual effects, and web design services.
Midwest Merch
Midwest Merch is an online merchandising services that creates custom band t-shirts.
NewAppetite is a crowd sourced music promotion and discovery collective.
Personal Best Media
Personal Best Media is a Radio broadcast/documentary program focused on entrepreneurship.
Plus 1 Entertainment
Plus 1 Entertainment focuses on artist management, label, and EDM concert promotion.
Prosource provides audio, lighting, staging, and video production services, equipment rentals, and installation/integration services.
RightNowTour focuses on regional branding campaigns and artist showcases.
Small Business Advocacy Council
The Small Business Advocacy Council is a non-partisan, member driven organization that promotes the success of small business through political advocacy, support services and educational programs.
Strategic Boundless Marketing
Strategic Boundless Marketing provides brand marketing, social media, and data analytics services.
The Brand Lela
The Brand Lela focuses on business strategy, marketing, and event production.
Third Coast Music
Third Coast Music is an organization focused on bringing more recording to Chicago. It provides a range of musical services, coordinating all production and post-production needs.
Trackforce Productions
TrackForce Productions is a Chicago based full service music production company with offices in Chicago, Olso and Stockholm.
Two Headed Man Entertainment
Two Headed Man Entertainment is the publishing company for Wayne Baker Brooks focused on licensing for TV and film.
The Up Next
The Up Next is a mobile app platform for music discovery that puts the power of the record label in the artist's hands. By streamlining the music discovery process, artists are able to maximize exposure while still maintaining ownership of their music.
VL Group
VL Group creates award-winning digital media experiences for leading brands, including Corona, General Mills and Quaker. VL Group's flagship media streaming & delivery platform, Rhymba™, kindled the social music-listening revolution with the IMVU Music Store, and powers digital media for Live Nation, Billboard, Shazam, and more.
Volcanoes For Hire
Volcanoes For Hire provides custom development of an iPhone/iPad Artist App with your dynamic music on a budget comparable to a traditional indie record.
WFL III Drums
WFL III Drums is a family-owned drum making business.
Wicked Entertainment
Wicked Entertainment is an independent record label and media firm focused on hip-hop and rap.
Ziliak Law Firm
Ziliak Law Firm provides legal services for startups and trading firms.
Quotes taken from Dallke, Jim. "Meet The Companies Inside 2112, Chicago's First Music Tech Incubator." Chicago Inno. January 14, 2016. Accessed January 20, 2016. http://chicagoinno.streetwise.co/2016/01/14/chicago-music-startups-connect-at-fort-knox-incubator-20112/.


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Clear Lake's Annual Winter Dance Party Started off with a Bang!
The 1950s themed sock hop kicked off the winter dance party yesterday at the Surf Ballroom with kids of all ages dawned in saddle shoes, Buddy Holly style glasse and poodle skirts which is the start of the annual three day tribute event. It has been 58 years since the plane carrying Ritchie Valens, J.P. "The Big Bopper", Buddy Holly and Roger Peterson the pilot crashed in the night. The first memorial event was held on February 3, 1979 which marked the 20th anniversary of the last performance at the Surf Ballroom prior to the plan crash, the event was entitled "The Tribute to Buddy Holly Concert" and has since grown into a large music celebration of 50's and 60s music.
The executive director of the Surf Ballroom, Laurie Lietz said "We're exciited to mix new events and activities for our visitors with the many great traditions that have been around since 1979 when the event first began." Austin Allsup will be doing a tribute to his father Tommy Allsup who was one of the original guitarists for the 1959 Winter Dance Party and played at the Surf on Feb 2, 1959. Tommy was scheduled to play today at the event but sadly passed away just weeks prior to the big event. The Killer Vees: Rmembering Bobby Vee will be performing a tribute on Saturday to Bobby Vee who was a supporter and performer of the annual Winter Dance Party event. Bobby Vee died in October 2016.
The Surf executive director has already started preparation for next year's event because of the large undertaking, even with the help of volunteers and countless hours of planning they stay ahead of the event each year to ensure the line up ofperformers are booked and to avoid scheduling conflicts. On average the event will take 12 to 14 months of planning ahead of time in order to secure all the performers outside of the 3,000+ hours dedicated to scheduling out the events. The community is very supportive of the event that draws thousands of people who fill up all the local hotels and restaurants for a good week; some people travel from as far as the UK to attend the annual event which includes the 28th annual British Buddy Holly Society luncheon at the Best Western on Friday this year.
Lietz said, "Our event is like no other in the country. In addition to the four evenings of live entertainment here at the Surf, visitors will enjoy everything from dance lessons and wedding vow renewals to luncheons, movies at the local theater and record/memorabilia shows." The event will run through Sunday so make sure to get out and enjoy all the Winter Dance Party has to offer!


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[This entry originally appeared on Clare Lynch's blog, goodcopybadcopy]
Let me tell you about my morning shop in M&S today.
First stop: fruit. Eschewing the delights of "juicy strawberries", "tasty redcurrants", "luscious blackberries", "tangy cranberries" and "zingy granny smith apples", I eventually plumped for some:
(Distinctly unlocal and out of season so apologies to any eco-foodies, but I just had to get a pic and I didn't think the security guard would take kindly to me whipping my camera out in-store).
Anyway, moving past the "crisp celery hearts" I decided on some:
Fancying some cheese, I forwent the "sweet and nutty Jarlsberg", the "soft and crunchy Greek feta" and the comma-free "mellow smooth Red Leicester", instead choosing:
While at the dairy counter I picked up some:
(Actually, I'm not really sure what "farm assured" means and I suspect there should be a hyphen in there somewhere).
Finally, given the choice of two types of coriander, I declined the common-or-garden variety in favour of:
This latter purchase differed from the ordinary coriander by virtue of the presence of a small blue rubber band holding the stalks together. Well, who wouldn't be swayed by such an obviously beneficial add-on?
Incidentally, I then had to wait 10 minutes to be served in a virtually empty store because there was only one till in use out of about 15.
So here's my message to Stuart Rose in these bleak days for retail: fire the copywriter you pay to come up with all those silly descriptors and employ some more on-the-ground staff instead.


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Business on Main's recent webinar "How to Double, Triple or Quadruple the Value of Your Business" brought out a flurry of questions from participants regarding how to prep a company for a successful sale.
Continue Reading Below
Ideally, owners of privately held businesses are rewarded when they have adequate time to steadily position their companies as valuable gems within their industries. This, of course, requires owners to have a competitive understanding of their industry. And since the financial markets end up supplying capital in one way or another to help finance buyouts, owners should also have a current perspective on industry valuations.
Here are some resources to help you gain strategic insight about your industry:
- Online sources of public company information. Finance websites, such as MSN Money, can provide valuation information on specific companies as well as industry sector comparisons. For rookie researchers, enter the ticker symbol of a publicly traded company within your general industry. If, for example, you own a regional moving and storage company, then you might research U-Haul and Public Storage.
As you research public companies, pay attention to their price-to-sales and price-to-earnings ratios for clues on how your company might be valued by savvy business buyers. Even if your company is small, you can cherry-pick public company valuation metrics to support the purchase price expectations you submit to local or national business buyers or corporations. You've hit the jackpot if your company's gross profit margins, sales growth and pre-tax margins match or exceed those of larger companies.
- Public company annual reports. Visit www.sec.gov for free access to extensive public company filings. Focus on your industry's annual 10-K report filings. Once you get used to the tedious boilerplate, you can find golden information on the pricing of "material" acquisitions, details of sector sales and margin performance, key litigation, and senior management names that might one day be useful. Pay attention to smaller-capitalization companies that may be most aligned with your entrepreneurial goals.
- Industry associations. Most large trade organizations publish articles about mergers, acquisitions and partnership news. Introduce yourself to the editors and reporters for your industry's publications. Treat them to a drink or meal at industry events. Ask for introductions to other industry insiders, too.
- Industry reports. Buying industry reports from leading market research firms can be very expensive and often not worth a small-business owner's dollar. There are more affordable ways to access current information regarding acquisition pricing and market trends within your industry. Start by adding your name to press release distribution lists from research firms that cover your industry. Sometimes all of the most important information is summarized in the press releases.
I'm a fan of reports and surveys that are produced by national accounting firms. Certain firms specialize in different industry sectors. For example, Grant Thornton publishes frequent reports and other information on the food industry. Also, check out the websites of the Big Four accounting firms — Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, and Ernst & Young — plus BDO and Moss Adams.
- Local business journals. Again, networking to news editors is an efficient way to learn more about the current pricing for local businesses.
The best way to position your company for a successful sale is to plan for it. Do your homework to learn what kinds of business attributes or "fundamentals" generate the most lucrative purchase prices. Also, consider which companies in your industry represent the best strategic fit for your company's operations and growth potential.
Give these companies several unpressured, relaxed opportunities to get to know you and your business strengths at industry events. Eventually, someone will swallow the bait and want to brainstorm alliance and acquisition opportunities with you.
Here's to your happy payday!


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1. Use this link, you have to review if these Human rights are not respected in the Lord of the flies.
2. You are to make a human rights poster. Must illustrate a human rights violation Jack and the hunters inflicted on the boys in the novel. The poster can be on a large poster or made by digital edition, collage,...
3. Next to the poster must list at least 10 different abuses inflicted.


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Originally from the midwest, Jenna McDonald is an actress and filmmaker who has recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue more career opportunities.
She received her BA in Film Production at Webster University, where she wrote, directed, produced, and acted in a number of short films.
McDonald has starred in two feature length films, "Tonight She Comes" a horror film that is on iTunes, and "Revisions" a low budget mumble core film which is out on Amazon.


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Invoicing is a critical process for new businesses and particularly for new small businesses. Invoices may be the primary cash and income stream for a new or small business. Growth depends upon accurate and responsive invoicing processes. For the new business, it is often vital that they issue invoices when payments are due, and that customers respond and pay promptly. Business accounting software like Quickbooks hosting can reduce the commitment of time and resources needed to carry out the invoicing process. Business can automate many parts of account management and the reports that owners and managers need to oversee the company budget.
When considering how to invoice clients, many new companies use manual invoices. This time-consuming process relies upon paper records and standard mail processing. It consumes valuable company time and resources. When considering automated invoicing software, many new companies first turn to free personal finance software. These tools can work well for small scale applications but typically lack features that small businesses need.
Some free personal finance software have cash based processes payments and use cash basis accounting. These may not provide tools for accrual based accounting and many general ledger accounting functions. When using free personal finance software, new companies can realize savings of time and effort; however, the results are often unsatisfactory. Invoices are a critical part of customer relations.
Subscription invoicing is an important feature of advanced accounting software. Many online services rely upon repeat business and ongoing contracts. Some businesses have grown into large and successful enterprises with substantial income streams from recurring monthly or annual contracts. There are unique requirements for subscription invoicing such as service credits, partial periods of service, and adjustments for various events. Among the types of invoicing, subscription invoicing is particularly well-suited for electronic invoices. Corrections are an important feature of electronic invoicing and customer relations software. Paper invoicing requires many steps to issue an accurate or corrected invoice. Businesses can process electronic corrections in a matter of minutes. This feature boosts customer confidence and reduces confusion and errors in account management.
Electronic invoicing can use credit card options; customers will pay promptly more often and with greater ease when presented with familiar and trustworthy payment procedures. Customer relations management is a critical tool for growth. The invoice is an opportunity to reinforce the brand, put forward an impressive business image, and strengthen communications. The comprehensive approach contained in advanced small business accounting software goes far beyond the options offered by free personal finance software. Advanced Small business software like Sage.com accounting software uses electronic invoicing, prompt payment incentives, and constant access to cloud-based software and data. On page, payment is a valuable feature. Customers can respond instantly to E-mail invoices payable through links to familiar payment methods.
Invoicing is also important for financing business operations. Pending invoices and accounts receivable are assets for financing. Cash flow management is critical to nearly every business, and receivables financing is a useful method for maintaining financial balance and promoting growth. Accounts receivable and accounts receivable aging reports are functions that businesses can perform using advanced business accounting software.
Invoicing is an important tool for new businesses. Advanced software incorporates customer relations tools and takes advantage of the opportunity to improve customer relations and reinforce the company image. Customized invoices that include the business logo and a clear presentation of account information make a positive impression. Advanced small business software uses online methods for fast, accurate and convenient invoice processing. Using online, cloud-based systems like sage.com accounting software, business owners and managers can stay on top of accounts receivables and open invoices by accessing the system from any Internet connection.
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