Remember the post on my photoblog the other day about Bradley getting the term merit?  Well, Lance was cornered by the teacher this morning about it.

Apparently it wasn’t just term merit – it was the year’s merit! She said he’s streaks ahead of the other kids in the class academically.  And the cherry on top for her, was the way that he handled the bullying saga a few weeks ago… she’s very impressed with him apologising the next day and making sure that him and the child in question are now OK about it.

I’m so proud of him

Then, I have to tell you about this conversation I had with him in the car yesterday morning.  We’d been discussing the time because we were late for their hair appointments, and I said that the time was the next thing I had to teach him… well, that and tying his shoe laces.

To which he responds “Mom, you know the plastic bits on the ends of shoe laces?  That’s called an aglet“

LOL! He stores the most amazing arb facts in his head!

The more charismatic/pentecostal church that I’ve been at the past couple weeks have taught me a few things. First off, they’ve kind of killed a lot of my understanding of church, especially when it comes to structure.

I have had probably 15 classes in my college career that focused so much on “how church should be done” or the structure of things, and while that’s all good and what-not, I’ve kind of gotten to a point where I could care less. It’s not that structure isn’t important, I mean even the charismatics have one, but it’s okay for them to interrupt it if God speaks to them to do so. They also could care less about time restraints…

Which is quite against my nature I have come to realized.

For example, we were supposed to start at 10:00 which was when we all got together to pray for the service and something inside of me kept yelling: “Come on! We have to play! We have to play!” So I’m trying to learn to shut up and forget about these time restraints. And even though we were only supposed to play for 40 minutes, I think we probably played for about an hour by the time it was over (although part of it was us playing behind someone who was talking).

The charismatics are also more open to handing the mic over to people. Creepy right? I mean, God forbid someone other than the pastor says something about Jesus! People just walk up, grab the mic, and start talking about some kind of vision or word the Lord gave them or share a good story or testimony.

See, the thing is that I’ve been trying to find the proper structure for God to work in for years now, rather than let God BE the structure. And really, He doesn’t have that much of a structure. He’s rather spontaneous.

Also, someone came up and told the church that they were going to be taken to the next level in supernatural and people seemed really stoked about it. And I could probably say that some of them were confused about it. Around this time someone was crying and yelling very loudly. I believe he was doing so in tongues (or I just couldn’t make out what he was saying).

Some lady at the end of the service was either prophesying over us or blessing us (probably both I think). She was asking that oil would be poured out over us and soak us so that we would be so slippery that the enemy would just slip right off of us (oil is used much in the Bible for annointing). It put quite an interesting image in my head. She also mentioned that God was going to release a Heavenly song in each one of us. It sounds like we might get the band together now to start writing some music.

While she was blessing/prophesying, one of the things she said that stuck out to me was that “we had to walk in straight paths.” Or in other words we needed to stay away from sin and not let it allow us to stumble. But note this: she told us nicely. I felt at that moment that she was looking into my soul and seeing all the crap there, and yet didn’t condemn me for it. Instead it was like a… holy rebuke of some sort. Whatever it was, God spoke to me in that moment in love and conviction. Or lovely conviction! Something I am not used to.

In all honesty, I am the greatest condemner of myself. Churches have emphasized sin in a way that hasn’t helped either. And so I occassionaly get caught up in a depression caused by my own condemnation when a lot of times God is trying to just take that stuff from me. Why is it that we want to keep all that crap with us all the time rather than give it away?

Maybe you know what I’m talking about. If you do, I have a video I will be working on over the next week or so that I hope will help you get rid of all that crap. But first, I must retrieve my camera footage from some people who grabbed it after I forgot it at church a week ago.

I’m excited to see what God has in store for me as I hope to grow more in the ways of the Spirit. I’m also interested to see what exactly He is doing with music in my life. In all honesty, I was starting to lose a passion for music over the past year or so and yet, for whatever reason, it has entered back into my life in a bigger or at least more meaningful way than ever before. So God, whatever it is You’re doing, do it. Don’t let me get in the way.

True die hard Vera Bradley addicts line up by the thousands to attend the annual outlet sale hosted by this Fort Wayne based company. Many travel several hundred miles or more just to attend. But are the deals really that great? How about the selection?

I attended the 2008 Vera Bradley Outlet Sale with these questions in mind. I was pleasantly surprised by some aspects of the sale, and admittedly disappointed with others, as you will see in this review. Although a lifelong resident of the Fort Wayne area, the corporate home of the Vera Bradley company and venue for the spring outlet sale for the past several years, I made it a point to avoid the sale. Despite the fact that I adore Vera Bradley products, I kept my distance, for the same reason that I avoid the shopping malls the day after Thanksgiving. I imagined shoppers racing into the sale to duke it out over the best bargains. Also, the idea of sifting through tables laden with a mix of Vera Bradley products sounded too much like a rummage sale to me. On top of that, being the impatient person that I am, I did not want to even think about the lines to check out.

As soon as I entered the sale, all preconceived notions I had regarding the sale vanished. I was greeted at the door by a pleasant lady, who handed me a large pink plastic bag and a list of the products available for purchase at the sale. The list, complete with pictures, included the discounted prices, as well as clearly identified where the products were located.

There were countless numbers of employees working to keep everything organized. If a customer picked up a Vera Bradley backpack and carelessly laid it down with the diaper bags, a worker was there to move it back to the backpack table. There were also several bins and carts placed around the sale, and customers were encouraged to place any castoffs in them, in order to keep the product tables organized.

Although the sale was crowded, most customers were upbeat and polite. Customers would fill up their pink plastic bags with their potential Vera Bradley purchases, and then move off to the perimeters of the sale to spread out the contents and make final decisions regarding what to keep.

To check out, I was redirected to another room. Sixty cash registers lined the room, and two to three employees worked at each cash register. One person would organize the purchases and hand them to the cashier, who would ring up the purchases, then hand them off to a third person, who would bag the purchases. All in all, the checkout process took only 10-15 minutes, which considering the number of attendees at the sale, was very quick.

The selection at the sale was decent. Most of the items were recently retired colors and discontinued styles. For shoppers looking for the new styles and colors, the pickings were slim, and I heard a few remarking that they were disappointed that they could not find their favorite bag in their favorite color. Although I attended the first night of the sale, there was plenty to choose from. The tables were continually restocked. I also overheard an employee who stated that they had several additional trucks that were yet to be unloaded.

For me, the biggest disappointment of the Vera Bradley sale was the prices. I knew the bags and accessories would be marked down 25% to 75%, however, my hope was that I could pick up a thousand dollars of product for a couple hundred bucks. Most items were reduced approximately 30-40%, but I have been able to pick up similar discount Vera Bradley bags online, without ever having to leave the comfort of my own home.

Would I attend the Vera Bradley outlet sale again? It’s likely. The sale was well-organized and fun to attend. It’s also just a twenty minute drive from my house. However, if I lived several hours, I do not think I would make the road trip. Sure, the prices were good – they just were not great.

I lost my wallet tonight after quite a hectic and rather bothersome couple of hours. I was really upset and frankly losing my mind for a bit, realizing that someone probably stole it. I had to call all my cards and cancel them and now I’ve got to reorder a bunch of stuff and I’m still a bit irritated right now.

But then when I got back to school, still in my irritated state, it went through my head that “I can’t believe someone would take something that’s rightfully mine.”

Then it occurred to me (perhaps through the Spirit) that it was something I do all the time. I made a commitment to God to be rightfully His. I made a commitment to die to myself and who I am, yet I still live my own way and do things outside of what he would like. I steal myself.

In all honesty, I was praying that my wallet would be teleported to my dorm room from wherever it was

*CORRECTION: It is now about 20 minutes later. Because I’m done freaking out, I found it. Right at the front of my car. I vaguely remember putting it there but I don’t know why. Maybe God made me do it to teach me this lesson

Answer these ten simple questions with a yes or no. Keep track of your answers, then find out below if you are, in fact, a Vera Bradley addict.

1. Does your purse match your wallet, and does it also coordinate with your cosmetic bag and suitcase? If only your husband would consent, would your bedroom duvet and living room rug also match your purse?

2. Think about the phrase: “Your purse looks like a granny bag!” — Are you insulted by this phrase? Are these fighting words?

3. Although you may be reluctant to admit it, do you write letters on a regular basis to the Vera Bradley company with product ideas, with the hope that if their product development department likes your ideas, they will send you free samples!

4. Can you recognize and name all the Vera Bradley fabrics, both new and not-so-new, and because of this, can you spot a knockoff from a mile away?

5. Do you plan your vacation to coincide with the dates of the annual outlet sale?

6. Have you signed up for a Kaboodle account with the intention of keeping track of the Christmas lists for your kids, but instead have about ten Vera Bradley lists – items you own, the styles you want, the sites you like to visit – need I go on…

7. Does your purse have a pocket for just about everything – there’s a pocket for your keys, another one for your sunglasses, a pocket for your cell phone, and four other pockets that I won’t even mention?

8. Does your husband no longer buy you flowers and expensive jewelry for gifts? Instead, is he one of the few men shopping on Etsy, buying you handmade earrings and necklaces made with your favorite Vera Bradley fabrics?

9. Did you give up stamp collecting to start a purse collection?

10. Your husband told you to invest your family’s 2008 tax rebate check in a good company. You invested it in Vera Bradley. Is your investment currently in your trunk or closet?

Now, for the moment of truth…

If you answered “no” to all the above questions, why did you take this quiz in the first place!

If you have 1-2 “yes” answers, you’re not addicted yet. However, the warning signs are there.

If you answered “yes” to three or more of these questions, it’s very likely that you are indeed addicted. You can either seek out professional help, or as I like to do, engage in shopping therapy by tracking down some great Vera Bradley bargains online.

Artist: Bradley J. Preston
Release: 45 RPM Single
Year: 1983

Home: Chatham Ontario
Genre: Country vocalist
Born: 1951

Note: This is Bradley’s first professional recording.

Tracks
Side A: In The Spring The Roses Always Turn Red (Dorsey Burnette)
Side B: You Gave Me A Mountain (Marty Robbins)

  Bradley J. Preston is currently a singer with the popular local country band “The Melody Ramblers”.
He has taken an extra step by recording a single and producing 1000 copies at his own expense of $5,000. This effort to branch out has taken Mr. Bradley to a career touring the U.S.A., Canada, and over seas.

  In the 1970’s, Chatham was a hot spot for musicians with around 400 people in the local Union. There were more venues (Clubs, bars, legions etc) to play in Chatham than most surrounding cities offered. Bands would play six nights a week at a venue than move on to the next. They would have the calendar year booked solid before the year started.
  Then, the drinking laws changed and venues were only able to offer bands two to three nights in a row to play. If you wanted to make a living playing music, you now had to travel to find the work. Bradley chose to pursue music and this took him on a journey into places he had never been before. It was a risk, a chance, and an adventure. Bradley went for it. S. Beaulieu

________________

True die hard Vera Bradley addicts line up by the thousands to attend the annual outlet sale hosted by this Fort Wayne based company. Many travel several hundred miles or more just to attend. But are the deals really that great? How about the selection?

I attended the 2008 Vera Bradley Outlet Sale with these questions in mind. I was pleasantly surprised by some aspects of the sale, and admittedly disappointed with others, as you will see in this review. Although a lifelong resident of the Fort Wayne area, the corporate home of the Vera Bradley company and venue for the spring outlet sale for the past several years, I made it a point to avoid the sale. Despite the fact that I adore Vera Bradley products, I kept my distance, for the same reason that I avoid the shopping malls the day after Thanksgiving. I imagined shoppers racing into the sale to duke it out over the best bargains. Also, the idea of sifting through tables laden with a mix of Vera Bradley products sounded too much like a rummage sale to me. On top of that, being the impatient person that I am, I did not want to even think about the lines to check out.

As soon as I entered the sale, all preconceived notions I had regarding the sale vanished. I was greeted at the door by a pleasant lady, who handed me a large pink plastic bag and a list of the products available for purchase at the sale. The list, complete with pictures, included the discounted prices, as well as clearly identified where the products were located.

There were countless numbers of employees working to keep everything organized. If a customer picked up a Vera Bradley backpack and carelessly laid it down with the diaper bags, a worker was there to move it back to the backpack table. There were also several bins and carts placed around the sale, and customers were encouraged to place any castoffs in them, in order to keep the product tables organized.

Although the sale was crowded, most customers were upbeat and polite. Customers would fill up their pink plastic bags with their potential Vera Bradley purchases, and then move off to the perimeters of the sale to spread out the contents and make final decisions regarding what to keep.

To check out, I was redirected to another room. Sixty cash registers lined the room, and two to three employees worked at each cash register. One person would organize the purchases and hand them to the cashier, who would ring up the purchases, then hand them off to a third person, who would bag the purchases. All in all, the checkout process took only 10-15 minutes, which considering the number of attendees at the sale, was very quick.

The selection at the sale was decent. Most of the items were recently retired colors and discontinued styles. For shoppers looking for the new styles and colors, the pickings were slim, and I heard a few remarking that they were disappointed that they could not find their favorite bag in their favorite color. Although I attended the first night of the sale, there was plenty to choose from. The tables were continually restocked. I also overheard an employee who stated that they had several additional trucks that were yet to be unloaded.

For me, the biggest disappointment of the Vera Bradley sale was the prices. I knew the bags and accessories would be marked down 25% to 75%, however, my hope was that I could pick up a thousand dollars of product for a couple hundred bucks. Most items were reduced approximately 30-40%, but I have been able to pick up similar discount Vera Bradley bags online, without ever having to leave the comfort of my own home.

Would I attend the Vera Bradley outlet sale again? It’s likely. The sale was well-organized and fun to attend. It’s also just a twenty minute drive from my house. However, if I lived several hours, I do not think I would make the road trip. Sure, the prices were good – they just were not great.

Do you experience this problem with your Vera Bradley bags? They need cleaned long before they wear out, picking up dirt and stains from everyday use. If there was one downside to quality, I guess that would be it. However, fortunately, there may be an easy fix. Did you know that some styles are machine washable?

Take a look inside your handbag. If you can locate the tag, there may be simple washing instructions. For example, mine states the following: “100% cotton. Machine wash cool gentle cycle. Do not bleach. Line dry.”

These are fairly standard instructions for handbags made from cotton fabric. However, some products from the Vera Bradley collection are not machine washable, including purses made from silk and microfiber. Spot cleaning is the recommended method for cleaning bags made from these types of materials.

If you determine that your bag is made from cotton and decide to machine wash it, there are a few things that you should consider before you throw it in your machine:

1. What detergent are you using?

First, take a look at the detergent. If you are using the one that you normally use to wash your household laundry, you should not have a problem. If you are tempted to use a special detergent, perhaps the one that you use to wash your delicates, take a closer look at the label. Some detergents, such as Woolite for Delicates, are formulated to work with certain types of fabric, and are not suitable for washing cottons.

2. Does your purse have a baseboard?

Many Vera Bradley bags have a baseboard at the bottom. Even though the baseboard may be covered in the same material as your purse, the inner material which helps it keep its shape is not. Make sure you remove the baseboard prior to putting the bag in the washing machine. If necessary, you can spot clean the baseboard to keep it looking new.

3. Not all products made with cotton fabric are machine washable.

Many of the Vera Bradley accessories, such as wallets made from cotton fabric, may have directions to spot clean only. This is because there are other materials also used to manufacturer them. Wallets, for example, may have inserts sewn into their lining to help them hold their shape, and the lining itself may be made from a fabric other than the cotton used on the exterior. In this situation, spot cleaning is the recommended method for getting rid of stains and other spots.

4. Adhere to the drying instructions.

To avoid fading and shrinking, line drying is the recommended method for drying Vera Bradley bags. If your purse feels stiff after line drying, you may want to fluff it by placing it in the dryer on a cool or air dry setting for a just few minutes.

Following these few simple points, you should be able to keep your favorite handbags looking like new with the help of your washing machine.

True die hard Vera Bradley addicts line up by the thousands to attend the annual outlet sale hosted by this Fort Wayne based company. Many travel several hundred miles or more just to attend. But are the deals really that great? How about the selection?

I attended the 2008 Vera Bradley Outlet Sale with these questions in mind. I was pleasantly surprised by some aspects of the sale, and admittedly disappointed with others, as you will see in this review. Although a lifelong resident of the Fort Wayne area, the corporate home of the Vera Bradley company and venue for the spring outlet sale for the past several years, I made it a point to avoid the sale. Despite the fact that I adore Vera Bradley products, I kept my distance, for the same reason that I avoid the shopping malls the day after Thanksgiving. I imagined shoppers racing into the sale to duke it out over the best bargains. Also, the idea of sifting through tables laden with a mix of Vera Bradley products sounded too much like a rummage sale to me. On top of that, being the impatient person that I am, I did not want to even think about the lines to check out.

As soon as I entered the sale, all preconceived notions I had regarding the sale vanished. I was greeted at the door by a pleasant lady, who handed me a large pink plastic bag and a list of the products available for purchase at the sale. The list, complete with pictures, included the discounted prices, as well as clearly identified where the products were located.

There were countless numbers of employees working to keep everything organized. If a customer picked up a Vera Bradley backpack and carelessly laid it down with the diaper bags, a worker was there to move it back to the backpack table. There were also several bins and carts placed around the sale, and customers were encouraged to place any castoffs in them, in order to keep the product tables organized.

Although the sale was crowded, most customers were upbeat and polite. Customers would fill up their pink plastic bags with their potential Vera Bradley purchases, and then move off to the perimeters of the sale to spread out the contents and make final decisions regarding what to keep.

To check out, I was redirected to another room. Sixty cash registers lined the room, and two to three employees worked at each cash register. One person would organize the purchases and hand them to the cashier, who would ring up the purchases, then hand them off to a third person, who would bag the purchases. All in all, the checkout process took only 10-15 minutes, which considering the number of attendees at the sale, was very quick.

The selection at the sale was decent. Most of the items were recently retired colors and discontinued styles. For shoppers looking for the new styles and colors, the pickings were slim, and I heard a few remarking that they were disappointed that they could not find their favorite bag in their favorite color. Although I attended the first night of the sale, there was plenty to choose from. The tables were continually restocked. I also overheard an employee who stated that they had several additional trucks that were yet to be unloaded.

For me, the biggest disappointment of the Vera Bradley sale was the prices. I knew the bags and accessories would be marked down 25% to 75%, however, my hope was that I could pick up a thousand dollars of product for a couple hundred bucks. Most items were reduced approximately 30-40%, but I have been able to pick up similar discount Vera Bradley bags online, without ever having to leave the comfort of my own home.

Would I attend the Vera Bradley outlet sale again? It’s likely. The sale was well-organized and fun to attend. It’s also just a twenty minute drive from my house. However, if I lived several hours, I do not think I would make the road trip. Sure, the prices were good – they just were not great.

True die hard Vera Bradley addicts line up by the thousands to attend the annual outlet sale hosted by this Fort Wayne based company. Many travel several hundred miles or more just to attend. But are the deals really that great? How about the selection?

I attended the 2008 Vera Bradley Outlet Sale with these questions in mind. I was pleasantly surprised by some aspects of the sale, and admittedly disappointed with others, as you will see in this review. Although a lifelong resident of the Fort Wayne area, the corporate home of the Vera Bradley company and venue for the spring outlet sale for the past several years, I made it a point to avoid the sale. Despite the fact that I adore Vera Bradley products, I kept my distance, for the same reason that I avoid the shopping malls the day after Thanksgiving. I imagined shoppers racing into the sale to duke it out over the best bargains. Also, the idea of sifting through tables laden with a mix of Vera Bradley products sounded too much like a rummage sale to me. On top of that, being the impatient person that I am, I did not want to even think about the lines to check out.

As soon as I entered the sale, all preconceived notions I had regarding the sale vanished. I was greeted at the door by a pleasant lady, who handed me a large pink plastic bag and a list of the products available for purchase at the sale. The list, complete with pictures, included the discounted prices, as well as clearly identified where the products were located.

There were countless numbers of employees working to keep everything organized. If a customer picked up a Vera Bradley backpack and carelessly laid it down with the diaper bags, a worker was there to move it back to the backpack table. There were also several bins and carts placed around the sale, and customers were encouraged to place any castoffs in them, in order to keep the product tables organized.

Although the sale was crowded, most customers were upbeat and polite. Customers would fill up their pink plastic bags with their potential Vera Bradley purchases, and then move off to the perimeters of the sale to spread out the contents and make final decisions regarding what to keep.

To check out, I was redirected to another room. Sixty cash registers lined the room, and two to three employees worked at each cash register. One person would organize the purchases and hand them to the cashier, who would ring up the purchases, then hand them off to a third person, who would bag the purchases. All in all, the checkout process took only 10-15 minutes, which considering the number of attendees at the sale, was very quick.

The selection at the sale was decent. Most of the items were recently retired colors and discontinued styles. For shoppers looking for the new styles and colors, the pickings were slim, and I heard a few remarking that they were disappointed that they could not find their favorite bag in their favorite color. Although I attended the first night of the sale, there was plenty to choose from. The tables were continually restocked. I also overheard an employee who stated that they had several additional trucks that were yet to be unloaded.

For me, the biggest disappointment of the Vera Bradley sale was the prices. I knew the bags and accessories would be marked down 25% to 75%, however, my hope was that I could pick up a thousand dollars of product for a couple hundred bucks. Most items were reduced approximately 30-40%, but I have been able to pick up similar discount Vera Bradley bags online, without ever having to leave the comfort of my own home.

Would I attend the Vera Bradley outlet sale again? It’s likely. The sale was well-organized and fun to attend. It’s also just a twenty minute drive from my house. However, if I lived several hours, I do not think I would make the road trip. Sure, the prices were good – they just were not great.

True die hard Vera Bradley addicts line up by the thousands to attend the annual outlet sale hosted by this Fort Wayne based company. Many travel several hundred miles or more just to attend. But are the deals really that great? How about the selection?

I attended the 2008 Vera Bradley Outlet Sale with these questions in mind. I was pleasantly surprised by some aspects of the sale, and admittedly disappointed with others, as you will see in this review. Although a lifelong resident of the Fort Wayne area, the corporate home of the Vera Bradley company and venue for the spring outlet sale for the past several years, I made it a point to avoid the sale. Despite the fact that I adore Vera Bradley products, I kept my distance, for the same reason that I avoid the shopping malls the day after Thanksgiving. I imagined shoppers racing into the sale to duke it out over the best bargains. Also, the idea of sifting through tables laden with a mix of Vera Bradley products sounded too much like a rummage sale to me. On top of that, being the impatient person that I am, I did not want to even think about the lines to check out.

As soon as I entered the sale, all preconceived notions I had regarding the sale vanished. I was greeted at the door by a pleasant lady, who handed me a large pink plastic bag and a list of the products available for purchase at the sale. The list, complete with pictures, included the discounted prices, as well as clearly identified where the products were located.

There were countless numbers of employees working to keep everything organized. If a customer picked up a Vera Bradley backpack and carelessly laid it down with the diaper bags, a worker was there to move it back to the backpack table. There were also several bins and carts placed around the sale, and customers were encouraged to place any castoffs in them, in order to keep the product tables organized.

Although the sale was crowded, most customers were upbeat and polite. Customers would fill up their pink plastic bags with their potential Vera Bradley purchases, and then move off to the perimeters of the sale to spread out the contents and make final decisions regarding what to keep.

To check out, I was redirected to another room. Sixty cash registers lined the room, and two to three employees worked at each cash register. One person would organize the purchases and hand them to the cashier, who would ring up the purchases, then hand them off to a third person, who would bag the purchases. All in all, the checkout process took only 10-15 minutes, which considering the number of attendees at the sale, was very quick.

The selection at the sale was decent. Most of the items were recently retired colors and discontinued styles. For shoppers looking for the new styles and colors, the pickings were slim, and I heard a few remarking that they were disappointed that they could not find their favorite bag in their favorite color. Although I attended the first night of the sale, there was plenty to choose from. The tables were continually restocked. I also overheard an employee who stated that they had several additional trucks that were yet to be unloaded.

For me, the biggest disappointment of the Vera Bradley sale was the prices. I knew the bags and accessories would be marked down 25% to 75%, however, my hope was that I could pick up a thousand dollars of product for a couple hundred bucks. Most items were reduced approximately 30-40%, but I have been able to pick up similar discount Vera Bradley bags online, without ever having to leave the comfort of my own home.

Would I attend the Vera Bradley outlet sale again? It’s likely. The sale was well-organized and fun to attend. It’s also just a twenty minute drive from my house. However, if I lived several hours, I do not think I would make the road trip. Sure, the prices were good – they just were not great.

Do you experience this problem with your Vera Bradley bags? They need cleaned long before they wear out, picking up dirt and stains from everyday use. If there was one downside to quality, I guess that would be it. However, fortunately, there may be an easy fix. Did you know that some styles are machine washable?

Take a look inside your handbag. If you can locate the tag, there may be simple washing instructions. For example, mine states the following: “100% cotton. Machine wash cool gentle cycle. Do not bleach. Line dry.”

These are fairly standard instructions for handbags made from cotton fabric. However, some products from the Vera Bradley collection are not machine washable, including purses made from silk and microfiber. Spot cleaning is the recommended method for cleaning bags made from these types of materials.

If you determine that your bag is made from cotton and decide to machine wash it, there are a few things that you should consider before you throw it in your machine:

1. What detergent are you using?

First, take a look at the detergent. If you are using the one that you normally use to wash your household laundry, you should not have a problem. If you are tempted to use a special detergent, perhaps the one that you use to wash your delicates, take a closer look at the label. Some detergents, such as Woolite for Delicates, are formulated to work with certain types of fabric, and are not suitable for washing cottons.

2. Does your purse have a baseboard?

Many Vera Bradley bags have a baseboard at the bottom. Even though the baseboard may be covered in the same material as your purse, the inner material which helps it keep its shape is not. Make sure you remove the baseboard prior to putting the bag in the washing machine. If necessary, you can spot clean the baseboard to keep it looking new.

3. Not all products made with cotton fabric are machine washable.

Many of the Vera Bradley accessories, such as wallets made from cotton fabric, may have directions to spot clean only. This is because there are other materials also used to manufacturer them. Wallets, for example, may have inserts sewn into their lining to help them hold their shape, and the lining itself may be made from a fabric other than the cotton used on the exterior. In this situation, spot cleaning is the recommended method for getting rid of stains and other spots.

4. Adhere to the drying instructions.

To avoid fading and shrinking, line drying is the recommended method for drying Vera Bradley bags. If your purse feels stiff after line drying, you may want to fluff it by placing it in the dryer on a cool or air dry setting for a just few minutes.

Following these few simple points, you should be able to keep your favorite handbags looking like new with the help of your washing machine.

Do you experience this problem with your Vera Bradley bags? They need cleaned long before they wear out, picking up dirt and stains from everyday use. If there was one downside to quality, I guess that would be it. However, fortunately, there may be an easy fix. Did you know that some styles are machine washable?

Take a look inside your handbag. If you can locate the tag, there may be simple washing instructions. For example, mine states the following: “100% cotton. Machine wash cool gentle cycle. Do not bleach. Line dry.”

These are fairly standard instructions for handbags made from cotton fabric. However, some products from the Vera Bradley collection are not machine washable, including purses made from silk and microfiber. Spot cleaning is the recommended method for cleaning bags made from these types of materials.

If you determine that your bag is made from cotton and decide to machine wash it, there are a few things that you should consider before you throw it in your machine:

1. What detergent are you using?

First, take a look at the detergent. If you are using the one that you normally use to wash your household laundry, you should not have a problem. If you are tempted to use a special detergent, perhaps the one that you use to wash your delicates, take a closer look at the label. Some detergents, such as Woolite for Delicates, are formulated to work with certain types of fabric, and are not suitable for washing cottons.

2. Does your purse have a baseboard?

Many Vera Bradley bags have a baseboard at the bottom. Even though the baseboard may be covered in the same material as your purse, the inner material which helps it keep its shape is not. Make sure you remove the baseboard prior to putting the bag in the washing machine. If necessary, you can spot clean the baseboard to keep it looking new.

3. Not all products made with cotton fabric are machine washable.

Many of the Vera Bradley accessories, such as wallets made from cotton fabric, may have directions to spot clean only. This is because there are other materials also used to manufacturer them. Wallets, for example, may have inserts sewn into their lining to help them hold their shape, and the lining itself may be made from a fabric other than the cotton used on the exterior. In this situation, spot cleaning is the recommended method for getting rid of stains and other spots.

4. Adhere to the drying instructions.

To avoid fading and shrinking, line drying is the recommended method for drying Vera Bradley bags. If your purse feels stiff after line drying, you may want to fluff it by placing it in the dryer on a cool or air dry setting for a just few minutes.

Following these few simple points, you should be able to keep your favorite handbags looking like new with the help of your washing machine.

done

First, I have to say that following on from yesterday’s post… it’s not my photography or my bookings causing my angst… in fact that’s what’s keeping me sane right now

Anyhoo, back to today’s story, Bradley lost his second tooth on Thursday at school.  It came out while he was eating a burger at school   So very glad he didn’t swallow this tooth like the first one

This was after going to the dentist on Wednesday and her telling me that the tooth was almost out… and she could see the big tooth already peeping through the gums.   Oooh and he only needed his teeth cleaned and flouride applied at the dentist, I’m so very pleased that he’s brushing properly!

So, on Thursday night, the tooth fairy arrived… and gave him 2 R10 notes.  OMW was he upset in the morning!! One of his friends had told him that she’d gotten R100 for her teeth! Oh the drama… but then he felt better when he got to school and another friend told him that she’d got more for her top teeth!

LOL!  I think R100 is excessive… but anyhoo.  Maybe we should chat to the tooth fairy and increase the amounts a little for the 2 front teeth that are loose at the moment.

Scuba diving takes you to an entirely different world. To enter this world one needs to take the necessary training, without which the diver life could be in jeopardy. Like in all other adventure sport scuba diving is not free from danger. Necessary precautions need to be taken to ensure a smooth and happy diving journey. The dangers of scuba diving can be classified into two categories. The first danger lies within the ocean and second in the individual itself.

Scuba divers should keep themselves updated about the marine life around that region and the risk involved there. This will help them to avoid animals that turn aggressive on being approached. The weather forecast and the current beneath and the water conditions of on the date of the dive also need to be kept in mind. There is a possibility that the diver may get too engrossed in viewing the beauty at the bottom of the sea and swimming against the current may make it difficult for him to reach his destination.

Getting trained through certified classes of scuba diving will help the diver to encounter the dangers. Divers should make sure that all their equipments are in good condition and working properly. The scuba diver needs to show a certain level of responsibility too.

The diver needs to remember his lessons well while venturing in the sea. Taking things for granted and forgetting his lesson could go against him and is a foremost danger of scuba diving. Diving with an accomplice having more experience could reduce the danger of scuba diving.

A good presence of mind and the ability to handle a dangerous situation without panicking can get you over the dangers of scuba diving.

Avoid diving while suffering from cold, allergies and infections, as intake of some of the medications could make you lethargic and somnolent.

A common problem that scuba divers experience is ear pain is mainly caused due to pressure changes. The medical terminology for this is squeeze. Barotrauma can also be caused due to scuba diving. When parts of the body that contains air for example the lungs, the stomach, the chest, the intestines and cavity get affected deep underwater due to excessive pressure causes barotrauma. The other problems related to scuba diving are bruises, scrapes and cuts which normally occur due to shipwrecks and coral and reefs.

Diving too fast also causes serious consequences and over expansion and contraction of lungs could result in serious disabilities. So remember not to be reckless and hasty while scuba diving.

Do you experience this problem with your Vera Bradley bags? They need cleaned long before they wear out, picking up dirt and stains from everyday use. If there was one downside to quality, I guess that would be it. However, fortunately, there may be an easy fix. Did you know that some styles are machine washable?

Take a look inside your handbag. If you can locate the tag, there may be simple washing instructions. For example, mine states the following: “100% cotton. Machine wash cool gentle cycle. Do not bleach. Line dry.”

These are fairly standard instructions for handbags made from cotton fabric. However, some products from the Vera Bradley collection are not machine washable, including purses made from silk and microfiber. Spot cleaning is the recommended method for cleaning bags made from these types of materials.

If you determine that your bag is made from cotton and decide to machine wash it, there are a few things that you should consider before you throw it in your machine:

1. What detergent are you using?

First, take a look at the detergent. If you are using the one that you normally use to wash your household laundry, you should not have a problem. If you are tempted to use a special detergent, perhaps the one that you use to wash your delicates, take a closer look at the label. Some detergents, such as Woolite for Delicates, are formulated to work with certain types of fabric, and are not suitable for washing cottons.

2. Does your purse have a baseboard?

Many Vera Bradley bags have a baseboard at the bottom. Even though the baseboard may be covered in the same material as your purse, the inner material which helps it keep its shape is not. Make sure you remove the baseboard prior to putting the bag in the washing machine. If necessary, you can spot clean the baseboard to keep it looking new.

3. Not all products made with cotton fabric are machine washable.

Many of the Vera Bradley accessories, such as wallets made from cotton fabric, may have directions to spot clean only. This is because there are other materials also used to manufacturer them. Wallets, for example, may have inserts sewn into their lining to help them hold their shape, and the lining itself may be made from a fabric other than the cotton used on the exterior. In this situation, spot cleaning is the recommended method for getting rid of stains and other spots.

4. Adhere to the drying instructions.

To avoid fading and shrinking, line drying is the recommended method for drying Vera Bradley bags. If your purse feels stiff after line drying, you may want to fluff it by placing it in the dryer on a cool or air dry setting for a just few minutes.

Following these few simple points, you should be able to keep your favorite handbags looking like new with the help of your washing machine.

There are two main views when it comes to the eternal security debate. The first view would be that of the eternal security view, which claims that once a Christian is saved, they are saved forever and there is nothing they can do to fall out of grace. On the other side of the spectrum there is the conditional security view, which claims that a Christian needs to continue to persist in God and move forward in their faith. In other words, the conditional view is more works oriented and biased towards Christians, while the eternal view is more of a simple faith ordeal. It is in my opinion that the conditional security view is the most logical and can be supported very well Biblically.

I think one of the most helpful passages that supports this position is found in Matthew 7:22-23. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

Here we have people who are operating in the gifts of the Spirit, which obviously implies that these individuals do in fact have the Spirit, which implies that they are in fact Christians. Despite this fact, we also see that they were not persisting in their faith, but rather that they were “practicing lawlessness” and living in sin. For this reason we see that these very verses correlate entirely to the conditional view. The New Bible Commentary states this point quite well when it says, “Acceptance depends not on profession, nor even on apparently Christian activity, but on whether Jesus knew them. Note the extraordinary authority he assumes as judge; to enter the kingdom of heaven depends on his acknowledgment and consists in being with him.”

The conditional view is also supported by the famous story in Matthew 25:31-46. In these verses, God separates the sheep from the goats by placing people in groups based off of how much they did to help others. Notice that He did not place people in groups based off if they were saved Christians or not, but instead He placed them into groups based off works. Those who did not do such works (the goats) were placed into eternal punishment while those who did (the sheep) were brought into eternal life.

Many simply take this verse to mean that the Christians are the sheep and the goats are everyone else, but they fail to see what is really said here. Now I would not say that this means that those who are not Christians will go to Heaven if they did good things for others, because when one combines these verses with other verses we see that belief in Jesus is necessary for salvation as well. One commentary points out “The basis for entrance was faith, evidenced by works of kindness (25:35–39). No unbelievers (“goats”) would be permitted to enter.”

Outside of these Biblical reasons, I would say that logic is a big part of this argument. I feel that those who take the eternal security view have a wonderful hope and a beautiful story, but an illogical and irrational idea of what Christianity is. It is a watered down view of Christianity and it is part of the reason it becomes so easy for many to say say “Lord, Lord,” while practicing lawlessness. It is not that the eternal security debate is wrong in all aspects, because our Lord is full of more grace and love than we can fathom, but when we live like a pagan, we die like a pagan. To what degree of paganism we can live under is up to God as He is the judge. But when we love a person, we should expect ourselves to show it and we should not even have to ask “how pagan can I be and still get by?” We do not fall into a marriage and simply leave it at that, but we work for the other person’s love. Yet so many times people will apply this to anything except Christianity while they try to figure out how sinful they can be without going to far.

One author made a clothing analogy to salvation and grace. “God provides us with the clothes of Christ’s righteousness. We are saved as we put on Christ. And we grow in Christ the same way we receive Christ, by putting on what is provided for us.” To make a play off of this analogy, I would like to point out that the problem with many Christians is that they wear clothes other than the ones Christ gave them. Satan also has his own clothing store that is quite accessible. The more his lawlessness clothes us, the more we look like a goat and after awhile we eventually look nothing like a Christian.

The biggest objection some would have for the conditional argument would be that it cheapens God’s grace and love for us. I believe, however, that God’s grace and love are the same for us regardless of the conditional view. He still loves us dearly and wants to offer us all the grace He can give, but the mistake is not found in God, but rather in ourselves. It is not God who practices lawlessness or does not reach out to others, but it is we who do so. I would imagine He would want to offer as much grace as possible, but when we live a life like those outside of grace, we become one removed from grace. It has nothing to do with cheapening the attributes of God, but with ourselves cheapening our own attributes. The mistake is in us.

Bibliography

Carson, D. A. (1994). New Bible commentary : 21st century edition (4th ed.) (Mt 7:13).

Leicester, England;  Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press.

Hughes, R. B., & Laney, J. C. (2001). Tyndale concise Bible commentary. The Tyndale

reference library (420). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.

Larson, B., Anderson, P., & Self, D. (1990). Mastering pastoral care. Mastering ministry

(122). Portland, Or.;  Carol Stream, IL: Multnomah Press;  Christianity Today.

So I joined up with a couple other SAU folks last night to help out with a charismatic worship service last night. After having done so I feel that it’s going to be much harder to go to a service where the worship doesn’t feel Spirit-led. It just kinda feels empty.

So I grabbed my keyboard, mac, and a mic to back up my friend Vicki andthe rest of the band and about 30-40 minutes later our 6 songs or so were done.

Now I’ve had me many a worship jam, but nothing ever felt so real as this. People were at the front singing there hearts out and making up their own lyrics and just praising God.

I think someone had some kind of shofar or trumpet because every once in awhile there would be a loud out of tune noise that I thought was my keyboard. It was great.

They’ve invited us to lead worship again this Sunday morning for their church service so I’m pretty excited to be in God’s presence with these people again! Feel free to come if you’d like!

10:00
1056 Bryant Ave
Jackson, MI

It’s weird right? People collapsing to the ground all over the place? To the point where you almost have to pile them on top of each other because you’re running out of room up front to lie them down?

That was what life was like last night. We had Mahesh Chavda come to speak at Hillsdale college yesterday. Quite a funny guy! He tells lots of random stories and has a great time and then prays for people. And he also gets quite a few words of knowledge.

In fact, he had all the people who couldn’t read books without glasses stand up, put their hands on their eyes as he prayed, and then take them off and see if anything was different. One man proved it was by coming up and reading right out of a tiny print Bible, something he couldn’t have done twenty minutes ago!

Other people stood for back pains and then people who wanted prayer came down to the front, for the most part getting slain in the Spirit and collapsing to the ground. My job was to catch people on their way down so they didn’t hit the floor. And sometimes it would take more than one of us to catch them.

My first two catches didn’t go very well… I actually kind of dropped them a bit. For those of you who are novice catchers such as myself, people crumble straight down for the most part, not backwards like I expected. So you gotta try to catch them the right way! If somehow the first two people I went to catch read this, I’m sorry! Didn’t mean to drop you!

At one point Mahesh said that he felt the glory in the room had gotten stronger so he lined up the next people, touched them on the head and prayed for them really quick and many of them went down. Not all of them, but probably most of them.

I was one of the ones who didn’t get knocked out. But Mahesh prayed for me really quick, then blew on me (which I suppose is some kind of impartation of the Spirit kind of deal) and I started falling backwards and then realized that I wasn’t actually going down. So I went back to catching. But one these days I shall be slain!

There are many types of short sales in the Treasure Valley and many different banks involved. Not one short sale is exactly like another. Hopefully that will change somewhat very soon.

There is a huge push from the Obama administration to help folks stay in their homes through loan modifications and avoid foreclosures by doing short sales. Banks are getting “kickbacks” incentives to do these things to avoid foreclosures.

But why is it taking months to get an approval on my short sale?

Some banks are literally overwhelmed with short sale offers across the country. Most banks are understaffed in these departments. Bank of America (Countrywide) is one that comes to mind. The average time frame to hear back from a short sale offer from B of A is about 3-4 months. During that time, most buyers walk away and look for another property. So then another offer comes in for the same property and can take another 3-4 months to approve that offer. Hopefully this will change very soon.

Bank of America has signed up with a company called REOTrans soon to be called Equator. B of A has been using this company on a trial basis to do short sales through. This is in a way “streamlining” the short sale process. So far, I have heard that it has been working much better! So be on the look out for this. If you have not signed up yet for REOTrans, I highly suggest that you do. Their website is http://www.reotrans.com

Wells Fargo and Wachovia have really streamlined there approval process that can take less than 10 business days with less paperwork! So if you have one of these banks, things can go very quickly and smoothly.

So as you can see, short selling your home is not always a slow and painful process. In some cases it is a simple process and other times, not so simple. But in some cases, it might still be better than a foreclosure. Read my blog about “Life after a short sale” http://bradoliver.wordpress.com/

Call me or email me today for a free consultation and free information.

Brad Oliver

Century 21 1st Place Realty

208-284-5697

Bradley@Century21.com

Patton film senaryosu

Senaryo metni (İngilizce Orijinali Reverse Spins Editor)

SAHNE:

İkinci Dünya Savaşı’na ait Amerikan Ordusu üniformalı ikisi General 3 kişi bir jipte Kuzey Afrika’da bir yolda gidiyorlar.

KONUŞMALAR:

General George S. Patton (George C. Scott): Dur. Buradan sağa dön.

Şoför: Ama savaş alanı, diğer tarafta efendim.

Patton: Lütfen Benimle tartışma, Çavuş. Savaş alanının kokusunu alırım.

General Omar Bradley (Karl Malden): O buraya dün de geldi, George.

Patton: (elindeki sopayla işaret eder) O tarafta. Hemen sağa dön, dediğimi yap.

SAHNE:

Jip yoldan ayrılır, turban giyimli eşeğe binmiş bazı Kuzey Afrikalının yanından geçerek Romalılardan kalma birkaç harabe yakınına gelir. Patton iner, Bradley de onu izler. Fonda sanki uzun yıllar öncesine ait unutulmuş bir savaşın o çağlara ait kolay unutulmayan müziğini çalan boru yankılanmaları aksetmektedir.

KONUŞMALAR:

Patton: Buradaydı. Çarpışma buradaydı. Kartacalılar şehri savunurken… …üç Roma lejyonu saldırıya geçti. Kartacalılar gururlu ve cesurdu. Ama dayanamadılar. Arap kadınları……onların giysilerini, kılıçlarını ve kalkanlarını aldı. Askerler güneşte çıplak yattı…… 2.000 yıl önce. Ben buradaydım.

SAHNE:

Patton, dizüstü çökmüş, duraklar, bilgiç bir tarzda gülümser epey şaşırmış olan Bradley’e döner ve şöyle devam eder:

KONUŞMALAR:

Patton:Bana inanmıyorsun değil mi.

Şairin dediği gibi:

“Çağlar arasında yol alırken,

Savaşın yıkımına ve tozuna rastlarsın.

Acaba yıldızlar arasında sonsuz kez savaşıp,

Yendim ve yenildim mi?

Sanki gördüğüm bir cam ötesinde karanlıkta

Eski bir çatışma

Ama farklı kılıklarda ve isimlerde savaşan,

Hep bendim. “

Patton:Peki, şiiri yazan kim biliyormusun?

Bradley hafifçe gülümser, başını iki yana sallayarak, Hayır

Patton: Benim.

BKZ ORİJİNAL SENARYO

Naaahhhhhhhhhh … they’re not naughty … hahahaha!  Just look at those grins though!

That’s Brad & his buddy, Isaac, getting ready to head off to church last weekend.