let's do something fun

Here's the book that my little face has been buried in this week. It's almost 400 uninspiring pages long and reads slower than Dickens. But the story is interesting and the perspectives are insightful. If you can handle the tortuous pace maybe give it a read when you have a free weekend. I have to write an essay about it, and discuss the lessons that a reader would learn from the characters and their actions. I think its like an ethics exercise. My lessons are like this (1) Insecurity is dangerous. (2) Manipulators Reproduce, and (3) Legality is not Equality. Sounds intriguing, I know.

I  went bowling tonight. I edited this post 5 times.

Tomorrow I'm a free man. Paper is due at 3pm and this overworked accountant will take a long nap. Wednesday will be spent at Chick-fil-a. There is a new store opening and a bunch of us are going to camp out in the parking lot for 24 hours and get 52 free combo meals. Do the math.

Then it's off to Murfreesboro for the weekend, over to Mission Viejo on Tuesday, and Anaheim the next week for the semiannaul. Wedding follows, a possible trip to see my aunt, and then my life ends because I have to start studying for something called the....

edward hopper

time for a new post

Quote of the Week

Without human beings, the universe has no meaning; without Christians, our communities have no meaning; and without Christ, Christians have no meaning. Hence, Christ is the meaning of the universe. The meaning of the universe lies in those Christians who have Christ operating in them.

 The Meaning of Human Life and A Proper Consecration, p. 31

We Work at KPMG

What should Wall Street do?

That's the title to an interesting and compelling article from the Economist this week. Here's a quick teaser...

AS THOUSANDS have gathered in Lower Manhattan, passionately expressing their deep discontent with the status quo, we have taken note of these protests,” wrote Lloyd Blankfein, the boss of Goldman Sachs, in a recent letter to investors. “And we have asked ourselves this question: ‘How can we make money off them?’ The answer is the newly launched Goldman Sachs Global Rage Fund.” This will invest in firms likely to benefit from social unrest, such as window repairers and makers of police batons. As Mr Blankfein explained: “At Goldman, we recognise that the capitalist system as we know it is circling the drain—but there’s plenty of money to be made on the way down.

The letter is a spoof, penned by Andy Borowitz...

You can find the full article here.

Camping out today with the bros...

An Idiom a Day...

loaded for bear, Informal. fully prepared and eager toinitiate or deal with a fight, confrontation, or trouble: Keepaway from the boss—he's loaded for bear today.

Pour over coffee at 2 Story, Athens

New post

Quote of the Week

"Without human beings, the universe has no meaning; without Christians, our communities have no meaning; and without Christ, Christians have no meaning. Hence, Christ is the meaning of the universe."

- The Meaning of Human Life and a Proper Consecration, p.31

Verse of the Week

Therefore having this ministry as we have been shown
mercy, we do not lose heart. - 2 Cor. 4:1
Therefore we do not lose heart... - 2 Cor. 4:16

It sounds as though Hans Hoogervorst may have had an epiphany last night. Hoogervorst is the current IASB chairman. He explained his latest findings to the Basel Committee in Brussels:

It’s “extremely risky to have a capital regime which says for certain types of assets you don’t need to put aside any capital..."

It is very encouraging to see these important issues being addressed by international accounting standard setters. Perhaps next week we will learn whether there are any risks attached to derivatives and exchange-traded funds. Stay tuned...

this just in...

Did this really happen? I'm reading a tax case and the all of the sudden the judge quotes 2 Corinthians 3:6. That's probably not a big deal to any of you, but it was very refreshing to me! After reading pages and pages of this stuff it's great to be reminded that the spirit giveth life! Hallelujah! Anyway, here goes...

General. Section 111 provides that income attributable to the recovery during any taxable year of bad debts, prior taxes, and delinquency amounts shall be excluded from gross income to the extent of the 'recovery exclusion' with respect to such items. The rule of exclusion so prescribed by statute applies equally with respect to all other losses, expenditures, and accruals made the basis of deductions from gross income for prior taxable years, including war losses referred to in section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1939, but not including deductions with respect to depreciation, depletion, amortization, or amortizable bond premiums. The term 'recovery exclusion' as used in this section means an amount equal to the portion of the bad debts, prior taxes, and delinquency amounts (the items specifically referred to in section 111), and of all other items subject to the rule of exclusion which, when deducted or credited for a prior taxable year, did not result in a reduction of any tax of the taxpayer under subtitle A.

This opinion represents the views of the majority and complies with existing law and decisions. However, in the writer's personal opinion, it produces a harsh and inequitable result. Perhaps, it exemplifies a situation "where the letter of the law killeth; the spirit giveth life." The tax-benefit concept is an equitable doctrine which should be carried to an equitable conclusion. Since it is the declared public policy to encourage contributions to charitable and educational organizations, a donor, whose gift to such organizations is returned, should not be required to refund to the Government a greater amount than the tax benefit received when the deduction was made for the gift. Such a rule would avoid a penalty to the taxpayer and an unjust enrichment to the Government. However, the court cannot legislate and any change in the existing law rests within the wisdom and discretion of the Congress. ALICE PHELAN SULLIVAN CORP. v. U.S., Cite as 20 AFTR 2d 5137 (381 F.2d 399), 07/20/1967 , Code Sec(s) 111 

Deal of the Day

Just ordered a shirt from Thomas Pink. I decided to go with the double cuff because it was $160 cheaper than the button cuff. (See below). Also, Charles Tyrwhitt is having a sale. I bought a few shirts from them also, but they were more expensive.

Chanting

Tonight I'm studying for a corporate tax exam, which is on Thursday. I would love to give you a brief overview of what we are covering, but I don't have time. Anyway, sometimes when you are studying it helps to chant. By that I mean, quickly shout cliche buzzwords in a strict, rigid fashion. You have to do it fast and with emphasis. Like this...

goals! deliverables! productivity! incentives! deadlines! focus! stamina! objectives!

It's very therapeutic.

La Blogotheque

Gaspar Claus & Pedro Soler | Alegria | Live at La Gaité Lyrique from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

* La Blogothèque never fails to impress me. Vincent Moon's Take Away Shows's are incredible; the cinematography fits their music very well. Actually a lot of indie groups get exposure here, and usually if La Blogothèque does a take away show it means you can expect to see that band on All Music Considered within a month or so. That's my take. Enjoy. 



Gaspar Claus & Pedro Soler | Petenera | Live at La Gaité Lyrique from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

sometimes i study

How lovely is Thy dwelling place

  

How blessed are those men indeed!
	Trusting in Thee they are made strong;
	Highways to Zion in their hearts,
	The way they care not, rough or long.

Ministry Excerpt: Have I been built?

As saved ones, we all admit that once we were clay but that we have become stones because of the Lord’s salvation. However, it is not enough simply to be stones; we still need to be built. No doubt, we are living stones, but a question remains: “Have we been built?” This is a serious question. If we have been built, then we, as stones, cannot be independent. Instead, we need to be dealt with and joined together with other stones.

Brothers and sisters, we must ask ourselves, “Have I been built? Am I connected with others? Am I in coordination with others? Or am I a stone, independent and isolated?” 

Brothers and sisters, in these last days God intends to recover this matter. God wants to recover not only the ground and the testimony of the church but also the building of the church. Whoever receives grace and mercy will bow his head and say, “Lord, have mercy on me, and have mercy also on my brothers and sisters. Build in us.”

On this earth who is not toiling or burdened?

No introduction is necessary for these two paragraphs, except to say that I realized today how much I have been toiling this week. So many frustrating situations beckon us daily to heed those simple words, "Come to me..." These lines of ministry come from The God-man Living,  by Witness Lee. This is surely the highest exposition of the gospels I have ever read. Anyway, I'll be in a coffee shop for maybe the next 6 hours, studying for an IFRS exam and writing a memo for a tax research class.  This is just a quick study-sabbatical. Anyway, here's the quote...

Who can tell me what this represents?

Get the answer, just around the corner...

going concern

buttermilk, cake flour, blueberry, pancakes. incredulous. somebody pinch me. this is a dream. i'm in breakfast heaven...

then suddenly, i read a comment from this precocious accounting student who wants to correct my financial statement from weeks ago. mr. chan, it seems you do have a point. here's his comment, posted just today:

I believe your breakfast is not being faithfully represented. It seems that you've expensed all of the costs in this one breakfast period. However, the griddle can be depreciated over its useful life of breakfasts. 

we affirm the previous comment and will capitalize the griddle expenditure to be depreciated over it's useful life. the $60 breakfast was actually a $35 breakfast.

- the staff at d&d would like to thank our loyal readers for their scrutiny and care

Oratorical Fireworks

I have to be honest, when they were first looking for a graduation speaker to represent the Class of 2003, they asked the smartest, most intelligent person that the University had to offer, one who had Rhodes Scholar Potential written all over him....and he turned them down.

So then they decided to ask the best looking, most attractive person in the student body who would be the poster boy for the University of Georgia with a gleaming smile and gorgeous face....and he turned them down as well.

Finally they just decided to ask the best all around student, one who could entertain a crowd of well over 30,000 people with his oratorical fireworks and irresistible charm....and I realized that if I were to turn them down 3 times in a row.....that would be pretty rude!

Introductory remarks of Garrett Gravesen

UGA Commencement Address, 2003


recycled post from 02/23/2008

Thoughts on Turgenev

Do you remember that obscure little Turgenev quote posted back in July? It's from On the Eve, written by Turgenev in 1859. I've excerpted a few paragraphs from the intro. It's a brilliant analysis. I have to confess that only after reading the intro did I resolve to read the book. Like most Russian novels, the character development in this book is astounding. But the theme is even more impacting. To me the entire book can be summarized in Shubin's humble question, "Will there ever be men among us?" Here's the introduction...

Midtown, ATL

Here's something I found on an old SD card today. It dates back to 2008. My camera had one of those shutter timers so I left it out on the balcony for a couple of days. You may recognize the buildings. One is the Fox Theater, which was formerly a mosque, and to the right is the Georgian Terrace Hotel. And just up the street is the Margaret Mitchell house (Gone with the Wind). I can't remember the intervals used to shoot this. Anyway, at the end are some random shots that somehow got mixed into the photo sequence. May have been from a thunderstorm. Enjoy.

Ministry Excerpt: Rivers of Living Water

Life and truth have one goal – the abundance of life. “I have come that they may have life and may have it abundantly” (John 10:10). In order to have the abundance of life, we first must read the Bible to learn the doctrines in the Bible. Someone who does not read the Bible cannot be rich in life. Believers who read the Bible only when they feel inspired are spiritually starving; such ones cannot have the abundance of life. However, to read the Bible does not automatically cause us to have the abundance of life. We still need the doctrines to become truth to us. For this reason, the New Testament encourages us not mainly to know doctrines but to fully know and walk in the truth. The apostle John loved the saints in truthfulness (2 John 1; 3 John 1). Because the Christian life is a matter of truth, Christian love must also be a matter of truth. If we do not possess the truth and walk n the truth, we cannot love others in truthfulness. It is possible to love others in darkness, but when we know the truth and walk in the truth, we love the truth and walk in the light.

The main point we need to see is the way to turn doctrines to life, or put in other words, the way to have the abundance of life. John 7:38 says, “He who believes into Me, as the Scripture said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.” The rivers of living water are different aspects of life, including love, patience, humility, and all the riches of Christ, but we need to see how to practice this, how to cause these aspects of life to flow out of us. These rivers of life flow out through the truth. Actually, ever river is a truth. If we do not speak, nothing can flow out. In order to speak, we must know the doctrines and possess the truth. We cannot speak concerning Christ as love or patience if we have no knowledge of the truth concerning the riches of Christ. In order for the riches of Christ to flow out of us as rivers of living water, we must have and speak the truth.

The way to have the abundance of life and to flow out the riches of life is the way of the truth. We first need to know the doctrines. Then as we are open to the Lord and pray much, the Spirit will come to enlighten the doctrines, and they will become truth, which brings light and life. The more truth we have, the more riches of Christ as life we enjoy. Eventually, we will have the abundance of life. The abundance of life is altogether in the truth. When we release the truth by speaking, that is the flowing out of the riches of life. In order to minister life to others, we must speak, and in order to speak, we must read the Bible and study the truth to learn the doctrines. Without the doctrines we cannot have the truth, and without the truth there is no light or life.

The truth is altogether a matter of speaking. Our God is a speaking God. Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “God, having spoken of old in many portions and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets, has at the last of these days spoken to us in the Son.” God’s speaking is first conveyed to us in the form of doctrines, which become the truth to us through the Spirit’s enlightening. The truth is the shining of light, which brings us life. This means that in order to have the abundance of life, we must know the truth.

(Witness Lee Basic Principles Concerning the Eldership, 108-109)

Quote of the Week

"If God leads you to walk a way that you know, it will not benefit you as much as if He would lead you to take the way that you do not know. This forces you to have hundreds and thousands of conversations with Him, resulting in a journey that is an everlasting memorial between you and Him."

- Watchman Nee

Down to Business (pt.4)

This is nothing groundbreaking, but I wanted to post some thoughts on interviews. Feel free to chime in if you have any comments. If you're getting ready for recruiting events, fancy dinners, or a formal interviews, remember that preparation makes a huge difference! The ability to communicate cohesively "who you are, where you've been, where you are going, etc." is extremely valuable. And you'll need some time to reflect, synthesize, and even calculate what terminology you want to use.

This can be complicated, especially if you're making that "transitory" descent after a life-changing two-year, non-profit, faith-based, not-always-but-often-hyphenated, rotational leadership development program in southern California. Okay, let's face it. There is nothing even quasi-intellectual about the content of this post (or anything posted on blog for that matter). In fact, you're probably laughing at me right now.

But anyway, just keep in mind...

Amen or Amen?

"If we speak the truths of Bible to the young people, just as Paul spoke the truth, and tell them that the Triune God desires to dispense Himself into the tripartite man, I believe that their eyes will be opened. If we can speak logically and clearly, we will bring the heavens to the earth and the earth into the heavens, and they will be moved."

(Witness Lee, Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord's Recovery, Book 3: The Future of the Lord's Recovery and the Building Up of the Organic Service)

My $60 Breakfast

I'm rededicating my life to quality beginnings: power breakfasts, morning revival, showers, and coffee. But these things don't come cheap. This week we're dabbling into quality pancake recipes. I'm parting ways with instant pancake mix, and crossing the Rubicon into the boundless possibilities that exist in the made-from-scratch arena. 

Our verse for the week is John 20:12. It's divine and human, and very mystical...

"Jesus said to them, Come and have breakfast...."

So this is Biblical. And it's only for your sake this week that I'm testing out the Pioneer Woman's  Perfect Pancakes. She uses cake flour, and vanilla extract (don't look at the price when you buy it; just close your eyes, grit your teeth, and then call on the Lord). And I have been coveting that electric griddle for a couple of weeks now. It's durable so I think I'll capitalize the things rather let it hit an expense account. Pretty spiffy.

Stay tuned. 

Photo of the Week

Productivity central. It's my corner of the study room in the Athens "brohouse." Not pictured: french press, bowl of cold cereal, and my acoustic guitar, which sits against the wall to my left. Quite tidy eh? Well it was staged. I angled the pen so it would look natural though. 

Trade Law Review

"Open trade is not just an economic opportunity; it is a moral imperative"

 - George W. Bush (2001)

Has open trade enhanced global security? Robert Zoellick makes some interesting points in his case for open trade, see here. 

The history of US trade agreements traces back to the Smoot-Hawley Tarriff Act of 1930, but was impacted in 1934 by the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act, signed by President Roosevelt. This gave the president authority to lower tariffs with the incentive for reciprocity. These tariff concessions were also adjusted later by the Trade Reform Act of 1974 by Nixon, and the Trade and Tariff Act, among many others...

Euro Woes

UBS posted a gloomy report on the future utility of the euro. I bookmarked it to read later, but you can check out the ZeroHedge review here. The article is titled "Bring Out Your Dead - UBS Quantifies Costs Of Euro Break Up, Warns Of Collapse Of Banking System And Civil War." The report seems somewhat vindicated by the Swiss National Bank decision to structure its currency relative to the suffering euro. 

this paragraph is about to get picked apart...

Plaintiffs assert claims for aiding and abetting violations of the law of nations against defendants—all of which are corporations—under the Alien Tort Statute ("ATS"), 28 U.S.C. § 1350, a statute enacted by the first Congress as part of the Judiciary Act of 1789. We hold, under the precedents of the Supreme Court and our own Court over the past three decades, that in ATS suits alleging violations of customary international law, the scope of liability—who is liable for what—is determined by customary international law itself.  Because customary international law consists of only those norms that are specific, universal, and obligatory in the relations of States inter se, and because no corporation has ever been subject to any form of liability (whether civil or criminal) under the customary international law of human rights, we hold that corporate liability is not a discernable—much less universally recognized—norm of customary international law that we may apply pursuant to the ATS.  Accordingly, plaintiffs' ATS claims must be dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. 

 Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co., 621 F.3d 111 (2d Cir. 2010),

word of the week

epigrammatic

adjective

1.  of or like an epigram;  terse and ingenious in expression.

2.  containing or favoring the use of epigrams.

ep·i·gram

1.  any witty, ingenious, or pointed saying tersely expressed.

2.  epigrammatic  expression: Oscar Wilde had a genius for epigram.

3.  a short, often satirical poem dealing concisely with a single subject and usually ending with a witty or ingenious turn of thought.

The Real Keynesian Economics

Today I was considering that famous quote from John Maynard Keynes. He essentially complains that economists are always concerned with the long run effect of economic principles. Keynes then reminds us that "in the long run, we're all dead." Go look up the quote yourself; I don't trust my own memory very well.

This is the condition of fallen mankind. Without God, our long-term prospects are pretty grim. Despite our varied, insignificant, short-term success, in the long-run it all goes to zero. It turns out that for us the long-run is drastically significant.

Perhaps Keynes had been reading Ecclesiastes. If so, he would have been impressed with verse 11 in chapter 3. It says that there is something within man that longs for something eternal. And the proper interpretation of Eccl. 3:11 is found in 2 Cor 4:18. This is the eternal character of our Christian life:

"We do not regard the things which are seen but the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Selah.

Sent from my iPhone

foods for thought

What kind of lunch can you prepare for 2 dollars? That's the name of the game this week. Tonight I tossed a Stouffer's frozen lasagna in the oven; it was huge. And also heated up a can of corn on the stove. That's my lunch for tomorrow. It's all part of a renewed endeavor/experiment with preparing food in bulk and then parsing it out throughout the week(s). The lasagna ($12) claims to serve twelve, but I'll be happy with 10 servings. That's lasagna M-F for two weeks!

It's not the best lasagna ever, which was documented back in 2008, but it should do the trick...

Photo of the Week

This just came in today. My personal copy of the tax code, all 15lbs of it. Below is the textbook for business law.

study spot of the week

the annex of the law school library

how to choose between studying and serving

Well there's not much to say, except that these paragraphs really supplied me today. One week into grad school; it's already pretty rigorous. There's a lot more pressure than I expected. So this afternoon I dropped into the sofa and was considering how to allocate my time between recruiting events, classes, meetings, etc. But I was reminded of this chapter, and reading it again it was very helpful to me. There was something like Isaiah 40 taking place. Anyway, I don't usually post large block quotes, but I couldn't let this one escape. Please enjoy...

All Music Considered

It's pretty obvious that this blog is similar to the book of Psalms, which captured many of the "natural sentiments" of the psalmists. And that may just be a flattering way of saying, well, I'm really stuck on this new song by R.E.M. (They're from Athens). A preview was featured by NPR's All Things Considered. As Bob Boilen would say, take a listen...

Today in MAcc (pt.1)

This web log was originally created as a repository for trivial and insignificant things that I stumble upon. So in keeping with that principle, I'm going to start throwing up things that I am covering in class. This may help me recall important code topics down the road.


In corp tax we covered the control requirements under §351 for deferring losses and gains upon incorporation. There are three important factors that come into play when you want to defer the loss or gain. Here's an overview:

Okay, I can't resist....

[No comment necessary]

Art of the Week

This portrait is a memorial to the friendly birds of Ladera Ranch, CA. In particular, the birds that attacked me as I was walking into Starbucks. The story is to graphic for me to recount in it's entirety; psychological damages are still being assessed. 

Special thanks to the artist, the commissioner, and agent who worked tediously to produce this sketch.

Warren Buffet on Tax Policy

This week the WSJ reports on Warren Buffet's tax policy recommendations. And there has been a flurry of response; nearly 1600 comments following the post. His proposals are well-intended but untenable, and if you can follow the article you'll have some talking points for that upcoming cocktail party. Enjoy...

quote from jane eyre

Maybe my aunt's house is boring, but she just sat there on the sofa, moping about and complaining. I couldn't help but think about that paragraph in Jane Eyre. It's one of those paragraphs that jumps out and slaps you in the face, and this was the perfect opportunity...

Georgiana, when not unburdening her heart to me, spent most of her time in lying on the sofa, fretting about the dulness of the house, and wishing over and over again that her aunt Gibson would send her an invitation up to town...One day, however, as she put away her account-book and unfolded her embroidery, she suddenly took her up thus -

"Georgiana, a more vain and absurd animal than you was certainly never allowed to cumber the earth. You had no right to be born, for you make no use of life. Instead of living for, in, and with yourself, as a reasonable being ought, you seek only to fasten your feebleness on some other person's strength: if no one can be found willing to burden her or himself with such a fat, weak, puffy, useless thing, you cry out that you are ill-treated, neglected, miserable. Then, too, existence for you must be a scene of continual change and excitement, or else the world is a dungeon: you must be admired, you must be courted, you must be flattered - you must have music, dancing, and society - or you languish, you die away..."

I read it slowly, letting each word drop carefully like a well placed arrow. She promptly left the sofa and quickly became occupied with something more meaningful. 


Today is my sister's birthday. Happy birthday Sarah!

Only White Rice!

Sam, this is kind of sobering don't you think? 

In 1949 when I began the work in Taiwan, many Sunday churchgoers came into our midst to “worship.” At that time there were not many who came for the gospel; many came only to attend the “worship.” At a certain point, I had a feeling before the Lord that I needed to speak a strong word to them. Therefore, I said, “In our service to the Lord, we have no intention of developing into something big, nor do we want to limit the work of the Holy Spirit. Anyone who comes here to meet with us must have a heart that seeks only the Lord. In the way of illustration, we do not serve steamed buns or dumplings; we serve only white rice. When you come here, you must know what you want to eat. If you want to eat dumplings, there are dumpling stores elsewhere. If you want to eat steamed buns, there are places offering steamed buns elsewhere. Here, we have only white rice. If you have come here for steamed buns or dumplings, you have come to the wrong place.” The building of the church is not accomplished by attracting people in a natural way but by consecration. If we serve the Lord in various places but are unable to present the Lord’s loveliness, glory, and honor in order to gain their hearts for Him so that they follow Him willingly, then our work is in vain. (Witness Lee, Three Aspects of the Church: Book 1, The Meaning of the Church.)

Down to Business (pt.3)

In this edition I want to highlight some points that were recently addressed in the Harvard Business Review. With a typical issue of HBR you get an array of topics. The OnPoint editions are focused on a particular subject, somewhat like a crystallization study. This issue can be located here. Anyway, after two awesome years in Anaheim with FTTA, I'm a little intimidated by the thought of returning to the business scene. Maybe you can relate. Here are some things I found insightful...

Down to Business (pt.2)

It was a Sunday evening in the FTTA, and I was sifting through a stack of periodicals at Barnes & Noble. One article in the Harvard Business Review (HBR) caught my eye. Each year a panel selects the top articles from HBR and these become the Annual McKinsey Award Winners. So I was curious which article the McKinsey & Company panel had selected. Turns out the top article for 2010 is "How Will You Measure Your Life" by Clayton M. Christensen; it came from a speech given by Christensen to the 2010 graduating class at Harvard Business School. I want to highlight and apply a couple of excerpts, but you can view the full article here. 

Clayton M. Christensen is a distinguished professor at Harvard Business School, and if you read the above links you may appreciate this article more. But what really impressed me was the testimony of his experience as a student:

For me, having a clear purpose in my life has been essential. But it was something I had to think long and hard about before I understood it. When I was a Rhodes scholar, I was in a very demanding academic program, trying to cram an extra yearʼs worth of work into my time at Oxford. I decided to spend an hour every night reading, thinking, and praying about why God put me on this earth. That was a very challenging commitment to keep, because every hour I spent doing that, I wasnʼt studying applied econometrics. I was conflicted about whether I could really afford to take that time away from my studies, but I stuck with it—and ultimately figured out the purpose of my life.

Because I was raised in a Christian home and in college became very active student with the Christian Students club at UGA, this story touched me very much. How many college students spend an hour each day to muse upon the Word and consider the meaning of our human life? Do you allocate an hour each day to such a cause? Are you a Rhodes scholar at Oxford? That's probably more difficult than my upcoming semester in graduate school. Yet Christensen was able to allocate an hour each day to something he believed in. Later in the article there is a subheading that says "Choose the right yardstick." Here he expounds:

This past year I was diagnosed with cancer and faced the possibility that my life would end sooner than Iʼd planned. Thankfully, it now looks as if Iʼll be spared. But the experience has given me important insight into my life. 

I have a pretty clear idea of how my ideas have generated enormous revenue for companies that have used my research; I know Iʼve had a substantial impact. But as Iʼve confronted this disease, itʼs been interesting to see how unimportant that impact is to me now. Iʼve concluded that the metric by which God will assess my life isnʼt dollars but the individual people whose lives Iʼve touched.

I think thatʼs the way it will work for us all. Donʼt worry about the level of individual prominence you have achieved; worry about the individuals you have helped become better people. This is my final recommendation: Think about the metric by which your life will be judged, and make a resolution to live every day so that in the end, your life will be judged a success

If we consider today what yardstick we want to be measured by, we may determine that what really matters is not how people judge us, but how much of what we do has eternal value in God's eyes (take a look at 1 Corinthians 4:1-5). This really touches me, and as I head back to school want my time be allocated according to the highest meaning in the universe. I hope many of us would take this pattern and dedicate some time, even an hour each day, to dive into the Bible and get with other Christian students to explore the meaning of our human existence. 

And to me this is what ties these two excerpts together. If we are faithful to know God and through the Bible come to know the purpose of our life, automatically the lives of people around us will be changed. So tonight I want to challenge you with the same question: How will you measure your life? 

Down to Business (pt. 1)

This is the kickoff post for an exciting new series that will document my journey to graduate school, with highlights from my adventures in the accounting realm, plus anything else that tickles my toes. Here we'll address all the exciting functions of debits and credits, but also cover more generally the student/working life with all of its complications. Stay tuned...


We know that a subscription to the WSJ is a must have for any B-school student. But here's something you may not know about: CFO Magazine. This is quality reading for any aspiring accountant, or business student for that matter. I've been scanning the pages of CFO magazine since my undergrad days at UGA. You'll gain some solid, behind-the-scenes exposure to the business decisions that are shaping the landscape of our country.

Quick example. Do you know of a Morris Trust tax transaction? How about a Reverse Morris Trust (RMT)? If you are going into tax you need to know this, and you can read about it here. And take a look at the six cardinal rules of resume writing, compliments of Wendy Enelow.

Cheers.

Word of the Week

Just dug this up from an old post from 2008. The word is "fustian." It could be considered a synonym for pretentious, but more in reference to one's writing or speech. Enjoy...


Fustian
–noun

1.

a stout fabric of cotton and flax.

2.

a fabric of stout twilled cotton or of cotton and low-qualitywool, with a short nap or pile.

3.

inflated or turgid language in writing or speaking: Fustiancan't disguise the author's meager plot.

Actually, this word reminds me of the quote about the rhetoric of Warren G. Harding. It was said that a typical speech by Harding was like "an army of pompous phrases moving over the landscape in search of an idea."