My Essay

I made application to UT Dallas over this last weekend. I applied to graduate school to obtain a masters degree in accounting and intend to also satisfy the requirements to take the CPA exam. A requirement for admission to grad school is to write a one page essay outlining my academic goals and interests.

Here is what I wrote:

“If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it’s yours forever. If it doesn’t, then it was never meant to be.” Anonymous

When does forever start? How much time elapses between the “letting go” and the “coming back”? For me and my dream of becoming a Certified Public Accountant, forever is getting closer. Just when I thought it was never meant to be, along came renewed hope that perhaps it just might become a reality.

At age 18, I knew I loved mathematics and analyzing numbers and helping other people understand how numbers fit together. I did not know what career choice or college major would be the best way for me to use those talents. Therefore, I majored in Mathematics and, upon the advice of my parents, completed the requirements to teach secondary students. Before long, young and in love, my goals transitioned to marriage and children. Education and career faded into the background of my life and family responsibilities took center stage.

Some bookkeeping duties with a local retail store and an awareness of the responsibilities of a certified public accountant drew me into consideration of going back to school in 1988 to explore the possibilities of a new degree, this time in accounting. My dream was identified at this point in my life. I completed a basic accounting class at the local community college via distance learning, earning an A, and igniting the flame of desire for continued studies in the field. However, my sons were 5, 2, and newborn and their needs were so much more pressing and important. I let my dream go!!

Nine years later, in November 1997, my children’s needs were becoming more and more financial and less “hands on”, therefore, I entered the work force. I found myself employed as an administrative assistant’s assistant at a local accounting firm. My duties consisted of shredding paper, filing, copying, and recording the professionals’ time in software for time and billing purposes. Although my duties were not that glamorous; I was happy to be working in an accounting office and found myself eager to learn any new task that anyone would teach me. Fortunately, this firm fostered the ideals of on-the-job training and the professionals in the firm began satisfying my appetite for learning new things and continually challenged me to attempt more and more difficult projects.

Currently, my job responsibilities at that same accounting firm include preparation of more complex tax returns and financial statements, supervision of other staff members, detail review of tax returns and financial statements, consultation meetings with new business owners, and signing partnership, corporate, and individual tax returns. I am so blessed to experience many of the benefits of a CPA without actually having my license. My “something loved and let go” is coming back!

My sons are now 25, 22, and 20 years old. It’s time for “forever” to begin. It’s time for me to pursue a degree in accounting and to earn the professional designation of Certified Public Accountant. It is my desire to enroll at University of Texas at Dallas with the purpose of obtaining a Masters of Science in Accounting and Information Systems and completing other educational requirements for taking the CPA examination as set forth by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy.

GGG Week 1 Day 3

This day's study was a preview of God's Holiness and God's Awesomeness.

I look forward to the study on the holiness of God because I need to see my own uncleanness in comparison to His holiness. Only after I really see my own need for HIM will I be able to accept His cleansing. I want to be truly touched by God and cleaned thoroughly.


I look forward to the study on God's Awesomeness so that I will "right size" God. If God is truly "right sized" then nothing else in my life will be too big or too difficult to handle. Getting a true perspective on God will help me put everything else into perspective.

Lord, grip me with your holiness and awesomeness!!

GGG Week 1 Day 2

Okay, I'm catching up on my homework the day before class.

Psalm 48:1 "Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised. In the city of our God, His holy mountain."


Today's lesson was more factual in nature. He lets us know that the process we will go through during this study will involve our mind, emotions, and will. We will obtain knowledge of God and experience Him with our emotions, and if we are truly "gripped" make choices with our will that make changes in our behavior.

The activity suggests that we reflect upon a time when we were gripped by God. When I read that statement the first thought was about the time I taught a hands on science class to K-5 kids who were homeschooled through their coop. I know this seems like an unlikely event to "grip" someone. I'll never forget the day when I was in a meeting with other moms evaluating the results to a poll of the group regarding what classes were desired as we started an enrichment program. We were aware of many of the abilities and interests of those likely to be filling teaching positions. I had volunteered to teach higher level math class as that is what my college degree says I'm qualified to teach. But NO ONE wanted higher level math classes. And there was lots of interest in a hands on science class for younger children. All of a sudden, I heard myself say, "I can do that!" The meeting continued and schedules were created including science classes for K-2nd grade and 3rd through 5th grades to be taught by ME!

Later, as reality loomed large, I kept thinking, "What have I gotten myself into?" However, I believed that somehow this was of God and that He wanted me teaching that class. I found myself thinking about what I would teach and just how to get started in most of my free time. Then one day out of the blue, God supplied the outline for the entire year of classes. I grabbed paper and pencil and wrote it all down in about 30 minutes. I was so excited! I felt so certain that He had given this to me.

As the year progressed He provided me with ideas and information and supplies in such a variety of ways I was overwhelmed with how important it was for me to see Him provide. Did I have some responsibility in all of this? Most definitely. I worked very diligently. But if I ever thought it was me doing the class, the ideas disappeared. This year became a very real spiritual journey teaching me dependency on HIM. I learned to pray for direction on every aspect of this class. I realized that anything good was from God almighty.

The culminating event came near the end of the class when we were supposed to study the life cycle of an amphibian. I wanted to show the students as many of the stages of development as possible, but how could I possibly arrange this? I couldn't, but the Almighty God of the University, the creator of all things could! A week prior to the scheduled class, my sons found some tadpoles. Great!! But then during the week, I watched in awe as these tadpoles transformed at different rates such that there were about 3 different stages represented. Then the day before the class, I was offered a full grown toad to take to class. I couldn't believe how God provided all except the egg stage of development at just the right time. Keep in mind the topic of this specific date had been given to me about 6 months previously in the overall year's outline.

I have identified this year and this class as one of the significant events in my spiritual journey. As silly as it all sounds, I saw God provide in fantastic ways. The lasting lesson I learned during that time is that God does care about the little things. He cares about kids and tadpoles. He cares about ME!! I learned that I can do nothing apart from God. I learn to depend upon Him for all that I need.

God, please GRIP me again!! Let me see YOUR greatness!!

GGG (Gripped by the Greatness of God) Week 1 Day 1

Isaiah 6:1-7 (New International Version)

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

When Isaiah really sees God, he is overwhelmed with his own sinfulness. I realize that it seems to be human nature for us to focus on our own imperfections in a particular area when we are in the presence of someone else that excels in that area. For example: my own physical defects and imperfections seem worse when I am with a really attractive woman. I see my own "ugliness" in light of her "beauty." If I interact with someone who exhibits a really positive attitude, I am keenly aware of my tendency to focus on the negatives. Working with an extremely intelligent person or someone with a lot of knowledge in a field that I have little knowledge seems to point out my lack of intelligence or knowledge in that area. However, the truth remains that no one individual is perfect or has "it all put together" in all areas. Each one (including me) has areas of strength and areas of weakness. God cautions us against comparing ourselves to others because this clouds our ability to see ourselves as we really are.

God does have absolute perfection in every way. Therefore, when we are in HIS presence, all of our own failures and sinfulness and imperfections scream at us. Our rightful response is a humble acknowledgment of our sinfulness and our state of being completely UNDONE! When we see ourselves in light of God's Greatness, there is absolutely no room for pride or arrogance.

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

How beautiful this verse is!!! Wow!!!

When we recognize our "undoneness," God TOUCHES us and makes us clean!! So simple and yet so profound!

Lord, Open my eyes to see your Holiness and my sinfulness. Touch me and clean me!!

Gripped by the Greatness of God--Intro

Our Sunday evening small group started a new study by James MacDonald named, "Gripped by the Greatness of God." I'm looking forward to being truly "Gripped" by God. I want to fully comprehend God's GREATNESS!!!

This study invites the participants to really experience GOD!!

I'm looking forward to this and hope to write additional posts sharing the new insights from this experience.

Coming Back!

Well, it's been 4 months since I've posted anything to my blog. So much has happened and yet it seems that it was just yesterday. Tax season came with a fury and hung on tight. It was a challenging season for me largely due to my new role as a reviewer. The most challenging part was balancing the various responsibilities. I continuously had to adjust my focus to the current tasks at hand. I struggled to know which project was the highest priority. I continue to face that even today.

I worked more during tax season than I ever have before. I maintained a positive attitude for most of the year with minimal times of negativity or feeling overwhelmed. However, I have found that I have struggled more since April 15 than I remember in past years. I have felt like I've really been in the valley this past 5 or 6 weeks. I have been torn in so many directions lately with work, home, family, Garry's seminars, and the list goes on. My number 1 priority for this long weekend is find some balance and to gain some organization in my inmost being as well in my day to day life and responsibilities.

I recognize that I have not done a good job maintaining my relationship with God over the last several weeks and months, and I long to reconnect with Him in that deeply personal relationship. I think blogging can help with that, so I feel that coming back to my blog is a physical evidence as well as a tool in me coming back to a close personal relationship with God.

Isaiah 44:21 (The Message)

21-22"Remember these things, O Jacob.
Take it seriously, Israel, that you're my servant.
I made you, shaped you: You're my servant.
O Israel, I'll never forget you.
I've wiped the slate of all your wrongdoings.
There's nothing left of your sins.
Come back to me, come back.
I've redeemed you."

God, I repent and accept your forgiveness! Thank you for your REDEEMING LOVE!!