I've had my 'memory ring' on my left pointer finger for most of the last week.  It has reminded me of some heavy pondering and deep thoughts about life and myself and all that that entails.  I finally changed it back last night, but then I utilized it again for a thought that I had this morning that I want to record right not.  There is this phrase that we use to describe life: 'this life is a test'.  I have come to not like that phrase, or at least the way that we could define its meaning.  I believe that is totally wrong if we see our life's 'test' as a pass or fail kind of thing.  That idea is simply contrary to the gospel, yet we do sometimes allow it to creep in to our head.  I have come to see it as 'life is a testing'.  To me that means that it is a process of refining, of trial and error with learning and growing and becoming as the goal, not failing or being disqualified or eliminated.  God's love being the force behind and through this process would not allow that failing aspect to be a part of it.  Sure, we do fail, make mistakes (some serious mistakes), but we must come to know His purpose is to 'make' us, not 'break us'.  It does seem easy to adopt that 'pass or fail' idea, but any real study of the 'gospel of love' will dispel it as one of Satan's cleverest tools and most certainly not true.  That doesn't make 'life's testing' any easier.  It is not designed to be easy.  It is not designed to make us or break us.  But it is designed to get us back with Him as His children, tried and true.  He does most of the heavy lifting.  We do have to reach upwards and take His hand and cooperate in that process of being lifted up to what we were created to become.