Tuesday, June 13, 2006

life is a test; life is a trust; life is a temporary assignment

In my experience the major problem people have -- the problem that stands most stubbornly between them and a good and satisfying life -- isn't that they're wicked. Usually the Big Barrier is that they're totally disorganized. They flounder around, getting nowhere, and the years go by, and they panic. This book, even when the reader doesn't always agree with the religious doctrine presented, will go a long way toward fixing that. It will put a floor under the flounderer.


By Ozarque talking about a book she wasn't going to recommend, but does, I think, in part, because of this: "three choices from the Bible -- life is a test; life is a trust; life is a temporary assignment -- and to discuss each one."

She also provides a link to a counterpoint. Guess I'll read the book, after I think about the metaphor.

But what do you think: is
life a test; is life a trust; is life a temporary assignment? I'd love to hear, to read, to touch what you think life is. Comments are open.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think life is a journey.

I stumbled on your blog while doing research on the Shangri La Diet. While I am quite familiar with the grief of losing a spouse, I cannot imagine the grief that you and your wife have experienced with the loss of your children. Yet here you are, continuing on your journey, and helping others along the way.

Your words are inspiring.

annegb said...

I don't think life is a test, Stephen, I think we already passed the test.

I think we're here to learn and get a body. If we learn well, we get to go to a better heaven. But I think we still learn, grow and progress up there, too.

The test part could be like I'm supposed to learn to be nicer. So I get lots of tries and retests, small quizzes, but mostly I'm learning, not being scored. Does that make sense?

I know I've said this before, but I'm going to the heaven without eternal families, but with hot tubs, massages, and color TV's.

I don't get the deal with that name you refer to Quatsocoquotal or something. What is that?

Stephen said...

Ah, you mean Ozarque -- from the Ozarks, only feminine -- it is Suzette Haden Elgin's sig, like yours is annegb. She wrote "The Gentle Art of Verbal Self Defense" and a number of other books.

She writes some pretty neat stuff. If you click on the name you will get to her blog.

Or, you can go to ozarque.com for some other material she has on-line.

Anonymous said...

I actually got the book from the library when it first came out. I didn't like the book and therefore didn't finish it, and as a result, did not see the quote "life is a test; life is a trust; life is a temporary assignment".

I can understand, and partly agree, that life is a test and a temporary assignment. We are here to experience life. How we do it, whether we've achieved our original intention, may be called a test. I don't understand why life is a trust...