CARVING OUT A NAME FOR MYSELF

By Chrissy Larson

I'm not sure if I ever explained the whole, "Cyberpsalmist" thing.

When I first took the Blog Writing Course that I so highly recommend, I was advised by my instructor to choose a name other than my own, that described me in some way. This is usually called a pen name or pseudonym. Considering the possibilities, I thought about the many hobbies I enjoy, such as sewing, scrap booking, camping, travel, movies . . . the list goes on and on.

Drawing a blank, I explored the friendly nicknames of my childhood, as well as not-so-nice sticks and stones names I was called. Still, nothing interesting came up.

After allowing a few days to let my mind ramble, I remembered a name that's followed me for quite some time. In my early years as a new christian, I always had a desire to express myself not only verbally, but musically. I would sit before the Lord (and still do) singing my little songs to Him. Some of them were for the moment and others stuck with me. Eventually, I became more involved, developing as a psalmist.

Don Corey Washington best describes a psalmist as "a sculptor who uses air as his medium instead of clay, metal, or stone. Music is his tool instead of a hammer and chisel. He 'sculpts' the air into an 'atmosphere' that directly corresponds to the moving of the Holy Spirit." The training for this is most unusual; there are no books or charts, practice hours are long and go generally into the wee hours of the morning; there is no recital and you play for an audience of One.

If Psalmist describes the "who" part of the name, then "Cyber" describes the "where." I realize that I am not able to convey one single musical note across the Internet, but my prayer is that the thoughts I pen will carry His tune and change the atmosphere of the World Wide Web.

If you had to give yourself a pen name, what would it be and why?

PUT ME TO THE TEST

by Chrissy Larson

I have a love/hate relationship with tests. They certainly serve a purpose, in that the results generally prove something to somebody.

Last week, I had eight vials of my precious blood go to a lab. A technician somewhere examined it, looking for stuff (in other words, I'm not sure what.) Because I am frequently involved in research projects, I may never learn the results, unless they are not good. In my case, no news is good news.

That same week, I had to administer a test or final exam to 14 high school students. Personally, it was less painful than giving blood, but some of them probably would have taken the needle instead. It was my way of testing their knowledge to see if they walked away with what I was pounding home, week after week. Napoleon Dynamite surely would agree with me in saying this class taught them "skills."

Next week, my younger children will have the opportunity to participate in year-end testing. Some folks prepare ahead by having their kids study or brush up with test prep booklets. I, on the other hand, send them in cold turkey, assuming that if they didn't learn it by now, it's too late. (Not to say that preparing is a bad thing; on the contrary.)

My kids asked me why they had to take tests and I think my answer shocked them. I explained the results were not for me, but for them; that their scores would be compared to other children their age on a national scale. I also told them I was NOT concerned about the results; their score did not matter to me as much as it should matter to them.

At that moment, their disposition changed from fear to freedom. I was not the mean taskmaster (looking for a reason to ground them for the entire summer) they thought I was. It was a new feeling for me, as the weight of this responsibility shifted from mine to theirs. This is not to say that I am fully responsible for their education . . . it's just that I want them to own it for themselves.

Jesus wants us to understand this concept too. James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way."(The Message)

There is liberty in facing the truth. When we avoid it, the chains of bondage grip us all the more. I suppose this is why James called testing a gift; he understood Jesus when He said, " And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

As I begin to fully understand God's motives, I am less likely to cower upon hearing Him call me to His exam room. I've come to learn the benefits and willingly utter, "Go ahead . . . put me to the test."

What do YOU think?