daniel troy carmichael

Lifting My Hands In Worship: 22 Years Later

Lifting hands in worship is quite traditional, dating back over 3000 years. Of course, in recent years, this "traditional" form of worship has been newly labeled "contemporary".

 

As mentioned earlier, a lot has been going on in my life. One outcome of the past 120 days is that, after 22 years of being saved, I have finally become free enough to lift my hands in worship. For those of you who know me well, that's a big statement. For the rest of you, it may be "ho hum", and reasonably so.

Anyway, I grew up in church as a frozen chosen and then, when I became a for-real Christian at age 17 on July 8, 1986, it was only a few weeks before God threw me headlong into a charismaniac--I mean charismatic--church. Praying in tongues followed somewhere over the next two or three years. The problem was, though, my theology was irreconcilable with a lot of my experiences. For 16 years I was a reluctant charismatic: I wanted God to be in the nice little box of my theological worldview; He just wouldn't stay there.

Being a reluctant charismatic is like sitting naked on a picket fence: either way you lean, you're still uncomfortable. You feel uneasy in both charisphobic and charismaniac churches. Why? Because one is incompatible with your logic, the other with your spirit. Music is too loud at one or music is too irrelevant at the other. Sermons are meaningless at one or, at the other, too...real? Hurumph! Eventually, nearly 7 years ago, I finally got my theology corrected--but still wear earplugs to church!

Anyhoo, to make a much longer story short, I've never been comfortable raising my hands. Not because I didn't want to, but there was not the emotional freedom within me to do so: something inside me was broken, like an old music box that winds but no longer plays. I knew there was to be a time in the future God would set me free to where raising my hands would be a natural expression of my worship and abandonment to Him. So I waited. And waited. And longed. And desired. Almost 22 years I waited, never knowing for sure if it would happen. Just unwilling to force something that wasn't genuine, that was contrived.

The nutshell is that, a little over a month ago, because of the stuff I have been going through, I received that freedom from God and now abandon myself to worship. Kind of interesting for a logical, non-emotive guy like me. Imagine that!

"In God We Trust"

"Our money says, 'In God We Trust' / But it's against the law to pray in school" Lyrics from The Great American Novel by Larry Norman

 

If you've been reading my blog the last few months (thanks to the two of you including me who do <grin>), you can tell that life has been...different...for me these last few months. Not that I'm ready to share about it but, of the many things I have been thinking about and pondering, one is, "Who am I trusting?"

When Ashley and I were married, we had two things inscribed inside each of our wedding bands: Our marriage date and a name of God. I chose for my ring, "Jehovah Jireh". Of course, this means "God Provides", and it was something I wanted at the core of our marriage. And I thought it was. But.

In the Hound of Heaven's pursuit of us (i.e. God's pursuit of us), He is relentless. He answers our prayers for intimacy with him. Sometimes those prayers take us places that in the flesh we do not want to go. Ouch.

For many years, I believed I trusted God. But I realize now that, in fact, I was trusting a bank account or my own abilities to provide for me. Yes, I knew intellectually that God gave me my skills and talents and the ability to create wealth, and in my own way I thought I trusted Him. But the issue in my heart is that there were idols of self-trust, comfort, and convenience. Idols worshiped in my heart. Idols that God, in His goodness, refuses any longer to permit in my heart.

Abundance has an affect on us in that it seemingly becomes easier to trust in things to provide for us, instead of God. It is so easy, with money in the bank, to trust in it, or an inheritance, or a government....ANYTHING but God! And that's where the rub is.

Friend, in an instant our national financial world could turn upside down. Crude could go to $300 a barrel, gasoline to $10 per gallon. A pandemic or terrorist act could kill large portions of our society. Earthquakes, meteors, and so many other things could make it to where the "normal" world we live in is suddenly broken. Or you could lose a job, become physically disabled. Who are you going to trust when the things you trust in are no longer there? It is important that our money reminds us to trust in God because he is the Almighty, not the dollar.

I am not there--yet--but I hope to soon be to the point where, like Paul, I can be content in no matter what situation God places me in. Then, when all is shaken, looking to my Jehovah Jireh, my Provider, I can peacefully say and believe, "In God I Trust".

May at a Glance: Photos

I hope to write soon about the past 90 days of my life; until then, enjoy this latest installment of "Month at a Glance"....

Most of the month of May can be summed up by "Birthday Parties, End of School, the Out-of-Doors"....

  

Daniel's Birthday Party

Only two of our six family members have school-year birthdays (Ashley and Lauren Claire). The rest of us are June, July, and August. Sooooo, for the little ones, we did end-of-school-year birthday parties. Daniel's theme at the Overton Park was cars.

 

 

Daniel and one of his two birthday cakes (he had another one that Ashley made with the number "5" on it).

 

 

 

The birthday table.

 

 

 

Gracie's Birthday Party

Daniel's party was on the 14th, four days later we had Grace's at the roller skating rink....

 

Gracie blowing out her candles for her 9th Birthday.

 

 

 

Gracie opening some of her presents.

 

 

Grace's Piano Recital

End of the year, we went to Gracie's recital....

 

Playing the piano....

 

 

 

Teacher Kara Jackson with Gracie and Daniel.

 

 

Some Other Things

  

Gracie and two of her schoolmates were on a project together. They did all the research and made all of this in class.

 

 

Do you remember the deer I killed last January? (click here for the story of Buck) Well, here are the closing pictures relating to that:

 

Back in February, we started eating venison around the house. My first time with deerburgers, though, I put a bit too much cumin in.

 

 

 

Well, anyway, just before the Memorial Day weekend, I picked up the mounted deer. I just need a place to hang it now, especially with the house move coming up soon. I felt like a real redneck the day I picked it up: we were cash-short for the week (having over the previous three days bought three suits, 8 tires, two alignments, new brakes, and an oil job) but, when the taxidermist calls, you go running to pick the thing up. Nothing like this ever happened to me in California.

 

 

 

Memorial Day Weekend, Peavine Falls

I love the American soldier. There is no better warrior that has ever walked the Earth. I was pleased to hear that my good friend Joe P made Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force that weekend. That Saturday, I took my family out to Oak Mountain and Peavine Falls.

My outer two women (eldest and youngest) trekking down to the falls.

 

 

Daniel loves wearing my do-rags (spelling???). Is he a pirate, blood, or boy? (boy--pirates have tattoos and his skin is too light to be fighting the crips).

 

 

 

Down at the falls, the inner-two girls (LC and Elizabeth) climb underneath.

 

 

 

Gracie playing barefoot in the water.

 

 

 

Beach Trip

Learning I was going to start a job the following week, Memorial Day Ashley found a great, relatively inexpensive condo on the beach. Her sister Carol and mom joined us for a day or two. On our way back, we stopped by my friend Joe P and his family but, alas, have no pictures of that.

 

 

Lauren Claire at the beach she loves.

 

 

 

Elizabeth enjoying the sand.

 

 

 

The Queen looking on....

 

 

 

What is it?

 

 

 

Daniel and cousin Joshua love finding the animals in the June grass!

 

 

 

I borrowed a sea kayak to see what I thought (ok, glad I did not rent one, won't be buying one).

 

 

 

And the next day spent some time on a Hobie Bravo I borrowed (liked that, would like one or maybe even the Hobie Wave).

 

 

 

Elizabeth and Grandma.

 

 

 

Ashley and Carol.

 

 

 

Daniel taking a break with Katie and Erin.

 

 The June Grass came early to this beach this year, our last full day. You can see what LC thinks but, of course, Daniel loved it for all the animals he found.

 

 

Elizabeth wanted to try my snorkel gear out.

 

 

 

And, stereotypical Daniel in the bucket of animals he collected.

 

 

Well, that's it for this month in pictures! I hope you enjoyed it!!