being part of the Body

These videos are from Sunday a week ago. We were having a special "I'm In" service, a recommitment to being actively involved at Pinedale, but more importantly committing to truly being an active part of the Body of Christ.

It was very powerful.

After a few testimonies of how God and the Body of Christ had worked in several people's lives, we gave our testimony as to how the Body of Christ has helped us through.

(These videos are long, so I would press play and then immediately press pause if they are lagging and talk amongst yourselves or surf elsewhere while they load and buffer. Then press play again.)

Oh yeah, please excuse the shakiness. At the beginning Bill (our preacher) asked Jonah's parents to stand up wherever we were (we were up in the balcony) so I put my camera down by my side (while still recording) while we stood. Sorry. (The rest of the shakiness I have no excuse for. I was just shaky.)

This one is the Cardboard Testimonies. I had seen online video of it from other churches, and loved it, but it is even more powerful when it's people you know and love personally.

The girl singing, Katelyn, also sang at Gabe's funeral. She gives me chills.

My good friend, Gina, who I have mentioned on the blog often (owns the diner with the good chicken stew, was the ring leader in decorating the basement, organized meals for us, helps with dressing change, got drinks donated to Jonah's party etc.) is the one who was healed from stage three cancer and does an "oh yeah" dance when she flips her card. I love her. :)

This is the song we sang directly after the Cardboard Testimonies. It's Chris Tomlin's version of Amazing Grace. I recorded it because this is one of the two songs I sang for Jonah ALL of the time during our long days in the NICU. I thought it was divinely fitting that it was the song that followed the testimonies. I'm sure others would say the same.

The woman singing at the beginning is Aimee. She also has an AMAZING voice. She is the one we were planning on keeping Jonah before we knew he was going to have so many special needs. She still helps me with dressing change every other Monday, and is one of the many women at Church who have been a huge support and saving grace to me.

I know I can't do justice to the service by just posting these few videos, but I hope, if nothing else, it makes you realize (if you don't already know) the power of being part of the Body of Christ and having a Church family of your own. I can honestly say that I don't know how we would have come through Gabe's death and Jonah's challenges without our Pinedale Family. They have truly been the hands and feet of Jesus to us. I know we're exactly where we are supposed to be. THANK GOD!