Friday, September 14, 2007

Summers End

If you are reading my blog for the first time you will not have missed much as of late, however if you are a returning "blogger" you will notice that this is the first blog in much to long! In short: My adventure with God has been indescribable! So this will be effort to show what the last 2 months have been like...by pictures and short stories! Hip-hip horray!

I went home to Lynden July 13-16 and went to Chad and Trina's wedding...


Christian Renewel Center- One of the most dear places to my heart! I ended up being there a lot more than i had planned, but it was much fun! God always does amazing, prophetic, challenging things in my when i am at CRC.. and this time was no different! My dear friends Jon and Ann Dunagan where the speakers... they are also my extended family in Hood River Oregon... more on that later!
My amazing sisters and myself.... yes we look like triplets!

Lindsey and me... getting ready to jump from behind a waterfall! yahoo!

I didn't take this picture, but it was on my camera... Uriah and Tim diving in!

Next I had the amazing blessing of being able to spend an evening with my "Indian-African" Family. When i was in Africa in 2005 i became very close to my host family. Sam and Vicky grew up in the slums of south India and God brought them to himself and together and they have an amazing heart for the Wolof people of West Africa. When i returned to the USA i soon realized it would be very unlikely that i would see Sam, Vicky, Jeshu and Debbie on this earth again! Much to my heart's delight I spent the evening on Aug 3rd with them!

Debbie Joy was just barely 1 when we were in Africa and now she is all grown up and very sweet!

August 4 2007~ Caleb Wilson and Sarah Nelson
Caleb and Sarah were on my YWAM DTS and we could never have guessed the They would be married 3 years later!!! But we are all so glad they are!



August 5-7~ Lost Lake Campout! Covenant Christian Hood River has become my second church family!!! I LOVE them so much!!! The church campout was a great end to a fabulous weekend!




I was only back in Bend for 5 days before i went back to Hood River for 3 days to help with VBS... well 3 days turned into a week!!!!
VBS was great i had a little team of ten 1-3th grade boys! They were soooo much fun!



On Tuesday August 14th, my life changed... forever. I went cliff jumping... well at least that was the plan. I had heard about The Pocket a lot from the Dunagans and heard it is SO much fun. Totally safe and SO much fun! I've been cliff jumping before, so i was up for anything. But no matter how many times your have jumped before it is always a little nerve wracking to stand with toes on the edge....looking down 30 feet into the green, cold water! Sure enough my case of nervousness almost cost me my life. When i went to jump it seemed as though my feet wanted to stay where they were, thus sending me straight down, instead of jumping out! I remember thinking, "wow i'm going to hit rock!" and "What's going to happen?" Nest thing i know i am trying to breath and all i get is big gulps of water! My whole body wast screaming in pain, but nothing would come out of my mouth. My contacts were moving around on my open eyes, and the water was dark and cold. when i surfaced i knew Patrick had jumped in to pull me out, but i could barely gasp for air before going under again... this time i felt him grab my arm and pull me out... i was trying to breath and understand what just happened... The other guys who were they thuoght for sure i was broken everywhere... but only my left leg was bleeding and bruised! When they asked me what hurt... i said "EVERYTHING!" but amazingly when i stood up and started moving, only my ledt foot hurt!!! nothing else.... i knew my muscles would be sore the next day or two, but my foot only hurt if i put pressure on it...It was swelling right away! I was convinced it wasn't broken...and after the guys graciously prayed for me and took me home to the Dunagans i went about the rest of my afternoon and evening. It wasn't until the next day that i was conviced to go to the ER and get x-rayed. Turns out my foot was broken.... but a very small "easy to fix" type of break! yay! i recieved a small-not-so-fashionable blue "shoe" to wear for the next 3-6 weeks! It was very scary, and I know God has a plan for my life!!! Patrick and Daniel Dunagan thought i was going to be hurt MUCH MUCH worse than i was, so we are all praising the Lord that i am not! here's the pics....
This is my leg and bruises about a week later:

This is my little diagram of the cliff... yes i went back 4 weeks to the day after the fall of my life!


I stayed in Hood River for week because i could not work, and then took me, my broken foot, and crutches to Cour De Alene Lake in Idaho to celebrate my parents 25th wedding anniversary!
Yup, i have put 12,000 miles on my car since Feb. 14th!!!!!

Josiah loved riding in the boat!

Lindsey skied for me, since i could do much of anything except lay in the sun... bummer i know!

The view from the deck!


After Cour De Alene... i still wasn't supposed to work...so Lynden got to see me again. I enjoyed Woods Coffee everyday at leadt once a day, and got to chill with my older brother Gregg who was on vacation from Iraq! YAY for our American Hero! Once i was back in Bend i got right at it and went back to life at Red Robin! Not as crazy as before, but i got a few new nick-names including,but not limited to; Hobbles, Hop-a-long, Gimpy, Gimpster...you get the idea!
The glorious RR outfit!


After a week and a half i thought i needed a break =P so i went up to Puyallup and DID the Puyallup Fair with most of my family and then just got to love on them and some close friends for a couple days... and then back to Hood River i went to celebrate my 22nd birthday!!!! That's right i am 22 years young, and loving every moment of it!





And that my friend brings us up to date on the details of cassie's July, August and begining of September 2007! It was most definatly one of the most amazing summers of my life!!! I feel like i lived in the "greenhouse" affect of growth!!! God has taught me so much, i have laughed, cried, prayed and smiled at this adventure i am on. I am so thankful for all the prayers and encoraging words. Thanks! here is the quote of the moment;

"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every moment you believe to be the will of God." -- Jim Elliot

and that's that.
Laugh out loud. Smile for real. Enjoy the moment. Live Passionatly. Listen to the Music loud. Love More. Dance. Sing. Clap. Whatever you do be all there! I have a friend who says this, "have the best Life of your life." and that's the truth. Make today great, pursue God's Best...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

You sound like you had an amazing summer. God is using you for great things. It's amazing to see how God works, and to be in the mist of his awesome power.

I love reading your blogs, they are so much fun!!!!!!

Thanks for sharing.
Neysa Brandon

Carissa said...

Cassie...
you are one of the most amazing people i will probably ever meet. i love you and appreciate how honest you are. you have an incredible smile and a sense of true Joy in your life. i couldn't have ever asked in all my wildest dreams for a better sister!
the quote by Jim Elliot is an amazing one that i heard not too long ago, and i try and keep it in mind. Be all there, wherever you are!
have the Best day of your life!
love you forever, Carissa

Anonymous said...

Cassie you are so amazing!!! I love to read your blogs. I can't believe how bruised your foot got but glad you only hurt your foot! Thanks for updating your blog. your amazing!!!!Love you

Lindsey said...

Cass,
You are such an encouragement to me and an awesome example of who I want to grow up to be like! not that I try to be you, but that you are an inspiration to me! You have a gift of relaying the things that the Lord has done in your life. Keep living for Him, laughing often, loving much, and singing like you don't care! I love you!!!!
-Lou <><

girlalex said...

Yay! Glad to see you live and blogging again! I'm going to call you tomorrow and return your shorts and we should hang out!! Also I'm all moved in to my apartment, so when you can spare a day of your busy (and I mean busy!) life, you have to come to Portland!! xoxoox