Cousinsly Love

So it's late right now and I know it's been over a week since my last blog entry, but I wanted to be sure and add this photo tonight, before it gets lost in the hundreds if not thousands of photos stored on my computer. The digital age has sure led to a lack of scrapbooking in my life!

It's been months, if not over a year since I was able to see the entire Suggs family - all at one time! My 'baby' cousins are spread over various states, living their own lives as we all do, searching for what God has next for them. Well, this weekend, after I had already been asked to lead part of a DiscipleNow, I found out the entire Suggs clan was going to be in town. I was so sad that I would not get to hang out with them and endure the many hilarious stories of their brotherly adventures, and I know Aunt Carol was overjoyed that she would get to finally take a family photo with everyone in attendance! I ended up running into some of them at the church, while they were taking their pictorial directory pictures, but then, today, as Grandma and I were making our way to our Weekly Lunch Date after church at China Chef, we ran into some of my favorite cousins! :) Okay, I don't have a ton of cousins, and they really are ALL my favorites - each in their own way - but I told them I had to take a picture to capture the memory and essence of the Suggs boys - also clad in their normal attire - camoflauge. They fit well into the Chinese Restaurant Decor. You have to love those guys!

Although I didn't get to see Rachel, I was so thankful that I was able to spend some time with Jody and Dusty today. I miss the times when we were always together, but as I continue to say, God sure has a sense of humor. I was the one who would never come back to this town, and now you can see the tables have turned! :) I love you Suggs family and I hope we're all together again soon!

Looking for a tall, single, Godly man!

I know, I know, it seems like ages since I last wrote. Between the start of school, Ike the Hurricane, and the beginning of my college classes online, I just haven't had the time to sit down and write. I will try to do better. In the meantime, I will try to give you a rundown as to the latest in the life of Addie.

It was a blessing to have my dear friend Susan Matthes in from overseas. The last time I saw her I had just come back from my own adventure in Genoa. She saw my house, I had a bunch of friends over for dinner and we all took a trip down memory lane, pulling out all my old scrapbooks, laughing the night away.

Hurricane Ike came and went and I have to say we were blessed here in Bay City. Many hours were spent in cleanup, but I am happy to say my house withstood the storm. School has been nonstop since we began again, and I am finding myself coming home more exhausted than I ever thought possible. I was surprised last week with an award given to me by my principal, which resulted in a medal, certificate, and a picture in the local newspaper. I was shocked - complete surprise, unfortunately my parents weren't there!

My master's classes began last week, through all the chaos of the hurricane and I was thankful that my professor was very understanding and let me begin a little later than the rest.

Last week began the first meeting of a "Singles Supper Club" at my house every Thursday night. Enrollment is up to three now, and I'm praying God will bring more my way!

And that brings me to the title of my blog this evening. As some of you know, I am single. Shocking - I know! :) How could a gal like me still be single?!

So I have had my fair share of stories, many of them leading back to my online dating experiences, primarily through eHarmony. Tonight was no different, although I was hopeful that with this guy it might have worked out. I have flown here, there and yonder, on a quest to find the man God has 'reserved' for me! :) In the past month I have flown to Alabama, meeting a guy that on first impression I knew was not going to be in my future. I started talking to a guy a few weeks ago, starting off by talking every night, an hour or so, gradually getting to know him. Things seemed great - we finally met this past weekend, him coming here for a change, and well, tonight I had my answer as to our future - or rather, nonexistent future together!

The mystery of the man, and him not being able to tell a girl how he feels at the moment the girl needs to hear it - I just don't understand. Maybe I am just weird - maybe all girls except me like to be led on and just 'chat' when they fulwell know that nothing will come of it. These are the days when I wish my family believed in 'arranged marriages' - well, okay, maybe not. I can only imagine who Barry would pick out for me! In both cases I was the one who had to bring the subject up - the question as to "do we go on" or "do we end it?" I am all for ending things if I don't see husband potential, and in the first case, I could have ended it that first night I met him. But in the latter - this past weekend, I was a bit hopeful, and for that I regret letting my mind actually take me to a place where I thought we might have potential. Yeah, everyone says you have to take a risk at some point. Risk my emotions? I think not! At least that is how I wish I was. Dating can sure stink sometimes. I feel blessed that my past is not full of relationships gone wrong. I can't imagine the heartbreak/disappointment that one most go through in various relationships.

I know this is all a God thing, so please don't lecture me on that, but sometimes a girl just has to vent! Thank you Jordan for your listening ear tonight. Russell, if you're reading this I apologize for bringing you into this, but tonight I have truly learned that God has someone even better for me out there. Someone who appreciates the fact that I do enjoy being at home and working in my yard, but who also knows that I look forward to an occassional night out with friends. One thing that I had to explain tonight was the fact that I am not here trying to 'sell myself,' if you know what I mean. This is me, a girl who doesn't beat around the bush, who longs to be pursued and only wants to date guys who feel God is essential in their relationship.

So with all of that said, you can either sit back and be thankful you are married, sit back and nod your head and say "Addie, you are so right," or just get a good laugh out of the whole thing and pray for me as well as all the other single people out there! :)

My thoughts for now are to drop eHarmony and all that it entails. I think God is trying to tell me something with my streak of dates and no luck! Thank you for reading thus far and I pray that God gives you the feeling of being content in whatever he has given to you. That is my continual prayer for myself as well.

Adios for now. Have a blessed day!

10 Year Anniversary!

The past ten years have truly been years of 'learning' for me. I've learned how faith in God is the only way to get through a day. I have learned that life is precious and I am so thankful for the people God has placed in my life through college, Russia, Italy and all over this great state of Texas.

This past Monday, September 1st, marked the tenth year for me to be a Christian. It is a day I hope to never forget. I can remember the exact time that my life changed forever. I've spent these past ten years finishing my degree, moving from town to town, never really putting roots anywhere, and have finally come to a decision that I have longed for for a long time. Because I have moved so often, I have never really had the chance to get baptized. I wanted to be baptized in a place where I felt at home - where I knew those around me, and knew they cared about me. For the past couple of years I've thought about when I should do this, and have made the decision that now is the time. After ten years of knowing I needed to be baptized, I finally talked with my pastor here, and although I don't know the date yet, I will finally go through with it - just ten years late! :)

I found an old email, from when I lived in Moscow that explains when I became a Christian and I thought I would share it again here, for those that did not get a chance to read it. Keep in mind it is about five years old, so you might not understand some of what is said. :)

Addie's Heart
Some of you are probably wondering, what in the world is this going to be about, with a title like that, but I thought it would catch your attention, and hopefully it has if you're reading on. This isn't one of my newsletters, or "novels" as some of you refer to it as, but it's just a little bit about what God has laid on my heart to share with you.
As most of you know, I'm not a very "open" person. I don't like to tell people how I feel and I always resort to keeping quiet when I'm in a situation in which I don't feel comfortable sharing...well, what I am going to share with you is something I've only told probably ten people in my life, so as I sit her writing this, I kind of don't know if I should continue...but I will.
How to start? That's a really good question. As I was sitting in a bible study last night, it came to my attention that so many people "assume" things about other Christians. I have run into it many times that because I grew up in a Methodist and Baptist Church I just became a Christian because that was the thing to do. There are countless people who make that wonderful decision at a young age, but I was not one of those. I have to be honest and say that I totally "faked" my way through the Christian walk that everyone assumed I had. It was the easy thing to do. Since 6th grade I had always had that feeling that something was missing. Although I knew I was not a Christian, like I said, it was an easy role to play, and no one ever assumed any different. I never did anything outrageous and "bad" in my life, but I struggled through it all the way through high school. All I needed to do was put on a pretty smile, sing a few songs, and everyone thought that's the way I've always been. A happy Christian, always facing the world with God as the center...well, I have to tell you, this was so untrue.
Every day I struggled with whether or not I was a Christian. I knew that I wasn't, but figured, just by saying those words that I could be one..one of the chosen..one to go to heaven, but you know what...I never meant it. I could probably hold the world record for the number of times I said those sacred words, and never meant it!! As I learned last night though, that it seems as though you need God the most in times of strife, and mourning...and that is what happened to me. To make a very, very long story, sort of short, a lot of things happened in my life my senior year of high school. My parents divorced without me even having a clue why, a grandmother who I loved so dearly passed away, my aunt and uncle divorced on my birthday that August, and then I was thrown into moving away from everything to go to college. What a year that was! It was the hardest year I ever experienced, but to be honest, as most of you know, I didn't really show any emotion through it all. I'm not good with sharing how I'm feeling, and it's easier just to keep it bottled up inside, but that's me. I use sarcasm to hide my true feelings, but I'm working on that, I really am :) I consider that year to be my year of "strife." I faced struggles that I didn't know existed. I needed someone, but didn't know who. I do remember that I gained a bunch of weight, spent late nights watching tv, and really didn't care about the world around me. I wanted to be sad, but didn't know how to show it, and didn't want people feeling sorry for me – you know how much I like attention!
But things changed when I went off to ETBU. I was away from the everyday reminders of a life gone sideways, and I found myself having to face my problems head-on. I have never claimed to be of upmost intelligence, or knowing much about anything, but I did know that I needed to make a decision, and a true decision that meant something to me. So what I'm trying to tell you is that I became a Christian on September 1, 1998...a day that I will never forget. A day that should have been my parent's wedding anniversary, but I found myself, sitting in an audience, knowing that the only way I was going to make it the rest of my life was through accepting Christ as my Savior. I've heard so many people say that they don't know the exact time or day or place that they asked Jesus into their hearts, but to me, it's the most important day of my life. My life has changed so much since then, all for the better. I'm not saying that college was not a struggle...the Lord truly knows how much of a struggle it actually was for me, but it wasn't until I came here, to Moscow, that I have truly experienced the goodness of the Lord, and everything that he has brought to my life. I have stuck by the verse, "I will never give you more than you can handle," and I feel that strengthens me being here. As much of a challenge as this has been being here, I now find myself with a renewed and refreshed spirit, knowing that I don't really understand why God has sent me here to Russia, but also knowing, that as I search for the answer, and even if I never find that answer, I will have the love of God to share with those around me - that being teachers, kids, and even those friends I have met along the way. The Lord has truly blessed me with wonderful friends here in Moscow, from all over the world, and a church family that I look forward to being around! If there is only one thing I leave here with, it is the fact that knowing prayer is so powerful, and Jesus never fails.
Last night, as I was walking back from Bible Study, I had to just stop and pray, and thank the Lord for bringing me here. Now I know there are many things that I have complained about since being here, but the snow was falling, the temperature wasn't too cold, and it was just an amazing sight. I never dreamed that God would give me this opportunity to travel so far, but yet know that he is always there with me. A friend and I cooked dinner for a couple that was here adopting a child last night, and knowing that I had a part, very small part, in helping them see that God's love is all over the world, it made me feel so good to see their love for God as well.
As I write this though, I'm reminded that I have to faithfully ask the Lord for guidance on what to do next. Patience is something I need some help on, but I know that the Lord will bring the next path he wants me to take, in my view, at the perfect moment. I ask that you pray for my patience. I have no clue what I am to do next, whether it be going back to Texas, going somewhere else in the world, or what. It seems to be a frequent question that people keep asking me, and I really, have no idea what I am to do!! I keep telling myself that I am only 23, so I have a long life ahead of me to do all that he asks!
I guess I will end this in saying that I am as far from perfect as anyone can get, but I know that I have the forgiveness of the Lord with me, and he will always be there - in times of happiness and in strife. I pray that the Lord will bless you in your life, and that by reading this, you have gotten to know a side of me that I have a hard time sharing. I am sorry it has become so long, but as I said, it is something I wanted to share with some of my friends. I hope that this has found each and everyone of you having a wonderful day, and that you can find the same happiness I have found in serving the Lord in whatever he asks of you. Please take care and God Bless.
With all my love, Addie


This is a video I found after searching youtube today! I love the song, and it was actually filmed at ETBU last year.
>

American Idol LIVE! 2008 - The Night Before School!

For my bithday this year, Aunt Carol and I decided to get tickets to the American Idol Concert. A few months before it began, she bought the tickets, and at that time I didn't really think too hard about the timing of it all. Needless to say, Sunday night, August 24th, the night BEFORE the FIRST day of school, we headed to Houston. We enjoyed an evening out on the town and the great seats we had. My camera was acting out, but here are some shots from the evening at the Toyota Center. We were home by midnight, in time to get a few hours of sleep before school began the next day!

#10
#9

#8

#7

#6
#5

#4
#3

#2
#1

Saturday - Luke Turned 2!

Although Luke's Birthday was August 1st, we still found time to celebrate as a family this past weekend. Uncle Brad had us all out at his place for BBQ wings and some fun in the water! Luke has grown up so much - I can't believe he is already 2! Here are a few pictures from the afternoon. ** Luke is my cousin Ashlee's little boy**

Aunt Geneva had to help Luke climb up the huge water slide!


Jordan was very helpful with all the young kids!

Aunt Barbara, Aunt Geneva and Aunt Carol
I was shocked to see someone else taking pictures! Even though it is a disposable camera, I was proud of Uncle Brad for taking pictures!
Present Time!

Ava and Kay - trying to wake up!
Luke gave Grandma Tootsie a Thank You kiss.
Brother and sister - Betty and Luke

Stephanie and Ava - just look at that face!

I just had to laugh at this action shot. I was trying to get Ashlee and Luke coming down the slide together - as you can see, there was water everywhere!

Ash, sorry for the swimsuit picture, but I just had to show this picture of Luke. With the help of Uncle Brad (Luke's grandfather) he ended up having icing and cake all over him. I have to say, the cake was delicious!

Happy Birthday Luke! Enjoy Year 2!