Love springs forth from Cache' events!

Love is in the air! As we have been talking to people about our upcoming events, we are receiving feedback that many couples are being formed as a result of meeting at our events! Not only that, but there are success-so-far stories as a result of the matchmaking at cacheconnections.com.

How about you? Have you stepped out to an event? Into the website? Your chances of meeting that special someone increase greatly if you do!

Have you met someone through Cache' Connections? Please tell us so that we can be praying for your relationship!

Hello Spring and New Cache' Markets

March News

Psalm 8:1: "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens."  We look forward to the glory of the Lord soon being revealed in the newness of Spring.

We have a few new things to report at Cache' Connections.  Some upgrades to the website are well underway, including links to profiles from My Messages (click on the sender's name to link to corresponding profile) and thumbnail photos attached to My Messages (click on the photo to link to sender's profile).

Additionally, God continues to open new doors for Cache' Connections as we step out in faith. We are headed to Atlanta, Georgia on April 24, then back to the midwest to Chesterton, Indiana on May 16. In addition, we are very pleased to be welcomed to First Baptist Atlanta on July 31 (Charles Stanley's church.)   New doors have also been opened to us in Cincinnati, Ohio and near Detroit, Michigan.  There are several other churches in other states that are considering hosting Cache' Connections events, so we look forward to a very busy Summer and Fall.

Before all of that comes about, we want to invite you to register for Cache' Connections Live! Barrington Hills that is taking place at The Chapel on Saturday, April 4th from 7 - 10 pm.  Many members and friends have registered for the event, as well as the Living Single conference that is taking place at The Chapel on 4/4 from 1 to 5 p.m.  Please note these are separate events with separate registration fees.

Author, Speaker, Psychologist and Director of Clinical Training/Associate Professor of Fuller Theological Seminary Dr. Stephen Simpson will be sharing his relevant and candid advice on how to better navigate the confusing sea of relationships, as well as debunking some Christian dating myths. This is going to be a great day for Christian singles that you won't want to miss!  Check out the Events tab for all details and to register.

A special welcome goes out to our new members. Here are a few reminders for all:

- Please post your photos! They are not required but very beneficial. Your headshot and bodyshot against a plain wall assures your connections that the photos are recent.
- Feel free to send messages to those connections you are interested - this goes for both genders!
- Let us know if you would like to lead a chat one evening; it's a great way to ensure good attendance in The Meeting Room. Check out scheduled chats under Scheduled Events.
- Please remember that all subscriptions will automatically renew. Consider taking advantage of our specials before your next renewal date.  As alway, feel free to contact us with any questions.

Why should you attend Cache' Connections Live! Barrington Hills?

In the words of those who attended past Cache' Connections Live! events:

"Kim and Linda - THANK YOU! My friend and I had a great time last night. I felt like Michelle was talking to me personally at some points .. May God continue to bless this awesome and much needed ministry! I look forward to your next Cache Connections Live!" Tara, Aurora, IL

"I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to be a part of the Cache Connection event this last Friday! I was very impressed with the entire event and it is obvious that you have a passion for what you do and have centered it around Christ which I love. I will continue to pray for your organization as it reaches out to the Christian Singles across the nation." Brian Hunt, Artist and Associate Pastor, Parkview Christian Church

"Friday night was very positive, how they spoke about community, to know you're in a room with all Christians, it can be contagious ... I would like to see more social events like this, with some message, worship and fellowship. Food too!" Kelly, Naperville, IL

The Chapel is hosting this event as well as the "Living Single" conference on the same day. Feel free to attend one or both events:

1 - 5:00 pm Living Single
7 - 10:00 pm Cache' Connections Live!

These dual events will offer great opportunities to get some great Christian advice and mingle with other area singles! For more information or to sign up for either event, please visit the News/Events tab at cacheconnections.com or CLICK HERE.

* Save money by pre-registering for both events!

*Remember, you do not need to a member to attend events and it's easy to come alone. You'll be sure to meet some new friends.

Feel free to call or email with your questions.

Blessings,
Kim and Linda
www.cacheconnections.com
309-550-5580

March Roars In

March blew in like a lion as we had three events this past weekend on the north side of Chicagoland. There was a great turnout at Christ Community where we were welcomed to have a strong presence at Relationships 101 - thank you Tim Downey! It was nice seeing some of our friends and making new ones! Sunday we sped around from Arlington Heights at 1:00 to Naperville at 6:00 for two different Cache' Quick Introductions. We had two great groups of people (about 38 each) who really enjoyed meeting other Christian singles in their "age and mileage range." A lot of promising connections were made :)

We hit this week with the ground running as we busied ourselves tidying up from the weekend and looking forward to numerous details for upcoming events and general "business." We received confirmation today that a very well-known church in Atlanta, First Baptist Atlanta (Charles Stanley's church) will be hosting a Cache' Connections Live! event on 7/31/09. God continues to open amazing doors, as there are several other churches in a variety of states considering hosting events. We are blessed with the problem of working through some growing pains, but we know God will provide the wisdom we need at the right time. In the meantime, we've been blessed with great families, volunteers and encouragers to continue rolling along as the Spirit leads.

Make plans now to spend the day and evening at The Chapel in Barrington Hills! Check it out under News/Events. See you there!

~ Linda
p.s. photo too much?

Cache' Connections - February News

February came and went like a flash for Cache' Connections. We stretched ourselves to the max by hosting two major events back-to-back. Thanks to all who came out to Parkview Christian Church on 2/13 for Cache' Connections Live! Parkview was a very gracious host to us and we all enjoyed the wisdom and candor of Dr. Paul Meier and the worship led by Brian Hunt. Jean Lachat did a great job on the photography and we are enjoying seeing those photos being uploaded to your accounts.

We took a calculated risk and decided to host an event for Valentine's Day - a tough day for many singles. Our advisers told us it would have to be something fun and light, so we decided to do The Dating Game, which was an idea we had tossed around previously. Talk about a risk! We struggled and searched to get the three panels "just so" (matchwise) only to have some drop out, fly out, and fly back in just in time for the downbeat - literally! God provided wonderful help, however, and the show went off with few hitches and a lot of laughs. Check out the recaps under the News/Events tab. Kim did a fantastic job as "producer" as Linda helped get the volunteers organized and entertained the contestants while we kept them separated during rehearsals.

God continues to open amazing doors for us - with somewhat peculiar timing! In the midst of planning these events, we were writing an article and preparing a power point presentation for a workshop on dating that we were invited to lead at a SAM (single adult ministry) conference in Daytona Beach this past weekend. We had a wonderful experience at the conference and made some great contacts in the national Christian single leaders circles. Check out the blog under Community and Advice for more stories of our little getaway.

We are constantly amazed at how God is bringing our original ideas and plans to fruition. We had hopes of being invited to piggy-back with some churches for their events. Christ Community in St. Charles has graciously invited us to be a part of their "Relationships 101" event on 3/7/09. Following that, we'll be in Arlington Heights and Naperville on 3/8 for Cache' Quick Introductions. These are always a great group of people and a unique opportunity to meet other Christian singles in a more intimate - yet fun - setting.

As Spring approaches we look forward to seeing many of you again and meeting some new friends at The Chapel in Barrington Hills on 4/4 and then it's off to Atlanta, Georgia! Mt. Paran Church of God, a megachurch, has invited us to have a Live! event on 4/24. Dr. Meier will be our guest speaker again as part of a friendly partnership with Meier Clinics. We are continuing to cast our nets out to other states and look forward to entering new markets as the Lord opens doors to Cache' Connections. We'll be Indiana-bound for an event on 5/16 at Liberty Bible Church where Drs. Tom and Bev Rodgers will be our featured speakers.

A special welcome goes out to our new members. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. Here are a few reminders for all:

- Please post your photos! They are not required but very beneficial. Your headshot and bodyshot against a plain wall assures your connections that the photos are recent.
- Feel free to send messages to those connections you are interested - this goes for both genders!
- Let us know if you would like to lead a chat one evening; it's a great way to ensure good attendance in The Meeting Room. Check out scheduled chats under Scheduled Events. Thursdays have been quite popular for the single/never marrieds ... and Monday we look forward to member Jodi welcoming chatters who will be discussing dating after divorce.
- Please remember that all subscriptions will automatically renew. Consider taking advantage of our specials before your next renewal date.

We continue to pray for our members and are thankful for each one of you. In turn, we covet your prayers that Cache' Connections will continue to attract like-minded believers who are committed to meeting and connecting with other believers.

Blessings,
Kim and Linda
Cache' Connections

God Shows Up At SAM

It is amazing how we see God's word coming to life over and over again at Cache' Connections. We were really looking forward to having a couple of days vacation after the conference in Daytona Beach. We had rented a condo over the internet that looked really nice, all remodeled and on the beach. When we arrived, we found out why the pictures had only featured the inside. It was really bad! The smell hit you when you walked in the door. The location was not good either. I knew I could not stay there, but there was no way out... we had already paid. We decided to just stay away as much as possible and then quickly had to leave to set up at the conference. It just made us feel worse when we went to the conference hotel and it was beautiful in a great location on the beach and had not been that much more money than the condo. Upon arriving at the conference center, we met a nice guy, Rex, who was helping an author set up next to our booth. We found they were dating and Rex had come to help her and offer his support. We helped him put up his sign and he helped us with ours. We figured out we needed an extension cord and he offered to get one for us. He came back shortly with the cord and some candy for our booth. We offered to pay, he refused. I shared with him the story about the condo and how much I detested the thought of staying there that week. When we had settled in for the general session, we were summoned out by Georgia, the author and girlfriend. Rex was standing in the hall with a receipt. He had paid for 5 days for us to stay at this beautiful hotel! We were stunned. Our eyes filled with tears. That was the most unbelievable, unexpected gift I have ever been given. Our feelings quickly turned to dismay, "No, we can't accept this. This is too much money!" He insisted and said he appreciated what we were doing. We couldn't thank him enough and as soon as the evening was over, moved our things from the condo and had a great stay the rest of the week. We have committed to paying this one forward! What an amazing God we have and what a generous, giving guy!

Daytona and SAM

Two major events and a conference in Daytona Beach- all within 2 weeks of time! I'm beginning to think we're as crazy as most people think we are. What can we say? It was a matter of timing, Valentine's weekend and then the SAM conference the next weekend. Attending a singles leader conference was another first for Kim and Linda. A mere inquiry into the event led to being asked to write for the SAM newsletter and a couple of days later, we received a call to present a workshop at the conference. How could we say no? What a great opportunity to meet with singles leaders from across the country and share with them about Cache' Connections. It was quite unnerving being on a stage in front of some very respected and well-known singles leaders. But, we know if God calls, he equips, so we pulled it off pretty well. The workshop was a lot of pressure, coming off the other events and needing to create an hour long presentation about the biz. We couldn't have done it without Ty jumping in and creating the powerpoint, finishing up right before we had to leave. It was a great experience. We met some incredible people who are committed to the singles ministry. We also made some great contacts and are praying that we will be scheduling some more events in other parts of the country as a result. Unfortunately, the warm weather didn't arrive until we left, but it still was better than the cold in Illinois!

Valentine's Weekend Recaps

Cache' Connections had two fantastic events over the Valentine weekend with almost 700 singles in attendance! Parkview Church in Orland Park was a beautiful venue for the event. Dr. Paul Meier's presence was appreciated along with the advice and encouragement he shared with the attendees. Brian Hunt, a very talented music artist from the Chicago area, brought the crowd to their feet in joining in worship. As always, everyone enjoyed the community connect and were able to meet many new friends.

The Dating Game was quite the hit! The only complaint we heard was that it didn't last long enough. We had 3 great panels of contestants and Tower from Shine.FM kept the crowd laughing with his dating stories. The special guests relied on the audience to help them choose their date. We had so many attendees tell us how much they enjoyed the food and socialization time. They were especially grateful for the opportunity to meet so many nice people.

We wanted to say thank you to everyone who came to these events and to those who participated and volunteered. We greatly appreciate your support!

A letter of encouragement from Parkview Christian Church

The following note was received the morning after one of our Cache' Connections Live! events in Orland Park, IL:

Ladies,

The Holy Spirit won't leave me alone this morning. I've only had 3 hours of sleep but it certainly doesn't seem like it. My head is "a buzz" and my heart is overflowing with joy. Thank you for what you are doing; for fulfilling our Lord's will in being obedient to the calling I certainly believe He has placed on your lives. You two so compliment each other with your spiritual gifts and individual personalities.

Last night could only be described as SPECTACULAR! The program in and of itself was awesome but the part that blessed me the most was to see the way the Singles responded to your encouragement to meet other people they had never meet before. It then only gained momentum as they were ushered into the Grand Foyer for refreshments. The atmosphere was so conducive to people being able to step outside of their comfort zones and mingle with someone new. It had to be the work of the Holy Spirit.

Dr. Paul Meier really "nailed it" with his teaching and I was honored to be in the presence of such a humble man of God.

It was also such a great place for our brothers and sisters in Christ who hadn't seen each other for a long time to rekindle old friendships. There have been a lot of people involved in our Singles Ministry here and I think everyone was thankful and surprisingly blessed they chose to experience this event.

Thank you for asking us (Parkview 30+ Singles Ministry) to be your host. It was truly a pleasure and a fulfillment of God's desire. For that I shall be eternally grateful.

Humbly in Christ's stead,


David Mealiff
Steering Committee
30+ Singles Ministry
Parkview Christian Church
www.parkviewsingles.com

dear mr. nice guy

this is an essay i found from one of my facebook friends, amena bee from atlanta. she wrote it awhile ago for submission to a regional publication. it wasn't chosen for publication but she thought it would be fitting to post it here in honor of good man month, and we heartily agree!

Dear Mr. Nice Guy,

Good men are hard to find and even harder to keep. It’s unforgiveable to let one go. Just like you, they keep slipping through my hands like so much sand in an hourglass. You’re right. You are underappreciated. You’ve been given a bad rap and truthfully I preferred a broken and bruised heart to your respectful ways. I’m sorry I said you were boring. I’m sorry I said you were soft. I’m sorry I said you weren’t sexy enough. I’m sorry for not giving you a chance.

When we first met, you confused me. Seriously, who’s honest anymore Mr. Nice Guy? Who says what they mean in the dating game these days? I suppose you do, and it’s clear you don’t believe in playing with my emotions. What’s a single woman to do with all that free time, now that she has no reason to spend her time psychoanalyzing too short text messages, missed calls with no voicemail, and first dates that never make it to a second one?

And another thing Mr. Nice Guy, how dare you be into commitment? I mean who’s into getting serious? Who wants the pressure of a man who wants to be with only me? I would much rather prefer a man who’s juggling me and sixty other women across the city. I like a man who keeps me guessing.

Marriage, commitment, rings, his and hers sinks and towels, matching outfits – these words didn’t scare you. In fact, you welcomed them, wanted them, wanted me, but I wasn’t ready for you. My early 20s mind couldn’t fathom giving up the freedom of singleness to settle down with you. I couldn’t imagine my one and your one becoming one. I couldn’t bring myself to give up the lottery-like possibility of finding five other men that might be the one. I was standing on the side of the road with a hitchhiker’s thumb, passing up the most safe ride home. I was waiting for something better. Like baiting a unicorn on a fishing pole, I was stupid to throw you back into the sea that clichés say is running aplenty with fish.

Trust me. When my night’s get lonely, when I’m out with some ignorant fool who doesn’t know opening the door for a lady from throwing a shot of tequila down his throat, who assumes that dinner and a second date means sex, I think of you. Don’t tell anyone I’m writing this but sometimes I daydream of you. You, the one any woman wants to bring home to meet a dysfunctional family. You, who would rub my back while my family argues the merit of scripture and scrabble, and gaze at me with the look that said you loved and accepted me just for me and would do the same for them. You, who would make love, make babies, and stick around to deal with me, my horrible hormonal attitude, and alien cravings; stick around for baby names, birth, pre-k, middle school, college, and empty nest until it’s back to just us. You, who even as you are reading this forgives the silly me that sent you on your way in the first place.

The phrase “no more Mr. Nice Guy” has haunted me since I ended things with you. You made me question my definition of a man. As if the paramount of testosterone has to equal hairy machismo, never-ending noncommittal, and grunts-only communication. You had character, endurance, perseverance, respect, patience, and I was just too fireworks-driven to see it.

You have no reason to trust these words coming from the pen of a woman who so quickly and easily dismissed you, but years and life and trouble and struggle have shaped that woman with the same indelible imprint with which quick rivers slowly hewn canyons. I see you more clearly now, as I see myself.

I really just wanted to let you know that the phrase “nice guys finish last” is propaganda pushed by bad boys in gentlemen’s clothing. Whatever you do in life, don’t shy away from being the nice guy, especially not because of women like me. Sooner or later some woman is going to relish your gentlemanly gestures. She will find your respectful hand in the small of her back so much more sexy than a strange first-date hand attempting the squeeze on her inner thigh. She will be swept away by your chivalrous door-opening, coat-holding, pulling out her chair, and she will not ditch you for the next smooth swagger, emotionally unavailable, slick talker. Hold out for her and don’t settle for less.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to reply. I wouldn’t dare ask you for a second chance. I just wanted to clear the air and hopefully give myself a clean slate. And maybe, just maybe I’ll cross paths with another nice guy and this time I won’t give him back.

Sincerely,
Me

Daytona Beach Bound

As you may know, we have been working on expanding our services and marketing strategies in different states. We are blessed to have some new doors open for us; specifically, Mt. Paran Church of God in Atlanta, GA on 4/24, and Liberty Bible Church in Chesterton, IN on 5/16. Both churches are looking forward to partnering with us in Cache' Connections Live! events. We are also looking to go further South, through the Bible belt and elsewhere. To that end, we have been "casting nets" in that direction, contacting churches to see if they might be interested in coming together with Cache' Connections. We received a call back from a pastor in Orlando, Florida, who happens to be a speaker of the SAM (Single Adult Ministry) Conference that is coming up in a few weeks in Daytona Beach. We had contacted SAM a few times and even phoned, but had received no response. This pastor made a phone call and within about a day, whalaa, we were invited to be an event sponsor - at a reduced rate! What is encouraging about this is that we had prayed specifically that morning for confirmation from God if we should go to the expense of making this Florida trip. God didn't stop there. We were invited to submit an article in the SAM Monthly Read & Lead magazine. What is amazing about this story is that we received another call from the SAM coordinator ... asking us to lead a workshop on dating. So, away we go again, getting out of the boat. At least this time we are landing on the beach :)

Once again - Getting Out Of The Boat!

Like we don't have enough to do already. Linda and I are it, the whole kit-and-caboodle, we perform multiple tasks from customer service, website oversight, accounting, event planning... we even make our own backdrops for our events! Now, we're writing a book - you heard it. We are partnering with Dr. Paul Meier to tell our story and provide advice to Christian singles. Once again God is using our past experiences and skills to push us to the limits of our abilities. We have actually kidded around since day one that we would write a book about how all this went down. As everything else has gone with this business, it has come much faster than we expected. Since the opportunity has presented itself, we're not going to turn it away. So here we go.. creating another wheel. We have decided to co-author each chapter, telling our story relating to an important concept we are trying to impress on singles. We have planned that Dr. Meier will then relate that same lesson directly to the singles. Waa laahh - the format has been established. Please pray for us. There's a lot to be worked out yet!

a day in the life ...

Okay, so you may be wondering, what really goes on at Cache' Connections? What do they do all week long? So today I thought I'd offer a glimpse of the action behind the action. Although we envisioned a self-reliant website that would afford us the privilege of "working on the beach," we have yet to research sand-proof laptops!

Both of our days begin by hopping on the computer around 7:00 a.m. to check on overnight activities: new members to be welcomed, bank account and statistics to monitor, customer service requests to address, Facebook statuses to update (be-friend us!.) Kim and I start our official business day together around 9:30 a.m., enjoying the freedom to work out before the work day; I on my treadmill and hand weights, Kim pumping iron at the gym. (She's pretty buff!)

We start the day together making a to-do list, as every day is different. Then we pray together for our decisions and for our members, always praising God and giving the business back to him each day. Depending on where we are with upcoming events, we spend a lot of time on those details - talking to church leaders, speakers, bands, photographers, writing scripts, contracts and endless lists lists lists!

Between 9:30 and 5:00'ish such things can be heard as:

1. "did you answer so and so?"
2. "we need to pray"
3. "we need to make a policy on (fill in the blank)"
4. "lunchtime already?"
5. "you make the page, I'll write the email blast"
6. "where's my map?"
7. "I wonder if Neil Clark Warren does this ..."

Do I miss the 9 to 5 job I gave up? Not really (sorry guys.) The steady paycheck and free coffee were great, but looking back it seemed like ... well, a lot of work. What we are doing now is more like an adventure. Only God knows how the future will turn out. Until then, we remain,

Two Crazy Married Women Who Started a Christian Dating Service

Events and More Events

We have always planned to launch Cache' Connections in new cities by holding events, but as this business has gone since day one, things seem to happen sooner than later. Since our first event in Naperville was such a success and we've had so many requests for more, we are forging ahead with many more events. Once again, God continues to confirm that His word is true as doors have supernaturally been opened for Cache' Connections. We are also extremely grateful for those in the Christian community who have stepped "out of the box" and partnered with us to make these events happen. Here are the new scheduled areas. Thanks to those who were led to lend support and have embraced what Cache' Connections is about.

*Peoria - WCIC radio agreed to offering promotions for this Peoria event and Pastor Jim Powell from Richwoods offered his church for the event. Many other pastors and counseling clinics from this area gave us their time and insight by participating in round table sessions.
Event: January 30th - Richwoods Christian Church

*Orland Park - Dave Mealiff, a single administrator from Parkview Church, invited us to do an event at their church, and Dave has been instrumental in making this event happen. Dr. Paul Meier, a nationally known author, speaker and psychiatrist has agreed to speak at this event. Finally after much concern about finding an appropriate music group, we found Brian Hunt, a local artist who is extremely talented and has his own album.
Event: February 13th - Parkview Christian Church

*Naperville -John Absher, singles pastor from Calvary Church welcomed us back to hold an event for Valentine's Day. The Dating Game idea will finally get to play out. Tower, a radio personality from Shine radio has been put in our path and is a great fit for the show's host.
Event: February 14th - Calvary Church

*Peoria - We found a good fit for a "Connection Party" to follow-up after the Peoria event at Central Station Cafe in Bloomington. The previous speed dating event was successful, but we found it to be too labor intensive for a small event. We have now made adjustments and it should be a great time for all. We are hoping this will serve as a model for future connection parties.

*Naperville and Arlington Heights - Plans are still in progress, but we should be hosting connection parties in these areas on March 8. Stay tuned for more info.

We will soon be embarking on new markets as conversations are underway with church leaders in Rockford, Atlanta, South Carolina, Florida and Indiana. Please join us in prayer for these doors to open and events to take place!

New Year - Open Doors

Our year has gotten off to an encouraging note with a successful New Year's Eve party and three events coming up in a two week period. After launching over seven months ago as an online service, we are gaining confidence in understanding how to market this very specific niche business. We feel God's presence and guidance on a daily basis and are thrilled about some new doors that are opening. We have yet to find the "easy button," but both of us would probably get bored with that anyway as we are hardwired for a challenge. Linda and I committed to take part in a "corporate fast" invitation from Pastor Cal at Northwoods Church. It is a three week commitment and we believe that fasting is a biblical standard which can produce spiritual breakthrough. After one week, we have experienced some amazing blessings. Here's a few examples:

1. We were able to secure the talent that we were seeking for two upcoming events

2. We were informed that we would receive FREE promotions for one event with WMBI

3. We spoke to Dr. Paul Meier and his sister (who is his practice manager) and Dr. Meier agreed to co-author a book with us

4. We received some good news about our website programming that was a huge concern for months

5. Some fantastic free promotions have started on WCIC radio about our Peoria Live! event

6. Calvary Church agreed to host our "Dating Game" event which many are excited about

7. Dr. Paul Meier not only provided us with some of his articles on Christian dating and relationship topics, he penned an article on Boundaries in Dating just for Cache' Connections!

Lind and I are excited to see what the new year will bring and we are both committed to stretching past our comfort zones to spread the word - bringing encouragement and assistance to Christian singles.  Our God reigns!

New Year's Eve Recaps

At the risk of overdoing New Year talk, we felt it appropriate to report about our New Year's Eve event held at the Oak Brook Renaissance Hotel. We had approximately 62 Christian singles for the fabulous dinner, and then approximately 20 to 30 "walk-ins" who joined us for the comedian, Darren Marlar, and dancing to the tunes of DJ Johnny V. Guests had an opportunity to give their contact information to those they were interested in connecting with further. Here are a few testimonials we have received: "Thank you for the work and effort that you put into making New Year's Eve exciting and fun. What a great event. It gave me a chance to talk to more people. (Including the ladies....... there are a lot of nice Christian ladies out there.) I was amazed and in awe of Phillis...) She inspired me to give more of myself. All of the host and hostess said "hello" to me....... they all took their assignments seriously and made me and others feel comfortable and very welcome." "We really enjoyed the new year's celebration...it went very well." "Thanks so much to both of you for planning such a nice evening! The food was excellent and the service there as well! The comedian was good and dancing was nice ... Thanks for taking the pics and for uploading them!"

The New Year was celebrated with party favors and a non-alcoholic champagne toast as we wished each other "Happy New Year!"

New Beginnings - Real Change

As the new year is approaching, some of us have started to think about New Year's resolutions and possibly making some changes. Our pastor at Northwoods Community Church talked about making "real change" in our lives in the coming year and so much of his advice paralleled what we have tried to impress on Cache' Connections members. How many of us give up the resolutions after about Week 3? When we don't see immediate results from our efforts, we often give up due to an incorrect mindset, possibly believing that because the desired change has not occurred, it must not have been God's will. Pastor Cal explained that it doesn't mean the desired results aren't God's will - it often means you haven't positioned yourself for God's will to happen. The scripture reference was 2 Chronicles 7:14: "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." What if we would adopt a new mentality this year that says, "It's not my job to change myself so much as it's my job to position myself before God in such a way that He can change me." God may be waiting for YOU to make a new positioning move. Those moves might include humbling yourself before God, expressing dependency through prayer, developing a more intimate relationship with Him or becoming more obedient to following God's will in every circumstance. God's word tells us in John 15:7 "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." So, in making our New Year's resolution, we should first focus on our relationship (or position) with Christ and move when he says to move and then wait for him to work in amazing and wonderful ways! Our prayer is that God's abundant favor will bless you with an incredible New Year.... make a move or two to make it happen!

2008 in Review

Is anyone as stunned as we are to see that 2008 is nearly over? We thought we'd take a look back and review what God has done in and through Cache' Connections.

Early 2008 we were still using our original website, which was more of a personalized
matchmaking system. However, behind the scenes we were working on our business plan and with the web contractors as they were custom-building the site that you now see. This change came after we received some national attention after an article was published in the Peoria Journal Star in the Fall of 2007. This article hit some national news lines and we started getting calls and emails from around the world, stating what a much-needed service this is for Christian singles. We knew that we needed to restructure to be able to 1) be more affordable and 2) handle many more members.

We are so thankful for the many advisers along the way: legal, financial, marketing,
relationship and business experts that God placed in our path to share their knowledge with us. The snowy weather we are now experiencing is almost too reminiscent of our trek to New York City in February 2008 to make a pitch to investors. Talk about an adventure bathed in prayer!

Our new website launched on 5/20/08 in Rockford, Illinois with the generous help of Salem Communications, WQFL and radio DJ Johnny V, who was our Single of the Month. The Single Spotlight Contest ran for three months and was a lot of fun. However, we felt that God was closing the door on that particular strategy.

As we worked with different Christian radio stations, we soon found out that radio alone was not enough to reach our target audience. It seemed that everywhere we went, we were told to "call the churches." So, brave and mighty warriors that we are, that is what we did. We began by inviting some Peoria-area pastors to a round table discussion to address how Cache' Connections can come together with the Church to fill the gap for Christian singles. It seemed that overall the pastors were pleasantly surprised and delighted that we came to them for wisdom, guidance and partnership.

We are finding that many pastors and churches are willing to help promote Cache' Connections' services and events to their singles population. There seems to be a general consensus that singles are an under-served segment of the Church. Many pastors are somewhat relieved to have a dating service that they can now recommend. We have spoken to several church leaders about the possibility of coming together to host a singles event. We had our first Cache' Connections Live! event in Naperville on 11/14/08. With the help of WMBI and Calvary Church, we had over 400 singles in attendance! We are now booking events for next year, beginning in

Peoria (Richwoods Christian) on 1/30/09, followed by Orland Park (Parkview Christian) on 2/13/09. We have been invited to participate in a singles event that The Chapel is hosting on 4/3/09, and Calvary Church has invited us back on 4/24/09. Discussions are underway with a large church in Northwest Indiana for a possible event in March. We are working our way around the general Chicago area and will expand from there as the Lord allows.

Large events are one thing; small, intimate gatherings may be more your style. Our first Cache' Quick Introductions (speed dating) event was on 12/2/08. We had a wonderful group of people who enjoyed meeting several other committed Christians within their age group. Our New Year's Eve party will be another great opportunity to spend time getting to know other Christian singles - members and non-members. Stay tuned for more connection parties to come!

We must not forget the connections! Just today a new member told me he was quite pleased with the quality of our members, compared to one of our competitors. We have heard of many members who are connecting over the messaging system, telephone, coffee and dinner. We are very excited to see our dreams become a reality after so much hard work and sacrifice. Please let us know if you have met someone special through Cache' Connections, and we will pray for you.

Friends, we count it a privilege and pleasure to work with you in this area that is so dear to your heart. Together, let's look forward to great things in store for 2009!

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let's Talk

Okay ... can we talk? About talking? At Cache' Connections, we seem to have a little confusion about who is supposed to begin communication. Our Questionnaire asks both parties if they feel men should be deliberate in initiating relationships, and the majority of males and females indicate "yes." So, men, once you have your Pending connections sorted into Preferred or Not Interested, please send at least a short message to those who spark your interest! FYI, there is no function associated with your sorting. In other words, the ladies do not know that you have sorted them into Preferred or Not Interested. We also urge the women to introduce themselves by sending a short note to the men - no harm there - and he will probably appreciate that you took notice. Guys, if you have received a message but are not interested, please don't leave her hanging, but send a polite note indicating that you don't feel this is a viable connection. Nine times out of ten, she will be glad to know one way or the other. (The same goes for the ladies in replying to the men.) Next, after you have begun communications through the messaging system, we urge you to take your communication to the next level as soon as both parties feel comfortable. Cache' Connections does not promote long-term "e-dating." If you are going to have a relationship, it's going to be live and in person, so the sooner you talk on the phone, then meet in person, the better off you will be. Cache' Connections suggests that all relationships begin on a friendship level, free of pressure. Pray along the way ... as we pray for connections in process ... and we will see what God has in store! Lastly, why not invite your connections to join you in the open chats? As a reminder, there are chats every evening beginning at 7:30 p.m. CST except Wednesdays. Here's how to access The Meeting Room: go to: www.cacheconnections.com; click on: Community and Advice; click on: The Meeting Room; enter your username and the password: cachebox

Cache' Quick Introductions- Recaps from 11/14/08

Our first Cache' Quick Introductions was held on 11/14/08 at Carrabba's Italian Grill in Naperville. A lot of members expressed that they felt a little out of their comfort zone in participating in "speed dating," but were pleasantly surprised to find that they thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many quality Christian singles in "one stop." We began the evening with instruction and a word of prayer, asking God for his presence and peace for all of us. We stressed that this should be a low-pressure atmosphere in that we are looking at the beginning of a friendship.

After each session, participants gathered together for continued fellowship over a buffet dinner which included salads, breads, pizza, pasta and chicken.

All mutual connections were issued, along with contact information, with 24 to 36 hours. It is now up to the participants to connect further over email, telephone or coffee.

Here are some comments from those who attended:

"As mentioned before, I really enjoyed the event with Cache Connections. The brief introductions were quick but not rushed at all. Those I met with showed acts of faith and kindness and only you see when God calls you into relationship. It's a new beginning and I see that Cache Connections members are moving in the right direction with a Christ-Centered focus in this fellowship of believers seeking new Journeys in life with possibilities. It restored my hopes and prayers." (Steven)

"Thank you for organizing the quick connections dinner last night. I think it turned to be very successful, and the food was great too!" (Enza)

"I just wanted to thank you for a fun time at the meet and greet tonight. The restaurant was tasty and there was a nice mix of people. I was going out of my comfort zone when I signed up for this activity. But I ended up staying late talking to a few people. (guys and gals) We closed the place down!!
God bless the work that you're doing and sincerely thank you.Grace lived out." (April)