what's new in March

Well, I'm trying to get other family members to post, but as of now it's just me, Jeff, writing all these.

We've successfully continued our New's Year resolution to have 1 'mini' resolution a month.

January, it was reading 4 chapters of the Bible a day (blog link here, I'm still doing it), we made it!

February was what we called 'Fast Food February', abstaining from McDonald's and the like. We made it! (but guess what we had for dinner on March 1st?)

We got to talking as a family, should we get a word that matches March, and 'M' word? Several ideas made it out there...no Meat March, no Make Up March (I was good with that one), and some others I don't quite recall. We settled on...

Music March. We're only listening to music from Christian artists this month. Should be interesting with no Justin Bieber in the house! (I like it already!)

I like this because it teaches our girls the power of self discipline. Both Olivia and Lauren couldn't believe they could make it 2009 without soda, but now there's power in the knowledge they were able to do it.

We got to go to Jackson, MI to visit our aunt and uncle there this last weekend. I spoke about CYC to Jackson Trinity church. We have some history there. Arianna grew up in this church and her dad was pastor until she was 10 and they moved to VA. We were married there on June 5, 1993. And it was our first church in ministry together from 1993-95. So going back is always cool to see friends and family there we love dearly.

Not to mention that Aunt Ethel and Uncle Mark spoil us to death while we are with them!

Please pray for our family for our protection and strength in this important ministry in which we are playing a part. If you are following my personal blog or my Facebook page, you know that God is opening the doors wide for CYC across the country.

Girl Talk

Last summer, our oldest daughter disappeared in her room for long periods at a time and we found out later towards the end of summer that she was working on writing a curriculum and plan out what would become a peer-to-peer student ministry called "Girl Talk." Looking through her curriculum, it was good stuff!

Since last fall, she has led this weekly group every Monday night along with other friends and even some adults she's recruited to help her. We're proud to see her heart for her friends and her tenacity to stick with it.

This is a pic of their group from last week. Check out the 12 foot snow man/monster.

beginnings of lots of new things

We love New Year's, mainly because it's a chance for new starts. Have you noticed lately that resolutions are viewed much more skeptically these days? Sure, probably everyone has failed at them at least once. But they do offer hope for change that we feel we need. It was December of 2008 when our family talked about a resolution: not drinking soda for a year. Just a few days ago, we celebrated together with a toast of Mt. Dew to our accomplishment.

This year we're at it again. Only this time, we're doing 12 resolutions, 1 month at a time. We decide tonight as a family which one is first, and we start tmrw.

(We're also participating in a type of 'read through the Bible' concept Jeff came up with called 4 Chapters A Day, check it out)

As 2010 rolls around, we're back full on attending Kentwood Community Church. Being back this morning felt like home, We love KCC, and we are excited about what God is doing there. Pastor Kyle's message today was great, I enjoy hearing him and sense an anointing upon his leadership and teaching. So we feel a new beginning at KCC in 2010.

We ended the year beginning a new adventure. We closed out the year at a youth convention for the Wesleyan denomination. Hundreds of schools and thousands of students heard about Claim Your Campus. The response to the mission/vision of CYC was more than we thought. It was fun as a family to participate in representing CYC at one of the event sites in Louisville, KY.

We can't wait to see what happens next in 2010!

Have a blessed year and decade.

the Eckarts