Before you head out on your first date, there are a few things you need to think about.  First of all, what do you want to get out of this date?  Are you casually “playing the field”?  or you waiting and praying for the “right one”?  Scripture teaches us one man and one woman, so why do we “play the field.”  I am of the personal conviction that we need to wait for the right one.  In the meantime, my dad has taken me out on some great dates!  The key that I have learned from my dad is that time to talk is the most important thing about our “dates.”

So here are some suggestions about a “first date.”  And keep in mind, you can have a great first date without spending a lot of money.  All of these options are light on the wallet and will help you stay on track with your budget.

1. Play a game of miniature golf.  You’ll quickly learn how each of you handles some laid back competition as well as be able to take your time, talk, and laugh.  Then go out for ice cream afterwards and see who gets the most chocolate on them.

2.  Find the best local pizza restaurant – not a chain, but a local owned restaurant.  In our area, we have a place called Benny’s.  It has a great reputation, but we did not learn about it until this past year.  Since then, we’ve enjoyed going there a few times.  The nice thing about a local pizza restaurant is that it has character!

3. Meet up with some friends for a picnic.  This gives you a chance to have fun and get to know each other, but it also brings in a comfort level for both of you.

4. Go skating – ice or roller – it doesn’t  matter.  It gives you some great exercise.  You can enjoy talking, and you can find out how attentive you are to each other.  Does he want to skate by himself or with you?  I have wonderful memories of my daddy and I skating growing up, and my congregation’s young people will do this on occasion as well.

5.  Hang out with one of your families.  Families will tell all!  It makes sure that you are genuine.  You cannot fake it around your parents and siblings.  If his parents keep asking him, “are you okay?” you can have a good guess that something is not quite right!

The point of a date is to get to know each other and see if this is the match God has for you.  I love this quote and will leave you with it. “You don’t have to do anything but concentrate on being the right person – the person God wants you to be – instead of finding the right person.  Godly marriages are made by first living Godly lives.  It is God’s responsibility to whether you will marry and when you will marry.  The arrangement is up to Him.  How simple…God is [then] the matchmaker,” says Doctor Don Rannikar in his book Choosing God’s Best.