Why are you interested in her?

I almost forgot one of the most important aspects of this whole situation.

The reasons you give for enjoying a girl need to have some kind of real value. It's okay to say that you love the fact that she enjoys watching football with the guys, but make sure you supplement that with some kind of appreciation for the woman that God has created her to be. Do you see something that makes you think she'd be a great partner in ministry? Do you like her passion for evangelism? Do you like her ability to influence those around her for good? Do you like her heart for the orphan, widow, or oppressed?

Think about it...what do you really see in her? What is the real reason you're attracted to the soul of this beautiful woman?

First Date - Rough Draft

This was the rough draft...it has been through a few revisions since after getting feedback from friends I trust. I recommend the same. Do what you think sounds right, feels right, is what you would want to do, and then get a reality check from someone you trust. Make sure through the revision process that you stay true to your ideas, your intentions. Don't let them completely change your gameplan...maybe just a few of the details.

Monday night's first date
Type: Progressive Dinner
First stop is Vino Vino for wine/appetizers (http://vinovinotx.wordpress.com/)
Second is La Tratoria for dinner (http://www.latraviata.net/)
Third is The Melting Pot for dessert (http://www.meltingpot.com/locations.aspx?z=78702&n=25355)

Optional events to play by ear
Coffee at Mozart's on the lake (http://www.mozartscoffee.com/)
Christmas lights on 37th street (http://texaslesstraveled.com/37thstreet.htm)

Straight-forward

If you have interest -- real interest -- in spending time with someone and your ultimate goal is to possibly date them, you need to tell them. Straight-forward. Don't randomly start asking to do things together and make the girl wonder why you are all-of-a-sudden making these requests. She'll start wondering if it is or isn't because you're kinda into her. If you are, she deserves to know. And then you're not wasting your time if she's not really into you.

And no. I'm not saying you need to profess your undying love for her because, let's be honest, you probably don't know if your attraction is really love at this point anyway. But yes. You do need to let her know that you enjoy spending time with her, explain the qualities of who God has created her to be that you enjoy and like, and explain that you want to be more intentional about spending time together so you can get to know her even better. You should desire for her to be flattered by your interest and valued by your desires.

At the end, don't forget to listen. You're going to be nervous when you do this. Period. It's not natural for most to express these kinds of details to someone they care about. You'll want to word-vomit all over the girl because when we get nervous we talk. Without stopping. So be cognizant of this, and plan to stop yourself. And listen. Actually understand what she's saying. You need to be able to understand if she's reciprocating the interest or not. If she's not, listen to why. It'll be a great indicator of either a) where you aren't compatible or b) where you need to grow.