David Arp - 52 Fantastic Dates for You and Your Mate

52
FANTASTIC
DATES
FOR YOU
AND YOUR
MATE

OTHER BOOKS
BY THE AUTHORS

10 Great Dates to Energize Your Marriage

10 Great Dates for Empty Nesters

10 Great Dates Before You Say I Do
(with Curt and Natelle Brown)

No Time for Sex

The Second Half of Marriage

Fighting for Your Empty Nest Marriage
(with Howard Markman, Scott Stanley,
and Susan Blumberg)

Loving Your RelativeEven When
You Dont See Eye-to-Eye
(with John and Margaret Bell)

New Baby Stress

Marriage Moments

Family Moments

Quiet Whispers from Gods Heart for Couples

Answering the 8 Cries of the Spirited Child

Suddenly Theyre 13!or the Art of Hugging a Cactus

52
FANTASTIC
DATES
FOR YOU
AND YOUR
MATE

DAVID & CLAUDIA ARP

Copyright 1993 by David and Claudia Arp
Repackaged edition 2004

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Nelson Books titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Arp, Dave.
52 fantastic dates for you and your mate / David and Claudia Arp.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-7852-0422-9 (hc)
1. MarriageReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. Dating (Social customs)Religious aspectsChristianity. 3. Dating (Social customs). I. Title: Fifty-two fantastic dates for you and your mate. II.
Arp, Claudia. III. Title.
BV835.A77 2005
306.872dc22

2004018015

Printed in the United States of America

04 05 06 07 08 QW 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To couples everywhere
who want to add fun to their marriage
through dating.

We are grateful to our friends, family members, and participants in our Marriage Alive seminars who shared their creative dates with us so we could pass them on to you.

Special thanks to Janie Johnson for her help and to Janet Thoma and Susan Salmon for their excellent editorial guidance; and to the in-house staff of Thomas Nelson who made writing this book fun for us.

If this book inspires you to date your mate, we would love to hear from you. Tell us your most fun experiences. You can contact us through our Web site at www.marriagealive.com.

If you like these dates, youll find more ideas in our 10 Great Dates series:

10 Great Dates Before You Say I Do
10 Great Dates to Energize Your Marriage
10 Great Dates for Empty Nesters

For more information go to www.marriagealive.com.

Let us encourage you to go on and date your mate. It will keep your marriage alive, fun, and headed in the right direction!

CONTENTS

Many view marriage as death, boredom, or the end of the line, a marriage specialist said on a recent television talk show. It made us stop and question, Why are people frightened of marriage? Why do some view it as the end of the line?

Having worked with married couples for many years, we have our own opinion. We believe life goes out of a marriage when the couple stops working on it. To take it a step further, we have observed that when a couple stops working on their marriage, they stop having fun together. Show us a marriage that is faltering, and well show you a marriage where the fun is gone.

And where the fun is gone, there is a mighty good chance they dont date their mate! Dating is something they did before they got married. It is not in their marriage vocabulary today.

In the following pages, we want to do something about that. We offer you 52 Fantastic Dates for You and Your Mate. Unlike books you read from cover to cover, you can read this book spontaneously. Simply read the section that suits your present mood; then choose a date from that section. Remember, this is a resource to enrich your relationship with each other.

This book is divided into seven parts, each offering a different category of dates. Youll find everything from Romantic Dates to Getting-in-Shape Dates to Cheap-and Easy Dates. We especially recommend the Were Just Too Tired Dates for those times you think youre just too exhausted to date your mate.

We want to emphasize that all the dates in this book have been done by someone, somewhere! A big thank-you to all those who shared their creative dates with us. Many are alumni from our Marriage Alive seminars all around the country. From Washington State to Florida, they happily pass their fun times on to you.

Will dating make a difference in your marriage? Our answer is an emphatic Yes! If you dont believe us, ask Fred and Nancy. Heres what they wrote us:

Thank you for sharing your dating ideas. My husband and I have a lot of fun in our marriage and it is legal, moral, and inexpensive. We know we cant take our marriage for granted, so we continue to search for reinforcements such as your books.

Fred and Nancy, here is the next installment! This book is for you and for all who want to make their marriages come alive with fun, laughter, and good times together. The ball is in your court. Go on and have a great time dating your mate!

JUST
FOR- FUN
DATES

1
FORMAL
DINNER
IN-THE- PARK
DATE

THE IDEA:

Formal dinners dont have to be stuffy and dont have to be crowded affairs. Actually, the guest list can include only twoyou and your mate. There is no real protocol for this date. Its completely open-ended but our friends, Larry and Lois, tell us its a ball.

MAKE YOUR MATE FEEL LIKE A STAR:

Most everyone has been to a picnic in a parkcomplete with paper plates, cold fried chicken, plenty of people, and ants and other bugs. But very few have attended a private black-tie affair out under the stars. This is one date, if you pull it off, that will make your mate feel like a star celebrity.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT SETTING:

Choose a park that lends itself to the romantic, like one with a waterfall, statues, or maybe a lake. Its easy to convert a picnic table into a formal dining room, or you can bring your own folding table and chairs. Youll also need to bring your favorite tablecloth, linen napkins, china, and silverware. A vase of fresh flowers (wildflowers are ideal) and a candelabra will add to the formal atmosphere.

If you are industrious, you can prepare food beforehand and grill in the park (if allowed). Or if you want to simplify, call your favorite restaurant and order take-out dinners. Another option is to pick up dinner from the deli of your favorite gourmet grocery store.

DRESS FOR THE OCCASION:

You will want to dress accordingly. Put on your tux or formal gown if you already own one, but prepare yourself for a few stares. If you dont want to go that formal, a coat and tie or dress is fine and will still add to the formality of the evening.

Take along a CD player with your favorite music CDs to add to the atmosphere. If you feel nostalgic, we suggest oldies music from your premarriage dates. If youre looking for something fresh and romantic in an outdoorsy way, we recommend:

A favorite classical recording.

George Winston (piano and instrumental from Windom Hill).

Michael Hedges (wonderful acoustic guitar).