so this past weekend was ascension convention. the big youth conference that my school organizes every year on easter weekend. boy it was great. i mean, besides the whole no sleep thing. i dunno. there isn't one specific thing that i could point out to you and say "that's what made the weekend so great." it was a blast hanging out with ray, jeremiah, josh, jake, and brian at gino's east on friday. collectively we made up the worship band, and it just seemed like worship was really where all of our hearts were at this year. looking back, it's amazing how smoothly everything worked out... it was so evident that God's hand was on all the details. friday night i got to speak with an old friend for about an hour and a half and found out that in the course of the last year our lives have almost mirrored each other. we talked about how we have seen each other change in the past four years which was an enlightening conversation that if you want to know more you can ask. friday and saturday night i got to spend a little (though not enough) time with rebekah, colleen, christine, and teresa. we had communion together in their hotel room on friday night... they are just amazing. i'm going to miss them so much when they go off to college (or denmark). saturday morning we led worship for the last rally and before doing so we prayed in the coat check room. there were probably 10-12 men and me, just praying for the service. and for some reason at that moment, in that time of prayer i was just really touched that the guys were just affectionately praying for one another. it was just so... selfless and passionate and pure. sigh. it was just fantastic.

a little less spiritual... so last night goes down as one of the top five dates in stephanie's history book. mind you, i've probably only been on five real dates in my life. well ok, more than that. closer to ten. but this date was different because i didn't really know the guy. which, ok, can be a bad thing. i mean of course you think what if he's a psycho serial killer or stalker or rapist or something, then you're in trouble. but... ara's not. it was really fun going out with someone that i didn't know very well on a date date. because it is just... refreshing that there can be an acknowledged romantic interest, but that it's a very low pressure situation because you don't have anything invested in the person.

so the date. yeah. i figured that we would meet up and spend 30 minutes deciding what to do, because most of the people i know, including myself, suck at being decisive. but not true with ara. he picked me up and i asked where we were going, and he said he made reservations at green dolphin street. downtown. sweet. he remembered that i had said that i didn't get into the city very often and that i wished i did. we get there. green dolphin street is a restaurant/bar/jazz club. a really NICE restaurant/bar/jazz club. where "they" don't put prices on the menu and the halibut is served with "a pretty straightforward presentation." gourmet food. dang was it good. and fun. this guy is so freaking polite and respectful it just makes me smile. he does all the things guys are supposed to do and does it without making me feel like i owe him anything. we got done eating and went into the club part, where this jazz power pop cover band was playing. hiliarious. this big black woman came out and sang the "big fat woman" song. so funny. the place was packed with happy people. unfortunately the chick behind me kept cheering in a pitch that has been known to make me want to bash my head into a wall, so we left. he takes his ticket to the valet parking booth, where the attendant is yelling at some woman because she didn't go into the booth through the correct door. we called him the valet nazi. no parking for you! we leave, he drives me home.

"when can i see you again?"

well, hmm. cons, in order of importance:

1) not that i know this for sure, but it seems pretty evident from our conversations that God takes a different priority in both of our lives. which sucks.
2) he smokes.
3) the last girlfriend that he had was also named stephanie.

i kind of talked to him about #1 and said that yeah i like him but that we would probably have to stay just friends. which disappointed him but he said he would completely respect my wishes and would just like to know me regardless. he hugged me and thanked me for my company and that was it. fantastic date.

NO THERE WAS NO KISSING. get your mind out of the gutter. we did hold hands for, like, three minutes during the show at the club. because... well... sometimes it's just nice to have someone to hold your hand.

so although ara and i will probably not work out, i would just like to say that from what i know so far he's great. i think he might actually be a man. i suppose the maturity comes from being a little older (he's 27). in any case, i highly endorse him.