Rainy Day Rants

Welcome back! Thanks for stopping by to the "This Guy Over Here," and some of the random thoughts that cross my mind. I am sitting at this AWESOME coffee shop at Purdue University called "Greyhouse." You've probably heard of it. If not, you need to. So I am just hanging out, breathing deep the coffee aroma that hangs so heavily in the air. I've always found it kind of funny that I legitimately do not like coffee, but I can tolerate the smell. Considering that tasting something is something like 70% smell, those calculations don't really add up. Oh well! I'm just sitting here, looking out the window and watching a drizzling rain fall down. And I thought to myself, "self, I should blog about rainy days." So that is what I am doing. Enjoy the mysteries of a rainy day!

95% of the time, the first thing that always come to my mind when it is raining outside is "blah." I mean seriously, getting rained on is inconvenient. It's annoying and a hassle. Especially the light drizzle rain. It's just enough to get you wet, but not really enough to make you stay inside and not leave. It's not enough to be like a rainstorm, so it's not really cool. And usually, it is perpetual. Like ALL day. I feel like people including myself are generally in more "blah" moods when it rains, and I wanted to write about this. Besides some general reasons that I listed above, why do we get down and saddened on a rainy day? A rainy day provides so much for us that we don't even realize. "Oh really," you ask. "Like what?" Well, let me tell you dear friends. Let me tell you.

Five Things that Can be Accomplished on a Rainy Day.

1. indoor picnic

Hello? How awesome is this? The first glance may cause you to say that every meal inside is an indoor picnic. Wrong. When I am talking about doing an indoor picnic, I mean like going all out. Red and white checkered blanket. Picnic basket. Sandwich meat or whatever else you eat on a picnic. And the hardwood or tiled floor. You'd be surprised by how fun this can be. Have a picnic with your roommates or some random strangers on your floor. Don't worry guys. If you are anything like myself, and don't have an official blanket or basket, be creative. Even sharing a meal with your bros on the floor can be a good time.

2. board games

So this is a pretty wide topic range, but basically, a rainy day gives you a perfect excuse to get out some of those board games we don't really have any other time to open. The next time that it really starts to come down outside, pull out the Monopoly board and start one of those three hour games. Or, if Monopoly isn't your game, crack out Catchphrase, bring out the battleship, get out the Guess Who, deal out the deck of cards. There are so many board games, and so many other games that can simply be played with pencil and paper. Take advantage of the grey outside so create some laughs and fun times inside.

3. prayer

Although we shouldn't only pray on rainy days, it is true that a rainy day can provide the perfect opportunity to just hide away in your room, in your apartment, or even in the local coffee shop and just spend some serious quality time in prayer. Not only do you get to spend some time with the Creator of the Universe, but I have found that prayer is very good at cheering me up. Take the rainy day and make it a prayer day. Pray for your friends and family. Pray that God would work in the rain. Or like one of my friends, pray for complete strangers on a random island somewhere by the Easter Islands. Prayer is prayer. And we could all use it. So let's all give it.

4 Clean urp.
Yes. I know that no one really likes to clean up, but let's just face it. Sometimes it needs to be done. There isn't a better time than the world is deciding to take a shower. If you are going to be inside, you may as well get some things organized. BUT, just because I am advocating cleaning, does not mean that I am advocating the boringness or general ire that accompanies cleaning. No. Ask your roommates, boyfriend, girlfriend, friends, to just hang out with you while you clean. If you get lucky, they may even help! But just hanging out and being productive can lead to some pretty cool stories. Just take the time to talk and get to know your friends. The best part is that this can be done while folding laundry or organizing your desk.

5. Golashing.
definition: Golashing: The act of wearing rainboots (or other acceptable shoes for us men) and running outside, jumping or stepping in as many puddles as possible. Usually accompanied by extreme laughter and dancing. Sometimes accompanied by singing. Usually not accompanied by umbrellas or dry clothes.

SO there it is. Five perfectly acceptable, creative, and easy ways for you to enjoy this rainy day. I wanted to leave with a little bit of scripture that has been sticking out to me this week! Read it and think on it!

2nd Corinthians 6:4-10

^"Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything."

They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love,

Signing Off,

JD