PSA: I don't like hugs.

The title is self-esplanatory. If you saw me with my family, you would probably assume that I am not a very affectionate person. Actually, I love hugs. But I am very reserved about to whom and when I will give them out. I am a big fan of consent - and not just implied consent. Consent needs to be directly expressed. No means no, of course, but only yes means yes. Certainly, this viewpoint applies to sex, but I, personally, need even milder forms of physical intimacy to be mutually consensual. Some people might be okay with "sneak attack" hugs and "tickle tackles," but I am not. If you touch me without my prior knowledge, I cannot be held responsible for what happens next.

Can't Stop the Rain

We complain about the rain

But what are we really complaining about?

Surely not the refreshing source of water

For the wilting flowers

Or the calming pitter-patter of drops

On a windowsill or roof

That helps me get to sleep.

Perhaps we complain about the thunder or lightning:

The low rumble that rattles the windows

Or the unexpected surge of electricity.

But can thunder not also be relaxing?

Or the flashes of light inspire awe and amazement?

Perhaps we are bitter that storms tend to change plans.

Maybe that's it.

The drenching rain and the frightening lightning

Can void our plans for a picnic with friends

Or a hike on a beautiful sunny day.

But can dancing in the rain not also be fun?

Perhaps we harbor anger towards God for the same reason.

We had plans that we thought were so great

But Grace came in and said, "I have something better."

When the filth of sin soiled our hearts

Grace like rain came down and wiped our slates clean.

But we were comfortable in our filth.

We thought it gave us character and made us unique.

We thought being clean made us all look the same.

But it gave us our true identity -

It branded us as God's children

And now we can't stop the rain.

-1/11/14

The God Delusion

Let me preface this by saying that I believe in God; that is not what I mean by "delusion." When I use the term "delusion," I am referring to blind faith, which I do not believe to be true faith. If a blind man states that the grass is purple without sufficient evidence to believe so (and you and I both know that the grass is not purple), then he is exercising blind faith, or what I would call a delusion. No amount of faith will cause the grass to cease being green (or, in some cases, brown).

At the risk of sounding heretical, I want to ask you to forget everything you've heard about "childlike faith." It is one thing if you are a child, but if you are 21 years old and still clinging to the faith in God you had when you were 4 years old because that's what mommy and daddy always told you, I do not think this kind of "faith" honors God at all. There is a certain point in brain development when we are able to question for ourselves what is true. When Jesus said, "Unless you become like the little children, you will not enter the kingdom of God," I do not think he was referring to the doubtless faith of a child (which, as a matter of fact, may not be as doubtless as we believe); I think he was referring to humility and a willingness to admit our mistakes.

"Faith is not a leap in the dark, but it is a leap." - a beloved professor of mine

Edward Scissorhands: a "Frankenstein" story

The Tim Burton film Edward Scissorhands contains many elements that classify it as a “Frankenstein” film. One of the primary reasons for this, perhaps the most obvious, is the simple fact that Edward himself is reminiscent of Frankenstein’s monster. Much like Frankenstein’s monster, Edward Scissorhands longs to be accepted by a society in which he doesn’t belong.

Edward is an unfinished creation whose creator died before Edward was completed. As a result of this, Edward is left with scissors in place of human hands. This leads him to be shunned by culture and society, as many people prejudge him as an “evil creature.”

Frankenstein’s monster learns about world history, literature, and language by observing the people whom he is around. Edward Scissorhands also learns in this manner. Watching the film, it is obvious that Edward is not very vociferous at the beginning of the movie, but he speaks more as the plot proceeds. One can make the assumption that this is because, like an infant learning how to speak through his toddler years and early childhood, Edward learns more language as time goes on.

Another reason for Edward Scissorhands’s similarity to Frankenstein’s monster is his motives for his actions. Like Frankenstein’s monster, Edward does not intentionally cause harm. For example, there is a scene in the film in which the son of the family with which Edward is staying runs out into the street. Edward pushes him out of the way of an oncoming van, but this action causes nearly as much trouble as it prevents, as Edward’s scissors get in the way and accidentally cut the boy. Also, nearly everyone who observes Edward caring for the boy assumes that Edward was acting out of malicious desire to harm the boy. This scene could be considered a parallel to the scene in Frankenstein in which the monster rescues a drowning young girl. Everyone who observes this scene assumes that the monster has attacked the girl.

In the wake of his rejection, Frankenstein’s monster vows revenge against all mankind for the way he is treated. He decides that, since everyone considers him to be a monster, he will act like a monster. He acts out of vengeance and kills his creator’s brother. Similarly, in the climax of Edward Scissorhands, Edward murders his love interest’s boyfriend. Both Edward and Frankenstein’s monster give up on trying to be accepted as kind, civilized creatures, and decide to become the monsters that society has made them out to be.

One significant difference between Edward Scissorhands and Frankenstein is the status of the inventors. Edward’s inventor has died during the creation of Edward, and Edward must carry out acts of vengeance on the people who treat him poorly, rather than avenging his creator for making him a “monster.” Frankenstein, on the other hand, is alive throughout the course of the story, allowing the monster to avenge his creator directly.

Edward Scissorhands’s journey for approval is not an easy one; similarly to Frankenstein’s monster, he must overcome obstacles such as language barriers, prejudice, and lifestyle differences in order to be accepted. Ultimately, neither Edward nor Frankenstein’s monster achieve their goals. However, both Edward Scissorhands and Frankenstein are tales of seemingly wicked creatures who only desire one thing from the world they are brought into: acceptance.

Response to "Pessimistic"

In high school, I was depressed. In my depression, I wrote poetry. Some poetry that is inspired by depression has more subtle undertones of melancholy, but not mine. My poetry was blatantly depressing, angry, and even suicidal. I wrote a poem in 9th grade, which I aptly titled "Pessimistic." Now, five years later, I realize that if someone I cared about had written this poem and showed me, I would be seriously concerned for their life. The things that I wrote in this poem were lies straight from Satan. God has been debunking these lies and showing me truth, and that is why I wrote down what I thought God would say to 14-year-old Allison. The first part, before the line break, is the poem I wrote in 9th grade; the second part is the poem I wrote five years later. 

My sins scribbled on my forehead
For the world to see;

Who could love me?

Every mistake I've made

Comes back to haunt me;

Who will accept me?

The poison of rejection has made me ill;

My past, a knife that has stabbed my heart.

I'm searching for acceptance

In a world that is against me;

How long until my search is over?

I'm worn out and tired

Of making futile attempts at finding a friend.

All I've ever hoped for,

Now thrown away.

The ugliness of rejection is all that shows.

Rejected, and this pencil and paper are all I have --

My only friends in a dark world of hurt and pain.

Uninvited,

And I can't take anymore.

The lonely tears I cry are ignored

By teasing laughter.

My life will be a secret,

Lived for only me to see.

This gloomy raincloud of regret hovers over me,

And all I can do

Is write.
 

When your sins are scribbled on your forehead

For the world to see,

I still love you.

When every mistake you've made

Comes back to haunt you,

I will accept you.

The poison of rejection has made you ill;

Your past seems like a knife that has stabbed your heart.

You have been searching for acceptance

In a world that is against you;

Your search is now over.

You're worn out and tired,

But I give you rest.

All you've ever hoped for

Can be found in Me.

Now the beauty of acceptance is all that shows.

You are Mine, and I am all you need.

Call on Me when your world is dark.

I invite you in;

You don't have to fight anymore.

I have heard your cry;

What took you so long to cry to Me?

Your life was never a secret;

I saw every moment.

I welcome you in with open arms

And I call you

My child.

Control

Control -
To define it seems counterintuitive.
I think I'm controlling my habits,
But it's more like they're controlling me.
Because - well - it's all that I can think about.
No matter how hard I try to ignore it -
It's still there.
Even when I try to deny it -
The problem lingers.
Pretty soon, others will start to notice.
I thought this could just be my little secret.
God sees the real me - and He loves me as I am.
I use that as an excuse -
But really, I should let Him control my life,
Instead of letting my life control me.

-Allison Gossage (10/28/12)

Why I am So Passionate About Camp

For those of you who don't know, I worked at Camp Longridge in Ridgeway, SC, in the summer of 2010, the summer after my junior year of high school. I took a break for the summer of 2011, but reapplied this summer, and I really hope to rejoin the super summer staff 2012! Here is a list of some of the reasons why I love camp so much.

1. Staff - I love the other staff so much! In my summer of working at camp, the other staff helped to disciple me and helped me to grow spiritually, especially through Bible Studies and sharing testimonies during work week.

2. Making Champions for Christ - The slogan says it all. Our mission is to make champions for Christ through Bible Studies, fellowship, and worship services. Even the little things like speaking with campers during cabin time can be very rewarding and even life-changing for the campers.

3. My Childhood - I basically grew up at camp. My first summer was when I was 9 years old. It was the first time I had been away from my family for more than one night, so my mother feared that I would be homesick. Contrary, I was far from it! I loved camp so much that I attended every summer until I was 17, which year I joined the team of staffers. I can remember each one of my staffers by name, and I desire to have that kind of impact on a student's life.

4. Serving - One of my top spiritual gifts is serving. As a support staff, I served a lot, but I did not get much recognition for my work. However, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Don't get me wrong; I would love to lead a cabin full of girls, but I really enjoyed setting up for dinner, washing dishes, and doing late-night tasks such as cleaning and restocking the canteen with goodies.

5. It's just fun! - How many jobs can you say that about? Actually, I don't see camp as a job as much as a ministry opportunity. And it is not always the staffers ministering to the campers; quite often, it is the other way around. Anyway, the directors of Camp Longridge put so much effort into planning and perfecting free time activities and games. Even though certain games (*cough* Chaos) got very sticky and borderline gross in 110-degree weather, I love them! The activities are fun for the campers, and it is so encouraging to see the smiles on their faces and hear the laughter.

I did not write this post in hopes of kissing up to the people in charge of the hiring process, but I am so passionate about serving at camp that I just had to write about it. If anybody on staff reads this, know that I love you guys; if anybody who does not yet work at camp but is looking for an excellent ministry opportunity and even make a few bucks, consider this your cue to go to www.camplongridge.com and fill out the application! The deadline is March 1, which is tomorrow, so you don't have a lot of time, but if you're interested you should definitely do it! Also, TFC students, Amy Roedding has said that you can get student ministry credit for working at a summer camp, even if you get paid, so I will talk to her specifically about this. Anyway, I hope you guys have a great day, and definitely consider applying to work at Camp Longridge!