Tattoos

Today Lindsy is doing a blog link up about tattoos! One of my favorite things.  Lindsy has just recently started a tattoo based on a story from the Chronicles of Narnia. It is gorgeous, and I'm super inspired to get another one now.  ...though I'm sure I'd have to wait at least another 4 months before anymore ink goes under my skin.

I have 6 tattoos. 5 were done professionally. The 6th one is a turtle I did myself one night with friends, a push pin, and some fountain pen ink.  I do not recommend this method.  I was 23 and stupid. Learn from my mistakes, kids (unborn daughter, I'm talking to you!).

I don't have pictures of all of my tattoos.  The first one I got when I was 21, and it's on my lower back, in the "tramp stamp" region, but it's a Jesus tattoo so it's not trampy. Ha! It's 3 crosses on a hill with a sunrise in the background and it has the reference "Matthew 6:34" written underneath it. "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."  I'm a worrier by nature.  And this tat was to remind me to let go, that everything is in His hands, and my worrying won't do any good.

The second one is a dove carrying an olive branch in its mouth.  I always want my tattoos to be symbolic of something.  I feel like that minimizes the risk of my not liking them later in life.  But with this one, I just wanted another tattoo. So I made sure it was another biblical symbol, because those will never get old to me.

My third one is my biggest one, and has the most involved story to it.  My dad's mom passed away 1 month before I was born.  She was 52 years old. Her father also died at 52. So my dad and his siblings had gotten it in their heads that it would happen to them. I think it started off as a joke, but I'm pretty sure my dad was actually a little bit scared he wouldn't wake up one morning.  He turned 53 without incident. He woke up everyday that year and everything was fine. He has a rose tattoo on his butt. (Yes, I've seen it. Don't tell me you haven't been mooned by your father at least once in your life. Oh, you haven't? You don't have a silly/fun dad then. I feel sorry for you.) I had planned for a while that I would get a tattoo for him when he turned 53. Something with a rose on it. The month after his birthday I walked into the tattoo parlor and 3 hours later walked out with this. 

It actually wraps around my shoulder and over the top of my bicep to the inside of my right arm. And at the end of the stem is written "Jeremiah 29:11."   "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

My last 2 are on the insides of both of my wrists and are for my hubby. We'd been married just over a year when I got them. Basically so when I'm old and having a mid-life crisis I don't forget that I made a commitment, and that commitment is to God, as well as to my husband.