We Got Inked!

Saturday June 20th was our 22nd Wedding Anniversary. We went out to dinner - by ourselves. Then we went to my favorite book store and I bought a few classical records. 

Then we headed to the Tattoo Parlor. Yes - you read that right! Byron has wanted a tattoo for years and both of us got one!! 

Our artist's name was Mike. He is a really neat guy with his first baby on the way! 

The kids had a bet going on who the tattoo would hurt the most. The all said that Daddy would complain the most. He really didn't even flinch, though!! Here he is smiling through the pain. 

 I really thought it would hurt more. It wasn't comfortable, in the least, but not really painful either. Byron thought it felt like a constant cat scratch. I thought it was more like a scrape. 

The kids think they are really cool! 

 I designed both of our tattoos to coordinate, but not match. They are both musical in nature and have Psalm 150 incorporated into the design. Byron's is an acoustic guitar and piano keys. 

Mine is a treble clef sign with a cross and a heart. 

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise God in his sanctuary;

    praise him in his mighty heavens.

2 

Praise him for his acts of power;

    praise him for his surpassing greatness.

3 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

    praise him with the harp and lyre,

4 

praise him with timbrel and dancing,

    praise him with the strings and pipe,

5 

praise him with the clash of cymbals,

    praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

As a side note, I had someone ask me how I could justify getting tattooed as a Christian because the Bible says not to put tattoo marks on yourselves. She wasn't at all being judgmental. She also thinks it is ok for a Christian to have a tattoo, but didn't know exactly how to express it.

Leviticus 19:28 says “‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord." Seems like a pretty clear command, yet there are some very faithful Christians that still get tattooed. The words "for the dead" give us a clue into the passage. The tattoos mentioned here are talking about tattoos or marks that go along with idol worship and pagan rituals. 

Another thing is that the word "tattoo" did not enter the English language until the 1600s, so the meaning is not literally "tattoo" but "printed marks". This was not talking about tattooing as we know it today. 

Also, you have to look at the rest of the passage surrounding the command in Lev. 19:28. Before this command is also the command not to eat meat with the blood still in it, and also not to cut the hair at the sides of your head or to trim your beard. I love to eat rare steak and Byron often trims his sideburns and beard. If we do not feel convicted that we are living in sin by enjoying steak and a haircut, we also shouldn't feel convicted about getting a tattoo. It's the motive in all of it that should convict you. If you eat rare meat as part of a ceremony to a pagan god or cut your hair to signify your pagan culture or tattoo your body with the wrong motive, than that is a sin. I am so thankful that Christians are not under the law, but under grace! Getting tattooed or not is a very personal decision, but not a right/wrong decision, and definitely not something that can keep you from the free gift of God's salvation through Jesus.