I would hope that most of my family and friends understand my heart — that fully know my desperation for Jesus and I long to live my life as an authentic overflow of His Spirit within.

I fail all the time. But He still calls me “daughter” and “righteous” and “holy” and all those words that send me to my knees in gratitude. So yes, I love Jesus with imperfect abandon. AND…I like tattoos.

Sorry, mom.

It’s true. My artistic side appreciates the ink, especially when it points to the Maker of heaven and earth.

At the age of 18, I moved out of the house, picked a university to attend for the next four years, and decided on what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I also got my first tattoo. And here's what I'd like to say to those of you who don't agree with tattoos:

I'm not offended that you don't like or want tattoos, as long as you respect my opinions, too. My goal is not to tell you that you're wrong and I'm right. I love that everyone can have their own beliefs and opinions, diversity is a beautiful thing. Tattoos aren't for everyone, and that's perfectly okay.

Yes, I've seen the verse in Leviticus. In Leviticus 19:28 the Bible says, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord." And if you look at that verse with no context, then, of course, you would think tattoos are sinful. However, if you look at verses 26-27, we are told "Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it" and "Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard."

So, if you've ever had a rare steak, cut your hair, or pierced your ears, then we're at the same level. There are several other odd laws written in Leviticus that are also not followed today.

The laws written in Leviticus were cultural laws for the Israelites. The cutting of flesh and the tattoo marks were, at the time, a pagan ritual. The laws were created to set the Israelites apart from the pagan people. We are now living in a completely different culture and time. As Christians, we are not bound by the old laws and are under the new covenant.

It does cost a good amount of money because it's a form of art. Tattoo artists make a living off of their art just like any other form of artist. You're paying good money for the tattoo artist to do a great job. You don't want to end up with a misspelled tattoo (we've all seen the classic "No Regrets" tattoo misspelled as "No Ragrets") or an ugly drawing on your body permanently.

The art on your walls, the clothing you wear, the designs on your coffee mugs, etc. is all done by artists. We are willing to pay money for beautiful things, I just wear the art behind my ear instead.

You're right, the tattoos won't look the same when I'm old. I will eventually be an old woman with grandchildren and wrinkly skin. But I will be wrinkly with or without the tattoos. I will be an awesome grandma with stories to tell. Our bodies and this life are so temporary, but for now, I'm 19 years young and have my whole life ahead of me.

I agree that my body is a temple. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."

My body is still a temple, tattooed or not. I've arguably done far worse things to my body than getting a tattoo. The way I eat is not exactly the healthiest by anyone's standards, and I hardly ever work out even though I have the intentions of it. I am not always the best at taking care of my body, I will admit that.

However, I believe that decorating my body with reminders of God's gifts and grace when I need them most is not disregarding the fact that my body is a temple. Churches are full of art pieces and symbols. My tattoo has opened up many conversations about my faith and I get to share my story because of it.

Sincerely,

A heart that longs for the Lord, even with permanent script behind her ear.

"Courage, dear heart." - C.S. Lewis