Tattoos are permanent. People, especially adults, tend to freak out about tattoos. We've all heard, "They will be on your skin forever, they will ruin your body, and they are a bad idea." Tattoos can be seen as reckless. Many people think that tattoos are these pointless markings as a result from wild decisions.

As for the Christian response, you'll hear things like, "The Bible says our body is a temple," hinting that we should not permanently mark our bodies, but all of these things are exactly the point of my tattoos.

Sometimes, I do make wild or crazy decisions, but I thought about whether or not I wanted a tattoo for an entire year before I got my first one. If I was going to permanently mark my body, I wanted it to be with something that I was proud of, something that I truly believed, and something that I wasn't ashamed to display.

I'm not sure when I first read Romans 8:38-39, but it has been one of the most influential verses in my life. It reads, "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels not demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below--indeed nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." I memorized and meditated on these words for an entire year before deciding that I wanted them to be a permanent marking on my body. This tattoo serves as a reminder that, like a tattoo, God will never leave me. He loves me immensely, and there is nothing that can separate us from one another. How awesome is that?

My second tattoo is a cross. It is small and simple, but has huge significance. Jesus died on the cross so that our sins would be forgiven, enabling us to have full life for eternity. What a precious gift! The cross is the ultimate symbol of life and love. When I look at this tattoo, I can't help but be overwhelmed by how awesome our God is. How undeserving I am of such an incredible gift, but because He loves me, He was willing to die so that I could be forgiven, and so that I can spend eternity with Him in Heaven.

As far as permanence goes, the Lord has been the only constant, faithful thing in my life. If I were to get any tattoos, it would only be fitting that they would symbolize what has been permanent in my life, and that is God.

So while many may not agree about whether tattoos are a good or bad thing, I, for one, am so excited and proud of my tattoos, and their significance. They are something that I find dear and relevant to my life, and that's the point of a tattoo in the first place. So if you're thinking of getting tatted, make sure it is something that means a lot to you, and you are proud of having as a constant part of your life.