sinful heathen.

well at least that's what my granny thinks of me after this weekend.

responses of "lauren, aren't you a little old to be acting like a child?" and "i just don't understand why anyone would defile their body", or my favorite, "there's nothing more disgusting than to see a woman with tattoos and piercings".

oh granny, i guess you'll just have to be disgusted by me.

to which she said she would just wear dark glasses when she was around me. hahaha! oh i love her.

what the heck am i talking about?

oh, well saturday i finally took the plunge and headed to the tattoo shop!

the time had come. i had been planning this tattoo for well over a year and it was all i thought about.

so i just had to do it.

meet tom. he was great. like fo realz.

the tattoo literally only took like maybe 90 seconds to do. now quick pain is how i like it...well if it has to be painful. ;)

i'm hoping that now chris has experienced this, he will finally get one of his own.

you guessed it.

god is able.

you know, my life verse and motto....for everything!

and well i'm a little thrifty. so i got a discount if i got a piercing the same day as my tattoo.

why not?

i've been wanting my nose pierced for years and totally felt that if i was going to do it, then it must be done before i turn 30.

and since that is this year, it had to be done.

here's my nose the last time without a piercing.

clamps in.

pain is a comin.....

and this is exactly the moment where it hurt like hell.

pardon the language, but there's just not another way to describe it.

however, i only let one tear escape the eye ball.

and then i literally could not open my eyes for a good 10 seconds.

ain't it a beaut?!

this was after my red eyes cleared up from the awful awful pain. i mean it was a quick pain...

the crazy lady told me it was like getting my brows waxed.

ummm....no. no ma'am it wasn't.

the tattoo felt much better than the nose.

but nonetheless, it's done!

haha...see here, here you can see the red teary eye.

so in the realm of my new years goals, i'm pretty sure this would fall under "be adventurous" and "have fun", oh yes and "making the most of each day".

take that new year's goals!

and one last thing.

i fully understand that tattoos are not for everyone and a lot of people don't understand why a person would get one. also know, although as an almost 30 year old, i shouldn't have to justify it.  i strategically designed this so that it could be covered by a watch or bracelet should i go somewhere that it would be inappropriate.

but let me say this...and i know i may get some backlash for it.

as a christian, my job is not to sit at home and keep that good news to myself.

god tells me to go unto all the world and spread the greatness of his name.

and the phrase, song and verse pertaining to "god is able" is something that is so inexplicably great to me. possibly one of the greatest messages of hope that the bible speaks of. my lifestyle is different now that i work from home. i don't have the opportunities to plant seeds or live out loud in front of others on a day to day basis. this tattoo is something i needed for me....an absolute constant reminder of the greatness of god.

someone told me that i could keep that in my heart.

well it is, but as a christian, i'm not meant to keep it all to myself.

this tattoo allows me to plant seeds without ever speaking a word. think about any purchases i make...that cashier will see it. things like that.

it's an awesome conversation piece too....please, ask me what it means.

so no, i don't believe that everyone needs a tattoo in order to tell of jesus. and no, that is not the only reason i got it. anyone who knows me, knows what this phrase is to me.

and for this particular season in my life, i felt it was the thing to do.

i believe that tattoo issues are a matter of personal conviction.

i have been planning this tattoo for over a year, and not once ounce of conviction have i felt about it.

therefore, in my life, i do not feel god is angry at me for putting this on my body.

especially if it has the potential to allow me to share my story and build his kingdom.

so while you do not have to agree with me, you also do not have to condemn me for it.

our stories are all different. our paths are different. my story doesn't have to and shouldn't match yours exactly.

so i hope that at the end of the day that i am not judged...i'm just in love with my savior and all that he has done for me, and frankly, i'd like to shout it from the rooftops. but since that might get me institutionalized, this is the route that i have taken and believe is right for me.

and well the nose ring....that was just for fun.