If I leave a subject under-represented, let me know and maybe I can give you some more info, you Nosy Nellys.
It all began when I was born.
Okay, I won't really go that far back. I'll start with the story of me and the man of God.
We met in 1994, when he was dating an acquaintance of mine.
Richy had risen to some renown in 9th grade, when he and his brother had led a band through a Metallica medley of sorts in the school talent show. (see: moshing in the bleachers) They (the Toxic Crayolas) were such a smash hit that we continued getting devil horns in public for a good 5 years after we were married. He got saved when he was 14, 15, and 16. It stuck after 16.
I was raised in church and Christian school, and while I may have had a peek or two at objectional words in a dictionary, I was basically pure as the driven snow. Through a series of events probably having to do with being broke, I ended up in public school after 9+years of private. I immediately bonded with the freaks and deviants in the drama department, and for the first time ever, found people who "got" me that didn't live in my house.
We were having revival, or renewal or something at my church, and Richy came to get him some Holy Ghost. We hit it off immediately. I thought he was so cute and bad with his long-ish hair and earring and musical skills. He thought I was smart and funny, although awkward-looking.
I had never met someone so passionate about God. I had also never met someone so messed up. (since then, I have met MANY far more messed up, but I was sheltered) I came to an understanding of pain, and of mercy and hunger for God. Simultaneously, I fell in love.
We started officially dating in November of 1994. I knew by January I would marry him. We went to our junior and senior proms together. We also started leading a youth ministry out of our local church, along with our friend Josh. It was the beginning of an explosive season of God saving young people in our youth group. I was 16, he was 17.
You may recognize Josh and Shannon. This is an entirely different Shannon from the one Josh ended up marrying. Josh also ended up choosing different eyewear, which was a very wise choice.
We got engaged in January of 1996, graduated high school in May, and got married in August. But THAT is another post.
Part II here
Hey Jess I love that you are going to tell your story!
ReplyDeletePam I am so excited for you. I had a feeling....
And yes I am still pregnant! I go to the doc tommorow and if there is still no progress they are going to schedule me to be induced. I really don't want that. I hate medicine of any kind so I am praying that she will willingly come out before any of that happens. And who knows if I get desperate enough in the next few days I may break out the castor oil.
Matt has a spiritual and moral question for you all. He is thinking about getting a tatoo and wants to know what everyone thinks?
ReplyDeleteI will hold my own opinion till later!
ok ok
ReplyDeletei cannot believe that there is a post before noon
wow
there are old testament references to NOT marking our bodies
ReplyDeletesorry i do not recall exact scripture reference
my opinion is DONT
unless you have heard directly from God in a written form such as on tablets
skip it
I am writing these archives ahead of time... Thus the timely delivery. And I want a tattoo, but haven't done the exegesis, so no answers here
ReplyDeleteon the tattoos:
ReplyDeletei think it comes down to motive. are you listening to God about it? or are you just wanting to be cool?
i don't have a word from the Lord on it, but that's what i feel about it.
on the story: groovy. i love the old awkward pictures. they're great!
hc
good times, good memories. Jess, if you need some more early picts/vids, our wedding could be a source.
ReplyDeleteOn tats: yes, old testament/old covenant...a wonderful type and shadow of what was to come. Thank you Jesus for the Blood! Anyone got Todd Bentley's email?
Good times with those pictures!
ReplyDeleteold testament/old covenant
ReplyDeletebut it was not thrown out
not according to Jesus
but i agree with anon
do u want the tat to be cool
look deep inside to check urself to see what the real motive is
dont do it to be like others
not cool
and THAT brings up a whole lot of other theological concerns...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.biblebelievers.com/watkins_tattoos/bible.html
ReplyDelete(also, see the Tattoo - the Mark of Regret)
i see people in the hospital dying of hepatitis because of tatoos and their past sinful behaviors...
also see the ugly tattoo as it fades over the years.... and it's usually on hardened angry people...with very sick bodies....
i see more and more younger (and older ladies/men who want to look young) people who are wanting to mark themselves....
they NEVER go away - 80-ish percent of those who get them WISH THEY NEVER HAD! especially when they get married or become more mature or whole spiritually....or learn of the origins of the practice....
people are saying "there's nothing wrong with it" or "i'm getting a heart and a flower to symbolize my life and love, etc"... but there is just something un-natural and ugly about them, no matter what they symbolize...and it's a constant mark, where blood has oozed out and the body has been marred....of rebellion, subtle or not....
now, some of you who have a rebellious bent may be stiffening up as I speak.... that's why I don't say much about it to those of you who already have them....or who are saying you're going to get one.... and almost glorify them...
those who are rebellious will even want to get the tattoo more if someone tells them it's wrong...
now... i have a problem with people who are having all kinds of financial and life problems who think it would be awesome to get a tattoo! what's that all about? they don't have enough money to buy bread and milk... and cannot afford to pay bills... but have moolah for the tattoo? it just doesn't make sense....
if you need a tattoo to feel special then something is wrong with your thinking....
okay there.... i said it...
Jess...does Jasper know you put that old pic of her out for public viewing??? I bet she'd get a huge gigle over it, expecially since she is so much skinnier now. I gotta shoot her an email to check it out.
ReplyDeletejennifer, when was/is your due date?
ReplyDeletedon't do the induction thing... wait for peace... if you feel God leading...
i will join with you in prayer that God's perfect timing will be....
she will come in His timing... for her little life....
love you!
I have given enough thought to the tattoo subject to blog on it tomorrow... stay tuned for my opinion
ReplyDeleteI wish you lived closer so I can slap you for that lovely picture of me!!! Just joking!!! But thanks!! Clint laughed!
ReplyDeleteYou crake me up.......
ReplyDelete"dreamed we were out of diapers and woke up in a cold sweat"
That made me laugh!
I needed that......
You are such a kick n the pants........
I told my boys that they were NOT allowed to get any tattoos or ears pierced as long as they lived in my house.....
do you realize how young each one of my boys were when they moved out?
I never liked tattoos......or men with ears pierced...
just me.....and my old school self.
Pierced ears are for bald headed baby girls and tattoos are for radical preachers!
yeah, what's the thing about the piercings these days....
ReplyDeletei don't want to be looking at the outward....
and know the heart of a man is truly what God looks on....
so I usually try to keep my mouth closed about acts and doings that people do.... you know.... lifestyle issues.... drugs, smoking, etoh (alcohol), music choices.... because I know that the heart and it being turned toward God is where the main issue is.... the real heart of the matter.... then, the rest will take care of itself....
and people may make choices or mistakes and end up with a huge ninja turtle on their you know what.... and if they truly turn toward God.... they can end up being powerful preachers.. but, why would those who profess to be God-chasers need to mark themselves???
any scripture promoting tattoos???
Tattoo thyself at thy own riskola......
ReplyDeleteI went to a church a long long time ago...and I heard a man giving a testimony about a teenager with blue hair giving his life to GOD.....
ReplyDeleteHe continued.....talking about this youngster whose blue hair was changing back to brown.....as if that was a barometer of his salvation..
I am so thankful that God sees right through us...all the way to our hearts....blue hair.....piercings...tattoos and all....
I sense a generational skew! And I'm caught smack dab in the middle! (and the fact that I just said "smack dab" probably betrays me to the older/wiser side!?)
ReplyDeleteI tat not, so I still observe the debate from the sidelines.
And of course, the OT not thrown out (did not intend to infer that), but replaced thank God...or else I could not have talked to any of you for seven days after I prayed for Juan to be resurrected. So, I don't see it biblically prohibited (now), yet there is that whole "if it causes others to stumble" thing to consider. It obviously is quite a cause for consternation among the bloggers!
But I still think it boils down to generation and culture...and freedom in Christ...and grace...
so, the scripture in the OT about not marking nor cutting yourself - is closely parked to do not commit beastiality nor sell your daughters as prostitutes...
ReplyDeletenowhere in the New Testament does it say that Tattoos are wrong.... and no where in the New Testament does it say that Beastiality nor Child Prostitution is wrong...
I agree with those of you who said what are your motives? That has been my question all along. Why do you want one? Is it hidden rebelion or something you feel God is telling you to do. And I can honestly say I am not sure how often he does that.
ReplyDeleteAnd sometimes I wonder if we don't make to big a deal out of it. But it is permanant. And I do have a tatoo from my heathen days. And I do regret it.I actually do like tatoos and I probably wouldn't regret it so much if I had chosen a better subject matter. And location because it being on the lower side of my stomach it is now 3 to 4 times its original size! Sorry if that is to much info for some of you but if you are a woman considering a tatoo it is something to think about.
Doesn't it also talk about piercing your ears somewhere in the Old Testament? I think that it was only meant for slaves yet we all do it.
ReplyDeleteI guess it just goes to show we could probably find scriptural basis to justify whatever we want to justify.
As for you question Pam, my due date has passed, by about 4 days. I go to the doc in the morning so hopefully I have had some kind of progress and they are going to let me be.
ReplyDeletesigh.
ReplyDeleteGenerational?!!-gasp!
ReplyDeleteAlso I would wonder what Billy Graham would think about being on your butt?
Not that he has any choice in the matter.
Matt should pray about it and ask God if he has any hidden motives.
I will love Matt no matter what he does to his body, but some people might not get it.-G
I want to propose that Jesus not only likes tattoo’s but that he has one!!!!
ReplyDeleteWritten on his thigh, it says King of kings, and Lord of Lords..
Revelation 19:16
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.