mothers Archives - Lauren Sparks

Have you heard of National Tattoo Stories Day? I had not – probably because I’m not a big tattoo kinda girl. But I do have one. And I actually love hearing the story behind a tattoo.

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I know some people simply like the art of ink and may choose a design purely for aesthetics, but those of you who got inked to commemorate something, remind yourself of something or memorialize someone, you are my people.

They say tattoos are addictive, but I got my first one at 42 and have not been tempted to get another (almost 7 years later if you’re counting). I regret that as a tattoo virgin I did not know to look for a real artist and wound up going to a guy who used stencils. So mine doesn’t look great. And one day I would like to find an artist who can touch it up and make it look a little more inspired.

My Tattoo Story

In spite of the amateur art, I don’t regret getting the tat. I went with a group of moms who all have a child with the same rare genetic disorder as my daughter. I share so many things with these friends that no one else can truly understand. And I will never forget having our purple butterflies (the symbol for Dravet Syndrome) permanently applied to our wrists together.

I have another daughter, though, and didn’t want to honor one on my body and not the other. So I chose a rose (my girl’s middle name and the first flower my husband ever gave me) to symbolize her beautiful fragrance in my life. And then I decided to have a small cross put between the butterfly and rose. My children are so precious to me, but Jesus remains the most important and central person in my life.

The cross – the symbol of the horrible death my Savior endured to take away the sin separating me and the Lord Most High. It is because of Him that I am forgiven, saved and blessed. It is Jesus I seek to emulate in how I live my life and parent my girls. So His symbol sits between the symbols for my daughters. Because this is how we try to live. Jesus in the middle of it all.

Do you have a tattoo with a cool story? I would LOVE to hear it. Type your story in the comments below or click on the contact link at the top of the page to send me a private email.

And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!

Donna of serenityinsuffering.com wrote beautifully of threshold moments. Not sure what they are? Read here. Thank you, Donna, for linking up with Grace and Truth!

The Link Up

1. Sha re 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
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Now Let’s Link Up!

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“But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.” Hebrews 3:6 NIV

The minute we grasp on to Jesus, we become His house. His Holy Spirit resides in us. What a privilege! And what greater reason for confidence in our hope, God’s victory and eternal glory that will be his and ours! In this world it is so easy to loose sight of such eternal things. I have had those moments just this week! And that is one of the reasons I love this time together every Wednesday. We encourage each other and you all (or y’all here in Texas) remind me that this victory and glory is guaranteed!

I reached out to a friend today who’s daughter is heartbroken over circumstances she cannot presently control. And if you happen to have a child, you know that if said child is heartbroken – so is mama. So I prayed this scripture and prayer over my friend and her daughter and thought there might be some of you in the blogosphere that could use prayer over a broken heart as well.

Amen. Thank you for a year’s worth of communal prayer and I hope you’ll stick around for another. Replace the pronouns with the appropriate ones for the person (or yourself) that you are praying for.

Praying for you in this. And don’t forget to share on social media or with a friend who could benefit. It would mean so much to me. And if you don’t want to miss a Praying God’s Word Wednesday, subscribe over on the right hand side of this page.