I think tattoos are beautiful. Not all of them of course (case in point: Bad Ink). Generally speaking, though, I think they’re a creative way to artistically communicate all sorts of things. From personal stories to what’s important to you, memories to declarations, people you love to places you’ve been, quality ink is my jam.

While I understand how some people get tattoos just because they look cool or pretty, I just can’t bring myself to put something on my body for the rest of my life that doesn’t have meaning. For my own benefit, I figured I would take stock, share the stories behind my personal ink, and describe what they mean to me.

In total, I have…

*I say pieces because they’re connected, even if they’re in different places

Great commandment

Description: Six Greek words, tattooed in black, located on my inner left forearm

Meaning: When asked what’s the greatest commandment, Jesus gives two answers: Love God and love your neighbor. This is that commandment, written in Greek. I thought about this tattoo for years before getting it. Finally, in October 2010, on the fifth anniversary of my marriage to Nicole, we got inked together for the first time.

It also now reminds me of my friendship with my mentor and partner, Kevin Youngblood. It was this tattoo that he asked about when I launched into telling him how much I love Jesus. We struck up an amazing brotherhood and friendship in that moment, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Apple of my eye

Description: A red apple with an eye in the center of it, flowers surrounding it, and the Hebrew word, אִישׁוֹן, below the fruit, located on the posterior side of my left forearm

Meaning: During one of our Saturday night church gatherings, just before Father’s Day, the women of our church were praying over the men. During the prayer, Nicole prophesied, “The Lord has a name for each one of you.”

As soon as she said it, I heard the word, “Ishon,” and I could even see how it was spelled in my mind’s eye. Looking it up, I discovered the word to be the Hebrew word for “Apple of my eye,” also translated as “Pupil.”

On that topic, 1 John 2:27 reads, “But the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in Him.”

I discovered later that, in Psalm 17:8, David also writes, “Keep me as the apple of your eye.”

In other words, this tattoo represents my name from God and reminds me that I am squarely within His constant gaze, invited to learn from the Lord as His son and student. Praise God.

Warrior queen

Description: A beautiful woman wearing a lion headdress and crown of thorns, with a cross and purple flowers, located on the top of my left shoulder

Meaning: This tattoo is pretty straightforward—it’s Nicole, my warrior princess, crowned by the Lion of Judah Himself. Tattooing my wife on my body was a no-brainer.

Flaming heart

Description: A red sacred heart with flames rising from the top of it, encircled by a crown, located at the forefront of my left bicep

Meaning: This ink demonstrates the truth that Jesus reigns as King of my heart, filling it with the fire of His Holy Spirit. When I see it, I also think of when I visited Paris and first laid eyes upon Sacré-Cœur, the Roman Catholic basilica in Paris.

Compass and wings

Description: A compass with a heart at the center of it, an eagle atop the compass, and the Greek phrase, Χριστός πᾶς, located on the interior of my right forearm

Meaning: I admit that I tried to cram a lot into this tattoo, but I still love it.

The eagle is meant to remind me of the Isaiah 40:31 promise that “they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Waiting isn’t quite my cup of tea, exactly, but this picture reminds me of the truth.

The compass is really the embodiment of my purpose, encouraging me to “pursue Love,” just as scripture encourages in 1 Corinthians 14:1.

Last but not least, the Greek inscription that reads “Christos pas” is taken directly from Colossians 3:11, translated in English to the reality that controls my entire life: “Christ is all.”

In summary, when I remember to wait upon the energy that only Christ can supply and pursue Love, my life is better for it.

Full house

Description: Five playing cards with an arrow piercing through them (and some flowers), placed just above my right knee

Meaning: The first time I thought about this idea, it was related to my queen, Nicole. With her in mind, I realized there were cards that could represent each member of my family. Nicole is my queen of hearts, because my heart is subject to her. Riley is my queen of diamonds, because she sees the world through a unique prism of light. Tolan is my ace of hearts, because he loves fiercely. Beckett is my ace of spades, because he can trump anybody else. And finally, I’m a wildcard, because, what I need to do changes with the surroundings and seasons.

The arrow that pierces the cards is representative of Psalm 127:4-5, which reads:

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!

Amen. My house—and heart—are full.

Sheep in wolf’s clothing

Description: A sheep in wolf’s clothing (you read that right—not the other way around) on my right shoulder

Meaning: My brother and friend, Juice, describes himself as “El lobo guapo,” also known as, “The handsome wolf.” Since he’s also a brother in Christ and a sheep, in that regard, I figured it’d be good to illustrate him as a sheep in wolf’s clothing. As one of his favorite quotes and mine goes from the movie, The Jungle Book, “The strength of the wolf is the pack, and the strength of the pack is the wolf.” 🐺

Kingdom diamond

Description: A sparkling diamond on my right bicep

Meaning: In my opinion, the kingdom of God can be likened to a diamond with many sides, through which you can see the Light of God reflect and refract in beautiful ways, each unique as you spin it and look at it from a different side. It’s easy to think that the kingdom is like a magnifying glass, with only one view through a specific type of lens, but in my opinion, it’s not. Much like the pearl of great price, God’s kingdom is also worth selling everything for to purchase.

Shield, sword, and staff

Description: A shield, backed by a sword and staff, on the back of my right bicep

Meaning: The shield is meant to represent the shield of God’s armor, as described in Ephesians 6. The sword is meant to represent the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” And the staff represents my gifting as a shepherd. As 2 Corinthians 6:17 calls out, this picture partially represents my “weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left.”

Lighthouse on a rocky surface

Description: A lighthouse framed against a sunset atop a rocky foundation where waves splash against it, located on the back of my left bicep

Meaning: I want to be a lighthouse, helping safely guide people to the Rock of Jesus Christ. But ultimately, it’s not the lighthouse’s job to do the work, it’s the light’s responsibility to signal people where to go. I’m just an empty vessel, stationed where I need to be, letting God’s Light reveal the Way.

Wild cats

Description: A tiger with a “T” above it and a black panther with a “B” below it on my left calf muscle

Meaning: These are the two favorite animals of my sons, Tolan and Beckett. Tolan loves tigers, and Beckett loves black panthers.

Robin

Description: A robin encased in a design, with an “R” in the bottom right, on my right shin

Meaning: Just as the wildcats are there to represent my boys, the robin is present to remind me of my daughter, Riley. The robin is her favorite animal—and given her red hair and love of singing, she’ll always be my little red songbird.

Royal crown

Description: A royal crown inscribed on my right pectoral

Meaning: Christ reigns as King of my heart. Forever.

Heart, soul, and strength

Description: Three separate Hebrew words for “All your heart, all your soul,” and “all your strength” inscribed on my left pectoral, left wrist, and near my right elbow

Meaning: A reminder for me that I am called to love the Lord with everything that I have—my “muchness”—because all I have in the first place is a gift from Him in the first place.

Elijah’s final words

Description: One black, one brown, and one light brown fist risen in solidarity against a red background, with the words “You are beautiful and I love you” inscribed below it on the back of my left forearm

Meaning: I got this tattoo in 2020 so that I would never forget the egregious murder of Elijah McClane—or the many other Black men and women before him. You can read what I originally wrote about this tattoo, because for me, it’s 100% clear: Black lives matter.

Ship in full sail

Description: An old-timey ship sailing the open seas with a heart on the flag instead of a skull and crossbones on the back of my right forearm

Meaning: My family and I have undocked and set “sail from the port of ordinary…”

Lobster

Description: A lobster, with the passage 1 Sam. 18:3 underneath it on the inside of my right bicep

Meaning: This tattoo is meant to represent my best friend, Ben Forsberg. He’s a man of the ocean, as tough as they come (though tender in the middle), and he loves him some good seafood. When I committed my friendship to him over nearly 14 years prior to getting this tattoo, I quoted this passage about Jonathan and David in scripture. I even took off my coat and threw it around his shoulders. It was a covenant made that remains to this day.

Key

Description: An old fashioned key with some sparkling stars surrounding it, on the outside of my right forearm

Meaning: I hold keys to the kingdom. Jesus said, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." It’s interesting that, the day after getting this tattoo, I had forgotten this phrase being connected to the keys to the kingdom, but I was moved to tears praying that I would be a man “dangerous in prayer,” praying that whatever I would bind or loose in the name of Jesus would be bound and loosed here on the earth—not for my sake, but for His. Prayer is essential to stewarding such valuable keys.

Hourglass and rose

Description: An hourglass, roughly halfway through its sand, with a rose upside down behind it on the outside of my right bicep

Meaning: What fragrance am I offering the world with the limited time I’ve been granted? I hope that it is the aroma of Christ Himself, to whom I am the rose of Sharon. I was inspired by both 2 Corinthians 2:15-17 and Song of Songs 2:1.

Trumpet proclaiming victory

Description: A trumpet with a banner that reads “Victory” coming out of it in the ditch of my right elbow

Meaning: 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 is quite the promise. It reads “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Now that’s some Good News worth proclaiming—and I intend to continue doing so.

Crown of thorns

Description: A twisted crown of thorns, stained by blood, surrounding my right elbow

Meaning: It may have been a mockery in Christ’s time, but a crown of thorns and purple robe is what my King wore on the day in which He defeated the cosmic powers and principalities which held the world captive. Behold, the Son of Man!

As a friendly tip, too, take it from me: don’t get your elbow tattooed. This one hurt the worst of all my sessions to-date.

Anniversary

Description: The Roman numerals “X • XXII • MMV” below my right wrist

Meaning: That’s the date of my wedding anniversary to Nicole, October 22, 2005—the second most important day of my entire life.

Clam and pearl

Description: A pearl in an open clam, on the front of my right wrist

Meaning: In Matthew 13:45-46, Jesus used yet another picture to describe the kingdom of God. He said, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” You may have to submerge yourself to find such a singular Pearl, but when you do, it’s worth it.

Honey dipper

Description: A honey dipper (i.e. stick) dripping honey on the front of my right bicep

Meaning: There’s an old worship song, Holy and Anointed One, that I love. One of the lines goes, “Your name is like honey on my lips…” With all that I am, I agree. Sit back, listen to these lyrics, and sing that Name with all your heart. It’s as sweet as honey.

Broken chains

Description: Shackles, explosively snapping in half, surrounding the top of my right shoulder

Meaning: There are no two ways about it—Jesus was sent to “proclaim liberty to the captives.” I especially appreciate how the apostle Paul summarizes things in Romans 7:6, writing “But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.” I’ve been set free by the Lord and His unyielding grace, and I want to proclaim that good news to everyone who feels enslaved, locked up, stuck, and hoping for a better way. Jesus is the Key. Better yet, He’s the Breaker of chains.

Coffin

Description: A coffin with a crucifix on the lid, surrounded by flowers, on the top of my right collar bone (and creeping onto my neck)

Meaning: I’m dead. As Galatians 2:20 reads, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” It’s impossible to live the Christian life—but fortunately for me, I don’t have to. Jesus is the Life, and He lives through me.

Milk

Description: A carton of whole milk on the back of my right tricep

Meaning: With a honey dipper on the other side of my arm, it’s a fun little piece that alludes to the promises of God—the Land of Milk and Honey. But the real reason behind this piece is a bit of a story.

When I was in college, zealous for Jesus and active in my local college group ministry, I was telling a friend of mine, Duncan, how I was seeking someone to disciple me who could give me some “real meat,” referencing the passage in Hebrews 5:12-14. In my (young, somewhat prideful) mind, I was ready for mature things. Duncan calmly and casually responded, “That’s good, Jon. But don’t ever get to a place where you think that the milk doesn’t taste good.”

I was stopped in my tracks, and to this day, whenever I hear someone saying how they’re ready for more “mature” or “serious” teaching, I think of Duncan’s humble reminder. 1 Peter 2:2-3 reads, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” In other words, this tattoo is a reminder of Duncan’s loving words and this scripture. Now, I long for anything and everything that allows me to continue growing up and tasting the Lord’s goodness, be it meat or milk. As they say, milk does a body (of Christ!) good.

Sonship

Description: The word “Sonship” over a rose near my rib cage

Meaning: I’m a son, through and through. It’s the richest aspect of my identity in Christ, and one that has been etched not only on my body, but in my heart. I also had this piece placed on my side to remind me of (a) Christ, when His side was pierced, and (b) my mom, when she was getting a kidney. I would have given mine for her.

About my artist, Paulski

With the exception of my very first piece, Paulski has been the only artist I’ve had work his magic on me. He used to do his his work at the Golden Rule Tattoo on Camelback, and that’s where I had him do most of my work. But I followed him over to Dame of the West for the short time he worked out of that shop, too—and I’ve since followed him to his own private studio. Sadly (for me), he’s moving to Texas, but he still plans to make his way to Phoenix here and there.

I highly recommend Paul if you’re looking for somewhere to go—especially if you want American traditional style ink like mine.

True story

As you now know, I got my first ink in 2010, on my 5 year wedding anniversary. Since I had never gone through the process before, I ended up making a huge mistake and not eating anything that day. The result was a very lucid hallucination (i.e. I passed out).

Of course, that didn’t keep me away and it shouldn’t keep you away, either. But that is to say, follow the instructions and eat something before you session if you end up deciding to get a tattoo. I don’t recommend passing out under the needle.