introducing....

Mary Magdalene, my inspiration for ministry.

Jessie Hopeless is AMAZING! Jessie is awesome to work with. She's compassionate, funny, tells hilarious stories, and totally rocks! She is an artist beyond measure!

Thanks Jessie!

(wow, i just realized that she inspired me to use proper capitalization!)

i wish i had a beautiful poem to post about Mary Magdalene. but i do not. i can tell you why i felt i wanted her tattooed above my heart.

Mary Magdalene had a rough life--after all, she had been possessed by demons but then Jesus came along and healed her, exorcising them from her, leaving her open to the transformative love of God. from then on she followed Jesus, she was a disciple despite the fact that she, nor any other women, have been formerly declared disciples nor apostles. however, they there were there with Jesus and the other 12. in fact, when the men deserted Jesus at the cross, the women remained.

some have said Mary M. was the wife of Jesus--i tend to doubt that. i think that is yet another way of stripping her of her rightful place as a disciple and follower of Christ. she was the first one to see the risen Christ and, the first to announce his ressurrection.

the church long ago wrongfully declared her a whore, yet another attempt to discredit the possibility that she was an intelligent woman and a loyal faithful servant to Jesus the Christ. women continue to work for Jesus the Christ despite the crap they are often put through in this attempt to honor their calling from God.

Mary Magdalene offers me hope and courage. she wasn't perfect--she was simply a woman who fell in love with the Grace God offered through Jesus the Christ and then sought to share it with those she encountered. despite the ugly name calling, despite the obstacles and hurdles she faced, today her name is known and she has inspired many through the years, including me.

hence, i offer her a place above my heart.

(ps. she is on my upper chest, near the clavical)