Every tattoo I carry is a part of the larger story I’m still living. Some were born from youthful impulse, others from moments of deep faith, love, and hard-fought hope. Each design marks a chapter of resilience, a call to courage, a bond of family, or a prayer for healing. As a pastor, a husband, a father, and a person who has fought both visible and invisible battles, my tattoos are not just decorations—they are living testimonies. They remind me daily that peace often begins small, that hope must be carried outward, that family bonds endure, and that even dragons can be slain. Through every inked image, I choose to believe in light over darkness, community over isolation, and the sacredness woven through our stories.
Story 1 – A Tiny Peace with Flaming Radiance
When I was 18 and a freshman at Sam Houston State University, a girl I cared for and I decided to get tattoos together. After an impulsive, laughter-filled night in College Station, we chose different symbols but the same color. I picked a peace sign for my upper left arm—peace felt important to me at that time. I passed out mid-tattoo, my arm slack and the buzzing needle still humming, and woke up with a sugar packet in my hand so they could finish! A few months later, I realized the peace sign was tiny—smaller than a quarter—on my big arm. Five years later, I added flames to make it look like the sun radiating peace into the universe. It scarred badly, but I have no regrets. That little sunburst of peace, born out of youth and a sugar packet, still reminds me that peace often starts small—and still matters.
Story 2 – An Ancient Pilgrimage Inked on My Skin
In 2022, my mother and I traveled to Jerusalem, a journey filled with wonder and faith. There, tucked within the ancient streets of Old Jerusalem, I discovered Razzouk’s Tattoo—the only tattoo shop in the area, operating since the 1300s. Drawn to its deep history, I decided to get the Jerusalem Cross—stamped using a 700-year-old olive wood relic—tattooed on my left forearm. The olive wood stamp, worn smooth by centuries of hands and prayers, pressed its sacred memory into my skin with a quiet reverence. The Jerusalem Cross symbolizes Christ’s blood and the Gospel reaching the four corners of the earth. Around it, I added a descending dove for the Holy Spirit, the sun and moon for my wife and me, and stars representing our son. Two dates are inked below—2007 and 2022—marking my pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Every time I glance at it, I feel tethered to the countless pilgrims who have journeyed before me, bearing the same mark of hope, sacrifice, and devotion. Someday, I hope to return again, and add another chapter to this living symbol on my skin.
Tattoo Art by Razzouk’s Tattoo
Story 3 – The Phoenix and a Father’s Blessing
At the same time as my Jerusalem tattoo, I got a phoenix on my left chest, a vibrant and fiery symbol of resurrection, transformation, and hope. My wife and I had chosen the name Phoenix for our son because we wanted him to carry a name filled with strength, myth, and deep Christian meaning. Throughout countless cultures, the phoenix is a testament to resilience, the ability to rise from the ashes and soar again. Next to the bird, I had Hebrew words tattooed: “Be strong and courageous” from Joshua 1:6, a verse etched into my heart long before it found a home on my skin. Every morning, as my son climbs out of the car and steps into the world, I call after him with those words, a daily blessing and a whispered prayer. This ritual began when he started kindergarten and continues even now as he navigates high school. This tattoo isn’t just ink—it’s a father’s unbreakable hope, a living covenant beating alongside my heart, that my son will always rise resilient, emboldened by faith, love, and the belief that he is never alone.
Tattoo Art by Razzouk’s Tattoo
Story 4 – Three Rings, Three Brothers, One Bond
My fourth tattoo sits over my right chest: the Trinity rings, symbolizing the triune God and the bond between my two older brothers and me. Across years of silence and miles of road, the bond between us holds fast. In 2023, my middle brother and I got matching tattoos in Denton, TX, adding our family name “Robinson” beside it. The decision to get this tattoo together came out of a deep conversation about our childhoods, our different paths, and the love that still knits us together across time and space. Etched into my chest, this mark reminds me that whatever life brings us, we remain interconnected. Every glance at it is a reminder of forgiveness, resilience, and the sacred ties of family that even years of distance cannot sever.
Story 5 – Hope Stamped Forever
On my right forearm blooms a postage stamp—one carrying a message of hope into a hurting world. Created during a mental health awareness fundraiser for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, it features a peonies flower, symbolizing dignity and respect, and a golden sun shining brightly above it. Mental health awareness has been central to my ministry since 2013, especially advocating for the marginalized, those often left unheard. I added lyrics from “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and the initials “YNWA” with a semicolon and rainbow to honor mental health and LGBTQIA+ communities. The semicolon reminds me and others that our stories are not over, even when life feels overwhelming. It’s a permanent letter from me to the world: hope endures, storms pass, and you never walk alone—no matter how dark the night may seem.
Story 6 – Slaying Dragons with Faith
On my upper right arm rides Saint George, forever frozen mid-battle against the dragon. I planned to get this tattoo in Jerusalem in 2024, but war forced us to cancel. Miraculously, Razzouk’s toured the U.S., and I met them in Denton, TX, where fate brought me back to the same place as my earlier tattoos. They used a 400-year-old olive wood stamp to ink this timeless image, and in that moment, it felt like a sacred anointing for the battles I had faced. For me, Saint George symbolizes the internal and external battles I’ve fought—and won—for the health of my church and community. It’s not just a symbol of victory; it’s a testimony to perseverance, grace, and fierce love for the people I serve. This tattoo bears witness: even the fiercest dragons fall to faith, courage, and resilience, and even in the midst of struggle, the light of hope cannot be extinguished.
Tattoo Art by Razzouk’s Tattoo