Tim's 3 Sword Tattoo

Tim got his first tattoo today of three different swords. A center sword and then two crossing swords.

A three-swords tattoo generally represents resilience and triumph over adversity.

For Tim, the three swords tattoo represents the resilience he has shown and the triumph he has experienced over all the adversity he’s been through in his life so far. And they represent the continual triumph he seeks as he moves forward in life.

He told me that the three swords will also be a constant reminder to him that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are always with him.

He’s really thought through the design that he wanted for his first tattoo. I’ve always told him that if he’s going to get a tattoo, it should mean something to him. He shouldn’t get one for the sake of getting one. I think he has definitely accomplished that with the design he's chosen.

It’s not just a tattoo. It tells a story—a story of strength, faith, perseverance, and the determination to keep moving forward.

I personally have never gotten a tattoo, although I’ve always wanted one. For a long time, I was made to feel like getting one would be sacrilegious—that somehow I would be going against God.

As I’ve gotten older and grown in my faith, I’ve come to see things differently. I know many Christians who have tattoos, and their tattoos tell a story. More importantly, those stories often point back to God, their faith, their struggles, their victories, or something God has brought them through.

When you think of it that way, there's really nothing wrong with having a tattoo.

It’s not the tattoo itself that matters as much as the meaning behind it and what it represents.

And for Tim, these three swords represent resilience, triumph, faith, and the reminder that no matter what he faces, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are always with him.

That’s a pretty meaningful story to carry with you.

He's asked me not to share the actual picture of the tattoo because it's he's to share and not mine. Of course you got the general idea from the description that I shared above. I can however give you an idea of what he's after with these pictures below:

 

Something like this as the center sword.

Something like this as one of the crossing swords.

Something like this as one of the other crossing swords.

And for it to look similar to this once it's done.

None of those swords are the actual design as Tim gave his tattooist freedom to create something unique just for him. You will all know what it looks like at some point when Tim shares it but not until then. 

I have to respect his wishes on this. I'm just glad that I got to be there with him as he went through this first experience and that he actually wanted me there. 

Our kids have to live their own lives and become their own person—not simply the person we want them to be. As parents, we can guide them, love them, and support them, but ultimately, they have to walk their own path.

I have so much respect for the man Tim has become. His dad and I will always be here to support him, no matter where life takes him. He’s dealt with so much in his young life, and through it all, God has had his back every step of the way. We know God has got him—and He’s got us, too. ❤️

Congrats, Son, on your first tattoo! 🦋 Thanks for allowing me to be there with you as you took this first step into something that was your choice and your decision. I’m honored that you wanted me there. ❤️

Love you, Son!

Happy Grandparents Day

Today we celebrate our grandparents—those who are still with us and those who have passed on.

I've been thinking about my grandparents today. I only knew two of them—my dad's father and my mom's mother.

My grandfather was a hard man, much like my dad. My grandmother was like a box of chocolates—you never knew what you were gonna get😂.

My dad's mom I never got the chance to know because she passed away before I was born. But Dad named me and one of my sisters after her. He gave me Lorraine as my middle name and my sister Margaret as her first name. Our grandmother's name was Margaret Lorraine.

She was also full-blood Cherokee, and I've always been proud of my Cherokee heritage. Dad always talked about his mom with so much love and hurt in his eyes because he lost her when he was just a child. I think that loss stayed with him throughout his life.

My mom's dad was someone I never knew either. She didn't know who her father was until she was an adult, and by the time she found out, he was already having health problems. He passed away not long after.

Even with the grandparents I didn't get to know, I'm thankful for the grandparents I did have the opportunity to know and remember.

Today, I also think about Tim's grandparents—my parents and his dad's parents.

Tim was incredibly close to his grandparents on his dad's side. He got to spend so much time with them growing up, and they absolutely doted on him. When Tim came along, it had been a long time since there had been a little one around. Most of their grandchildren were already grown, so having another little one in the family brought so much joy to the Neal family.

They loved watching Tim grow up. They enjoyed him, spoiled him, encouraged him, and made so many memories with him.

Sadly, Tim had to lose both of his grandparents on his dad's side just a year apart—in 2024 and 2025. Both lived long lives and were in their late 80s when they passed. We are so thankful for the years we had with them and for the memories they left behind.

Tim has one grandparent left—my mom. My dad passed away 24 years ago, so Tim never had the opportunity to know him. My mom is still here, though, and we cherish the time we have with her as we watch her age and face more challenges in this season of her life.

So today, we celebrate them all.

The grandparents who are here.

The grandparents who are gone.

The grandparents we knew well and the ones we only knew through the stories that were passed down to us.

They have meant—and still mean—so much to our families. They helped shape who we are, they gave us memories to hold onto, and they left pieces of themselves behind in the generations that came after them.

That's why we take the time to remember them and celebrate them today.

Because they are worth remembering.

And they are worth celebrating.

Happy Grandparents Day❤️

25 Years Later: We Remember 9/11

It’s hard to believe that it has been 25 years since September 11, 2001. Twenty-five years. And yet, I can remember that day as clearly as if it happened yesterday.

I had just finished driving my school bus routes that morning and was returning to my car. As I approached the gate, someone was standing there telling me to go home and turn on the news.

When I got home and turned on the television, what I saw was unbelievable. They were showing the replay of the plane crashing into one of the Twin Towers in New York City. And then, as we were watching, we saw it happen live—the second plane flying into the other tower.

The feeling that overcame me in that moment is difficult to put into words.

It was horror.

It was devastation.

It was confusion.

And it was fear.

What do we need to prepare for? What is coming next? Is this a full-scale attack on our country? Do we need to prepare for war?

So much was going through my mind and my heart in those moments.

And then came the realization of just how many lives had been changed forever.

Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that day. Mothers and fathers. Sons and daughters. Husbands and wives. Brothers and sisters. Friends, coworkers, first responders, and people simply going about their everyday lives.

And while we remember those who died, we must also remember the countless loved ones who were left behind to carry on without them.

Twenty-five years later, their absence is still felt.

Children grew up without a parent. Spouses had to learn how to move forward without the person they had planned to grow old with. Parents buried their children. Families celebrated birthdays, holidays, graduations, weddings, and other milestones with an empty place at the table.

And then there are the heroes—the firefighters, police officers, paramedics, emergency workers, and ordinary people who ran toward danger while others were running away.

We remember their courage.

We remember their sacrifice.

We remember the families who waited for loved ones who never came home.

And we remember a nation that, for a brief time, seemed to put aside its differences and stand together.

Twenty-five years later, we must never allow ourselves to forget.

Not the lives lost.

Not the families left behind.

Not the courage displayed.

Not the sacrifices made.

And not the way that day changed our country and so many of us personally.

September 11, 2001, is a day we will never forget.

25 years later, we remember. We honor. We grieve. And we will never forget.

May God continue to comfort every family who lost someone that day and every person whose life was forever changed by the events of September 11, 2001.

Never Forget 🇺🇸