A tattoo can tell a lot about a person. Some reflect a rebellious season, like the demons that cover Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers. Some express religious ties, like actor Mark Wahlberg's once tattooed rosary. Some are symbols of love and loyalty; Some serve as remembrances, like rapper Lil Wayne's teardrops, representing deaths of loved ones.
Inked by Janet E. Kusiak and Kim Goad uses the language of tattoos to explore the question: what has marked your life? Is it a deep well of pain? Is it emotional baggage? Is it depression? In spite of events that are so deeply etched into our hearts, we have the power to change the marks that life makes on us.
An estimated quarter of Americans ages 18-50 have a tattoo. What better way to show how one of the most polarizing of cultural icons can, in fact, be a metaphor for what people have in common? Using stories and slang from tattoo culture, the authors look at the new way Christ desires that we be inked by Him, as the authors explore the marks that have been made on our hearts.
Kim Goad is an author, speaker, marketer, and counselor. Her mission is to use her relational, communication, and organizational skills to help organizations and individuals reach their potential. Since earning her bachelor's degree from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, she has spent over two decades in business planning, marketing and development in a variety of industries. Drawing upon her master's in counseling psychology and decade of experience, Kim also counsels tweens, adolescents and adults, and speaks at national conferences and various retreats. She is the coauthor of One Girl Can Change the World and its companion journal and leader guide (Standard, 2009), and coauthor of Inked: Choosing God's Mark to Transform Your Life (Abingdon, 2013). She lives in Bloomington, Indiana.