From celebrities and popular music to magazine ads and billboards, media portrays an oversexualized image of how girls should look, behave, talk, and think. And while culture shouts provocative messages of sexuality and success, how do we hear what God has to say above all the noise? In Concordia’s Godly and Girly, author, ice-dancer, and one-time Olympic hopeful Lacy Marsh encourages women to find their identity as daughters of Christ, superbly treasured and worthy of His love.
“I grew up in a world that spoke lies loudly to me,” says Marsh. “I could see that every girl outside my own skating world was hearing and believing those lies, too.”
In memoir fashion, Marsh shares her own story of interrupted dreams, struggles with body image, and bouts with depression. She tackles the questions many young women are asking such as: What makes me important? Who out there is like me? Does anyone think I’m pretty?
Marsh also delves into our culture’s causal approach to sex—explaining how sex has become twisted. She challenges the notion of that one can have oral sex and still remain a “technical virgin.” Marsh reaffirms the dignity of young women, contending that sex is not a casual act, but a holy promise—one that is made between a husband and wife.
According to the American Psychological Association, the oversexualization of women correlates with the three most common problems in girls and women: eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression.
“My journey on and off the ice taught me that there is one thing that can change everything— one Jewel underneath it,” says Marsh. “I wrote this book to tell each reader the story of how I was shown that Jewel … and how they can treasure it, too.”
Godly and Girly: Your Life in a Crazy, Messy, Confusing World can be purchased on www.cph.org, by calling (800) 325-3040, or at local Christian bookstores.
About the Author
Lacy G. Marsh was a competitive and professional ice dancer who spent years in training for the Olympics. In the years since leaving competitive ice dancing, she found her calling in coaching and mentoring young athletes, on and off the ice. She is the founder of the ministry Ice4Christ, a performance and teaching outreach that serves to be an influence for good and for God. Lacy is active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and serves as a contributor to CPH’s Portals of Prayer. A native of Montana, Lacy current lives and coaches in Minneapolis, Minn.
Concordia Publishing House is a not-for-profit company and the official publisher of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Offering more than 8,000 products and services for use in churches, schools, and homes, CPH is committed to providing books, Bibles, and curriculum that are faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions.
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SOURCE: Concordia Publishing House
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