Book Review: Tranquility: A Prayer and Reflection Coloring Journal

About the Book:

Tranquility: A Prayer and Reflection Coloring Journal invites you to mix creative journaling and coloring into your personal time with God. Prayers that focus on topics such as being thankful, dealing with stress and heartache, caring for yourself and others, listening for God’s leading, and waiting patiently on Him will guide your thoughts and calm your spirit. Filled with more than 100 designs to color, plenty of space for journaling, and 40 needs-based prayers, Tranquility will help you express your devotion to God with your whole heart.







My Thoughts:

Tranquility: A Prayer and Reflection Coloring Journal from Tyndale Publishers is part of their Living Expressions Collection.

Most pages feature a brief devotional thought, correlating Scripture verse, lines to write on, and images to color. A few pages have alternate activities such as drawing or making lists. The journal covers a diversity of topics: friendship, peace, worship, prayer, kindness, and more. One particular quote that stood out to me thus far is found on page 20: “Please help me to remember that peace is not the absence of conflict; rather, it's having confident assurance in the middle of conflict.” These pages are filled with good reminders such as that.

I liked that the journal can be done in any order and that some pages have lots to color while others have less room to color – perfect for the busy days! Some of the pages are partially colored, so they are already pretty, but there's still room to add in your own flair. 

If you are looking for a devotional and enjoy coloring, consider Tranquility: A Prayer and Reflection Coloring Journal. Hop over to the publisher's website to view an excerpt from Tranquility: A Prayer and Reflection Coloring Journal.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Big and Little Coloring Devotional

Big and Little Coloring Devotional, written by Rachel C. Swanson and illustrated by Jacy Corral, is my first experience with a coloring book designed for sharing between parent and child. I love that the book marries an enjoyable childhood activity with a calming adult activity. Not only does it set the stage for some quality time, but it inserts Scriptures and spiritual truths that mom and child can discuss while they color.

My five year old daughter and I sat down this afternoon to test out the new coloring book. The pages are set so that mom and child can sit opposite each other and the child can work on one page while mom does the other. Well, we decided we wanted to share a page and work together. After about thirty minutes of us both coloring, we nearly completed the page. She said the background should be colored in, but she was tired of coloring. (And truthfully, thirty minutes was plenty for me too.) I was beyond pleased with the experience. We talked, we colored, we made up stories, we spent time together. There were smiles, thoughts, and a bright coloring page to remind us of it all.

Of course, I can not leave out my two year old daughter who also likes to color and it occurred to me that this would be a great morning activity since she gets usually gets up at least an hour earlier than her older sister. Entertaining my young child while starting the day with a relaxing activity.... I'm looking forward to trying that out tomorrow morning....

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood: Devotions and Coloring Book to Nourish Mom by Sarah Humphrey

40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood: Devotions and Coloring Book to Nourish Mom (Abingdon Press, August 2016)

Nourishment for a mother's soul through 40 days of devotion and . . . doodling!

Wouldn't it be marvelous if mothering came with a concrete set of instructions---an easy recipe we could follow? Instead, motherhood challenges women to find their faith, their true selves, and their family through daily doses of trial and error. It is a brilliant and healing time of life that is full of joy, pain, and beauty with a small side of crisis (and humor). What mothers do not know, they learn. And through this lifelong process of learning, they nurture and care for the most precious gifts on earth: children. In a modern society where moms often have a full and busy plate, these 10 minute daily devotions focus on six key topics of motherhood:

-Self-acceptance

-Self-care

-Reconciling with grief, hope and expectations

-Generosity

-Presence

-Forgiveness

In addition to the devotions, these beautiful pages are adorned with handmade illustrations to help you refresh from long days or even occasional sleepless nights. So, grab your colors and a little quiet time for yourself while doodling at the kitchen table. You will be grateful you did!

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2dPEdIC

My Review:

40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood by Sarah Humphrey is the first coloring devotional I've done that focuses specifically on motherhood. The devotional section doesn't take long – probably five minutes or so to read, pray and respond – so I do it in the morning. The coloring pages take longer and give me something to look forward to doing after the littles are in bed for the night.

The devotionals are split into eight sections, each one containing five teachings. I found that some of the devotional thoughts were a combination of Biblical teaching and a sort of positive psychology or theory. I know that sounds odd, but I'm not sure how else to describe it. For example, in the first section, the author placed a heavy emphasis on name meanings as relating to a person's identity. I found it difficult to buy the concept that the meaning of my child's name is indicative of their strengths or potential struggles. I know that Biblical people often had names with special meanings, but I just wasn't convinced on this particular concept.

Some of the coloring portions are simple and some are complex. I prefer the simpler ones because I don't have a lot of extra time and can finish them without staying up overly late. Additionally, adding some outlining or coloring the background are possibilities to extend the coloring time if I want to. On some of the more complex pages, I had to leave a portion uncolored and return to it at a later time. In general, the illustrations were whimsical and reflected the devotion's theme well.

In conclusion, 40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood by Sarah Humphrey was enjoyable to read and color. I wasn't on board with everything Humphrey said in the devotions, but I still liked it overall.

About the author:

Often considered a dreamer and silly heart, Sarah Humphrey uses inspiration from her most beloved career, motherhood, to fuel her passion for writing, creative movement and teaching. She has and is authoring several books and children's books. Sarah currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and three beautiful, bouncy kids.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."