Come Shepherds Rise from #ColortheCarols

#ColortheCarols - Come Shepherds Rise - A Christmas Carol Video from the Color the Carols ComboThis new video includes music and images from the COLOR the CAROLS COMBO. “Come Shepherds Rise” is track 17 on the COMBO’s carol CD, and the imagery in the video is extracted from the “Good Tidings” scene from the Christmas story.

SHEEP LOOK TO HEAVEN

The video unveils sheep and their shepherds, enjoying a quiet evening in the countryside. A sound from above captures their attention. With eyes turned heavenward, the men and animals listen to the announcement of the angel, calling them to rise and go and worship the newborn king.

 

CHRISTMAS COMBO

If you have not already acquired your copy of this Christmas COMBO, we recommend ordering the COMBO before the Christmas rush. These combo’s make excellent stocking fillers for family and friends of all ages. If you want a gift set that includes stationery plus coloring extras, rather opt for the Color the Carols BIG COMBO from Tiger Music.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DONE EARLY

Yes, I know it’s still a couple of months until Christmas, but there is something soothing and inspiring about Christmas music, so why save it to only play for a couple of weeks a year. The COMBO’s CD (Unadorned Trumpet Carols by Eddie Lewis) is a beautiful collection of 49 carols, all played without musical ornamentation – the music is simple, refreshing, and deeply relaxing to listen to.

Play the CD as you navigate the crazy, stress-magnifying traffic to work. Play it as you settle down to relax and color the book of Christmas scenes. Put it on while you are cooking dinner. Hum along to the familiar carols, or sing with gusto as if you are in the shower and no-one is listening. If you are not a big fan of coloring, you can purchase this CD as a stand-alone digital album from CD Baby. Currently, the only way to purchase the physical CD is to purchase the Color the Carols COMBO (or BIG COMBO) from Tiger Music (an online music store that ships worldwide).

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O Come, O Come Emmanuel Video from #ColortheCarols

If you have been following this blog, then you will be aware that the first of October saw the release of the COLOR the CAROLS COMBO. This combo is a fun Christmas gift (for yourself or a friend) which marries therapeutic coloring (and yes, that does suggest it’s for adults and that it is good for your health) with relaxing, instrumental music.

The COLOR the CAROLS COMBO takes you on a journey through the Christmas story, starting with the prophecy of the coming of Christ. As your journey progresses, you immerse your senses deeper and deeper in the story through the processes of coloring and listening. The combo’s coloring book guides you by suggesting which tracks to listen to as you color each scene from the story. The scenes are hand-drawn, and each covers a full 11″ x 8.5″ page. The suggested listening list was selected to focus your attention on one part of the story at a time. COLOR the CAROLS is all about slowing down and rediscovering the joy and peace of Christmas.

This video showcases TRACK 4 from the album (UNADORNED TRUMPET CAROLS by Eddie Lewis) that is included in this combo. O Come, O Come Emmanuel is a classic carol that creates a sense of anticipation for the coming of the Christ Child.

Color the Carols Combo Christmas Gift
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Love in Scripture: Free Adult Coloring Pages

Fruit of the Spirit: LoveIn celebration of the release of my latest coloring book, “Fruit of the Spirit Colouring Book“, I have a gift for you. You can collect your own FREE copy of “LOVE” in my store. Visit the FREEBIE section of the store to load your cart with digital products that are currently offered as gifts to all my readers.

Why do I give some products away?

I believe most customers are not true risk takers when it comes to shopping (and rightly so). Most want to be able to open the box and look inside BEFORE they hand over their hard-earned money. Digital products (which, by their very “virtual” nature, cannot come with a return option) are particularly challenging for the less adventurous shopper. I want my customers to purchase my digital products with confidence, and having the opportunity to look inside a book or color a sample page goes a long way to building confidence in the products I create.

Is there a catch?

No. Free is free! If the price tag says ZERO, then you won’t be charged anything at checkout. You don’t need to add other products to the cart to be able to receive a FREEBIE. Of course, I would love to have you buy other items from my store, but you are not obliged to. I want you to enjoy using the FREE products, and I would appreciate hearing how you experience the items. Feel free to stop by and leave a comment here.

 

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Fruit of the Spirit Adult Coloring Book

inPRINT_RELEASE_fruitofspiritBible study meets therapeutic coloring in my newest illustration project: “Fruit of the Spirit Colouring Book“. Galations 5:22-23 forms the foundation for this book. The “fruit” mentioned in this well-known scripture is dissected, and each of the nine characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit is explored through illustration and scripture.

LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, and SELF-CONTROL – the Bible has a lot to say about each of these characteristics. This book invites you to open your Bible and make a few discoveries of your own as you fill the  fruity illustrations with color.

The book balances full page, abstract illustrations alongside pages of Bible reading and study activities. The large illustrations feature key words from Galations 5:22-23 embedded in quasi-abstract, retro-styled designs. The study pages are designed with decorative borders, so you can continue to color while you read and reflect on what the Bible has to teach us about the fruit of the Spirit.

The “Fruit of the Spirit Colouring Book” is now available in print, and can be ordered from various online book sellers. If your favorite bookstore does not stock this book, ask them to add it to their inventory listing. I recommend ordering your copy from Lulu. Remember to check their website for any coupons before you order, as Lulu often has special deals for book lovers. If you live in South Africa, I recommend ordering from Megabooks – in many cases, their prices of my books beat any of their international competitors.

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MOVING in MIRACLES for HEALING PATTERNS

six trumpetsSIX TRUMPETS on a SOULFUL JOURNEY

Imagine six trumpets. Imagine them played skillfully so the music weaves together into the kind of intricate piece that takes you on a journey. “Moving in Miracles” is this soulful journey: a musical transition from light, minimalist influences to rich, baroque phrases. “Moving in Miracles” was composed by Eddie Lewis as a complement to one of the ready-to-color illustrations in “Healing Patterns: A Coloring Book for Adults“.

HEALING PATTERNS

Healing Patterns” brings together a collection of my hand-drawn illustrations and some of my favorite faith-building scriptures. The reading of the scriptures and the creation of simple art function side-by-side to help the user relax, soak up God’s Word, and enjoy the numerous benefits of art therapy.

MOVING in MIRACLES VIDEO

As you watch the music video for “Moving in Miracles” (included below), you will see the illustration that inspired “Moving in Miracles” fill with color. This video gives you the opportunity to momentarily experience the effects of art and music: enjoy beautiful, inspiring music while you witness empty space fill with vibrant colors. When you have watched the video, please take a moment to leave a comment and let us know how this video affected you.

The sheet music for “Moving in Miracles” is available as a download from the Tiger Music Store.

 

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The Effect of Art on Healing

Surgical Anatomy by J. Maclise 1859 Art, health, and healing are related. Say that out aloud in a public gathering and most people will nod enthusiastically. That art and music are great healing therapies for the body and soul is accepted as an undisputed “fact”. But is it really a “fact” or just something we feel must be true?

Stuckey and Nobel took a long, hard look at the connection between art, healing, and public health (Stuckey and Nobel, American Journal of Public Health, February 2010, vol 100, no 2, p254-263). These researchers compiled a review of qualitative and quantitative research studies (1995 to 2007) focused on the relationship between participation in the creative arts (e.g. painting, drawing, music, dancing) and health outcomes. What were they searching for? Proof (or the absence of proof) that participating in the creative arts does in fact play a role in physical healing. What did these researchers find? In rounding up and reviewing twelve years of research, Stuckey and Nobel came to the conclusion that artistic expression does have a positive effect on health. Obviously, the research is ongoing and we will continue to learn more with each new study conducted. If you are not interested in reading journal articles yourself, let me sum it up for you: the evidence indicates that creative engagement (i.e. actually participating in artistic activities) decreases anxiety, stress, and mood disturbances.

But what does a decrease in anxiety and stress have to do with the way you heal?

Everyone knows that too much stress is bad for our health, but most people think that stress only reduces our sense of well being. It turns out that stress doesn’t just make us feel bad on a head level. Stress actually plays a big role in how we heal on a physical level. Gouin and Kiecolt-Glaser, in their research on the impact of psychological stress on wound healing (Gouin and Kiecolt-Glaser, Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America, February 2011, vol 31, no 1, p81–93) found that psychological stress significantly delays the healing of wounds. Lucas’ research on psychological stress and wound healing (Lucas, Wounds, 2011, vol 22, no 4, p 76-83)  reported findings from three other studies linking anxiety and depression to delayed healing.  In simple terms, this means that stressed out, anxious people don’t just feel bad – they experience higher levels of cortisol (the “stress” hormone) which has a negative effect on the immune system. The immune systems of stressed out, anxious people don’t work as well as they should, and as a result their bodies don’t heal as quickly as they could.

Surgical Anatomy by J. Maclise 1859The news today is that participating in a creative endeavor is good for you – not just in some distant, “good feeling” kind of way, but in a practical, clinically measurable way. Science supports this. Being creative will help to lower your stress levels and reduce your anxiety. When you are less anxious and stressed out, your immune system will work better. When your immune system works well, you fight disease more effectively and you heal faster. If you want to encourage physical healing, follow your medical team’s advice while you also do your part to reduce your stress and anxiety. Start small by including creativity into your life. Not sure how to be creative? No time for such “nonsense”? Definitely see yourself as a non-artistic personality? Too sick or too exhausted to still be “arty” and  creative at the end of a long day? Try an easy-to-use, stress-reducing tool such as “Healing Patterns: A Coloring Book for Adults“. Using this book requires no artistic skill (but you will need some colored pencils), and you stay in control: you decide how long to be “arty” each day. Take a step towards better health: be creative.

Illustrations: “Surgical Anatomy” by J. Maclise (a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons) – published in Philadelphia by Blanchard and Lea in 1859.

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Healing Patterns at Barnes & Noble

Healing Patterns: A Coloring Book for AdultsThe newly released “Healing Patterns: A Coloring Book for Adults” can now be purchased in paperback format from Barnes and Noble. “Healing Patterns” is a 64-page therapeutic coloring book that couples organic ready-to-color designs with faith-infusing scriptures.

In addition to being in the Barnes and Noble bookstore, “Healing Patterns: A Coloring Book for Adults” is also available from the following online bookstores: Amazon.com and Lulu.com.

I have created a question and answer section to help you gain a better understanding of what a therapeutic coloring book is, and how “Healing Patterns: A Coloring Book for Adults” can benefit you or someone you care about. A FREE excerpt from the book has also been made available to you. You can download the free excerpt here.

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Healing Patterns on Amazon

Healing Patterns: A Coloring Book for AdultsThe newly released “Healing Patterns: A Coloring Book for Adults” is now available through Amazon.com, making it easy to purchase and ship this book to a friend or family member almost anywhere in the world.

Coloring is a relaxing, therapeutic activity that helps to still the mind, lower stress levels, and reduce anxiety. But engaging in a creative activity does more than relax you. Research shows that expressing creativity actually has a pronounced positive effect on the human body’s ability to heal. “Healing Patterns: A Coloring Book for Adults” takes art therapy a step further. Not only does it make the benefits of art therapy accessible to anyone who can hold a colored pencil, but it also presents to the user power packets of God’s healing Word. Each of the ready-to-color artworks in the book is coupled with a powerful, faith-building scripture that will inspire, encourage, and transform.

Learn more about this book and how it can benefit you or a loved one here.

 

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New Book Launched

My new book, “Healing Patterns: A Coloring Book for Adults” is now available for purchase online. Paperbacks and the print-at-home download version are for sale at Lulu. You can also expect to find the soft-cover editions at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble within the next couple months. Yes, I know what you are thinking: CONTRADICTION. How can “coloring” and “adult” appear in the same sub-title? Surely this is a mistake? Well done for being so observant, but you didn’t pick up on an error. This is indeed a therapeutic coloring book for grown-ups. Children don’t get to have all the fun.

The primary focus of the book is to serve as a stress-reducing tool for those who are ill or battling through long periods of rehabilitation. Lowering stress and anxiety levels is particularly important for the ill, as elevated levels of anxiety and stress can slow the healing process. Since none of us are immune to the damaging effects of stress, this book is not exclusively for those whose health has been compromised. “Healing Patterns: A Coloring Book for Adults” can be incorporated into any person’s stress management program. Of course, you could just decide to color for fun without making it a health science project in your life. You may not remember this, but once upon a time coloring was fun for you. I dare you to rediscover the joy of coloring. Need convincing that coloring is an acceptable and healthy activity for normal, intelligent adults? Read more about it in the Healing Patterns section of this website.

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