Live Loved: An Adult Coloring Book- REVIEW

This is a book review of an adult colouring book.

Do you colour? If you do, don't forget to check out my colouring pages: <Start Here>

Live Loved: An Adult Colouring BookCraft God’s Word Into Your Heart Through Creative Expression

By Margaret Feinberg

The concept of this colouring book is to help us understand the great love of God the Father towards us, His children. This book is a beautiful selection of scriptures to help you memorize, ponder, and mull over the knowledge of God's great love for us.  

I really like the concept and the idea behind this book, the journal aspect is very nice. It is laid out, (when you open your page), the left side of the book is the scripture, and a place to journal your thoughts. On the right side is that same scripture again, in a calligraphic font- outlined, surrounded by flora and fauna. The book has a very continuous flow, so if you’d like to frame a grouping of your final images it would look nice together.

Part of me feels like the artwork in this colouring book lacks passion and creativity. Being an artist myself, I felt like I was colouring generic artwork. I felt like the art was not necessarily reflective of the scriptures. There were lots of flowers and wreaths- which can be lovely, but I felt like the images looked more traced than created for colouring. Some of the pages had very small details which means you’ve got to keep those pencils very sharp, or just colour outside of the lines. 

Adult colouring books are all the rage, I’m a huge fan of adult colouring, it’s an amazing way to shut off your brain, tap into the quiet places of our soul, and just be. I do feel like this book accomplished its goal of a journal / colouring book. Do I think it is the most creative colouring book out there? No. Will I continue to use this book? Probably not. That is not to say this book is uninspiring, I feel this book is a good place to start your adult colouring journey. It is simple and elegant and will guide you into meditating on the scriptures and understanding how to Live Loved. 

I love the concept of 'living loved'... knowing you are loved, which enables you to live... really live. The scriptures in this book do just that, they lead and guide you into an understanding of just how loved you truly are. We live in a world that likes to tell us we need to lose weight, eat better, wear more makeup, wear less clothes, more clothes, wear this, buy that... we are assaulted on a daily bases with not being good enough. Marketing targets women, most of the time, to keep us insecure and doubting, maybe if i bought this mascara I'd look like her... therefore feel like her... therefore be beautiful, loved, successful... and the list goes on.

At the bottom of it all, you are fully loved, you, exactly as you are... YOU are loved... This colouring book is a fantastic compilation of scriptures that remind you that no matter what... you are totally and fully loved. Nothing you can do will make your Father in heaven love you anymore than He already does...

Share the love,
M.

 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc

Shit Happens... Learn to Pray

You know life, as much as we try to control it, it has a mind of its own. It changes, disagrees with us, decides to go in a different direction, changes course and leaves us standing there wondering, what the heck did we do wrong. Probably Nothing. The biggest misconception that we believe is that life is fair. It isn't. Sometimes it is down right unfair. What makes it fair that some people have so much and others have to little? nothing. Life isn't fair, and that kinda sucks.

Take our personal struggle with trying to have a baby... what makes it fair that I have planned my whole life around being a mom, raising children, not following my career path so that we could learn to live on one income, so when we had children I could stay home. That means we've driven rusty cars, not taken vacations, spent less than we made, learned to live without- a lot... what's fair about that?  What makes it fair that someone who doesn't want kids ends up pregnant? Nothing. Life isn't fair...

What makes it fair that faithful people end up dealing with crappy situations? nothing... there is nothing that I can say that will ever make that fair. I wish I could twirl my wand and make life fair... but i can't.

What I can do? What I can do is not compare my life with others...  I can do is concentrate on making my life the best that it can possibly be. I can look to the maker of the sun, the stars and the moon, I can share my hurts, my heart and my hopes... does it change the situation instantly? no... but it does change me,  and prayer changes me for the better.

I have a beautiful friend who is a praying woman... she is a warrior in prayer... her family is going through some stuff right now, and she stays sane through it all because of prayer. The other night I got a phone call, and she told me a little bit about her life... then came this bases of this printable.

"My oldest kid, smelled something a little off in the house, and I did a little investigating and then didn't think anymore of it... the Hubby came home and I mentioned it to him. While he was in the office, he caught a whiff of that unusual smell... so downstairs he goes to investigate... and low and behold the shit had hit the fan, literally... sewer back up, in our storage room..."

We talked, we got frustrated together, we laughed together, we tried to figure out why together... but there is no figuring out why... it just happened... one thing we did figure out, is that:
Shit happens... so you'd better learn to pray.

And that my fiends is the story of this print... Life isn't fair, shit happens, figuratively other times literally. How can you prepared for this? There really is nothing you can do to prepare for a situation like this, until it happens, but what you can do to prepare for life... is pray... have a conversation with the Maker of the universe- don't make it weird, just talk... He's listening, and He cares...

Share the love,
M.

LostBumblebee ©2016 MDBN
Shit Happens Learn to Pray
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For Granted to Gratitude

Throw back to Grandma's house and a time when everybody had one of these signs... I guess I got a little nostalgic there for a minute and really wanted one in my house... couldn't find one that I liked -so I made this one, and thought I'd share it!

What is your mantra, or thought process when you are cleaning your home, tidying up after others, or even yourself (I'm the main messy culprit here for making messes- I get all excited to start a project and then I start, and I keep adding to my collection of supplies, then I get side tracked or have to get back to work work... putting supper on, loading or unloading the dishwasher... laundry - ps, I am still doing laundry from our Uganda trip, can you believe that?! ya, me neither...can you say major side track?)

What are the words you speak over your home are they positive words of appreciation?
I thank you that I have clothes, to put in the washing machine that we are so blessed to own...

or negative;
I can't believe this guy, who raised him- seriously how hard is it to put your socks in the hamper... oh these kids they have so much and they don't appreciate any of it, I hate laundry...

Change your words, speak gratitude and appreciation and see how things will change... After spending 5 weeks in Uganda and brushing our teeth with bottled water because there is no such thing as clean drinking water there... no matter how clean you think it is, if you drink it, you will get sick...
every time I turn on the faucet here in Canada I whisper a prayer of thanksgiving. There is so much stuff I take for granted...

So print this sign, frame it, and every time you see it, whisper a prayer of gratitude for the roof over your head and the people you share it with... Every time you walk by it and whisper it,  He hears...

Share the love,
M.

LostBumblebee ©2016 MDBN God Bless Our Home : 8x10
 donate to download : Printable : Personal Use Only

Breathe, You've Got this!

2016 a new year, new projects, new hopes, and new goals all sound well and good, but along with all of those crazy awesome new ideas and dreams comes along new anxieties, frustrations, and fear. What the heck?! Seriously I want to punch fear in the face. Taking a step out of your comfort zone to pursue a new career, passion, hobby... is often, littered with fear. Why are we so afraid of trying something new?

Apparently it's been studied and this pretty much sums it up:

33% will like what you do
33% won't like what you do
33% won't actually care what you do  (gasp! I know right!)

AND 1% (these are the people we don't actually care whether or not they approve of us- I added that part, and when I'm home alone, I have a more colourful word for this group of... well, use your imagination.)

So what do we have to fear? Letting ourselves down? because going out and trying something new doesn't usually let others around us down. Because the people who actually matter, you know the ones, our cheering section, the ones who see our talents way before we ever do, and are continually trying to convince us to pursue our passions, are not going to love us any less if we try following our dream, they are going to saddle up along side of us and enjoy the ride.

So in light of a new year, and in light of new possibilities (by the way, every day is filled with new possibilities, and the ability to stop one thing and start another, without owing anyone an explanation - but I digress) Let's Saddle up the horses,  let's charge forward with our hopes and dreams... and let's not forget to BREATHE, because We've Got THIS!

Share the love,
M.

LostBumblebee ©2016 MDBN
BREATHE, You've Got This!
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If you are looking for a sign- this is it.

Are you looking for a sign this year? Maybe something to point you in the right direction, to make sure you are on the right path, or just a little something to remind you, that you aren't alone... this just might be it. Ok, this is it. It is literally the sign you've been looking for :) 

It'a new year- a fresh start, diets, cleanses, and all of those elimination things tend to happen at this time of the year... but what if instead of focusing on eliminating things, we focused on adding things, things like: peace, creative activities, more fruit, extra vegetables, more glasses of water, green tea, personal time in the day (even 5 minutes), deep breathing, a 10 minute walk during the lunch break, actively looking for the positive in a situation... 

I think by purposefully adding to our lives, we will live happier, healthier lives- rather than worrying about constantly, cutting, curbing, or eliminating stuff... when you add positive things to your life, negative stuff just doesn't have any space to flourish...

What say you? What are you going to ADD to your life this year?

Share the love,
M.

PS. Share this sign with everyone who is looking for a sign :) 

LostBumblebee©2016 MDBN : Looking for a Sign
 Personal use Only : 8x10