Read an Excerpt

For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
—Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

Each day is a gift from God, a blank canvas on which to begin anew. By greeting every morning with a palette filled with love, joy, kindness, patience, gentleness, and other fruits of the Spirit, we can make every day brighter.

When the Holy Spirit is at work within us, amazing things can happen, but as we toggle between our responsibilities, there is often little time to dedicate to ourselves and we can feel depleted. That's exactly when we need to take time to nourish ourselves—to lean on the Lord, to pray . . . and to play. With this book, you can do all of these things simultaneously.

Artist Lorrie Bennett designed the illustrations to glorify timeless scriptural lessons, providing a creative outlet for you to relax and reflect on God's Word. Each verse reminds us how acts of kindness and selflessness can make a difference, not only in our spiritual lives, but in the lives of others.

As you fill these pages with colors and patterns, it is our hope that you feel inspired and renewed, and that you reap the many blessings that come when you walk an inspired path.

A Note from the Illustrator

A warm hello from my heart to yours. I am honored and humbled that I get to share my art with you. God is the ultimate Artist who designed our world and gave each of us unique gifts and talents. It is my hope that this book helps you reconnect with your artistic gifts or discover talents you didn't know you had.

My faith has been a touchstone in my life and I feel blessed to use my gifts to glorify God and inspire others. When I engage in any type of art, I feel more alive and yet relaxed at the same time. As you spend time with these pages, I hope that you feel recharged and renewed.

Each person will color each page differently. Allow yourself to try out new color palettes, techniques, or materials. Most of all, have fun, create, and celebrate your faith.

Wishing You Colorful Blessings,
Lorrie Bennett

Lorrie Bennett is blessed to live her life as an artist, crafter, teacher, graphic designer, and best of all, a mother. She is passionate about the divine inspiration that is the source of her creativity, and the happiness that it can bring to others. Visit www.dzineafterhours.blogspot.com

Try These Techniques

Coloring is supposed to be a stress-free, no-worries kind of activity. There really is no right or wrong way to do it. But for anyone who wants to make each page come alive, here are some tips.

BLENDING COLORS—By blending several colors together, you can create a three-dimensional shading effect. For example, if you want to color a leaf green, use the color wheel on the next page to choose several shades of green as well as some colors next to the green (yellows and blues). Try to envision where the light would be falling on your image. Wherever the light would fall on the leaf is where you will place your lightest colors (the lighter greens and yellow). Wherever the shadow would fall is where you would place your darker colors (the darker green and a bit of blue). By overlapping the colors and blending them, you will create a realistic effect. It helps to practice on a piece of scrap paper first, and to work slowly to see if you are creating the effect you wish before you complete a large area.

©2016 HCI Books. All rights reserved. Reprinted from Inkspirations Fruit of the Spirit: Coloring Designs to Nourish You with Love, Joy, Faith, Peace and More. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the publisher. Publisher: Health Communications, Inc., 3201 SW 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442.