Share Keep It Shut

Thank you so much for helping spread the word about Keep It Shut. Please feel free to grab any of the pre-made content below to share on social media or your blog. I made click-to-tweets and pins you only need to hover your mouse over to share. Two guest blog posts to choose from and several topic prompts with corresponding Bible verses if you want to craft your own short post. Or just grabbing the book trailer and description for a giveaway is fine too. Anything is appreciated!

If you wish to feature the book on your blog, you may give away a free copy to one of your readers that the publisher will mail out for you. Once you have chosen your winner, please email their name and mailing address to [email protected] and put “KEEP IT SHUT winner” in the subject line.

And if you do want to feature the book on your blog, no matter if you grab a pre made or do something yourself, could you please enter your name, date and blog address on this Google doc so I can cross promote the day and week you post and drive traffic your way too?

===> CLICK HERE FOR THE GOOGLE DOC OF BLOG TOUR

Ok….here is all the pre made content:

Keep It Shut helps our lips….and theirs……

 

SPLogo_Lg5% of all author profits from KEEP IT SHUT will be donated to Samaritans Purse for their cleft lip repair ministry.

13107SD-I-154-cleft-lip-donateIn South Sudan, children who are born with a cleft lip are often shunned by society because of the false belief that they are possessed by evil. The money donated will help volunteer medical teams to perform cleft lip and palate surgeries for patients of all ages. As we learn to use our lips for good and not evil, we can help these sweet children be rid of this horrible stigma in their society.

The Book:

Got words? Oh yeah, you do! The average woman speaks over 20,000 a day—not to mention the ones she types online. Karen Ehman — a woman whose words have often landed her in a heap of trouble — shares from experience the how’s (and how-not-to’s) of dealing with the tongue in her new book Keep It Shut. Using biblical examples, as well as Karen’s own personal (and sometimes painful!) stories, Keep It Shut will equip you to know what to say, how best to say it, and when you’d better just keep your lips zipped!This book will teach you:

  • The difference between gossip and properly processing with a trusted friend
  • A helpful grid for using our digital tongues as we talk online or on social media
  • How to pause before you pounce, attacking the problem but not the person
  • How to avoid saying something permanently painful just because you are temporarily ticked off
  • What the Bible teaches about making our speech laced with grace, as sweet as honey, and yet seasoned with salt

Also available is a six-week DVD Bible study designed for group or individual use.

Click to Purchase

The Trailer:

Share a sample chapter with your readers by using the link here:

Sample Chapter

What Others Are Saying:

Candace Cameron BureWords are the most powerful weapons we have. They can be a sharp sword or a soothing salve, both having the ability to change someone’s path in an instant.. I wish every one of my social media followers would read this book along with me.”

Candace Cameron Bure, actor, producer, New York Times bestselling author, Dancing With the Stars Season 18 finalist

liz-curtis-higgs“I’ve put Karen’s wise suggestions to the test and am already noticing an improvement: less talking, better listening! Helpful, practical, biblical.”

Liz Curtis Higgs, bestselling author of The Girl’s Still Got It

lysa-terkeurst“This book is funny, honest, and tackles the hard subjects of gossip, speaking the truth in love and the power of our words from a biblical standpoint. It is the perfect book for our social media driven world.”

Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times bestselling author of The Best Yes and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries

Twitter:

Facebook:

(Could you please make sure to “like” my author page Karen Ehman and then tag me in your post so it appears on my page as well as yours)

Has your mouth ever gotten you in a tangled up mess? Maybe it’s time to adopt a new rule of tongue. Check out Karen Ehman’s new book KEEP IT SHUT: What to Say, How to Say It and When to Say Nothing at All.

This book will teach you:

  • The difference between gossip and properly processing with a trusted friend
  • A helpful grid for using our digital tongues as we talk online or on social media
  • How to pause before you pounce, attacking the problem but not the person
  • How to avoid saying something permanently painful just because you are temporarily ticked off
  • What the Bible teaches about making our speech laced with grace, as sweet as honey, and yet seasoned with salt

#keepitshutbook http://bit.ly/1DRzM9h

Content for your blog:

If you want to feature the book on your blog and give away a copy, you could do one of these options:

*Grab one of the pre made guest posts from the two options below. {Don’t forget to grab an image or two below too!}

*Email 4-5 questions to me — interview style — and I will answer them for a unique blog conversation for your site. Use the email [email protected]

* Or craft your own short post from one of the 5 topic prompts below that give a subject, the chapter from the book that talks about it and a corresponding Bible verse.

AND don’t forget to CLICK HERE FOR THE GOOGLE DOC OF BLOG TOUR to add in the date of your post.

Okay–here are the two pre made posts:

Option #1

In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:26–27

I wrestled with several plastic grocery bags as my purse swung wildly from my shoulder. I was trying desperately to free up a hand to open the back door that leads from our garage into the kitchen. Tired from a long day of errands and appointments, I just wanted to get into the house, put the groceries away, and then collapse on the couch.

As I fumbled with my keys and stepped up onto the landing that leads into the kitchen, I nearly tripped and broke my neck. I also broke out into a horrible rant as I saw the reason for my near trip and fall.

“Kenna! Mitchell! Spencer! You kids get out here right now and take care of these shoes and boots. I am sick and tired of how you all just toss your shoes here with absolutely no regard for what I’ve told you. You know your shoes go on the rug. I don’t want to ever see this junk lying here again. You hear me? You are all so lazy! Now I said get out here … right now!”

My kids heard me all right. So did half the neighborhood.

I have a major pet peeve about the shoes, sports cleats, boots, and flip-flops that collect in our garage. First, I’d prefer that each family member have only a pair or two there. (That day there were about nineteen, and only four were from my husband and me. The other fifteen or so were from our three darlings. Yes. Crunch the numbers. That’s five pairs each!)

I also prefer that shoes be lined up neatly in a row on the lovely industrial rug that is strategically placed just to the right of the landing for my clan’s convenience. I’ve even timed out how much longer it takes to actually place said pairs of shoes neatly on the rug instead of kicking them off haphazardly. Just three seconds!

But my kids couldn’t seem to get with the program and so? It made me angry. This wasn’t the only time a domestic dispute broke out. There were other shouting bouts as well. Sometimes they were over issues of outright disobedience when I had specifically instructed a particular child to clean up a mess they had made. Other times it was over an accident: spilled grape juice on the light-colored carpet, too much laundry soap in the new front-loading washing machine, a screen door left open and now there were mosquitoes in the house. Many normal mishaps of childhood.

Although on the one hand it felt good to vent my anger, on the other hand it made me gulp in guilt for barking so angrily at my sweet children. Later, after the shoes were straightened and some even put away, I felt God tap me on the heart, prompting me to apologize to my kids. I fought it for a while, arguing that the kids were the ones who should be apologizing to me.

It was then that I felt God clearly say, “Mind your own sin, sweetheart.”

Ouch. Yes, my kids’ disregard of instructions wasn’t right. Children should obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1). But when they don’t? Well, I couldn’t recall a single verse that then grants parents the right to holler and scream, giving all of the neighbors who were trying to eat their spaghetti supper both dinner and a show.

KIS.Dont.say.something2

I apologized to my kids that night before they went to bed. I asked them to forgive me for my angry mama mouth. Then together we strategized about how we could remedy the whole footwear fiasco in the garage. I realized that part of the reason I was always badgering my clan to get with the program was that there was no good program for them to get with in the first place. The industrial rug just wasn’t cutting it. So we cut the rug. With a trip to the department store and some nice wire shelves, we found a solution to the footwear conglomeration.

We compromised. I didn’t get my entire desired neat-as-a-pin plan, but the modified version still worked better than the industrial rug. As a result, I no longer badger my poor kids about their shoes. My vocal cords aren’t so sore, and the neighbors can now enjoy their dinner in peace.

And I learned that day a very valuable lesson…

Don’t say something permanently painful just because you are temporarily ticked off.

Option #2

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There’s more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 29:20 HCSB).

My family calls me the gap filler. I’m not sure I’m too keen on that nickname, but I guess I earned it fair and square. For as long as I can remember, I have loved to talk.

“Karen is a delightful student,” my teacher exclaimed as she visited with my mother during those parent-teacher powwows. “But she does seem to have a tad bit of trouble listening. Especially when I am talking.” I just couldn’t seem to keep my little jaws from flapping. I simply had to add my two cents’ worth. Whenever there was a gap of silence in the teacher’s speech or another student’s comment, you could count on me to fill in the gap. (And I’m sure, in my defense, I felt that what I had to say was way more interesting than whomever else was talking at the time, including my instructor!)

It always bummed me out when my teacher reported that I didn’t listen so well and that I talked too much. But it didn’t bother me enough to motivate a change in my behavior. I liked filling those gaps. And, to tell the truth, I still do. When a group of people is chatting and there is even a small lull in the conversation, if I am not intentional about reining in my tongue, I will rush right in to fill that gap and fill it good.

Now … my husband says my ability to talk is what first attracted him. He loved how I could work a room, making the shy ones feel included. I could converse with the college president and yuck it up with the grocery store bag boy all in the same afternoon.

Yep. My college sweetheart loved how I could talk. So this rather shy guy bought a ring, slipped it on my finger, grabbed my hand, and off we proceeded down the church aisle and into marital bliss. My proficiency at all things linguistic hadn’t bothered him before. In fact, he felt it was an asset. I talked and talked. He smiled and listened. And it really didn’t seem to bother him.

Then, about three days into our honeymoon, he had this thought: “When is she ever gonna shut up?” In fact, if I make it to heaven before he does, he’s decided just what should go on my tombstone:

A period.

Ask him why and he’ll declare, “Well, she’ll finally be done yakking!” (He insists my language has no periods, just commas, colons, and semi-colons because there’s always more to come!)

KIS.See.a.man.hasty

In a group Bible study or a visit with friends over coffee, I can easily monopolize the conversation. And, in the early days, I didn’t even know it was happening. I just assumed everyone was as dazzled by my words as I was.

I’m not sure how I was first enlightened, but I soon came to discover that often when I was talking, other people in the room were mentally checking out. Or I noticed there were other women in the Bible study or the playgroup who never seemed to give their two cents’ worth. I just couldn’t figure this out. Didn’t they have anything to say? Didn’t they have something to add to the discussion?

Eventually, I came to realize that perhaps the problem wasn’t with the other people in the group. Gulp. Maybe I was too ready to jump in the minute there was a gap in the conversation. Maybe the other folks needed a pause or two for their thoughts to gel before they could speak them. And maybe, just maybe, if some of us who talk too much would actually zip our lips a minute then these people could have an opportunity to speak up more often.

I knew that things were going to have to change for me if I wanted to use my words well and shed my habit of gap-filling. In fact, over the years I have given myself a few tools to help in this endeavor.

First — a little rule of thumb (or rule of tongue, perhaps). I only chime in, or respond to the question thrown out by the study leader, about every third time I think I have something to say. And you know what? It comes out just about right, and no one seems to suffer from not hearing the nuggets I withhold.

This practice also works–pause before you pipe up. It works in a group. It also works one-on-one. When the person with whom you are chatting takes a break in their speech, it doesn’t always mean they have finished their thought. They may still be composing the next sentence in their mind. When we take their pause as a green light that it’s our turn to talk, we may actually be interrupting instead. No, not in a rude way–interjecting mid-sentence–but by butting in before they’ve finished their thoughts. Pausing for a bit before we pipe up can help us be both courteous and understanding.

A person who seeks not only to listen but to understand as well is rare — a treasure. And rare treasures are not only hard to find. They are priceless.

We can become such a valuable in the life of those around us when we make listening and understanding our aim.

 

5 Possible Topic Prompts:

Below are a few topics you could weave into a short blog post. Then, simply grab content from above about the book to end your post. Finally, invite your readers to comment to enter to win the free copy. Super easy!

Topic #1 — Watching our words online in comment threads or on social media. The reality that what we type or text is still our words and what scripture teaches about them still applies!

Chapter 6: Behind the Screen: Controlling Your Digital Tongue

Verse: Colossians 4:5-6 “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Topic #2 — Dealing with our anger, especially in the home. Learning to pause before we pounce. Or better yet, to pause, pray and then not pounce at all!

Chapter 9: Hurling Hate or Healing Hearts: Containing Your Anger

Verse: Ephesians 4: 26–27 “In your anger do not sin: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”

Topic #3 — Gossip. Speaking it. Listening to it. Making it “acceptable” by cloaking it as a prayer request.

Chapter 7: But I’m Just Sharing a Prayer Request: Stopping Gossip and Hearsay

Verse: Romans 1:29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. THEY ARE GOSSIPS.

Topic #4 — The importance role of prayer in preventing us from using our tongues improperly. Why we should hit out knees before we hit the phone {or type away on the keyboard}.

Chapter 4: Zip It and Pray; How to Talk to God Before You Talk to Others

Verse: Psalm 139: 4 “Before a word is on my tongue? you, Lord, know it completely.

Topic #5 — People-pleasing because we can’t say no. Shading the truth so as not to hurt someone’s feelings. Flattering others to get us somewhere.

Chapter 8: Lying, Loving and People-Pleasing: On Flattery and Speaking the Truth in Love

Verse: Ephesians 4:25 “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”

Pinterest:

Hover over an image to view the Pin It button.

Mouth ever gotten you in a tangled up mess? Perhaps it is time to adopt a new rule of tongue. KEEP IT SHUT: What to Say, How to Say It & When to Say Nothing at All by Karen Ehman. There is also a 6-session video Bible study available for group or individual use. Check it out! Mouth ever gotten you in a tangled up mess? Perhaps it is time to adopt a new rule of tongue. KEEP IT SHUT: What to Say, How to Say It & When to Say Nothing at All by Karen Ehman. There is also a 6-session video Bible study available for group or individual use. Check it out! Mouth ever gotten you in a tangled up mess? Perhaps it is time to adopt a new rule of tongue. KEEP IT SHUT: What to Say, How to Say It & When to Say Nothing at All by Karen Ehman. There is also a 6-session video Bible study available for group or individual use. Check it out! Mouth ever gotten you in a tangled up mess? Perhaps it is time to adopt a new rule of tongue. KEEP IT SHUT: What to Say, How to Say It & When to Say Nothing at All by Karen Ehman. There is also a 6-session video Bible study available for group or individual use. Check it out! Mouth ever gotten you in a tangled up mess? Perhaps it is time to adopt a new rule of tongue. KEEP IT SHUT: What to Say, How to Say It & When to Say Nothing at All by Karen Ehman. There is also a 6-session video Bible study available for group or individual use. Check it out! Mouth ever gotten you in a tangled up mess? Perhaps it is time to adopt a new rule of tongue. KEEP IT SHUT: What to Say, How to Say It & When to Say Nothing at All by Karen Ehman. There is also a 6-session video Bible study available for group or individual use. Check it out!

Thank you again SO MUCH for spreading this important message about what to say, how best to say it, and when we’d just better keep our lips zipped!

Blessings!

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