Book Preview: Closet Words by Kim Hilton

Originally, I planned to write a first chapter review of this book. As I dove into it, however, I realized that wouldn't be possible. The style is such that there are headings to each small section, but they really aren't chapters. So, I'm offering a short preview of the book now with a full review to follow toward the end of the month.

Taken word for word as heard from God, Closet Words is a collection of powerful and penetrating words written down in the stillness of a prayer closet. Hearing from God for several years, Kim Hilton began writing down what she heard. Encouraging, uplifting, and challenging words with a clear message to His servants, Closet Words gives a renewal and refreshing word to the Christian believer.

COVER: I'm not usually a fan of dark covers, but this one works because it ties into the content of the book and also because that bright light peeking through the partially opened door makes a huge difference. That ends up being your focus; not the darkness.

BOOK PREVIEW:  Closet Words opens with an introduction from the author on what this book is all about. She's sharing what she heard from God word-for-word, beginning in August 2002. As Kim Hilton began fasting and praying, she kept a journal of the words that flowed from God to her. This journal became the basis for the book.

What is unique about Closet Words is that it includes images of Hilton's handwritten journal pages within the pages of the book. While a typed version is also included, these handwritten pages make it much more personal and relatable.

The Table of Contents lists out the section headings, which eludes to the content of the pages in that section. The last section of the book--with its own Table of Contents--is a Reflections and Study Guide.


Paperback: 174 pages
Publisher: WestBowPress (December 10, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1449774539
ISBN-13: 978-1449774530

PURCHASE FROM AMAZON!

Kim Hilton, MCC, PCC, has a master's degree in Christian counseling. Founder of Closet Words Ministries Foundation, Kim is a teacher on prayer and listening to God. An avid writer of several books, Closet Words was chosen as the first book to be published with the proceeds going to Closet Words Ministries Foundation. A sought-after speaker and Bible Study leader, Kim has spoken at both national and local events. She resides with her husband on a farm and enjoys spending time with their six grown children and grandchildren. For more information on Kim Hilton or her work, please visit: www.KimHilton.org.

As Seen in The Hunger Games Giveaway

As Seen in The Hunger Games is giving away a Tree of Life Salad Plate Set which comes in a set of four. They can be used for dessert or salad, and are a perfect addition to your dining table. Additionally, they are the PERFECT Christmas presents for anybody regardless of them being a Hunger Games fan or not.

Here are the plates that they are giving away.
http://www.asseeninhungergames.com/product/tree-of-life-4-salad-plates

You can visit http://blog.asseeninhungergames.com/as-seen-in-the-hunger-games-giveaway/ for your chance to enter and win!

Reading Now: Amanda Weds a Good Man by Naomi King

The Amish community of Cedar Creek is celebrating a wedding! When Amanda Lambright, widowed with three daughters, marries Wyman Brubaker, a widower with five children, she envisions joining their two households into one big happy family. But it isn’t quite that easy….

Amanda Lambright loves Wyman Brubaker, and after four years as a single mother, she is grateful for his support and for this new chance at happiness as his wife. She’s confident that their children will get along just fine. But once Amanda’s clan moves into Wyman’s home, the tight quarters and Wyman’s reluctance to make changes to accommodate Amanda cause friction. The older kids are squabbling. The little ones are frequently in tears. Tiny Alice Ann isn’t speaking at all. Amanda and Wyman can’t find any privacy. And Amanda wonders if she’ll ever have a chance to pursue the pottery making that means so much to her.

Amanda believes that family lies at the center of any well-lived Amish life. Can she find the wisdom to guide the reluctant members of her new extended family toward the love that will bind them together?

One Big Happy Family, Book 1

NAL (November 5, 2013)

ISBN-13: 9780451417879 •• ISBN-10: 0451417879

Click on these links to buy this book now!

• The Book Depository •• Amazon •• Barnes & Noble • 

• B-A-M •• Chapters •• IndieBound •• Powell’s • 

Ebook: • Kindle •• Nook •• Kobo •• iBooks •

I’ve called Missouri home for most of my life, and most folks don’t realize that several Old Older

Amish and Mennonite communities make their home here, as well. The rolling pastureland, woods, and small towns along county highways make a wonderful setting for Plain populations—and for stories about them, too! While Jamesport, Missouri is the largest Old Order Amish settlement west of the Mississippi River, other communities have also found the affordable farm land ideal for raising crops, livestock, and running the small family-owned businesses that support their families.

Like my heroine, Miriam Lantz, of my Seasons of the Heart series, I love to feed people—to share my hearth and home. I bake bread and goodies and I love to try new recipes. I put up jars and jars of green beans, tomatoes, beets and other veggies every summer. All my adult life, I’ve been a deacon, a dedicated church musician and choir member, and we hosted a potluck group in our home for more than twenty years.

Like Abby Lambright, heroine of my Home at Cedar Creek series, I consider it a personal mission to be a listener and a peacemaker—to heal broken hearts and wounded souls. Faith and family, farming and frugality matter to me: like Abby, I sew and enjoy fabric arts—I made my wedding dress and the one Mom wore, too, when I married into an Iowa farm family more than thirty-five years ago! When I’m not writing, I crochet and sew, and I love to travel.

I recently moved to Minnesota when my husband got a wonderful new job, so now he and I and our border collie, Ramona, are exploring our new state and making new friends.

You can visit the author online at www.NaomiKingAuthor.com

50 Fun Handprint Crafts You Can Make with Your Child

The holiday season is a fun time for crafting with your kids. I wish I had a chance to craft more than we do here. Homemade gifts around the holidays are so much more meaningful than what comes from a store. I still have gifts classmates made me when we were in high school.

The article, "50 Handprint Crafts You Can Make with Your Child" offers links with some great ideas for crafting with your kids. There are ideas for holidays other than Christmas, too. You can read the article at http://www.nannywebsites.com/blog/50-handprint-crafts-you-can-make-with-your-child/

Guest Blogger: Kelly Preston, Author of Real Dogs Don't Whisper

The award winning book, Real Dogs Don't Whisper (www.realdogsdontwhisper.com), highlights my life journey caring for four special needs dogs and the life lessons they taught me along the way. The overall message within Real Dogs Don’t Whisper is about giving those with special needs a second chance. The book touches on integrity, unconditional love, leadership, trust, stopping abuse and opening your heart to receive and give both unconditional love and friendship. To lighten the message, I developed a co-author, Mr. MaGoo; Mr. MaGoo is my Lhasa Apso and he is larger than life. He adds humor within the book; sharing with the reader how life is so tough for him being the only male in the house and living with a crazy lady, me.

Our Pets Can Teach Us about Life – 

The Importance of Consistency

by Kelly Preston

Thank you for having me stop by to increase awareness for special needs pets, it is amazing how much our pets can teach us about life. Special needs pets teach us much more than about love and friendship. They teach us about the meaning of second chances and miracles. They teach us about life. For instance, one life lesson that my special needs pets taught me was the importance of consistency and follow through. With several of them being on medication and some of the medication being time sensitive, I quickly learned through this experience the value of being there, consistently. If I missed any of the medications or was late, their health would take a turn for the worse. I signed up to be their provider and health care giver; their health and lives depended on me. When I quickly realized this, I gained the valuable lesson of follow through.

Based in San Jose, Calif., animal lover Kelly Preston is an award winning author of Real Dogs Don’t Whisper, a book in which she talks about her experiences and adventures with her special needs dogs and the life lessons they have taught – how she has learned and grown from them and they have learned and grown from her. Preston also produces Mr. MaGoo’s Corner, a free monthly dog-focused newsletter that features a reader of the month, birthday announcements, green pet tips, organic dog recipes and more. Kelly Preston also published a children’s picture and coloring book, Mister Spunky and His Friends; a book to teach children about love, friendship and helping others with special needs.

Mr. MaGoo is a nine-year-old Lhasa Apso and the book’s co-creator and co-writer. He is, in his own words, “the alpha and omega of all dogs – in the cutest and sparkiest, most fun-loving package ever.” Ignoring Kelly’s persistent eye-rolling, Mr. MaGoo has forged ahead with this project in an attempt to, as he puts it, “present the facts from a dog’s perspective. In other words, the correct, most accurate, most interesting, only-one-that-matters perspective,” to which he adds, simply, “Woof!”

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Teaching Your Kids Right from Wrong

One of the hardest things to do as a parent is to consistently teach children right from wrong. We want our kids to grow into moral human beings who conduct themselves with integrity. With a bit of creativity, parents don't always have to be heavy-handed about it; though I honestly believe there are times that is necessary.

You can read the article, "Right and Wrong: Teaching Your Child About Morals," for some ideas. Visit http://www.summernanny.com/blog/right-and-wrong-teaching-your-child-about-morals/

Guest Blogger: Need Some Holiday Spirit? Try These 5 Crafts With Your Kids by Naomi Shaw

Sometimes, all of the shopping, the wrapping, the decorating, and the planning makes it tough to get into the spirit of Christmas. You may feel more overworked and stressed out than jolly at this time of the year. With everything that you need to take care of, it is important to remember what the real meaning of the season is about – happiness and togetherness.

If you find that you are in need of some holiday spirit this year, here’s a simple way to get into the mood and spread some cheer - by doing some holiday-themed crafts with your kids. Craft making is wonderfully therapeutic, it’s a terrific way to spend quality time with your children, and when the crafts are holiday-themed, they are a fantastic way for getting you into a cheery, holiday mood.

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock

Looking for some craft ideas to do with the kids? Try out these five simple, yet festive ideas:

Snowflake Ornaments

Use items that you probably have lying around the house to create some attractive snowflake ornaments. You’ll need:
● twigs
● glue
● twine
● white yarn
Your kids can gather the twigs for this craft themselves, right in your own backyard! Each snowflake needs three twigs. Arrange two twigs in a lowercase T-formation and glue them together. Position the third branch so that it crosses diagonally across the T-shape and glue it in place. Cut a piece of twine, form it into a loop, and glue it to the end of one of the twigs – this will be used to hang the ornament. Wrap white yarn around each of the ends of the twigs, creating the look of a rustic, yet magical snowflake.

Christmas Tree Decorations

This craft is so simple and the results are so cute! To make it, you will need
● three Popsicle sticks
● green paint
● some craft glue
● brown construction paper
● sequins
● ribbon
Paint each of your Popsicle sticks green and allow them to dry. Once dry, form them into the shape of a triangle, gluing the ends together so that they stay in place. Cut a small rectangle from the brown construction paper and glue it to the center of one of the sticks – this will be the tree trunk. Glue sequins the surface of each stick to create the look of ornaments. Tie a length of ribbon into a loop around the top of the tree, and there you have it!

Hand and Foot Reindeer

This craft doubles as a special keepsake, as it documents the size of your children’s hands and feet. Gather:
● differing shades of brown construction paper
● scissors
● glue
● googly eyes
● red pom-poms
Trace one of your child’s feet on your piece of darker brown construction paper and trace his hands onto the lighter shade of paper. Cut the hands and foot out. Glue the hands to the back of the top portion of the footprint - the hands will be the reindeer’s horns and the foot will be his face. Glue on some googly eyes and a red pom-pom for a nose. Display it in your home as a reminder of the special time you had making it with your child.

Fingerprint Snowmen

Make a family of snowmen from your child’s fingerprints. Simply gather:
● white paint
● blue construction paper
● markers
Paint your child’s fingers with white paint and have him press each finger down onto your piece of blue construction paper. Paint a snowy ground with the white paint underneath the fingerprints. Once the paint dries, use markers to draw faces, buttons, scarves, and hats onto the fingerprints, transforming them into snowmen.

Torn Paper Candy Cane

Talk about easy! All you’ll need for this craft is:
● construction paper
● glue
Draw the shape of a candy cane onto a piece of construction paper. Then, let your kids tear up sheets up red and white construction paper into small pieces. Let them glue the torn paper onto the candy cane shape. They’ll love recreating one of their favorite holiday candies!

Image Courtesy of Shutterstock

This holiday season, take a break from all of the craziness and enjoy doing some fun, holiday-inspired crafts with your kids. Not only will you create a few cute decorations, you’ll spend quality time together, which is really what this time of the year is all about.


Naomi Shaw is a freelance writer in Southern California. Christmas is one of her children’s favorite holidays and she loves making crafts with them at home. She contributes content to the CandyConceptsInc.com blog, where you can find more of her work.