This was sent to me by Active Christian Media.

Today is declared Religious Freedom Day by our President. This is more meaningful to me as I just finished reviewing C. Hope Flinchbaugh’s book, Across the China Sky, about the religious persecution of the Christian church in China.

I thank God for our freedom to worship when and where we please, and I confess that I take it for granted far too much.

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

On Religious Freedom Day, we commemorate the passage of the 1786 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, authored by Thomas Jefferson, and we celebrate the First Amendment’s protection of religious freedom.

Across the centuries, people have come to America seeking to worship the Almighty freely. Today, our citizens profess many different faiths, and we welcome every religion. Yet people in many countries live without the freedom to worship as they choose and some face persecution for their beliefs. My Administration is working with our friends and allies around the globe to advance common values and spread the blessings of liberty to every corner of the world. Freedom is a gift from the Almighty, written in the heart and soul of every man, woman, and child, and we must continue to promote the importance of religious freedom at home and abroad.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 16, 2007, as Religious Freedom Day. I call on all Americans to reflect on the great blessing of religious liberty, endeavor to preserve this freedom for future generations, and commemorate this day with appropriate events and activities in their schools, places of worship, neighborhoods, and homes.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Do you spend the month of January looking around your house asking, “What can I do with all this stuff?”

After all the Christmas packages have been unwrapped and put away, the ornaments nestled safely back in the attic, and the tree stored or sent off to the chipper — many of us feel overwhelmed at the task of organizing. RE-ORGANIZING.

This is the year for you (and me!) to make some big changes. Instead of heading to the store to buy more storage boxes, why not pare down our stuff and simplify?

I was thrilled to be contacted by author Kathryn Porter, who is offering some advice for us overwhelmed moms. A former clutterbug, she’s now a professional organizer and popular speaker who shares her faith-based message on how to keep a clean house. You can read more about her at her website, Clutterwise.

Kathryn, can you tell us how you define clutter?

Clutter is anything that does not enhance our homes or enrich our lives. Sometimes we think when something is expensive that it’s enriching, but that’s not always the case.

What do you suggest we do first if we’re feeling completely overwhelmed by our clutter and don’t know where to start?

When you don’t know where to start, start with the easy stuff:

• Is there trash around the house that missed the garbage pail?
• Are there clothes with holes, stains, or in otherwise disrepair?
• Is there junk mail, expired coupons, or old newspapers laying around?

How can we stop clutter from coming into our homes?

I’m glad you asked this question. This is an essential component to maintaining a presentable home. Anyone can de-clutter a room, but how do we keep the clutter from coming back?

It requires a lifestyle change that starts with establishing boundaries. Learning to say no is probably the number one boundary issue when it comes to clutter. It’s hard to say no to sales at department stores, unwanted gifts, and helping a friend by storing their extra couch.

Even too much stuff on our calendars can end up cluttering our homes. We have less time to clean, while at the same time we’re accumulating more stuff from all the activities we’re involved in. I talk about this in my book, but here are some examples of how to set boundaries in order to keep the clutter at bay:

Boundaries with books:
How many books do you own? Do you have boxes stacked on your closet floors without a home? Limit the number of books you own to what comfortably fits into your bookcase.

Boundaries with people:
Are you storing other people’s stuff? Stop opening your home as a storage facility for friends and family. Let them deal with their own clutter so you can effectively deal with yours. Also, be careful about borrowing other people’s stuff, particularly if you have a tendency to forget to return things.

Boundaries with giving:
Do you go overboard for birthdays, Christmas, and other special occasions? Simplify your giving habits. Instead of buying Christmas gifts in January that you have to store all year long, wait until October for purchasing holiday presents. Consider giving gifts that don’t cause clutter such as treating someone to dinner, a movie, or play.

These are all great ideas! Kathryn, do you think it’s possible to live clutter-free?

I don’t think it’s possible to live completely clutter free because we constantly create more everyday. If it’s not of our own doing, then it comes in our mailbox or as a well-intentioned gift. The goal is to create a home that’s both functional and attractive, while minimizing the clutter.

Do you have any suggestions for mothers who are constantly dealing with the in-flow of papers — from kids’ schoolwork, teachers’ notes, birthday party invitations, newspapers, magazines, thank-you notes, grocery lists, notes-to-self. HELP! I speak from experience, unfortunately.

I could talk about paper for an hour and still have more to say so I’ll try to keep it simple. When it comes to a house drowning in paper, here are a few things you can do to plug the holes that let the paper in, while controlling what’s already there:

1) Take your name off mailing lists. If you don’t see the sales ads, you won’t be as tempted to buy more stuff.

2) Cancel unnecessary magazine and newspaper subscriptions. You won’t feel obligated to read them if they’re not coming through your door, nor will they create extra trash for you to toss.

3) Consolidate bank accounts. The simpler your money management routines, the less paper it will require.

4) Cancel credit cards. We tend to buy more using plastic because hard-earned cash in hand hurts us a little more when we spend it.

5) Use electronic bill paying. Be careful when giving out account information and be sure to track the debits, but this is a popular option to make life easier.

6) Implement a calendar system to track appointments. Limit memos and sticky notes by having a central location in which to record activities.

7) Create guidelines for keeping children’s schoolwork and stick to them. Create standards such as keeping only the best work or assignments that require creativity such as writing or artwork.

Can you tell us about your book? Who would most benefit from reading it?

Anyone who feels overwhelmed by clutter would benefit from my book. I write from the trenches.

It’s not just about another method to get organized. The focus really is on helping people determine what’s meaningful and what’s clutter, but there’s lots of organizing tips too.

I’ve also heard from readers who are self-described neat freaks telling me they appreciate my book because it’s helped them understand friends and family with messy tendencies. I even had one woman come up to me after a speaking engagement who said that she never considered herself a packrat until she heard my story. I’m learning that a lot of people think the way I used to think: “It’s not clutter! It’s just my stuff and my stuff needs a home!”

Do you have any closing bits of advice for the woman who feels like she’ll never emerge from her chaotic home in one piece?

Never give up. De-cluttering is a process, so enjoy the journey. There may be times when setbacks occur, but they won’t undo the amazing strides forward.

I also want to encourage people to embrace de-cluttering as a fun and positive activity. It’s a beautiful thing when we let go of the possessions that steal our hearts so we can focus on the people who matter to us and become more aware of God’s blessings in our lives.

Kathryn Porter is an expert at teaching parents how to get their kids to help around the house. Check out her article here at Focus on Your Child. If you’re in need of some more encouragement, you can learn about workshops and resources availabe by visiting Clutterwise.

We started checking Beverly Cleary books out of the library several months ago because I was curious what made her books so classic and endearing. I read them as a child, and they’re still in print today, with new artwork and covers.

I’ve always loved Ramona, and I felt like my middle daughter would really enjoy these books. So I bought her two boxed sets for Christmas, each containing four Ramona books. She’s flown through reading them — except I read the girls Ramona and Her Mother as a bedtime story. It was wonderful, especially since it explores the relationship of a mother and daughter, a topic I’m especially interested in.

A couple of nights ago, we finished reading Ramona Forever. Out of all the writing courses I have taken, nothing has taught me more about storytelling than reading this book. When you study writing, your teachers will tell you over and over, “Show, don’t tell.” It gets to be a mantra, and some writers do it well, and others don’t.

Beverly Cleary does it so well, my girls enjoy acting out the scenes as I read. We’ve been having so much fun! In Ramona Forever, a wedding takes place. The Quimby girls’ Aunt Beatrice is getting married to Hobart, and the couple will be moving to Alaska. The wedding must take place very quickly before Hobart’s new job begins.

At first, they decide they will only have a quick courthouse wedding ceremony, but then the Quimbys decide maybe they can throw together a simple wedding in two weeks. Can it be done? Ramona and Beezus will be the flower girls.

Now here is what is so adorable, and why Beverly Cleary is such a master storyteller. How does she let readers know how quickly the wedding was planned?

Uncle Hobart does all the wedding planning in one day at the mall (for those of you who’ve had extravagant weddings, can you laugh at this one? I did). He goes to one shop and lets the girls pick out flower girl dresses. Then it’s time to pick out flowers. First, they take a break and go get some ice cream.

They arrive at the florist shop while licking their ice cream cones, and the florist says they can’t come in the shop until they finish. So what does Uncle Hobart do? He stands OUTSIDE the shop, holding his ice cream cone, and picks out the bridal bouquet, the flower girl nosegays, and the groomsmen boutonnières. OUTSIDE THE SHOP! He just points and tells the florist what he wants.

Later, we learn that … oops … he forgot to order flowers for the church. No problem. They just call around the neighborhood, and the ladies gladly supply flowers from their gardens. The final wedding preparations are hilarious, as everything is last minute, yet it all comes together.

Another scene my girls have enjoyed acting out is what happens during the wedding. The groom’s mother has sewn the wedding ring too tightly to the ringbearer’s pillow. (Howie is the ringbearer, miserable in his Little Lord Fauntleroy knickers and knee socks.) When Hobart, the groom, tries to remove the ring, it’s stuck! He yanks and yanks — and finally the ring pops loose and flies out of his hands! The wedding guests are shocked! And the ring is missing.

Then Ramona notices the ring has landed underneath the heel of the bride’s shoe. She sees it there, gold and shimmery, in the lights of the church. What should she do? She has been told to be still and not move! And she’s also afraid that if she moves, people will notice she’s not wearing shoes — her shoes were too small, and so she had to take them off before the ceremony so she could walk down the aisle.

Here is a decision to make! My girls loved this, as I read it. I asked them, “What would you do?” They’ve been flower girls in two weddings, and know how nerve-wracking it can be to be in front of people in a wedding.

At last, Ramona bravely crawls over to the bride’s shoe and picks up the ring. She’s the hero! We were so proud! Over and over again, my daughters wanted to act out this wedding scene, using the footpost of their bed as the bride’s shoe. (My turn! My turn! It’s my turn to be Ramona, OK?)

The book doesn’t end there — oh no. The story continues with Mrs. Quimby having a baby, who we find out will be a daughter. How will Ramona accept the fact that she’s no longer the baby? She’ll be the middle child. Reading this book, chapter by chapter, has brought out so many great discussions. I wouldn’t trade these memories for the world.

Each chapter of Cleary’s books has a clear story arc — a beginning, conflict, and resolution. Each chapter can be read as a stand-alone bedtime story. Yet unlike a short story, this children’s novel gave us something to look forward to every night at bedtime. We couldn’t wait to see what would happen next! Now we’re moving onto the last book of the series, Ramona’s World.

As an aspiring writer, these are the kinds of stories I want to create. Characters and plots that are timeless, that draw parents and children together as they read.

Last year, Beverly Cleary celebrated her 90th birthday. In this San Francisco Chronicle article, we can see why she has such timeless appeal:

“I love Ramona because she acts like a child and not like the perfect girls you see in some of the books you read these days,” says Felicity Connor, 12, of San Jose, who devoured the Ramona books five years ago. Felicity still remembers when Ramona put toothpaste on the bathroom mirror. “Haven’t I done something like that?” she asked her mother, who stood nearby at the Barnes & Nobles bookstore at Westgate Mall in San Jose.

It’s this kind of appeal across generations and nationalities that has kids and adults coming back to Cleary’s books. Lalicki says Cleary gets about 100 letters a month from children, parents, grandparents and teachers.

As for her competition, Cleary says she doesn’t read it. She’s thumbed through a Harry Potter book, but didn’t finish it. “I immediately noticed that the pacing of the books is very fast and something was happening every minute,” she says. “This gets kids reading faster, so they can get to the end quicker.”

But Cleary, who wrote all of her books in long hand and hardly ever uses the Internet, says too much too soon for children could have its consequences.

“Kids should be free to learn at their own pace and not in a rush to become adults.”

In case you missed it, here’s that last line again:

KIDS SHOULD BE FREE TO LEARN AT THEIR OWN PACE AND NOT IN A RUSH TO BECOME ADULTS.

Amen.

I love Beverly Cleary.

Whenever I think about giving up blogging (which, lately, has been about once a day), I come across a person like this. And I thank God for this little spot I have where I can sit down for 15 minutes and share my thoughts with you. The hundreds of you who are reading this, and the two or three of you who comment. Thank you for reading here! I know that I can’t give this up … not yet.

Ann Voskamp and Tonia Peckover have created a new blog to explore The Sacred Everyday.

Here’s what Ann says about it:

“In 2007, I am exploring, living, writing, what it means to, consciously, have Jesus keep company with us in this home. Tonia and I have created a space to process the journey …

I thank you for being you and sharing the journey…wherever it weaves… on our way Home to Him. All is gift… Ann”

I’m sure Ann and Tonia’s site will be full of beautiful writing and joy. I’m looking forward to browsing through their growing cyberlibrary of favorite inspiring books.

I’ve been reading Anne of Ingleside in the boxed set of Anne of Green Gables books we bought for our daughters for Christmas. Anne is grown up in this novel, married to handsome doctor Gilbert Blythe — and the mother of six children!

As she is settling her son, Jem, to sleep one night, he asks her:

Mummy, will you tell me a bedtime story that will send a cold chill down my spine? And sit beside me afterwards till I go to sleep?

And I love Anne’s answer:

What else are mothers for, darling?

I’m hanging out at Pioneer Parenting today and hope you’ll stop over for a visit. Author Mary DeMuth has totally revamped her site, and it’s even more of a great place to grow in your journey as a parent.

Mary is gathering an eclectic variety of articles written by and for parents, and she let me share with her readers my passion for journaling.

Do you keep a journal? What do you write in it? I’d love to hear from you over at Pioneer Parenting.

Shannon’s hosting a themed “heathy eating” edition of WFMW today over at Rocks in My Dryer. Yep, we’re all in this together, trying to work off those pounds that crept on during the holidays.

The only way I could get through all the stress of shopping, decorating, and going to parties was by eating loads of chocolate, alternating salty/sweet snacks, and drinking coffee. It got me through it, and now my stress is showing up on my waistline.

But what to do? My family doesn’t need to eat low-fat; only I do! In fact, my husband doesn’t like ANY food that has “low fat” on the label. If you’re a mom with a house full of kids, you know how pasta, rice, bread, and potatoes can stretch your food budget and make everybody feel satisfied. Yet all those starchy foods are what OUR bodies don’t need, if we’re trying to slim down.

So I’m heading back to The South Beach Diet — actually not the strict phase 1, but more of a phase 2. If you’ve never read this book, it’s a good one, and I’m sure your library has it.

You basically cut out those things I mentioned above: pasta, rice, bread, potatoes — and anything with sugar in it. Even fruit, if you want to do the strict phase 1 (which lasts for two weeks). You still eat plenty of dairy products, protein-rich foods, and vegetables. If you follow this plan and increase your exercise, you will easily drop ten pounds in two weeks. (And weirdly, you won’t be hungry for junk food. It somehow, mysteriously works, after a couple days of withdrawal).

Here’s what I do when I’m South Beaching, yet feeding my family regular meals. I buy about five of those salad bags a week, and this is what I base my meals on for lunch and dinner. I fix myself a HUGE bowl of salad and toss in everything I can — beans, tuna, cheese, raw veggies, etc.

For example, if I’m feeding my family chicken and rice, then I’ll put chicken on my salad and skip the rice. If they’re eating spaghetti with meaty/tomato sauce, then I’ll put the sauce right on my lettuce with some cheese. It’s tastes pretty good. What’s even better is that my energy goes up, and the numbers on the scale go down.

It’s hard to do this alone, though. It’s so helpful to have an accountability partner. One thing I really picked up from reading The South Beach Diet is the obesity-diabetes-heart disease connection. Being overweight is often just an outward sign of the havoc that our poor diets and sedentary lifestyles are wreaking on our bodies: especially our vascualar systems.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of women, not cancer. Yet 80% of heart disease can be prevented. The South Beach Diet explains it all. I’m still trying to drop my last stubborn 20 postpartum pounds — and the reason why I haven’t is because I’m carrying around my junk food addictions stuck right around my middle.

Well, it’s a new month, a new year, and I’m going to keep on trying. The South Beach Diet has worked for millions. And it works for me!

Brandy at The Building Brows tagged me for this meme. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve done one of these. Here are five things people (probably) don’t know about me that I don’t mind sharing:

1. I played Mary Todd Lincoln in our 8th grade play, “The Blue and the Gray.” I wore my mom’s old prom dress with hoops, made by my grandmother. I was a nervous wreck practicing my speech — but when I got in front of the audience, it was mysteriously fun. I couldn’t see people’s faces because of the bright lights — and I felt … like I was … Mary Todd Lincoln. Weird.

2. I used to dream of going to the Olympics as a gymnast. Really dream. I came home from gymnastics practice every day with new bruises, covered in chalk from the bars. I loved having special friends who only knew me from the gym, separate from school. At school, I was painfully shy; at the gym, I was outgoing and fun. (It was like having my own private Terabithia, for those of you who get that.)

3. Our family owned a horse for three years named “The Bandit’s Delight.” My sister and I went riding every day after school at a stable a few miles from my house. (It’s now a subdivision). Bandit liked carrots and sugar cubes — and he’d tilt his head to the side and finish off a Coke, if we wanted to share with him. Those were very happy days for me and my sister. I still love the sweet smell of hay in a barn and the sound of rain on a tin roof.

4. I may or may not have a fake talent for clogging. Whenever I pretended to clog in college, it got all my dorm friends laughing. This led to my being nominated for the “Rodeo Queen” contest by my sorority. I actually had to go be interviewed for this role by the president of the agricultural fraternity, and the day of the rodeo, the five of us who were finalists were driven around the arena in the back of a pick-up truck. I wore a borrowed cowboy hat and boots. When they called my name, enough people whooped and hollered for me, so I received a silver tray engraved with my title, “Rodeo Queen.” My husband gets a kick out of calling me this.

5. I’ve eaten fugu before, the Japanese blowfish that, if prepared the wrong way, is so poisonous it can kill you. I ate some at a ryokan (Japanese hotel) with my homestay family on the island of Kyushu. It tasted good — and was very expensive. After we ate fugu, we played a rowdy card game of “Uno,” our favorite.

That’s my five. I’m tagging YOU because I don’t know who hasn’t done this yet. Thanks, Brandy!

Club Mothers and Wives, Club M.A.W., is up and running, and I’d love for you to visit and tell me what you’re reading!

Author and mom, Michele Steinhauser, has started this new club for women — and she’s building a great community. Her site is based on rooms of the house, and I’m the club “MAW-derator” for … you guessed it. The Library!

There’s a discussion board set up, and I’d love for you to click on over and sign up, then join in the discussions. I’d love to know what you’re reading. To be honest, most of the books on my nightstand are new Christian books, what the publishers and publicists send me. But I’m also reading an older book for my ladies’ Bible study, as well as working through the Anne of Green Gables series … slowly.

How about you? If you’re reading a great book — or you’re the author of a great book, come tell us about it. Especially if you’re reading something older, a classic even, I’d love to know. Your advice will be much appreciated.

Michele Steinhauser is a gal with a huge heart, a mom of two boys, living in northern California. I met her in fall 2005 at the Glorieta Christian Writer’s Conference. We found ourselves sitting next to each other at breakfast one morning — and ended up becoming buddies.

She’s been such an encouragement to me the past year — and if you visit her new home at Club M.A.W. I’m sure you’ll know what I mean.

Hope to see you there!

A couple of years ago, I read a great tip in Lisa Whelchel’s online journal. She said she gives each of her children a new box of stationery for Christmas. These are for writing thank-you notes.

Here’s something she says about it in a Focus on the Family article, “Holidays and Kids — Maintain Control,” by Jesse Florea:

“We have a tradition of putting new stationery in our kids’ stockings at Christmas,” Lisa says. “It’s more fun to write thank-you notes if you’re writing on new stationery.”

She has her kids write a thank-you note before they play with the gift.

“It teaches a nice principle of thinking of other people,” Lisa says. “If someone took the time to buy you a gift, then you need to take the time to write and thank them right away.”

I was so glad to read that! I’ve struggled with getting my kids to write thank-you notes (probably because I struggle with it too). I’ve been remiss the past couple of years — and felt guilty about it.

I’m curious. Do you think adults need to write thank-you notes to each other if a gift is received in person? It’s certainly a thoughtful gesture, going the extra mile. But if I don’t write them, am I breaking rules of etiquette? Does anyone know? These days, I think a phone call or email work fine too. Of course, if you didn’t receive the gift in person, you should in SOME way let the person know you received it and thank them for it.

I do think it builds gratitude in children when they sit down and write out a thank-you note. After all, in the rush of ripping through paper, sometimes it’s hard to even remember who gave them their gift. Even if all the note says is, “Dear Grandma, thank you for the new Bionicle. It’s cool. Love, __.”

This afternoon, I was so proud of my six-year-old daughter who got out her new “fairy” stationery and penned notes to her aunts, uncles, and grandparents. She sealed them all — so I’m sure they’re full of creative spelling and lots of love. That got her siblings moving — and now the notes are all written! I didn’t do anything this year except give each child a list of who gave them what (which I jotted down a couple of days after Christmas).

From one mom to another. Thanks, Lisa!