Clutter.

It's only beginning to dawn on me that tomorrow, another year is ending. Another decade is ending. For some reason, the fact that 2010 is ending tomorrow is sending me into a state of panic. I want nothing more than to begin 2011 in an orderly, relaxed manner. Of course, this isn't the case at all.

My room is extremely cluttered--more cluttered than it has ever been in my 26 years of existence. Opened Christmas gifts have not yet been put away, recently purchased books are still in their plastic bags, rather intimidating stacks of *important* magazines are waiting to be read... things are everywhere.

Unfortunately, my closet is in a similar state of chaos. Worse, even. It's actually pretty painful to look at. Wrinkled clothes have been tossed back inside. I have also just recently admitted to myself that my closet is extremely full... of clothes that I will never wear. I have way too many pieces of clothing that belong in a "wishful thinking" category. I will never fit into these clothes and I really should begin accepting that. If I picked out the clothes I actually liked and fit into, I wouldn't need a closet. I'd probably fill a plastic bag.

There are random things that are driving me nuts, as well. Hundreds of text messages are eagerly waiting to be deleted, therefore making my phone painfully slow. The television remote control batteries need changing; they've actually needed changing for more than a month. Even my Gmail inbox is due for some sorting through. I have used up more than 85% of my inbox capacity. How in the world did that happen?! I've also been wanting to change my blog layout for the past few weeks. My current layout is another thing I find messy, and it hasn't quite been inspiring me to write. I just haven't gotten around to searching for new templates. Sigh.

I honestly don't think any of that mess is going to disappear tomorrow. Maybe everything will be spic and span by January 1.... or 2.. or 3. Maybe I'll be done cleaning by mid-January. One thing is for sure--decluttering is my priority for the first few days of the year.

Admitting I need to declutter is the first step. Good job, Kris! Everything else should be easy... right?

Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (with Lyn Vincent)

Same Kind of Different As Me is a powerful and enlightening book that touches on racism, poverty, faith, justice, healing and love. It tells the stories of Ron and Denver—two very different people leading very different lives. Thanks to Debbie, Ron’s altruistic wife, the two stories intertwine and the lives of both Ron and Denver are changed forever.

The book initially seemed like an easy read—something light that I could breeze through in just a few sittings. However, as I became more and more involved into the stories of Ron and Denver, I found there was an intensity I was not at all expecting. The two main characters told their stories in very distinct manners—but both were very real and incredibly raw. By the latter half of the book, I found myself rejoicing for the two men when they experienced triumphs, and I felt for them when they were hurting.

Same Kind of Different As Me is an inspiring book that reminds us that we can move mountains with a little bit of faith—faith in others and faith in God.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of BookSneeze, a book review bloggers program. Find out more at BookSneeze.com! :)

Meaning.

Fears.

There are many things I have yet to learn to do: Cook. Swim. Kill a cockroach. One thing I really need to learn to do, however, is drive.

No, this has nothing to do with the fact that when I was a very young kid, I made a promissory note to my sisters that said:

1. I would never learn to drive.

2. I would name my child Booger.

Not knowing how to drive has been a constant thorn in my side. Every few days/weeks, someone I know will ask me how come I don't drive. I don't really know what to say anymore. When family asks me this question, I get all defensive and just end up getting annoyed or mad. When friends ask me at times, I just say "Yeah, I really should learn."

Every time I ask a friend to pass for me or take me home, I am somewhat embarrassed. At times, I want to go somewhere but have no one to go with or no way to get there--so I don't end up going at all. Other times, I want to be on time for a certain thing, but find myself at the mercy of the person picking me up. I feel frustrated and helpless, but unfortunately, I really don't think I'm ready to learn. :(

The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews.

The Boy Who Changed the World is a book based on The Butterfly Effect. This children's book aims to teach the younger generation that everything they do matters and that they too, can change the world.

I decided to read this book because I could pass it on to my niece and nephew afterwards. The illustrations throughout the book were nice, and my expectations grew. However, I found myself feeling puzzled by the time I put it down. Was this really a children's book? There were a lot of big words being thrown around. The concept was also rather confusing--I don't know if a young child would appreciate a story that had a timeline moving back in time.

Would I recommend it to others? Yes, I would--but maybe not to to children. I don't think they wouldn't understand it anyway! :P

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of BookSneeze, a book review bloggers program. Find out more at BookSneeze.com! :)