1 Corinthians 7:17-24

Simple Abundance. Its a book that has over the course of three years owning it and reading it religioiusly, has changed my life. 

I came across this heavy pink bound book while thrifting the bookcase at a local Goodwill store with my mom. Whenever I purchase a book I like to write the date and a sentence or two inside the cover about where I purchased it and why I choose it. As much as I love books from the library, I find it very hard to connect to the book unless I am able to highlight favorite sentences and make notes along the way. Its something my grandmother use to do and I absolutely love reading her books she gives me because there are so many wonderful simple phrases & notes in her own words. I find the sentences she highlights fascinating, wondering to myself why she choose them.

If you were to pull a book off my bookshelf you will find dates purchased, dates read & re-read, many highlighted words, quotes and phrases. It simply makes each book my own. And I love pulling random books down every know & then to read what I wrote through the pages. I've always believed you can tell a whole lot about a person based on the books on ones bookshelf and the records he/she keeps. 

kisses, K.

Developing an attitude of sincere and "heartfelt gratitude"
for your current blessings unleashes the power
for receiving many more. Every Day Give Thanks.

I began browsing for a few ideas for my gratitude challenge and I came across some great sites!  

The Power of Gratitude

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. Albert Schweitzer

Gratitude Day 1

I am so grateful that I get to stay at home with LK! I get to kiss her good morning & rock her nite nite! During the day I get to hold her hand for naps and sing her, her favorite songs! Everyday with this angel is a blessing!

I know there soon will come a time that I will have to go back to work. But for now I am extremely grateful for how hard Ben works day after day! His hard work does not go unnoticed and I make sure to tell him everyday! 

Back in 2009 I made this blog site with the intention of sharing daily postings and pictures. But as you can see after posting a few, I stopped.

I have always envied those "super bloggers" ....you know the mothers of four or five kids who somehow between diaper changes, cleaning, feedings, cooking and crafting still manage to photograph picture perfect daily events and write an inspiring & creative blog! ...You know who you are... www.greyhairedmomma.blogspot.com ; ) xoxo.....I'd love to know your secret! 

(I am laughing to myself right now! Because as I write this I am typing with one hand as I push Lilly Kates bassinet with the other while singing her a lullaby. It has taken me 45 minutes to write these few words! Yep I am a new mama trying to manage the world and I haven't quite figured it all out just yet!) 

When I first began reading blogs I was so inspired to create my own! With thousands of adorable sites .....I had such a hard time choosing the right domain name, colors, fonts, layout....what was my blog was going to be about?! Taking... editing.... posting pictures.... could I actually share my own"personal" opinion for the world to read... does anyone really care, will anyone ever read my postings anyway! whoa! Am I just wasting my time?!  

whats with the name?! lulukate. its simple. its a combination of my nicknames lulu for louise and kate from Katie. and it wasn't taken. besides its kinda cute.

When I began this blog I was single, living in Tampa about to make a move to California and traveling a good amount of time for work.  So as you can see from the beginning of this blog the few things I did write, I was on the road. Today I am happily settled with the man of my dreams! I have a beautiful three month old daughter named Lilly Kate! And I am living back where it all started in a small town on the Coast of somewhere beautiful! 

This writing thing isn't new for me.....writing has always been therapeutic!! ...."If I don't write to empty my mind, I go mad!" -Lord Bryon So true! 

I've always kept a notebook by my bedside. I never liked the word Journal it has always seemed kiddish to me. It is simply a notebook. I remember when my love for writing began....back in Elementary School 4th grade to be exact! Everyday my teacher would have a daily topic on the board...or a sentence to spark a creative writing session. We were to complete at least one page. I remember writing pages during each session! Notebooks were never graded  and it was even ok to write in color! They call it "stream writing" or "Stream of Consciousness". Its a type of writing skill that is unstructured and unedited that reflects observations without any punctuation or grammar.  I continued the "notebooks" long after 4th grade and even to this day I have a notebook by my bedside. This could easily explain why my spelling & grammar is so horrible! don't judge. ; ) Its the type of writing technique that has always sparked my creativity and connected me to pen & paper. I've always found that when I handwrite a note its so much more personal than typing. My creative space is found in the stillness, where I have paper in front of me and a pen in my hand!

During a recent writing sesh, I began thinking about a "gratitude challenge"....I did "a Line a day for 21 days of gratitude" a few years ago. But for the past week or so I've been thinking more and more about starting a daily gratitude blog. I journal gratitude practically everyday (sometimes just in my head before I fall asleep).... I most certainly know the power of prayer! So I have no doubts in the power of sharing gratitude. 

So for what its worth, I'm going to challenge myself to posting and sharing my daily gratitude log.....

pink dream