Register for the Catholic Conference for 4Moms & A Coupon Code for Purchases!

By bobbi
March 5, 2015
No Comments

As I mentioned last week, I am excited to participate in the upcoming Catholic Conference 4Moms. There are so many great speakers and various topics, there is certain to be something to touch your heart!.

Here is how it works:

Every day during the conference, Friday, March 6- Monday,March 9, you will have access to 5-6 talks, just as if you were at a live conference. This link will come via email. What’s different is that you can choose which talks you want to watch or listen to and when you you want to do it. Early morning? Wonderful. Nap time? Great. Before bed? Super. Car line? Fine, as long as you don’t try to watch while driving!

I love that! I have tried to do webinars in the past but it is difficult to commit to be at a certain place at a certain time with my busy schedule. This is different since I can listen anytime of the day.

I also LOVE that the conference is FREE! However, you do have the opportunity to dig deeper and to hear all the other talks you missed.

After the conference is over, it will all be available for purchase for one low price of $39.99 This will include online access to all the videos, as well as a download of every video presentation. And besides all of this, there will also be bonus downloads, PDFs, discussion questions, ebooks, and other goodies.

The hope is that with this package you not only can enjoy the conference again at your own convenience, but you can also share the conference with other moms, perhaps in a support group setting or just over tea. Each presentation in the conference package will include discussion questions.

Since Revolution of Love Blog is an affiliate of the conference, once the conference is over and available for purchase, I will have a coupon code for you to use to get $10 off the Conference Package price. Yay! (Update: The code is “Revolution.”)

This is the last day to sign up!! And it is free! Register here.

The conference will start tomorrow. I’ll “see” you there! 🙂

UPDATE: You can now purchase the Catholic Conference 4 Moms Package! The price is $39.99 but if you use the code “REVOLUTION” you get $10 off! For more details or to order click here – http://www.catholicconference4moms.com.

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, GoodReads or Instagram. 😉

PPS – This post contains affiliate links.

7 Quick Takes (2/28/15): Tears, Conferences & Period Movies

By bobbi
February 28, 2015
4 Comments

I’ve got half an hour free so I’m linking up with Kelly for this week’s 7 Quick Takes.

~ 1 ~

Song of the Week – Heartbeat by Mat Kearney

We are big Mat Kearney fans in this house and were looking forward to his new album that came out this week. (When I say “we” I mean the kids and myself. Brian is more of a Clash guy.) I don’t think I like Mat’s new album (it had more rap) as much as Young Love but I have only heard it a couple times so far. The song Heartbeat is a favorite play in the kitchen. The kids will dance around and laugh and giggle with me. That is until they accidentally hit the salad bowl and send the contents crashing to the flour. At that point, I kick them out. 😉

~ 2 ~

Tears for Opa

I was need of the upbeat song to perk me up. Earlier this week had been rough. I posted this on Instagram and people were asking me what was wrong.

Day 7 of #onlyonething & #holylens – It has been a rough day today and I’m PRAYING to the FATHER that I can still see beauty despite the heartache.

It was concerning my FIL. As you may remember, after his stroke he was making good progress physically and mentally. We thought it was a miracle that there seemed to be very little damage after they got the blood clot out. Well, that optimism has diminished. Over the past two weeks he has been declining mentally and by Saturday I told Brian that something was not right. He was more than a little confused, he was getting worse. The following day the doctor talked to Brian and my MIL and told them that he has been diagnosed with vascular dementia and he is displaying many of the negative symptoms that go with it. My MIL was crushed. We had such high hopes because he was doing so well.

On Tuesday, I went for my morning walk and I was thinking about how changed my FIL was. He was older but was active and mentally sharp. He’d try to explain about finances and investments to me and it would be over my head. He would pick up the kids from school and often take them to his house where they would hike in the woods and have fun. And now… there will be no more of that playful Opa outside with the kids.

I couldn’t stop the tears from falling as I mourned the dad I used to know and it took me by surprise. He’s not my biological “daddy” but he has taken a special place in my heart. I know he also has a special place in his heart for me. My MIL would often call me up and say, “Can you please talk to your father and tell he he should (fill-in-the-blank). He won’t listen to me but he’ll do whatever his ‘sweetie’ asks of him.”:-)

Thankfully, I had my sun glasses on so I could just let the tears flow and my fellow walkers didn’t know the difference. I am feeling better now and learning to make the most of what we can do with Opa.

~ 3 ~

Catholic Conference 4Moms

Have you heard about the online Catholic Conference 4Moms that is taking place next week? There are numerous presenters (including two of my faves Auntie Leila and Rachel Balducci) and various topics. This is how it works:

Every day during the conference, Friday, March 6- Monday,March 9, you will have access to 5-6 talks, just as if you were at a live conference. This link will come via email. What’s different is that you can choose which talks you want to watch or listen to and when you you want to do it. Early morning? Wonderful. Nap time? Great. Before bed? Super. Car line? Fine, as long as you don’t try to watch while driving!

After the conference is over, it will all be available for purchase for one low price of $39.99 This will include online access to all the videos, as well as a download of every video presentation. And besides all of this, there will also be bonus downloads, PDFs, discussion questions, ebooks, and other goodies.

The hope is that with this package you not only can enjoy the conference again at your own convenience, but you can also share the conference with other moms, perhaps in a support group setting or just over tea. Each presentation in the conference package will include discussion questions.

I like the fact that you can attend at your convenience and don’t need to be plugged in at a specific time. I’ll be signing up. You can get more info and register here.

~ 4 ~

Downton Finale!

Are you ready for the Downton Abbey finale tomorrow night?? I bought the DVD for Season 5 so I’ll be cheating and watching the finale for our at-home date night tonight. My final Downton Recap for the season will be posted on Monday!

~ 5 ~

Grand Hotel

Speaking of addictive period dramas, have you heard about Grand Hotel? When I have a lot of cooking to do, I like to set up my laptop in the kitchen and watch something while I am chopping veggies and making soups etc. I just finished watching North and South again. (I may or may not have watched the last episode twice just to see Mr. Thorton plead once more…

“Look back at me.”

Anyway…. on the list of Netflix‘s suggested shows they had Grand Hotel so I started watching. It’s weird at first because it has the feel of Downton Abbey and you expect to hear British accents but it takes place in Spain and is in Spanish. However, it does have English subtitles. The synopsis on imdb.com says:

1905. Julio, a young man, arrives at the Grand Hotel, an idyllic place in the middle of the countryside, to investigate the disappearance of his sister. He gets a job as a waiter and comes across the sexy wealthy daughter of the owner. He falls in love with her and starts a dangerous affair while she becomes the only person who will help him to discover the truth about his sister’s disappearance. Find out all the secrets and mysteries hidden in the wonderful Grand Hotel.

I got hooked on one episode but wondered if it was worth going through the next three seasons. But then I saw that Micaela and Jen were both raving about it so it’s a go. I’ll let you know how it progresses as I watch more episodes. 😉

~ 6 ~

Introductions

On Monday, Blessed Is She had Monday Introductions on Instagram. For any new reader here, I’m reposting my entry so you can get to know me too. 🙂

My name is Bobbi and I’m a Blessed Is She writer/Instagram contributor. I live in CA along the coast in Monterey Bay. I’ve been married to my husband Brian for 15 years and we have 4 kids – Bella 13, Andrew 7, John-Paul 5, Matthew 3 (pictured) & 2 babies in heaven. Our house is overrun by Legos and light sabers but I secretly love it. I also love being out in God’s creation, going to the movies, Disneyland, the sound of laughter, Jane Austen, planners and stationary, road trips, mi familia, period movies, BBC mysteries, tacos, dark chocolate and witnessing kindness. (Is that random enough? ) I blog at Revolution of Love Blog.com about motherhood, living a life of faith and the other topics I mentioned here. To answer the question of the week – my favorite prayers are The Divine Praises, The Lord’s Prayer, and the Memorare.

~ 7 ~

Your Turn

Okay, now it’s your turn! Tell me a little about yourself! AND/OR what’s your favorite prayer(s)?

Have a great weekend!

Create in Me A Clean Heart: My Lenten Goals 2015

By bobbi
February 18, 2015
10 Comments

Happy Ash Wednesday! I already posted about things we will be doing as a family for Lent but I haven’t shared what I’ll be doing. To be honest with you, I usually don’t buckle down until a couple weeks into Lent but I want to break that cycle!

I went to the morning Mass at the kids’ school and the theme of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving has been on my mind. How can I apply that to my busy mommy life?

Prayer

Prayer is what I need the most now, especially with the stress our family has been under lately. I am still having trouble being less like Martha and more like Mary. But Lent is the perfect time to get serious about making improvements.

My prayer plan is pretty much already in place. I have my Blessed Is She prayer journal and I joined Elizabeth Foss’ online workshop Restore. I’ve got the tools now all I have to do is make sure that I USE them in more than just a pretty photo! I arranged my schedule so I could have 15-20 minutes in the morning to pray. Then in the evening after the kids go to bed, I’ll spend 20 – 30 minutes on the workshop. I did it last year and it was sometimes hard to carve out time and I was always behind the scheduled days, but it made a huge difference in helping me get through a difficult season of life with Brian’s cancer.

Fasting

In order to accomplish the prayer time for Lent, I need to cut back on screen time – the computer/ phone in the morning and TV at night. I’m not going dark like some friends, but there will be some black out stretches during the day. I’m hoping the increased prayer will also help me to fast from impatience. In the morning of this holy Ash Wednesday I was yelling at one of my kids to stop fooling around and get their school shoes on. That is a logical request but yelling it like a lunatic is not the same as saying it like a sane parent. I could hear God whispering to me, “Yeah, you see that there? That’s what you need to give up for Lent.” Oh, man. I think it would be easier to give up the chocolate.

Almsgiving

This one was a no brainer because since Christmas I have been walking around the house, stepping over toys and moving piles of junk from one corner to the next saying, “Ugh! We have too much stuff!” So it’s time for the annual 40 bags in 40 days. We’ll be sharing our possessions with friends or St. Vincent de Paul. I would really like it if I could also get back to my 31 Day to Clean: Having A Martha House the Mary Way cleaning challenge. I started it a month ago but when Brian’s dad had the stroke, my normal routine went out the window and I put it aside.

I share these things with you, not to brag or “blow a trumpet.” Quite the opposite, I know my weakness. I am prone to start strong then give it up. I want to hold myself accountable. By sharing this with you, I know you will be there to offer encouragement when I am feeling discouraged and there to give a swift kick in the rear when I am being a stubborn brat. I know there are some moms that spend Lent like John the Baptist with a locust snack. I look at them and think, “Damn, girl! How do you do that?!” I’m still working on things like… not saying, “damn.”

We are all on different paths and at different levels. Some of you can accomplish a lot. Some of you forgot today was Ash Wednesday. Some of you don’t need to give up anything because you are living Lent in your current family situation. However, all of us are seeking to cross the same finish line. We want to grow closer to God and love Jesus more at the end of this Lent. So to you, my fellow sisters, let’s take this journey together and encourage one another.

Is there something you want to work on this Lent? Do you have a special intention you’d like me to pray for during Lent? Do share. (And say a prayer for me too.) 🙂

Loving Until It Hurts

By bobbi
January 30, 2015
10 Comments

It’s been a long and stressful week. My father-in-law is recovering from his stoke, although he is having heart issuesw which has not allowed him to leave the ICU. We are pleased he is getting the best care at Stanford but it makes spending time with him difficult since we are 90 miles away. My mother-in-law is unable to board up there so Brian drives and stays with her at Stanford on the weekends and we’ve been trying to round up enough of her friends to help drive during the week so Brian does not have to miss too much work. I feel bad for my in-laws and I am doing what I can to make this situation easier on them.

However, that also means doubling my current busy workload. That would be fine if I was a saintly woman who loved to suffer. It is not so great for a selfish sinner who hates to be put out. By Monday evening I was drained. Brian came home and we had a conversation like this.

Brian: You won’t believe what I just saw outside. There are four wild turkeys in front of our driveway.

Bobbi: Are you sure those aren’t just our kids?

Brian: No! There are huge turkeys walking up the street.

Bobbi: What the heck are turkeys doing in the neighborhood? That’s weird. So is that a good omen or a bad omen?

Brian: Well, it could be that we are in a time of Thanksgiving.

Bobbi: Or it could mean we are about to be shot, beheaded, plucked and cooked.

Brian: (Sighs)

Yeah, I was not in the mood to be looking on the bright side. Later that evening, after apologizing to Brian for being so grouchy, I started thinking about a Hallmark movie I recently saw. (Don’t hate on Hallmark. I love those sappy love stories.) 😉 In the movie, A Novel Romance, two characters were having a discussion. The young woman Sophie was talking to an older friend Harris. They were recalling his wife who had died. The conversation went like this:

Harris: I don’t pretend to know much about relationships. I only loved one woman in my life.

Sophie: You found your one true love.

Harris: I know that now, but when Lola and I were together it wasn’t always so clear. Loving someone is the hardest work there is. Oh, I messed up plenty. So did she. We disappointed each other sometimes. We said things we regretted later, but we never let it keep us apart no matter how bad things seemed at the time. It wasn’t true love because it was easy. It was because we worked at it. We fought for it.

I love that.

It wasn’t true love because it was easy. It was because we worked at it. We fought for it.

That little piece of dialogue pretty much sums up our life lesson as wives and mothers. I have found my true love but it isn’t always kisses and love notes. There are also disagreements and annoying habits and the monotonous day to day chores. I have four sweet babies but it isn’t always hugs and kisses and drawings for mama. There are also messes, laundry, tantrums, sleepless nights and an endless stream of toys on the floor. There are seasons of joy and celebration and there are seasons of heavy crosses – illness, job loss, miscarriage, infertility, (or no break between pregnancies,) a death of a loved one. These big and little crosses stretch us and test us to the core. We find out if our love is only pretty words or the real thing through thick and thin.

I admit there are times when I can’t take it and just want to scream. Why am I so stressed? Maybe because I spent too much time goofing off on the computer and then I had to rush around in a tizzy to get dinner on the table. Or maybe I am tired and cranky because the night before I binge watched too many episode of my favorite show. Times like that, I have no one to blame but myself. I know I am capable of doing what I need to do but I am just being very self-centered and not wanting to love the way God is asking me. My priorities are askew and I need to make corrections pronto.

Monday was one of those days. I made matters worse by not doing first things first – ie. prayer and daily duties. The following day I made sure to put prayer first. I opened up my daily meditation and began to pray.

Sometimes God is every so gentle with me and sometimes He just gives me the swift kick in the arse that I need. This was a swift kick day. The line that jumped out at me was

‘Taking up our cross’ might have a little more to do with love of neighbor and a little less like playing the martyr.

Ouch. This kept echoing in my head – “Pick up your cross without playing the martyr.”

But I am so good at playing the martyr, Lord! Huffing and puffing and rolling my eyes because nothing is working out the way I want it. At those times I can almost hear Jesus say, “Really? After all that I’ve done for you, this is how you are going to act? Like a spoiled child? Is your love really that fickle?” Sigh. Our Lord knows me too well.

However, there are those days, when I am seriously giving 110% of myself and it is still not enough. I am overwhelmed by the weight of whatever cross I am caring. That is when Jesus is most gentle with me. He comforts me and gives me the grace to love even when it hurts. That is when He reminds me to slow down long enough to look at the blessings around me, despite the difficulties.To love someone, whether a spouse, child, parent or friend, means to be there in the good and the bad. To lift them up and carry them when they are weak. As I type this, I’m getting a mental picture of Samwise Gamgee as he carries Frodo up the slopes of Mount Doom. That is love. Right now God is calling me to be Samwise to my family. I need to stop whining and get to work.

I’ve been in this position before and I know what I must do to survive it.

1. Drop to my knees.

My day goes so much better when I pray in the morning, whether it is long of brief.
Talk to God throughout the day. I need to ask for God’s grace and for the strength and courage to follow his will in my life right now.
When the complaining starts to enter my mind, I need to give it to God and ask for his grace to see the good around me.

2. Take care of my physical needs.

Eat. (No skipping breakfast then binging at lunch because I’m starving.)
Take my vitamins and drink. (Water, that is.) 😉
Exercise. Sure my beach walks are awesome but those are getting more difficult these days. Even a 10 minute walk up and down the driveway is better than nothing.
Sleep. I am a night owl and I have to force myself to not stay up until the wee hours of the morning.

3. Know my limit and not be afraid to ask for help.

I can do a lot (when I am in the right frame of mind) but when I reach the point of losing it, I have to do whatever I can to step away or take a break. If Brian cannot watch the kids for a little bit then I need to find someone who can give me a hand.
Sometimes even a call from my mom and just hearing her voice is enough to settle my spirit and give me strength.
There have been many times people have offered to help but I always tell them, “oh, that’s okay” because I feel like I need to do it myself. People want to help. I need to humble myself and let them.

These are a few steps I take to help me love and live my vocation as a wife and mother. What about you? What things help you when you are loving until it hurts?

UPDATE: After posting this, my father-in-law was moved out of ICU. He is still having issues but it is a step in the right direction. The next hurdle is to get him out of Stanford and back to Monterey to heal. Thanks for your continues prayers! 🙂

* * * * *

Photo Credit – ElizabethFoss.com

I know I mentioned this before but if you are in a difficult season of life or you feel like you are struggling to find joy and peace in your current chaos, I strongly recommend Elizabeth Foss’ online Lenten Retreat – Restore. I joined last year when I was struggling with Brian’s cancer and caring for the household and it did wonders for me. The daily meditations, the essays and the podcasts were a balm to my soul. A year later, I still go through my notes and remind myself of the lessons God was teaching me.

Currently, I am not experiencing the burnout I had last year but I signed up for the retreat anyway because I know the Holy Spirit will use it again to continue to guide me and draw me closer. I understand that the cost of $65 is more than some people can afford. If that is the case, but you feel like you need to go, then lay it before the feet of Jesus. Tell him that if you are meant to go, then to please provide the means. He just may surprise you.Photo Credit: ElizabethFoss.com

I hope you’ll join me so we can make this journey together. Have a blessed weekend!

Goals for 2015 & Mini-Goals for January & February

By bobbi
January 18, 2015
10 Comments

AND

Last year (in Fall) I sat down and thought about the goals I wanted to set for the next six months. August and September and October saw real progress as I slowly worked on key areas of my life but once the holiday season started, everything went on the back burner. Finally, in mid-January, I am just about recovered from holidays and traveling for a wedding/family reunion. I have chosen my word and saint of 2015 and now it is time for me to revisit my main goals for 2015.

I was reading over my sister’s Goal List and although I divided my goals into categories as she did, I love the way she labeled them – I am a child of God, woman, wife, mother, homemaker. I am hijacking the idea and adding it to my list. (Thanks, sis. 😉 )

Here are my main goals for the year and my mini-goals for January and February.

* * *

I Am A Daughter of God

Main Goal #1: To always have God at the center of my life and to deepen my love for Him. I want his will to be my will and motivation.

January & February Mini-Goals

Prayer is something I always struggle with. I seem to take two steps forward and three steps back unless I am diligent about not getting lax in my relationship with God. I can see how important it is that I connect with Brian and talk with him and be with him if I want our relationship to grow. I need to remind myself that it is the same thing with God. If I want our relationship to thrive, I have to work on it and not take it for granted. My min-goals:

Set clock 20 minutes early to pray after my shower but before I wake up kids.
Turn my mind to God through the day, even if only for a brief moment.
Turn off the TV and do a little spiritual reading.
Monthly confession.

* * *

I Am A Wife

Main Goal #2: To be a loving and holy wife to Brian and to work at keeping our marriage strong. To do what can to hep him relax and feel like his home is a haven from the world.

January & February Mini- Goals

Plan weekly date nights with one date a month being out of the house alone.
Don’t monopolize the conversation. Ask Brian questions and let him talk without interrupting.
When Brian comes home don’t bombard him with the stresses of my day. Greet him with a smile and a kiss and let him relax a little before dinner.
Work on the kids’ homework after school so Brian is not left doing it all after dinner.

* * *

I Am A Mom

Main Goal #3: To be a good mother that loves her kids and spends time with them and is not always “too busy.” I want to teach them about their faith and how to love and serve God in their young lives.

January & February Mini- Goals

Plan bi-weekly outings as a family. The off weeks can be spent playing with them in the backyard searching fossils or blowing bubbles or having a picnic on the deck.
Update the kids’ chore chart to give them more responsibility around the house. Go back to the sticker reward charts since they seem to work well.
Incorporate 1-2 church feast days into family life.

* * *

I Am A Homemaker

Main Goal #4: To bring order into our home so I am not stressed out by the mess and chaos. When things are organized our family life runs smoother and there is more peace.

January & February Mini- Goals

Participate in A Bowl Full of Lemon’s Home Organization 101: 14 Week Challenge. I missed Week 1 & 2 so I am jumping in at Week 3 and will make up the other 2 weeks at the end.
Make a weekly cleaning schedule for maintenance. For example, the laundry gets insane if I don’t do at least one load every day or so. Fridays are my I’m-not-leaving-the-house days so I’ll plan bigger jobs then.
Look through my saved recipes and pull out a few to try each month since the current meal rotation is getting stale.

UPDATE: I’m actually switching my cleaning challenge. I’ll complete the more intense ABFOL challenge later in spring but for now I am doing the 31 Day to Clean: Having A Martha House the Mary Way hosted by Christian blogger and author Sarah Mae. God has been putting Mary and Martha into my life left and right! I’ve already started and I must say, it is just what I needed! I’ll blog more about it soon. 🙂

* * *

I Am A Woman

Main Goal #5 – To take care of myself physically, spiritually and mentally so I can be a happy and healthy wife, mother and friend.

I have a bad habit of starting a new book before the previous one is read. I started all these last year but have yet to finish one of them completely! I want to remedy that this year.

January & February Mini- Goals

Daily hydrate, take vitamins and walk for 20-30 min. Use my Fitbit to keep track.
Lately, God has been opening doors for me to meet (in real life) other local Catholic moms. I will not make excuses and about having to stay home and realize that I also need female companionship. I will work out my schedule to meet up with these moms and make some new friendships.
Make sure I have time for a little creativity – whether pulling out the big girl camera or working on a family photo book or spending time writing in my journal.
Participate in the Goodreads’ 2015 Reading Challenge. I pledged a book a month, so 12. (Are we friends on Goodreads? If not, find me here.)

It may seem a bit lofty but working on these smaller steps will keep me headed in the right direction.

What about you? What is the one thing that you really want to work on this year?

PPS – This post may contain affiliate links.

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Tag Archives: motherhood

Register for the Catholic Conference for 4Moms & A Coupon Code for Purchases!

UPDATE: You can now purchase the Catholic Conference 4 Moms Package! The price is $39.99 but if you use the code “REVOLUTION” you get $10 off! For more details or to order click here – http://www.catholicconference4moms.com.

7 Quick Takes (2/28/15): Tears, Conferences & Period Movies

Create in Me A Clean Heart: My Lenten Goals 2015

Loving Until It Hurts

Goals for 2015 & Mini-Goals for January & February

AND

I Am A Daughter of God

Main Goal #1: To always have God at the center of my life and to deepen my love for Him. I want his will to be my will and motivation.

I Am A Wife

Main Goal #2: To be a loving and holy wife to Brian and to work at keeping our marriage strong. To do what can to hep him relax and feel like his home is a haven from the world.

I Am A Mom

Main Goal #3: To be a good mother that loves her kids and spends time with them and is not always “too busy.” I want to teach them about their faith and how to love and serve God in their young lives.

* * *

I Am A Homemaker

Main Goal #4: To bring order into our home so I am not stressed out by the mess and chaos. When things are organized our family life runs smoother and there is more peace.

I Am A Woman

Main Goal #5 – To take care of myself physically, spiritually and mentally so I can be a happy and healthy wife, mother and friend.